Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Why and how teachers should prevent and remedy academic deficits by enhancing learning speed

ABSTRACT Teachers focused on prevention of academic problems should apply procedures that enhance learning speed, or learning as a function of the time that the learner spends engaged in the intervention(s). Although few researchers evaluate or compare academic interventions using precise measures of learning speed, several strategies for modifying interventions or instructional procedures have been developed that may enhance learning speed. Teachers who apply strategies that increase learning speed may allow students who receive remedial and special education services to incur fewer opportunity costs associated with time reallocation strategies and allow them to return to typical school activities earlier. More importantly, applying interventions that cause more rapid learning may prevent learning deficits, which may be the best way to minimize opportunity costs and enhance student success.
Scots pine’s capacity to adapt to climate change in hemi-boreal forests in relation to dominating tree increment and site condition

Marius Mikalajūnas , Hans Pretzsch , Gintautas Mozgeris , Edgaras Linkevičius , Ingrida Augustaitienė , Algirdas Augustaitis (1) Forest site (FS) and meteorological conditions are recognized as the main factors affecting tree growth and whole-stand sustainability. This study aims to detect the combined effects of FS and meteorological conditions on tree ring formation of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.), the most common tree species in Lithuania and hemi-boreal forests of northeastern Europe. We used data on stand structure and productivity from the Lithuanian National Forest Inventory (NFI) and stem radial increment series of dominating trees during the period 1993-2012 collected since 2013. Pine stem basal area increment (BAI) was chosen as the response variable, while temperature in March (°C) and precipitation in June (mm) were used as predictor variables, as they best express the effect of climate change on Lithuanian forests. We simulated the effects on dominating pine annual increment of deciduous tree species, mainly Betula sp. and the level of soil moisture and fertility, accounting in addition for the random effects of NFI network tract, plot direction, and tree number. A nonlinear mixed-effects model explained up to 68% of the variation in the BAI of pine trees. The annual pine trees BAI increased with the increase in the proportion of deciduous trees in pine stands. Increases in temperature and precipitation in considered months reinforced this positive effect on pine BAI, especially in mature pine stands in temporarily waterlogged meso-eutrophic FSs on mineral soils. A negative effect of deciduous trees on pine stem increment was observed only in nutrient-rich eutrophic and drained peatland FSs. Forestry treatments directed towards the increase in deciduous tree proportion in the most common normal or temporarily waterlogged meso-eutrophic and oligotrophic pine stands might increase the biodiversity and productivity of pine stands, and their sustainability in future climate change scenarios.
Effect of humic acid and fulvic acid based liquid and foliar fertilizers on the yield of wheat crop

Abstract An organic-mineral liquid fertigation fertilizer containing humic acid, nitrogen (N)–phosphorus (P)–potassium (K), zinc (Zn), sulfur (S), manganese (Mn) and a liquid foliar fertilizer consisting of fulvic acid and gibberellic acids were formulated and applied to wheat. The purpose of this study was to develop an efficient and cost effective liquid and foliar fertilizer and compare their potential with commercially available urea and DAP. The fulvic acid and humic acids were obtained by alkaline extraction of lignite coal. All the treatments were significant over the control. The application of the liquid fertigation fertilizer and liquid foliar fertilizer along with 50 kg of urea per acre showed the best results biological yield (grain plus straw yield). It was found that the highest yield was obtained in T6 treatment and the second best results were obtained with T2 treatment, but has a high cost, while treatment T6 was the most significant economical and yielded a high income when compared to other treatments.
Cheating under the Circumstances in Marital Relationships: The Development and Examination of the Propensity towards Infidelity Scale

Most of the previously developed scales addressing infidelity were developed on young samples in dating relationships and with limited couple experience. The present study proposes an instrument to measure the proneness for infidelity among married people with substantial experience as a couple. Specific contexts described by the items, in which unfaithful behavior might occur, were selected from those revealed by previous research on people’s motives of past infidelity. Across two studies (N = 618) we examined the factorial structure and the psychometric characteristics of the Propensity towards Infidelity Scale (PTIS). Results revealed a one-dimensional structure of the PTIS and supported its reliability, its construct, criterion and incremental validity. PTIS emerged as negatively associated with two measures of adherence to moral standards, and positively related to past unfaithful behavior. Furthermore, the new instrument was found to bring a significant contribution in explaining these behaviors beyond two other scales of infidelity intentions.
dIsRuPtIoN

There have always been critics of education and such criticism has led to a slow ebb and flow in the predominant beliefs that surround the purpose of education [1]. However in the last several years a perfect storm appears to be brewing driven by the rising costs of higher education, continuing maturation of information technologies, and a public dialog that often characterizes higher education as in need of reform [2, 3]. While there is no general consensus on the future of higher education generally, and engineering education specifically, some believe that the model of higher education familiar to most engineering faculty will undergo dramatic changes in the next decade [4]. What is the probability that the engineering education will look significantly different in ten years' time? How might our current model be disrupted; how can engineering educators not only prepare for possible disruptions, but take advantage of new opportunities? What new directions for engineering education research open up if the structure of higher education changes? This special session will elicit from the experiences of participants ways they have (or have not) seem disruptive changes on their campus. By comparing experienced change to those predicted in studies that have examined how disruptions might affect higher education [5], we hope to help the session participants develop a preliminary set of theories of change that may guide their decision making and opinions regarding disruptive forces in higher education.
Combining catalysis and computational fluid dynamics towards improved process design for ethanol dehydration

Through a combined computational fluid dynamics, characterization and catalysis study we have developed, for the first time, a working model of the ethanol dehydration process within a catalytic pelletized fixed bed reactor. The model, constructed from experimental kinetic data on the dehydration of ethanol to ethylene, with the industrial MTO catalyst SAPO-34, provides unique insights on reaction rate, product selectivity and local temperature fluctuations that are pivotal to reactor design towards optimized catalytic processes, and highly relevant for the optimization of industrial chemical processes.
Association of Prenatal Maternal Anemia with Tics and Tourette’s Syndrome in Offspring

Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) accounts for most of the anemia in pregnancy, and iron is essential for neurodevelopment. Tics and Tourette’s syndrome (TS) are neurodevelopmental disorders that manifest in childhood. A few studies reported an inconclusive association between iron deficiency and tics in children. No study has investigated the relationship between prenatal maternal anemia and tics in children. We aimed to assess the relationship between prenatal anemia exposure and the incidence of tics or TS in offspring. We linked the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database to the Maternal and Child Health Database for the analysis and identified 153,854 children with prenatal anemia exposure and 2,014,619 children without prenatal anemia exposure from 2004 to 2016 and followed them through 2017. Cox regression models were applied to compare the risk of tics or TS between the exposed and nonexposed groups. Among the exposed group, 37,832 were exposed at ≤12 weeks of gestational age (GA) and 116,022 at >12 weeks of GA. We observed an increased risk of tics and TS in those exposed at ≤12 weeks compared with the nonexposed group (adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) = 1.23, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.12–1.34). The result remained consistent after adjusting for birth year, sex, birth order, maternal age, low-income levels, gestational age, birth weight, and alcohol use and smoking during pregnancy (aHR = 1.16, CI: 1.04–1.28). Fetuses exposed to maternal anemia at ≤12 weeks of GA are at high risk of tics or TS. However, this effect was attenuated to insignificance in the sibling comparison. Our study highlights the importance of detection of anemia during pregnancy and proper timing of iron supplementation.
Use of Ultrasonography for Foot and Ankle Sports Injuries

초음파는 근골격계 질환을 평가하는 효과적인 방법으로 고해상 도 변환기(transducer, probe)의 발전에 힘입어 족부와 족관절의 표면에 위치하는 인대와 건 등에 대해서는 자기공명영상 검사에 못지 않은 검사법이다. 초음파의 장점으로 자기공명영상 검사에 비해서 가격이 더 저렴하고 접근성이 좋다는 점이 강조되고 있 으며, 또 다른 장점은 족부와 족관절에 동적 조작(dynamic maneuver)을 가한 상태에서 검사할 수 있다는 것으로서 정적인 상태 에서는 진단이 어려운 충돌 증후군과 불안정성, 아탈구 같은 현 상을 확인할 수 있어 스포츠 손상을 진단하는 데 많은 도움이 된 다. 또한 도플러(Doppler) 검사를 이용하면 염증반응과 혈류량 증가 등을 확인할 수도 있다. 본 종설에서는 족부와 족관절에서 발생할 수 있는 스포츠 손상 중 대표적인 족관절 염좌, 족저근막염, 족저근막 파열, 족장판 파 열, 아킬레스건 손상, 비복근 내측두 파열, 비골건 손상과 비골건 불안정성 등에 대해서 초음파상의 특징을 알아보았다.
Mitochondrial profile and amyloidogenic molecules in sporadic inclusion body myositis

Introduccion: En la presenta tesis doctoral se planteo el estudio de la miositis por cuerpos de inclusion, una enfermedad muscular degenerativa de la que se conoce muy poco y que actualmente carece de cura. Se trata de una enfermedad que afecta a extremidades, generalmente quadriceps y musculos flexores de los dedos, y que acaba tras un largo periodo de deterioro con una incapacidad para realizar tareas como andar, subir escaleras o vestirse. Su desarrollo es lento, y por eso el diagnostico precoz es imprescindible, asi como el conocimiento de sus bases moleculares para el futuro desarrollo de un posible tratamiento efectivo. Dado que el grupo de investigacion esta centrado en el estudio de la mitocondria, disenamos un proyecto para estudiar el estado de la mitocondria en pacientes con miositis por cuerpos de inclusion. Desarrollo: Para ello se incluyeron un total de mas de 30 pacientes, de los que obtuvimos muestra de musculo y de sangre periferica. Se analizaron numerosos parametros mitocondriales en ambos tejidos como las actividades enzimaticas de diferentes complejos de la cadena respiratoria mitocondrial, niveles de DNA mitocondrial, estres oxidativo o expresion de proteinas mitocondriales. Ademas, y dada la relacion entre la patologia molecular de la miositis por cuerpos de inclusion y el Alzheimer, estudiamos los niveles de algunas moleculas relacionadas con la axumulacion de B-amieloide en plasma de pacientes con miositis por cuerpos de inclusion, para establecer marcadores diagnosticos y/o pronosticos. Conclusion: Las conclusiones generales de la presente tesis doctoral senalan que la mitocondria de pacientes afectos de miositis por cuerpos de inclusion estan alterados en el tejido diana de la enfermedad, el musculo, pero tambien en celulas mononucleares de sangre periferica, senalando una afectacion sistemica en la enfermedad. Ademas, moleculas como la B-secretasa, se encuentran elevadas en plasma de estos pacientes, apuntando que la via de acumulacion anormal de B-amieloide esta expresada, y marcando estas enzimas como posibles marcadores diagnosticos y/o pronosticos.
Community Perceptions of Tree Risk and Management

Urban forests (trees growing in urban and peri-urban areas, including villages and large cities) are vital to mitigating the effects of climate change and urbanization but require special considerations such as risk mitigation in developed landscapes. Despite abundant research on risk perceptions of natural hazards, there is limited knowledge about risk perceptions associated with urban trees. As such, this research examines community perceptions of urban tree risk mitigation with a focus on four cities in the U.S. south. To better understand risk perceptions and mitigation, this study employs key informant interviews with community members. Guided by a socio-ecological resilience framework, the findings identify factors affecting resident attitudes towards tree management on the individual parcel and the community levels. The findings benefit tree risk governance in the face of climate variability, which increases societal and environmental vulnerability in urban settings.
Effects of the availability of floral resources and neighboring plants on nectar robbery in a specialized pollination system

Abstract Many plants pollinated by nectar-foraging animals have to maintain a balance between legitimate visitor attraction strategies and mechanisms that minimize illegitimate visits. This study investigated how floral display and neighboring species composition influences nectar robbing by hummingbirds in the tropical ornithophilous herb Heliconia spathocircinata. We tested the role of inflorescence display, flower abundance, and neighboring species in the reduction of nectar robbing in H. spathocircinata. Our results indicate that nectar robbing hummingbird activity was higher in moderately large inflorescence displays and that the frequency of nectar robbing in H. spathocircinata decreases with increased flower abundance and the presence of neighboring plant species. Neighboring non-ornithophilous plants decreased the frequency of nectar robbing in H. spathocircinata flowers to a greater extent than ornithophilous ones. These results suggest that nectar robbing hummingbirds are attracted to similar conditions that attract legitimate visitors and that spatial aggregation and mixed-species displays may represent a mechanism to dilute nectar robbing effects at an individual level.
Solid‐State Rechargeable Zn//NiCo and Zn–Air Batteries with Ultralong Lifetime and High Capacity: The Role of a Sodium Polyacrylate Hydrogel Electrolyte

Solid‐state aqueous energy conversion and storage are regarded as one of the most promising energy technologies for low‐cost and large‐scale applications without safety risk. However, current solid‐state aqueous batteries can only sustain tens to hundreds of charging–discharging cycles and deliver limited capacities, particularly in alkaline electrolytes. This has severely limited solid‐state energy technologies for large‐scale applications. Herein, it is reported that a sodium polyacrylate hydrogel electrolyte ensures an order of magnitude higher cycling stability than those of their state‐of‐the‐art counterparts and high capacities for the solid‐state Zn//NiCo and Zn–air batteries. The observed superb cell performance is attributed to a high ionic conductivity and water‐retaining capability intrinsically associated with the sodium polyacrylate hydrogel electrolyte, coupled with the acrylate‐ion‐facilitated formation of quasi‐solid electrolyte interface to eliminate zinc dendrites.
Fisherian Asset Price Deflation and the Zero Lower Bound

How important is the effect of the interest rate Zero Lower Bound (ZLB) on the severity of the U.S. Great Recession? We tackle this question using an incomplete markets New Keynesian model, with a ZLB on the nominal interest rate and a borrowing constraint tied to asset price. We solve the model with recurrent aggregate shocks and the two occasionally binding constraints using a global method. The financial wedge, which is commonly assumed to be exogenous in the existing literature, corresponds to an endogenous multiplier on the borrowing constraint and is partly driven by the binding ZLB. The binding ZLB exacerbates the financial crisis through its interaction with the Fisherian asset price deflation and asset fire-sale vicious cycles, tightening the borrowing constraint and leading to a significant increase in the financial wedge. Our results offer a novel reinterpretation of the negligible effect of ZLB in the representative agent New Keynesian models with exogenous financial wedges. JEL: C60, E20, E30, E40, E50, G11
A Mathematical Model for COVID-19 with Variable Transmissibility and Hospitalizations: A Case Study in Paraguay

Forecasting the dynamics of the number of cases with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in a given population is a challenging task due to behavioural changes which occur over short periods. Planning of hospital resources and containment measures in the near term require a scenario analysis and the use of predictive models to gain insight into possible outcomes for each scenario. In this paper, we present the SEIR-H epidemiological model for the spread dynamics in a given population and the impact of COVID-19 in the local health system. It was developed as an extension of the classic SEIR model to account for required hospital resources and behavioural changes of the population in response to containment measures. Time-varying parameters such as transmissibility are estimated using Bayesian methods, based on the database of reported cases with a moving time-window strategy. The assessment of the model offers reasonable results with estimated parameters and simulations, reflecting the observed dynamics in Paraguay. The proposed model can be used to simulate future scenarios and possible effects of containment strategies, to guide the public institution response based on the available resources in the local health system.
Clinical Variants, Rates of Post-Operative Recurrence and Malignant Transformation of Sino-Nasal Inverted Papilloma

Background: Inverted Papilloma (IP) is the most common benign neoplasms arising from the mucosal lining of the of the Sino-Nasal tract with single or multifocal attachment sites. The high propensity to recur, local aggressive behavior and possibility of malignant transformation attract considerable interest. Objective: To assess the factors affecting Sino-nasal IP, malignant transformation rate, and post-operative recurrence rate. Methods: A retrospective study was carried out on all cases diagnosed as Sino-Nasal Papilloma between January 2010 and December 2020 at Salmaniya Medical Complex, Bahrain. Data gathered from medical records were analyzed using SPSS. A total of 49 Sino-Nasal Papilloma cases were recorded of which 37 were IP. Factors affecting Sino-Nasal IPs are presented. Results: Sino-Nasal IP was recorded in 37 cases, composed of 28 males and 9 females with first presentation average age of 45.86 years. These involved 20 cases in the left side, 14 in the right side and 3 were bilateral. Recurrence in males and females was found to be 35.7% and 33%, respectively, with an average of 12.6 months. The symptoms include nasal blockage (97.3%), epistaxis and postnasal drip (13.5% each), headache (8.1%) and hyposmia and rhinorrhea (5.4%, each). The main recurrence was at stage T2 (60.5%), while in smokers (26.7%) and non-smokers (50%). Malignant transformation occurred in one patient only (2.6%). Conclusion: IP is the most common type of SNP with male predominance. The recurrence rate is high with an average of a year and the malignant transformation occurred in 2.6 % of the cases.
Fine roots for uptake and translocation of zinc into young leaves as important traits for zinc efficiency of maize genotypes

ABSTRACT Suitable germplasm and breeding for zinc (Zn)-efficient genotypes has been prioritized to combat Zn deficiency problem. Six maize genotypes were grown in a nutrient solution with or without Zn to identify genotype tolerance to low Zn and its mechanism. Zhongnong 99 was found to be about 2-fold more Zn-efficient than L69 × 178. Young shoot Zn concentration and content was significantly correlated with Zn efficiency (ZE). Furthermore, Zn-efficient genotype as Zhongnong 99 distributed more Zn into young parts of shoot and also developed longer and thinner roots (≤ 0.2 mm) under -Zn conditions than inefficient genotypes. The close relationship (0.82***, 0.88***, 0.90***) between Zn content of young shoots and fine roots indicated that fine roots (≤ 0.2 mm) contributed more efficient Zn uptake into old parts which distributed to young parts. In conclusion, the analysis of young shoots and fine roots (≤ 0.2 mm) represent a suitable screening technique for ZE evaluation of under -Zn conditions.
Dendritic cells trigger imbalance of Th1/Th2 cells in silica dust exposure rat model via MHC-II, CD80, CD86 and IL-12

Silicosis is one of the most common occupational respiratory diseases caused by inhaling silica dust over a prolonged period of time, and the progression of silicosis is accompanied with chronic inflammation and progressive pulmonary fibrosis, in which dendritic cells (DCs), the most powerful antigen presentation cell (APC) in the immune response, play a crucial role. To investigate the role of DCs in the development of silicosis, we established an experimental silicosis rat model and examined the number of DCs and alveolar macrophages (AMs) in lung tissues using immunofluorescence over 84 days. Additionally, to obtain an overview of the immunological changes in rat lung tissues, a series of indicators including Th1/Th2 cells, IFN-γ, IL-4, MHC-II, CD80/86 and IL-12 were detected using flow cytometry and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) as well as a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay. We observed that the number of DCs slightly increased at the inflammatory stage, and it increased significantly at the final stage of fibrosis. Polarization of Th1 cells and IFN-γ expressions were dominant during the inflammatory stage, whereas polarization of Th2 cells and IL-4 expressions were dominant during the fibrotic stage. The subsequent mechanistic study found that the expressions of MHC-II, CD80/86 and IL-12, which are the key molecules that connect DCs and Th cells, changed dynamically in the experimental silicosis rat model. The data obtained in this study indicated that the increase in DCs may contribute to polarization of Th1/Th2 cells via MHC-II, CD80/86, and IL-12 in silica dust-exposed rats.
Automatic transmission fluid corrosion inhibitor interactions with copper

In this paper, a new method, measuring the change in resistance of a thin copper wire, has been applied to provide a way to monitor a corrosion reaction in situ. Two different corrosion inhibitors used in commercial automatic transmission fluids have been studied at 110 °C, 120 °C, 130°C, and 150 °C using this new test method coupled with a more traditional coupon test to allow surface analysis to be carried out. Both inhibitors were found to be equally as effective up to temperatures of 130°C; however, the evidence provided shows that at 150°C, the thiadiazole inhibitor is breaking down leading to severe pitting on the surface. Corrosion performance therefore, cannot be assumed to be effective at all temperatures, and the current method provides a convenient quantitative screening method for inhibitor evaluation.