Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Impact of Self-Efficacy (Online Measure) on Students Grade Point Scores

This study examines the impact of students? self-efficacy on grade point scores. The data came from 59 sports-science majors (38 males and 21 females) who were in their third semester and were enrolled in the subject Exercise Psychology (SPS543). An online self-efficacy measuring scale was adapted from a previous scale to measure the students? grade point scores. The Pearson correlation showed a positive significant relationship in that students with higher self-efficacy scores also scored higher in grade point scores. As for gender differences, the independent t test indicated no significant difference in self-efficacy and grade point scores between male and female students. The findings revealed that self-efficacy for a specific subject? s grade point scores is a good measure other than more generalized performance scores. However, level of stress might have influenced the students who predicted a lower score. Future research may focus on students? anxiety levels prior to final exams, which affect grade point scores.
The Aharonov–Bohm effect in spectral asymptotics of the magnetic Schrödinger operator

We show that in the absence of a magnetic field the spectrum of the magnetic Schr\"odinger operator in an annulus depends on the cosine of the flux associated with the magnetic potential. This result follows from an analysis of a singularity in the wave trace for this Schr\"odinger operator, and hence shows that even in the absence of a magnetic field the magnetic potential can change the asymptotics of the Schr\"odinger spectrum, i.e. the Aharonov-Bohm effect takes place. We also study the Aharonov-Bohm effect for the magnetic Schr\"odinger operator on a torus.
Approach-avoidance, attentional and evaluation biases in hair pulling disorder and their relationship with symptom severity

ABSTRACT The present study examined approach-avoidance, attentional and evaluation biases in Hair Pulling Disorder (HPD). Although none of the tasks showed indications of biased action tendencies in response to hair pulling-related pictures, or biased attention for hair pulling-related words, we found that patients were slower to react to hair pulling-related stimuli than to neutral stimuli. This slowing down may indicate that patients are ambivalent towards hair pulling. This “ambivalence” positively correlated with HPD symptom severity, but only on one of the three severity measures we assessed. Concerning action tendencies towards hair pulling-related words, patients were, however, faster to react to hair pulling-related words when compared to words related to resisting hair pulling. Future research is needed to disentangle this ambivalent response pattern in HPD.
Direct observations in the dusk hours of the characteristics of the storm-time ring current particles during the beginning of magnetic storms

The characteristic features of the initial enhancement of the storm time ring current particles in the evening hours are consistent with flow patterns resulting from a combination of inward convection, gradient drift, and corotation, which carries plasma sheet protons into low L values near midnight and the higher-energy proton component into the plasmasphere and through the evening hours. Data from four magnetic storms during the early life of S³-A (Explorer 45) when the local time of apogee was in the afternoon and evening hours show that protons with lower magnetic moments penetrate deeper into the magnetosphere until a lower limit, determined by the corotation and gradient drift forces, is reached. Such particle motions produce the stable energy-dependent inner boundary of the ring current protons inside the plasmapause in the dusk sector and also provide the mechanism for energy injection into the ring current region. From the analyses of the pitch angle distributions it is evident that charge exchange and wave-particle interactions are not the dominant causes of this inner boundary. Observations of plasma sheet protons and electrons at altitudes just beyond the measured plasmapause are also consistent with the resulting flow patterns.
Running head : INTERPARENTAL CONFLICT AND POLITICAL EFFICACY 3 Does Family Experience Influence Political Beliefs ? The Relation between Interparental Conflict Perceptions and Political Efficacy in Late Adolescence

The study examined the relation between adolescents’ interparental conflict perceptions and their political efficacy regarding local issues. Longitudinal data (age 15 and 17) from 444 adolescents were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Results showed that young people experiencing frequent interparental conflict reported an increase in depressive mood during late adolescence, which was associated with lower level of political efficacy. Moreover, adolescents who felt more efficacious when dealing with fighting parents felt more efficacious in local politics, even when controlling for personality traits and depressive mood. One possible explanation is that family perceptions generalize to politics because both contexts share certain similar features. Our results underscore that also seemingly nonpolitical experiences can matter in adolescents’ civic and political development.
MASS TRANSFER COEFFICIENTS BETWEEN GAS AND LIQUID PHASES IN PACKED COLUMNS

Bubbles which have been just generated from the porous plate are small and have an equal size, but sometime coalescence of these small bubbles occurs at a location slightly removed from the distributor, where the gas holdup is very large. Therefore, large and wide size distribution of bubbles are observed. This occurs easily in pure water and pure solvents. The surface active substances in water and solvents obstruct this coalescence of bubbles. In concentrated inorganic salt solutions, this obstruction is also recognized. For the extreme cases when no coalescence is observed and the coalescence occurs at the maximumrate, the correlations of the average bubble diameter and the conditions of bubble generation are obtained.
Uses and Misuses of Environmental DNA in Biodiversity Science and Conservation

The study of environmental DNA (eDNA) has the potential to revolutionize biodiversity science and conservation action by enabling the census of species on a global scale in near real time. To achieve this promise, technical challenges must be resolved. In this review, we explore the main uses of eDNA as well as the complexities introduced by its misuse. Current eDNA methods require refinement and improved calibration and validation along the entire workflow to lessen false positives/negatives. Moreover, there is great need for a better understanding of the “natural history” of eDNA—its origins, state, lifetime, and transportation—and for more detailed insights concerning the physical and ecological limitations of eDNA use. Although eDNA analysis can provide powerful information, particularly in freshwater and marine environments, its impact is likely to be less significant in terrestrial settings. The broad adoption of eDNA tools in conservation will largely depend on addressing current uncertainties in data interpretation.
Defining and determining the properties of the human sleep homeostat

To summarize, the principal findings upon which this thesis is built, are these: 1. The most accurate measure of the human chronotype on the 24-h scale relative to external time is the timepoint at a point in the 30–40% range of habitual sleep length on free days. 2. The free-day mid-sleep time correlates negatively with the gain constant from Achermann’s elaboration of the two-process model. Age is a confounding factor in this relationship, which itself is positively associated with the gain constant. 3. The gain constant describes the gradual dissipation of Process S while allowing for the inherently irregular course of SWA. 4. A new parameter (Process Z) is introduced to describe the local cortical differentiation of the kinetics of SWA homeostasis as distinct from the more global, integrative Process S involved in the timing of sleep onset and end. 5. Rather than conventional delta range (0.75–4.5Hz), 2–3Hz is the frequency range in which SWA homeostasis is clearest. 6. Frontal, use-dependent cortical areas are involved in SWA regulation the most, while occipital SWA exhibits slightly different characteristics. SWA response may not be immediate to current demand in these areas.
Title : Bystander-activated memory CD 8 T cells control early pathogen load in an innate-like , NKG 2 D-dependent manner

During an infection the antigen non-specific memory CD8 T cell compartment is not simply an inert pool of cells, but becomes activated and cytotoxic. It is unknown how these cells contribute to the clearance of an infection. We measured the strength of T-cell receptor (TCR) signals that bystander activated, cytotoxic CD8 T-cells (BA-CTLs) receive in vivo and found evidence of limited TCR signaling. Given this marginal contribution of the TCR, we asked how BA-CTLs identify infected target cells. We show that target cells express NKG2D ligands following bacterial infection and demonstrate that BA-CTLs directly eliminate these target cells in an innatelike, NKG2D-dependent manner. Selective inhibition of BA-CTL mediated killing led to a significant defect in pathogen clearance. Together these data suggest a previously unappreciated, innate role for memory CD8 T-cells in the early immune response before the onset of a de-novo generated, antigen-specific CD8 T-cell response.
Low-dose azathioprine is effective and safe for maintenance of remission in patients with ulcerative colitis

1 Center for the Research of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, School of Medicine, Keio University, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan 2 Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan 3 Department of Internal Medicine, National Okura Hospital, Tokyo, Japan 4 Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Ryukyu University, Okinawa, Japan 5 Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Hyogo Medical College, Hyogo, Japan
Policies to Create and Destroy Human Capital in Europe

Trends in skill bias and greater turbulence in modern labor markets put wages and employment prospects of unskilled workers under pressure. Weak incentives to utilize and maintain skills over the life-cycle become manifest with the ageing of the population. Reinvention of human capital policies is required to avoid increasing welfare state dependency among the unskilled and to reduce inefficiencies in human capital formation. Policy makers should acknowledge strong dynamic complementarities in skill formation. Investments in the human capital of children should expand relative to investment in older workers. There is no trade-off between equity and efficiency at early ages of human development but there is a substantial trade-off at later ages. Later remediation of skill deficits acquired in early years is often ineffective. Active labor market and training policies should therefore be reformulated. Skill formation is impaired when the returns to skill formation are low due to low skill use and insufficient skill maintenance later on in life. High marginal tax rates and generous benefit systems reduce labor force participation rates and hours worked and thereby lower the utilization rate of human capital. Tax-benefit systems should be reconsidered as they increasingly redistribute resources from outsiders to insiders in labor markets which is both distortionary and inequitable. Early retirement and pension schemes should be made actuarially fairer as they entail strong incentives to retire early and human capital is thus written off too quickly.
The Relation of Word Reading Fluency Initial Level and Gains With Reading Outcomes

Abstract. The purpose of this research brief is to present results from a study investigating the relation between word reading fluency (both initial level and fall–winter gain scores), passage reading fluency, and reading comprehension. Word reading fluency data were collected in the fall and winter; outcome measures were administered in the spring of Grade 1 (N = 150 students). We found that both initial level and gains on the word reading fluency measure predicted important reading outcomes in Grade 1 and that the impact of gains was attenuated for students with strong initial skills. These findings are consistent with previous research on fluency-based measures of early reading skill.
Excitons and trions in monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides: A comparative study between the multiband model and the quadratic single-band model

The electronic and structural properties of excitons and trions in monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides are investigated using both a multiband and a single-band model. In the multiband model we construct the excitonic Hamiltonian in the product base of the single-particle states at the conduction and valence band edges. We decouple the corresponding energy eigenvalue equation and solve the resulting differential equation self-consistently, using the finite element method (FEM), to determine the energy eigenvalues and the wave functions. As a comparison, we also consider the simple single-band model which is often used in numerical studies. We solve the energy eigenvalue equation using the FEM as well as with the stochastic variational method (SVM) in which a variational wave function is expanded in a basis of a large number of correlated Gaussians. We find good agreement between the results of both methods, as well as with other theoretical works for excitons, and we also compare with available experimental data. For trions the agreement between both methods is not as good due to our neglect of angular correlations when using the FEM. Finally, when comparing the two models, we see that the presence of the valence bands in the mutiband model leads to differences with the single-band model when (interband) interactions are strong.
On the Exponential Stability and Periodic Solutions of Delayed Cellular Neural Networks

A set of criteria is presented for the global exponential stability and the Ž . existence of periodic solutions of delayed cellular neural networks DCNNs by constructing suitable Lyapunov functionals, introducing many parameters and combining with the elementary inequality technique. These criteria have important leading significance in the design and applications of globally stable DCNNs and periodic oscillatory DCNNs. In addition, earlier results are extended and improved; other results are contained. Two examples are given to illustrate the theory.
Study on the Improved Biogas Generation Through Magnetic Field Modified Anaerobic Digestion

Abstract — The effect of the magnetic field (MF) on the effectiveness of biogas generation was studied and it was observed that the increased intensity of magnetic field resulted in an increase in the fermentation process. A significant increase in the methane product was recorded when the medium was exposed to the magnetic field of 0.42 T. In the magnetic field digester for the first three days (lag phase) the production of the biogas was slow which was increased in 4 th to 6 th days as compared to control. 4.8 Ltr. gas production was recorded in MFF as compare to 3.4 Ltr. in the control on the 6 th day of the experiment. A decrease in pH was observed in 1 st few days of the digestion. The value of pH remains within the range of 7 to 7.3 while in control it was fluctuated between 6.4 to 7.3. NH 3 – N was reduced to 87% which was 20% higher than the control. The total solid and volatile solid were reduced to 59% and 57% in MFF while in control they were reduced only 46% and 40% respectively. The content of suspended matter in slurry was reduced by 26.1% and the effectiveness of COD removal was increased as compare to control.
Effects of Rank-Ordered Feature Perceptions of Energy Sources on the Choice of the Most Acceptable Power Plant for a Neighborhood: An Investigation Using a South Korean Nationwide Sample

The present study incorporates a competitive context into an individual’s response to the construction of a power plant in his/her neighborhood and the determinants of this response. The study adopts an individual’s rank-ordered feature perceptions of competing energy sources to reflect the individual’s comparative perceptions of the sources regarding the features, and it investigates the effects of these perceptions on his/her choice of the most acceptable power plant in the area where he/she lives. Our mixed conditional logit analysis of nationwide survey data from South Korea demonstrated the following: among the rank-ordered feature perceptions, the perceptions regarding safety and eco-friendliness significantly predict an individual’s choice of the most acceptable power plant for his/her neighborhood, while those regarding affordability, contribution to economic development, and job creation do not. In addition, among those significant features, safety was found to be a stricter criterion than eco-friendliness. The selective significance of the feature perceptions and the differentiated criteria between the significant features provide practical implications for professionals in energy industries, as well as theoretical implications for researchers.
Ecological Niche Difference Associated with Varied Ethanol Tolerance between Drosophila suzukii and Drosophila melanogaster (Diptera: Drosophilidae)

Abstract Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) (Diptera: Drosphilidae) is an important pest that causes damage to fruits of over 60 plant species. Drosophila suzukii oviposits on ripe fruit, while D. melanogaster oviposits on decaying fruit. Therefore, these species occupy separate ecological niches. To provide a better understanding of the alcohol tolerance between these 2 species and explore the relationship of ecological niche differences and alcohol tolerance, ethanol and acetaldehyde content was examined in red grapes infested by D. melanogaster and D. suzukii. We assessed mortality and alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) and acetaldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) activity levels for 2 Drosophila species exposed to ethanol. The study results showed that ethanol content gradually increased as the fruit decayed while being infested by Drosophila. The ethanol content was higher in the presence of D. melanogaster than in the presence of D. suzukii. In the mortality experiment, the LC50 of D. melanogaster adults was approximately 8.0% following exposure to ethanol for more than 6 h, while it was only 2.7% in D. suzukii. Moreover, D. melanogaster adults and larvae all had higher ADH and ALDH activity than D. suzukii exposed to ethanol. Our results suggest that D. melanogaster and D. suzukii may occupy different ecological niches due to their discrepancy in tolerance to environmental ethanol, which is mainly regulated by ADH and ALDH.
Bicycle accidents in Denmark – the contribution of cyclist behavior, the vehicle and the road

Knowledge on accidents and factors contributing to their occurrence is of key importance for the development of targeted preventive efforts. High levels of underreporting is a well-known challenge particularly for bicycle accidents. Medical records from 4205 cyclists from 2010-2015 were included in this study. The sample included all cyclists registered at the emergency room due to a bicycle accident during the study period. The purpose of the study was to improve knowledge on factors contributing to cyclist accidents based on a qualitative identification of accident factors and underlying factors. When identifying accident factors, we made a distinction between factors related to the condition and behaviour of the cyclist, the road and its surrounding, the bicycle and the other party. We identified 3124 accident factors most of which regarded the other party or the behaviour and condition of the cyclist. However, we also identified damaged roads and poor maintenance of the bicycle as important factors contributing to the occurrence of the bicycle accidents.
Spatial distribution of net primary productivity and evapotranspiration in Changbaishan Natural Reserve, China, using Landsat ETM+ data

Remote sensing has been a useful tool to monitor net primary productivity (NPP) and evapotranspiration (ET). In this paper, based on field measurements and Landsat enhanced thematic mapper plus (ETM+) data, NPP and ET are estimated in 2001 in the Changbaishan Natural Reserve, China. Maps of land cover, leaf area index, and biomass of this forested region are first derived from ETM+ data. With these maps and additional soil texture and daily meteorological data, NPP and ET maps are produced for 2001 using the boreal ecosystem productivity simulator (BEPS). The results show that the estimated and observed NPP values for forest agree fairly well, with a mean relative error of 8.6%. The NPP of mixed forests is the highest, with a mean of 500 g C m–2·a–1, and that of alpine tundra and shrub is the lowest, with a mean of 136 g C m–2·a–1. Unlike the spatial pattern of NPP, the annual ET changes distinctly with altitude from greater than 600 mm at the foot of the mountain to about 200 mm at the top of the mountain. ET is highest for broadleaf forests and lowest for urban and built-up areas.
A refinement of previous hypotheses concerning the local structure of turbulence in a viscous incompressible fluid at high Reynolds number

The hypotheses concerning the local structure of turbulence at high Reynolds number, developed in the years 1939-41 by myself and Oboukhov (Kolmogorov 1941 a,b,c; Oboukhov 1941 a,b) were based physically on Richardson's idea of the existence in the turbulent flow of vortices on all possible scales l < r < L between the ‘external scales’ L and the ‘internal scale’ l and of a certain uniform mechanism of energy transfer from the coarser-scaled vortices to the finer.
Draft Telomere Length and Age-dependent Telomere Attrition

Complete List of Authors: Chahine, Mirna; Foundation-Medical Research Institutes; Universite Libanaise, Faculty of medical SciencesMedicine Toupance, Simon; université de Lorraine, Inserm, DCAC, ; Université de Lorraine, CHRU-Nancy, Pôle "Maladies du Vieillissement, Gérontologie et Soins Palliatifs"; Nancyclotep-GIE El-Hakim, Sandy; Université Libanaise , Faculty of Public Health II Labat, Carlos; université de Lorraine, Inserm, DCAC, Gautier, Sylvie; Université de Lorraine, CHRU-Nancy, Pôle "Maladies du Vieillissement, Gérontologie et Soins Palliatifs" Moussallem, Toufic; Universite Libanaise, Faculty of medical SciencesMedicine Yared, Pierre; Universite Libanaise, Faculty of medical SciencesMedicine Asmar, Roland; Foundation-Medical Research Institutes Benetos, Athanase; université de Lorraine, Inserm, DCAC, ; Université de Lorraine, CHRU-Nancy, Pôle "Maladies du Vieillissement, Gérontologie et Soins Palliatifs"
Demand Determinants of Cruise Tourists in Competitive Markets: Motivation, Preference and Intention

The purpose of this study is to develop and estimate an integrated structural path model of the determinants of cruise demand based on the nexus of motivation, preference and intention of cruise tourists. The paper identifies the drivers of this demand in competitive markets. The model results show that different cruise motives have a significant effect (positive or negative) on specific cruise preferences and intentions, while some significant relationships between cruise preferences and intentions could also be found. Based on this structural path model, the authors apply an ANOVA approach to compare the differences of cruise motivations and cruise preferences in Asian markets in order to trace the instrumental determinants of cruise passengers, leading to a new understanding of the commonalities and differences of cruise competitiveness in different regional markets.