Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Diffusion Tensor Imaging for Language Mapping in Brain Tumor Surgery: Validation With Direct Cortical Stimulation and Cortico–Cortical Evoked Potential

Objective Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and diffusion tensor imaging-derived tractography (DTI-t) contribute to the localization of language areas, but their accuracy remains controversial. This study aimed to investigate the diagnostic performance of preoperative fMRI and DTI-t obtained with a simultaneous multi-slice technique using intraoperative direct cortical stimulation (DCS) or corticocortical evoked potential (CCEP) as reference standards. Materials and Methods This prospective study included 26 patients (23–74 years; male:female, 13:13) with tumors in the vicinity of Broca’s area who underwent preoperative fMRI and DTI-t. A site-by-site comparison between preoperative (fMRI and DTI-t) and intraoperative language mapping (DCS or CCEP) was performed for 226 cortical sites to calculate the sensitivity and specificity of fMRI and DTI-t for mapping Broca’s areas. For sites with positive signals on fMRI or DTI-t, the true-positive rate (TPR) was calculated based on the concordance and discordance between fMRI and DTI-t. Results Among 226 cortical sites, DCS was performed in 100 sites and CCEP was performed in 166 sites. The specificities of fMRI and DTI-t ranged from 72.4% (63/87) to 96.8% (122/126), respectively. The sensitivities of fMRI (except for verb generation) and DTI-t were 69.2% (9/13) to 92.3% (12/13) with DCS as the reference standard, and 40.0% (16/40) or lower with CCEP as the reference standard. For sites with preoperative fMRI or DTI-t positivity (n = 82), the TPR was high when fMRI and DTI-t were concordant (81.2% and 100% using DCS and CCEP, respectively, as the reference standards) and low when fMRI and DTI-t were discordant (≤ 24.2%). Conclusion fMRI and DTI-t are sensitive and specific for mapping Broca’s area compared with DCS and specific but insensitive compared with CCEP. A site with a positive signal on both fMRI and DTI-t represents a high probability of being an essential language area.
Fabrication and Characterization of Thin Metal Films Deposited by Electroless Plating with Organic Additives for Electrical Circuits Applications

In our work, we studied thin nickel films deposited by electroless plating for use as a barrier and seed layer in the through-silicon vias (TSV) technology. El-Ni coatings were deposited on a copper substrate from the original electrolyte and with the use of various concentrations of organic additives in the composition of the electrolyte. The surface morphology, crystal state, and phase composition of the deposited coatings were studied by SEM, AFM, and XRD methods. The El-Ni coating deposited without the use of an organic additive has an irregular topography with rare phenocrysts of globular formations of hemispherical shape and a root mean square roughness value of 13.62 nm. The phosphorus concentration in the coating is 9.78 wt. %. According to the results of the X-ray diffraction studies of El-Ni, the coating deposited without the use of an organic additive has a nanocrystalline structure with an average nickel crystallite size of 2.76 nm. The influence of the organic additive is seen in the smoothening of the samples surface. The root mean square roughness values of the El-Ni sample coatings vary within 2.09–2.70 nm. According to microanalysis data the phosphorus concentration in the developed coatings is ~4.7–6.2 wt. %. The study of the crystalline state of the deposited coatings by X-ray diffraction made it possible to detect two arrays of nanocrystallites in their structure, with average sizes of 4.8–10.3 nm and 1.3–2.6 nm.
Evidence of a Natural Hybrid Oomycete Isolated from Ornamental Nursery Stock

The oomycete genus Phytophthora includes many plant pathogens important in agricultural and environmental systems. Natural interspecific hybridization has been reported several times in Phytophthora, and although the fundamental processes of interspecific hybridization and the consequences of subsequent ecological distribution are poorly understood, reports suggest some hybrids can infect a broader host range and display enhanced virulence compared to the putative parental species. During a survey carried out at the University of Aberdeen in 2014–2015, of oomycetes present in ornamental plants purchased via the internet, a batch of oomycete isolates remained unidentified, showing, in some isolates, features generally related to hybridization. The aim of this study was to determine whether hybridization events had occurred between endemic and introduced oomycetes, probably/possibly facilitated through the international plant trade. The list of isolates examined included a putative hybrid closely related to Phytophthora cryptogea. The putative hybrid isolate was further characterized, and pathogenicity were tests carried out on Eucalyptus globulus, using an isolate of P. cryptogea as a positive control. Cloning of ITS, COXI and β-tubulin genes resulted in different sequence versions of the putative hybrid isolate; after mapping and a polymorphism position comparison, it was concluded that the studied isolate contained genetic information from P. cryptogea, P. erythroseptica, P. kelmanii, P. sansomeana and Phytopythium chamaehyphon. A PCR-RFLP assay, a NEBcutter analysis and flow cytometry analysis (genomes ranged between 0.168 to 0.269 pg/2C) added further evidence of the hybrid nature of this isolate. The putative hybrid presented complex growing patterns ranging from rosaceous to chrysanthemum-like and had an optimum growth temperature of 25 °C. Although the putative hybrid produced visible symptoms of disease on E. globulus seedlings, assessment of the relative susceptibility of E. globulus to P. cryptogea and the putative hybrid indicated that P. cryptogea was significantly more virulent than the putative hybrid, based on mortality, disease severity and foliar symptoms.
THE INFLUENCE OF COMPETENCE, ENVIRONMENT AND WORK MOTIVATION ON THE PERFORMANCE OF EMPLOYEES PT PLN (PERSERO) UNIT INDUK PEMBANGUNAN SUMATERA BAGIAN UTARA

Professional and qualified employees will form high performance, both individually and in groups so that it has an impact on the effectiveness of the organization as a whole. The problem is how to create employees who can produce optimal performance so that organizational goals can be achieved. This study aims to determine the effect of employee competence, environment, and work motivation on employee performance at PT PLN (Persero) North Sumatra Main Development Unit. To determine the effect of employee competence, environment, and work motivation on the performance of employees of PT PLN (Persero) North Sumatra Development Main Unit, the population of this study was all employees of PT PLN (Persero) North Sumatra Main Development Unit, totaling 241 people while the sample was 150 people. Given the characteristics of employees who tend to be uniform, the sampling is done by random sampling method. The test results show that there is a positive and significant effect of competence, environment, and work motivation on employee performance. There is a positive and significant influence on employee performance, it means that competence, environment, and work motivation have an influence on employee performance both simultaneously and partially.
Indigenous women and intimate partner homicide in Australia: confronting the impunity of policing failures

ABSTRACT In Australia, Indigenous women experience disproportionate levels of violence compared to others in our society. Recent, horrific examples of Indigenous women's deaths have come to light through coronial courts' public inquests. This article examined 151 Australian coronial court investigations and inquests over a 20-year period (2000-2020), analysing them thematically. The analysis highlighted the vulnerability of Indigenous women to intimate partner homicides, noting that the women's deaths, in most instances, were entirely preventable. This article explores specifically the actions of police, given they are often the first responders to these situations. The findings of this study concur with a coroner who labelled the actions and inactions of police as being akin to systemic racism, or at the very least, lazy policing. The profound system failings at the intersections of law, policy and practice have arguably in some of these cases contributed to these women having lost their lives. This article explores firstly, the nuances of the coronial findings, secondly, it interrogates policing practices and processes. It concludes critically reflecting on ‘systemic racism', coroners’ recommendations for addressing this problem and the significance of this issue in the broader context of a recent Queensland inquiry into policing that affirms similar findings.
Job Characteristics and Employees’ Organizational Citizenship Behavior in Healthcare Sector of Pakistan

We tested job characteristics model (JCM) of Hackman & Oldham (1976) in predicting the organizational citizenship behavior of healthcare sector employees in Pakistan. A cross-sectional design was employed by collected data from the 183 healthcare employees working at three tertiary healthcare centers in twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad. The results of study reported that all the five job characteristics of JCM of Hackman & Oldham (1976) predicted organizational citizenship behavior of healthcare sector employees in Pakistan. The study also presents implications for the theory and practice along with directions for future research. The results of the study could be generalized in other field since data is collected from the health sector however, it is suggested that the study could be replicated with a relatively larger sample size to obtain a larger picture of the relationship between employees; job characteristics and citizenship behavior in Pakistan healthcare institutions.
The ramification of street connectedness: Well-being and resilience among street-connected children of South-Western Ethiopia

Abstract Despite the overwhelming nature of street life, urban streets have become common residence sites for street-connected children. As these children had such a common sight, little is known about their well-being and resilience. This study applies a mixed-methods research design, an explanatory concurrent method to examine their state of survival, wellbeing, and resilience. A total of 155 street-connected children were selected using simple random sampling and purposive sampling techniques. Adapted survey scales, an interview guide, focus group discussion, and transit observation were used to collect data. Multiple regression and independent-sample t-tests were used to analyze quantitative data whereas thematic analysis was used to analyze the qualitative data. The results indicated that street-connected children had weak psychosocial well-being and affected resilience that was accounted for anxiety. Moreover, street-connected boys showed better well-being and resilience than their counterpart street-connected girls. Conclusively, street-connected children in southwestern Ethiopia had lessened psychological well-being and slow-growing resilience. Moreover, physical abuse, exploitation, mistreatment, and other basic human rights deprivations were noticed as factors lead to substance abuse that had negative impact on mental well-being.
Application of the Newton–Krylov Method to Geophysical Flows

Abstract An implicit nonlinear algorithm, the Newton–Krylov method, for the efficient and accurate simulation of the Navier–Stokes equations, is presented. This method is a combination of a nonlinear outer Newton-based iteration and a linear inner conjugate residual (Krylov) iteration but does not require the explicit formation of the Jacobian matrix. This is referred to here as Jacobian-free Newton–Krylov (JFNK). The mechanics of the method are quite simple and the method has been previously used to solve a variety of complex coupled nonlinear equations. Like most Krylov-based schemes, the key to the efficiency of the method is preconditioning. Details concerning how preconditioning is implemented into this algorithm will be illustrated in a simple one-dimensional shallow-water framework. Another important aspect of this work is examining the accuracy and efficiency of the Newton–Krylov method against an explicit method of averaging (MOA) approach. This will aid in the determination of regimes for which .
The Effects of Massage Therapy on Sport and Exercise Performance: A Systematic Review

Background: A massage is a tool that is frequently used in sports and exercise in general for recovery and increased performance. In this review paper, we aimed to search and systemize current literature findings relating to massages’ effects on sports and exercise performance concerning its effects on motor abilities and neurophysiological and psychological mechanisms. Methods: The review has been written following the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis) guidelines. One hundred and fourteen articles were included in this review. Results: The data revealed that massages, in general, do not affect motor abilities, except flexibility. However, several studies demonstrated that positive muscle force and strength changed 48 h after the massage was given. Concerning neurophysiological parameters, the massage did not change blood lactate clearance, muscle blood flow, muscle temperature, or activation. However, many studies indicate pain reduction and delayed onset muscle soreness, which are probably correlated with the reduction of the level of creatine kinase enzyme and psychological mechanisms. In addition, the massage treatment led to a decrease in depression, stress, anxiety, and the perception of fatigue and an increase in mood, relaxation, and the perception of recovery. Conclusion: The direct usage of massages just for gaining results in sport and exercise performance seems questionable. However, it is indirectly connected to performance as an important tool when an athlete should stay focused and relaxed during competition or training and recover after them.
Calcium Carbonate Coating of 3D-Printed PLA Scaffolds Intended for Biomedical Applications

The incorporation of ceramic additives is the most commonly used strategy to improve the biofunctionality of polymer-based scaffolds intended for bone regeneration. By embedding ceramic particles as a coating, the functionality improvement in the polymeric scaffolds can be concentrated on the cell–surface interface, thus creating a more favourable environment for the adhesion and proliferation of osteoblastic cells. In this work, a pressure-assisted and heat-induced method to coat polylactic acid (PLA) scaffolds with calcium carbonate (CaCO3) particles is presented for the first time. The coated scaffolds were evaluated by optical microscopy observations, a scanning electron microscopy analysis, water contact angle measurements, compression testing, and an enzymatic degradation study. The ceramic particles were evenly distributed, covered more than 60% of the surface, and represented around 7% of the coated scaffold weight. A strong bonding interface was achieved, and the thin layer of CaCO3 (~20 µm) provided a significant increase in the mechanical properties (with a compression modulus improvement up to 14%) while also enhancing the surface roughness and hydrophilicity. The results of the degradation study confirmed that the coated scaffolds were able to maintain the pH of the media during the test (~7.6 ± 0.1), in contrast to the pure PLA scaffolds, for which a value of 5.07 ± 0.1 was obtained. The ceramic-coated scaffolds developed showed potential for further evaluations in bone tissue engineering applications.
Associated Patterns in Open-Ended Concept Maps within E-Learning

A concept map is a diagram that visualizes the structure of individual cognitive knowledge. An approach to creating a concept map structure that allows users to contribute concepts and linkages that express their understanding freely is known as an "open-ended concept map. " It has been demonstrated that an open-ended concept map accurately depicts student knowledge structures and reveals student differences. However, manually analyzing an open-ended map is difficult, time-consuming, and includes many propositions, especially in a big classroom. Educational data mining could be used to further process and analyze a collection of concept maps. However, many works attempted to employ data mining in order to produce concept maps structure from text documents rather than examining the knowledge representation. This study aimed to identify hidden students' knowledge representation combination patterns using association rules analysis. The dataset used in this study consisted of 27 open-concept maps created by university students. This study found interesting patterns that reveal students' knowledge in understanding the material given by the teacher.
Occupational lead exposure in gasoline station forecourt attendants and other occupations in relation to ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) risk

Abstract Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is an always fatal neurodegenerative disease characterised by a gradual death of motor neurons in the spinal cord and brain. The cause of ALS is unknown. There appears to be both a genetic and an environmental aspect of ALS disease causation. Multiple occupations are associated with an elevated ALS risk. Interestingly, many of these occupations involve exposure to lead, indicating a possible connection between ALS and lead exposure. Examples include mechanical workers, military service occupations, leather workers and tanners. Gasoline station forecourt attendants, also known as petrol station assistants, show a severely increased ALS risk, and our measurements on forecourt attendants in South Africa show that they display significantly elevated blood lead concentrations. Thus, forecourt attendants can be added to the list of occupations with overlapping risks for lead exposure and ALS incidence. These occupational risks for forecourt attendants are expected to decrease in the future, as leaded gasoline is being phased out worldwide. Nonetheless, the overlapping risks for ALS incidence and lead exposure among forecourt attendants and several other occupations strengthen the hypothesis that lead exposure contributes to ALS.
A randomized controlled safety and feasibility trial of floatation-REST in anxious and depressed individuals

Background: Reduced Environmental Stimulation Therapy via floatation (floatation-REST) is a behavioral intervention designed to attenuate exteroceptive sensory input to the nervous system. Pilot studies in anxious and depressed individuals demonstrated that single sessions of floatation-REST are safe, well-tolerated, and associated with acute anxiolysis. However, there is not sufficient evidence of the feasibility of floatation-REST as a repeated intervention. Methods: We randomized 75 individuals with anxiety and depression to six sessions of floatation-REST in different formats (pool-REST or pool-REST preferred) or an active comparator (chair-REST). Feasibility was assessed via adherence rate to the assigned intervention, tolerability via duration of REST utilization and overall study dropout rate, and safety via incidence of serious or non-serious adverse events. Results: Six-session adherence was 85% for pool-REST, 89% for pool-REST preferred, and 74% for chair-REST. Dropout rates did not differ significantly between the treatment conditions. Mean session durations were consistently above 50 minutes, and when allowed to choose the duration and frequency, participants opted to float for an average of 75 minutes. There were no serious adverse events associated with any intervention. Positive experiences were endorsed more commonly than negative ones and were also rated at higher levels of intensity. Conclusions: Taken together, six sessions of floatation-REST appear feasible, well-tolerated, and safe in anxious and depressed individuals. Floatation-REST induces positively-valenced experiences with few negative effects. warrant further investigation of clinical efficacy. Larger randomized controlled trials evaluating markers of clinical efficacy are warranted. Clinical Trial Registration Identifier: NCT03899090
Waste to energy conversion: a perspective from adult learners in South-East Nigeria

The study identified waste categories that can be turned into energy, energy conversion techniques, and ways that these techniques could support a circular economy in South East Nigeria from the viewpoint of adult learners. In the study, a descriptive survey design was employed. The study was directed by three research questions and two hypotheses. There were 67731 adult learners in the population. The study included a sample size of 605 participants. Mean, t-test, and Pearson correlation were used to examine the data, which was collected using questionnaires. The results showed that wood, sawdust leaves and bark of trees, paper and cardboard, food remains like vegetable stock, yam peels, among others, were the types of waste that can be converted to energy. The study found out that combustion technology, gasified technology, and anaerobic digestion, among others, were some of the waste to energy conversion techniques. The study also noted that waste to conversion techniques foster circular economy. The paper recommends that the government should display political will by designing and enacting laws that facilitate the development of indigenous waste-to-energy conversion technology. This way, even at the household level, these technologies will be inexpensive and accessible.
Sustainable energy and environmental management practices in the recreation and tourism industries in Nsukka metropolis of Enugu State

Sustainable energy and good environmental management practices are potent factors that can be used to achieve clean energy and sustainable economic growth. This is a global problem that needs immediate action and intervention to reduce the adverse impact of climate change to humanity. This study investigated the sustainable energy and environmental management practices in the recreation and tourism industries in Nsukka metropolis of Enugu State. The descriptive research design was adopted for the study. The population of the study consisted of 209 recreation and tourism service providers in Nsukka Metropolis. Instrument for data collection was a structured questionnaire which was validated by three experts from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. The instrument has a reliability coefficient of 0.81. Frequency and percentages were used to determine level of sustainable energy and environmental management practices, while phi coefficient was used to determine relationship between sustainable energy and environmental management practices. Findings showed that recreation and tourism possess very low level of knowledge of sustainable energy use. They however showed positive attitude towards sustainable energy through the adoption of energy saving devices like energy bulbs, solar PVs etc. There is strong positive relationship between knowledge of sustainable energy and environmental management practices. The researchers recommended that government should improve on its effort to create awareness of sustainable energy use and environmental management practices among the populace if the problem of climate change is to be abated.