Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Examining direct sales as a violation of friendship expectations on WeChat

Abstract WeChat has emerged as the leading app in China, providing a platform for direct sellers. However, selling behaviors can be perceived as violations to friends, as WeChat was originally designed for private sharing. This study examines the relationships and communication dynamics of WeChat users when their friends become sellers, using the framework of Expectancy Violation Theory (EVT). The findings reveal that participants viewed their friends’ selling behaviors as moderately expected, low in importance, and moderate to highly negative in valence. The type and length of the relationship significantly influenced the perceived violation. Furthermore, participants reported changes in communication behaviors following their friends’ transition into sellers. This study sheds light on the impact of selling behaviors on WeChat friendships from an EVT perspective, offering insights into users’ perceptions and communication adjustments in response to these violations.
Ceftobiprole Medocaril Is an Effective Post-Exposure Treatment in the Fischer 344 Rat Model of Pneumonic Tularemia

Francisella tularensis subspecies tularensis is a category-A biothreat agent that can cause lethal tularemia. Ceftobiprole medocaril is being explored as a medical countermeasure for the treatment of pneumonic tularemia. The efficacy of ceftobiprole medocaril against inhalational tularemia was evaluated in the Fischer 344 rat model of infection. The dose was expected to be effective against F. tularensis isolates with ceftobiprole minimum inhibitory concentrations ≤0.5 µg/mL. Animals treated with ceftobiprole medocaril exhibited a 92% survival rate 31 days post-challenge, identical to the survival of levofloxacin-treated rats. By comparison, rats receiving placebo experienced 100% mortality. Terminally collected blood, liver, lung, and spleen samples confirmed disseminated F. tularensis infections in most animals that died prior to completing treatments (placebo animals and a rat treated with ceftobiprole medocaril), although levels of bacteria detected in the placebo samples were significantly elevated compared to the ceftobiprole-medocaril-treated group geometric mean. Furthermore, no evidence of infection was detected in any rat that completed ceftobiprole medocaril or levofloxacin treatment and survived to the end of the post-treatment observation period. Overall, survival rates, body weights, and bacterial burdens consistently demonstrated that treatment with ceftobiprole medocaril is efficacious against otherwise fatal cases of pneumonic tularemia in the rat model.
Determining Sample Size for Research Activities

Sample size determination is often an important step and decision that educational and organizational researchers are facing. The quality and precision of research is being influenced by inadequate, excessive or inappropriate sample sizes. Selecting the sample size for a study requires compromise between balancing the need for statistical power, economy and timeliness. There is a temptation for the researchers to take some short cuts. The paper describes the importance and procedure of determining sample size for continuous and categorical variables using Cochran’s (1977) formula. The paper illustrates the usage of sample sizes formula, including the formula for adjusting for Cochran’s (1977) correction when the sample size exceeds 5% of the population. Tables are included to help researchers in determining the sample size for a research problem based on any three alpha levels and a set of standard error rate for categorical and continuous data. Procedures for determining the appropriate sample size for multiple regression, factor analysis and structural equation modeling are discussed. Common issues in sample size determination are examined. Non-respondent sampling issues are also addressed.
Evaluation of Spleen Stiffness in Young Healthy Volunteers Using Magnetic Resonance Elastography

Purpose: Magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) has been established as the most accurate noninvasive technique for diagnosing liver fibrosis. Recent publications have suggested that the measurement of splenic stiffness is useful in setting where portal hypertension may be present. The goal of the current study was to compile normative data for MRE-assessed stiffness measurements of the spleen in young adults. Materials and Methods: A total of 100 healthy young Caucasian volunteers (65 females and 35 males) in the age range of 20 to 32 years were enrolled in this study. The participants reported no history of chronic spleen and liver disease, normal alcohol consumption, and a normal diet. The MRE data were acquired by using a 1.5 T whole-body scanner and a 2D GRE pulse sequence with 60 Hz excitation. Spleen stiffness was calculated as a weighted mean of stiffness values in the regions of interest manually drawn by the radiologist on three to five spleen slices. Results: Mean spleen stiffness was 5.09 ± 0.65 kPa for the whole group. Male volunteers had slightly higher splenic stiffness compared to females: 5.28 ± 0.78 vs. 4.98 ± 0.51 kPa, however, this difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.12). Spleen stiffness did not correlate with spleen fat content and liver stiffness but a statistically significant correlation with spleen volume was found. Conclusions: The findings of this study provide normative values for 2D MRE-based measurement of spleen stiffness in young adults, a basis for assessing the value of this biomarker in young patients with portal system pathologies.
Differences in metacognition between multiple sclerosis phenotypes: cognitive impairment and fatigue are key factors

Background Cognitive impairment is present in 40–65% of patients with multiple sclerosis (pwMS). Objectively measured cognitive performance often does not match patients' subjective perception of their own performance. Objective We aimed to compare cognitive performance and subjective perception of cognitive deficits between pwMS and healthy controls (HCs), as well as the accuracy of subjective perception. Methods In total, 54 HC and 112 pwMS (relapsing–remitting, RRMS, and progressive PMS) underwent neuropsychological evaluation and completed perceived deficit, fatigue, and anxiety–depression scales. Participants were classified according to their consistency between subjective self-evaluation of cognitive abilities and objective cognitive performance to assess accuracy. Regression models were used to compare cognitive performance between groups and explore factors explaining inaccuracy in the estimation of cognitive performance. Results PMS showed greater and more widespread cognitive differences with HC than RRMS. No differences were found between pwMS and HC in the perception of deficit. PMS had higher ratios of overestimators. In explaining inaccuracy, fatigue and cognitive preservation were found to be risk factors for underestimation, whereas physical disability and cognitive impairment were risk factors for overestimation. Conclusion PwMS have metacognitive knowledge impairments. This study provides new information about metacognition, data on the prevalence of impairments over a relatively large sample of PwMS, and new insights into factors explaining it. Anosognosia, related to cognitive impairment, may be present in pwMS. Fatigue is a key factor in underestimating cognition.
Chinese regionalism: China's engagement with ASEAN and SCO

The current international environment is faced with a transition of great power status between states and also an increased engagement with global institutions. With a growing economy and modernising military, the People’s Republic of China (PRC, China) has acquired the capacity and motivation to approach regional institutions to engage with member-states and ultimately influence the international system. China’s approach to multilateralism demonstrates a ‘preference for multilateral economic cooperation, a reliance on the use of soft power, a skill in capitalising on the reciprocal relationship between multilateralism and bilateralism’ and the implementation of institutional norms (Zuik, 2005). These characteristics are evident in China’s multilateral approaches to the Southeast Asian and Central Asian regions – specifically in relation to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). From the outset, it is important to understand that this article is not an analysis of the two institutions, but rather an examination of China’s engagement with them. I begin by assessing Beijing’s engagement with ASEAN and therefore its growing influence in the Southeast Asian region. Secondly, I will consider Chinese engagement with the SCO and thus China’s stabilising presence in the Central Asian region. This paves the way for an explanation of the ‘ASEAN Way’ and the ‘Shanghai Spirit’ to highlight the PRC’s tendency to utilise institutional norms and frameworks to engage the international system. In other words, by using a multilayered approach that still values bilateral relationships, China is able to engage on different strategic levels. By promoting and constructing institutional norms present in the ‘ASEAN Way’ and the ‘Shanghai Spirit’, China can cooperate with multiple states and grow in influence.
First report of parasitism by Eutrichophilus cercolabes (Phthiraptera: Trichodectidae) on Coendou spinosus (Erethizontidae) in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil – case report

Abstract Coendou spinosus is a species of rodent popularly known as porcupine, it has a great ability to adapt to different habitats and is found in tropical forests in countries such as Bolivia, Brazil, Venezuela and Guianas. This mammal has already been identified as a reservoir of several pathogenic agents for humans and other animals and has a variety of ectoparasites, endoparasites and hemoparasites little studied and described. Due to this, the objective was to report the parasitism by Eutrichophilus cercolabes in C. spinosus in the central region of Rio Grande do Sul, southern Brazil. In total, 16 lice were found, one male and 15 females of the species. This is the first report of the parasitism of this Phthiraptera on C. spinosus in Rio Grande do Sul. The scarcity of reports on the taxonomy and biotic characteristics, as well as the vector capacity of pathogens of most species of ectoparasites of wild animals, highlights the need for further studies on the distribution of these arthropods in different regions and host species.
Radioprotective effects of melatonin and thymoquinone on liver, parotid gland, brain, and testis of rats exposed to total body irradiation

Background/aim This study aimed to investigate thymoquinone (TQ), and melatonin’s radioprotective effects on liver, parotid gland, brain, and testis of rats which were exposed to total body irradiation (IR). Materials and methods Thirty adult Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups that are Group 1 (control group): total body IR only, Group 2: IR-Melatonin (10 mg/kg), Group 3: IR-TQ (10 mg/kg), and Group 4 (sham group): nothing. Total body IR dose was 6 Gy. Tissue samples were taken 90 min after IR. The measurements of malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were performed in all groups. Results In IR group, GSH-Px and SOD activities significantly decreased whereas MDA levels significantly increased when compared with the sham in all tissues. We recorded a significant decrease in MDA levels in IR-TQ group in liver and parotid gland of rats. Moreover, SOD did not change in IR-TQ group compared with IR only group. Conclusion Melatonin, a powerful antioxidant, plays role in preventing oxidative stress. We revealed that premedication with TQ significantly inhibited the increase in MDA induced by IR in liver and parotid gland and protected the activities of SOD, an antioxidant enzyme, in all other tissues. It has been revealed that TQ has a potential effect preventing IR-induced damage as much as melatonin.
An Archaeology of the Cosmos: Rethinking Agency and Religion in Ancient America

1. Beliefs 2. Religion from the Top Down 3. Agency 4. Bundles 5. Bundling 6. Intimate Parallelisms 7. Religion from the Ground Up 8. Bringing Religion to a Standstill 9. Cosmological Deposits 10. Positioning Theory
The development of a novel apparatus to measure the emissivity of high-roughness materials at 82 K

The emissivity of a material changes with temperature. The knowledge of emissivity plays an important role in the estimation of radiation heat load in cryogenic systems. As the emissivity values of different materials at cryogenic temperatures are scarcely available in the literature, room-temperature emissivity values have been extensively used to estimate the radiation heat load in cryogenic systems. This may lead to a significant deviation between the predicted and actual radiation properties at cryogenic temperatures. Therefore, in the present work, an apparatus is developed based on a calorimetric technique for measuring the emissivity of an opaque material around 82 K. The novelties of the apparatus are its compact size, ease of sample handling, shorter time required to reach thermal equilibrium and, most importantly, capacity to measure the emissivity of a sample of high roughness. To understand the effectiveness of low and high emissivity-coated heat radiators for the system, a theoretical and an experimental approach has been followed. It is found that the high-emissivity heat radiator leads to a significant reduction in the time required to reach thermal equilibrium compared to a low-emissivity heat radiator. To verify and validate this setup, the emissivities of Aeroglaze Z306 (high emissivity) and Cu (low emissivity) are measured and compared with the values reported in the literature. Finally, this work has been extended to measure emissivity at cryogenic temperature for the first time for PU1, SG121FD and indigenously developed novel materials, such as black paints, adhesive and activated charcoals of different granule sizes.
Hirsutine, an Emerging Natural Product with Promising Therapeutic Benefits: A Systematic Review

Fruits and vegetables are used not only for nutritional purposes but also as therapeutics to treat various diseases and ailments. These food items are prominent sources of phytochemicals that exhibit chemopreventive and therapeutic effects against several diseases. Hirsutine (HSN) is a naturally occurring indole alkaloid found in various Uncaria species and has a multitude of therapeutic benefits. It is found in foodstuffs such as fish, seafood, meat, poultry, dairy, and some grain products among other things. In addition, it is present in fruits and vegetables including corn, cauliflower, mushrooms, potatoes, bamboo shoots, bananas, cantaloupe, and citrus fruits. The primary emphasis of this study is to summarize the pharmacological activities and the underlying mechanisms of HSN against different diseases, as well as the biopharmaceutical features. For this, data were collected (up to date as of 1 July 2023) from various reliable and authentic literature by searching different academic search engines, including PubMed, Springer Link, Scopus, Wiley Online, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar. Findings indicated that HSN exerts several effects in various preclinical and pharmacological experimental systems. It exhibits anti-inflammatory, antiviral, anti-diabetic, and antioxidant activities with beneficial effects in neurological and cardiovascular diseases. Our findings also indicate that HSN exerts promising anticancer potentials via several molecular mechanisms, including apoptotic cell death, induction of oxidative stress, cytotoxic effect, anti-proliferative effect, genotoxic effect, and inhibition of cancer cell migration and invasion against various cancers such as lung, breast, and antitumor effects in human T-cell leukemia. Taken all together, findings from this study show that HSN can be a promising therapeutic agent to treat various diseases including cancer.
An Economic Analysis of Cotton Price Forecasting Using ANN in Andhra Pradesh, India

Cotton is essentially produced for its fibre, which is universally used as a textile raw material. Cotton is an important commodity in the world economy. A remunerative price environment for the growers is very important for increasing production. In this context the study on area, production, export, import, supply and demand and their compound growth rates as well as influence on prices of cotton were analyzed using descriptive statistical tools and Artificial Neural Network model (ANN). The results showed that, compound growth rate of exports was negative and significant with -2.41 per cent whereas, imports showed a positive and significant growth rate with10.44per cent from 2006-07 to 2021-22. The seasonal indices of cotton arrivals in Andhra Pradesh were highest in the months of January (177.54), December (153.67) and November (146.10) because of holding of previous seasons crop by traders and farmers in anticipation of higher prices. The return on rupee investment was 0.596 which is concerned to tenant farmers and return on variable costs was 0.848 which is mostly related to owner farmers. The lower seasonal indices for cotton prices were observed in the months of December (97.23) and November (101.50). The results of ANN model revealed that, neural network 9-29-1(9 input nodes, 29 hidden nodes, and 1 output) outperformed all other neural networks with lower MAPE (2.904), RMSE (140.59), MAE (90.02), and MASE (0.114) values. It was expected that demand will persist in 2022-23 harvesting season also with a price around Rs. 8269/ q.
Acetylcholinesterase activity in forager honey bees of Nepal

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) is a promising enzyme and a biomarker to monitor the physiological status of honey bees. To gain a basic understanding of AChE in bees, we measured AChE activity in the head tissue of forager honey bees belonging to Apis cerana, Apis mellifera, and Apis dorsata collected from five districts of Nepal during pre‐winter and winter seasons. We estimated AChE‐tissue activity (μmol/min/g head tissue) and AChE‐specific activity (μmol/min/mg protein) using Ellman assay kit and protein concentration (mg/g head tissue) using Lowry assay method. A significant increase in all three parameters was observed in winter A. cerana and varied between species indicating differences in physiological resistance and responses to various environmental changes between native (A. cerana and A. dorsata) and non‐native (A. mellifera) bees. Overall, AChE‐tissue and specific activities were positively correlated and, as expected, AChE‐specific activity was negatively correlated with the protein concentration.
The association of adult lifecourse body mass index, waist circumference and dietary patterns with type 2 diabetes incidence in the MRC National Survey of Health and Development

Type 2 diabetes is a major public health problem and its prevalence is increasing worldwide, especially among older people. Overweight and abdominal obesity are known risk factors for the disease, but few studies have analysed their longitudinal pattern. A high glycaemic index (GI), low dietary fibre and high dietary fats have also been linked to type 2 diabetes, but their combined effect has never been studied. Using data from the MRC National Survey of Health and Development this thesis aimed to examine adult life course (from age 26 to 53 years) body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and dietary patterns in relation to type 2 diabetes incidence between age 53 and 60-64 years. At any stage of the adult life course BMI gain was associated with type 2 diabetes incidence. Early (26-36 years) and late (43-53 years) adulthood BMI gains were more important for men whereas late adulthood gains had stronger associations for women. The risk of type 2 diabetes increased with longer durations of overweight or obesity, probably because of the increasing accumulation of weight across the life course. Long-term WC change (36-53 years), independent of concomitant BMI change, was associated with increased risk of diabetes especially among women and people with an initially normal BMI. A high fat, high GI, low fibre dietary pattern was identified that was characterised by a high consumption of refined grains, processed meat, and animal fats, and a low intake of fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy and wholegrain cereals. Higher scores for this dietary pattern at age 43 (only among women) and 53 were associated with increased type 2 diabetes incidence, predominantly via pathways that were independent of BMI and WC. Long-term score change (36-53 years) was significantly associated with diabetes only among women. Early interventions to reduce weight and WC gain and improve dietary patterns would be effective public health strategies to prevent type 2 diabetes risk at older ages.
Convective Self‐Aggregation Occurs Without Radiative Feedbacks in Warm Climates

Previous research showed that radiative feedbacks are essential to the spontaneous development of convective aggregation (CSA) in idealized atmosphere models. We find that the contribution of radiative feedbacks decreases with warming and that, in warm climates, CSA occurs without radiative feedbacks. We perform 2D simulations in different climates using a cloud‐resolving model and use a layerwise moist static energy (LMSE) framework to quantify the contribution of radiative feedbacks to the increase of LMSE variance, which characterizes the development of CSA. The result shows that positive radiative contribution dominates the LMSE variance production when SST is below 300 K; when SST exceeds 300 K, adiabatic contribution shifts from negative to positive and dominates the variance production. Then we turn off radiative feedbacks by horizontally homogenizing radiative heating rates at all model levels. CSA still occurs in warmer climates (310–320 K). This result agrees with the LMSE diagnosis and additional 3D simulations.
Observed climate variations and change in Vietnam

In this study, observed changes of temperature, rainfall, and some extreme climate indices in Vietnam were investigated by using daily observations during the period 1961-2012. The observed data were collected from 80 meteorological stations for temperature, and from 170 stations for rainfall over the seven climatological sub-regions of Vietnam. Results show that there were insignificant differences between the trends of changes obtained from the 1961-2011 and 1979-2012 periods. Near-surface temperature, including mean (T2m), maximum (Tx) and minimum temperature (Tm), increased consistently at almost all stations. Tm increased faster than Tx. Temperature also increased faster in winter than in summer. Consequently, the number of hot days and warm nights increased whereas the number of cold days, cold nights and cool days decreased. In the northern regions, temperature tended to slightly decrease in May but significantly increased in June. Annual rainfall decreased in the northern area of Vietnam, while it increased at almost all stations in the central regions, and had insignificant trends in the southern sub-region. Changes in some extreme rainfall indices were likely consistent with changes in annual rainfall. Monthly rainfall in the central regions significantly increased from August to December. Rainfall generally increased in May and decreased in June over almost all country.