Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Precipitation patterns in the Gambia from 1981 to 2020

The present study used composite analysis and rainy season definition to investigate rainfall patterns in The Gambia from 1981 to 2020. Rainfall dataset as observed by 10 meteorological stations scattered across The Gambia was used. Results showed that the highest single month rainfall ever recorded in The Gambia during the study period was observed in Sapu, in the eastern sector of the country. The station recorded a total rainfall amount of 767 mm in August, 1999, while the lowest single month rainfall ever recorded was 463 mm in September 2012. It was observed in Jenoi, a station situated in the western sector of the country. Climatological results showed that the study area experienced monomodal rainfall regime during the West African Monsoon, and that the southern part of the western sector region such as Sibanor tend to receive more rainfall compared to other regions of the study area. Part of the central region receives the least annual rainfall. The eastern sector of The Gambia received much of its rain from May to October with July - September as the peak of the rain season. During May - October, Sapu received the heaviest rainfall while Fatoto received the least amount. Results also show that July - September is the period when significant amounts of rainfall are received over the eastern sector of the study area. While May and October are both transitional months, the eastern sector of the study area receives more rains in October than in May. The western sector of the study area, on the other hand, received much of its rain from June to October with July - September as the peak of the rain season. During June - October, Sibanor received the heaviest rainfall while Jenoi received the least amount. The results also show that July - September is the period when significant amounts of rainfall are received over the western sector of the study area. Although June and October are both transitional months, the western sector receives more or less the same rain amounts in June and October. Results further found that, to avert losses associated with excess or deficit in crop water requirement, in the eastern sector, crops with high water requirement should be grown before August as maximum rainfall is observed in August, whereas crops with minimum water requirement should be grown in May or October, that is when minimum rainfall is experienced. In the western sector, on the other hand, crops requiring high water amount should be grown before August or September when maximum rainfall is recorded in the sector, whereas crops with minimum water requirement should be grown in June or October. This study will help create awareness on the erratic rain seasons due to Climate Change, and to provide farmers with information on rainfall distribution in The Gambia to avert losses and impacts associated with water deficit or excess on society, agriculture, and the environment.
The durability of natural infection and vaccine-induced immunity against future infection by SARS-CoV-2

Significance The durability of natural and vaccine-mediated immunity to future SARS-CoV-2 infection and the necessity of booster vaccination are crucial knowledge for pandemic response, yet these factors remain poorly understood. Here, we use comparative evolutionary approaches to estimate the durability of immunity and the likelihood of future infections over time following vaccination by messenger RNA (mRNA) and viral vector COVID-19 vaccines. These findings provide quantitative evidence supporting booster vaccination as a crucial approach toward the curtailment of breakthrough infections and reinfections.
Social Responsibility and SDG 8 during the First Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Chartered Accountants in Portugal

The fragility of the Portuguese economy, the weight of sectors that were especially vulnerable to the crisis caused by the pandemic, and the small size of enterprises meant that their economic and financial structure was not capable of supporting the effects of the economic crisis, jeopardizing the achievement of the SDG 8. This research explores the perception of chartered accountants about their role in supporting small and medium-sized enterprises during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal, based on a literature review and on a questionnaire. The results show that 70% of professionals consider that their clients evaluated their work positively during the first wave of the pandemic. However, most chartered accountants did not charge their clients for their extra-work and expenses and 30% even decreased their monthly fees. Portuguese chartered accountants, confronted with the economic–financial problem caused by the pandemic, focused on saving most of their clients from collapse and safeguarding many jobs. This research highlights the public utility and social responsibility of chartered accountants’ work, in the pandemic context in Portugal, as well as their central role for the efficient application of Government economic policies to maintain economic growth and decent work (SDG 8).
Catchment area, environmental variables and habitat type as predictors of the distribution and abundance of Portulaca oleracea L. in the riparian areas of Serbia

Portulaca oleracea L. is one of the most widely distributed plant species, invading a host of worldwide regions. Rivers and canals, as corridors connecting neighboring habitats, are known to exhibit high invasion levels. Consequently, the aim of this paper was to show which catchment areas, environmental factors and habitat types can be seen as predictors of the presence of this invasive species in the riparian areas of Serbia. Field research was carried out at 250 field sites, where the cover and abundance of P. oleracea, relevant environmental variables and habitat type were recorded. Redundancy analysis (RDA) and response curves fitted using a generalized linear model (GLM) were used to show the relation of the cover of P. oleracea and the following variables: catchment area, predominant bank material, elevation, and the total number of invasive species on site. A non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) was used to group sites where P. oleracea was found, based on the values of its cover. In general, primarily the rivers in the northern, low-lying part of Serbia can be seen as important corridors of the spread of P. oleracea. Its dominance is especially associated with areas draining into the Danube and Sava rivers and field sites characterized by a high pressure of invasive plants. Of the total number of records, the highest number of invaded field sites was recorded along the Danube, Tisa and Zapadna Morava rivers. Regarding the environmental and habitat predictors, the results have shown that the abundance of P. oleracea is associated with gravelly and sandy banks and grassland habitat types, primarily anthropogenic herb stands.
Development and validation of the Music Cognitive Test: A music-based cognitive screening test

Specific tools to measure the cognitive benefits of music therapy and music-rehabilitation training available to music therapists are few and empirically weak: they are mostly psychometrically unrefined or based on unclear tasks and scoring protocols; they do not take into consideration distinct cognitive functions or are based on exclusively observational protocols. To overcome these limitations, we developed a 15-min cognitive screening tool suitable for music therapists, Music Cognitive Test (MCT), which assesses cognitive abilities stimulated by music-making activities (e.g., attentional, verbal, and executive functions, short- and long-term memory) by including music-based items. MCT was validated with 335 participants (aged 18–100 years old) presenting a range of cognitive levels, from healthy cognition to severe impairment. MCT correlated strongly and positively with well-known tests: Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), and Severe Mini-Mental State Examination (SMMSE). MCT also displayed excellent sensitivity in identifying impaired individuals according to both MMSE and MoCA diagnostic criteria (99.4% and 93.0%, respectively), and excellent specificity in identifying healthy participants based on MMSE (93.5%) and MoCA (97.8%) criteria. Overall, results highlight the reliability of this novel brief music-focused cognitive screening test, to enable music therapists to independently and consistently monitor the effectiveness of their intervention on cognitive functions.
Capillary Blood Recovery Variables in Young Swimmers: An Observational Case Study

Sport diagnostics is still in pursuit of the optimal combination of biochemical and hematological markers to assess training loads and the effectiveness of recovery. The biochemical and hematological markers selected for a panel should be specific to the sport and training program. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of selected biochemical and hematological variables in professional long-distance and sprint swimming. Twenty-seven participants aged 15–18 years took part in the study. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activities and creatinine (Cr), C-reactive protein (CRP), ferritin, total bilirubin (TB), direct bilirubin (DB) and iron concentrations were measured for 10 weeks and compared with the traditional sport diagnostic markers of creatine kinase (CK) activity and urea (U) concentration. Additionally, capillary blood morphology was analyzed. An effective panel should consist of measurements of CK and AST activities and urea, TB, DB and ferritin concentrations. These markers provide a good overview of athletes’ post-training effort changes, can help assess the effectiveness of their recovery regardless of sex or competitive distance and are affordable. Moreover, changes in ferritin concentration can indicate inflammation status and, when combined with iron concentration and blood morphology, can help to avoid iron deficiencies, anemia and adverse inflammatory states in swimmers.
Age Differences in Psychological Antecedents and Behavioral Consequences of Stigmatization Associated with COVID-19 among Koreans

The first goal of this study is to develop a conceptual model of the causal relationship between psychological antecedents (internal attribution, anger, dangerousness, fear) of stigmatization, stigmatization (public stigma, anticipated stigma), and the behavioral consequences (compliance with COVID-19 prevention guidelines, COVID-19 testing intention) of stigmatization associated with COVID-19. The second goal of the study is to investigate the age differences in the conceptual model between younger and older adults unconfirmed with COVID-19 in Korea. After building the model based on previous studies, an online survey was conducted with Koreans in their 20s (n = 300, females: 50%) and 60s (n = 300, females: 50%) who had not been confirmed with COVID-19. The results revealed that for participants in their 20s and 60s, their internal attribution of COVID-19 infection to individuals confirmed with COVID-19 enhanced their anger at the individuals. Afterward, their anger increased their anticipated stigma of being confirmed with COVID-19 through enhancing the public stigma of the individuals confirmed with COVID-19. Unexpectedly, the fear of individuals confirmed with COVID-19 elicited by the dangerousness of the individuals had no effect on the public stigma of the individuals among participants in their 20s and 60s. The fear directly enhanced their compliance with the COVID-19 prevention guidelines. Next, for participants in their 20s, their anticipated stigma increased their compliance with COVID-19 prevention guidelines, but not their COVID-19 testing intention. However, the anticipated stigma did not affect both the compliance with the COVID-19 prevention guidelines and COVID-19 testing intention among participants in their 60s. The implications and limitations of these findings are discussed.
How murine models of human disease and immunity are influenced by housing temperature and mild thermal stress

ABSTRACT At the direction of The Guide and Use of Laboratory Animals, rodents in laboratory facilities are housed at ambient temperatures between 20°C and 26°C, which fall below their thermoneutral zone (TNZ). TNZ is identified as a range of ambient temperatures that allow an organism to regulate body temperature without employing additional thermoregulatory processes (e.g. metabolic heat production driven by norepinephrine), thus leading to mild, chronic cold stress. For mice, this chronic cold stress leads to increased serum levels of the catecholamine norepinephrine, which has direct effects on various immune cells and several aspects of immunity and inflammation. Here, we review several studies that have revealed that ambient temperature significantly impacts outcomes in various murine models of human diseases, particularly those in which the immune system plays a major role in its pathogenesis. The impact of ambient temperature on experimental outcomes raises questions regarding the clinical relevance of some murine models of human disease, since studies examining rodents housed within thermoneutral ambient temperatures revealed that rodent disease pathology more closely resembled that of humans. Unlike laboratory rodents, humans can modify their surroundings accordingly – by adjusting their clothing, the thermostat, or their physical activity – to live within the appropriate TNZ, offering a possible explanation for why many studies using murine models of human disease conducted at thermoneutrality better represent patient outcomes. Thus, it is strongly recommended that ambient housing temperature in such studies be consistently and accurately reported and recognized as an important experimental variable.
STEAM Education Based On Local Wisdom Of Coffee Plantation In Jember To Improve The Competitiveness at 21st Century

In the 21st century, an educational institution needs to consider coverage graduates that success is not confined to academic ability, but more to the abilities and skills that will help graduates to compete in a global and digital world today. An important skill to have in the digital age, such as critical thinking skills, problem-solving, creativity, ability to communicate and collaborate as well as having the ability in information technology.This study conducted to describe the learning outcome and response of students with the use of science teaching material that integrated STEAM education and based on Jember’s local wisdom. The design of development by using a model of ADDIE (Analysis, Design, Develop, Implement and Evaluate). This research has done in MTs. Bustanul Ulum, Jember in class VII A with 25 sample. The results of the validation average of 4.31 by experts 1, and 4.09 by experts 2. The results of students’ cognitive and psychomotor are 73.84 and 91.8. The average score of student’s response is 0.91. It means the teaching materials that developed is very valid, the value of the cognitive is good enough, the psychomotor is very high and the given of response is very positive, so the teaching materials are feasible to implement and this teaching materials can improved performance and student’s motivation to learn.
Determination of AC–DC Transfer Difference of Calculable Thermal Voltage Converters in 1–30-MHz Frequency Range

This paper presents the results of determination of the ac–dc voltage transfer difference of two calculable thermal ac voltage standards, developed at the Silesian University of Technology, Gliwice, Poland, in 1–30 MHz frequency range. Two experimental methods confirmed with high accuracy the results obtained from the mathematical model.
Direct Methods for Sparse Linear Systems (Fundamentals of Algorithms 2)

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Cyberbullying in the digital age :Development of e-safety strategies

While the ubiquitous access to the Internet continues to expand, the demands of the Net generation for constant connectivity and cyber-fun, there is increasing evidence of the disruptive effects of technology. The problem of cyberbullying in schools has become very widely recognised as a significant and serious one. In most developed countries, the increased prevalence of cyberbullying is reported in the UK, USA, Australia, Japan and Korea. The serious and sometimes long-term physical and psychological damage to students has remained a major focus for research across the globe in the past decade. The development of social networking technologies and virtual worlds has brought about new challenges for school communities and has placed considerable pressures on educators to remain informed and vigilant to the developing phenomenon of cyberbullying. This paper addresses the impact of cyberbullying on students, and outlines strategies being adopted by schools and policy makers to combat this growing negative behavior.
New data on the diversity and chronology of the late Miocene Xenarthra (Mammalia) from Ecuador

ABSTRACT Xenarthra are an endemic and relictual clade of Placentalia that played an important role in the biodiversity during the Cenozoic in today South America. Fossil forms representing close to 200 genera have been identified, both Pilosa and Cingulata, during its long evolutionary history (late Paleocene/early Eocene–Recent). However, there is an evident imbalance in what concerns the knowledge of the xenarthrans of southern South America compared with those of middle and low latitudes, of which little is known, despite the fact that in recent times the studies of these latter have been greatly improved. New remains of Xenarthra (Folivora Mylodontinae gen. et sp. indet. and Cingulata Glyptodontidae gen. et sp. indet.) from the Letrero Formation, upper Miocene (ca. 11–9 Ma, Tortonian) of southern Ecuador are here reported and described. The only previous record from this formation belongs to the Cingulata Dasypodidae Anadasypus aequatorianus. Our comparative study reveals several morphological differences compared with other known Miocene specimens, especially those of La Venta (Colombia), Anzoátegui and Urumaco (Venezuela), and the Patagonian region (Argentina). These morphological differences suggest that these remains could belong to new taxa, and highlight the fact that, despite the relative proximity, both chronological and geographic, of the middle Miocene of La Venta (Colombia, ca. 13–11 Ma, Serravallian to Tortonian), the Xenarthra registered in Ecuador are morphologically distant, suggesting some isolation of this putative endemic paleofauna.
Changing Characteristics of Pharmaceutical Prices in China Under Centralized Procurement Policy: A Multi-Intervention Interrupted Time Series

Objective: National centralized drug procurement organized by the Chinese government currently represents the largest group purchasing organization worldwide, to establish a reasonable price formation mechanism. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of centralized procurement policy on drug price and price ratio in China. Method: Monthly drug procurement data of public medical institutions were extracted from the national procurement database, including 11 pilot cities and 36 months from January 2018 to December 2020. Centralized procured INNs (International Nonproprietary Names) (n = 25) and their alternative INNs (n = 96) were selected as study samples. Centralized procured INNs were divided into bid-winning and non-winning products according to the bidding results. Drug price, price distribution, and price ratio were measured. Multi-intervention interrupted time series analysis was performed to estimate the policy impacts in two centralized procurement periods. Results: The price of centralized procured INNs showed an immediate drop of 44.57% (β = -0.59, p < 0.001) at the policy implementation, among which bid-winning drugs decreased by 61.71% (β = -0.96, p < 0.001). No significant change in the price level or trends was found for non-winning products and alternative drugs in the first-year procurement period (all p-values > 0.05). During the second-year procurement period, alternative drugs in four therapeutic categories detected significant increases in the price level (all p-values < 0.05). The overall coefficient of variation of price distribution exhibited upward trends after policy implementation. Among the most centralized procured INNs, the price ratio between certificated generics (generics that have passed the consistency evaluation) and original drugs declined significantly after policy intervention (p < 0.05), whereas the price ratio between uncertificated and certificated generics increased significantly (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Chinese government-organized group purchasing resulted in prominent price reduction of bid-winning drugs. The policy observed a short-term “spillover” effect of synergistic price reduction, while the effect wore off after 1-year procurement period. The extremely dispersed price distribution, as well as unreasonable price ratios, requires further effective price regulation means.
Application of Deep Reinforcement Learning to NS-SHAFT Game Signal Control

Reinforcement learning (RL) with both exploration and exploit abilities is applied to games to demonstrate that it can surpass human performance. This paper mainly applies Deep Q-Network (DQN), which combines reinforcement learning and deep learning to the real-time action response of NS-SHAFT game with Cheat Engine as the API of game information autonomously. Based on a personal computer, we build an experimental learning environment that automatically captures the NS-SHAFT’s frame, which is provided to DQN to decide the action of moving left, moving right, or stay in same location, survey different parameters: such as the sample frequency, different reward function, and batch size, etc. The experiment found that the relevant parameter settings have a certain degree of influence on the DQN learning effect. Moreover, we use Cheat Engine as the API of NS-SHAFT game information to locate the relevant values in the NS-SHAFT game, and then read the relevant values to achieve the operation of the overall experimental platform and the calculation of Reward. Accordingly, we successfully establish an instant learning environment and instant game training for the NS-SHAFT game.