Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Wind hazard in the alpine zone: a case study in Alberta, Canada

Strong winds can be a dominant characteristic of the climate in the alpine biogeographic zone and can reach speeds capable of causing people to lose balance or even blowing them over. However, in contrast to urban settings, where a considerable body of literature has examined mechanical effects of wind on people, in alpine zones the hazard associated with wind is almost entirely based on anecdotal evidence and remains largely unquantified. In this article we use archival weather station data to determine the wind hazard in the alpine zone above treeline (2543m amsl) along a popular hiking trail in the Kananaskis region of Alberta, Canada. Drawing on pedestrian wind research, we define hazardous wind at this location as any recorded wind speed >22.5ms−1. We assess wind hazard based on hourly wind speed and daily maximum gust speed for the periods 2000–2013 and 2008–2013, respectively. Results indicate that hazardous winds are almost always southwesterly, consistent with the prevailing wind, and can occur at any time of the year, but are most common in autumn and winter. Daily maximum gusts >22.5ms−1 occurred every other day on average, while hourly wind speed >22.5ms−1 occurred for 1.3–6.4% of the year. Also noteworthy is that category 1 and 2 hurricane‐level wind speeds (33–42 and 43–49ms−1, respectively) were recorded at this site. The peak of category 1 wind speeds occurred in 2011 (103h in total or 1.2% of the year), while the peak in category 2 wind speeds occurred in 2009 (10h total or 0.1% of the year). A review of synoptic conditions during strong wind events suggests they are likely driven by downslope winds associated with mountain wave amplification and lee cyclogenesis. Overall, this study serves as an example to demonstrate that wind hazard in the alpine zone can be considerable and should be assessed in greater detail at all locations where people are likely to encounter strong winds.
Exoplanet Transit Spectroscopy of Hot Jupiters Using HST/WFC3

Abstract We present analysis of transit spectroscopy of three extrasolar planets, WASP-12 b, WASP-17 b, and WASP-19 b, using the Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). Measurement of molecular absorption in the atmospheres of these planets offers the chance to explore several outstanding questions regarding the atmospheric structure and composition of these highly irradiated, Jupiter-mass objects. We analyze the data for a single transit for each planet, using a strategy similar in certain aspects to the techniques used by Berta (2012), and achieve almost photon-limited results for individual spectral bins. Our final transit spectra are consistent with the presence of a broad absorption feature at 1.4 μm most likely due to water, but the amplitude of the absorption is less than expected based on previous observations with Spitzer, possibly due to hazes absorbing in the NIR. However, the degeneracy of models with different compositions and temperature structures combined with the low amplitude of any features in the data preclude our ability to place unambiguous constraints on the atmospheric composition without a comprehensive multi-wavelength analysis.
Use of High-Resolution Geospatial and Genomic Data to Characterize Recent Tuberculosis Transmission, Botswana

Combining genomic and geospatial data can be useful for understanding Mycobacterium tuberculosis transmission in high-burden tuberculosis (TB) settings. We performed whole-genome sequencing on M. tuberculosis DNA extracted from sputum cultures from a population-based TB study conducted in Gaborone, Botswana, during 2012–2016. We determined spatial distribution of cases on the basis of shared genotypes among isolates. We considered clusters of isolates with ≤5 single-nucleotide polymorphisms identified by whole-genome sequencing to indicate recent transmission and clusters of ≥10 persons to be outbreaks. We obtained both molecular and geospatial data for 946/1,449 (65%) participants with culture-confirmed TB; 62 persons belonged to 5 outbreaks of 10–19 persons each. We detected geospatial clustering in just 2 of those 5 outbreaks, suggesting heterogeneous spatial patterns. Our findings indicate that targeted interventions applied in smaller geographic areas of high-burden TB identified using integrated genomic and geospatial data might help interrupt TB transmission during outbreaks.
Understanding the Effects of Social Media Marketing on Customers’ Bank Loyalty: A SEM Approach

This study used customers’ experiences to assess the role of social media marketing (SMM) efforts in increasing online customer-based loyalty in the banking sector in Jordan, and using the two main components of the TAM model, perceived the ease of use and perceived usefulness, to understand the relationship. Data were gathered through an online survey with 329 respondents through online banking services in Jordan. A test of the structural equation model (SEM) indicated that perceived usefulness strongly affects electronic word of mouth (EWM), informativeness (INF), and social media features (SMF); and perceived ease of use is indirectly linked to these factors. Behavioral intention is strongly affected by both the perceived usefulness and the ease of use of online banking services. Based on the self-proposed model, e-marketing has impacted customers’ bank loyalty regarding its online services, and the role of social media marketing has remained very important to enhancing customer-based loyalty. This study contributes to the literature by integrating SMF, EWM, and INF in a single framework. It also provides managerial implications and guides for scholars, managers, and practitioners in e-marketing to use customers’ experience to increase customer loyalty. Further research and suggestions are offered.
Flow and heat transfer in convectively unstable turbulent channel flow with solid-wall heat conduction

Abstract Most turbulent coherent structures in a convectively unstable atmospheric boundary layer are caused by or manifested in ascending warm fluid and descending cold fluids. These structures not only cause ramps in the air temperature timeseries, but also imprint on the underlying solid surface as surface temperature fluctuations. The coupled flow and heat transport mechanism was examined through direct numerical simulation (DNS) of a channel flow allowing for realistic solid–fluid thermal coupling. The thermal activity ratio (TAR; the ratio of thermal inertias of fluid and solid), and the thickness of the solid domain were found to affect the solid–fluid interfacial temperature variations. The solid–fluid interface with large (small) thermal activity ration behaves as an isoflux (isothermal) boundary. For the range of parameters considered here (Grashof number, $\def \xmlpi #1{}\def \mathsfbi #1{\boldsymbol {\mathsf {#1}}}\let \le =\leqslant \let \leq =\leqslant \let \ge =\geqslant \let \geq =\geqslant \def \Pr {\mathit {Pr}}\def \Fr {\mathit {Fr}}\def \Rey {\mathit {Re}}\mathit{Gr} = 3\times 10^5\text {--} 325\times 10^5$ ; $\textit {TAR} = 0.01\text {--}1$ ; solid thickness normalized by heat penetration $\text {depth} = 0.1\text {--}10$ ), the solid thermal properties and thickness influence the fluid temperature only in the viscous or conduction region while the convective forcing influences the turbulent flow. Flow structures influence the interfacial temperature more effectively with increasing TAR and solid thickness compared with a constant temperature boundary condition. The change of channel flow structures with increasing convective instability is examined and the concomitant change of thermal patterns is quantified. Despite large differences in friction Reynolds and Richardson number between the DNS and atmospheric observations, similarities in the flow features were observed.
Unleashing Fairness: How a Group Norm-Aware Agent Shakes Up the Ultimatum Game

The emergence of social robots has created new opportunities for them to coexist with humans, but only if they can imitate human-like social behavior. Previous research has examined various robot social cues, such as emotions, gestures, and eye contact. However, an area that has been under-researched is the concept of implicit group norms, which are unwritten rules dictating the expected behavior of group members and can differ across different groups. By improving the ability of robots to behave in expected ways, we hope to considerable greater acceptance of robots among humans. In this study, we propose a group norm-aware decision-making model to help robots adapt to group norms, which we evaluated in a human–agent experiment based on the ultimatum game. In this scenario, the gains and losses of one group member affect everyone else. Our results demonstrate that a group norm-aware decision-making agent promotes fairer distributions of benefits among group members, enhancing mutual benefit compared with an agent that does not consider group norms. This study provides a solid foundation for further research in developing social robots that are more adaptable and acceptable to humans. Additionally, our proposed model sets the stage for future robot experiments, ultimately leading to the emergence of more equitable and empathetic human–robot interactions.
The Effect of 4-Methylcatechol on Platelets in Familial Hypercholesterolemic Patients Treated with Lipid Apheresis and/or Proprotein Convertase Subtilisin Kexin 9 Monoclonal Antibodies

Elevated low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels lead to atherosclerosis and platelet hyperaggregability, both of which are known culprits of arterial thrombosis. Normalization of LDL cholesterol in familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is not an easy task and frequently requires specific treatment, such as regularly performed lipid apheresis and/or novel drugs such as proprotein convertase subtilisin kexin 9 monoclonal antibodies (PCSK9Ab). Moreover, a high resistance rate to the first-line antiplatelet drug acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) stimulated research of novel antiplatelet drugs. 4-methylcatechol (4-MC), a known metabolite of several dietary flavonoids, may be a suitable candidate. The aim of this study was to analyse the antiplatelet effect of 4-MC in FH patients and to compare its impact on two FH treatment modalities via whole-blood impedance aggregometry. When compared to age-matched, generally healthy controls, the antiplatelet effect of 4-MC against collagen-induced aggregation was higher in FH patients. Apheresis itself improved the effect of 4-MC on platelet aggregation and blood from patients treated with this procedure and pretreated with 4-MC had lower platelet aggregability when compared to those solely treated with PCKS9Ab. Although this study had some inherent limitations, e.g., a low number of patients and possible impact of administered drugs, it confirmed the suitability of 4-MC as a promising antiplatelet agent and also demonstrated the effect of 4-MC in patients with a genetic metabolic disease for the first time.
Assessment of water quality in boreholes from Tagrayire (Magazine) in Wa Municipality

ABSTRACT This paper reports a study of the water quality of different boreholes used for drinking water by auto mechanics in Wa Municipality, Ghana. Eight boreholes and two dugouts labelled AW, BW, CW, DW, WW and AD, BD, CD, DD, WD were sampled for analysis at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST). The results showed that all the heavy metals and pH values were above the WHO-recommended threshold, but temperature, NO3- and PO43- were all below the WHO thresholds except CW (xx) and DD (xx) for EC, and AW (xx) and WW (xx) for DO, respectively.
Post-Stroke Infections: Insights from Big Data Using Clinical Data Warehouse (CDW)

This study analyzed a digitized database of electronic medical records (EMRs) to identify risk factors for post-stroke infections. The sample included 41,236 patients hospitalized with a first stroke diagnosis (ICD-10 codes I60, I61, I63, and I64) between January 2011 and December 2020. Logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the effect of clinical variables on post-stroke infection. Multivariable analysis revealed that post-stroke infection was associated with the male sex (odds ratio [OR]: 1.79; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.49–2.15), brain surgery (OR: 7.89; 95% CI: 6.27–9.92), mechanical ventilation (OR: 18.26; 95% CI: 8.49–44.32), enteral tube feeding (OR: 3.65; 95% CI: 2.98–4.47), and functional activity level (modified Barthel index: OR: 0.98; 95% CI: 0.98–0.98). In addition, exposure to steroids (OR: 2.22; 95% CI: 1.60–3.06) and acid-suppressant drugs (OR: 1.44; 95% CI: 1.15–1.81) increased the risk of infection. On the basis of the findings from this multicenter study, it is crucial to carefully evaluate the balance between the potential benefits of acid-suppressant drugs or corticosteroids and the increased risk of infection in patients at high risk for post-stroke infection.
Maternal Vitamin A deficiency during pregnancy and lactation induced damaged intestinal structure and intestinal flora homeostasis in offspring mice

Abstract The small intestine serves as the first channel of dietary Vitamin A (VA) and the unique organ of VA absorption and metabolism. However, there have not been extensive investigations on the exact mechanisms within VA‐related changes in intestinal metabolic disorders. This research is designed to analyze whether and how VA affects intestinal metabolic phenotypes. Male C57BL/6 mice after weaning were randomly fed a VA control diet (VAC) or a VA‐deficient diet (VAD) during the entire pregnancy and lactation process. After a total of 11 weeks, cohorts of VA deprived were next fed to a VA control diet (VAD‐C) for another 8 weeks. The concentration of retinol was measured by a high‐performance liquid chromatography system. The 16S gene sequencing was used to evaluate the intestinal microbiota changes. Through the use of histological staining, western blots, quantitative PCR, and enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assays, the intestinal morphology, inflammatory factors, and intestinal permeability were all evaluated. Following the decrease of the tissue VA levels, VAD mice show a decrease in tissue VA levels, community differences, and the richness and diversity of intestinal microbiota. VAD diet‐driven changes occur in intestinal microbiota, accompanied by a higher mRNA expression of intestinal inflammatory cytokines and an increase in intestinal permeability. As dietary VA is reintroduced into VAD diet‐fed mice, the tissue VA levels, inflammatory response, and intestinal homeostasis profiles are all restored, which are similar to those found after the occurrence of VA‐controlled changes within intestinal microbiota. VA deficiency caused the imbalance of intestinal metabolic phenotypes through a mechanism involving changes in intestinal microbiota. It is thought that intestinal microbiota metabolic influences represent a new salient and additional mechanism, which can be used as a new method to achieve the onset and treatment of the effect of VAD on intestinal homeostasis impairment.
On the Dirichlet boundary value problem for the normalized $p$-laplacian evolution

In this paper, we study the potential theoretic aspects of the normalized $p$-Laplacian evolution, see (1.1) below. A systematic study of such equation was recently started in [1], [4] and [25]. Via the classical Perron approach, we address the question of solvability of the Cauchy-Dirichlet problem with "very weak" assumptions on the boundary of the domain. The regular boundary points for the Dirichlet problem are characterized in terms of barriers. For $p \geq 2 $, in the case of space - time cylinder $G \times (0,T)$, we show that $(x,t) \in \partial G \times (0, T]$ is a regular boundary point if and only if $x \in \partial G$ is a a regular boundary point for the p-Laplacian. This latter operator is the steady state corresponding to the evolution (1.1) below. Consequently, when $p\geq 2$ the Cauchy- Dirichlet problem for (1.1) can be solved in cylinders whose section is regular for the $p$-Laplacian. This can be thought of as an analogue of the results obtained in [17] for the standard parabolic $p$-Laplacian div$(|Du|^{p-2}Du) - u_t = 0 $.
Public School Adolescents Had Increased Odds of Being Willing to Uptake HPV Vaccinations Owing to Sociodemographic and Healthcare Access Features in Bahir Dar City, Ethiopia

Background Cervical cancer is one of the most prevalent and fatal malignancies in women worldwide. Despite the fact that vaccination is an effective method in reducing cervical cancer, its uptake varies between public and private school adolescents and remains a challenge in low- and middle-income countries, including Ethiopia. Empirical evidence on how much variation there is among public and private school adolescent in their willingness to uptake human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination is also limited. Thus, the aim of this study was to compare levels of willingness to uptake HPV vaccination among public and private school female adolescents and associated factors in Bahir Dar City, Ethiopia. Methods A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted on 844 adolescents aged 10 to 19 in primary schools in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. Multistage sampling was used. A self-administered, structured, and pretested questionnaire was used to collect data. The determinants of willingness to accept HPV vaccination were identified using logistic regression, and exploratory factor analyses were performed to determine load and mean. The level of statistical significance was determined using a P - value of 0.05. Results The overall proportion of willing to uptake HPV vaccination was 50.6% (95% CI: 47.4-54), whereas in public and private primary schools, the magnitude was 61% (95% CI: 56.3-65.4%) and 40.2% (95% CI: 35.6-44.9), respectively. In terms of willingness to uptake HPV vaccination, the odds were likely to be significantly higher among those whose mothers had a postsecondary education (AOR = 2.0, 95% CI: 1.29-3.05), a high cue to action (AOR = 1.92, 95% CI: 1.20-3.05), and high self-efficacy (AOR = 2.34, 95% CI: 1.58-3.48). High perceived barriers likely decreased the willingness to uptake HPV vaccination (AOR = 0.49, 95% CI: 0.34-0.70). Conclusion Adolescent girls in public primary schools were more likely to uptake HPV vaccination than those in private provided that income status and socioeconomic factors became less important. Willingness to uptake HPV vaccination was found to be low as compared to the WHO target for Ethiopian context and was influenced by maternal education status, perceived barriers, cues to action, and self-efficacy. As a result, greater emphasis should be placed on implementing a school-based and maternal educational program on cervical cancer prevention and control focusing on the behavioral contexts.
The Impact of Leader Member Exchange (LMX) Theory on Employee Turnover Intention: An empirical study of employees at the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah in Saudi Arabia

The purpose of this research paper is to investigate the impact of LMX on the turnover intention of employees. Research from both Western and Arabic contexts has shown that the quality of LMX relationships has a positive impact on turnover intentions i.e., the quality of LMX in an organization may encourage employees to stay longer with the current organization and reduce turnover intention. This research study used a quantitative methodology, distributing questionnaire surveys as the research tool to a sample of 297 participants. The participants were all employees at the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah in Saudi Arabia, or who worked for associated companies at the Hajj and Umrah information center. The quantitative survey data was then analyzed to find the relationship between levels of LMX and employee turnover intention in this context. The findings show that high quality LMX relationships were positively correlated with employee decisions to stay with the organization, and indicate that well-functioning LMX may play a part in reducing employee turnover intention at the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah and its connected organizations.
A subclass of harmonic univalent functions with positive coefficients

Complex-valued harmonic functions that are univalent and sense-preserving in the open unit disc $U$ can be written in the form $f=h+\bar g$, where $h$ and $g$ are analytic in $U$. In this paper authors introduce the class, $R_H(\beta)$, $(1<\beta \le 2)$ consisting of harmonic univalent functions $f=h+\bar g$, where $h$ and $g$ are of the form $ h(z)=z+ \sum_{k=2}^\infty |a_k|z^k $ and $ g(z)= \sum_{k=1}^\infty |b_k| z^k $ for which $\Re\{h'(z)+g'(z)\}<\beta$. We obtain distortion bounds extreme points and radii of convexity for functions belonging to this class and discuss a class preserving integral operator. We also show that class studied in this paper is closed under convolution and convex combinations.
Characteristics of the equatorial midnight temperature maximum in the Indian sector

We present the first results on the characteristics of the equatorial midnight temperature maximum (MTM) for the Indian sector. The results are based on measurements of the Doppler width of 630 nm night airglow emission at Kavalur (12.5° N, dip ∼ 9.5° N) during March-April 1992 and Nov 1992-April 1993. Clear evidence for MTM is found on ∼ 30 per cent of the nights at Kavalur. The MTM occurs, on the average, one hour after midnight in local winter and just before midnight in vernal equinox, a seasonal pattern that is in broad agreement with that at Jicamarca (12° S, dip 2° N) in the American sector. The MTM amplitude at Kavalur is in general larger than that at Jicamarca
A Nanoclay-Enhanced Hydrogel for Self-Adhesive Wearable Electrophysiology Electrodes with High Sensitivity and Stability

Hydrogel-based wet electrodes are the most important biosensors for electromyography (EMG), electrocardiogram (ECG), and electroencephalography (EEG); but, are limited by poor strength and weak adhesion. Herein, a new nanoclay-enhanced hydrogel (NEH) has been reported, which can be fabricated simply by dispersing nanoclay sheets (Laponite XLS) into the precursor solution (containing acrylamide, N, N′-Methylenebisacrylamide, ammonium persulfate, sodium chloride, glycerin) and then thermo-polymerizing at 40 °C for 2 h. This NEH, with a double-crosslinked network, has nanoclay-enhanced strength and self-adhesion for wet electrodes with excellent long-term stability of electrophysiology signals. First of all, among existing hydrogels for biological electrodes, this NEH has outstanding mechanical performance (93 kPa of tensile strength and 1326% of breaking elongation) and adhesion (14 kPa of adhesive force), owing to the double-crosslinked network of the NEH and the composited nanoclay, respectively. Furthermore, this NEH can still maintain a good water-retaining property (it can remain at 65.4% of its weight after 24 h at 40 °C and 10% humidity) for excellent long-term stability of signals, on account of the glycerin in the NEH. In the stability test of skin–electrode impedance at the forearm, the impedance of the NEH electrode can be stably kept at about 100 kΩ for more than 6 h. As a result, this hydrogel-based electrode can be applied for a wearable self-adhesive monitor to highly sensitively and stably acquire EEG/ECG electrophysiology signals of the human body over a relatively long time. This work provides a promising wearable self-adhesive hydrogel-based electrode for electrophysiology sensing; which, will also inspire the development of new strategies to improve electrophysiological sensors.