Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Community-based assessment of risk factors for cardiovascular diseases in a tribal population of Tharus in Bihar, India

Background: The problems of cardiovascular diseases are on the rise and the tribal population are also not an exception to it. The present study aims to estimate the prevalence of risk factors of cardiovascular diseases and to find association of hypertension and diabetes with various risk factors among the Tharu tribe of Bihar, India. Methodology: The present study was an observational, cross-sectional study conducted on 252 individuals of 20–60 years age group. Risk factors related to cardiovascular diseases were assessed. Results: Among 252 participants, the prevalence of hypertension and diabetes was 32.5% and 4.8%, respectively. Around 30% of study participants were smokers, 39% were habitual of chewing tobacco, and about half of the population were not involved in active physical activities (49.2%). Raised blood glucose level was significantly associated with gender, age, smoking status, and tobacco chewing while hypertension was significantly associated with age, smoking status, and body mass index. Conclusions: Increased number of various risk factors among the tribal population makes them vulnerable to cardiovascular diseases and other complications.
The effect of ease of access on financial prosperity of micro and small entrepreneurs in Nairobi County, Kenya

The purpose of this paper is to establish the effect of the ease of access to mobile credit on the financial prosperity of MSEs. The ease of access describes the simplicity and easy way of enabling the provision of credit to a mobile money subscriber. Mobile credit means the credit offered through mobile phones whether from mobile phone operators in conjunction with banks or non-bank financial institutions or stand-alone mobile finance companies as per AFI - Global (2020) definition. This study tries to analyze whether there is a relationship between ease of access and the financial prosperity of an entrepreneur. Financial prosperity on the other hand is the economic well-being of a person or institution. The study adopted a descriptive research design. The target population for this study was 271,365 Licensed Small and Micro entrepreneurs in Nairobi County as per the Nairobi City County Licensing Database as of 16th November 2020. The sampling design employed a stratified sampling design to achieve a representative sample of the respondents. The sample size was 400 MSEs from each MSE, and the owner or key member was picked to participate. Overall, it was found that ease of access to mobile credit had a positive influence on financial prosperity. This implies that improved access to mobile credit leads to improved financial prosperity. An increase in Ease of access has a significant positive relationship (1.741432) with the financial prosperity composite. An increase in ease of access by one unit leads to an increase in financial prosperity by 1.741 units. Based on the study findings, it is recommended that mobile lenders should offer mobile credit with affordable terms. The mobile credit lenders should maintain a short period of the mobile money application process and approval to enhance the profitability and leverage of businesses. With good use of mobile credit, increased liquidity would increase financial prosperity for micro and small entrepreneurs.
Competency and Religiosity of Internal Auditor on the Fraud Mitigation in Indonesian and Malaysian Islamic Bank

: In recent years, the occurrence of financial crimes have raised regulators’ concern for the need to manage the consequences of these crimes. Particularly, in the context of the financial institution prior studies examining the relation between risk management, management support, religiosity and also internal auditor competence for fraud mitigation . This study is, therefore, made for mitigating fraud occurrence and mitigation in the Islamic banking that located in Malaysian and also Indonesia. From this research it can be concluded that risk management has a positive and significant effect on fraud mitigation. management support has a positive and significant impact on fraud mitigation at banks in Indonesia and Malaysia. Religiosity has a negative and insignificant effect on fraud mitigation in Islamic banks in Indonesia and Malaysia. Internal Auditor Competence has a positive effect on fraud mitigation but not significant, meaning that internal auditor competence does not always have a positive effect on fraud prevention in Islamic banking companies in Indonesia and Malaysia.
IMPACT OF DIVIDEND POLICY ON STOCK PRICES BEFORE AND AFTER CAPITAL GAIN TAX IMPOSITION: THE CASE OF MANUFACTURING SECTOR OF PAKISTAN

The aim of the study is to find the impact of dividend policy on stock prices before the capital gains tax imposition (2006-2010) and after the capital gains tax imposition (2011-2015). This study uses Descriptive statistics, Correlation, and Panel Regression Analysis to investigate the impact of Dividend Policy on Stock Prices. The study is covering 10 years’ time period from 2006-15. This study investigated that before the imposition of capital gain tax there is no effect of Dividend Policy on Stock Prices. The reason whythe benefit in the said time period is greater is that there was no tax on capital gains. Investors were buying shares at low price and sell it at a higher price to earn capital gains. The first theory which is a dividend irrelevance theory supports the results of before capital gain tax imposition and the theory were presented by Miller and Modigliani (1961). The study also investigated thatafter the imposition of capital gain tax, Dividend Policy became the main tool of fluctuation in the prices of shares. The reason why people were unbiased to capital gains is that the tax on capital gains became higher than the tax imposed on dividend. So stockholders started to opt for those shares which yield a high dividend. This result of after capital gain tax imposition period is supported by “Bird in Hand” were presented by Lintner (1962) and Gorden (1963). The management of firms needs to follow a stable dividend policy to gain the confidence of investors for a long period of time. Investors may prefer stocks of those firms, which yield high dividend. Because high dividend payout ratio may indicate that the future of the firm is bright and its earnings may rise in the future. For the investor’s point of view, this research work recommends that investors need to opt for shares of those firms which pay high and stable dividend payout ratio. Because the stock prices of those firms affect much which follow a fluctuating dividend payout.
Metric characterization of random variables and random processes

Sub-Gaussian and pre-Gaussian random variables Orlicz spaces of random variables Regularity of sample paths of a stochastic process Pre-Gaussian processes Shot noise processes and their properties Correlograms of stationary Gaussian processes Jointly sub-Gaussian, super-Gaussian, and pseudo-Gaussian stochastic processes Appendices Comments References Basic notation Index.
A Linear-Array Receiver AFE Circuit Embedded 8-to-1 Multiplexer for Direct ToF Imaging LiDAR Applications

To increase the light detection and ranging (LiDAR) system spatial resolution, the multiple photodetectors are typically deployed in the receiver. An equivalent linear-array receiver with multiplexing operation scheme is presented for the direct time of flight (dToF) LiDAR applications. In particular, the analog front-end (AFE) circuit of the proposed receiver mainly consists of eight transimpedance preamplifiers (preTIAs), a dummy preTIA, a post amplifier (PA) with an 8-to-1 multiplexer, an analog output buffer and a timing discriminator. The proposed AFE circuit, which achieves a transimpedance gain of ~106 dB<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\Omega $ </tex-math></inline-formula>, a bandwidth of ~220 MHz, an equivalent input-referred noise current of ~5.1 pA/Hz0.5 and a channel switchover time of 6 ns, was fabricated in a 65 nm standard CMOS technology. The associated DC power consumption is 137 mW with a power supply of 2.5 V. The total area of the proposed AFE circuit, which includes the circuit core, bias circuits and I/O PADs, is approximately equal to <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$1.2\times 1.2$ </tex-math></inline-formula> mm2.
Regression-Based Normative Data for Independent and Cognitively Active Spanish Older Adults: Verbal Fluency Tests and Boston Naming Test

An increased cognitive reserve is associated with changes in the pattern of cognitive decline during aging. Thus, normative data adapted to the characteristics of the target population are needed to reduce the possibility of false diagnoses. The aim of this work was to develop normative data for the Phonemic Verbal Fluency test, the Semantic Verbal Fluency test and the Boston Naming Test (BNT). Method: Regression-based normative data were calculated from a sample of 118 non-depressed, cognitively active, independent community-dwelling adults aged 55 or older (64.4% women) from SABIEX (University for Seniors at the Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche). Raw scores were regressed on age, sex, and education. Results: The effects of age and education varied across neuropsychological measures. No effect of sex was found in any of the tests assessed. Statistically significant differences were found in the proportion of low scores using SABIEX or population-based normative datasets. The level of agreement identifying individuals labeled as showing one or more low scores was only fair-to-good. Conclusions: Normative data obtained from the general population might not be sensitive to identify low scores in cognitively active older adults, increasing the risk of misdiagnoses. A friendly calculator is available for neuropsychological assessment.
A Systematic Review of the Technology Acceptance Model for the Sustainability of Higher Education during the COVID-19 Pandemic and Identified Research Gaps

Over the past three decades, the Technology Acceptance model (TAM) has garnered considerable attention in higher education. COVID-19 boosted the development of TAM as multiple studies were rapidly undertaken during the pandemic. This, however, created a gap in our current understanding of the directions and trends of TAM advancement. The purpose of this study is to obtain insight into the advancement of TAM throughout the pandemic. It would assist researchers in comprehending the advancement and direction of TAM studies in higher education, such as gaining an understanding of the prevalent external variables for TAM, the statistical analysis employed, research methodologies, the technologies studied, and the geographic location of the research conducted. Finally, research gaps and future directions for TAM studies are presented. A systematic review utilizing PRISMA was conducted on 104 sampled publications. It was found that self-efficacy, subjective norms, experience, and enjoyment were the external variables most frequently used in TAM, while internal motivation received minimal attention. The existing studies have focused mainly on student samples, so further investigation is needed into lecturers, higher education personnel, and mixed groups. Further study is also required on qualitative and mixed methods, with the partial least square structural equation model currently dominating statistical analysis. Future technologies such as 5G, AI, cloud computing, augmented reality, virtual reality, and BYOD represent new TAM-related research gaps. The majority of studies have been undertaken in Asian countries, such as China and those in southeast Asia. This new systematic literature review provides insight into the trend of TAM advancement in the sustainability of higher education during the pandemic, the identified research gaps, and recommendations for future research directions. These findings also serve as a reference for future research by enhancing the foundation established by previous reviews and research on TAM, thereby facilitating the model’s ongoing expansion.
Electroacupuncture-Regulated miR-34a-3p/PDCD6 Axis Promotes Post-Spinal Cord Injury Recovery in Both In Vitro and In Vivo Settings

Electroacupuncture (EA) could enhance neuroregeneration and posttraumatic conditions; however, the underlying regulatory mechanisms remain ambiguous. PDCD6 (programmed cell death 6) is an established proapoptotic regulator which is responsible for motoneuronal death. However, its potential regulatory role in post-spinal cord injury (SCI) regeneration has remained largely unknown. Further investigations are warranted to clarify the involvement of PDCD6 post-SCI recovery and the underlying mechanisms. In our study, based on bioinformatics prediction, we found that miR-34a-3p might be an upstream regulator miRNA for PDCD6, which was subsequently validated through combined utilization of the qRT-PCR, western blot, and dual-luciferase reporter system. Our in vitro results showed that miR-34a-3p might promote the in vitro differentiation of neural stem cell (NSC) through suppressing PDCD6 and regulating other important neural markers such as fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1), MAP1/2 (MAP kinase kinases 1/2), myelin basic protein (MBP), βIII-tubulin Class III β-tubulin (βIII tubulin), and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). Notably, in the post-SCI rat model, exogenous miR-34a-3p agomir obviously inhibited the expression of PDCD6 at the protein level and promoted neuronal proliferation, motoneurons regeneration, and axonal myelination. The restorations at cellular level might contribute to the improved hindlimbs functions of post-SCI rats, which was manifested by the Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan (BBB) locomotor test. The impact of miR-34a-3p was further promoted by EA treatment in vivo. Conclusively, this paper argues that a miR-34a-3p/PDCD6 axis might be a candidate therapeutic target for treating SCI and that the therapeutic effect of EA is driven through this pathway.
Multi-Ideology Multi-Class Extremism Classification Using Deep Learning Techniques

Social media is an integral part of today’s social communication. Social media platforms have a global reach with immense popularity among the young generation. This reach and influencing power of social media has attracted extremist and terrorist organizations to social media platforms. Numerous terrorist organizations like ISIS, Taliban, Al-Qaeda, and Proud Boys and conspiracy theory groups like Alt-Right and QAnon spread their propaganda, radicalize and recruit youths via social media platforms. Thus, online extremism research is imperative to monitor extremists’ influence and their spread of hate on social media. The existing research is limited to the specific ideology, which results in a bias towards a particular ideology. The classification of extremism is presented only in binary or tertiary classes with no further insights. This research work presents the development of a seed dataset and balanced multi-ideology extremism text dataset with multi-class labels. Recently natural language processing with deep learning has gained significant attention in extremism detection research. Thus this research focuses on collecting, cleaning and classifying the extremist tweets. This study presents a multi-class classification of the balanced multi-ideology dataset. This dataset is termed Merged Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) /Jihadist-White Supremacist (MIWS). The MIWS dataset is evaluated using pre-trained Bidirectional Encoder Representation for Transformers (BERT) and variants like Robustly Optimized BERT Pretraining Approach (RoBERTa) and DistilBERT and achieves the highest f1-score of 0.72. RoBERTa and DistilBERT provide f1-score of 0.68 and 0.71, respectively. Thus, deep learning can be effectively used to identify extremism from multiple ideologies and segregate them into propaganda, radicalization and recruitment.
Theoretical evolution of massive stars with mass loss by stellar wind.

Although it was known since a long time that very luminous blue and red stars may show evidence of mass outflow, it was the advent of the Copernicus satellite that clearly ascertained all OB supergiants (and also the most luminousmain sequence stars) are losing mass at rates that are significant for their evolutionary history. The observational information for blue luminous stars (O, Of and WR) has been recently reviewed by Conti (1978), who discussed in some detail the data available for different spectral regions. The rates of mass loss inferred from these observations are estimated to be in the range 10−7 to 10−5 M⊙/yr for OB stars, and from 10−5 to 10−4 M⊙/yr for WR stars. Several theoretical models have been proposed to explain those high mass-loss rates, and the high terminal velocities ranging from 1000 to 3000 km/sec. The two basic models are: the cool radiation pressure model, originally proposed by Lucy and Solomon (1970) and elaborated by Castor et al. (1975), in which the envelope is accelerated by momentum transfer from radiation to ions due to the ultraviolet line absorption; and the coronal model of Thomas (1973), and Hearn (1975), where the wind is sustained by gas pressure in a hot corona around the star.
Technological, Nutritional, and Sensory Characteristics of Gnocchi Enriched with Hemp Seed Flour

Hemp seed flour (HSF) is a by-product of the hemp oil production process and is a valuable source of protein, dietary fiber, minerals, and vitamins. In line with sustainable food production and a circular economy, this research aimed to utilize HSF as fortifying ingredient in the production of gnocchi, a typical Italian potato-based fresh pasta, and to investigate the effects of the addition on the quality and consumers’ acceptability of the enriched products. Three formulations have been developed using 5–20% HSF in substitution of soft wheat flour. Nutritional value, cooking quality, color, texture and sensory profile, and the consumers’ acceptability of gnocchi samples were evaluated, as well as the functional properties of pure and composite flours and the HSF aroma compounds. HSF addition allowed to enhance the nutritional value of gnocchi, gaining the nutritional claim of “source of fiber” in case of formulations with ≥10% of HSF. Moreover, the fortified gnocchi had a high technological quality in terms of cooking loss, cooking resistance and textural properties, and average sensory quality; however, the vegetable and hemp odor and the bitter taste make them not well appreciated by consumers highlighting the need for improving the HSF sensory quality for consumers’ satisfaction.
Identification of the Key Functional Domains of Bombyx mori Nucleopolyhedrovirus IE1 Protein

The immediate early protein 1 (IE1) acts as a transcriptional activator and is essential for viral gene transcription and viral DNA replication. However, the key regulatory domains of IE1 remain poorly understood. Here, we analyzed the sequence characteristics of Bombyx mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (BmNPV) IE1 and identified the key functional domains of BmNPV IE1 by stepwise truncation. Our results showed that BmNPV IE1 was highly similar to Autographa californica nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV) IE1, but was less conserved with IE1 of other baculoviruses, the C-terminus of IE1 was more conserved than the N-terminus, and BmNPV IE1 was also necessary for BmNPV proliferation. Moreover, we found that IE1158–208 was a major nuclear localization element, and IE11–157 and IE1539–559 were minor nuclear localization elements, but the combination of these two minor elements was equally sufficient to fully mediate the nuclear entry of IE1. Meanwhile, IE11–258, IE1560–584, and the association of amino acids 258 and 259 were indispensable for the transactivation activity of BmNPV IE1. These results systematically resolve the functional domains of BmNPV IE1, which contribute to the understanding of the mechanism of baculovirus infection and provide a possibility to synthesize a small molecule IE1-truncated mutant as an agonist or antagonist.
Effect of Pre-Treatment on Drying of Red Amaranth and its Utilization in Noodles Preparation

Red amaranth is a perishable, colored leafy vegetable that can be preserved through a variety of methods, including dehydration. The current study was conducted to investigate the effect of pre-treatments (blanching, sulphitation, and blanching plus sulphitation) and drying methods (cabinet and solar) on drying rate and color intensity of red amaranth (leaves and stems) and the development of red amaranth enriched noodles. Drying rate and color intensity were varied in different degrees based on applied pre-treatment and drying method. For drying of red amaranth leaves, blanching plus sulphitation followed by cabinet drying showed highest drying rate (0.67 h-1), whereas blanching followed by cabinet drying showed fastest drying rate (0.69 h-1) for red amaranth stems. Color absorbance study revealed that sulphitation pre-treatment and cabinet drying leads highest color absorbance (0.261) in red amaranth leaves, while blanching and cabinet drying provides highest color intensity (0.121) in stems. The use of red amaranth leaves powder in noodles preparation at 5% and 10% wheat flour substitutions gave significantly different (p<0.05) sensory parameters. Substitution of 5% wheat flour by sulphited and cabinet dried red amaranth leaves powder gave the highest overall acceptability of developed noodles.
Distribution of Pupil Size and Associated Factors: Results from the Population-Based Gutenberg Health Study

Results 18,335 eyes of 9,559 participants aged 40 to 80 years were included in the analysis. Median pupil diameter was 4.19 mm in right eyes and 4.12 mm in left eyes. A smaller pupil was associated with older age, hyperopic refractive error, previous cataract surgery, diabetes, obesity, and ACE inhibitor intake, whereas wider pupil was associated with female gender, arterial hypertension, intake of tricyclic antidepressants, and intake of SNRI and tetracyclic antidepressants. Socioeconomic status and smoking were not associated with pupil size. Conclusion Individuals of older age, after cataract surgery, under therapy with ACE inhibitors and with diabetes have a smaller pupil. This should be taken into account when planning nonmydriatic fundus photography-based screening programs, for instance, for diabetic retinopathy.
The Effects of Short-Term PM2.5 Exposure on Pulmonary Function among Children with Asthma—A Panel Study in Shanghai, China

Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) has been reported to be an important risk factor for asthma. This study was designed to evaluate the relationship between PM2.5 and lung function among children with asthma in Shanghai, China. From 2016 to 2019, a total of 70 Chinese children aged 4 to 14 in Shanghai were recruited for this panel study. The questionnaire was used to collect baseline information, and the lung function covering forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) and peak expiratory flow (PEF) were carried out for each child more than twice during follow-up. Meanwhile, the simultaneous daily air atmospheric pollutants and meteorological data were collected. The linear mixed effect (LME) model was used to assess the relationship between air pollutants and lung function. A significantly negative association was found between PM2.5 and lung function in children with asthma. In the single-pollutant model, the largest effects of PM2.5 on lung function were found for lag 0–2, with FVC and FEV1 decreasing by 0.91% [95% confidence interval (CI): −1.75, −0.07] and 1.05% (95% CI: −2.09, 0.00), respectively, for each 10 μg/m3 increase in PM2.5. In the multi-pollution model (adjusted PM2.5 + SO2 + O3), the maximum effects of PM2.5 on FVC and FEV1 also appeared for lag 0–2, with FVC and FEV1 decreasing by 1.57% (95% CI: −2.69, −0.44) and 1.67% (95% CI: −3.05, −0.26), respectively, for each 10 μg/m3 increase in PM2.5. In the subgroup analysis, boys, preschoolers (<6 years old) and hot seasons (May to September) were more sensitive to changes. Our findings may contribute to a better understanding of the short-term exposure effects of PM2.5 on lung function in children with asthma.