Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Illegal Waste Dumping under a Municipal Solid Waste Charging Scheme: Application of the Neutralization Theory

Illegal waste dumping has become a threat to human health and the global environment. In Hong Kong, the government has proposed a quantity-based municipal solid waste charging scheme to reduce waste. However, individuals may still dispose of waste improperly, even if such a scheme has been implemented. In this study, the neutralization theory was adopted and an online survey with 273 respondents was conducted to examine the reasons for improper dumping intentions. A principal component analysis identified two types of neutralization: intrinsic neutralization (including denial of responsibility, denial of injury, and defense of necessity) and extrinsic neutralization (including condemnation of the condemners and appeal to higher loyalties). A regression analysis showed that intrinsic neutralization and gender were significant factors for illegal waste dumping intentions when attitude toward illegal waste dumping was controlled.
Price and revenue bounds for bundles of information goods

In this paper, we investigate the behavior of the expected revenue function generated from selling bundles with arbitrarily many components. A motivating example of such bundles includes the production and delivery of digital content, where variable costs are generally negligible. Specifically, we derive generic lower and upper bounds for the expected revenue function even when accounting for arbitrary, potentially complex, dependence structures among the bundle components. The expected revenue bounds in turn provide upper and lower bounds regarding the optimal pure bundle price. Our results reconcile the extant bundling literature involving expected revenue bounds, while sharpening some of these results even when relaxing the traditional assumption of independence among the valuations for the bundle components. We show how these bounds can be further tightened when the seller has additional information about the dependence relationship. Since these results effectively reduce the search space for the optimal bundle price, the pricing bounds provided by our framework have important managerial implications.
Nursing Students’ Perception and Attitude toward Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) in Oman

Objective: To explore undergraduate nursing students’ perception and attitude toward the OSCE. Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted between April-May 2020, among undergraduate nursing students in the College of Nursing at Sultan Qaboos University. Two self-administered questionnaires were employed to obtain data on students’ perception and attitude toward OSCE. Students’ feedback on OSCE was collected using open-ended questions about OSCE strengths, weakness, and recommendation for improvement. Surveys responses were based on a 5-point ordinal scale ranging from strongly disagree to strongly agree. Students’ Feedback on OSCE was analyzed as descriptive data by identifying the common themes and categorize them in groups. Results: A total of 160 students completed the study questionnaires. Most agreed that OSCE atmosphere is not good (66.3%) and it shouldn’t be the only mode of practical Examination (40.6%). Also, 64.4% of the students felt that timing allocated to complete the skills was not adequate. The data shows that 33.1% of the examinees felt that OSCE examination is more stressful than clinical examination. In addition, few students supported that OSCE has improved their communication skills and it increased their confidence level to perform nursing skills. Conclusion: The findings of this study appear alarming in regard to students’ perception about the overall process and the validity of OSCE examination as an assessment method. Nursing educators need to consider further evaluation and improvement of the OSCE in order to improve students’ acceptance and appreciation of OSCE as an important form of clinical learning and as an assessment method. Keywords: Objective Structured Clinical Examination; Nursing Education; Baccalaureate; Evaluation; Attitude; Nursing Students; Practical Nursing.
A Review of CO2 Laser-Mediated Therapy for Oral Mucosal Lesions

(1) Background: Several studies investigating the clinical outcomes of potentially premalignant oral epithelial lesions treated with CO2 lasers have been published over the last decades. (2) Methods: A systematic research review was performed for studies published between 2011 and 2021 in the PubMed, Science Direct, and Google Scholar databases. (3) Results: Initially, the search identified 52 relevant articles. The primary analysis of the titles and abstracts eliminated 22 articles, leaving 30 articles whose full texts were examined. A total of 22 articles met the inclusion criteria. The studies were classified into 3 categories. (4) Conclusions: After evaluating the results of all the studies included in this review, an initial general statement can be made, namely that CO2 lasers are a treatment option worth taking into consideration when approaching oral mucosal lesions. When compared to other types of lasers used in dental practice, the CO2 laser stands out due to its many advantages.
Fatherhood and gender relations in the manosphere: Exploring an Italian non-resident fathers’ online forum

In the last few years, the informal network – called manosphere – of forums, websites and blogs, where commentators are mainly men and focus on issues relating to masculinity, has been gaining members and visibility. The article’s objective is to explore the politics of fatherhood and masculinity that an Italian non-resident fathers’ online forum engages in to assess whether the claims for fathers’ rights are a move towards a new form of involved fatherhood or if they are only useful to rebuild a solid traditional male identity. By conducting an explorative content analysis on their Facebook group and page, we found that fatherhood is an ‘empty box’ and that fathers’ rights are used in a strategic way to justify hegemonic masculinity, gender-based violence, as well as antifeminist and antifeminine ideas, and to promote political advocacy cooperating with right-wing parties. The article also reflects on the connections between hegemony and power using the concept of hybrid masculinities.
Workplace spirituality and organizational citizenship behavior among teachers in bahrain: commitment as a mediator

ABSTRACT The current study examined the mediating role of teacher commitment (TC) on the relationship between workplace spirituality (WS) and organisational citizenship behaviour (OCB) in Bahraini public schools. A cross-sectional survey design was used to examine a proposed conceptual model. Data were collected from 349 teachers in Bahraini public schools, and were analysed using structural equation modelling (SEM). The study found that workplace spirituality contributes to the teachers’ OCB both directly and indirectly by shaping teachers’ affective commitment. The study findings provide a framework that can assist policymakers and school principals in the enhancement of WS in schools in order to build and nurture a culture of OCB and ensure commitment, thereby improving school effectiveness.
Energy Intensity of Steel Manufactured Utilising EAF Technology as a Function of Investments Made: The Case of the Steel Industry in Poland

The production of steel in the world is dominated by two types of technologies: BF + BOF (the blast furnace and basic oxygen furnace, also known as integrated steel plants) and EAF (the electric arc furnace). The BF + BOF process uses a lot of natural resources (iron ore is a feedstock for steel production) and fossil fuels. As a result, these steel mills have a significantly negative impact on the environment. In turn, EAF technology is characterised by very low direct emissions and very high indirect emissions. The raw material for steel production is steel scrap, the processing of which is highly energy-consuming. This paper analyses the energy intensity of steel production in Poland as a function of investments made in the steel industry in the years 2000–2019. Statistical data on steel production in the EAF process in Poland (which represents an approximately 50% share of the steel produced, as the rest is produced utilising the BF + BOF process) was used. Slight fluctuations are caused by the periodic switching of technology for economic or technical reasons. The hypothesis stating that there is a relationship between the volume of steel production utilising the EAF process and the energy consumption of the process, which is influenced by investments, was formulated. Econometric modelling was used as the research method and three models were constructed: (1) a two-factor power model; (2) a linear two-factor model; and (3) a linear one-factor model. Our findings show that the correlation is negative, that is, along with the increase in technological investments in electric steel plants in Poland, a decrease in the energy consumption of steel produced in electric furnaces was noted during the analysed period.
Reusing of Real Textile Wastewater After Treatment by Gamma Irradiation: Implications on the Growth of Capsicum Frutescens Plant

This investigation concentrates on the possibility of using gamma radiation for the decomposition of textile wastewater and reuse as irrigation water. The real wastewater sample was irradiated at four different radiation doses of 3, 5, 8, and 10 kGy. After irradiation at 8–10 KGy, physicochemical parameters, i.e., pH, turbidity, EC, total suspended solids (TSS), total dissolved solids (TDS), biological oxygen demand (BOD5), and chemical oxygen demand (COD) have decreased sharply and approached to the expected value. At maximum 10 KGy radiation dose, 59.0 % BOD5 and 71.6 % COD removal have been achieved, accelerating the enhancement in biodegradability index (BOD5/COD, 0.43). Ammonium and total nitrogen have improved up to 87.0 % and 94.5 % after irradiation at 10 KGy doses. These treated textile wastewater samples were reused to grow Capsicum frutescens plants to inspect the fertility responses. When Capsicum plants were nourished by textile wastewater irradiated at 8–10 kGy, the dry masses of the fruits, moisture content, root length, average plant height, average number of leaves, and total number of fruits were increased in comparison to those plants nourished by simply water and raw wastewater. The elemental analysis confirmed that the heavy metals concentration in Capsicum fruits decreased gradually with higher radiation doses. Helpful macro and micronutrients for plant production such as Na, K, and Mg were raised at a sufficient level of 47.7 %, 23.5 %, and 63.8 % for 10 KGy, whereas the highest 50.0 % increase in Ca concentration was found for 8 KGy fruit samples.
Study on the dynamic mechanical properties of magnetorheological elastomer (MRE) with Fe@C

Magnetorheological elastomer (MRE) is a promising type of smart material, suitable for shock absorbers in tank engine mount systems. In order to improve the performance of the shock absorber, we improve the magnetorheological (MR) effect of the MREs and reduce its loss factor by enhancing the interaction force between the particles and the substrate. In this work, a novel carbon-coated iron material was prepared by heat treatment, and then carbon-coated iron (Fe@C) of different proportions was added to natural rubber to prepare MRE samples. The tensile strength and elongation at break of the MRE samples were tested by a universal electronic tension machine. The results indicated that better bonding strength between the particles and the matrix increased in tensile strength. The MR effect and the loss factor of the MRE samples were tested by a rheometer. The results demonstrated that the MR effect of MREs modified with Fe@C was significantly improved, and the loss factor of this kind of MRE decreased markedly.
Modified generalized quadrature spatial modulation performance over Nakagami‐m fading channel

The modified generalized quadrature spatial modulation (mGQSM) scheme is introduced to improve the transmission rate of the spatial modulation (SM) and quadrature SM (QSM). In mGQSM, the information symbols are separated as real and imaginary coefficients, which are modulated on in‐phase and quadrature dimensions, respectively. In addition, this scheme presented a novel codebook design to enhance the rate of 1 bit per channel use over generalized QSM (GQSM). In this paper, we present mGQSM and reduced codebook mGQSM (RC‐mGQSM) system performances over Nakagami‐m, Rayleigh, and Rician fading channels. However, the Rayleigh fading is a special case of Nakagami‐m fading when m = 1. For the computer simulations, we use several values for the Nakagami parameter, m, and Rician factor, K. We present the mGQSM and RC‐mGQSM system performances and compare them to the GQSM, QSM, and SM system performances, using the maximum‐likelihood (ML) detection. For the RC‐mGQSM scheme, we present a low‐complexity detection method. We also present the performances of mGQSM and SM systems in the presence of imperfect channel conditions.
Long-Term Impact of Wastewater Irrigation on Soil Pollution and Degradation: A Case Study from Egypt

There is consensus on the impact of wastewater irrigation on soil properties and heavy metal accumulation. The studies that show the impact of temporal changes as a result of different long-term additions of wastewater on the heavy metal accumulation and degradation of soil are extremely limited. This study was carried out to assess heavy metal contamination in soils irrigated with wastewater for more than 30 years in Egypt. A total number of 12 irrigation water samples and 12 soil profiles were collected during 2020 and were chemically characterized. The results showed that soils irrigated with wastewater over the long term contained significantly higher concentrations of heavy metals compared to fields irrigated with fresh water. Heavy metal levels in water and soil samples were within the permissible limits, with the exception of Cd concentration in water (0.03 mg L−1). Continuous cultivation for a long period of time (30 years) using raw urban wastewater application has led to the adverse effect of increasingly available Pb concentration (5.44 mg kg−1). Similar temporal behavior was seen for Cd and Fe, which increased by 0.98 and 11.2 mg kg−1, respectively, after 30 years. The heavy metals in wastewater-irrigated soils significantly increased in clayey soils, as compared to sandy soils irrigated from the same source. Our findings provide important information for decision makers in Egypt and similar countries for the development of a strategy for the use of wastewater in irrigation for sustainable agricultural management.
Digitalis therapy in patients with ventricular tachyarrhythmias

Abstract Objective. The study sought to assess the prognostic value of treatment with digitalis on long-term prognosis in patients with ventricular tachyarrhythmias and atrial fibrillation (AF) and/or heart failure (HF). Background. Data regarding the outcome of digitalis therapy following ventricular tachyarrhythmias is limited. Methods. A large retrospective registry was used including consecutive patients with episodes of ventricular tachycardia (VT) or fibrillation (VF) from 2002 to 2015. Patients treated with digitalis were compared to patients without. The primary prognostic endpoint was all-cause mortality at 3 years, secondary endpoints comprised a composite arrhythmic endpoint (i.e. recurrences of ventricular tachyarrhythmias, appropriate implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) therapies, sudden cardiac death) and cardiac rehospitalization. Kaplan Mayer survival curves, multivariable cox regression, and time trend analyses were applied for statistics. Results. Eight hundred and thirty-one patients were included (20% treated with digitalis and 80% without). At 3 years, digitalis treatment was not associated with all-cause mortality following ventricular tachyarrhythmias (24 vs. 21%, log-rank p = .736; HR = 1.063; 95% CI 0.746–1.515; p = .736). However, digitalis therapy was associated with an increased risk of the composite arrhythmic endpoint (38 vs. 23%; log-rank p = .001; HR = 1.719; 95% CI 1.279–2.311; p = .001) and cardiac rehospitalization (31 vs. 18%; log-rank p = .001; HR = 1.829; 95% CI 1.318–2.538; p = .001), which was still evident within multivariable Cox regression analyses. Finally, digitoxin may be associated with a worse prognosis than digoxin. Conclusion. Digitalis therapy was not associated with mortality in patients with ventricular tachyarrhythmias, but with increased risk of the composite arrhythmic endpoint and cardiac rehospitalization at 3 years.
COVID-19 Severity and Mortality in Solid Organ Transplantation: Differences between Liver, Heart, and Kidney Recipients

The infection by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) can generate a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations ranging from asymptomatic to severe respiratory and systemic disease with coagulation disorder named coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Patients with comorbidities have been identified as risk groups for severe COVID-19, also having a higher death risk. Previous reports have conflicting results regarding if solid organ transplant recipients present an increased risk for COVID-19. Nevertheless, previous investigations failed to distinguish between different organs received or made a longitudinal investigation on those patients. We recruited 39 solid organ transplant recipients: 25 kidney transplant recipients, 7 heart transplant recipients, and 7 liver transplant recipients and 25 age-matched non-transplant COVID-19 patients without comorbidities (control group) and compared daily laboratory data in addition to performing survival analysis. Heart and kidney transplant recipients presented an increase in several COVID-19 severity-associated biomarkers, such as neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and thrombocytopenia, in comparison to the control group and liver transplant recipients. Heart and kidney transplant recipients also presented an increase in the need for intensive care and invasive mechanical ventilation during the disease’s course. Importantly, heart and kidney transplant recipients presented a higher mortality rate in comparison to liver transplant recipients and non-transplant recipients. In our cohort, heart and kidney transplant recipients presented a difference in clinical characteristics and survival rate in comparison to liver transplant recipients. Further investigation involving immune response to SARS-CoV-2 in solid organ recipients should consider and separate patients according to the organ grafted.
Housing density and its consequences for couples in Germany: staying, moving, or breaking up?

Abstract High housing density has been considered a stressor that is detrimental to couples’ relationships. However, empirical research on this topic has been mixed, which might be due to the fact that not all couples respond to density in the same way. We contribute to the literature by not only considering separation as a potential reaction to density but also moving to a new place. Moreover, we combine insights from different theoretical models to explain how couples react differently to an overcrowded home, depending upon their resources. For our analyses, we use the German Family Panel PAIRFAM (10 waves, 2008/09 to 2017/18) with a sample of N = 4180 couples, of which 484 experience a move and 488 a separation. Applying competing risk models, we find that vulnerable groups such as the poor and the low-educated are significantly more likely than others to separate when in a dense home rather than to stay in the same dwelling.
Thrust faulting in glaciers? Re‐examination of debris bands near the margin of Storglaciären, Sweden

Thrust faulting has been suggested as a viable mechanism of debris transport at many glaciers, often inferred from the presence of up‐glacier dipping bands of debris that emerge at the ice surface to form ridges of basally derived material. However, modelling indicates that the development of thrust faults is mechanically inhibited because stresses are much lower than that required for shear failure, a prerequisite for thrust faulting, and field measurements fail to detect thrust‐related displacement. The mechanism for the emplacement of these ridges that appear at the surface of many polythermal valley glacier termini remains open to question. This study re‐examines the origin of debris ridges on the surface of Storglaciären, a polythermal valley glacier in northern Sweden, using field observations, ice microstructural analyses, sediment grain size analysis, stable isotope composition of the ice, and modelling. We find no evidence of discrete displacement across the debris bands that produce the ridges, nor do we find evidence that folding might be responsible. We propose that the bands originate at the base of the glacier by one of two mechanisms, perhaps in combination: (i) refreezing of meltwater near the thermal transition in basal ice, and (ii) injection into tensile fractures periodically opened at the base due to high fluid pressure and then freezing. In either case, separation from the base occurs due to high fluid pressure and freezing introduces ice below the debris bands, which are then transported forwards due to basal shear and upwards due to longitudinal compression, and revealed by surface ablation.
Transnationalization of the Mexican corporate elite: looking beyond cross-border corporate networks

Abstract This article examines changes in the Mexican corporate network in the past four decades and the extent to which these respond to the processes of transnationalization undergone by Mexican corporate elites, in particular to a dynamic, multifarious and multi-layered interaction with global elites. It is argued that this interaction follows different intersecting paths, making the Web and direction of relationships increasingly compounded and imbricating in different ways national and transnational corporate interests. Among these intersecting paths, we explore the following: (a) the accumulation of assets in several countries, a process that intensified since the 1990s particularly through mergers and acquisitions; (b) cross-border interlocks between corporate elites effected by Mexican directors participating in the boards of foreign-controlled TNCs or foreign directors participating in the boards of Mexican controlled corporations; and (c) connections with global asset managers and other institutional investors with securities in Mexican listed companies. It is argued that these paths offer the Mexican corporate elite new opportunities for accumulation and a way to profit from globalizing markets and the neoliberal reforms of the past decades.
Primary tissues dominated ground-level trunk diameter in Sigillaria: evidence from the Wuda Tuff, Inner Mongolia

Arborescent lycopsid stumps are typically fossilized as casts, so that proximal anatomy is rarely available for study. This presents a roadblock for empirically reconstructing their early ontogeny, which requires knowledge of proximal tissue proportions. Here, we describe nine upright, in situ stump casts of Sigillaria from the earliest Permian Wuda Tuff, Inner Mongolia, China that preserve traces of internal anatomy. From these specimens, we interpret thin vasculature and periderm and a broad primary cortex within c. 50 cm of ground level in the living plant. These specimens support recent arguments that periderm production was limited in arborescent lycopsids and that the primary body reached its mature diameter close to ground level rather than distally further up the trunk. Supplementary material: Additional figures of specimens and data regarding where measurements were made are available at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare. c.5558620