Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Examining the Roles of Institutional Quality and Financial Openness in Enhancing Economic Performance: Evidence from BRICS Countries

Purpose: The aim is to examine the roles of institutional quality and financial openness on the economic performance of BRICS, using annual series that covered the period from 1996 to 2020. Methods: Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to select the institutional quality variables, while analysis of the study was conducted under the panel data random effect model. Findings indicate that FDI inflows and capital account openness positively impacted on GDP per capita significantly; however the impact of FDI outflows on GDP per capita, though positive, was not significant. Moreover, control of corruption and government effectiveness both had positive and significant impact on GDP per capita, while trade openness impacted GDP per capita negatively, though the result was not significant. Findings: The outcome of the study reveals that the economy of the BRICS improved by removing restrictions on capital controls which retard capital inflows, but liberalization of trade had adverse effect on growth in the bloc. Equally revealed in the study is that effective government which reduces corrupt tendencies lead to improved economic performance. The study therefore recommends the removal of all bottlenecks that hinder FDI inflows and the building of strong institutions in BRICS. Practical Implications: With respect to the institutional variables employed in the study, findings revealed that when governance is effective, it encourages improvement in the economy. Effectiveness in governance encourages reduction in corruption which is the bane of underdevelopment in many developing countries. Originality/Value: The panel random effect results showed that of the three financial openness indicators employed, FDI inflows and capital account openness significantly impacted on GDP per capita positively, while the impact of FDI outflows was positive but negligible.
Ethnicity, Poverty, Race, and the Unequal Distribution of US Safe Drinking Water Act Violations, 2016-2018

ABSTRACT The current study examines whether social and economic factors affect the geographic distribution of safe drinking water act (SDWA) violations at the county-level, 2016–2018. Our research controls for a variety of factors in an effort to assess whether community ethnicity, poverty, and racial characteristics appear to be related to the geographic distribution of SDWA violations. The results indicated that populations that are exposed to unsafe drinking water are clustered in certain areas. There appears to be a “contaminated drinking water belt” in the Southwest and South regions, which are concentrated in California’s Central Valley, the Texas colonias, and the rural South. Consistent with the spatial cluster results, the zero-inflated count regression model showed that the percentage of Hispanics was a significant predictor of SDWA violations. In addition, the results indicated that counties with SDWA violations and persistent poverty co-occur, suggesting that concentrated poverty matters, and has a negative impact on local drinking water quality.
Challenges to the organization of a cervical cancer screening program in Manaus-AM

The purpose was to investigate sociodemographic characteristics of women who underwent a Pap smear test in Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil, and identify the reasons why the women had the test. This exploratory study was performed with 281 women who had taken the Pap smear test within the last five years in Manaus. Most participants were between 18 to34 years old (54%), had 5 to 11 years of education (54.4%), had a monthly income of less than three minimum wage salaries (84.3%) and were in a stable relationship (72.2%), with an onset of sexual activity between the ages of 15 to19 years (69.4%). The reasons for their taking the Pap test were personal choice (66.2%), recommendation by a physician (23.5%) and gynecological symptoms (10.3%). Women who received information about the Pap test from health professionals had a greater chance of being tested within the last three years (p=0.008). Women choosing to have the exam (personal choice) are prevalent, and the opportunistic service is provided to younger women, thus not reaching the group at greater risk for cancer. It is necessary to implement active recruitment strategies to reach women in situations of socioeconomic disadvantage. DESCRIPTORS: Uterine cervical neoplasms. Public health. Vaginal smears. Prevention & control.
Small Ship Detection Based on Hybrid Anchor Structure and Feature Super-Resolution

Small ships in remote sensing images have blurred details and are difficult to detect. Existing algorithms usually detect small ships based on predefined anchors with different sizes. However, limited by the number of different sizes, it is difficult for anchor-based methods to match small ships of different sizes and structures during training, as they can easily cause misdetections. In this paper, we propose a hybrid anchor structure to generate region proposals for small ships, so as to take full advantage of both anchor-based methods with high localization accuracy and anchor-free methods with fewer misdetections. To unify the output evaluation and obtain the best output, a label reassignment strategy is proposed, which reassigns the sample labels according to the harmonic intersection-over-union (IoU) before and after regression. In addition, an adaptive feature pyramid structure is proposed to enhance the features of important locations on the feature map, so that the features of small ship targets are more prominent and easier to identify. Moreover, feature super-resolution technology is introduced for the region of interest (RoI) features of small ships to generate super-resolution feature representations with a small computational cost, as well as generative adversarial training to improve the realism of super-resolution features. Based on the super-resolution feature, ship proposals are further classified and regressed by using super-resolution features to obtain more accurate detection results. Detailed ablation and comparison experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Deserts and Oases: Geospatial Analytics of Higher Education Access

Despite the high level of literacy, near universal enrolment in elementary education, and higher indices of social and human development among Indian States, Kerala has not made an impressive headway in higher education. Several studies show that there is ubiquitous relationship between ‘place’ and educational opportunities. Learners’ choice in enrolling to a programme and or an institution of study is largely driven by the geography and physical access to these institutions. This aspect has been widely covered in the Western context, but there are not many studies in the Indian context, especially so in Kerala. In this article, we propose a spatial-metric tool to assess disparity in educational opportunities by assigning a fixed dimension to define the ‘catchment’ area of an institution. We integrated our results with a model of higher education opportunity markets proposed in earlier studies for better understanding. This provides information about the graded nature in the choice of opportunities available in a region and its spatial distribution. Such regions are further classified as regions of negligible opportunities (education deserts) and abundant opportunities (education oases). The spatial-analytical tool proposed here can be recreated and applied across different regions employing various socio-economic and other relevant components of interest. This can have significant implications in educational planning and administration of a region.
Why resist?: opposition to mask-wearing during the Covid-19 pandemic in Greece

ABSTRACT This study investigates the factors that might have affected the implementation of the mask-wearing measure in Greek society from March 2020 to November 2021. To do so, this study utilizes a critical review of dominant characteristics of modern Greek society followed by a systematic review of the most recent literature on mask-wearing attitudes. The data in this study is derived from official Greek governmental announcements regarding the mask-wearing measure during the pandemic and the depiction of attitudes towards mask-wearing through Greek digital media, including digital newspapers, informative magazines and websites, and digital news sites. The article argues that the main preventive factors relate to distrust towards authority, including specific identified barriers according to relevant literature. More importantly, this study reinforces the significance of the adequate appreciation of the historical, cultural and social context within which political measures are implemented regardless of their global scale and universal necessity.
BGNN-XML: Bilateral Graph Neural Networks for Extreme Multi-Label Text Classification

Extreme multi-label text classification (XMTC) aims to tag a text instance with the most relevant subset of labels from an extremely large label set. XMTC has attracted much recent attention due to massive label sets yielded by modern applications, such as news annotation and product recommendation. The main challenges of XMTC are the data scalability and sparsity, thereby leading to two issues: i) the intractability to scale to the extreme label setting, ii) the presence of long-tailed label distribution, implying that a large fraction of labels have few positive training instances. To overcome these problems, we propose BGNN-XML, a scalable graph neural network framework tailored for XMTC problems. Specifically, we exploit label correlations via excavating their co-occurrence patterns and build a label graph based on the correlation matrix. We then conduct the attributed graph clustering by performing graph convolution with a low-pass graph filter to jointly model label dependencies and label features, which induces semantic label clusters. We further propose a bilateral-branch graph isomorphism network to decouple representation learning and classifier learning for better modeling tail labels. Experimental results on multiple benchmark datasets demonstrate that BGNN-XML significantly outperforms state-of-the-art baselines while maintaining comparable prediction efficiency and model size.
Student nurses, stigma and infectious diseases. A mixed methods study

Individuals or groups will form impressions of another based upon a series of traits, which may be relied upon when forming behaviour pattern towards others (Asch, 1946; Crocker and Major, 1989; Pinel, 1999; Albon, 2002; Corrigan and Wassel, 2008). These traits will depict the reception individuals receive within healthcare and may depend upon learnt and inherited ‘perceived’ ideals affecting the working and personal relationships experienced by positively diagnosed healthcare workers, predisposing stigma responses to others (Asch, 1946). A mixed method study investigating the potential existence of stigmatising values from student nurses towards positively diagnosed healthcare workers with Pulmonary Tuberculosis (PTB), Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA), Hepatitis C and Diabetes type 2, was undertaken. Analysis provided exploration of the stigmatising attitudes and values of 482 student nurses undertaking an education programme. Interpretation of the findings explored the participants views at course commencement, midpoint and completion considering variables of education (theoretical and clinical), personal and professional influences. Findings indicated that stigmatising values and attitudes return to those identified precourse and underpin the need for implementation of a change to nurse education within this area. The development of a longitudinal education model for healthcare workers considering disease processes and influencing factors psychologically, socially and physically, will provide opportunities to reduce the existence of stigmatisation for positively diagnosed healthcare workers.
Chain Reaction of Behavioral Bias and Risky Investment Decision in Indonesian Nascent Investors

Early investors possess unique sets of decision-making characteristics. They are more open to experience and eager to face risks. However, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, the discussions of nascent investors upon making the investment decision and its eroding biases were still elusive. The vital role of emotion as a bias in decision making was also inadequately addressed. This study enhanced behavioral finance knowledge by examining emotion’s role in regulating the illusion of control, overconfidence, and investors’ decision making. In total, 456 initial investors in Indonesia participated in online questionnaires, forming the data for covariance-based structural model analysis. This study found that emotion significantly increased the illusion of control, but not overconfidence or decision making, contrary to the bulk of previous studies. The illusion of control exhibited a substantial significant effect of as much as 86.4% toward overconfidence, followed by a considerable increase in decision making. The results of our study also pointed to the unique chain effects of biases affecting the decision-making process of nascent investors in the emerging market. This finding implied they possessed a unique bias mechanism in constructing their decision.
Scenarios of future land use/land cover changes: impacts on cropland use in Šiauliai region (Lithuania)

Abstract Agricultural systems supply a wide range of ecosystem services. Projecting future agricultural land-use changes is key to anticipating the potential impacts of human activities. In this work, we assessed future agricultural land-use changes, using the Dinamica-EGO platform, under three scenarios: A0-(business-as-usual), A1-(sustainable agriculture), and A2-(agricultural intensification) for 2040 in the Šiauliai region (Lithuania). Spatial autocorrelation was evaluated by using a Moran’s I index and the spatial patterns with the Getis analysis and landscape metrics. The results showed that croplands will increase 29.6% in the A0, 14.95% in the A1, and 29.63% in the A3 scenario. According to the Getis results, cold spots are in the surrounding of Šiauliai city, and hot spots in the northeast of the Šiauliai region. It was verified a high cropland fragmentation in A1 and low fragmentation in A0 and A2 scenarios. These results are critical for land management to understand cropland impacts under different scenarios.
Size effects in stress propagation and dynamics of dislocations: Fe–Ni–Cr steel

Movement of line dislocations in fcc steel 310S is found to depend on the size of nanometer sized structures, based on modeling within molecular dynamics (MD). The effect is attributed to time (and size) dependencies of pressure propagation into the medium interior. The observation is crucial in interpreting any MD studies of pressure effects since these are governed by time-dependent internal virial stresses. In particular, velocity of dislocations scales better with value of local internal shear component of virial stress S xy than with external shear pressure applied. Dynamics of stress penetration is described well within the model of damped harmonic oscillator, where characteristic oscillation frequency depends on number of crystallographic layers in direction along the wave propagation while the speed of stress propagation is the speed of sound. The minimal stress required for dislocation movement (Peierls stress) is determined to be 0.75 GPa. Pressure and temperature effects on dislocation movement are systematically investigated.
Deep Ocean Learning of Small Scale Turbulence

Turbulent mixing at the sub‐meter scale is an essential component of the ocean's meridional overturning circulation and its associated global redistribution of heat, carbon, nutrients, pollutants, and other tracers. Whereas direct turbulence observations in the ocean interior are limited to a modest collection of field programs, basic information such as temperature, salinity, and depth is available globally. Here, we show that supervised machine learning algorithms can be trained on the existing turbulence data to develop skillful predictions of the key properties of turbulence from T, S, Z, and topographic data. This constitutes a promising first step toward a hybrid physics‐artificial intelligence approach to parameterization of turbulent mixing in ocean and climate models.
Molecular Dynamics Simulations of PtTi High-Temperature Shape Memory Alloys Based on a Modified Embedded-Atom Method Interatomic Potential

A new second nearest-neighbor modified embedded-atom model-based PtTi binary interatomic potential was developed by improving the pure Pt unary descriptions of the pre-existing interatomic potential. Specifically, the interatomic potential was developed focusing on the shape memory-associated phenomena and the properties of equiatomic PtTi, which has potential applications as a high-temperature shape memory alloy. The simulations using the developed interatomic potential reproduced the physical properties of the equiatomic PtTi and various intermetallic compound/alloy compositions and structures. Large-scale molecular dynamic simulations of single crystalline and nanocrystalline configurations were performed to examine the temperature- and stress-induced martensitic transformations. The results show good consistency with the experiments and demonstrate the reversible phase transformation of PtTi SMA between the cubic B2 austenite and the orthorhombic B19 martensite phases. In addition, the importance of anisotropy, constraint and the orientation of grains on the transformation temperature, mechanical response, and microstructure of SMA are presented.
Co-Teaching Effects On Algebra I Achievement Of Students With Disabilities

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of co-teaching versus inclusive non-co-teaching for students with disabilities (SWD) using algebra I end-of-course scores (EOC) and whether these effects differed by gender. Participants included 244 ninth-grade algebra I SWD. The research design consisted of a posttest only with a control group and a test group. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to analyze the results. Results showed that co-teaching did not significantly benefit either male or female SWD in algebra I. The fact that SWD in inclusive settings who did not receive co-teaching scored higher than those in inclusive settings who did receive co-teaching is significant and has important implications for practice and research. Future research should investigate studies with larger sample size and proficiency of teachers in co-taught classes.
Post conflict-induced displacement: Human security challenges of internally displaced persons in Oromia Special Zone Surrounding Finfinne, Ethiopia

Abstract Violence along the Oromia-Somali border displaced more than a million ethnic Oromo in 2018. The purpose of this paper is to examine the post displacement human security challenges of internally displaced persons (IDPs) resettled in Oromia Special Zone Surrounding Finfinne (Addis Ababa). The data were collected using key-informant and in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, and observation. A thematic analysis approach was applied during the data analysis process. The findings show that social structural sources of insecurity such as unemployment, poverty, hunger, inequalities, and pollution as well as institutional sources of insecurity like oppression and political repression by the government were the major challenges of the IDPs. The findings also reveal that the major sources of insecurities are largely related to marginalization, inadequate provision of social services, and lack of social integration. The findings underline that both state and non-state actors need to collaborate on addressing the human security challenges of the IDPs through improved access to market and infrastructure, support for livelihoods, access to adequate loan and formal safety nets, access to basic social services, employment and empowerment, skills training, and promoting social integration. Further, IDPs should be resettled where they can easily access economic and social opportunities, and freely interact with host communities.
Blood pressure behavior after counter-resistance exercises: a systematic review on determining variables and possible mechanisms

Post-exercise hypotension (PEH) is a phenomenon with high clinical relevance, despite its doubtful aspects concerning the variables that may contribute to its manifestation. The questioning is even greater when counter-exercise is applied with the purpose to cause PEH. Within this context, the aim of this study was to review some variables of the counter-resistance exercise that may be associated with PEH. Moreover, some physiological mechanisms possibly related to this effect were discussed. Fourteen references were found concerning counter-exercise and PEH. Six studies observed hypotensive effect for systolic blood pressure (SBP) and/ or diastolic blood pressure (DBP) after the counter-resistance exercise. However, it was observed that some studies did not identify significant differences (p > 0.05) for SBP and DBP (n = 4) or even reported significant increase (p < 0.05) (SBP or DBP) (n = 4). These disagreeing results may be related to the exercise volume and intensity, as well as the monitoring period. Nevertheless, it is possible to identify PEH when the counter-resistance exercise is applied, both in normotensive and hypertensive individuals. Despite of that, the physiological mechanisms responsible for this kind of response still remain obscure.
Prevalence and factors associated with obesity among adult women of Nepal

Introduction The objective of the study was to explore the prevalence and factors associated with obesity among adult women of Ramkot VDC (Village Development Committee), Kathmandu district of Nepal. Materials and Methods A cross-sectional descriptive study was used to explore the prevalence and factors associated with obesity among adult women of age group between 20 to 59 years old. Five wards were selected randomly on the lottery drawn and quota sampling basis. 22 samples were drawn from each selected wards. There were 110 sample sizes. A questionnaire guided interview method. BMI was calculated by following formula: weight in kg/height in m 2 . Findings The prevalence of obesity and overweight is 24.5 and 1.8% respectively and there is no association between BMI with caste, education and age. 81.7% of respondents, who consumed fruits more than five times a week had low BMI, whereas 44% of respondents, who consumed fruits less than once a week in their diet had high BMI indicating overweight and obesity. The significance difference of taking fruits daily or not, was showed by the chi square (p value) i.e. 0.013. Conclusion The finding of this study shows that the prevalence of overweight among women was 24.5% and prevalence of obesity was 1.8%. Overweight and obesity of women was not associated with physical activities, whether women were vegetarian or non-vegetarian and frequency of food they usually took. But the women who took fruits frequently in their diet had low body mass index than women who took fruits less frequently. In other word, overweight and obesity among women was associated with fruits intake less frequently.