Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Developing and evaluating an academic collocations and phrases search engine for academic writers

Abstract Knowledge of collocations is essential for English academic writing. However, there are few academic collocation referencing tools available and there is a pressing need to develop more. In this paper, we will introduce the ACOP (Academic Collocations and Phrases Search Engine), a newly developed corpus-based tool to search large academic corpora. Using the AntCorGen corpus crawling tool, 100,000 articles from 10 academic areas were downloaded from the PLOS One journal database. A multidisciplinary 500-million-word academic corpus was thus created. Our team further developed the ACOP to allow users to search for collocations and phrases in the academic corpus that we compiled. Additionally, this new tool will allow learners to search for not only bigrams but also for three- to five-word strings. Learners can further search using parts of speech. To validate whether the new tool can assist EFL learners in finding appropriate academic collocations, we compared this tool with BYU’s state-of-the-art COCA corpus search tool. The 35 students who participated in the study were randomly divided into two groups. One group used BYU’s COCA tool and the other used the ACOP tool. Both groups were asked to identify suitable collocates for 25 gap-fill questions. Paired t-tests and independent t-tests were used to analyze the data. The results indicated that both groups showed a significant improvement in the posttest when they had access to the collocation retrieval systems. However, statistically, the results showed no significant difference between the two tools, as they were equally useful in helping the students find appropriate collocates. According to the users’ surveys, compared with the COCA group, the participants in the ACOP group found the ACOP easier to use and the interface was clearer and simpler. The Mann-Whitney U tests of the two groups showed significant differences in the aspect of the interface. The preliminary results indicated that the ACOP can assist EFL learners in finding suitable academic collocations and phrases, and the users’ surveys showed positive results.
Older immigrant Latino gay men and childhood sexual abuse: Findings from the Palabras Fuertes project

Childhood Sexual Abuse (CSA) and maltreatment have long-term negative impacts on survivors, including older adults. Yet, limited qualitative examinations of how these experiences impact the lives of older adults exists and even fewer among older Latino gay men. We drew data from life-history narratives the first author conducted with five Spanish speaking older Latino gay men in New York City. Our analyses were guided by an Ecological Model, a Suffering lens, and our clinical social work experience with older adults, sexual minorities and people of color. All participants reported sexual experiences prior to the age of 15 and possible emotional and physical maltreatment. Yet, not all participants perceived these experiences as abuse. Our findings indicate how cultural, linguistic and contextual factors may affect disclosure and coping. Despite the fact that CSA and maltreatment occurred decades ago, these early experiences affected long-term psychosocial functioning. Our findings support a need for future research and clinical practice that considers the subjective perceptions of childhood sexual experiences and maltreatment and how these relate to psychosocial functioning in Latino gay men during older adulthood.
Remote and Autonomous Measurements of Precipitation for the Northwest Ross Ice Shelf, Antarctica

Abstract. The Antarctic Precipitation System project deployed and maintained four sites across the northwest Ross Ice Shelf in Antarctica from November 2017 to November 2019. The goals for the project included the collection of in situ observations of precipitation in Antarctica spanning a duration of two years, an improvement in the understanding of precipitation events across the Ross Ice Shelf, and the ability to validate precipitation data from atmospheric numerical models. At each of the four sites the precipitation was measured with an OTT Pluvio2 precipitation gauge. Additionally, snow accumulation at the site was measured with a sonic ranging sensor and using GPS-Interferometry Reflectivity. Supplemental observations of temperature, wind speed, particle count, particle size and speed, and images and video from a camera, were collected to provide context to the precipitation measurements. The collected dataset represents some of the first year-round observations of precipitation in Antarctic at remote locations using an autonomous measurement system. The acquired observations have been quality controlled, post-processed, and are available for retrieval through the United States Antarctic Program Data Center (Seefeldt, 2021; doi.org/10.15784/601441).
Cash Dividend Behaviors around Private Placements in China: Interactions between Two Information-Releasing Events

Abstract We investigate the information role and the information interaction of cash dividends around equity private placements for China’s publicly listed firms from 2004 to 2019. Our results show that firms are more likely to allocate higher cash dividends when private placements are nearer, possibly to build a favorable information environment for subsequent equity refinancing. Using a propensity score matching (PSM) approach, the results show that firms usually do not increase cash dividends for the compensation of illiquidity in the lockup period following private placement. The persistently low cash dividends after the lockup period rule out the suspicion of tunneling (via excessive payouts) resulted by private placements. In the meantime, we find that private placements positively affect firm performance. This could be why managers find conveying information via dividends redundant. We also find that announcement returns for cash dividends paid by firms with private placements are higher compared to their peers.
Effects of 4-week small-sided games vs. high-intensity interval training with changes of direction in female collegiate basketball players

The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of 4-week small-sided games (SSG) and high-intensity interval training with changes of direction (HIT-COD) on physical performance and specific technical skills in female collegiate basketball players. Nineteen players were divided into SSG (n = 9) and HIT-COD (n = 10) groups, that performed either SSG or HIT-COD three times per week for 4 weeks during the pre-season. Players’ heart rate (HR) and perceived exertion responses (RPE) were assessed during the intervention. Before and after the intervention period, performances were assessed with 30-15 intermittent fitness test (30-15IFT), repeated sprint ability (RSA) test, modified agility T-test (MAT), countermovement jump (CMJ), 20-m sprint, shooting accuracy test, 1 min shooting test, passing test, defensive movement test and control dribble test. Both training interventions led to similar physiological and perceived exertion responses, showing no significant differences in HR (P = .49, d = 0.2) and RPE (P = .77, d = 0.1) between groups. Significant improvements were observed in 30-15IFT (SSG: 4.1%, d = 1.5; HIT-COD: 4.2%, d = 1.7), RSAmean (SSG: −2.2%, d = 1.0; HIT-COD: −1.9%, d = 1.0), RSAbest (SSG: −2.0%, d = 0.9; HIT-COD: −2.1%, d = 1.1), MAT (SSG: −7.2%, d = 1.7; HIT-COD: 5.7%, d = 1.5), defensive movement test (SSG: −5.1%, d = 2.1; HIT-COD: −5.8%, d = 1.8) and control dribble test (SSG: −3.4%, d = 1.0; HIT-COD: −2.6%, d = 1.0). The only significant group × time interaction was found (P = .032, η p 2 = 0.24), with SSG improving 1 min shooting (22.4%, d = 1.0) and HIT-COD performing slightly worse (−2.6%, d = 0.1) after a 4-week intervention. The current study suggests that using SSG is more effective than HIT-COD for female collegiate basketball players in pre-season, since SSG improves physical performance and basketball-specific movements as well as shooting abilities after a 4-week intervention.
Structural risk analysis of a potential Ebola outbreak with respect to infrastructural aspects amid the current COVID-19 pandemic

Due to the ease and increased volume of global interaction, it remains unclear whether the current coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic will be a one-off event or whether the world is at risk of recurrent pandemics as a result of globalization. To address this important issue, the present study assessed the risk of a possible future Ebola pandemic. The risk profile of Hubei province in China was compared with that of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in terms of travel and infrastructure, since DRC is considered a major epicenter for Ebola outbreaks. Recurrence patterns of previous Ebola outbreaks were analyzed in a cumulative outbreak model. Internationally available data on air traffic, flight destinations, passenger numbers, population density, distribution and domestic traffic routes were all analyzed and compared between the DRC and Hubei province. DRC is a major epicenter for Ebola outbreaks, with 13 recorded outbreaks from 1976 until 2020. International airports at both Kinshasa, the capital city of the DRC and Wuhan, the capital city of Hubei province, are heavily frequented destinations and represent major transfer hubs on their respective continents. Volumes of flights to and from extracontinental destinations account for <25% of total flights at both airports with similar total international passenger volumes. However, the volume of domestic commuting by aviation is >30-fold higher at Hubei province compared with that of the DRC. This finding is also reflected by the higher population density and homogeneity in terms of population per square kilometer in Hubei. Following the analysis of decades of Ebola reports, it became evident that the DRC remains a hotspot for potential Ebola outbreaks in the future due to constantly recurrent local outbreaks. In terms of the international aviation network, numerous important similarities between Kinshasa and Hubei Province were observed as regards connectivity. The present comparative analysis extends beyond biological factors underlying Ebola and COVID-19 transmissions and confirms that the DRC, Kinshasa in particular, is not a remote location. Although internal commuting and population density may be lower in the DRC compared with those in Hubei province, integration into the international aviation network is similarly extensive. The international community must increase its focus and efforts in preventing another possible global pandemic commencing in Africa, and in particular the DRC.
De-unionization and the wages of essential workers

A definition of essential industries based on recent federal government guidelines is used to trace out the trajectory of wages for essential and nonessential sectors over time in the United States. This retrospective approach is justified by the fact that the included industries provide goods and services that are essential to health and safety whether or not emergency conditions exist. Union density has been consistently higher in essential industries, but the percentage of nonunionized workers has also increased more rapidly in those industries. The data show that real wages in essential industries have declined relative to nonessential industries since 1983 and that essential industries have consistently had lower levels of wage inequality than their nonessential counterparts. Regression analyses suggest that uneven de-unionization can explain part of the decline in relative wages. Furthermore, higher rates of union coverage in essential industries likely contribute to their comparatively low levels of wage inequality.
Are all three components of conservation agriculture necessary for soil conservation in the Sudan Savanna?

ABSTRACT Conservation agriculture (CA) as recommended by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations consists of three components: minimum soil disturbance, soil cover, and crop rotation/association. CA was expected to become an effective countermeasure against water erosion in the Sudan Savanna, but it has not been adopted by local smallholder farmers. As markets for grain legumes (including cowpea) have not been developed in the Sudan Savanna, crop rotation/association should be considered impractical for these farmers. Therefore, we examined whether legume intercropping as a crop rotation/association component is necessary for preventing soil erosion in the Sudan Savanna. Three-year field experiments were conducted in runoff plots at Institute of Environment and Agricultural Research Saria station. The four treatments were conventional practice (full tillage, no sorghum residue mulching, and no intercropping), two-component CA (minimum tillage (MT) and sorghum residue mulching without intercropping), and three-component CA with velvet bean (VB) or pigeon pea (PP) intercropping. It was revealed that: (1) MT and sorghum residue mulching (without intercropping) effectively reduced the annual soil loss by 54% mainly due to the improvement of soil permeability by the boring of termites and wolf spiders found under the sorghum stover mulch; (2) intercropping in combination with MT and crop residue mulching had no effect on soil erosion control mainly because: (a) PP did not survive the long dry season; (b) VB did not serve effectively as a cover crop since soil loss was concentrated at the beginning of the rainy season when VB was still too small; (c) unexpectedly, in combination with MT and crop residue mulching, intercropping with VB did not increase mulch biomass, especially sorghum biomass which prompts the boring of termites and wolf spiders. These results demonstrate that the third component of CA, namely legume intercropping, is not always necessary; rather, the two remaining components – minimum soil disturbance and soil cover – are sufficient for soil conservation in the Sudan Savanna. This finding lightens the burden of adopting CA and thus facilitates its future promotion to the smallholder farmers in the Sudan Savanna.
Organizational Complexities of Experiential Education: Institutionalization and Logic Work in Higher Education

Background: Universities continue to experience pressure to prepare work-ready graduates. In Ontario, this has recently taken the form of new provincial funding metrics which include experiential education. This places more formal pressure on all provincial universities to foster experiential education. Purpose: This study focuses on the organizational dynamics within a selected university as it developed an Experiential Education Certificate (EEC). Methodology/Approach: Using a qualitative approach, this case study relies on multiple methods. Content analysis was used to analyze textual data that framed the EEC. Semi-structured interviews (n = 12) with institutional actors were used to analyze how experiential education is framed administratively and practiced at the technical level of the university. Findings/Conclusions: Although the EEC reflected a management logic, it was not fully aligned with the academic logic of ground-level technical actors (e.g., professors). Institutionalizing experiential education has implications for multiple logics at play within universities and thus requires more “logic work” of those working within. Implications: This exploratory study lays the groundwork for further theorizing experiential education from an organizational perspective, namely, studying experiential education across disciplines, theorizing at the field level, and including administrators.
Building envelope trade-off method integrated with BIM-based framework for energy-efficient building envelope

ABSTRACT In recent years, the demand for energy-efficient buildings and green buildings has increased significantly in India. However, this surge has few hindrances, i.e. the absence of a centralised green material library, alterations in the later stage of design for certification and few energy certified buildings. This paper proposed a BIM-based workflow that mainstreams this surge of energy-conscious buildings’ envelope using Building Envelope Trade-off Method (BETM) in the early design phase. BETM facilitates energy-efficient envelope through simpler calculations based on material thermal properties, orientation and surface area. A BIM library is modelled for commonly used materials and passive features. The developed workflow is demonstrated on a selected building complex, and its effectiveness is tested with a parametric simulation of 216 envelope combinations of different alternative envelope materials, orientations, and passive facade features. This result shows a similar envelope performance factor ratio for the considered orientations, whereas 0.35% and 12.49% reduction is observed in the corresponding peak cooling total load (PCTL) compared to the as-built case. The PCTL provides the necessary insight into building energy analysis considering its surrounding features. The developed workflow will ensure a better performing building envelope according to the Energy Conservation Building Code.
Consideration of Human Immunodeficiency Status in Patients Seeking Facial Feminization Surgery

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text Abstract Facial feminization surgery (FFS) with its proven safety and efficacy has become a mainstay surgical approach for those desiring gender-specific perceived feminine facial aesthetics. To date, specific characteristics of patients seeking FFS have been limited, with no studies investigating the role of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) on FFS outcomes. The potential clinical implications of HIV and more specifically HIV-associated lipodystrophy, which can cause facial lipoatrophy, require further investigation. Given the importance of midface projection in feminizing the face, the authors aimed to investigate any associations HIV or Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy may have on outcomes, including clinical consequences of facial lipoatrophy. The authors performed a retrospective chart review of all patients with a diagnosis of gender dysphoria referred to the senior author (EDR) for FFS between 2017 and 2020. Patients were grouped based on HIV status and demographics, history, and outcomes were assessed. Seventy-seven patients were included, with 28 patients (36.4%) having a diagnosis of HIV. A total of 25 (32.5%) and 23 (29.9%) patients underwent malar fat grafting and cheek implants, respectively. No significant difference was found between HIV-positive and HIV-negative patients when looking at the use of malar fat grafting, cheek implants, age, or complication rates. To the best of our knowledge, this study presents the largest cohort of HIV status assessment of FFS patients to date. Future studies, particularly on the long-term outcomes, are warranted, as is continued information sharing among providers and centers performing FFS, in order to continue advancing the literature and subsequently patient care.
Delta variant triggers new phase in the pandemic

A SARS-CoV-2 variant called Delta is slowly taking over the pandemic. Denoted a "variant of concern" by the World Health Organization, Delta appears to be more transmissible than previous variants and better able to infect people that have only had one vaccine dose. The surge has set off a frenzy of research to understand why the variant appears to spread so much faster than the three other variants of concern, whether it is more dangerous in other ways, and how its unique pattern of mutations, which cause subtle changes in its proteins, can wreak havoc. Delta9s arrival has also brought fresh attention to the potential of SARS-CoV-2 to evolve and adapt in the months and years ahead.
Torrefaction of Durian peel and bagasse for bio-briquette as an alternative solid fuel

Biomass waste of durian (Durio zibethinus) peel and bagasse could be used as solid fuel by a toreffaction process. Durian peel and bagasse were washed and crushed into small sizes then dryed in order to remove water content. The treated biomass was burned at varied temperature of 200 – 350 °C and a residence time of 30 min prior to producing torrified charcoal as intermediate product. Torrified charcoal was ground into a powder blended with tapioca glue followed by casting into a cylinder to form a bio-briqquette. The bio-briquette was characterized by determining its calorific value via bomb carolimeter analysis. The key parameter of bio-briquette are calorific value and combustion rate. The result that as the burning temperature was increased the calorific value of bio-briquettes also increased. The maximum calorific value was achieved at 350°C whereas the maximum calorific value of durian (6,157 cal/gr) is higher than bagasse (6,109 cal/gr). The minimum combustion rate was attained in durian peel torrefaction at 350 °C with the rate 0.0398 g/s. The result showed that bio-briquette of durian peel and bagasse have calorific values equivalent to that of subbituminus coal in the range of 4,900 - 6,800 cal/gr.
Testing the Efficiency of Globally Listed Private Equity Markets

This study is the first to investigate the efficient market hypothesis in its weak form and the random walk behaviour of globally listed private equity (LPE) markets represented by nine global, regional, and style indices based on weekly data covering the period from January 2004 to December 2020. Autocorrelation tests, variance ratio tests, and a non-parametric runs test are employed. The results of the autocorrelation tests and the variance ratio tests tend to correspond for all indices, and they reject the random walk hypothesis for the returns of all LPE indices under investigation. In contrast, the runs test for direct weak-form market efficiency cannot reject the null hypothesis of a random walk process for almost all LPE indices under investigation. Furthermore, there is no evidence that the market efficiency of globally listed private equity markets has improved after the global financial crisis. Due to the fact that the rapidly growing asset class of LPE as a form of private equity is still relatively unknown, the implications of the results of our paper are relevant for investors, policy makers, and academics alike. In addition, the results provide valuable insights to better understand the emerging asset class of LPE.
Evaluation of Chemical Composition of Hamadan Propolis as a Potential Anticancer Agent

: This study aimed to evaluate the chemical composition and anticancer activity of Hamadan propolis essential oil and methanolic extract on HCT116 cell line. The anticancer activity of propolis methanolic extract and essential oil was evaluated by using the MTT (3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide) test on the colorectal HCT116 cell line. The essential oil of Hamadan propolis was analyzed by gas chromatography-flame ionization detection (GC-FID) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The total flavonoid and phenolic content of methanolic extract were assessed using the aluminum chloride colorimetric procedures and Folin-Ciocalteu (F-C) assay, respectively. The results of MTT assay confirmed the anticancer properties of Hamadan propolis essential oil and methanolic extract on the HCT116 cell line. Moreover, 30 compounds were characterized from Hamadan propolis essential oil, the main compounds of which included β-udesmol (25.7%), α-udesmol (20.4%), α-copaen-11-ol (13.7%), and γ-udesmol (10.1%). In addition, the total flavonoid content and total phenolic content of the methanolic extract were 14.12 mg/g and 32.01 mg/g dry weight, respectively. In summary, the most important constituents of Hamadan propolis essential oil were β-u desmol, α-eudesmol, α-copaen, and γ-u desmol. Despite the cytotoxic effects of Hamadan propolis methanolic extract and essential oil on HCT116, further evaluation of anticancer effects of the most important constituents of propolis methanolic extract and essential oil is recommended.