Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
“From Birth to Death, From Beginning to End”: Participant Experience and the Meaning of Research Participation in a Longitudinal Birth Cohort Study

Research participants are vital for the success of a birth cohort study. Despite their scientific importance and large participant numbers, research on participant experience in birth cohort studies is scarce. This study explores participant experience, its different dimensions and meaning of the experience for the participants’ lives. The data comes from the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966. In total, 49 semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants having full participation records and then subjected to qualitative content and thematic analysis. According to the findings, the participant experience is multidimensional, consisting of four dimensions; personal, relational, societal, and scientific. The experience evoked both positive and negative feelings and a sense of belongingness. Motivations to continue, perceived benefits of the study, consequences of participation, and the theme of trust were grouped under the four dimensions. The meaning of the study participation, and the level of personal investment and involvement in the study varied a lot among active study participants, forming a continuum from a very strong to a weak. The findings of this study contribute to the theoretical conceptualization of the participant experience. They help to better understand the participant’s perspective, and the different aspects that participating in a longitudinal research project may entail as a subjective and a relational experience. The results may contribute to research design and aid in enhancing participant satisfaction. That is important, as conducting high-quality research depends on motivated and committed research participants.
Adaptation and Psychometric Evidence of the ARABIC Version of the Diabetes Self-Management Questionnaire (A-DSMQ)

(1) Background: Diabetic patients must engage in self-care practices in order to maintain optimal glycemic control, hence reducing the likelihood of developing complications, and enhance the overall quality of their lives. The Diabetes Self-care Management Questionnaire (DSMQ) is a tool for assessing self-management habits that may be used to predict glycemic control in people with diabetes. However, no Arabic language version of the instrument has been found. Therefore, we adapted an Arabic language version of the instrument in Tunisia. The purpose of the current research aimed to assess the psychometric features of the Tunisian version of the DSMQ in patients with type 2 diabetes. (2) Method: Two samples including both genders, one exploratory (n = 208, mean age 53.2 ± 8.3) and one confirmatory (n = 441, mean age 53.4 ± 7.4), completed an adapted Arabic language version of the DSMQ, a sociodemographic questionnaire and information about their HbA1C levels. (3) Results: The exploratory factor analysis revealed that the 15 items of the A-DSMQ fit well with the data. Likewise, the alpha coefficients for the A-DSMQ factors were above 0.80: for “Glucose Management” (GM), “Dietary Control” (DC), “Physical Activity” (PA), and “Heath-Care Use” (HU). The fit indices for the CFA were good, and the four-factor solution was confirmed. The Average Variance Extracted values and Fornell–Larcker criterion established the convergent and discriminant validity, respectively. The concurrent validity of the tool was established through the statistically significant negative relationships between the A-DSMQ factors and HbA1C, in addition to its positive association with the practice of physical activity measured by the IPAQ. (4) Conclusions: Given the high EFA factor loadings, the CFA fit indices, the correlation matrix, the sensitivity analysis, the convergent validity, and the excellent internal consistency of the A-DSMQ, it can be concluded that the A-DSMQ is an effective psychometric tool for diabetes self-management in Tunisia.
Nonclassical nonlinear sound transmission in solid with cracks

Non-destructive Testing(NDT)for solid is a top subject.Nonclassical nonlinear acoustic phenomena are shown in solid with cracks.In this paper,the propagation of sound wave and the nonclassical nonlinear acoustic properties in solid were studied theoretically and experimentally.The nonclassical nonlinear phenomena were observed experimentally in one dimension,the quadric relationships between the amplitude of odd harmonics and that of fundamental frequency were found,which were in agreement with the theoretical prediction.The sound transmissions through solid with dissipation and crack were simulated in two dimensions,the influence of classical nonlinearity and nonclassical nonlinearity on the sound propagation was discussed.And the crack was mainly contributed to the nonclassical nonlinearity.The relationship between the nonlinear parameter and the position and width of the crack was analyzed. The nonlinearity parameter was sensitive when the crack was at the symmetrical position near the center of the bar or near the source.However,there was no sensitivity to crack at the center of the bar or far away from the source.With the increase of width of the crack,the nonlinearity parameter also increased,however,it decreased before the crack was extended to the edge of the bar.
Parental Hesitancy towards the Established Childhood Vaccination Programmes in the COVID-19 Era: Assessing the Drivers of a Challenging Public Health Concern

(1) Background: Vaccine hesitancy remains a major public health concern. The reasons behind this attitude are complex and warrant careful consideration, especially in the context of the COVID-19 era. The purpose of this study was to estimate vaccine hesitancy towards the established childhood immunization programmes in a non-random sample of Greek parents and explore possible links with important drivers of this phenomenon. (2) Methods: An online self-administered questionnaire was used from October 2020 to April 2021 to collect socio-demographic, lifestyle, and health status data and evaluate knowledge, views, and attitudes of the Greek population on COVID-19 pandemic-related issues. Parents were further asked to complete the Parent Attitudes about Childhood Vaccines (PACV) questionnaire. (3) Results: A total of 1095 parents participated in the study with a mean age of 50 years (SD 9.5 years). The hesitancy against the established childhood vaccinations was estimated at 8.9% (95% CI, 7.3–10.8%). Married status and higher education and income were negatively correlated with hesitancy, whereas positive correlations were found for stress and depressive symptoms and current smoking. Variables related to proper awareness, sound knowledge, and trust toward authorities regarding the COVID-19 pandemic were strongly associated with being less hesitant against the established childhood vaccination programmes. (4) Conclusion: The estimated parental hesitancy against the established childhood vaccination programmes is worrisome. Variables related to good awareness and knowledge of the COVID-19 pandemic were strongly associated with being less hesitant against childhood vaccinations. Since controversy surrounding COVID-19 vaccinations may decrease parents’ confidence in routine childhood vaccinations, appreciating the complex reasons behind vaccine hesitancy may inform public health policies to overcome barriers and increase vaccine acceptance.
ROBUST STABILIZATION AND OPTIMIZATION OF FLIGHT CONTROL SYSTEM WITH STATE FEEDBACK AND FUZZY LOGICS

Розгля нуто принцип поєднання двох потужних та сучасних засобів теорії управління як метод лінійних матричних нерівностей, який використовується для синтезу чіткого регулятора та нечіткого управління для синтезу регулятора з м’якими обчисленнями. Процедура синтезу складається з двох етапів. На першому етапі вирішено задач у синтезу робастного - регулятора для безпілотного літального апарату із врахуванням зовнішніх збурень, які діють на об’єкт управління. Умови стійкості сформовано у вигляді лінійних матричних нерівностей. Другий етап присвячен о задачі синтезу нечіткого регулятора для зовнішнього контуру управління в режимі стабілізації висоти, заснованого на нечіткій логіці. З метою покращення якості управління параметри нечіткого регулятора настроюються за допомогою градієнтного методу. Проведено дослідження на прикладі управління поздовжнім каналом безпілотного літального апарату.
Microfabrication and microfluidics for 3D brain-on-chip

A revolution in cell culturing has been seen in the last two decades in which 3D culturing became the state-of the-art, with the goal to mimic the in-vivo situation more closely and allow for a physiologically more relevant study compared to the environment in a petri dish. This revolution, however, has not been fully incorporated in the field of in-vitro neuroscience and neither in commercial activities, yet. In this work an attempt has been made to make such a 3D environment available for a conventional planar microelectrode array (MEA) for in-vitro electrophysiology. A reliable platform is realized by combining microfabrication and microfluidics towards a 3D brain-on-chip allowing for drug discovery and the study on diseases. A novel hybrid microbioreactor has been developed as a tool for hydrogel 3D cell culturing on a conventional MEA towards a more physiologically relevant model for the study on brain tissue. The Hydrogel/ poly-dimethylsiloxane (PDMS) bioreactor enables a low shear stress 3D micro-sized culture environment on top of a MEA surface. Furthermore the hybrid bioreactor is explored to realize an on-chip biochemical readout from a 3D culture by a commercial microchip capillary electrophoresis (CE) system with contactless conductivity detection (C4D). An advanced MEA device, termed a microsieve electrode array (μSEA), has been developed by integration of electrode material to a realized highly uniform silicon microfabricated sieving structure. This μSEA allows for the positioning of neurons in 3D pores containing sensing electrodes for extracellular recordings of 3D cultured neurons. Performed characterization of the μSEA includes the tuning of the shape and size of the sensing electrodes, electrical properties and initial studies on neuronal cells. In conclusion, by combining microfabrication and microfluidics a platform has been realized towards a 3D brain-on-chip. The conventional microelectrode array principle is engaged to realize a 3D cell environment for the cells positioned at the sensing electrodes (establishing the neuroelectronic interface) and a microbioreactor add-on is realized allows for 3D culturing of the cells in between the electrodes (neuronal network). Hereby a allowing for more physiological relevant studies with an electrophysiological readout.
Burkholderia cepacia strain IrV1 multi-resistant to copper and dyes isolated from laboratory wastewater effluent

Abstract. Irawati W, Lindarto V, Pinontoan R, Yuwono T, Mangunsong FM, Silalahi DW. 2022. Burkholderia cepacia strain IrV1 multi-resistant to copper and dyes isolated from laboratory wastewater effluent. Biodiversitas 23: 2614-2620. Copper and dye multi-resistant bacteria may be cultivated to increase the efficiency of waste bioremediation processes. Multi-resistant bacteria can be isolated from waste containing copper and dyes, including laboratory waste. The aims of this study were to: (i) isolate copper-resistant bacteria from wastewater, (ii) determine the multi-resistance of bacteria against copper and dyes, and (iii) observe the ability of bacteria to remove colors methylene blue, basic fuchsin, and Congo red. Selected bacterial isolates were identified based on the 16S rDNA gene. One highly copper resistant bacterial strain IrV, showed resistance to 7 mM CuSO4, 100 ppm methylene blue, 100 ppm basic fuchsin, and 100 ppm Congo red. Based on the 16S rDNA gene sequence, strain IrV belongs to Burkholderia cepacia with 99.86% similarity. The addition of copper on the medium resulted in colony color changes from light yellow to green indicated Cu binding within the cell. Moreover, a clear zone around the colony was observed, suggesting that the strain is capable of decolorizing methylene blue, Congo red, and basic fuchsin dyes. The results thus demonstrate that bacterial strain IrV is multi-resistant to copper and dyes.
A microstrip antenna based on a standing‐wave fractal geometry for CubeSat applications

A planar antenna based on the open‐loop standing‐wave radiator following a fractal design is presented in this paper. The proposed antenna operates at 2.45 GHz with circular polarization and directional radiation, and is designed over an FR‐4 substrate. Design methodology and optimization of the structure are detailed. Simulated and experimental results are presented with good agreement between them. Due to its radiation characteristics, reduced dimensions, and low weight, the proposed antenna is an excellent candidate for CubeSat applications. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 58:2210–2214, 2016
A Contrastive Rhetoric Study of Persuasion in TED Talks Narratives

Since 1984 thousands of stories have been told on stage in the platform known as TEDEX or TED TALKS. These were inspiring stories covering diverse areas of life and meant to persuade the audience of better well-being. The present paper investigates the powerful persuasive features present in twenty randomly selected Ted Talks narratives: ten American English and ten Egyptian Arabic narratives. The paper employs Cockcroft and Cockcroft’s model of persuasion (2013) with its three tripartite divisions of Aristotle’s Ethos, Pathos and Logos. The contrastive analysis is done within Marc Alexander’s (2009) adapted version of Mann and Thompson’s Rhetorical Structure Theory (1988), which best suits the data under investigation. The paper adds more items under the presentational and subject matter relations introduced by Mann and Thompson’s RST, so that more types of utterances are easily identified and categorized. It also compares and contrasts the techniques used in both languages to examine the types employed for persuasion of the two different types of audience.
Learning of Spanish intonation by Mandarin speakers: effects of observing pitch gestures

Recent studies have demonstrated the positive role of co-speech gestures in enhancing word memory recall in both first and second language acquisition (e.g., Quinn-Allen, 1995; Tellier, 2008; Kelly et al., 2009), and also the positive effects of using pitch gestures in the learning of L2 lexical tones (e.g., Jia & Wang, 2013a, b; Morett & Chang, 2015). However, it is not clear whether co-speech pitch gestures are beneficial for the learning of L2 intonation. Sixty-four native-Mandarin speakers with basic level of proficiency in Spanish were asked to learn three Spanish intonation patterns with a low tone on its nuclear accent (specifically, L*H%, L*HL%, and L*H%). A preand post-tests experiment design was used, where half of the participants were trained in the control No-Gesture Condition; and the other half with the Gesture Condition (i.e., pitch gestures marking the nuclear pitch movements). The results confirm (i) that Mandarin speakers tend to produce a high tone on the nuclear accent instead of a low tone (e.g., Liu, 2003; Ji & Li, 2009; Ji, 2010; Hong, 2012); and (ii) that Mandarin speakers in the experimental group produced the target pitch patterns significantly better than those in control group. Thus, observing pitch gestures does benefit L2 intonation learning. The findings support the embodied cognition paradigm and also has some implications for the teaching and learning of L2 intonation.
Life Quality of Children Affected by Cleft Lip Palate and Alveolus (CLPA)

The aim of this study was to investigate the quality of life of children and adolescents affected by cleft lip, palate and alveolus (CLPA) in the Italian population after a tailored treatment dental program. A prospective study was conducted with subjects of both genders at the University Hospital of Pisa, Italy. This study included 32 patients (11 females and 21 males, mean age: 9.8 ± 2.1 years old) affected by CLPA (test group); a tailored oral hygiene instruction protocol was adopted in the test group since early age (6.1 ± 0.9 years old) after corrective surgery and regular dental hygiene appointments were scheduled. Moreover, a control group of 32 patients (11 females and 21 males, mean age: 10.1 ± 2.2 years old) without CLPA was included; control subjects were first-visit patients, matched for age and sex, who had not received a specific dental hygiene program before. The OHIP-14 (Oral Health Impact Profile) questionnaire was applied for the evaluation of the quality of life of patients of both groups and the questions were presented directly to the patients. Moreover, the DMFT (Decayed, Missed and Filled Teeth) index was measured. A statistical analysis was performed and the level of significance was set at: p < 0.05. The OHIP-14 scores presented significant differences between the two groups (p < 0.05); the test group exhibited a lower mean OHIP-14 score in comparison to the control group. The DMFT score was significantly lower in the test group in comparison to controls (p: 0.001, p < 0.05). The quality of life and DMFT score of children and adolescents affected by CLPA, after a tailored treatment dental program, were better than that of the subjects of the control group.
Processing of Holographic Hydrogels in Liquid Media: A Study by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography and Diffraction Efficiency

The storage of time-stable holographic gratings in hydrogel matrices when the material is immersed in aqueous media is a real challenge at present. The optimization of the storage stages of the holograms must be properly investigated to identify the most suitable development processes. For this reason, this work is focused on the study of the optimization of the washing stages of the hydrogels based on acrylamide and N,N’-methylenebis(acrylamide) once unslanted transmission holograms have been stored. High-performance liquid chromatography and UV-visible measurements have been employed in our system to analyze the composition of the washing solutions. PBST and DMSO:H2O are used as solvents in the washing stages. The diffraction efficiencies are measured during the washing stages and after the storing of the holograms during several days in PBST. Maximum diffraction efficiencies of 38 and 27.6% are reached when PBST and DMSO:H2O are employed, respectively, for the washing process. Holograms show temporal stability after being stored immersed in PBST at 4 °C for 4 days.
Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Contamination of Frequently Touched Objects in Intensive Care Units: Potential Threat of Nosocomial Infections

Background Bacterial contamination in intensive care units is an important risk factor associated with increasing incidences of nosocomial infections. This study was conducted to study the bacterial colonization on commonly touched objects of intensive care units and antibiotic resistance pattern of bacterial isolates. Methods This study was conducted in different intensive care units of Manipal Teaching Hospital, Pokhara, Nepal. A total of 235 swabs were collected from surfaces of bed rails, monitors, door handles, IV stands, telephone sets, nursing stations, medicine trolleys, sphygmomanometers, wash basin taps, dressing drums, stethoscopes, pulse oximeters, ventilators, defibrillators, and stretchers. Isolation, identification, and antibiotic susceptibility tests of the bacteria were performed following standard microbiological techniques. Results Of 235 samples, bacterial growth was observed in 152 samples. A total of 90 samples of Staphylococcus aureus were isolated from 235 samples. Most of the sampling sites included in this study were found contaminated with S. aureus. The highest number of S. aureus was cultured from the surface of bed rails. Of the total S. aureus isolates, 54.4% (49/90) were methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Vancomycin resistance was detected among 8.1% MRSA isolates (4/49). Acinetobacter species were the commonest Gram-negative bacterial isolate. Conclusion Bacterial contamination of the objects/instruments of the ICU was recorded to be high. The most common contaminating bacteria were S. aureus with a high percentage of MRSA and emergence of VRSA. Periodic microbiological surveillance, detection of contaminated sites, and effective decontamination methods would minimize the colonization by potential pathogens and their transmission.
Modeling of the creep behavior of epoxy/yerba-mate residue composites

This work presents the short-term creep behavior of novel epoxy composites reinforced by post-consumed yerba-mate (YM). Particulate composites were manufactured using 5, 10, and 20 wt. % of YM. The composite morphologies were related to the dynamic mechanical and creep behavior at the glassy state (∼30°C). Creep tests were performed using three different stress loads (1.5, 3.0, and 6.0 MPa). Weibull model, Artificial Neural Network (ANN) approach and Response Surface Methodology (RSM) were used to fit the experimental curves and to predict results. A better fit was obtained using the ANN approach than the Weibull model due to the capability of ANN to learn from own data and in fitting complex nonlinear data. The RSM approach proved to be an intelligent and reliable technique to access a higher range of results, reducing experimental time and cost and keeping statistical significance. Also, the present methodology can be extended to model and predict other properties and/or optimize parameters.
Differential Transmission of Old and New World Begomoviruses by Middle East-Asia Minor 1 (MEAM1) and Mediterranean (MED) Cryptic Species of Bemisia tabaci

Middle East-Asia Minor 1 (MEAM1) and Mediterranean (MED) are two of the most invasive members of the sweetpotato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci, cryptic species complexes and are efficient vectors of begomoviruses. Bemisia tabaci MEAM1 is the predominant vector of begomoviruses in open-field vegetable crops in the southeastern United States. However, recently B. tabaci MED also has been detected in the landscape outside of greenhouses in Florida and Georgia. This study compared the transmission efficiency of one Old-World (OW) and two New-World (NW) begomoviruses prevalent in the southeastern United States, viz., tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV), cucurbit leaf crumple virus (CuLCrV), and sida golden mosaic virus (SiGMV) between B. tabaci MEAM1 and B. tabaci MED. Bemisia tabaci MEAM1 efficiently transmitted TYLCV, CuLCrV, or SiGMV, whereas B. tabaci MED only transmitted TYLCV. Percent acquisition and retention of OW TYLCV following a 72 h acquisition access period was significantly higher for B. tabaci MED than B. tabaci MEAM1. In contrast, B. tabaci MEAM1 acquired and retained significantly more NW bipartite begomoviruses, CuLCrV or SiGMV, than B. tabaci MED. Quantitative analysis (qPCR) of virus DNA in whitefly internal tissues revealed reduced accumulation of CuLCrV or SiGMV in B. tabaci MED than in B. tabaci MEAM1. Fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) showed localization of CuLCrV or SiGMV in the midgut of B. tabaci MED and B. tabaci MEAM1. However, localization of CuLCrV or SiGMV was only observed in the primary salivary glands of B. tabaci MEAM1 and not B. tabaci MED. TYLCV localization was observed in all internal tissues of B. tabaci MEAM1 and B. tabaci MED. Overall, results demonstrate that both B. tabaci MEAM1 and B. tabaci MED are efficient vectors of OW TYLCV. However, for the NW begomoviruses, CuLCrV and SiGMV, B. tabaci MEAM1 seems to a better vector.