Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A looming mental health pandemic in the time of COVID-19? Role of fortitude in the interrelationship between loneliness, anxiety, and life satisfaction among young adults

This study investigates loneliness, anxiety, and life satisfaction among a sample of young adults in South Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the role of fortitude in the interrelationship between these variables. Fortitude refers to the psychological strength to manage stress and stay well, and it is derived from positive appraisals of self, family, and support from others. Participants included 337 young adults who completed four self-report questionnaires: the UCLA Loneliness Scale, the State-Trait Anxiety Scale, the Satisfaction with Life scale, and the Fortitude Questionnaire. Stepwise regression analysis was performed to determine the direct, indirect, mediating, and moderating role of fortitude on psychological outcomes. The results demonstrated unprecedented levels of anxiety, loneliness, and reduced life satisfaction among the sample. These levels were significantly higher than those encountered in previous studies in other contexts, as well as in studies of similar populations conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Women reported higher levels of psychological distress than men. The results confirmed the mediating role of fortitude; however, they also suggested that the predictors (loneliness and anxiety) are the mediated pathways and fortitude is causally antecedent to loneliness and anxiety. These findings suggest a looming mental health crisis among young adults in South Africa and identify potential targets for intervention efforts. A strengths-based approach that focuses on enhancing individuals’ appraisals of coping and support may serve to build fortitude and potentially mitigate adverse mental health outcomes.
Game theoretic vulnerability management for secondary frequency control of islanded microgrids against false data injection attacks

While most existing works ignore securing the communication of control signals in microgrids' centralized secondary frequency control, here, a stochastic game between the microgrid control centre (MGCC) and the attacker for enhancing the vulnerability of the MGCC to false data injection (FDI) attack (wireless spoof attack) is proposed. The vulnerability to wireless spoof attack is assessed based on the controllability Gramian when the FDI attack is modelled as the malicious control input that aims to drive the microgrid state to undesired values. In the formulated zero ‐ sum two ‐ player Markov game, the state is uniquely associated with the vulnerability index defined by the trace of the controllability Gramian with respect to the attack input. Moreover, the utility function of the stochastic game includes not only the costs related to conducting spoof attack and encryption actions but also the possible remedy costs associated with the resulted vulnerability levels. In turn, the potential impacts of the cyber ‐ layer action choices on the performance of the physical power system are considered when designing the optimal attack and defence strategies. A distribution feeder system with four distributed generators (DGs) is used for simulation studies. The vulnerability assessment results show that the vulnerability level increases when the attacker compromises more on the communication links between the MGCC and DGs. In the simulated game, mixed stationary attack and defence strategies are predominate when considering the uncertainty
Structural changes to forests during regeneration affect water flux partitioning, water ages and hydrological connectivity: Insights from tracer-aided ecohydrological modelling

Abstract. Increasing rates of biodiversity loss are adding momentum to efforts seeking to restore or rewild degraded landscapes. Here, we investigated the effects of natural forest regeneration on water flux partitioning, water ages and hydrological connectivity, using the tracer-aided ecohydrological model EcH2O-iso. The model was calibrated using ~3.5 years of diverse ecohydrological and isotope datasets available for a catchment in the Scottish Highlands, an area where the impetus for regeneration of native pinewoods is growing. We then simulated two land cover change scenarios that incorporated forests at early (thicket) and late (old-open forest) stages of regeneration, respectively, and compared these to a present-day baseline simulation. Changes to forest structure (proportional vegetation cover, vegetation heights and leaf area index of pine trees) were modelled for each stage. Establishment of thicket forest had the greatest effect on water partitioning/ages and connectivity, with increased losses to interception evaporation driving reductions in below-canopy fluxes (soil evaporation, groundwater recharge and streamflow) and generally slower rates of water turnover. Effects on streamflow were most evident for low and moderate summer flows rather than winter high flows. Whilst full forest regeneration was limited to hillslopes, resultant changes to the spatial dynamics of flux partitioning could also cause drying out of the valley bottom. The more open nature of the older forest generally resulted in water fluxes, ages and connectivity characteristics returning towards baseline conditions. Our work implies that the ecohydrological consequences of natural forest regeneration on degraded land depend on the structural characteristics of the forest at different stages of development. Consequently, future land cover change investigations need to move beyond consideration of simple forest vs. non-forest scenarios to inform management that effectively balances landscape restoration with demand for ecosystem services. Tracer-aided ecohydrological models were also shown to be useful tools for land cover change simulations and further potential of such models was highlighted.
Sadistic juvenile offenders: identifying clinical intervention dimensions based on sadism manifestations and criminogenic factors

ABSTRACT This study aims to identify dimensions of intervention for juveniles involved in sadistic crimes based on both sadism manifestations and criminogenic factors. The sample used in this study consists of 124 juveniles involved in sadistic crimes committed in France. Exploratory factor analyses were used to identify dimensions of intervention based on sadism manifestations and criminogenic factors. The results showed that sadism and criminogenic factors are distributed in five distinct dimensions: Mutilation/Antisocial behavior, Mutilation/Erotophonophilia, Ritualism/Multiple-paraphilia, Over violence/Anger, Torture/Mental illness. The identification of different dimensions suggests that the manifestation of sadism and criminogenic factors are not distributed evenly in juveniles involved in sadistic crimes. Moreover, it confirms that tailored intervention programs are important to address their specific needs. Such findings are discussed for clinical intervention practice.
Cluster of Differentiation 44 Promotes Liver Fibrosis and Serves as a Biomarker in Congestive Hepatopathy

Congestive hepatopathy (CH) with chronic passive congestion is characterized by the progression of liver fibrosis without prominent inflammation and hepatocellular damage. Currently, the lack of reliable biomarkers for liver fibrosis in CH often precludes the clinical management of patients with CH. To explore fibrosis biomarkers, we performed proteome analysis on serum exosomes isolated from patients with CH after the Fontan procedure. Exosomal cluster of differentiation (CD)44 levels were increased in patients with CH compared to healthy volunteers and was accompanied by increases in serum levels of soluble CD44 and CD44 expression in the liver. To address the roles of CD44 in CH, we established a mouse model of chronic liver congestion by partial inferior vena cava ligation (pIVCL) that mimics CH by fibrosis progression with less inflammation and cellular damage. In the pIVCL mice, enhanced CD44 expression in hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and deposition of its ligand hyaluronan were observed in the liver. Blood levels of soluble CD44 were correlated with liver fibrosis. The blockade of CD44 with specific antibody inhibited liver fibrosis in pIVCL mice and was accompanied by a reduction in S100 calcium‐binding protein A4 expression following activation of HSCs. Conclusion: Chronic liver congestion promotes fibrosis through CD44. This identifies CD44 as a novel biomarker and therapeutic target of liver fibrosis in patients with CH.
A new species of Boshkerria and redescription of B. punctata (Boshell and Kerr) (Trombidiformes: Trombiculidae)

ABSTRACT The Neotropical chigger genus Boshkerria includes, B. tuberculata and B. punctata, both species parasites mammals in Central and South America. Here, we redescribe B. punctata based on a lectotype and paralectotype designated herein and describe a new species, Boshkerria erwini n. sp. , from the green acouchi Myoprocta pratti in Peru. Also, we provide a key to the three species in this genus. http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:8FE7E5ED-262A-4843-9BCF-D1A4E44D9B7C
Identification of The Potential Signature Genes Between Lung Adenocarcinoma and Lung Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Objectives:The purpose of this study was to identify and compare the potential signature genes along with the key pathways related to the pathogenesis of lung adenocarcinoma and lung squamous cell carcinoma through bioinformatics analysis.Methods:The differential expressions of miRNAs (DEmiRNAs) and mRNAs (DEmRNAs) in lung adenocarcinoma (AD) and lung squamous cell carcinoma (SC) were identified using the microarray data of 2miRNA and 6 mRNA from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database. The interaction between the DEmiRNAs and DEmRNAs was explored, followed by the KEGG pathway enrichment, Gene Ontology annotation (GO) enrichment analysis, DEmiRNA-gene interactive network, and protein-protein interaction (PPI) network to predict the hub genes and identify the key pathways. The sequencing data was then downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) to validate the hub genes, perform survival analysis, construct the ROC curve along with identifying the regulatory networks of mRNA-miRNA-lncRNA. Finally, the resulting signature genes and significant regulatory networks in AD and SC were filtrated across these analyses.Results:The DEmiRNAs and DEmRNAs were found to be significantly enriched in the phagosomes, human T-cell leukemia virus 1 infection, and ECM-receptor interaction in the AD, whereas in SC, they were enriched in the cell cycle and p53 signaling pathways. Furthermore, we found that the hsa-miR-21-5p, hsa-miR-200a-5p, and COL1A1 may act as potential meaningful biomarkers for the AD while hsa-miR-141-3p, hsa-miR-429, hsa-miR-130b-3p, hsa-miR-205-5p, and FRMD6 may play an important role in SC. The HMGA1/hsa-miR-424-5p/PVT1 maybe a significant regulatory network of AD while KIF11/hsa-miR-30d-5p/DLEU2, CCNE2/hsa-miR-30d-5p/DLEU2, and SPTBN1/hsa-miR-218-5p/MAGI2-AS3 may be the useful networks in regulating the SC progression.Conclusion: This study provided the signature targets and theoretical basis for further research on the biomarkers and molecular mechanisms of the SC, AD, and NSCLC.
Thermodynamic behavior and properties of katoite (hydrogrossular): A calorimetric study

Abstract The low-temperature heat capacity behavior of synthetic katoite, Ca3Al2H12O12, was investigated for the first time using microcalorimetry. The sample was synthesized hydrothermally in Au capsules at 250 °C and 3 kb water pressure. X-ray powder measurements show that about 98-99% katoite was obtained. Heat capacities were measured with a commercially designed relaxation calorimeter between 5 and 300 K on a milligram-sized sample and around ambient temperatures with a differential scanning calorimeter. The heat capacity data are well behaved at T < 300 K and show a monotonic decrease in magnitude with decreasing temperature. There is no evidence for any phase transition. A standard third-law entropy value of S° = 421.7 ± 1.6 J/(mol·K) was calculated. Published experimentally based S° values for katoite are slightly lower than this value. Estimations of S° based on empirical corresponding state schemes give S° values that are much too low. This is ultimately attributed to an inability to account for the vibration behavior of the OH groups in katoite that have very weak or no H-bonding. Using this new calorimetric-based S° value and published standard enthalpy of formation data for katoite, a calorimetric-based Gibbs free energy of formation at 298 K can be obtained as ΔG°f = -5021.2 ± 16.5 kJ/mol.
Investigating the effect of internet addiction on the tendency to marital infidelity in couples in Shiraz

Background and Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of Internet addiction on the tendency to marital infidelity in couples in Shiraz. Method: The statistical population includes all men and women who referred to counseling centers in Shiraz for marriage counseling in 2015. These people completed the Internet Addiction Questionnaire and were divided into two groups: Internet addicts and normal. Samples were selected by available sampling method from Shiraz city counseling centers, 60 Internet addicts and 60 normal people. Findings(Results): The results showed that there is a significant difference between Internet addicts and people who use the Internet normally in the tendency to betray and addicted people have a greater tendency to betray. The difference between men and women in the tendency to betray is not significant and the duration Marriage is also a poor predictor of marital infidelity. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that people with Internet addiction are more prone to betrayal. This issue can be both a sign of betrayal and a cause for it. In any case, the extreme presence in cyberspace facilitates the tendency to betrayal in people.
Rice Starch Isolation from Newly Developed Rice Cultivars by the Improved Alkali Method

A rapid and efficient rice starch isolation method was tested on two varieties of newly developed rice, Hoshinishiki (Kanto181) and Saikaimochi227 (a high-amylose and a high-yield waxy rice), and a reference rice variety, Nipponbare. Rice flour was stirred in 0.05 or 0.075 M aqueous sodium hydroxide for 3 h once or three times, neutralized with 1 M hydrochloric acid and washed with water. Isolated rice starch was compared with the starch isolated by the conventional method in terms of chemical and physical properties. The improved method reduced processing time to two days, while the conventional method required one to three weeks. The improved method lowered damaged starch and protein contents, but slightly lowered starch recovery. Non-waxy rice starches isolated by the two methods differed in physical properties upon testing by photopastegraphy and Rapid Visco Analyser (RVA), whereas no difference was observed in waxy rice. The phosphorus content in Nipponbare starch decreased during the isolation process due to degradation of the lysophospholipid, and the phosphorus content was the lowest in the starch isolated by the conventional method. Sodium content was high in the starch isolated by the improved method, although the influence of residual sodium on the viscosity of the paste was small. To reduce residual sodium in the starch isolated by the improved method, washing with water eight times after neutralization was needed. Thus, we propose the improved procedure for rice starch preparation. Rice flour is washed with 0.05 M aqueous sodium hydroxide three times, neutralized and then washed eight times with water. In the case of high-amylose or waxy rice flours, alkali washing can be reduced to once.
Employee’ Assessment of Conflict Factors in the Organization: Healthcare Companies Case Study

The article is dedicated to the study of the causes of the conflict in healthcare companies. The research contains the analysis of the medical staff's opinion poll results devoted to the factors of the conflicts and fulfilled by the author. The total number of respondents was 264 men and women in the Ural Federal District. The opinion poll allowed the identification of negative factors during the medical staff working process, which can cause conflict, be the basis for professional burnout, and decrease performance motivation. The following factors were highlighted among them: constant alterations in the routine work of medical staff, high level of workload, and low-level wages, especially for medical nurses. It was defined that the basic conflict source is an imbalance in interests of medical staff and patients and the general growing discontent of the healthcare system with the latest.
A coupled force predictive control of vehicle stability using front/rear torque allocation with experimental verification

This paper investigates the handling control and stability of an all-wheel-drive vehicle whose axles are individually equipped with an electric motor connected to an open differential. This could offer a potential configuration for the mass production of electric all-wheel-drive vehicles because of reduced cost and complexity. Although there is no torque vectoring or direct yaw moment control in this configuration, considerable handling improvement can be achieved by optimised front/rear torque distribution due to the longitudinal and lateral tire force coupling. In this study, a model predictive control design is presented with a coupled force prediction model for vehicle handling dynamics. The controller optimises the front/rear torque allocation to track the desired handling response and ensure vehicle stability. This study also compensates for actuator delay by incorporating the actuator dynamics into the control design. The performance of the proposed controller is evaluated through software simulations and experimental tests conducted on an electric all-wheel-drive Chevrolet Equinox.
Winter Air‐Sea CO
 2
 Fluxes Constructed From Summer Observations of the Polar Southern Ocean Suggest Weak Outgassing

The Southern Ocean plays an important role in the global oceanic uptake of CO 2 . Estimates of the air-sea CO 2 flux are made using the partial pressure of CO 2 at the sea surface ( ), but winter observations of the region historically have been sparse, with almost no coverage in the Pacific or Indian ocean sectors south of the Polar front in the period 2004–2017. Here, we use summertime observations of relevant properties in this region to identify subsurface waters that were last in contact with the atmosphere in the preceding winter, and then reconstruct “pseudo observations” of the wintertime
Is learning by exporting technology specific? Evidence from Chinese firms

ABSTRACT Integrating the theory of heterogeneous firm and trade with the neo-Schumpeterian view, this paper examines whether learning-by-exporting processes in Chinese firms are technology specific. Using a combination of propensity score matching and difference-in-differences estimation, we find weak evidence that exports generate higher productivity and growth for Chinese firms. This learning effect is subject to the nature of technology across industries: learning-by-exporting processes favor sectors characterized by high levels of appropriability and technological opportunity, while they are hindered in sectors featuring a wider knowledge base and higher cumulativeness. This technology-specific nature of learning effects leads to discrepant post-export gains in productivity across different sectors as well as economies.
Analysis of the Influence of Permeability and Structure for Enhancing the Extraction Efficiency of Landfill Gas

The structure and the permeability of each layer in landfill have a significantly influence on the emission and distribution of the landfill gas. A two-dimensional (2D) dynamic model for assessing the gas extraction was developed. The comparison of within highpermeability layer and without high-permeability layer near the top surface of the landfill across the gas collection was presented. The numerical simulation results show that the collection rate of gas extraction well can be improved effectively with high-permeability layer and it can also reduce the gas emission into atmosphere. Gas collection rate is increased with the increasing of the permeability of refuse. There were larger porous volume and gas flow channel in high-permeability layer, which accelerate the gas flow into wells. As the increasing of the ratio of horizontal to vertical permeability, the lateral flow velocity of landfill gas (LFG) was enhanced by a larger range, leading to a highly increase of LFG extraction efficiency. There is an important significance for design of extraction system optimization and methane renewable.
Non-Sovereign Stores of Value

Investors buy non-sovereign stores of value such as gold and bitcoin despite the absence of a yield. This paper presents an equilibrium model for studying investor adoption and the pricing of non-sovereign stores of value. The model is used for the quantitative analysis of historical gold prices and real interest rates. Since 1975, the real price of gold has been negatively related to real rates on Treasuries, but only when real rates have been low. The model is consistent with this nonlinear relation and can match quantitative properties relating real interest rates and gold prices. The model can also replicate some key properties of CME Comex gold futures prices. Keywords: Gold, Real interest rates, Bitcoin, Futures. JEL codes: G12, G13. Comments from seminar participants at the Florida Macro Seminar, Babson College, Rotman School, and SAIF are gratefully acknowledged. The most recent version of this paper is available at http:// nance.wharton.upenn.edu/~jermann/. Email: jermann@wharton.upenn.edu.
Joint Timing and Frequency Synchronization Using Convolutional Neural Network in WLAN Systems

In wireless communication systems, the performance of the receiver is very sensitive to time and frequency offsets. In particular, orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems are highly vulnerable to those offsets due to inter-carrier interference (ICI) and inter-symbol interference (ISI). To solve this problem, wireless local area network (WLAN) systems transmit a preamble for synchronization. In this paper, we propose a joint time and frequency offsets estimation technique based on convolutional neural network (CNN) for WLAN systems. In the proposed technique, the correlation between the received signal and the transmitted preamble is performed first. Then the frequency offset is coarsely compensated by several hypothesized offsets. The compensated signals are inputted to the proposed CNN and the CNN predicts the time and frequency offsets. The estimation performance is examined through computer simulation. According to the results, the proposed time offset estimator shows 3 dB to 6 dB performance gain, and the frequency offset estimator shows much lower root mean square error (RMSE) performance than the conventional technique at low SNRs