Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Some Chaotic Points in Cuprate Superconductors

The aim of this chapter is to determine the chaotic points of cuprate layered superconductors by means of magnetization data and the concept of the Josephson penetration depth based on Bean Critical State and Lawrance-Doniach Models, respectively. In this chapter, the high temperature mercury based cuprate superconductors have been examined by magnetic susceptibility (magnetization) versus temperature data, X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) patterns and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) outputs. Thus by using these data, a new method has been developed to calculate the Josephson penetration depth precisely, which has a key role in calculating various electrodynamics parameters of the superconducting system. The related magnetization versus temperature data have been obtained for the optimally oxygen doped virgin (uncut) and cut samples with the rectangular shape. By means of the magnetization versus temperature data of the superconducting sample, taken by Superconducting Quantum Interference Device (SQUID), the Meissner critical transition temperature, Tc, and the paramagnetic Meissner temperature TPME, called as the critical quantum chaos points, have been extracted. In superconductors, the second order phase transition occurs at Meissner transition temperature, Tc, that is considered as the first chaotic point in the system, since the normal state of being is transformed into another state of being called as “superconducting state” that has been driven by temperature. The XRD measurements have been performed in order to calculate the lattice parameters of the system. The crystallographic lattice parameters of superconducting samples, determined by the XRD patterns, have been used to estimate the extent of the Josephson penetration depth. The SEM outputs have been used to determine the grain size of the optimally oxygen doped polycrystalline superconducting samples. The average grain size of the HgBa2Ca2Cu3O8+x (Hg-1223) samples, t, is a crucial parameter, since the critical current density value, Jc, is inversely proportional to “t”, whereas it is directly proportional to the difference in magnetization. It has been concluded that the grain size of the superconductors and the length of the c-axis of the unit cell of the system are highly effective on both of the first and second chaotic points of the superconducting system.
A Data-Driven Critical Review of Second Language Acquisition in the Past 30 Years

This study aims to provide a comprehensive and data-driven review of the knowledge domain of second language acquisition (SLA) and pedagogy in the past 30 years. Using knowledge domain visualization techniques, the study first provides a review of SLA at the disciplinary level. It then identifies the major research areas and current research frontiers in the SLA research landscape based on high-quality data retrieved from Web of Science (WoS) databases. The study provides useful references for future research and pedagogy in the field in which literature reviews employing scientometric methodology and driven by data, such as the present one, are rare, and thus, are much in need of supplement views produced by traditional literature reviews.
Antibody-based Delivery of TNF to the Tumor Neovasculature Potentiates the Therapeutic Activity of a Peptide Anticancer Vaccine

Purpose: There is a growing interest in the use of tumor antigens for therapeutic vaccination strategies. Unfortunately, in most cases, the use of peptide vaccines in patients does not mediate shrinkage of solid tumor masses. Experimental Design: Here, we studied the opportunity to boost peptide vaccination with F8-TNF, an antibody fusion protein that selectively delivers TNF to the tumor extracellular matrix. AH1, a model antigen to investigate CD8+ T-cell immunity in BALB/c mice, was used as vaccine. Results: Peptide antigens alone exhibited only a modest tumor growth inhibition. However, anticancer activity could be substantially increased by combination with F8-TNF. Analysis of T cells in tumors and in draining lymph nodes revealed a dramatic expansion of AH1-specific CD8+ T cells, which were strongly positive for PD-1, LAG-3, and TIM-3. The synergistic anticancer activity, observed in the combined use of peptide vaccination and F8-TNF, was largely due to the ability of the fusion protein to induce a rapid hemorrhagic necrosis in the tumor mass, thus leaving few residual tumor cells. While the cell surface phenotype of tumor-infiltrating CD8+ T cells did not substantially change upon treatment, the proportion of AH1-specific T cells was strongly increased in the combination therapy group, reaching more than 50% of the CD8+ T cells within the tumor mass. Conclusions: Because both peptide vaccination strategies and tumor-homing TNF fusion proteins are currently being studied in clinical trials, our study provides a rationale for the combination of these 2 regimens for the treatment of patients with cancer.
Electronic Skins Based on Liquid Metals

The implementation and exploration of liquid metals for soft electronics, especially electronic skins (e-skins), are fast increasing. The growing field has received special attention since research regarding gallium-based alloys has intensified as these alloys are much safer in comparison to their more hazardous counterpart, mercury. Liquid metal alloys of gallium provide unique physical and chemical properties for e-skin. These properties originate from their high thermal and electrical conductivities and the fact that the liquid metal is an electronic melt in contrast to the ionic liquid. The formation of 2-D oxides on the surface of liquid gallium alloys, with large van der Waals forces, also adds to their uniqueness. Liquid metals, whether in bulk form or particulated morphologies, provide stretchabilities that surpass any other systems, allowing for the formation of super malleable e-skins. As such, they present certain opportunities for developing elements with extraordinary softness, malleability, and skin compatibility: stretchable wires and electrodes, memories, electronic components such as resistors, coils, diodes, and transistors, soft sensors, energy harvesting/storage elements, and self-healing systems. Presence of the 2-D metal compound skin also helps in accessing the non-Newtonian characteristics of gallium-based alloys that permit the formation of microparticles/nanoparticles and specific fluidics and grant printability in three dimensions. Liquid alloys of gallium, their properties, and applications for e-skins are discussed in this review, and the wealth of opportunities for future applications within soft and stretchable electronics is explored.
Postmodel selection estimators of variance function for nonlinear autoregression

We consider a problem of estimating a conditional variance function of an autoregressive process. A finite collection of parametric models for conditional density is studied when both regression and variance are modelled by parametric functions. The proposed estimators are defined as the maximum likelihood estimators in the models chosen by penalized selection criteria. Consistency properties of the resulting estimator of the variance when the conditional density belongs to one of the parametric models are studied as well as its behaviour under mis‐specification. The autoregressive process does not need to be stationary but only existence of a stationary distribution and ergodicity is required. Analogous results for the pseudolikelihood method are also discussed. A simulation study shows promising behaviour of the proposed estimator in the case of heavy‐tailed errors in comparison with local linear smoothers.
Increased Patient Activation Is Associated with Fewer Emergency Room Visits and Hospitalizations for Pain in Adults with Sickle Cell Disease.

Objective Recurrent vaso-occlusive pain episodes, the most common complication of sickle cell disease (SCD), cause frequent health care utilization. Studies exploring associations between patient activation and acute health care utilization for pain are lacking. We tested the hypothesis that increased activation and self-efficacy are associated with decreased health care utilization for pain in SCD. Methods In this cross-sectional study of adults with SCD at a tertiary medical center, we collected demographics, SCD phenotype, Patient Activation Measure levels, and self-efficacy scores using structured questionnaires. We reviewed charts to obtain disease-modifying therapy and acute health care utilization, defined as emergency room visits and hospitalizations, for vaso-occlusive pain episodes. Negative binomial regression analyses were used to test the hypothesis. Results We surveyed 67 adults with SCD. The median age was 27.0 years, 53.7% were female, and 95.5% were African American. Median health care utilization for pain over one year (range) was 2.0 (0-24). Only one-third of participants (38.8%) were at the highest activation level (median [range] = 3 [1-4]). Two-thirds (65.7%) of participants had high self-efficacy (median [range] = 32.0 [13-45]). Regressions showed significant association between health care utilization and activation (incidence rate ratio [IRR] = 0.663, P = 0.045), self-efficacy (IRR = 0.947, P = 0.038), and male sex (IRR = 0.390, P = 0.003). Two outliers with high activation, self-efficacy, and health care utilization also had addictive behavior. Conclusions Many individuals with SCD have suboptimal activation and reduced self-efficacy. Higher activation and self-efficacy were associated with lower health care utilization for pain. Additional studies are needed to evaluate interventions to improve activation and self-efficacy and reduce acute health care utilization for pain.
Aurora on Jupiter: A Magnetic Connection with the Sun and the Medicean Moons

Abstract Observational astronomy began in Padova four hunderd years ago, when Galileo Galilei pointed a newly invented instrument towards Jupiter. After only one week of observations he discovered four moons circling Jupiter. In the intervening four centuries, technical progress in instrumentation and novel observational approaches have revealed much about the connection between these Medicean moons with Jupiter, none more revealing than the auroral emissions. In this paper we review observations of ultraviolet aurora made by earth-orbitting spacecraft as well as those that flew by the Jovian system.
Contribution of climatic and anthropogenic effects to the hydric deficit of peatlands

The present study makes use of a detailed water balance to investigate the hydrological status of a peatland with a basal clay‐rich layer overlying an aquifer exploited for drinking water. The aim is to determine the influence of climate and groundwater extraction on the water balance and water levels in the peatland. During the two‐year period of monitoring, the hydrological functioning of the wetland showed a hydric deficit, associated with a permanent unsaturated layer and a deep water table. At the same time, a stream was observed serving as a recharge inflow instead of draining the peatland, as usually described in natural systems. Such conditions are not favourable for peat accumulation. Field investigations show that the clay layer has a high hydraulic conductivity (from 1·10−7 to 3·10−9 m.s−1) and does not form a hydraulic barrier. Moreover, the vertical hydraulic gradients are downward between the peat and the sand aquifer, leading to high flows of groundwater through the clay layer (20–48% of the precipitation). The observed hydric deficit of the peatland results from a combination of dry climatic conditions during the study period and groundwater extraction. The climatic effect is mainly expressed through drying out of the peatland, while the anthropogenic effect leads to an enhancement of the climatic effect on a global scale, and a modification of fluxes at a local scale. The drying out of the peatland can lead to its mineralisation, which thus gives rise to environmental impacts. The protection of such wetlands in the context of climate change should take account of anthropogenic pressures by considering the wetland‐aquifer interaction. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Climate change and parasite transmission: how temperature affects parasite infectivity via predation on infective stages

Climate change is expected to affect disease risk in many parasite-host systems, e.g., via an effect of temperature on infectivity (temperature effects). However, recent studies indicate that ambient communities can lower disease risk for hosts, for instance via predation on free-living stages of parasites (predation effect). Since general physiological theory suggests predation effects to be temperature-dependent, we hypothesized that increases in temperature may lead to reduced parasite infectivity via elevated consumption rates of free-living parasite stages (temperature-predation interaction). We experimentally investigated such interactions in three marine predators of infective parasite stages. Two species (the oyster Crassostrea gigas, and the barnacle Austrominius modestus) significantly reduced cercarial stages of the trematode Renicola roscovita in mussel hosts (Mytilus edulis), while the third (the crab Hemigrapsus takanoi) did not show a reduction of infective stages at all. In barnacles, cercarial consumption significantly interacted with temperature, with lowest infectivity at highest temperatures. Since these patterns reflected the known thermal responses of the three cercarial predators' feeding rates, parasite consumption rates may be predictable from temperature dependent feeding rates. Our results suggest that integrating temperature-predation interactions into studies on parasite transmission and on climate change effects is essential and that predators of free-living stages of parasites may play an important role in indirectly mediating disease risk under climate change.
The Relationship between the Occipitocervical Junction and Thoracic Kyphosis in Ankylosing Spondylitis: A Retrospective Cohort Study of 86 Cervical Fractures in Surgically Treated Patients

Study Design Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data. Purpose To describe the radiological characteristics of the occipitocervical area in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) using the novel measure X-angle and to describe the correlation between the ankylosed occipitoatlantoaxial (OAA) joint and thoracic kyphosis (TK). Overview of Literature AS affects the axial skeleton, leading to progressive ankylosis of all vertebral segments. The effect of ankylosis on the upper cervical area of these patients is not well documented. Methods All patients with complete ankylosis of the spinal column between C3 and T1, treated for cervical spinal fracture between 2007 and 2014, were eligible for inclusion in this study. The level of cervical fracture was identified. The T1–12 and T5–12 angles were measured using preoperative lateral radiography. The progressive degeneration of the C0-C1-C2 joints was evaluated via the new indicator X-angle, through the measurement of the angle of the C0-C1-C2 articulations in the coronal plane using computed tomography. Results We included 86 consecutive patients with AS (67 males) aged 69±12 years. The patients were divided into two groups according to the degenerative change in the C0–C1 joint (62 patients with a mobile joint and 24 patients with an ankylosed joint). There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of age (p =0.094) and level of fracture (p =0.949). The most commonly affected level was C6. There was no requirement for revision due to non-union in any of the patients. There was a statistically significant difference observed in the T1–12, T5–12, and X-angles (p =0.004, 0.001, and <0.001, respectively). TK was greater in the ankylosed joint group than in the mobile joint group. The X-angle was also greater in the ankylosed joint group because of the vertical destruction of the OAA joint. Conclusions Thoracic hyperkyphosis resulted in degenerative changes in the C0-C1-C2 joint in patients with AS. The X-angle is a reliable method for measuring the integrity of the C0-C1-C2 joint in such patients.
Art as a Wartime Investment: Conspicuous Consumption and Discretion

The financial underperformance of art as an investment is well documented. In contrast to studies conducted on peace-time periods, this paper shows that the art market in occupied France during WWII significantly outperformed all alternative investments (bonds, equities, as well as currencies exchanged on the black market) other than gold. This suggests that art may be a good hedge against low-probability disasters. The paper further demonstrates that motives to purchase art (consumption and investment) vary over time. In his theoretical model, Mandel (2009) attributes art’s low return to the utility derived from conspicuous consumption. In occupied France during WWII, conspicuous consumption was impossible for artworks deemed “degenerate” by the Nazis. The price evolution of “degenerate” versus “non-degenerate” artworks confirms the importance of conspicuous consumption in artworks’ pricing. Eventually, the paper defines the concept of discretion, the ability to store a large amount of value in small and easily transportable goods. During wartime, illegal activities and the risk of being forced to flee the country increased the interest for discreet assets as shown by the better performance of small (and thus discreet) artworks in comparison to large ones.
What ignites on the neutron star of 4U 0614+091?

The low-mass X-ray binary 4U 0614+091 is a source of sporadic thermonuclear (type I) X-ray burs ts. We find bursts with a wide variety of characteristics in serendipitous wide-field X-r ay observations by the WATCH on EURECA, the ASM on RXTE, the WFCs on BeppoSAX, the FREGATE on HETE-2, the IBIS/ISGRI on INTEGRAL, and the BAT on Swift, as well as pointed observations with the PCA and HEXTE on RXTE. Most of the bursts are bright, i.e., they reach a peak flux of a bout 15 Crab, but a few are weak and only reach a peak flux below a Crab. One of the bursts shows a ver y strong photospheric radius-expansion phase. This allows us to evaluate the distance to the source, which we estimate to be 3.2 kpc. The burst durations vary generally from about 10 sec t o 5 min. However, after one of the intermediate-duration bursts, a f aint tail is seen to at least about 2.4 hours after the start of the burst. One very long burst was observed, which lasted for several hours . This superburst candidate was followed by a normal type-I burst only 19 days later. This is, to our knowledge, the shortest burst- quench time among the superbursters. The observation of a superburst in this system is diffi cult to reconcile if the system is accreting at about 1% of the Eddington limit. We describe the burst properties in relation to the persistent emission. No strong correlation s are apparent, except that the intermediate-duration burs ts occurred when 4U 0614+091’s persistent emission was lowest and calm, and when burs ts were infrequent (on average roughly one every month to 3 months). The average burst rate increased significantly af ter this period. The maximum average burst recurrence rate i s about once every week to 2 weeks. The burst behaviour may be partly understood if there is at least an appreciable amount of helium pre sent in the accreted material from the donor star. If the system is an ultra-compact X-ray binary with a CO white-dwarf donor, as has been suggested, this is unexpected. If the bursts are powered by h elium, we find that the energy production per accumulated mas s is about 2.5 times less than expected for pure helium matter.
Job stress, job satisfaction and stress‐related illnesses among South African educators

The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between self-reported job stress and job satisfaction, and the prevalence of stress-related illnesses and risk factors among educators. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in a representative sample of 21,307 educators from public schools in South Africa. Results indicate that the prevalence of stress-related illnesses were 15.6 per cent for hypertension, 9.1 per cent stomach ulcer, 4.5 per cent diabetes, 3.3 per cent minor mental distress, 3.1 per cent major mental distress and 3.5 per cent asthma. The study found considerably high stress levels among educators. Job stress and lack of job satisfaction were associated with most stress-related illnesses (hypertension, heart disease, stomach ulcer, asthma, mental distress, tobacco and alcohol misuse). From three components of the demand-control model, two, namely work stress from teaching methods and low peer support, were related to hypertension but not to heart disease. The components of the effort-reward model of low socio-economic status and lack of career advancement were both not related to heart disease, and only lack of career advancement was inversely related to hypertension. Most components assessed here of the demand-control model (including stress with teaching methods and educational system and low peer support) and effort-reward model (including job insecurity and lack of career advancement) were related to stomach ulcer and mental distress. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Multinomial Logistic Regression Analysis of the Determinants of Students’ Academic Performance in Mathematics at Basic Education Certificate Examination

The focus of the study is to use multinomial logistic regression model to analyze the determinants of students’ academic performance in mathematics. A simple random sample of 393 students was selected from a cohort of first year students of Zamse Senior High/Technical in the Bolgatanga Municipality. The students were admitted in the 2015/2016 academic year to pursue various programmes in the school. A questionnaire was used to gather data from the students. The results indicate that the occurrence of good performance in mathematics is largely dependent on sex of students with male students showing significantly good performance than female students. Another significant predictor of good academic performance in mathematics was the age of students; with younger students exhibiting good academic performance than older students. Mother’s employment also contributes significantly to good performance in mathematics with students whose mothers are employed showing good academic performance than their counterparts whose mothers are not employed.
Solving A Multi-objective Mission Planning Problem for UAV Swarms with An Improved NSGA-III Algorithm

Restricted communication in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) swarms means that configuration needs to vary dynamically with changing tasks. We propose a mission planning model that uses a motif, a grouping of related functions, as the basic task unit. The planning model automatically generates a mission planning scheme from a task priority execution order given as an input. The selection of the best scheme from among possible solutions is a multiobjective optimization problem with calculation complexity rapidly increasing with the number of tasks. To address this difficulty, we enhance the NSGA-III algorithm by adding adaptive genetic operators when generating the offspring population. We apply the improved NSGA-III algorithm to optimize mission planning schemes with changing task priority execution orders. We validated the feasibility and effectiveness of the improved algorithm via a case study.