Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Daily Life, Physical Exercise, and General Health among Older People with Type 2 Diabetes: A Qualitative Interview Study

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in significant alterations to and implications for the lives of millions of people, and especially for those with pre-existing medical conditions. The aim of this study was to explore the lived experience of older people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) throughout the first 9 months of the pandemic, with emphasis on the habits of physical exercise. We conducted a qualitative study using semi-structured interviews. The data consist of telephone interviews of seventeen older people with T2DM (10 women and 7 men, aged 62–76 years). Using thematic analysis, five themes were generated: (1) an altered social and relational life; (2) changes in routine and attitude regarding physical activity behaviour; (3) home-related activities gained relevance; (4) health and well-being impact and management; and (5) thoughts about the post-pandemic period. The increase in the number of cases and the fear of becoming infected with COVID-19 limited the social (i.e., contact with family and/or friends) and functional (i.e., daily routine, the habit of exercising) lives of these people, reverberating negatively on their health and well-being. Feelings of isolation, loneliness, anxiety were common. The findings of this study help to better understand the impact of the pandemic and determine areas of need for future interventions. A multidisciplinary approach is necessary to provide support for older people with T2DM and tackle the negative effect of the pandemic, including the reduction in physical activity.
Manejo e tratamento de ameloblastoma: um protocolo de revisão de escopo

O ameloblastoma é um tumor benigno, agressivo, intraósseo e originado do epitélio odontogênico, cujo tratamento vai desde abordagens mais conservadoras até ressecção total com margem de segurança. Devido às variadas formas de tratamento para esse tumor, há uma relativa pluralidade de abordagens no seu manejo e tratamento, sendo necessário reconhecer os pontos cruciais para escolha da técnica. Esse trabalho consiste em um protocolo de revisão de escopo acerca das diferentes formas de tratamentos de indivíduos diagnosticados com ameloblastoma, desenvolvido de acordo com as recomendações do Manual do Instituto Joanna Briggs e registrado na Open Science Framework. A busca pelos artigos será realizada em três etapas, utilizando as bases de dados PubMed via MEDLINE, Web of Science, Scopus (Elsevier), LILACS via BVS e Google Scholar. Serão consideradas publicações em inglês, espanhol e português, sem limite de data. Os dados serão extraídos por meio de um formulário adaptado pelos autores e apresentados na forma de quadros e/ou imagens e de forma descritiva, seguindo o checklist do PRISMA-ScR. A construção do protocolo irá permitir a realização de uma revisão de escopo com passos metodológicos bem definidos sobre a temática acerca do tratamento de pacientes diagnosticados com ameloblastoma, permitindo um maior conhecimento sobre o assunto.
Intelligent monitoring and evaluation for the prefabricated construction schedule

The prefabricated building construction (PBC) project is sensitive to uncertainties due to the highly required coordination and interdependency among the installation activities, which may cause progress delay. Hence, it is necessary to monitor the installation progress and evaluate the schedule in terms of the project duration to take proactive control actions to avoid actual project delay. This study focuses on intelligent monitoring and evaluation for the PBC schedule by combining the computer vision‐based (CVB) technology, a weighted kernel density estimation (WKDE) method, and the earned duration management (EDM) method. Intelligent and real‐time far‐field detection of the prefabricated components (PCs) and workers is achieved through the CVB technology, which is, respectively, used to measure the progress status of the PC installation works and other manual works by means of the WKDE method. The PBC project duration is then predicted based on the monitored progress status to evaluate the schedule through the EDM method. The proposed intelligent schedule monitoring and evaluation method have been illustrated and justified through a field application. This study contributes to achieving intelligent schedule monitoring and evaluation for the PBC project.
Software Agents and .gencg: Personat Information Hanagement Perspective

This paper considers the concept of agency and the applications of software agents within the field of Personal Information Management (PIM). PIM addresses the complex activities undertaken by individuals when organising their personal information. In the context of Personal Information Management, effective software agents may allow users to obtain information relevant to their tasks, and present it in a form that is directly targeted to the needs of the user. This paper concentrates on the notion of agency and its direct application to PIM tasks. A user-driven approach to the design of agent- based systems is presented. We argue that agent systems will only be successful if both users and their tasks act as the bases for the design of such systems. An example task domain (searching the World-Wide Web) is introduced and a taxonomy of Web agents for the domain is discussed. Technical issues raised during the preliminary implementation of Web agents are also introduced.
Prevalence of Depression and Anxiety among Doctors Working in Emergency Units in Al-Madinah, Saudi Arabia, 2021

Background: Depression and anxiety are familiar for most people these days . Almost no one in this world is free from these “Anxiety” and “Depression”. Demanding profession has been associated with poor psychological health due to multiple factors such as overworking hours and night shifts. Objective: To estimate the prevalence of Depression and anxiety among doctors working in emergency units in Almadinah, 2021 and to correlate the level of Depression and anxiety according sociodemographic variations and work-related variation. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in Al-Madinah city. All doctors who working in emergency department in governmental and private hospitals in Al-Madinah City during the study period was included. All doctors start working in emergency department less than two weeks and doctors who specialized other than Emergency Medicine were excluded. Results: the score of depression level was normal in 46.5% of our participants, abnormal in 26.2% and borderline abnormal in 27.2%. The score of anxiety level was normal in 23.3% of our participants and borderline abnormal in 26.7% and was abnormal in 50.0%. There is significant correlation between anxiety and marital status, number of children, average monthly income, hospital type, position and specialty (P<0.05). There is significant correlation between anxiety and nationality, number of children, average monthly income, hospital type, position and specialty (P<0.05). Conclusion: We have shown that ER physicians are at high risk of experiencing anxiety and depressive symptoms. There is significant correlation between anxiety and depression and number of children, average monthly income, hospital type, position and specialty.
Reliability and Accuracy of a Time-Efficient Method for the Assessment of Achilles Tendon Mechanical Properties by Ultrasonography

The assessment of the force–length relationship under mechanical loading is widely used to evaluate the mechanical properties of tendons and to gain information about their adaptation, function, and injury. This study aimed to provide a time-efficient ultrasound method for assessing Achilles tendon mechanical properties. On two days, eleven healthy young non-active adults performed eight maximal voluntary isometric ankle plantarflexion contractions on a dynamometer with simultaneous ultrasonographic recording. Maximal tendon elongation was assessed by digitizing ultrasound images at rest and at maximal tendon force. Achilles tendon stiffness index was calculated from the ratio of tendon force-to-strain. No within- and between-day differences were detected between the proposed method and manual frame by frame tracking in Achilles tendon maximal force, maximal elongation, maximal strain, and stiffness index. The overall coefficient of variation between trials ranged from 3.4% to 10.3% and average difference in tendon tracking between methods was less than 0.6% strain. Furthermore, an additional assessment demonstrated significant differences between elite athletes, healthy young, and older adults in Achilles tendon force and stiffness index. Hence, the analysis has the potential to reliably and accurately monitor changes in Achilles tendon mechanical properties due to aging and altered mechanical loading in a time-efficient manner.
Evaluating CYC: Preliminary Notes

The problem of endowing computers with commonsense knowledge and the ability to use it in reasoning is considered a central problem for artificial intelligence (AI) but an extraordinarily difficult one (Davis and Marcus 2015). One approach toward achieving this is to have expert knowledge engineers manually encode the vast amounts of knowledge involved. The largest, best-known, and most important project of this kind is the CYC program.
Adaptive finite-time control for nonlinear multi-agent high-order systems with actuator faults

This paper addresses the adaptive finite-time tracking control problem for a class of multi-agent high-order systems with actuator faults. By adding a power integrator and taking advantage of the approximation capabilities of radial basis function in neural networks, an adaptive backstepping controller is developed to overcome difficulties associated with the positive odd integer terms of nonlinear multi-agent high-order systems. Moreover, fault-tolerant control is used to tackle the impact of actuator failures. The developed adaptive finite-time control scheme ensures that the outputs of all followers track synchronously the reference signal quickly in finite time, and all signals of the controlled system are semi-globally uniformly finite-time stable. Simulation results demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed scheme.
Application of a Novel Collection of Exhaled Breath Condensate to Exercise Settings

The collection of exhaled breath condensate (EBC) is a non-invasive method for obtaining biosamples from the lower respiratory tract, an approach amenable to exercise, environmental, and work physiology applications. The purpose of this study was to develop a cost-effective, reproducible methodology for obtaining larger volume EBC samples. Participants (male: n = 10; female: n = 6; 26 ± 8 yrs.) completed a 10 min EBC collection using a novel device (N-EBC). After initial collection, a 45 min bout of cycling at 75% HRmax was performed, followed by another N-EBC collection. In a subset of individuals (n = 5), EBC was obtained using both the novel technique and a commercially available EBC collection device (R-EBC) in a randomized fashion. N-EBC volume—pre- and post-exercise (2.3 ± 0.8 and 2.6 ± 0.9 mL, respectively)—and pH (7.4 ± 0.5 and 7.4 ± 0.5, respectively) were not significantly different. When normalized for participant body height, device comparisons indicated N-EBC volumes were larger than R-EBC at pre-exercise (+12%) and post-exercise (+48%). Following moderate-intensity exercise, no changes in the pre- and post-trial values of Pentraxin 3 (0.25 ± 0.04 and 0.26 ± 0.06 pg/mL, respectively) and 8-Isoprostrane (0.43 ± 0.33 and 0.36 ± 0.24 pg/mL, respectively) concentrations were observed. In a cost-efficient fashion, the N-EBC method produced larger sample volumes, both pre- and post-exercise, facilitating more biomarker tests to be performed.
Technological Leadership (De)Concentration: Causes in Icte

Using patents as indicators of inventive activity, this article characterizes the concentration of origins of invention from 1976 to 2010, and how these changed over time. The analysis finds pervasive deconcentration in virtually every area related to ICT, but it can explain only a small part of this trend. Deconcentration happens despite the role of lateral entry by existing firms. New firm entry drives part of the deconcentration, but this alone cannot explain the change. A single supply factor in the market for ideas, such as the breakup of AT&T, also cannot explain the trend. Finally, eleven percent of patents change hands through mergers and acquisitions activity, but this does not make up for the declines in concentration in the origins of invention.
Effects of Er, Cr: YSGG Laser on Shear Bond Strength of the Orthodontic Brackets for 5 and 10 Seconds: An In Vitro Study

Objectives The study designed to compare the effect of erbium, chromium: yttrium-scandium-gallium-garnet (Er, Cr: YSGG) laser at different power outputs and short periods of time (5 and 10 s) and acid etching on the shear bond strength (SBS) and failure mode of metallic orthodontic brackets. Material and methods. A total of sixty-nine human premolars extracted for orthodontic purposes were used. 60 teeth were randomly assigned to one of the five treatment groups. (n = 12): group 1: 37% phosphoric acid etching and groups 2–5: the enamel surface irradiated by the Er, Cr: YSGG laser operated at different power outputs (1 W, 1.5 W, 2 W, and 2.5 W), each laser group was divided into two subgroups (n = 6) according to exposure time (5 s and 10 s). Nine teeth were not subjected to SBS testing but were prepared for scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The nonparametric Kruskal–Wallis test was used to evaluate the data; the SBS and adhesive remanent index (ADI) were evaluated. Results The mean SBS for all laser groups and the acid-etched group were comparable, with no significant differences except for the 1 W group for 5 and 10 s and the 1.5 W group for 5 s. For the ARI scores, no statistically significant difference was found among the groups (P=0.059), and the majority of the samples had ARI type 2 or 3. Conclusion The laser irradiation at 2 and 2.5 W for 5 s was similar to that produced by acid etching, whereas the laser irradiation at 2 and 2.5 W at 10 s was higher compared with that obtained with acid etching and adequate to etch the enamel.
Polymers in Matrix Type Transdermal Patch

Transdermal drug delivery is the administration of therapeutic agents through intact skin for systemic effect. Polymers are the backbone of the matrix-type transdermal patches. Based on the nature of origin, these polymers can be Natural, Semi-synthetic, and Synthetic polymers. Several experimental results have revealed the fact that in the case of the fabrication of matrix-type patches, the use of a polymeric blend becomes more effective than the use of a single polymer to control the rate of drug release from the patch. In this context, the selection of an appropriate combination of polymers becomes very crucial to modulate the rate and extent of release of drugs from matrix-type patches. It is essential to have sound knowledge of the inherent properties of different polymers for the selection of an appropriate combination of polymers to achieve the controlled drug release from the matrix-type patches. This article assembles comprehensive up-to-date information on various categories of polymers and polymer blends being used for the development of matrix type patches, the inherent characteristics of these different categories of polymers, and their impact on physio-mechanical properties as well as the rate of drug release from drug-loaded patches.
New Organic Salt from Levofloxacin-Citric Acid: What Is the Impact on the Stability and Antibiotic Potency?

This research dealt with the composition, structure determination, stability, and antibiotic potency of a novel organic salt composed of levofloxacin (LF) and citric acid (CA), named levofloxacin-citrate (LC). After a stoichiometric proportion screening, the antibiotic-antioxidant reaction was conducted by slow and fast evaporation methods. A series of characterizations using thermal analysis, powder X-ray diffractometry, vibrational spectroscopy, and nuclear magnetic resonance confirmed LC formation. The new organic salt showed a distinct thermogram and diffractogram. Next, Fourier transform infrared indicated the change in N-methylamine and carboxylic stretching, confirmed by 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectra to elucidate the 2D structure. Finally, single-crystal diffractometry determined LC as a new salt structure three-dimensionally. The attributive improvements were demonstrated on the stability toward the humidity and lighting of LC compared to LF alone. Moreover, the antibiotic potency of LF against Staphylococcus aureus (Gram-positive) and Escherichia coli (Gram-negative) enhanced ~1.5–2-fold by LC. Hereafter, LC is a potential salt antibiotic-antioxidant combination for dosage formulas development.
Implicit Textually Enhanced Processing of Aspectual Meanings in English Learners with German as a First Language

ABSTRACT This research addresses implicit learning of temporal meanings in English by adult non-native readers of German, a language without morphosyntactic imperfective aspect. Twenty-four learners from mixed first languages participated in a norming study assessing unenhanced aspect awareness. Then, in a second experiment, 91 native-German learners participated in quantitative (word completion; question-answering; truth value judgment) and, in a third experiment, a subset of seven in qualitative measures (stimulated recall, interview). We build on previous theorizing that assumes initially advanced understanding of perfective compared to imperfective aspect, the use of the latter having to be learned in our new narrative context, and later acquisition stages to exhibit implicit rather than explicit knowledge. We expect that second-language learners profit from awareness created through textually enhanced materials, which leads to fairly implicit learning and thus to improvement in understanding of and knowledge about imperfective aspect. We investigated the learning of aspect in pragmatic (story) and semantic (sentence) contexts. Semantically, aspect specifies whether an event is ongoing or completed; pragmatically, whether it subsequently aids causal inferencing or not. Our data partly confirm our expectations, showing initial awareness of perfective aspect (semantic and pragmatic context) and gradually improved understanding (pragmatic and eventually even semantic context) as well as rapidly improved explicit knowledge of imperfective aspect, which in turn appears to trigger implicit perfective-aspect knowledge. These findings and separate trajectories advance our understanding of language learning and support the call for implicit learning techniques in second-language teaching and learning.
Wideband Millimeter-Wave Substrate Integrated Waveguide Fed Metasurface Antenna

A wideband metasurface antenna operating at millimeter-wave spectrum in substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) technology is proposed. Coupled by a slot etched on a SIW section, the proposed metasurface antenna achieves a wide 10-dB impedance bandwidth in simulation from 19.2 GHz to 42.4 GHz, indicating a fractional bandwidth of 75proposed metasurface antenna can be divided into four stages, i.e., a slot antenna, dielectric loading, adding covered metasurface, and connecting to a transition. The input impedance and the resonance of these stages are elaborated in details to explain the working mechanism. Parametric study is carried out to inspect into the design process. By analyzing the E-field distributions, the proposed metasurface antenna is characterized by TM10 mode, antiphase TM20 mode, and TM30 mode. Compared with other similar designs in the open literatures, the proposed metasurface antenna displays a widest impedance bandwidth. The dimension of the proposed metasurface antenna is 0.80 λ0 × 0.72 λ0 × 0.24 λ0, where λ0 is the free-space wavelength at 30 GHz. The maximum gain within the interested frequency spectrum is 7.0 dBi.
Exploratory analysis on the binaural characteristics of the rowing sound

Differences between the signals captured at the entrances to the left and right ears are generally quantified by interaural time differences (ITDs), interaural level differences (ILDs) and interaural crosscorrelation (IC). Here, we attempt to gain knowledge on the changes of these interaural parameters during rowing and to evaluate their potential as source of information to determine rowing expertise exclusively from acoustic signals.
Novel Compact UWB Vivaldi Non-Uniform Slot Antenna with Enhanced Bandwidth

A new theory called Vivaldi Non-uniform Slot Profile Antenna (VNSPA) is developed based on the Non-uniform Transmission Lines (NTLs) theory and applied to reduce the size of the pre-designed compact UWB Vivaldi Tapered Slot Antenna (VTSA) without affecting its performance in terms of matching and bandwidth. Using this theory, 33 % of the taper slot length is reduced resulting in a novel compact UWB Vivaldi Non-uniform Slot Antenna (VNSA). Further compactness is achieved by performing parametric studies on VNSA with a final 51.94% size reduction. MATLAB optimization codes, CST simulation, and prototype manufacturing and measurement are used to validate the new theory. The proposed antenna provides a measured S11 < -10.89 dB through 2.9-13.55 GHz with 2.91 % and 5.8 % bandwidth and maximum realized gain enhancement, respectively as compared to VTSA’s results. The effectiveness of VNSPA theory is proved by comparing the simulated and measured findings of VNSA and VTSA.
Review of Confederation Bridge Ice Forces: Winter 2008-2010

Ice interactions with the Confederation Bridge for the winters 2008, 2009 and 2010 have been studied. Ice conditions for these winters were characterized as two average winters and one very mild winter. Tilt data from piers P23 and P24 in response to ice and wind actions were recorded by a data acquisition system. Video records of ice interactions with pier P23 and overall ice conditions adjacent to piers P23 and P24 allowed ice conditions and interaction processes to be related to tilt measurements. Wind data were analyzed to correct for the tilt caused by wind actions on the bridge. Limit stress and limit force events were identified. An ice loading scenario that transitioned from limit force to limit stress resulted in the highest ice forces over the three years of monitoring, with forces of 3.1 MN and 4.3 MN at P23 and P24, respectively. ISO 19906 Arctic offshore structures can provide reasonable predictions of ice forces for ice actively failing on a conical structure.
An Investigation Report on the Practice of Human Resource Management in Enterprises and the Motivation of Older Workers

This paper is based on the current population ageing problem in China and is based on the concept of life-long development and the SOC model of selecting compensation, from the perspective of older employees’ self-perception, this paper makes a qualitative study on the role of human resource management practice in the motivation of older employees. This paper investigates some senior employees in a large state-owned enterprise by means of semi-structured interview. It is found that different types of senior employees have different perceptions of human resource management practices in enterprises. In addition, the human resource management practices provided by enterprises, in particular, human resource management practices that are conducive to the career development of older employees have a positive impact on the work input of older employees, and help older employees to achieve “Successful aging” in the organization. At the same time, older employees are also more likely to expect the company to provide more human resource management practices on the career development of older employees.