Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
What’s the measure? An empirical investigation of self-ratings on response scales

ABSTRACT Two studies were conducted to investigate how self-ratings on questionnaire items reflect the underlying real-scores. Participants gave numerical information about personal attributes (the real-scores), such as age, height, and weight, and subsequently rated themselves regarding these attributes. In Study 1, they rated themselves on a five-point Likert-type scale from three different perspectives, a personal, a general, and an outsiders’, inducing three different frames of reference. By regressing these ratings on the real-scores, it was shown that information about means of and differences between the real-scores were not readily reflected by the response scales. The outsiders’ perspective resulted in the most adequate representation of the real-score differences, indicated by the intervals between the categories estimated by the ordinal regression models. In Study 2, neutral item wording with a five-point Likert-type scale and a four-point Likert-type scale was used to rule out the effect of positive wording. This increased the adequacy of the representations just slightly. The findings indicate that, even on average, the investigated rating scales and items reflect the numeric real-scores only limitedly and that self-ratings depend on the item phrasing instead of simply representing a coarse measure of the real-scores. All data and analysis scripts are available at https://osf.io/4pcdb/.
Widespread Persistent Extreme Cold Events Over South‐East China: Mechanisms, Trends, and Attribution

South‐East China usually experiences mild winter temperatures but can also be impacted by large‐scale and long‐lasting cold events. Here, we investigate how this category of events has changed during the past 6 decades and why, using both observation and climate model ensembles. We first show that models can reproduce the observed largescale dynamics associated with cold events. A dynamical advection of cold air is mostly responsible not only to trigger cold surges but also we found strong feedback from shortwave radiation, decreasing due to enhanced cloud cover. Recent trends are more difficult to evaluate. Models show a large internal variability and intermodel spread, while observation also indicates large uncertainties in its trend due to high internal variability. Our analysis indicates that even if cold events are likely to have been reduced due to greenhouse gases, trends cannot be attributed with high confidence to any anthropogenic signal alone. However, in the next few decades, the frequency of long‐lasting cold events are expected to quickly reduce due to the emerging greenhouse gases signal and possibly weakening aerosol effect over South‐East China. We also found that most of the trends are due to the change in the mean temperature. Thus, indirectly, there is no clear evidence that the change in cold event frequency is due to a change in the circulation.
Adsorption of Anionic Surfactant by Activated Carbon: Effect of Surface Chemistry, Ionic Strength, and Hydrophobicity

Abstract This work investigates the interrelationship between the adsorbent surface chemistry and relative hydrophobic nature and the solution ionic strength and solution hydrophobicity during dilute anionic surfactant solution adsorption. The adsorbents were coconut- and coal-based, steam-activated carbons and wood-based, acid-activated carbons. The adsorptives were dodecanoic acid and octanoic acid dissolved in water or strong caustic solution. The activated carbons (ACs) were immersed in the strong caustic solution at different temperatures for various lengths of time prior to adsorption measurements. The oxygen content and surface functional group chemistry of each AC sample was analyzed using elemental analysis and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The equilibrium solution concentration of each surfactant was determined using gas chromatography–flame ionization detection techniques. The amount of surfactant adsorbed by each AC indicates that an inverse linear relationship exists between the amount of surfactant adsorbed and the adsorbent oxygen content. Although the steam-activated carbons offer lower pore volumes than the acid-activated carbons, they exhibit the higher adsorption capacity. The high solution chemistry pH promotes adsorbent surface oxidation and anionic surfactant dissociation, leading to an interfacial repulsion force and decreased C 12 - and C 8 -acid adsorption. Overall, this study demonstrates that both the surface chemistry and the solution properties should be considered for an adsorption analysis since each has a significant influence on the adsorption process.
UDE Based Robust Control of Grid Tied Inverters

In this paper, a modified (proportional-integral) PI control is suggested to improve current tracking performance of three-phase grid-tied inverters (GTI). Presence of the L filter between inverter and grid, makes complex to design a controller with proper parameters, due to characteristics of the filter. Clasical PI control depends on an accurate dynamical model, thus its performance is deteriorated by parametric uncertainties, unmodelled dynamics and external disturbances, when operating conditions affect the filter parameters. To solve this problem, uncertainty and disturbance estimator based PI current control approach is proposed for grid-tied inverters, which provides robustness against to parametric perturbations. An UDE based observer that has been adopted into the PI current loop is used to eliminate lumped disturbances and the steady-state tracking error of current states, which can enhance the robustness of the control performance. Then, parameter design method, stability and robustness analysis are explored and presented. Performance comparison among the clasical PI and proposed control scheme. Efficacy and performance of the proposed approach are carried out by simulations and experiments. Experimental results show that effectiveness of the suggested control method against parametric uncertainties and disturbances are succesfully validated. Besides, the precise current tracking performance with zero steady state error has been reached.
Microbial and Physico-Chemical Characteristics of Dried Meat Processed by Different Methods

Thirty longissimus dorsi (LD) muscles from Omani male goats were dried by five methods (sun, air, vacuum, freeze and modified atmosphere drying). Dried strips from the longissimus dorsi samples were evaluated for microbial, chemical and fatty acid composition and physical quality (pH, expressed juice, rehydration ratio, and color L*, a* and b* values). The method of drying had a significant effect on the microbial counts, pH, volume of expressed juice, color, rehydration ratio, and fatty acids content of LD samples. Immediately after drying and 6 weeks of storage, sun dried sample showed significantly higher aerobic plate counts, and levels of Pseudomonas and Staphylococcus compared to other methods of drying. The drying method significantly affected the types of mold growth in the samples.
Fast learning neural network based on texture for Arabic calligraphy identification

Arabic calligraphy is considered a sort of Arabic writing art where letters in Arabic can be written in various curvy or segments styles. The efforts of automating the identification of Arabic calligraphy by using artificial intelligence were less comparing with other languages. Hence, this article proposes using four types of features and a single hidden layer neural network for training on Arabic calligraphy and predicting the type of calligraphy that is used. For neural networks, we compared the case of non-connected input and output layers in extreme learning machine ELM and the case of connected input-output layers in FLN. The prediction accuracy of fast learning machine FLN was superior comparing ELM that showed a variation in the obtained accuracy.
Vertically distributed wall sources of buoyancy. Part 1. Unconfined

Abstract We examine a turbulent distributed wall-source plume: the flow resulting from a uniform vertical wall source of buoyancy such as that produced by an evenly heated or cooled vertical wall. The vertically distributed buoyancy source is created by forcing dense salt water solution through a porous wall. Velocity measurements on a vertical plane normal to the wall are first presented examining the full height of the wall in order to identify the region in which the bulk flow has become fully turbulent, self-similar and reached an invariant balance between the fluxes of volume, momentum and buoyancy. Simultaneous velocity and buoyancy field measurements are then presented in this region and an entrainment coefficient of $\alpha = 0.068 \pm 0.006$ is determined. This value is small compared to that of buoyancy-driven unbounded flows, e.g. a free line plume, and we reason this to be due to the presence of a rigid boundary restricting meandering and turbulence production, rather than the effect of the vertically distributed source of buoyancy. Turbulent velocity and buoyancy statistics are presented and, in order to gain physical insights into the flow behaviour, the results are compared to those of other canonical buoyancy-driven free and wall-bounded flows. We show that the bulk mixing of distributed wall-source plumes can be captured by consideration of the characteristic vertical velocities and a constant entrainment coefficient. This mixing is inhibited both by the presence of a rigid boundary and the reduced characteristic velocities (compared to those of wall line plumes).
Investigating the positive role of urban tourism in creating sustainable revenue opportunities in the municipalities of large-scale cities: the case of Iran

Purpose The purpose of this study is to demonstrate that unsustainable revenues in municipalities are short term and may have an adverse effect on urban systems. Focusing on stable financial resources can reduce such adverse effects. According to the legal obligations of municipalities in the creation of sustainable revenue, developing tourism-based activities in municipalities can play a significant role in providing a sustainable income. Design/methodology/approach This study aims to assess the positive effects of economic opportunities related to tourism for the municipalities in Iran’s large-scale cities and to identify the hidden opportunities of tourism. Also, from interviews and analysis of themes based on the situation, task, action, result model, tourism opportunities have been extracted and classified. Findings As a result of this research, hidden income-generating opportunities of urban tourism have been identified for municipalities, including those depending on situation, tasks, actions and results. For each of these categories, strategies for the realization of tourism opportunities are presented. Tourism’s hidden opportunities include those relating to organizational aspects, tourism planning, tourism diplomacy, handicrafts, health tourism, event tourism and urban tourism marketing. Originality/value By taking advantage of these opportunities, income generation, employment and urban management will be improved in the municipalities.
Contribution of stressful life events to gambling activity in older age

Abstract Older subjects are susceptible to develop gambling problems, and researchers have attempted to assess the mechanisms underlying the gambling profile in later life. The objective of this study was to identify the main stressful life events (SLE) across the lifespan which have discriminative capacity for detecting the presence of gambling disorder (GD) in older adults. Data from two independent samples of individuals aged 50+ were analysed: N = 47 patients seeking treatment at a Pathological Gambling Outpatient Unit and N = 361 participants recruited from the general population. Sexual problems (p < 0.001), exposure to domestic violent behaviour (p < 0.001), severe financial problems (p = 0.002), alcohol or drug-related problems (p = 0.004) and extramarital sex (p < 0.001) were related to a higher risk of GD, while getting married (p = 0.005), moving to a new home (p = 0.003) and moving to a new city (p = 0.006) decreased the likelihood of disordered gambling. The accumulated number of SLE was not a predictor of the presence of GD (p = 0.732), but patients who met clinical criteria for GD reported higher concurrence of SLE in time than control individuals (p < 0.001). Empirical research highlights the need to include older age groups in evidence-based policies for gambling prevention, because these individuals are at high risk of onset and/or progression of behavioural addiction-related problems such as GD. The results of this study may be useful for developing reliable screening/diagnostic tools and for planning effective early intervention programmes aimed to reduce the harm related to the onset and evolution of problem gambling in older adults.
Improvement of the passing quality of an American football training machine

In American football, high quality training focused on catching is currently not done with passing machines due to their poor pass accuracy and precision. From a coach’s point of view, accurate and precise passing machines are needed to relieve the quarterback from too much training effort. The two aims of this study were to increase the precision of a passing machine and develop an accurate pass prediction model for it. To meet the two aims and provide evidence that a passing machine can be precise and accurate enough for high quality training, an automated passing machine was developed and two experiments were carried out. The results of the first experiment showed that the machine performs with a precision within ±1% of the throwing distance for 218 of the 225 passes. The second experiment resulted in a pass prediction model, which is based on 55 videos and a fitting approach using a neural network. The model estimates the machine configuration for a pass to a targeted point in space. In regard to precision and accuracy, the performance of the machine exceeds the performance of a skilled quarterback. This project improves the state of the art of passing machines for American football and opens possibilities for research in various fields like motion analysis for catches, hand-eye coordination and performance analysis of athletes.
A preliminary investigation of the well-being of visually impaired ex-service personnel in the United Kingdom

Research has shown that visual impairment may impact daily functioning, health, and well-being negatively for adults of all ages. Ex-service personnel (‘veterans’) too may be at risk of poor health and well-being outcomes associated with post-military life, and this may be exacerbated by the presence of visual impairment. Despite this, research considering the experience of blind veterans has been limited and has not yet assessed well-being for these individuals across a broad spectrum of life domains. Rather, it has highlighted poor mental health and psychological well-being in working-age visually impaired veterans. However, the experiences of older visually impaired veterans (who make up the majority of visually impaired veterans in the United Kingdom) have been poorly represented in the literature. This pilot study aimed to provide a preliminary assessment of holistic well-being in an adult sample of 97 UK blind veterans, predominantly composed of older age veterans (majority over 80 years). Cross-sectional well-being data were collected using a validated measure of well-being (the Well-Being Inventory [WBI]). Results suggest that members of Blind Veterans UK are functioning well and are satisfied across four life domains (vocation, finances, health, and social relationships). Lower health satisfaction was identified, particularly in blind veterans with comorbid mental health conditions. Results are discussed in relation to the older age of the sample, the limitations of face-to-face survey administration, and the applicability of the WBI finance domain in this age cohort. Recommendations are made for future research in this population.
The use of passive cable theory to increase the threshold of nociceptors in people with chronic pain

Abstract Background Chronic pain is one of the disorders that cost any society high expenses. The major mechanisms responsible for the conversion of pain from acute to chronic are still unclear. One major mechanism of these mechanisms is the hypersensitivity of nociceptors to any noxious stimulus. Treatment approaches for chronic pain have not targeted the abnormal function of nociceptors or achieved long-time relief of pain yet. Objectives To outline the effectiveness of passive cable theory to decrease the hypersensitivity of nociceptors in patients with chronic pain and renormalize the abnormal hypersensitivity of nociceptors. Major Findings applying the concept of the passive cable theory in the treatment of chronic pain would decrease the hypersensitivity of nociceptors and produce a decrease in chronic pain levels. This could occur through increasing the passive background leakage of ions in the opposite direction against their major flow direction. During the major flow of ions through the cell membrane occurs with any noxious stimulus, a background passive leakage of the same ions occurs in the opposite direction. This leakage helps in increasing the postsynaptic potentials and prolongs their decay phase. In turn, this decreases the hyperexcitability of the central nervous system, which commonly occurs in chronic pain. Both decreases in the peripheral and central sensitization would decrease the depletion of β-arrestin-2, which leads to a decrease in the descending painful mechanism. Conclusion The use of passive cable theory would be a useful intervention to decrease the hypersensitivity of peripheral nociceptors and hyper-excitability of the central nervous system, which are common mechanisms of persisted chronic pain. This helps to renormalize the abnormal mechanism commonly occur in chronic pain and would cause a prolonged decrease in chronic pain.
Influential and intellectual structure of Islamic finance: a bibliometric review

Purpose Islamic finance is an alternative approach of financial intermediation based on risk-sharing and asset-backed operations, which evolved substantially in recent years in academic research raising the need for quantitative studies to address the intellectual development and scientific performance of this field. This study aims to provide quantitative statistics and comprehensive review of the key influential and intellectual structure of Islamic finance literature. Design/methodology/approach The authors apply the trending and cutting-edge quali-quantitative approach of bibliometric citation analysis. This study reviews 1,940 English studies and review papers published in scientific journals indexed by the Scopus database from 1983 to 2019. RStudio, VOSviewer and Excel’s software are used to analyze the collected data and apply the bibliometric tests. Findings The results identify the leading academic authors, journals, institutions and countries with relation to Islamic finance. The authors also propose six main research themes in this field, which are as follows: Islamic finance – fundamentals, growth and legitimacy; customer’s attitude and perception toward Islamic finance; accounting and social reporting of Islamic finance; performance and risk management of Islamic finance; Islamic financial markets; and efficiency of Islamic financial institutions. Lastly, the authors identify research gaps in the existing Islamic finance literature and present 24 future research directions. Research limitations/implications The data in this study is confined only to the Scopus database of English papers and reviews. It also considers papers directly related to the field of Islamic finance. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is one of the first to address the literature of Islamic finance from a bibliometric aspect. The results of this study along with future research questions will help researchers and practitioners to further explore and stand on firm quantitative bases regarding the scientific development of Islamic finance.
Wireless body area network transmissions for iot-based healthcare network: a review

This survey reviews how electronically aided health monitor ingand observing systems with wireless body area networks (WBANs) support patient’s data analyzing and processing. These technologies in communications domain integrated into conventional medical system and assists as a capable methodology to boost the efficiency of health-care. Wireless body area networks contain dissimilar biosensors are fitted in a patient for analyzing the condition of health continuously. The collected parameters of signals are initially given at a gateway for the accretion of data and then furthered to out-of-the-way medical centers. Patient’s smart devices which has internet connectivity act as the gateways in internet of things-based WBANs, each among them generally stands for single patient. A huge volume of medical data congestion will be occurred during the widespread use of IoT-based WBANs, which is leading to an imperative prerequisite with high utilization based efficiency system for radio resource management. Henceforth, this survey examines methodically the management of transmissions of wireless body area network (WBAN) for internet of things-based a network is sculpted as a multi-server priority queueing system with multi-class delay-constrained with. Based on the result of queueing data packet, a mechanism for the arrangement of data packet transmissions for medical purposes with delay constraints is deliberated.
Densities of Poly(ethylene glycol) + Water Mixtures in the 298.15-328.15 K Temperature Range

Densities of aqueous solutions of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) have been measured at (300.15, 310.15, 313.15, 318.15, 323.15, and 328.15) K. The number-average molecular weights for PEG were 400, 4000, and 6000. The density data were fitted by a third-order polynomial with respect to mass fracton of the polymer at each temperature. Using the fitted polynomial expression and the Gibbs−Duhem equation, partial molar volumes of PEG and water for various mixtures were computed and reported.
A Scientometric Overview of Global Dinoflagellate Research

Understanding the evolution of scientific literature is a critical and necessary step for the development and strengthening of a research field. However, an overview of global dinoflagellate research remains unavailable. Herein, global dinoflagellate research output was analyzed based on a scientometric approach using the Scopus data archive. The basic characteristics and worldwide interactions of dinoflagellate research output were analyzed to determine the temporal evolution and new emerging trends. The results confirm that dinoflagellate research output, reflected in the number of publications, is a fast-growing area since the mid-1990s. In total, five research subareas emerged using a bibliometric keywords analysis: (1) “symbiosis with coral reefs”, (2) “phylogeny”, (3) “palynology”, (4) “harmful algal blooms” and (5) “nutrition strategies”. Dinoflagellate publications were modeled by fish production (both aquaculture and fisheries) and economic and social indexes. Finally, directions for future research are proposed and discussed. The presented scientometric analysis confirms that dinoflagellate research is an active and important area with focus on mitigating economic impacts, especially in regard to fish production.