Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Re-weighting estimation of the coefficients in the varying coefficient model with heteroscedastic errors

ABSTRACT This article explores the estimation problem of the coefficients in the varying coefficient model with heteroscedastic errors. Specifically, we first present a method for estimating the variance function of the error term and the resulting estimator is proved to be consistent. Then, motivated by the generalized least-squares procedure for dealing with heteroscedasticity in the linear regression literature, we re-weight each squared residual term in the local linear smoother with the inverse of the corresponding estimated error variance to construct estimates of the coefficients. Simulation experiments and practical data analysis conducted demonstrate that the re-weighting approach can improve the accuracy of the coefficient estimates under a finite sample size, especially when the error heteroscedasticity is strong.
A Rotating Flux Pump Employing a Magnetic Circuit and a Stabilized Coated Conductor HTS Stator

High temperature superconductor (HTS) magnet systems usually employ metal current leads which bridge between the cryogenic environment and room temperature. Such current leads are the dominant heat load for these magnet systems due to a combination of electrical resistance and heat conduction. HTS flux pumps enable large currents to be injected into a HTS magnet circuit without this heat load. We present results from an axialtype HTS mechanically rotating flux pump which employs a ferromagnetic circuit and a Cu-stabilized coated conductor (CC) HTS stator. We show the device can be described by a simple circuit model which was previously used to describe barrel-type flux pumps, where the model comprises an internal resistance due to dynamic resistance and a DC voltage source. Unlike previously reported devices, we show the internal resistance and DC voltage in the flux pump are not exactly proportional to frequency, and we ascribe this to the presence of eddy currents. We also show that this axial-type flux pump has superior current injection capability over barrel-type flux pumps which do not incorporate a magnetic circuit.
Investigating the Link between Ketogenic Diet, NAFLD, Mitochondria, and Oxidative Stress: A Narrative Review

Together with the global rise in obesity and metabolic syndrome, the prevalence of individuals who suffer from nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has risen dramatically. NAFLD is currently the most common chronic liver disease and includes a continuum of liver disorders from initial fat accumulation to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), considered the more severe forms, which can evolve in, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Common features of NAFLD includes altered lipid metabolism mainly linked to mitochondrial dysfunction, which, as a vicious cycle, aggravates oxidative stress and promotes inflammation and, as a consequence, the progressive death of hepatocytes and the severe form of NAFLD. A ketogenic diet (KD), i.e., a diet very low in carbohydrates (<30 g/die) that induces “physiological ketosis”, has been demonstrated to alleviate oxidative stress and restore mitochondrial function. Based on this, the aim of the present review is to analyze the body of evidence regarding the potential therapeutic role of KD in NAFLD, focusing on the interplay between mitochondria and the liver, the effects of ketosis on oxidative stress pathways, and the impact of KD on liver and mitochondrial function.
Topological feature generation for link prediction in biological networks

Graph or network embedding is a powerful method for extracting missing or potential information from interactions between nodes in biological networks. Graph embedding methods learn representations of nodes and interactions in a graph with low-dimensional vectors, which facilitates research to predict potential interactions in networks. However, most graph embedding methods suffer from high computational costs in the form of high computational complexity of the embedding methods and learning times of the classifier, as well as the high dimensionality of complex biological networks. To address these challenges, in this study, we use the Chopper algorithm as an alternative approach to graph embedding, which accelerates the iterative processes and thus reduces the running time of the iterative algorithms for three different (nervous system, blood, heart) undirected protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks. Due to the high dimensionality of the matrix obtained after the embedding process, the data are transformed into a smaller representation by applying feature regularization techniques. We evaluated the performance of the proposed method by comparing it with state-of-the-art methods. Extensive experiments demonstrate that the proposed approach reduces the learning time of the classifier and performs better in link prediction. We have also shown that the proposed embedding method is faster than state-of-the-art methods on three different PPI datasets.
TANZANIAN WOMEN ATTACHMENT IN DOMESTIC TOURISM. A GENDER PERSPECTIVE

This study examines the Tanzanian women attachment in domestic tourism based on gender perspective. Since the study used Social Exchange Theory the gender is related with power, to overcome possible limitations of using the theory in Tanzania, the study collect the data by using questionnaire. The questionnaire was distributed to 400 respondents from Dar es Salaam, Arusha and Bagamoyo. The study involved students and teachers of tourism colleges, Tanzania residents, travel agents, tour operators and hotel officials from MNRT, TANTRADE, TANAPA and TTB, and leaders of local authorities. Being a quantitative study, Structure Equation Modeling (SEM) was used for data analysis. The objective was to establish whether power (Gender), lead to Tanzanian women attachment in domestic tourism. The results show that the measurement and structural model exhibited better model fit indices. The relationship between gender and level of education with attachment in domestic tourism was significant since the results indicate a medium effects,. It is recommended that action should be taken by implementing the factors in order to raise the level of attachment of Tanzanian women in domestic tourism.
Parameter estimation for employee stock ownerships preference experimental design

The experimental design method is a pivotal factor for the reliability of the parameters estimation in the discrete choice model. The traditional orthogonal design is used widely, but insufficient empirical research has been conducted on the effectiveness of these new design methods. Several new experimental design methods, such as D-efficient, Bayesian D-efficient, have been proposed recently. This study finds that the D-adoption has statistically insignificant effect on the growth of productivity. This study is motivated by the lack of documented evidence on the effect of Chinese ESOS. This study contributes to the body of knowledge by documenting evidence on the impact of ESOS on productivity enhancement and earnings management practices. The existing literature on productivity effect and earnings management effect of ESOS falls under two isolated strands of research. No documented studies have been done to investigate these two issues simultaneously using the same dataset. As a result, the existing literature fails to identify which of these two countervailing effects of ESOS is more dominant.
ON THE INSTABILITY OF PERIODIC WAVES FOR DISPERSIVE EQUATIONS—REVISITED

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to present an extension of the results in [8]. We establish a more general proof for the moving kernel formula to prove the spectral stability of periodic traveling wave solutions for the regularized Benjamin–Bona–Mahony type equations. As applications of our analysis, we show the spectral instability for the quintic Benjamin–Bona–Mahony equation and the spectral (orbital) stability for the regularized Benjamin–Ono equation.
The Acute Effects of Plyometric Exercises on Sprint Performance and Kinematics

Background: Post-activation potentiation refers to the acute and temporary enhancement of performance in explosive movements after performing a conditioning activity, such as plyometrics. The current study aimed to investigate the acute effects of horizontal leg bounding on 30 m acceleration performance, 5 m split times, and sprint kinematics (step frequency and length, flight and contact time). Methods: Fourteen young sprinters, nine females and five males, performed two experimental conditions and one control condition in randomized and crossover orders. The experimental conditions included 3 × 10 repetitions of alternate-leg horizontal bounding or 3 × 5 repetitions of single-leg horizontal bounding for each leg. Active recovery was performed in the control condition. A 30 m sprint test was executed before and 5 min after each condition. Results: Sprint times at 5 m (p = 0.014) and 10 m (p = 0.041) were improved after performing alternate-leg horizontal bounding. Additionally, an increase in running velocity (p = 0.017) and step frequency (p = 0.028) was observed in the 0–5 m segment of the sprint. Sprint performance and kinematics showed no significant differences after performing single-leg horizontal bounding. Conclusions: Alternate-leg horizontal bounding, which is a sprint-specific exercise that emphasizes a horizontal impulse, can be used effectively to improve performance in the initial phase of sprint acceleration.
A Monte Carlo simulator for noise analysis of avalanche photodiode pixels in low-light image sensing

Noise performance of avalanche photodiodes in light detection is typically described by the excessive noise factor, taking into account only the increase of the variance of the output electron count distribution with respect to the input. This approach is attractive since the excessive noise factor, together with the avalanche gain, can easily be included into the signal-to-noise ratio expression of the complete detection chain. For low-light applications down to single-photon counting, that description is typically not sufficient since one is also interested in the higher moments of the output distribution. Analytical derivation of the output electron count distributions of avalanche photodiodes is typically possible only for very simple electric field profile approximations, which is often not a sufficient description of reality. This work presents a Monte Carlo simulator for numerical prediction of the output distribution that can be applied to any arbitrary electric field profile as well as any light absorption profile and therefore serve as a useful tool for device design and optimization. Comparison with the standard McIntyre theory is provided for a constant field profile showing good agreement. Furthermore, the presented method is used to predict the avalanche noise performance of the recently presented pinned avalanche photodiode pixel (PAPD) with the electric field profile extracted from a finite-element simulation. The pixel is aiming for improvements in high-speed and low-light level image detection in minimally-modified CMOS image sensor technology.
Trajectory of Perinatal Depressive Symptoms from the Second Trimester to Three Months Postpartum and Its Association with Sleep Quality

Purpose Few studies have explored the association between sleep quality and depressive symptoms in perinatal women from the second trimester to the postpartum period. This study aims to explore this relationship using a longitudinal design. Patients and Methods Participants were enrolled at 15 gestational weeks. Demographic information was collected. Perinatal depressive symptoms were measured using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). Sleep quality was measured employing the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) at five timepoints from enrollment to three months postpartum. Overall, 1416 women completed the questionnaires at least thrice. A Latent Growth Curve (LGC) model was performed to identify the relationship between the trajectories of perinatal depressive symptoms and sleep quality. Results Of the participants, 23.7% screened positive at least once on the EPDS. The perinatal depressive symptoms trajectory, fitted by the LGC model, decreased at early pregnancy and increased from 15 gestational weeks to three months postpartum. The intercept of sleep trajectory positively affected the intercept of perinatal depressive symptoms’ trajectory; the slope of sleep trajectory positively affected both the slope and the quadratic coefficient of perinatal depressive symptoms’ trajectory. Conclusion The trajectory of perinatal depressive symptoms increased from 15 gestational weeks to three months postpartum following a quadratic trend. Poor sleep quality was associated with depression symptoms beginning at the onset of pregnancy. Moreover, rapidly declining sleep quality could be a significant risk factor for perinatal depression (PND). These findings call for greater attention to perinatal women who report poor and persistently deteriorating sleep quality. Additional sleep-quality evaluations, depression assessments, and referrals to mental health care providers may benefit these women and support PND prevention, screening, and early diagnosis.
Improved notch filter for microwave plasma diagnostics in 70 GHz range

A notch filter in 70 GHz range is developed to eliminate undesirable signals for plasma diagnostics using millimeter waves. We require a robust and narrow band characteristic for the notch filter. Since the previous notch filter which we reported contains the spurious notches, the plungers are improved to reduce the spurious notches. The lossy disks infill the gaps between the plungers and the cavities. The insert of the lossy disks minimizes the spurious notches around 76–78 GHz, while the insertion loss increases in the frequency range from 77.5 to 80 GHz. The plungers with differential screws are also used to make the tuning fine. For further performance increase, based on the same cavity mode, the design of coupling slits is modified to coupling holes. The simulated results in the case of coupling holes predict the characteristic of less than 50 MHz at −3 dB bandwidth and less than −50 dB with two cavities and −100 dB with eight cavities at the maximum attenuations.
Nanoemulsion Loaded with Clotrimazole Based on Rapeseed Oil for Potential Vaginal Application—Development, Initial Assessment, and Pilot Release Studies

Vaginal candidiasis (VC) is an emerging global hardly treated health issue affecting millions of women worldwide. In this study, the nanoemulsion consisting of clotrimazole (CLT), rapeseed oil, Pluronic F-68, Span 80, PEG 200, and lactic acid was prepared using high-speed and high-pressure homogenization. Yielded formulations were characterized by an average droplet size of 52–56 nm, homogenous size distribution by volume, and a polydispersity index (PDI) < 0.2. The osmolality of nanoemulsions (NEs) fulfilled the recommendations of the WHO advisory note. NEs were stable throughout 28 weeks of storage. The stationary and dynamic (USP apparatus IV) pilot study of the changes of free CLT over time for NEs, as well as market cream and CLT suspension as references, were conducted. Test results of the changes in the amount of free CLT released from the encapsulated form were not coherent; in the stationary method, NEs yielded up to 27% of the released CLT dose within 5 h, while in the USP apparatus IV method, NEs released up to 10% of the CLT dose. NEs are promising carriers for vaginal drug delivery in the treatment of VC; however, further development of the final dosage form and harmonized release or dissolution testing protocols are needed.
What is the interpretation of R 2

where α is an intercept parameter, z is a random error term assumed to be uncorrelated with the explanatory variables, and γ' = ( γ1, γ2, ., γq) is a vector of coefficients to be estimated. As most textbooks on statistics or econometrics covering the topic of regression analysis will explain (see, for example, Goldberger, 1964), the squared multiple correlation also called the coefficient of determination is defined as
Understanding Education Workers’ Stressors after Lockdowns in Ontario, Canada: A Qualitative Study

Understanding the experiences and stressors of education workers is critical for making improvements and planning for future emergency situations. Province-specific studies offer valuable information to understand the stressors of returning to the workplace. This study aims to identify the stressors education workers experienced when returning to work after months of school closures. This qualitative data is part of a larger study. Individuals completed a survey including a questionnaire and some open-ended questions in English and French. A total of 2349 respondents completed the qualitative portion of the survey, of which most were women (81%), approximately 44 years of age, and working as teachers (83.9%). The open-ended questions were analyzed using thematic analysis. Seven themes emerged from our analysis: (1) challenges with service provision and using technology; (2) disruption in work–life balance; (3) lack of clear communication and direction from the government and school administration; (4) fear of contracting the virus due to insufficient health/COVID-19 protocols; (5) increase in work demands; (6) various coping strategies to deal with the stressors of working during the COVID-19 pandemic; (7) lessons to be learned from working amid a global pandemic. Education workers have faced many challenges since returning to work. These findings demonstrate the need for improvements such as greater flexibility, training opportunities, support, and communication.
Entropic tunneling time and its applications

ENTROPIC TUNNELING TIME AND ITS APPLICATIONS Quantum tunneling is one of the most interesting consequences of quantum behaviour. However, even though it is known and understood well, due to non-existence of a time operator in quantum mechanics, estimating what time it takes for a particle to cross a barrier remains an open question. There are some attempts like phase time, dwell time, Larmor clock, Buttiker-Landauer, and Feynman Path Integral approaches. These definitions do not agree with each other and with experiment. In this thesis work, tunneling time problem is studied in a rather new context. Knowing time necessitates momentum, we deal with momentum state vectors and define entropy accordingly. This entropy, which gives a temperature, defines a thermal energy in the tunneling region. With this thermal energy and uncertainty principle, resulting time deviation of the particle from the classically instantaneous is stated as our tunneling time, entropic tunneling time. Moreover, we compare this tunneling time with recent experiments in detail, and find that, it is in very good agreement with the data. Then, we apply this entropic tunneling time to α decay, STM and creation of universe from nothing to predict natural time scale of these processes.
Hypernode Graphs for Learning from Binary Relations between Groups in Networks

The aim of this paper is to propose methods for learning from interactions between groups in networks. We propose a proper extension of graphs, called hypernode graphs as a formal tool able to model group interactions. A hypernode graph is a collection of weighted relations between two disjoint groups of nodes. Weights quantify the individual participation of nodes to a given relation. We define Laplacians and kernels for hypernode graphs and prove that they strictly generalize over graph kernels and hypergraph kernels. We then proceed to prove that hypernode graphs correspond to signed graphs such that the matrix D − W is positive semi-definite. As a consequence, homophilic relations between groups may lead to non homophilic relations between individuals. We also define the notion of connected hypernode graphs and a resistance distance for connected hypernode graphs. Then, we propose spectral learning algorithms on hypernode graphs allowing to infer node ratings or node labelings. As a proof of concept, we model multiple players games with hypernode graphs and we define skill rating algorithms competitive with specialized algorithms.
Evaluation of Adjusted Calcium Levels in Patients of Chronic Renal Failure with Hypo-Albuminemia

Objective: To compare adjusted calcium levels with ionised Calcium in chronic renal failure patients with hypoalbuminemia for the correct assessment of their Calcium status. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Chemical Pathology and Endocrinology, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Rawalpindi Pakistan, from Mar 2020 to Jan 2021. Methodology: A total of 304 individuals aged 18 to 90 years, of either gender were included in the study. Participants were differentiated into stages of Chronic renal failure based on the estimated glomerular filtration rate calculated through the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration equation. Serum total Calcium, urea and creatinine were analysed on ADVIA 1800R Clinical Chemistry Auto analyser. In addition, ionised Calcium was analysed on Cobas b221 blood gas and electrolyte analyser. Results: Mean age of the study participants was 56.3±16.03 years. 130(42.5%) individuals had stage-5 while 102(33.3%) had stage 4 chronic kidney disease. Based on ionised Calcium concentration, 37.3% of participants had hypocalcaemia, 57.2% had normocalcaemia, and 4.9% had hypercalcaemia. 57.5% had albumin concentration between 20-29g/L. Cohen’s Kappa statistical analysis showed adjusted Calcium to be a poor predictor of the correct Calcium status of the patients with hypoalbuminemia. Conclusion: Adjusted Calcium, using the Modified Payne formula, overestimates Calcium status in patients of chronic renal failure with hypoalbuminemia when compared with total unadjusted Calcium levels hence misclassifying true hypocalcaemic patients as normocalcaemic.Keywords: Adjusted calcium, Chronic renal failure, Estimated glomerular filtration rate, Hypoalbuminemia, Ionised calcium.
Radiological assessment of sites contaminated as a result of former mining activities - the general procedure in Germany / Erfassung und Bewertung bergbaulicher Hinterlassenschaften - die Vorgehensweise in Deutschland

Low level radioactive wastes left from former uranium production and other ore mining and processing has been dumped in certain districts of East German Federal Lands and have to be considered as sources of serious environmental contamination and radiation exposure. In view of the large number and spreading of residues, a multistage procedure with increasing thoroughness of investigations has been developed with the intention to exclude as early as possible non-relevant and to identify those residues which have to be considered as relevant source of environmental contamination and radiation exposure. Following the first two stages of investigations (identification of suspected areas including registration of mining-related objects existing in them and verification of registered objects including screening measurements) the first radiological assessment was carried out and already in this stage about 57% of residues could be classified as ``non-relevant``. The remaining objects were subjected to more detailed investigations. Following these programs the final radiological assessment was carried out to identify the ``relevant`` sites for which remedial measures have to be considered. Up to now the investigations led to the conclusion that the residues of mining, milling and ore processing did not cause a wide-spread radioactive contamination of the environment. Serious contaminationsmore » have to be assigned to limited grounds, in particular to mill sites, sites of copper smelteries and places were low level mining waste have been used (e.g. for land filling and covering of roads). « less