Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
In situ observation of medium range ordering and crystallization of amorphous TiO2 ultrathin films grown by atomic layer deposition

The evolution of medium range ordering (MRO) and crystallization behavior of amorphous TiO2 films grown by atomic layer deposition (ALD) were studied using in situ four-dimensional scanning transmission electron microscopy. The films remain fully amorphous when grown at 120 °C or below, but they start showing crystallization of anatase phases when grown at 140 °C or above. The degree of MRO increases as a function of temperature and maximizes at 140 °C when crystallization starts to occur, which suggests that crystallization prerequires the development of nanoscale MRO that serves as the site of nucleation. In situ annealing of amorphous TiO2 films grown at 80 °C shows enhancement of MRO but limited number of nucleation, which suggests that post-annealing develops only a small portion of MRO into crystal nuclei. The MRO regions that do not develop into crystals undergo structural relaxation instead, which provides insights into the critical size and degree of ordering and the stability of certain MRO types at different temperatures. In addition, crystallographic defects were observed within crystal phases, which likely negate corrosion resistance of the film. Our result highlights the importance of understanding and controlling MRO for optimizing ALD-grown amorphous films for next-generation functional devices and renewable energy applications.
Activity-Dependent Non-Coding RNA MAPK Interactome of the Human Epileptic Brain

The human brain has evolved to have extraordinary capabilities, enabling complex behaviors. The uniqueness of the human brain is increasingly posited to be due in part to the functions of primate-specific, including human-specific, long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) genes, systemically less conserved than protein-coding genes in evolution. Patients who have surgery for drug-resistant epilepsy are subjected to extensive electrical recordings of the brain tissue that is subsequently removed in order to treat their epilepsy. Precise localization of brain tissues with distinct electrical properties offers a rare opportunity to explore the effects of brain activity on gene expression. Here, we identified 231 co-regulated, activity-dependent lncRNAs within the human MAPK signaling cascade. Six lncRNAs, four of which were antisense to known protein-coding genes, were further examined because of their high expression and potential impact on the disease phenotype. Using a model of repeated depolarizations in human neuronal-like cells (Sh-SY5Y), we show that five out of six lncRNAs were electrical activity-dependent, with three of four antisense lncRNAs having reciprocal expression patterns relative to their protein-coding gene partners. Some were directly regulated by MAPK signaling, while others effectively downregulated the expression of the protein-coding genes encoded on the opposite strands of their genomic loci. These lncRNAs, therefore, likely contribute to highly evolved and primate-specific human brain regulatory functions that could be therapeutically modulated to treat epilepsy.
Tides and waves in the vicinity of Saint Helena

Sea-bed pressures taken close to the shore-line at St Helena over 39 days are analysed for information on tides, swell, and medium frequency waves. The tidal records are analysed in conjunction with short records taken by others from Ascension, Trindade and Tristan da Cunha Islands. A nine-year series from Simons Bay, South Africa, is also investigated as a possible reference base. It is found to be partially unsuitable on account of a node in the diurnal tides, previously unsuspected, but this itself is relevant to the diurnal cotidal map. A phenomenal monthly tide at Simons Bay, with sidereal rather than anomalistic monthly periodicity, is also noted. Taking a year’s record from Ascension Island as tidal reference, new constants are evaluated for all four islands, and these are used to deduce cotidal maps fo the open South Atlantic. Two types of maps are considered, one a linear interpolation of the constants, the other derived from a locally forced tide (modified by the Earth tide) and a pair of Poincare waves calculated for a ‘(β-plane ’ approximation, assuming constant depth. Although not entirely realistic, the latter scheme fits the semi-diurnal tide data very closely, but not the diurnal data. Both types of map confirm positive semi-diurnal amphidromes, according with the computations of Pekeris and Accad and of Bogdanov and Magarik, and negative diurnal amphidromes according with Dietrich’s maps. Tidal records made at St Helena in 1761 by Maskelyne and Mason provide a unique opportunity to search for possible instabilities in the ocean tides. By careful comparison of the two sets of data, it is concluded that the semi-diurnal tides are virtually unchanged, but there is a significant change in phase of about 10° at all diurnal frequencies which may point to an instability in the diurnal modes in the Atlantic, as suggested by Garrett & Munk from other considerations. A frequency-time plot of the swell wave spectra shows dispersive ridges as found in the Pacific and elsewhere. These point to storm origins principally in the South Pacific and the North Atlantic Oceans. Large-scale ' rollers ’ were not encountered, but there was some evidence that they have similar origins. Medium frequency waves (1 to 30 mHz) were recorded simultaneously at two points round the St Helena coast. Their spectra and coherence were studied with a view to identifying trapped modes. A theory is evaluated for waves trapped by a circular island with paraboloidal shelf (as approximately at St Helena) in contrast to the vertical wall models studied by Longuet-Higgins and others. Its main feature is that resonance peaks are much flatter than in the vertical wall cases, and do not increase with frequency. Analysis of the data shows features in common with the theory up to about 3 mHz and at some other energy peaks, but at higher frequencies there is evidence for energy leakage due to topographical roughness.
Steady two‐dimensional asymmetric stagnation point flow of a micropolar fluid

Numerical solutions are presented for the steady two‐dimensional boundary‐layer flow of a micropolar fluid near an asymmetric plane stagnation point. The transformed non‐similar boundary‐layer equations are solved numerically using an implicit finite‐difference method known as Keller‐box method. Numerical results are given for the reduced velocity and microrotation profiles, as well as for the reduced skin friction coefficient when the material parameter K takes the value K = 0 (Newtonian fluid), 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, and 3. Important features of these flow characteristics are shown on graphs and in tables. Comparisons with existing solutions for both symmetric and asymmetric stagnation point flow cases are given and it is shown that these results are in very good agreement. Discussion of the flow characteristics is also made.
Growth of turbulent magnetic fields.

The evolution of a weak, random initial magnetic field in a highly conducting, isotropically turbulent fluid is discussed with the aid of the exact expression for initial growth of the magnetic energy spectrum. Equipartition arguments, the vorticity analogy, and the known turbulence approximations all are found inadequate for predicting whether the magnetic energy eventually dies away or grows exponentially. This is true for any ratio of magnetic diffusivity λ to kinematic viscosity ν. The possibilities of eventual growth and eventual decay are therefore both admitted, and, for each, the shape of the magnetic‐energy spectrum in the case λ » ν is estimated by simple dynamical arguments. If there is growth, it is concluded that the magnetic spectrum below the Ohmic cut‐off eventually reaches equipartition with the kinetic‐energy spectrum roughly in the fashion predicted by Biermann and Schluter, with the principal exceptions that the spectrum of kinetic energy in the equipartition inertial range evolves to the form k −3/2 and that equipartition is maintained, with rapidly falling spectrum, through part of the Ohmic dissipation range. The evolution of the magnetic spectrum in the weak‐field λ » ν regime is also computed numerically with a simplified transfer approximation suggested by the Lagrangian‐history direct‐interaction equations. This calculation turns out to yield an eventual very weak exponential growth of magnetic energy.
Quantifying proper nouns’ influence on L2 English learners’ reading fluency

Abstract Proper nouns constitute a lexical class with special properties and are thus treated differently from other words by second language acquisition researchers. An assumption exists that even low-proficiency learners will find them unproblematic, yet research suggests this assumption might be misplaced. The present study involved two self-paced reading experiments designed to investigate proper nouns’ influence on Japanese university students’ reading fluency. In Experiment 1, participants were presented with 60 decontextualized sentences containing 30 proper nouns and 30 common nouns to determine whether they are processed in a similar manner. In Experiment 2, participants read another 60 sentences comprising a book chapter to explore the effects of repeated exposure to a set of proper nouns. The results indicated that proper nouns are processed in a similar manner to common nouns in terms of disrupting reading fluency. The implications for language learning pedagogy, in particular extensive reading, are discussed.
Key Drivers of COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy: A Perspective of Collectivism

Vaccination against the COVID-19 pandemic remains a major part of global immunization policy. The aim of this study was to explore young people’s willingness to continue to receive vaccination against COVID-19 in a collectivist culture. In this study, an online questionnaire was used to measure willingness to continue vaccination, the tendency towards collectivism, the degree of disease anxiety, vaccine brand loyalty, and perceived infectability in 2022. The results showed that women were more willing to be vaccinated than men (70.1% vs. 29.9%). Young people who were willing to receive continuous vaccination had a relatively higher tendency towards collectivism (p < 0.001), a relatively higher degree of disease anxiety (p < 0.001), and lower vaccine brand loyalty (p = 0.034). The COVID-19 pandemic is still ongoing and, since young people are the most active in group activities, policy-makers should weigh the factors influencing vaccination among the young to create effective policy measures.
Is Anatomical Variations a Risk Factor for Cerebral Vasospasm in Anterior Communicating Complex Aneurysms Rupture?

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text. Background and Purpose— One-third of ruptured aneurysms are located on the anterior communicating complex with high prevalence of anatomic variations of this arterial segment. In this study, we hypothesized that anatomic variations of the anterior communicating complex increase the risk of angiographic vasospasm. Methods— Retrospective study of prospectively collected data from a monocentric subarachnoid hemorrhage cohort of patients admitted to neurointensive care between 2002 and 2018. Univariate followed by multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with angiographic vasospasm. Results— One thousand three hundred seventy-four patients with aneurismal subarachnoid hemorrhage were admitted to our institution; 29.8% (n=410) were related to an anterior communicating complex aneurysm rupture; 9.2% (n=38) of them showed an anterior communicating artery variation. Angiographic vasospasm was diagnosed in 55.6% of this subgroup (vs 28.1%, P=0.003). In the multivariate analysis, external ventricular drain (2.2 [1.32–3.65], P=0.003) and anterior communicating artery variation (2.40 [1.2–4.9], P=0.04) were independently and significantly associated with angiographic vasospasm, while age above 60 years (0.3 [0.2–0.7]; P=0.002) was a protective factor. However, anterior communicating artery variation was not statistically associated with ischemic vasospasm or poor neurological outcome after anterior communicating artery aneurysm rupture. Conclusions— Anatomic variation of anterior communicating artery could be a new biomarker to identify patients at risk to develop angiographic vasospasm post-subarachnoid hemorrhage. External validation cohorts are necessary to confirm these results.
Statics in the momentum current picture

Newton’s Second Law is equivalent to the continuity equation for momentum in integral form. This insight leads to an alternative picture of forces as momentum currents. The purpose of the present paper is to introduce a new approach to statics problems and their solutions in terms of momentum currents. In particular, the relation between the distribution of momentum currents and the elastic stresses within a medium will be considered and a simple way to pictorially represent those stresses with the help of momentum flow diagrams will be discussed. Handling statics problems in the momentum current picture immediately displays their relationship to analogous problems in electrical network theory. This uncovers a structural relationship between the role of electric charge in the theory of electricity and the role of momentum in mechanics. For example, it will be shown that the familiar method for the solution of statics problems in terms of free‐body diagrams is equivalent to the use of a junction rule for m.
The Biological Activity of Fragmented Computer-Aided Design/Manufacturing Dental Materials before and after Exposure to Acidic Environment

Three ceramic and composite computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) materials from different manufacturers (Cerasmart (CS)—nanoceramic resin; Straumann Nice (SN)—glass ceramic and Tetric CAD (TC)—composite resin) were tested to investigate the biocompatibility and sustainability on human fibroblasts and keratinocytes cells. Each type of CAD/CAM blocks restorative materials with fine and rough surfaces was exposed to an acidic environment for one month. After that, various powders were obtained by milling. In parallel, powders were also prepared from each restorative material, which were not exposed to the acidic environment. The cytotoxic effects were investigated by means of MTT and LDH assays, as well as nitric oxide production on two human normal cell lines, namely, fibroblasts (BJ) and keratinocytes (HaCaT). In addition, the degree of adhesion of fibroblast cells to each CAD/CAM material was evaluated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results showed that the two samples that were exposed to an acidic environment (CS and SN) induced a reduction of mitochondrial activity and plasma membrane damage as regards the fibroblast cells. A similar effect was observed in TC_fine-exposed material, which seemed to induce necrosis at the tested concentration of 1 mg/mL. No oxidative stress was observed in fibroblasts and keratinocytes treated with the CAD/CAM materials. Regarding the adhesion degree, it was found that the fibroblasts adhere to all the occlusal veneers tested, with the mention that the CS and SN materials have a weaker adhesion with fewer cytoplasmic extensions than TC material. With all of this considered, the CAD/CAM restorative materials tested are biocompatible and represent support for the attachment and dispersion of cells.
RNA-Seq and genetic diversity analysis of faba bean (Vicia faba L.) varieties in China

Background Faba bean (Vicia faba L) is one of the most important legumes in the world. However, there is relatively little genomic information available for this species owing to its large genome. The lack of data impedes the discovery of molecular markers and subsequent genetic research in faba bean. The objective of this study was to analyze the faba bean transcriptome, and to develop simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers to determine the genetic diversity of 226 faba bean varieties derived from different regions in China. Methods Faba bean varieties with different phenotype were used in transcriptome analysis. The functions of the unigenes were analyzed using various database. SSR markers were developed and the polymorphic markers were selected to conduct genetic diversity analysis. Results A total of 92.43 Gb of sequencing data was obtained in this study, and 133,487 unigene sequences with a total length of 178,152,541 bp were assembled. A total of 5,200 SSR markers were developed on the basis of RNA-Seq analysis. Then, 200 SSR markers were used to evaluate polymorphisms. In total, 103 (51.5%) SSR markers showed significant and repeatable bands between different faba bean varieties. Clustering analysis revealed that 226 faba bean materials were divided into five groups. Genetic diversity analysis revealed that the relationship between different faba beans in China was related, especially in the same region. These results provided a valuable data resource for annotating genes to different categories and developing SSR markers.
Critical Band Width in Loudness Summation

The concept of the critical band, or Frequenzgruppe, is shown to apply to loudness summation. When the spacing between a group of pure tones is increased, the loudness remains constant until a critical point is reached, after which the loudness increases. The same effect occurs when the width of a band of noise of constant SPL is made larger. The critical band width at which loudness summation begins to depend on the spread of energy is approximately the same as the critical band width determined previously by methods involving thresholds, masking, and phase. The critical band as measured directly by these three methods (plus the method of loudness summation) is about two‐and‐a‐half times as wide as the critical band derived from the assumptions made by Fletcher, but its dependence on frequency is approximately the same. The relation of the critical band to other functions is noted.
A Deep-Reinforcement-Learning-Based Social-Aware Cooperative Caching Scheme in D2D Communication Networks

Device-to-device (D2D) caching is becoming prevalent in relieving network congestion. However, there remain challenges in exploring efficient D2D caching strategies due to the diverse user requirements. In this article, we propose a social-aware D2D caching scheme that integrates the concept of social incentive and recommendation with D2D caching decision making. First, we investigate federated learning (FL)-based prediction method to achieve the social-aware in a privacy-preserving manner. Then, the predicted social relationship provides prior knowledge for deep reinforcement learning (DRL) to make optimal D2D caching decisions. The optimization problem of this article is to maximize the data offloading probability, which can be formulated as a Markov decision process. To solve it, we propose a double deep $Q$ -learning network (DDQN)-based D2D caching algorithm. Finally, simulation results validate the prediction and convergence performance of the proposed scheme. Besides, the scheme also shows superior caching performance in reducing the average delay and improving overall offloading probability.
Does trade openness improve the quality of domestic institutions? Evidence from Africa

Research background: The research article deals with impacts of international trade openness on institutions in less developed economies, namely in Africa. Purpose of the article: It investigates the impacts of international trade openness on institutional quality in Africa measured by twelve various variables. Methods: It applies generalized methods of moments to a dynamic panel data of 34 African countries in the period of 1988? 2012. Institutional quality data come from International Country Risk Guide, the rest from World Development Indicators and UNESCO databases. Findings & value added: Our results indicate that in the case of Africa, trade openness seems to be a positive and significant determinant of institutional quality, however, it differs across various institutional variables. Trade openness brings a positive impact on government stability, bureaucracy and law and order, we also identify its conflict-mitigating effects. This happens, unfortunately, with an exemption for natural resources exports. Trade openness also positively influences security and socioeconomic conditions, although we find the link much weaker. Regarding our control variables, we find two interesting results. First, GDP per capita has a strong and positive association with institutional quality when measured by one bundled indicator, however, individual variables show different intensities. Second, we find a strong and positive association of net foreign direct investment inflows and government stability. The added value of this research lies not only in focus on the less researched relationship, i.e., how trade impacts the institutional quality, but dominantly in focus on many institutional variables at once and comparison of their effects. Other empirical studies usually focus on selected variables only, or on selected trade items (natural resources).
Antecedents of Risky Financial Investment Intention among Higher Education Students: A Mediating Moderating Model Using Structural Equation Modeling

The current study examines the direct effect of investment awareness and university education support on students’ risky financial investment intentions. Additionally, it examines the mediating effect of social influence and the moderating effect of self-control on these relationships. For this purpose, we directed an online questionnaire to senior students at three public universities in Saudi Arabia. The results of SmartPLS showed positive significant effects of investment awareness and university education support on social influence towards investment. The results also showed direct positive significant effects of investment awareness and university education support on students’ risky financial investment intentions. The results confirmed a partial mediating effect of social influence on the link between investment awareness and university education support on students’ risky financial investment intentions. Moreover, self-control was found to have a moderating effect on the link between investment awareness, university education support and social influence. Self-control failed to confirm the other moderating effects; i.e., the link between university education support and investment awareness, nor the link between investment awareness, university education support and risky financial investment intention. Implications of these findings for academics and policymakers to stimulate investment intention among higher education graduates in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) are discussed.