Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Adjusting Judgemental Extrapolations using Theil's Method and Discounted Weighted Regression

Theil's method can be applied to judgemental forecasts to remove systematic errors. However, under conditions of change the method can reduce the accuracy of forecasts by correcting for biases that no longer apply. In these circumstances, it may be worth applying an adaptive correction model which attaches a greater weight to more recent observations. This paper reports on the application of Theil's original method and a discounted weighted regression form of Theil's method (DWR) to the judgemental extrapolations made by 100 subjects in an experiment. Extrapolations were made for both stationary and non-stationary and low- and high-noise series. The results suggest DWR can lead to significant improvements in accuracy where the underlying time-series signal becomes more discernible over time or where the signal is subject to change. Theil's method appears to be most effective when a series has a high level of noise. However, while Theil's corrections seriously reduced the accuracy of judgemental extrapolations for some series the DWR method performed well under a wide range of conditions and never significantly degraded the original forecasts. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Role of nuclear receptors NlHR3 and NlFTZ-F1 in regulating molting and reproduction in Nilaparvata lugens (stål)

The nuclear receptors HR3 and FTZ-F1 are highly conserved and function to regulate molting and reproduction in both hemimetabolous and holometabolous insects. However, their roles in Nilaparvata lugens are largely unknown. In the present study, we discover that NlHR3 and NlFTZ-F1 are activated in the nymph stages by ecdysone signaling. Transcription disruption of NlHR3 and NlFTZ-F1 expression prevents nymph ecdysis and metamorphosis, which leads to abnormal appearance, malformed ovaries, and lethal phenotypes. In addition, we demonstrate that NlHR3 and NlFTZ-F1 regulate molting and reproduction by interacting with the intrinsic 20E and JH signaling pathways. Our work offers a deep insight into the action mechanisms of HR3 and FTZ-F1 in insects. Moreover, NlHR3 and NlFTZ-F1 could properly be exploited as potential target genes for developing RNAi-based pesticides to control N. lugens.
NAADP-Evoked Ca2+ Signaling Leads to Mutant Huntingtin Aggregation and Autophagy Impairment in Murine Astrocytes

Huntington’s disease (HD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by mutations in the huntingtin gene (mHtt), causing an unstable repeat of the CAG trinucleotide, leading to abnormal long repeats of polyglutamine (poly-Q) in the N-terminal region of the huntingtin, which form abnormal conformations and aggregates. Alterations in Ca2+ signaling are involved in HD models and the accumulation of mutated huntingtin interferes with Ca2+ homeostasis. Lysosomes are intracellular Ca2+ storages that participate in endocytic and lysosomal degradation processes, including autophagy. Nicotinic acid adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NAADP) is an intracellular second messenger that promotes Ca2+ release from the endo-lysosomal system via Two-Pore Channels (TPCs) activation. Herein, we show the impact of lysosomal Ca2+ signals on mHtt aggregation and autophagy blockade in murine astrocytes overexpressing mHtt-Q74. We observed that mHtt-Q74 overexpression causes an increase in NAADP-evoked Ca2+ signals and mHtt aggregation, which was inhibited in the presence of Ned-19, a TPC antagonist, or BAPTA-AM, a Ca2+ chelator. Additionally, TPC2 silencing revert the mHtt aggregation. Furthermore, mHtt has been shown co-localized with TPC2 which may contribute to its effects on lysosomal homeostasis. Moreover, NAADP-mediated autophagy was also blocked since its function is dependent on lysosomal functionality. Taken together, our data show that increased levels of cytosolic Ca2+ mediated by NAADP causes mHtt aggregation. Additionally, mHtt co-localizes with the lysosomes, where it possibly affects organelle functions and impairs autophagy.
A Systematic Review of Research on Moderators in Asynchronous Online Discussions

This systematic review examined research on moderators in asynchronous online discussions (AODs) through a review of 52 sources published over the past four decades. Areas of interest included conceptual frameworks cited in research, publication trends, instructional contexts, research methods and characteristics, and descriptions of the role of the moderator with implications for practice. Results indicate: (1) nearly half of the publications did not cite a conceptual framework focused on moderation; (2) the field is diverse with a wide variety of themes for research designs, outcomes, foci, and questions; (3) half of reviewed publications involved case studies or similarly limited study designs; (4) the majority of publications collected data on students in higher education, but there was a lack of consistency in the reporting of demographic information; (5) research foci tended toward investigating peer moderators or the role of the instructor; (6) research questions tended to focus on strategies of moderators or student performance and discussion quality; (7) most definitions or expectations of a moderator included discussion and social management duties. We conclude by discussing the implications of some of the findings and future research options.
High–order perturbation energy of metal electrons in an external electric field

Energy of the electron gas perturbed by a constant electric field is examined to the eighth order of the Rayleigh–Schrödinger perturbation series. The method of the calculation is based on the local density approach to the non–interacting many–electron system in which the electron wavefunctions are represented by the standing–like waves. The convergence of the series depends on the strength of the electric field, the radius of the metal sample and the quantum number defining the electron energy. For the case of convergence a decisive contribution to the perturbation energy is obtained from the second–order term. This term gives the electric polarizability to be only slightly different from that obtained in the former theories. For the sake of comparison the high–order perturbation calculation done for a three–dimensional electron gas is repeated also for the case of the one– and two–dimensional electron gas systems having a finite size.
Long Monotone Paths in Convex Subdivisions

Consider a connected subdivision of the plane into n convex regions where every vertex has degree at most d. Then, for every vertex there is a path with at least (log d n) edges through this vertex that is monotone in some direction. This bound is best possible. Here you should add a concise and exiting abstract for your paper.
Implantation of single crystalline iron garnet thin films with He+, B+, and Si+ ions

The mechanisms of defect formation in single crystalline epitaxial iron garnet thin films implanted with intermediate energy He+, B+, and Si+ ions have been investigated. X‐ray diffraction and modeling of the implantation process are used to show the effectiveness of defect formation from the electronic energy losses of ion implants decelerating in the target. High temperature diffractometry demonstrates the existence of two centers of disorder in the crystal lattices of ion‐implanted thin films: one due to the defect formation from the electronic energy losses and the other – from the nuclear energy losses of the implant ions.
On Detecting End-of-Sample Instabilities

Tests of parameter instabilities are likely to have low power when change-points occur towards the end of the sample. This paper considers various modifications of existing tests and introduces new statistics designed to have high power in such circumstances. The properties of both Wald-type tests of a one-time shift in the parameters and locally most powerful (LMP) tests against the hypothesis of random walk coefficients are examined. It is proposed to take functionals of the Wald and LMP statistics such that either the set of possible change-points is restricted to the last part of the sample or the occurrence of change-points is given increasing weight throughout the sample. For the case of an unknown end-of-sample change-point, the LMP-type tests appear to have, in general, better properties than Wald-type tests, even against the hypothesis of a one-time shift in the parameters. Empirical illustrations describe the use of the tests for detecting structural changes at the time of the 'Great Recession'.
Specific but not general declines in attention and executive function with aging: Converging cross-sectional and longitudinal evidence across the adult lifespan

Objective Attention and executive function (EF) are vulnerable to aging. However, whether all these functions generally decline with aging is not known. Furthermore, most evidence is based on cross-sectional data and fewer follow-up data are available in the literature. Longitudinal follow-up studies are necessary to characterize individualized and precise changes in cognitive function. Additionally, relatively few aging studies have included middle-aged adults to examine age-related differences in attention and EF. Therefore, this study aims to examine whether general or specific attention and EF decline with aging from adulthood to old age by combining cross-sectional and longitudinal follow-up approaches. Methods This study recruited 253 participants aged 20 to 78 years. passing a prescreening procedure (see main text for detail) for the baseline session, and 123 of them were invited to return 1 ~ 2 years after their first visit to participate in the follow-up session. The participants completed a series of attention and EF tasks at both the baseline and follow-up sessions, which measured alerting, orienting, conflict control, stopping, memory updating, and switching abilities. We applied linear and nonlinear regression models to evaluate the cross-sectional age effect on attention and EF and employed a modified Brinley plot to inspect follow-up performance against baseline in attention and EF. Results The results of cross-sectional data showed that older adults exhibited decreased efficiency in alerting, stopping, and memory updating but paradoxically increased efficiency in conflict control and switching abilities and no changes in orienting efficiency with age. However, the results of longitudinal data showed that only alerting and memory updating continued to show decreased efficiency. Furthermore, conflict control and switching showed increased efficiency with aging, whereas the orienting network, and stopping no longer showed decreased efficiency. Conclusion Thus, converging the cross-sectional and longitudinal data showed that the alerting and memory updating function exhibited the most robust deficit with age (cross-sectional) and aging (longitudinal). Alerting and memory updating abilities are crucial survival skills for human beings. Therefore, developing methods to prevent and improve an individual’s alertness and working memory ability is an important practical issue in aging research.
Comparison of Antimicrobial Resistance among Commensal Escherichia coli Isolated from Retail Table Eggs Produced by Laying Hens from the Cage and Non-Cage Housing Systems in Western Australia

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has become a global public health concern in recent decades. Although several investigations evaluated AMR in commensal and pathogenic bacteria from different foods of animal origin in Australia, there is a lack of studies that compared AMR in commensal E. coli isolated from retail table eggs obtained from different laying hen housing systems. This study aimed to determine AMR and differences in AMR patterns among E. coli isolates recovered from retail table eggs sourced from caged and non-caged housing systems in Western Australia. Commensal E. coli isolates were tested for susceptibility to 14 antimicrobials using a broth microdilution method. Clustering analyses and logistic regression models were applied to identify patterns and differences in AMR. Overall, there were moderate to high frequencies of resistance to the antimicrobials of lower importance used in Australian human medicine (tetracycline, ampicillin, trimethoprim, and sulfamethoxazole) in the isolates sourced from the eggs of two production systems. All E. coli isolates were susceptible to all critically important antimicrobials except the very low level of resistance to ciprofloxacin. E. coli isolates from eggs of non-caged systems had higher odds of resistance to tetracycline (OR = 5.76, p < 0.001) and ampicillin (OR = 3.42, p ≤ 0.01) compared to the isolates from eggs of caged systems. Moreover, the number of antimicrobials to which an E. coli isolate was resistant was significantly higher in table eggs from non-caged systems than isolates from caged systems’ eggs. Considering the conservative approach in using antimicrobials in the Australian layer flocks, our findings highlight the potential role of the environment or human-related factors in the dissemination and emergence of AMR in commensal E. coli, particularly in retail table eggs of non-cage system origin. Further comprehensive epidemiological studies are required to better understand the role of different egg production systems in the emergence and dissemination of AMR in commensal E. coli.
TiNi-Based Material with Shape-Memory Effect for Surgical Treatment of Diseases of Small Intestine in Newborn and Young Children

Alloys based on TiNi are widely used in various fields of technology and medicine. In the present work, we report on the preparation of TiNi-alloy-based wire with the shape-memory effect, which was used for compression clips for surgery. The composition and structure of the wire and its martensitic and physical–chemical properties were studied using SEM, TEM, optic microscopy, profilometry, mechanical tests, etc. The TiNi alloy was found to consist of B2 and B19′ and secondary-phase particles of Ti2Ni, TiNi3 and Ti3Ni4. Its matrix was slightly enriched in Ni (50.3 at.% of Ni). A homogeneous grain structure was revealed (an average grain size of 19 ± 0.3 μm) with equal quantities of grain boundaries of special and general types. The surface oxide layer provides improved biocompatibility and promotes the adhesion of protein molecules. Overall, the obtained TiNi wire was concluded to exhibit martensitic, physical and mechanical properties suitable for its use as an implant material. The wire was then used for manufacturing compression clips with the shape-memory effect and applied in surgery. The medical experiment that involved 46 children demonstrated that the use of such clips in children with double-barreled enterostomies permitted improvement in the results of surgical treatment.
Review on learning framework for facial expression recognition

ABSTRACT The facial expressions recognition (FER) is crucial to many applications. As technology advances and our needs evolve, compound emotion recognition is becoming increasingly important, along with basic emotion recognition. In the literature, Although, FER can be conducted primarily using multiple sensors. However, research shows that using facial images/videos to recognize facial expressions is better because visual presentation can convey more efficiently. Among state-of-the-art methods for FER systems, to improve the accuracy of the basic and compound FER systems, detection of facial action units (AUs) must be combined to detect basic and compound facial expressions. State-of-the-art results show that machine learning and deep learning-based approaches are more potent than conventional FER approaches. This paper surveys various learning frameworks for facial emotion recognition systems for detecting basic and compound emotions using the diverse database and summarizing state-of-the-art results to give good understanding of impact of each learning framework used in FER systems.
Prospective study on Maresin-1 and cytokine levels in medication-naïve adolescents with first-episode major depressive disorder

Background Inflammation and immune activation may play a role in the pathological mechanism of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). Evidence from cross-sectional and longitudinal studies of adolescents and adults has shown that MDD is associated with increased plasma pro-inflammatory cytokines (e.g., IL-1β, IL-6). It has been reported that Specialized Pro-resolving Mediators (SPMs) mediate inflammation resolution, and Maresin-1 can activate the process of inflammation and promote inflammation resolution by promoting macrophage phagocytosis. However, no clinical studies have been conducted to evaluate the relationship between the levels of Maresin-1 and cytokine and the severity of MDD symptomatology in adolescents. Methods 40 untreated adolescent patients with primary and moderate to severe MDD and 30 healthy participants as the healthy control (HC) group aged between 13 and 18 years old were enrolled. They received clinical and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS-17) evaluation and then, blood samples were collected. Patients in the MDD group were re-evaluated for HDRS-17, and blood samples were taken after a six to eight-week fluoxetine treatment. Results The adolescent patients with MDD had lower serum levels of Maresin-1 and higher serum levels of interleukin 6 (IL-6) compared with the HC group. Fluoxetine treatment alleviated depressive symptoms in MDD adolescent patients, which was reflected by higher serum levels of Maresin-1 and IL-4 and lower HDRS-17 scores, serum levels of IL-6, and IL-1β. Moreover, the serum level of Maresin-1 was negatively correlated with the depression severity scores on the HDRS-17. Conclusion Adolescent patients with primary MDD had lower levels of Maresin-1 and higher levels of IL-6 compared with the HC group, implying that the peripheral level of pro-inflammatory cytokines may be elevated in MDD, resulting in the insufficiency of inflammation resolution. The Maresin-1 and IL-4 levels increased after anti-depressant treatment, whereas IL-6 and IL-1β levels decreased significantly. Moreover, Maresin-1 level negatively correlated with depression severity, suggesting that reduced levels of Maresin-1 promoted the progression of MDD.
Are Coastal Hotels Ready for Climate Change? The Case of Alexandria, Egypt

Climate change casts a shadow on the tourism industry in Egypt in general, and on coastal hotels in particular, as the coastal areas of Egypt have been classified as the most vulnerable to climate change in the Middle East. As such, mitigating the negative impacts and threats of climate change requires an assessment of the vulnerability of coastal hotels and the extent to which adaptation measures are applied. Accordingly, this study applied a hybrid methodology to achieve three main objectives. First, to evaluate Alexandria’s vulnerability to future climate change (at the destination level) by analyzing the recent climatic trends and expected scenarios. Second, to assess the vulnerability of Alexandria’s coastal hotels to climate change (sector level) using satellite images, aerial mapping, remote sensing, and geographic information systems (GIS). Third, to explore how coastal hotels are adapting to the risks of climate change using the four business-focused adaptation measures (i.e., technical, managerial, policies, and awareness-raising). The findings of the study revealed and confirmed that the hotel sector in Alexandria is threatened by sea level rise (SLR). Four hotels are at risk of inundation, and the extent of hotels at risk will increase with future scenarios of SLR. On the other hand, the results of examining the adaptation measures of 36 hotels indicated that the scope of the adaptation measures differed significantly between hotels due to factors such as hotel category, size, duration of operation, and EMS status, but overall, the scope of application was more comprehensive and varied than expected. Technical adaptation measures were the most common and applied by the majority of hotels in Alexandria. The results of this study should help figure out what adaptation measures coastal hotels should take and show policymakers where they should focus their adaptation efforts.
Lag Group Consensus of High-Order Multiagent Systems in Directed Network Settings

This article studies lag group consensus problems of multiagent systems with directed information transformations. Agents in the network are divided into finite groups, and modeled by high-order systems. Distributed consensus protocols with constant lags are presented to realize the lag group consensus: the states of the agents in a group approach to a consensus value asymptotically, while there exist given ratios between the final values of different groups. Necessary and sufficient criteria for the lag group consensus are obtained by the Laplace transformation. Finally, theoretical results are proved to be effective by several simulation results.
Do Social Network Relationships and Overseas Market Orientation Affect SMEs’ International Performance? A Dynamic Internationalization Capability Perspective

Dynamic internationalization capability plays a significant role in the performance of Taiwanese small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the process of internationalization. According to the concept of dynamic capability, businesses need to develop and maintain capabilities by obtaining valuable knowledge from different sources, such as market environments and social networks. However, previous studies have tended to only discuss the development of dynamic internationalization capabilities from a single perspective and have failed to explore more comprehensive knowledge sources. This study investigates whether social network relationships and overseas market orientation (OMO) improve dynamic internationalization capabilities. Participants were collected from internationalized SMEs in Taiwan via purposive sampling, yielding 211 valid samples. Results show that trust and commitment have a positive impact on international exploration capabilities, OMO has a positive impact on both international exploration and international exploitation capabilities, and international exploration has a positive impact on international performance. According to the findings, this study has several managerial and theoretical implications. In addition, it shows that the classification of SMEs’ capabilities enables them to focus on resources, thus contributing to resource concentration and the reduction of unnecessary waste.
Close pairs: keys to comprehension of star cluster evolution

Abstract In this review I first summarize why binaries are key objects in the study of stellar populations, to understand the evolution of star clusters and galaxies, and thus to understand the universe. I then focus on four specific topics: (i) the formation (through binaries) and evolution of very massive stars in dense clusters and the importance of stellar-wind mass loss. I discuss preliminary computations of wind mass-loss rates of very massive stars performed with the Munich hydrodynamical code and the influence of these new rates on the possible formation of an intermediate-mass black hole in the cluster MGG 11 in M82;(ii) the evolution of intermediate-mass binaries in a starburst with special emphasis on the variation of the supernova (SN) Ia rate (i.e., on the delayed time distribution of SNe Ia). A comparison with SN Ia rates in elliptical galaxies may provide important clues to SN Ia models as well as to the evolution of SN Ia progenitors;(iii) the evolution of double-neutron-star mergers in a starburst (i.e., the delayed time distribution of these mergers) and what this tells us about the suggestion that these mergers may be important production sites of r-process elements;(iv) the possible effect of massive binaries on the self-enrichment of globular clusters.