Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
THE EFFECTS OF THE MIDDLE LAYER ON CHINESE COLLEGE TEACHERS’ COMPETENCE MODEL: A META-ANALYSIS

In this paper, based on the competence onion model theory, we conducted an integrated study of empirical data in the middle layer of the competence model of Chinese university teachers by means of meta-analysis. A total of 30 previous studies were included, resulting in a total sample size of 16,632 individuals. The result showed that the overall performance of male teachers was better than that of female teachers in the middle layer of the Chinese university teacher competence model, and the average effect size was significant. Furthermore, research showed that among the four dimensions of attitude, values, self-concept, and social role in the middle layer, only the dimension of social role had a significant effect size and indicated that the overall performance of male teachers in this dimension was better than that of female teachers, and the level of superiority was low. The results indicated that there were clear differences in the overall performance of male and female teachers in different regions. The overall performance of the female teachers in North China was significantly better than that of the male teachers, with lower and weaker levels of excellence, while the overall performance of the male teachers in South China was better than that of the female teachers, with lower levels of excellence. The findings provide future researcher with references on the university faculty competency model.
Study of Douglas-fir regeneration and stand establishment in the Garnet Mountains of western Montana

Lee, Katharine Mark, M.S., March 1980 Forestry A study of Douglas-fir regeneration and stand establishment in the Garnet Mountains of western Montana. Director: George M. Blake Land managers in the intermountain region have been concerned with the slow natural regeneration response of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca [Beissn.] Franco) on cutover lands in the area. Old growth reserves of Douglas-fir have con­ tinued to dwindle without being replaced by viable second growth stands. The purpose of this study was to determine the present status of Douglas-fir regeneration on Bureau of Land Management cutover units in a portion of the Garnet Mountains and to relate this to what might be considered realistic regeneration response levels, given the natural patterns of stand establishment opera­ tive in the area. Regeneration surveys conducted on twenty-five cutover units resulted in stocking levels between thirteen and ninety-seven percent of full stocking (300 stems/acre stocking standard) and densities of 110 to 3000 stems per acre. Eighty-nine percent of the total regeneration was Douglas-fir and eighty-seven percent of the Douglas-fir was of one age, having resulted from the 1974 seed crop. Measured variables showing significant correlation to Douglas-fir stocking included the size of the unit, the average distance of a plot to a seed source, the percentage of plantable spots on the unit and the ground cover present. Observations concerning the location and vigor of the seedlings are also presented and discussed. The differences in the age distributions for the three old growth stands studied can probably be explained by the frequency and intensity of fires on these sites. All three stands exhi­ bited an absence of intermediate age classes and seedling den­ sity estimates beneath these stands exceeded densities found on any of the cutover units. The wildfire which resulted in the young stand of Douglas-fir sampled appears to have created con­ ditions extremely favorable for Douglas-fir establishment. Data from this portion of the study indicated that even aged silvicultural management is more consistent with natural patterns of stand establishment than all aged management, and that it is probably realistic to assume an establishment period of ten to thirty years when relying on natural regeneration of Douglas-fir on cutover units.
Analysis of the Key Drivers of International Business Strategy for Higher Education Institutions

Firms across sectors have gone global, entered foreign markets, exported, and imported products & services through various international business strategies. The dynamics of the higher education sector in India have seen a rapid shift with changing regulations, a revolutionary New Education Policy (NEP), and a spurt in the quality & features of virtual education. There is a growing excitement of opening campuses and goal posts across borders, while facing an uncertain future due to the impending entry of foreign universities and institutions in the country. Extant research in higher education lacks insight into the application of concept of global strategy for competing in the larger competitive environment. This paper aims to bridge this gap by identifying the drivers for development of various innovative & flexible international business strategies that can be applied to higher education institutions (HEIs). Previous studies show that HEIs are faced with a challenge that there is no single pattern in the wide range of choices made by students based on different variables, such as motivation, culture, language, online education, economic & political situations, employability, and other aspects. Findings indicate that study abroad, semester abroad, immersion programs, credit transfer pathways & twinning arrangements through university collaborations, are few of the models for gaining international education that have encouraged students to stay home while being able to achieve the distinction & benefits of international education. The research builds a conceptual framework for the various drivers of international business strategy and proposes a model for Global Citizen Development (GCD) which is validated using Content Validity Ratio (CVR) with a case study approach.
Kinematic Control of a Wheeled Humanoid Robot with Redundant Arms

Conventional control schemes employed for controlling the wheeled humanoid robot consume more computational time due to large number of calculations. A kinematic control scheme with better computational efficiency adopted for controlling wheeled humanoid robot is presented in this paper. The upper body humanoid robot consists of 15 degrees of freedom (dof) and mobile platform consists of 2 actuated wheels. The kinematic control strategies along with PID controllers are implemented using two separate loops for the upper body and mobile robot controls. Simulations are carried out to prove the advantages of the proposed control algorithm for a wheeled humanoid robot.
Utilizing the Social Determinants of Health Model to Explore Factors Affecting Nurses’ Job Satisfaction in Saudi Arabian Hospitals: A Systematic Review

The purpose of this systematic review was to explore factors affecting nurses’ job satisfaction in Saudi Arabian hospitals by utilizing the social determinants of a health model. We conducted a systematic review using three databases (PubMed, PsychINFO, and CINAHL) following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis. A total of 235 studies were screened. Of these studies, nine met the inclusion criteria. The studies were appraised using the Joanna Briggs Institute checklist tool. The majority of studies reported that salary, years of experience, nationality, and marital status were factors affecting nurses’ job satisfaction. Gender and educational level did not impact job satisfaction for male and female nurses. Overall, the review highlighted some knowledge gaps in the assessment of the impact of social determinants of health regarding gender and educational level on nurses’ job satisfaction. Further research is needed to address this knowledge gap.
EXIST: EXamining rIsk of excesS adiposiTy—Machine learning to predict obesity‐related complications

Abstract Background Obesity is associated with an increased risk of multiple conditions, ranging from heart disease to cancer. However, there are few predictive models for these outcomes that have been developed specifically for people with overweight/obesity. Objective To develop predictive models for obesity‐related complications in patients with overweight and obesity. Methods Electronic health record data of adults with body mass index 25–80 kg/m2 treated in primary care practices between 2000 and 2019 were utilized to develop and evaluate predictive models for nine long‐term clinical outcomes using a) Lasso‐Cox models and b) a machine‐learning method random survival forests (RSF). Models were trained on a training dataset and evaluated on a test dataset over 100 replicates. Parsimonious models of <10 variables were also developed using Lasso‐Cox. Results Over a median follow‐up of 5.6 years, study outcome incidence in the cohort of 433,272 patients ranged from 1.8% for knee replacement to 11.7% for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Harrell C‐index averaged over replicates ranged from 0.702 for liver outcomes to 0.896 for death for RSF, and from 0.694 for liver outcomes to 0.891 for death for Lasso‐Cox. The Harrell C‐index for parsimonious models ranged from 0.675 for liver outcomes to 0.850 for knee replacement. Conclusions Predictive modeling can identify patients at high risk of obesity‐related complications. Interpretable Cox models achieve results close to those of machine learning methods and could be helpful for population health management and clinical treatment decisions.
Intratumoral and peritumoral radiomics model based on abdominal ultrasound for predicting Ki-67 expression in patients with hepatocellular cancer

Background Hepatocellular cancer (HCC) is one of the most common tumors worldwide, and Ki-67 is highly important in the assessment of HCC. Our study aimed to evaluate the value of ultrasound radiomics based on intratumoral and peritumoral tissues in predicting Ki-67 expression levels in patients with HCC. Methods We conducted a retrospective analysis of ultrasonic and clinical data from 118 patients diagnosed with HCC through histopathological examination of surgical specimens in our hospital between September 2019 and January 2023. Radiomics features were extracted from ultrasound images of both intratumoral and peritumoral regions. To select the optimal features, we utilized the t-test and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO). We compared the area under the curve (AUC) values to determine the most effective modeling method. Subsequently, we developed four models: the intratumoral model, the peritumoral model, combined model #1, and combined model #2. Results Of the 118 patients, 64 were confirmed to have high Ki-67 expression while 54 were confirmed to have low Ki-67 expression. The AUC of the intratumoral model was 0.796 (0.649-0.942), and the AUC of the peritumoral model was 0.772 (0.619-0.926). Furthermore, combined model#1 yielded an AUC of 0.870 (0.751-0.989), and the AUC of combined model#2 was 0.762 (0.605-0.918). Among these models, combined model#1 showed the best performance in terms of AUC, accuracy, F1-score, and decision curve analysis (DCA). Conclusion We presented an ultrasound radiomics model that utilizes both intratumoral and peritumoral tissue information to accurately predict Ki-67 expression in HCC patients. We believe that incorporating both regions in a proper manner can enhance the diagnostic performance of the prediction model. Nevertheless, it is not sufficient to include both regions in the region of interest (ROI) without careful consideration.
Resveratrol and 2-Ethyl-6-Methyl-3-Hydroxypiridine N-Acetyl Cysteinate as Protecting Agents upon the Stress Exposure

The increased generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by mitochondria under stress conditions leads to lipid peroxidation (LPO) as a consequence of the ROS interactions with polyunsaturated fatty acids in the lipid bilayer of cell membranes, causing their damage. It was assumed that chemical preparations that reduce the excessive ROS generation by mitochondria should exhibit protecting properties under oxidative-stress conditions. In this context, the antioxidants resveratrol (RSV) and 2-ethyl-6-methyl-3-hydroxypyridine N-acetylcysteinate (NAC-3-HP) were examined as potential chemical protectors upon the exposure to stress, able to maintain the functional state of mitochondria.
Tactile-Sensing Technologies: Trends, Challenges and Outlook in Agri-Food Manipulation

Tactile sensing plays a pivotal role in achieving precise physical manipulation tasks and extracting vital physical features. This comprehensive review paper presents an in-depth overview of the growing research on tactile-sensing technologies, encompassing state-of-the-art techniques, future prospects, and current limitations. The paper focuses on tactile hardware, algorithmic complexities, and the distinct features offered by each sensor. This paper has a special emphasis on agri-food manipulation and relevant tactile-sensing technologies. It highlights key areas in agri-food manipulation, including robotic harvesting, food item manipulation, and feature evaluation, such as fruit ripeness assessment, along with the emerging field of kitchen robotics. Through this interdisciplinary exploration, we aim to inspire researchers, engineers, and practitioners to harness the power of tactile-sensing technology for transformative advancements in agri-food robotics. By providing a comprehensive understanding of the current landscape and future prospects, this review paper serves as a valuable resource for driving progress in the field of tactile sensing and its application in agri-food systems.
Measurement of the Neutrino Charged Current Coherent Pion Production Cross Section on Carbon and Oxygen with the T2K Near Detector

The goal of this thesis is to measure the coherent π+ production cross section on carbon and oxygen nuclei, induced by muon neutrinos from the T2K beamline. This is performed using the tracker system of the off-axis near detector which consists of three argon gas Time Projection Chambers between which two Fine-Grained Detectors (FGD) are located. While the first FGD is made of plastic scintillator, the second one has alternate layers of scintillator and water which allows a measurement on oxygen target. The measurement on carbon target is reported as a function of the muon and pion momentum and angle, the sum of the pion and muon energies and the coplanarity angle between the muon and the pion. The statistics for the oxygen measurement remains too low and therefore an upper limit is set on both the differential cross sections and total flux-integrated cross section. The phase space considered is 0.2 < pμ− < 5GeV/c , cosθμ− > 0.7, 0.15 < pπ+ < 1.5GeV/c , cosθπ+ > 0.45, 0.5 < Eπ+ + Eμ− < 6.5GeV, θπ+μ− > 90◦. The values found for the flux-integrated cross section in the reduced phase-space are: < σC >= 3.23± 0.67(stat.)± 0.82(syst.)× 10−40cm2 per carbon nucleus σO ≤ 9.57× 10−40cm2 per oxygen nucleus, with 95% probability It was found that the 95% upper limit on oxygen is always smaller than the Rein-Sehgal predictions, making this model unreliable for low neutrino energies. On the other hand, the limit remains compatible with the Berger-Sehgal model in every differential variables. The data for carbon target agree, within the systematic errors, with the Berger-Sehgal model except for pion momentum below 0.35 GeV/c and coplanarity angle below 155 degrees. In the latter cases an excess is observed in the data.
Modeling the Magnetoelectric Composites in a Wide Frequency Range

This article presents a general theory of the ME effect in composites in the low- and high-frequency ranges. Besides the quasi-static region, the area of electromechanical resonance, including longitudinal, bending, longitudinal shear, and torsional modes, is considered in more detail. To demonstrate the theory, expressions of ME voltage coefficients are obtained for symmetric and asymmetric layered structures. A comparison is made with the experimental results for the GaAs/Metglas and LiNbO3/Metglas structures. The main microwave ME effect, consisting of the FMR line shift in an electric field, for the ferromagnetic metals, their alloys, and YIG ferrite using various piezoelectrics is discussed. In addition to analytical calculations, in the article, finite element modeling is considered. The calculation methods and experimental results are compared for some composites.
Signal‐To‐Noise Calculations of Emergence and De‐Emergence of Stratospheric Ozone Depletion

The year when total column ozone (TCO) returns to 1980 levels is commonly used to quantify recovery from disturbance caused by ozone‐depleting substances. This date is reasonable but somewhat arbitrary. Here we borrow an indicator from climate change research, the signal‐to‐noise (S/N) metric to investigate how TCO might return to statistically similar levels to those of the pre‐ozone hole era (1960–1970). We calculate S/N for ozone projections from the Chemistry‐Climate Model Initiative. In most regions, a return to 1980 levels doesn't represent TCO recovery to pre‐disturbance conditions because it does not account for internal variability or reflect when statistically significant TCO losses occurred. Future projections show that, in most regions, TCO “de‐emerges” (i.e., S/N becomes less than one standard deviation from the pre‐disturbance mean) before it returns to its 1980 value. We conclude that S/N is an appropriate, perhaps complementary metric for determining when TCO returns to a pre‐disturbance state.
Root microbiota alters response to root rot in Rhododendron delavayi Franch

Root microbiota have a significant effect on plant health. However, the role of root microbiota in the resistance of Rhododendron against root rot is not known. In this study, we employed amplicon 16S and ITS sequencing to investigate the bacterial and fungal communities associated with four distinct niches (bulk soil, rhizosphere, rhizoplane, and endosphere) of both healthy and diseased Rhododendron plants in the Baili Rhododendron nature reserve in China. The amplicon data analysis identified 182 bacterial genera and 141 fungal genera that were impacted by root rot across all niches. Specifically, the rhizoplane appeared to exert a selective gating effect, resulting in a reduction in the complexity of bacterial communities, but not fungal communities, in wild Rhododendron delavayi Franch roots. Nevertheless, the stress induced by root rot led to alterations in the root microbiota and compromised the gating function of the rhizoplane, thereby significantly increasing the complexity of the bacterial community within the plant root. In the root tissue following root rot outbreak, the relative abundance of the pathogenic species Pezicula brunnea and Diaporthe helianthi was enriched by as much as 6.13% and 1.71%, respectively. These findings provide novel insights into the contribution of enrichment of root-associated microbiota to wild plant hosts under the disease stress of root rot. The root rot-causing pathogenic fungi may interact with beneficial bacteria and induce plants to send out “cry for help” signals, which may encourage the specific assembly of microbiota. In the Rhododendron delavayi Franch root microbiota, we found 23 potentially beneficial microbes. Notably, certain beneficial bacteria, such as Sporolactobacillus and Stenotrophomonas, were found to accumulate in the rhizoplane and endosphere under root rot disease stress. Overall, our results lend support to our hypothesis that Rhododendron recruits protective microbes as a strategy to suppress root rot outbreaks. Future endeavors in isolating beneficial microbes capable of mitigating root rot have the potential to enhance plant resilience against root diseases.
DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS TOWARDS THE USE OF TECHNOLOGY IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

The study focuses on the influence of demographic characteristics on early childhood education teachers’ perception of the use of technology in teaching young children in Lagos state, Nigeria. This study's research design was quantitative, implying that an Ex post-facto research design was employed. Questionnaires were developed and administered to 100 randomly selected early childhood education teachers from 20 different schools in Lagos, Nigeria. The data collected was analyzed using descriptive statistics and linear regression analysis and the hypothesis was tested at a probability level of 0.05. Results revealed that teachers had positive perceptions (Mean=1.68, SD=.829) towards the use of technology in teaching young children. However, teachers’ perception towards the use of technology was not statistically influenced by their demographic characteristics.
Simulation of Near-Fault Strong Ground Motion in the Beijing Region

根据 1679 Sanhe-Pinggu ( M8.0 )地震的以前的学习，历史上的最大的事件曾经在北京和它的邻近的区域记录了，我们做了利用蹒跚格子的有限差别方法在北京区域与不同地震来源模型一起学习山峰地面速度的分布的 3-D 充分的理由运动模拟。 在纸，地震来源模型和一个传播媒介速度模型被建立，相应参数在一致被给结果从一联系了以前的学习。 然后，使用近差错的充分的理由运动的一个三维的有限差别计算程序由格雷夫斯，发展了破坏地震在北京区域引起的山峰地面速度被模仿。 在我们的计算模型，地震来源是深入地，和扎根的表面上的 21,679 个观察点的一个全部的数字的 3km 被弄明白。 传播媒介速度模型由是第四级的存款，上面的外壳，中间的外壳的上面的部分和中间的外壳的更低的部分的四个阶层组成。 与 0.15km 的最小的格子间距， 2.28 × 1 的一个总数 0 ~ 6 个格子被产生。 用 0.02 秒的时间步，我们为 8 秒的持续时间计算了山峰地面速度。 在模拟结果的分析以后，我们观察了象近差错的山峰地面速度，破裂择向性效果，挂的墙效果，和盆效果的集中效果那样的近差错的充分的理由运动的一些基本特征。 从我们的模拟和分析的结果建议在我们的模型的来源和播送中等参数是合适的，有限差别方法是适用的在学习区域估计充分的理由运动的分发。
What Should Be Done About Google's Quasi-Monopoly in Search? Mandatory Data Sharing Versus AI-Driven Technological Competition

The first part of this paper focuses on competition between search engines that match user queries with webpages. User welfare, as measured by click-through rates on top-ranked pages, increases when network effects attract more users and generate economies of scale in data aggregation. However, network effects trigger welfare concerns when a search engine reaches a dominant market position. The EU Digital Markets Act (DMA) imposes asymmetric data sharing obligations on very large search engines to facilitate competition from smaller competitors. We conclude from the available empirical literature on search-engine efficiency that asymmetric data sharing may increase competition but may also reduce scale and user welfare, depending on the slope of the search-data learning curve. We propose policy recommendations to reduce tension between competition and welfare, including (a) symmetric data sharing between all search engines irrespective of size
Enhanced Jitter Analysis and Minimization for Digital PLLs With Mid-Rise TDCs and its Impact on Output Phase Noise

Bang-bang digital phase locked loops (BBDPLL’s) use a binary phase detector (BPD) to limit the complexity and consumption of area and power of the time-to-digital converter (TDC), which inevitably introduces more quantization errors (QE’s) than a conventional high-resolution TDC. Coarse-resolution TDCs with a few more bits than the BPD can help to mitigate the TDC-induced output jitter and phase noise (PN). This paper derives estimates of the RMS input and output jitters of such digital phase locked loops (DPLL’s) with mid-rise TDCs, including BBDPLLs, based on a multi-rate discrete-time model. A comprehensive jitter minimization strategy is provided. The impact of this type of jitter minimization on the enhancement of the output PN performance is studied for the first time. Behavioral simulations verify our analysis. Finally, we conclude with design rules of thumb and a design procedure that helps to mitigate the system jitter and to achieve an output PN spectrum that is dominated by the noises contributed by the reference and digitally controlled oscillator (DCO).