Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Perceived Corruption, Trust, and Interviewer Behavior in 26 European Countries

Identifying illicit behavior in survey research is inherently problematic, since self-reports are untrustworthy. We argue that fraudulent interviewers can, however, be identified through statistical deviance of the distributional parameters of their interviews. We document that a high proportion of the variation in the data is due to the interviewer. In addition, we show that the incidence of interviewer-induced anomalies is strongly associated with the perceived level of corruption across the countries participating in the European Social Survey 2010. The major implication of the findings is that the data from some countries cannot be used fruitfully for cross-national comparative research.
Apprentissage de Dictionnaires Multivariés et Décomposition Parcimonieuse Invariante par Translation et par Rotation 2D

Cet article presente le Multivariate Dictionary Learning Algorithm qui apprend en ligne les structures elementaires associees a un ensemble de signaux multivaries. Une fois apprises, le Multivariate Orthogonal Matching Pursuit decompose tous les signaux de cet ensemble avec parcimonie. Ces methodes sont specifiees dans le cas d'invariance par rotation qui produit un dictionnaire restreint de noyaux. Nos methodes sont appliquees a des donnees d'ecriture manuscrite, afin d'extraire les motifs caracteristiques de cette base de signaux
Editorial: Dietary practices, food consumption and nutritional status of children and adolescents in Latin America and the Caribbean

COPYRIGHT © 2023 Oliveira, Menezes and Mendes. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms. Editorial: Dietary practices, food consumption and nutritional status of children and adolescents in Latin America and the Caribbean
Pengaruh Moderasi Konsensus Strategis Terhadap Hubungan Antara Lean Manufacturing dengan Mekanisme Pengendalian Manajemen

The purpose of this study was to investigate and examine the contingency models for discussed the moderating effect of strategic consensus to the relationship between lean manufacturing with management control mechanisms used by the companies. The sample of this study is a manufacturing firms in Java Indonesia, represented by a director or managers. The sampling method uses a purposive sampling method. Data collection techniques in this study used survey questionnaire. The number of research samples successfully collected and can be used are 104 firms. In this study, hypothesis testing is carried out using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with use the application program AMOS 24. The research findings show that strategic consensus as a moderating variable has been proven to strengthen the relationship between lean management strategies and management control mechanisms.
The Effect of the Addition of Coal Fly Ash (CFA) on the Control of Water Movement within the Structure of the Concrete

Studies were carried out to find a relation between the important physical property, i.e., water absorption and the main mechanical parameter, i.e., compressive strength (fcm), of concretes containing coal fly ash (CFA) in the amounts of 0% (CFA-00), 20% (CFA-20%), and 30% (CFA-30). The methodology of the water absorption tests reflected the conditions prevailing in the case of reinforced concrete structures operating below the water table. The microstructure of all materials was also assessed. Based on the conducted studies, it was found that both the fcm of concretes with the addition of CFA and its water absorption depended on the percentage of waste used, whereas both analyzed parameters were closely related to the structure of the cement matrix and interfacial transition zone area between the coarse aggregates and the paste. It should be stated that at the content of 20% CFA in the binder composition, an increase in the fcm of the material is observed, with a simultaneous increase in its water absorption. On the other hand, the addition of 30% CFA results in a significant decrease in both the strength of the composite and its water absorption. Thus, it was found that in the case of concretes with the addition of CFA, the strength of the material is directly proportional to the level of its water absorption. Moreover, the concrete including 30% CFA may increase the durability of reinforced concrete structures subjected to immersion conditions. From an application point of view, the obtained research results may be helpful in understanding the impact of the CFA additive on the level of water absorption in cement concretes with this waste.
Asymptotic stability for standing waves of a NLS equation with subcritical concentrated nonlinearity in dimension three: Neutral modes

In this paper the study of asymptotic stability of standing waves for a model of Schrodinger equation with spatially concentrated nonlinearity in dimension three. The nonlinearity studied is a power nonlinearity concentrated at the point $x=0$ obtained considering a contact (or $\delta$) interaction with strength $\alpha$, which consists of a singular perturbation of the Laplacian described by a selfadjoint operator $H_{\alpha}$, and letting the strength $\alpha$ depend on the wavefunction in a prescribed way: $i\dot u= H_\alpha u$, $\alpha=\alpha(u)$. For power nonlinearities in the range $(\frac{1}{\sqrt 2},1)$ there exist orbitally stable standing waves $\Phi_\omega$, and the linearization around them admits two imaginary eigenvalues (neutral modes, absent in the range $(0,\frac{1}{\sqrt 2})$ previously treated by the same authors) which in principle could correspond to non decaying states, so preventing asymptotic relaxation towards an equilibrium orbit. We prove that, in the range $(\frac{1}{\sqrt 2},\sigma^*)$ for a certain $\sigma^* \in (\frac{1}{\sqrt{2}}, \frac{\sqrt{3} +1}{2 \sqrt{2}}]$, the dynamics near the orbit of a standing wave asymptotically relaxes in the following sense: consider an initial datum $u(0)$, suitably near the standing wave $\Phi_{\omega_0}, $ then the solution $u(t)$ can be asymptotically decomposed as $$u(t) = e^{i\omega_{\infty} t +i b_1 \log (1 +\epsilon k_{\infty} t) + i \gamma_\infty} \Phi_{\omega_{\infty}} +U_t*\psi_{\infty} +r_{\infty}, \quad \textrm{as} \;\; t \rightarrow +\infty,$$ where $\omega_{\infty}$, $k_{\infty}, \gamma_\infty > 0$, $b_1 \in \mathbb{R}$, and $\psi_{\infty}$ and $r_{\infty} \in L^2(\mathbb{R}^3)$ , $U(t)$ is the free Schrodinger group and $$\| r_{\infty} \|_{L^2} = O(t^{-1/4}) \quad \textrm{as} \;\; t \rightarrow +\infty\ . $$ We stress the fact that in the present case and contrarily to the main results in the field, the admitted nonlinearity is $L^2$-subcritical.
Treatment of Vestibulodynia with Submucosal Injections of IncobotulinumtoxinA into Targeted Painful Points: An Open-Label Exploratory Study

The studies carried out to date on vulvodynia treatment with botulinum neurotoxin type A (BoNT/A) have followed generic injection protocols and reported contradictory outcomes on its effects. The aim of the present study was thus to propose a protocol for injecting BoNT/A into targeted painful points, to comprehensively assess the clinical effect of BoNT/A treatment and identify the risk/protective factors for successful treatment. Thirty-five vestibulodynia patients were treated with submucosal injections of incobotulinumtoxinA and assessed 8, 12 and 24 weeks after their treatment. Their clinical and pelvic statuses were assessed from self-reported questionnaires (Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), Marinoff’s Dyspareunia Scale (MDS), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Catastrophizing Scale (CS)), physical examinations and surface electromyography (sEMG). The patients reported a reduction in provoked vestibulodynia (<VAS, p < 0.01), improved sexual function (>FSFI, p < 0.01; <MDS, p = 0.01) and psychological status (<HADS, p < 0.01), and lower pelvic floor hyperactivity at rest (<sEMG amplitude, p = 0.01). Factors such as smoking, painful comorbidities, vulvar pain sensitivity and sexual function were significantly associated with successful treatment. The results indicate the beneficial effects of BoNT/A in treating vestibulodynia and reinforce the importance of adapting the treatment according to its clinical presentation and the patient’s medical background.
Examining the Relationship Between Stock Returns and Investor Sentiments: The Moderating Effect of Weather Patterns

This study examines the moderating effect of weather patterns on the relationship between stock returns and investor sentiments. Data were collected from 386 investors using a structured questionnaire from Tamil Nadu, India. The findings showed that weather patterns positively impact the association between stock returns and investor sentiments. However, it was shown that the direct effects of stock returns on investor sentiments were found to be not significant. As a result, by enlightening the relationship between stock returns and investor sentiments in the context of the developing world, this research makes a valuable contribution to the literature on investor sentiments. Furthermore, from the finding of the study, the relationship between stock returns needs to consider the constructs such as price volatility and margin trading behaviour.
Application of innovative biological agents for sustainable corn farming

Corn, being the most important crop globally, requires effective protection against pests while maintaining environmental sustainability. This study focuses on the development of environmentally friendly methods for biological control of major corn pests. The research investigates the combined use of pheromones, entomopathogenic preparations, and parasitic Hymenoptera, such as Trichogramma evanescens West and Habrobracon hebetor Say, to combat pests. The seasonal dynamics and abundance of cotton moth (Helicoverpa armigera) and click beetle (Athous tauricus) were monitored using pheromone traps. The number of corn moth (Ostrinia nubilalis) caterpillars was recorded, and mass breeding of the ectoparasite Habrobracon hebetor was conducted for biological control. The effectiveness of the integrated approach, combining entomophages and biological preparations, was evaluated. The study demonstrates satisfactory effectiveness in biological protection, with significant reductions in corn moth and cotton moth populations. These findings highlight the potential of environmentally friendly techniques for pest control in corn crops, contributing to sustainable agricultural practices.
Preparation and Characterization of Bilastine Solid Self-Nanoemulsion using Liquisolid Technique

Background: Supersaturable self-nanoemulsion (S-SNE) is an approach for dealing with low oral bioavailability problems. Bilastine (BL) is a selective H1-antihistamine with a bioavailability of 59%. Objective: To use a liquisolid technique to transform liquid BL S-SNE into powder so that both the S-SNE and liquisolid procedures could be used. Methods: Oleic acid, tween 60, transcutol, and soluplus were used to make the liquid BL-loaded S-SNE that was adsorbed onto the Avicel PH101 and Aerosil 200 admixtures. In vitro dissolution and powder flow characteristics were tested. SEM, DSC, X-ray diffraction, FT-IR analysis, and the average droplet size after dispersion in 0.1N HCl were also utilized to define the best formula's solid state. Results: The best liquid-solid composition, SS-F2, is composed of oleic acid, tween 60, transcutol, soluplus, Avicel 101, and Aerosil 200, with a liquid SNE to Avicel 101 ratio of 1.5:1 and an Avicel 200 to Aerosil 200 ratio of 10:1. SS-F2 displayed good flowability and a significant improvement in drug dissolution, with 100% of the medication released after 60 min compared to 62.27% of the marketed BL tablets. According to the solid-state investigation of formula (SS-F2), BL was shown to be in a solvated state in the solidified nanosystem, with no interactions with the excipient used. It also formed a nanoemulsion with mean droplet sizes of 77.57 nm and a PDI of 0.4178, which was similar to liquid S-SNE. Conclusion: The liquisolid technique is a potential method for solidifying a liquid self-emulsifying system while preserving self-nanoemulsion characteristics and increasing dissolving rate.
Speckle-based at-wavelength metrology of x-ray optics at Diamond Light Source

To achieve high resolution and sensitivity on the nanometer scale, further development of X-ray optics is required. Although ex-situ metrology provides valuable information about X-ray optics, the ultimate performance of X-ray optics is critically dependent on the exact nature of the working conditions. Therefore, it is equally important to perform in-situ metrology at the optics’ operating wavelength (‘at-wavelength’ metrology) to optimize the performance of X-ray optics and correct and minimize the collective distortions of the upstream beamline optics, e.g. monochromator, windows, etc. Speckle-based technique has been implemented and further improved at Diamond Light Source. We have demonstrated that the angular sensitivity for measuring the slope error of an optical surface can reach an accuracy of two nanoradians. The recent development of the speckle-based at-wavelength metrology techniques will be presented. Representative examples of the applications of the speckle-based technique will also be given – including optimization of X-ray mirrors and characterization of compound refraction lenses. Such a high-precision metrology technique will be extremely beneficial for the manufacture and in-situ alignment/optimization of X-ray mirrors for next-generation synchrotron beamlines.
Civic action on social media: fostering digital media literacy and epistemic cognition in the classroom

Social media has become a dominant force in civic life amid widespread concerns about its role in political polarisation and in the spread of misinformation. To prepare citizens to take on these challenges, we need civic education that teaches youth to be capable and responsible consumers, conveyors and producers of online information. To do so, teachers must position students as epistemic agents, fostering the skills they need to engage with online information. In this article, we present the first iteration of a design-based research project on social media and civic action. The project prepares high school students in rural, urban and suburban settings located in Northern California (USA) to engage with issues that resonate with them, to critically examine information about these issues from online sources and to use social media as a vehicle to connect with, inform and mobilise the public. We present the basic design principles that teachers have used to support apt epistemic performance, focusing on the epistemic aims (creating knowledge products that inspire civic action), ideals (taking personal responsibility for the accuracy of information when posting) and reliable processes (sourcing, fact checking and correctly representing information) embedded in their units of instruction. Drawing on teacher interviews and curriculum, we explore the affordances of the curriculum to promote civic action by leveraging student engagement in social media, while also challenging them to critically examine how knowledge is produced and disseminated on social media. We conclude with a discussion of how this work intersects with the aims and methods of social pedagogy.
Theoretical investigation of high-order harmonic generation from asymmetric molecular ions in the chirped laser field

ABSTRACT High-order harmonic generation from the asymmetric helium hydrogen molecular ion exposed to a few-cycle chirped laser field is theoretically investigated by numerically solving the reduced one-dimension non-Born–Oppenheimer time dependent Schrödinger equation. The numerical results show that the plateau of the high-order harmonic spectrum is dramatically broadened and smoother with the introduction of the chirp. Further study presents that only the short quantum path contributes to harmonic emission and the long quantum path disappears in the chirped laser. In addition, an 80-as isolated attosecond pulse is obtained by superposing the harmonics from the 100th to the 130th order in the chirped field. The time-frequency distributions and the electronic probability distributions are presented to explain the underlying physical mechanism.
PHENOMENOLOGY OF THE MAXIMUM FRAGMENT MASS DEPENDENCE UPON BALLISTIC IMPACT PARAMETERS

MOLECULAR DYNAMICS SIMULATIONS OF THE BALLISTIC TAYLOR TEST ARE USED TO EXPLORE CORRELATION BETWEEN THE LARGEST FRAGMENT MASS AND THE IMPACT ENERGY OF A PROJECTILE AS WELL AS A SET OF SELECTED STATE VARIABLES. FLAT-ENDED, MONOCRYSTALLINE, NANOSCALE BARS COLLIDE WITH A RIGID WALL WITH STRIKING VELOCITIES RANGING FROM 0.27 KM/S TO 60 KM/S. THE INVESTIGATION EMPHASIS IS ON TWO BORDER REGIONS OF THE EMERGING NONLINEAR PHENOMENOLOGICAL MODEL IDENTIFIED WITH TWO TRANSITIONS: THE DAMAGE-FRAGMENTATION TRANSITION AND THE SHATTERING TRANSITION. IN BETWEEN THESE TWO NONLINEAR REGIONS, THE MAXIMUM FRAGMENT MASS IS LARGELY INVERSELY PROPORTIONAL TO THE IMPACT ENERGY, AND THE MAXIMUM VALUES OF THE PRESSURE, TEMPERATURE, AND THE SQUARE OF THE EFFECTIVE STRAIN. A REVERSE-SIGMOID PHENOMENOLOGICAL MODEL IS PROPOSED TO CAPTURE THE UNIFYING FEATURES OF THIS NONLINEAR AND SATURABLE DEPENDENCE. A CRYSTALLOGRAPHIC ORIENTATION DEPENDENCE OF THE DAMAGE-FRAGMENTATION TRANSITION PARAMETERS IS INVESTIGATED.
Evaluation of Alfaglandin C and associated factors on efficiency of cows’ estrus synchronization and artificial insemination in North Shoa Oromia, Ethiopia

Synchronization of estrus involves handling the estrus cycle so that a large number of cows can be bred at approximately the same time. Proper cow/heifer selection as well as efficient coordination are all key elements for the success of synchronization programs which were lacking in the study area. The study was conducted with the objective to evaluate the effect of Alfaglandin C and fixed factors on estrus synchronization and efficiency of Artificial Insemination (AI) in North Shoa zone of the Oromia region. The study population encompassed indigenous and crossbred cows and heifers found in six purposively selected kebeles (smallest administrative unit within a district) from the three selected districts (Wucale, Dagam and Kuyuu). Multistage sampling procedure was used to select target districts, kebeles and experimental cows/heifers. A total of 180 cows and heifers fulfilling estrus synchronization criteria were selected purposively and injected with synchronizing hormone (Alfaglandin C). The level of significance among categorical variables was determined using the chi-square (x2) test. About 70.6% of the cows and heifers injected with Alfaglandin C exhibited estrus. Exhibition of estrus following hormone injection was significantly (p<0.05) lower in Wuchale district compared with that of the other two districts. Likewise, the agroecology, farming system, herd group, and breed had a significant (p<0.05) effect on estrus exhibition. Among cows and heifers inseminated following estrus exhibition, 62.2% conceived as confirmed by pregnancy diagnosis (PD) test conducted at 45-day post AI, which dropped to 58.3% as observed by the PD test conducted three months’ post AI. Agroecology, farming system, herd group, and genotype of cows and heifers showed significant (p<0.05) influence on the conception rate (CR). The highest CR was observed among cows of Kuyuu district, which was significantly (p<0.05) different from that of the other two districts. The overall calving rate was 91.1%. The semi-intensive part of the study also showed better estrus synchronization response and better reproductive performances which directly associated with the management practices. Treating industrial byproducts, better management, and promoting AI can achieve better estrus synchronization and efficiency of artificial insemination. Key words: alfaglandin C, calving rate, conception rate, district, estrus exhibition, pregnancy diagnosis
The Interdependence Between Ease of Doing Business, Innovation, and Competitiveness of Nations

This study aims to assess whether the ease of doing business can be considered as an alternative path (indirect path) between innovation and competitiveness of nations, improving the understanding of the effect transfer between these two variables. The study used exploratory/confirmatory factor analysis and mediation techniques applied to data from 141 countries contemplated in The Global Competitiveness report 2019 by the WEF and Doing Business report 2019 by the World Bank. The results show the mediator role of ease of doing business in the relationship between innovation and global competitiveness. Innovation improves the competitiveness of nations, but rules and regulations can be a barrier to this relationship. Therefore, ease of doing business is an essential element in improving the relationship between innovation and competitiveness, helping policymakers to focus their efforts on ease of doing business aspects in such a way as to enhance the economic process and support investors to make the most appropriate decisions when choosing the countries in which to invest their resources. Complementarily, the study also contributes by pointing out that the current method of calculating the EDB index may not be the most suitable, since it can distort analysis affecting international investment feasibility studies.
Alumina Ceramic Nanofibers: An Overview of the Spinning Gel Preparation, Manufacturing Process, and Application

As an important inorganic material, alumina ceramic nanofibers have attracted more and more attention because of their excellent thermal stability, high melting point, low thermal conductivity, and good chemical stability. In this paper, the preparation conditions for alumina spinning gel, such as the experimental raw materials, spin finish aid, aging time, and so on, are briefly introduced. Then, various methods for preparing the alumina ceramic nanofibers are described, such as electrospinning, solution blow spinning, centrifugal spinning, and some other preparation processes. In addition, the application of alumina ceramic nanofibers in thermal insulation, high-temperature filtration, catalysis, energy storage, water restoration, sound absorption, bioengineering, and other fields are described. The wide application prospect of alumina ceramic nanofibers highlights its potential as an advanced functional material with various applications. This paper aims to provide readers with valuable insights into the design of alumina ceramic nanofibers and to explore their potential applications, contributing to the advancement of various technologies in the fields of energy, environment, and materials science.
Effects of location of excitation on the spiral vortices in the transitional region of a rotating-disk flow

The laminar-turbulent transition of a rotating-disk flow dominated by global instability is studied by solving the full Navier-Stokes equations in direct numerical simulations. A flow field in the 2π/32 region is computed using a periodic boundary condition. The flow field is disturbed in two ways. In the first case, a disturbance is introduced at the Reynolds number, Re≈ 600, while in the second case, a disturbance is introduced at Re≈ 650. In both cases, wall-normal short-duration suction and blowing are used to disturb the flow field. When a disturbance is added upstream at Re≈ 600, the wavenumber 64 component becomes dominant when the flow reaches a steady state, whereas when a disturbance is added downstream at Re≈ 650, the wavenumber 96 component becomes prominent. The transition points are different between the two cases. In addition, in both cases, the distances between neighboring spiral vortices are quite the same when measured at the locations where the turbulence begins.