Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Relationship Between Students ' Perceptions of Academic Support and Their Willingness to Seek Support

The purpose of this study was to examine how students’ perceptions of academic support impact their willingness to seek support from an academic support center at a small, faith-based, liberal arts university. Eight students were interviewed for the study, with an even divide of four students who had voluntarily sought academic support and four nonsupport-seeking students enrolled in an individualized probationary course. A major finding related to the importance of developing need recognition for academic support among individual students. Research showed that students’ perceptions of academic support were closely tied to their perceived need of services. It was also clear that positive academic support experiences bred positive student perceptions and a willingness to seek support in the future. Implications for future practice include further utilization and assessment of the university’s probationary course format and further examination of student need recognition for academic support services.
The onset of transient turbulence in minimal plane Couette flow

The onset of transient turbulence in minimal plane Couette flow has been identified theoretically as homoclinic tangency with respect to a simple edge state for the Navier–Stokes equation, i.e., the gentle periodic orbit (the lower branch of a saddle-node pair) found by Kawahara & Kida (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 449, 2001, pp. 291–300). The first tangency of a pair of distinct homoclinic orbits to this periodic edge state has been discovered at Reynolds number $Re\equiv Uh/\unicode[STIX]{x1D708}=Re_{T}\approx 240.88$ ( $U$ , $h$ , and $\unicode[STIX]{x1D708}$ being half the difference of the two wall velocities, half the wall separation, and the kinematic viscosity of fluid, respectively). At $Re>Re_{T}$ a Smale horseshoe appears on the Poincaré section through transversal homoclinic points to generate a transient chaos that eventually relaminarises. In numerical experiments a sustaining chaos, which is a consequence of period-doubling cascade stemming from the upper branch of another saddle-node pair of periodic orbits, is observed in a narrow range of the Reynolds number, $Re\approx 240.40$ –240.46. At the upper edge of this $Re$ range it is found that the chaotic set touches the lower branch of this pair, i.e., another edge state. The corresponding chaotic attractor is replaced by a chaotic saddle at $Re\approx 240.46$ , and subsequently this saddle touches the gentle periodic edge state on the boundary of the laminar basin at the tangency Reynolds number $Re=Re_{T}$ . After this crisis on the boundary of the laminar basin, for $Re>Re_{T}$ , chaotic transients that eventually relaminarise can be observed.
Subthalamic nucleus neuronal firing rate increases with Parkinson's disease progression

Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive loss of dopaminergic cells in the central nervous system, in particular the substantia nigra, resulting in an unrelenting loss of motor and nonmotor function. Animal models of Parkinson's disease reveal hyperactive neurons in the subthalamic nucleus that have increased firing rates and bursting activity compared with controls. Although subthalamic nucleus activity has been characterized in patients with advanced‐stage Parkinson's disease, it has not been described in patients with early‐stage Parkinson's disease. Here we present the results of subthalamic nucleus neuronal recordings from patients with early‐stage Parkinson's disease (Hoehn and Yahr stage II) enrolled in an ongoing clinical trial compared with recordings from age‐ and sex‐matched patients with advanced Parkinson's disease. Subthalamic nucleus neurons had a significantly lower firing rate in early versus advanced Parkinson's disease (28.7 vs 36.3 Hz; P < .01). The overall activity of the subthalamic nucleus was also significantly lower in early versus late Parkinson's disease, as measured by background neuronal noise (12.4 vs 14.0 mV; P < .05). No significant difference was identified between groups in the bursting or variability of neuronal firing in the subthalamic nucleus, as measured by a burst index or the interspike interval coefficient of variability. The results suggest that neuronal firing in the subthalamic nucleus increases with Parkinson's disease progression. © 2011 Movement Disorder Society
An Analysis of Mesoscale Convective Systems Observed during the 1992 Tropical Cyclone Motion Field Experiment

Abstract : An analysis of two tropical Mesoscale Convective Systems (MCS) observed during the Tropical Cyclone Motion - 92 (TCM-92) mini-field experiment is accomplished. A discussion of TCM-92, its primary and secondary missions, and the resulting data sets is provided. Primary data sets for the two cases include high-density (one minute) WC-130 aircraft data, 44 omega dropwindsondes and visual and infrared (IR) geostationary satellite imagery. The observed characteristics exhibited by the tropical MCSs of the two cases are related to the hypothesized characteristics of midlatitude MCSs as suggested by Frank and Chen (1991), Raymond and Jiang (1990), Hertenstein and Schubert (1991), Menard and Fritsch (1989) and others. Thus, the goal of the analyses is to document, for the first time, the horizontal and vertical scales in terms of the expected structure and evolution of the tropical MCS. The MCSs of the two cases were in the mature and decaying stages of the convective life cycle. Mid-level (500 mb) vortices that are apparently created in the stratiform rain regions of the MCSs are clearly discernable in the wind fields. In both cases, these vortices are seen to build upward to 300 mb or originate higher than the 500 mb surface. Downward translation of the vortex to 700 mb is evident in both aircraft and satellite data m one case. Convective signatures in the temperature and dewpoint fields are not as significant as the wind fields. Because signatures are observed in the synoptic scale, such as anticyclonic outflow in the MCS regions, these systems apparently were significant mesoscale features of sufficient intensity and duration to alter the large-scale regime for over 24 h. Tropical Mesoscale Convective Systems, Tropical Cyclone.
A little less Arctic : top predators in the world's largest northern inland sea, Hudson Bay

Dedication. - Introduction. - 1. Physical, chemical, and biological conditions of the Hudson Bay marine region. - 2. Changing Sea Ice Conditions in Hudson Bay, 1979-2005. - 3. Importance of eating capelin: Unique dietary habits of Hudson Bay beluga. - 4. Migration route and seasonal home range of the Northern Hudson Bay narwhal (Monodon monoceros). - 5. Polar bear ecology and management in Hudson Bay in the face of climate change. - 6. The rise of killer whales as a major Arctic predator. - 7. Hudson Bay ringed seal: ecology in a warming climate. - 8. Past, present, and future for bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) in northwest Hudson Bay. - 9. Effects of climate change, altered sea-ice distribution and seasonal phenology on marine birds. - 10. Temporal trends in beluga, narwhal and walrus mercury levels: links to climate change. - 11. Hudson Bay ecosystem: Past, present, and future. - 12. Population genetics of Hudson Bay marine mammals: current knowledge and future risks. - 13. Understanding and managing wildlife in Hudson Bay under a changing climate: Some recent contributions from Inuit and Cree ecological knowledge. - 14. The future of Hudson Bay: New directions and research needs. - Index
A Distributed Power Allocation Scheme for Base Stations Powered by Retailers with Heterogeneous Renewable Energy Sources

Owing to the intermittent power generation of renewable energy sources (RESs), future wireless cellular networks are required to reliably aggregate power from retailers. In this paper, we propose a distributed power allocation (DPA) scheme for base stations (BSs) powered by retailers with heterogeneous RESs in order to deal with the unreliable power supply (UPS) problem. The goal of the proposed DPA scheme is to maximize our well‐defined utility, which consists of power satisfaction and unit power costs including added costs as a non‐subscriber, based on linear and quadratic cost models. To determine the optimal amount of DPA, we apply dual decomposition, which separates the master problem into sub‐problems. Optimal power allocation from each retailer can be obtained by iteratively coordinating between the BSs and retailers. Finally, through a mathematical analysis, we show that the proposed DPA can overcome the UPS for BSs powered from heterogeneous RESs.
Action of calcium antagonists and agonists on isolated human thoracic arteries used for coronary artery bypass grafting

Background: The goal of this study was to investigate the modulation of the contraction-relaxation effects in isolated human thoracic artery samples of three calcium-channel antagonists, amlodipine (CAS [88150-42-9]), cerebrocrast (CAS [118790-71-9]) and diltiazem (CAS [42399-41-7]), and two calcium-channel agonists, CGP 28392 (CAS [89289-93-0]) and benzimidazole derivative. To estimate the endothelial function of the artery samples, carbachol, an agonist of muscarinic receptors, was used. Methods: The experiments were conducted on isolated human thoracic artery samples, and their isometric contractions were recorded using an i-FOT10 force transducer. Cumulative concentration-contraction curves of the tested agents (107 to 104 M) were established. Results: Carbachol at concentrations of 107 to 106 M did not cause any relaxation of artery rings precontracted by 104 M phenylephrine, and at concentrations of 105 and 104 M, isometric contractions increased by 7% and 20%, respectively. In response to amlodipine, cerebrocrast and CGP28392, the contraction of artery samples increased significantly, whereas diltiazem and benzimidazole derivative caused their relaxation by ~55%. Conclusion: The obtained data indicate that the endothelium of the thoracic artery, which is used for coronary artery bypass grafting, is damaged by and may have some influence on the inadequate response of 1,4-dihydropyrine type calcium-channel antagonists.
Randomization tests of causal effects under interference

Many causal questions involve interactions between units, also known as interference, for example between individuals in households, students in schools, or firms in markets. In this paper we formalize the concept of a conditioning mechanism, which provides a framework for constructing valid and powerful randomization tests under general forms of interference. We describe our framework in the context of twostage randomized designs and apply our approach to a randomized evaluation of an intervention targeting student absenteeism in the school district of Philadelphia. We show improvements over existing methods in terms of computational and statistical power.
Effect of a specific composition of short- and medium-chain fatty acid 1-Monoglycerides on growth performances and gut microbiota of gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata)

In aquaculture research, one important aim of gut microbiota studies is to provide the scientific basis for developing effective strategies to manipulate gut microbial communities through the diet, promoting fish health and improving productivity. Currently, there is an increasing commercial and research interest towards the use of organic acids in aquafeeds, due to several beneficial effects they have on growth performance and intestinal tract’s health of farmed fish. Among organic acids, monoglycerides of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs) have attracted particular research attention also for their bacteriostatic and bactericidal properties. Accordingly, the present study aimed to evaluate the potential beneficial effects of SCFA and MCFA monoglycerides, used as a feed additive, on fish growth performance, and intestinal microbiota composition. For this purpose, a specific combination of short- and medium-chain 1-monoglycerides (SILOhealth 108Z) was tested in 600 juvenile gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata) of about 60 g mean initial weight that were fed for 90 days with plant-based diets. Two isoproteic and isolipidic diets were formulated. The control fish group received a plant-based diet, whereas the other group received the same control feed, but supplemented with 0.5% of SILOhealth 108Z. The Illumina MiSeq platform for high-throughput amplicon sequencing of 16S rRNA gene and QIIME pipeline were used to analyse and characterize the whole microbiome associated both to feeds and S. aurata intestine. The number of reads taxonomically classified according to the Greengenes database was 394,611. We identified 259 OTUs at 97% identity in sea bream fecal samples; 90 OTUs constituted the core gut microbiota. Firmicutes, Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria represented the dominant phyla in both experimental groups. Among them, relative abundance of Firmicutes and Proteobacteria were positively and negatively affected by dietary SCFA monoglycerides supplementation, respectively. In summary, our findings clearly indicated that SILOhealth 108Z positively modulated the fish intestinal microbiota by increasing the number of beneficial lactic acid bacteria, namely, Lactobacillus, and reducing Gammaproteobacteria, which include several potential pathogenic bacteria. The specific composition of 1-monoglycerides of short- and medium-chain fatty acids contained in SILOhealth 108Z could thus have a great potential as a feed additive in aquaculture.
Study on resonant high-acceleration calibration system

High-acceleration vibrations have a strong effect on parts damage and engine life in the aerospace field. Demand for high-acceleration vibration calibration devices is urgently required. In this paper, a set of resonant high-acceleration calibration system was established. This system generates high-acceleration based on the principle that the resonant beam reaches its natural frequency at the outside frequency to amplify the acceleration amplitude. Experimental results show the system can achieve accurate calibration of sensors at high-acceleration.
CURRENT STATUS OF HIV VACCINATION STRATEGY AND ITS IMPLICATION ON A DEVELOPING COUNTRY LIKE INDIA- A MINI-REVIEW.

a low cost, powerful and safe HIV vaccine yet till now nothing substantial has come up. India with its immense populace of HIV positive patients is also taking a functioning part in this procedure. This review hereby provides a concise story of the currently adopted strategies involved in developing an effective HIV vaccine and also about the role played by India in this global effort.
Analysis fire patterns and drivers with a global SEVER-FIRE v1.0 model incorporated into dynamic global vegetation model and satellite and on-ground observations

Abstract. Biomass burning is an important environmental process with a strong influence on vegetation and on the atmospheric composition. It competes with microbes and herbivores to convert biomass to CO2 and it is a major contributor of gases and aerosols to the atmosphere. To better understand and predict global fire occurrence, fire models have been developed and coupled to dynamic global vegetation models (DGVMs) and Earth system models (ESMs). We present SEVER-FIRE v1.0 (Socio-Economic and natural Vegetation ExpeRimental global fire model version 1.0), which is incorporated into the SEVER DGVM. One of the major focuses of SEVER-FIRE is an implementation of pyrogenic behavior of humans (timing of their activities and their willingness and necessity to ignite or suppress fire), related to socioeconomic and demographic conditions in a geographical domain of the model application. Burned areas and emissions from the SEVER model are compared to the Global Fire Emission Database version 2 (GFED), derived from satellite observations, while number of fires is compared with regional historical fire statistics. We focus on both the model output accuracy and its assumptions regarding fire drivers and perform (1) an evaluation of the predicted spatial and temporal patterns, focusing on fire incidence, seasonality and interannual variability; (2) analysis to evaluate the assumptions concerning the etiology, or causation, of fire, including climatic and anthropogenic drivers, as well as the type and amount of vegetation. SEVER reproduces the main features of climate-driven interannual fire variability at a regional scale, for example the large fires associated with the 1997–1998 El Niño event in Indonesia and Central and South America, which had critical ecological and atmospheric impacts. Spatial and seasonal patterns of fire incidence reveal some model inaccuracies, and we discuss the implications of the distribution of vegetation types inferred by the DGVM and of assumed proxies of human fire practices. We further suggest possible development directions to enable such models to better project future fire activity.
Effet de la salinité sur la compétition entre le roseau (Phragmites australis) et les quenouilles (Typha spp.)

Since its introduction in northeastern North America, common reed (Phragmites australis) has rapidly invaded drainage ditches along all major highways, often replacing the formerly abundant cattails (Typha spp.). It has often been hypothesized that de-icing salt was responsible for this rapid invasion. This thesis attempted to verify this hypothesis by using an experimental approach in which common reed and cattails were planted together to measure their relative competitiveness at three salinity levels. The conductivity of soils in drainage ditches was also measured during the growing season. Calculated competition indices indicated that seedlings and isolated clones of both species are of similar competitiveness in freshwater and saline water. In colonies, the common reed is already more competitive at zero salinity and maintains its advantage at higher salinity levels. In all the experiments, the saline stress had a more negative direct effect on cattails than on common reeds. Key-words: common reed, cattail, interaction, interspecific competition, competition index, stress, salinity, de-icing salt, highway, drainage ditch, macrophyte, development stage, seedling, colony.
Estructura y evolución reciente de las ventajas comparativas de México y de sus estados

espanolEmpleando el indice de Yu, Cai y Leung (2009) y regresiones galtonianas, se estudia la estructura de ventajas comparativas de Mexico y sus estados. Los resultados permiten ver que existen posibilidades de incrementar el comercio interindustrial con paises con estructuras de ventajas comparativas diferentes a la de Mexico. Si bien los flujos de exportaciones mexicanas han crecido notablemente en los ultimos veinte anos, la evolucion de su estructura exportadora ha cambiado poco. A nivel estatal, la nueva informacion oficial de exportaciones revela cambios importantes en la estructura de ventajas comparativas en algunos estados, y tambien pone en evidencia que los sectores con ventaja comparativa concentran, en la mayoria de las entidades, altos porcentajes de la produccion, el empleo y el activo fijo totales, de los subsectores que participan en la exportacion. EnglishUsing the Yu, Cai and Leung (2009) index and Galtonian regressions, the structure of comparative advantages of Mexico and its states is studied. The findings allow us to see that there are possibilities of increasing inter-industry trade with countries that have structures of comparative advantages different from those of Mexico. Although the flow of Mexican exports has grown significantly over the past 20 years, its export structure has evolved little. At the state level, new official information on exports reveals significant changes in the structure of comparative advantages in some states, and that the sectors with comparative advantages are, in the majority of states, ones concentrating high rates of production, employment and total fixed assets of the subsectors involved in exporting.
Climate Change in the Western United States Grape Growing Regions

Climate is a pervasive factor in the viability of all forms of agriculture and is never more important than with the cultivation of grapes for the production of wine. In the Western United States grapes are grown over an extensive north-south gradient of climate types. In addition, grapevines are typically grown in regions and under conditions that are considered narrow for a specific cultivar’s optimum quality, ultimately putting it at a greater potential risk from climatic variations and change. Therefore, to examine the structure, variability, and trends in climate in the Western United States, this research analyzes growing season average temperatures and degree-days, annual and seasonal frost frequencies, the dates of last spring and first fall frost occurrence, and the length of the frost-free period for the principal grape growing regions in California, Oregon, and Washington from 1948-2002. Results reveal that, on average, most regions have experienced warmer growing seasons, driven mostly by changes in minimum temperatures, with greater heat accumulation, a decline in frost frequency that is most significant in the spring, earlier last spring frosts, later first fall frosts, and longer frost-free periods. While many of these trends may have been beneficial to grape growing and wine production in these regions, an examination of possible future climate change in these same regions indicates an average growing season warming of 1.7°C in the next 50 years. Depending on the seasonal structure and magnitude of climate change in the future, important issues for the wine industry include potential shifts in regional varietal viability and achieving optimum varietal ripeness and wine balance in a warmer environment.
Širjenje mestnega območja v Evropi: trajnostni razvoj, "(anti)urbane kulture" in "hibridne krajine/tvorbe"

This paper has its origins in a comparative research project examining aspects of urban sprawl in Europe undertaken within the 5.FP EU. The project Urban Sprawl: European Patterns, Environmental Degradation and Sustainable Development (URBS PANDENS EVK4-CT- 2001-00052) sought to understand recent trends in urban sprawl in a number of case study urban regions and to advise the European Commission on policy development with regard to the control, management and amelioration of the effects of urban sprawl.
Parents' Knowledge, Attitudes and Beliefs of Childhood Fever Management in Jordan: a Cross-Sectional Study

Recommended Citation Athamneh, Liqa; El-Mughrabi, Marwa; Athamneh, Mohmmad; Essien, E James; and Abughosh, Susan (2014) "Parents' Knowledge, Attitudes and Beliefs of Childhood Fever Management in Jordan: a CrossSectional Study," Journal of Applied Research on Children: Informing Policy for Children at Risk: Vol. 5 : Iss. 1 , Article 8. Available at: https://digitalcommons.library. tmc.edu/childrenatrisk/vol5/iss1/8
Duality methods for barrier-type solutions to the Skorokhod embedding problem

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