Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Working out the best deal: the role of consumer numerical skills within a grocery shop

PurposePrice promotions are a common tool used by retailers to increase sales. This study aims to investigate the effect of consumer's numerical skills and other demographic characteristics on their ability to determine the best deal when conducting a grocery shop (referred to as deal competency). Design/methodology/approachA consumer survey (n = 308) was conducted online, collecting information about respondent's demographics and grocery shopping behaviours, numerical literacy using the subjective numeracy scale (SNS), and deal competency (a novel measure). Multiple regression analysis and Pearson's correlations were conducted using SPSSv26.FindingsOverall, the mean SNS score for the total sample was 31.47 (SD = 8.27), and the mean sample deal competency score was 13.5 (SD = 2.3). Spearman's correlation analysis identified a moderate significant positive relationship between numerical skills and deal competency, rs(303) = 0.360, p < 0.001. Regression analysis found significant positive relationships between numerical skills and being male, and with mathematical achievement; and between deal competency and age, mathematical achievement and educational achievement. Regarding buying behaviour, correlation analyses identified only one significant relationship between numerical skills (SNS score) and deal competency and variables relating to buying behaviour, namely a negative relationship between deal competency and amount spent on promotional food items in top up grocery shops.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the gap in literature regarding consumer ability to work out the best deal on promotions, presents a novel scale for describing consumer deal competency, and considers the comparative usefulness of using objective and subjective scales in similar studies.
Eucalyptus - part 2: findings from trial plantings, and silvicultural requirements in the British Isles

Despite a long history of growing Eucalyptus species in arboriculture in Britain (Purse and Leslie, 2016), there has been little interest in their potential for forestry until very recently. This situation is in marked contrast to that in many other countries, where many species found various forestry uses, notably for firewood production and for land reclamation (Zacharin, 1978; FAO, 1979). However, they did not become important timber species due to the poor sawmilling properties of trees, which were young compared to old-growth trees used for timber in their native Australia (e.g. Barr, 1996; Santos 1997). This situation changed in many countries with the discovery that certain eucalypts produce excellent quality short-fibre pulp using the Kraft and sulphite chemical processes (Doughty, 2000). There was burgeoning demand for such pulp from the 1950s, and increasingly limited supplies of other suitable hardwood feedstocks, such as birch in Scandinavia and mixed hardwoods in the USA. This led to a surge of commercially-driven research on Eucalyptus, spanning silviculture, genetics, propagation and wood properties. This established that many eucalypts respond well to intensive silviculture, and can produce trees of a size and quality suitable for pulp on rotations of 7-10 years. The approach became known as short rotation forestry (SRF), and is practiced on an immense scale worldwide today, largely by the private sector (Marcus Wallenberg Foundation, 1984; Carle and Holmgren, 2008). The UK never has had a chemical pulp industry, and so these developments had little impact. Small trials of Eucalyptus for forestry in the UK only started in the 1950s (Macdonald et. al., 1957) while the first systematic trials in the UK were in the 1980s (Evans, 1986), although in Ireland trials started earlier in the 20th century (O’Beirne, 1945; Mooney, 1960). Few of these trials were successful, and survival of the trees was frequently poor (Evans, 1980). These findings, coupled with poor timber quality, meant that little interest was generated. An exception was the small commercial coppice plantations supplying the floristry market with cut foliage. These have existed in Britain since the 1960s, mainly in south-west England and in north Wales. Similar plantations were developed in Ireland at this time (Pollock, 1984; Forrest, 2000). In this article we review these and more recent trials in the context of commercial eucalyptus forestry elsewhere in the world, and identify the opportunities and risks that would be associated with undertaking larger-scale plantings of Eucalyptus species in Britain. We have previously discussed the species that are likely to be most suitable for this purpose (Purse and Leslie, 2016).
Post-suburban revitalization?: Redevelopment of suburban business centres in the Frankfurt/Rhine-Main region

This paper focuses on urban revitalization strategies and regeneration of suburban business parks in the Frankfurt/Rhine-Main region in Germany. Due to the polycentric city region’s strong economic development in the past decades, suburban business centres have been developed outside the traditional city cores. Back offices of large banks, foreign companies’ German headquarters and corporate services are often located here. Because these locations have diverse planning and realization periods they show a differentiated picture in terms of building structure, mix of uses or quality of public space. In order to get an overview of specific characteristics of suburban business locations, the paper analyzes these sites in terms of their quality of place and identifies two specific types. This classification is illustrated with two case studies located in Frankfurt and Eschborn.
Coptischinensis Franch root rot infection disrupts microecological balance of rhizosphere soil and endophytic microbiomes

Introduction The ecological balance of the plant microbiome, as a barrier against pathogens, is very important for host health. Coptis chinensis is one of the important medicinal plants in China. In recent years, Illumina Miseq high-throughput sequencing technology was frequently used to analyze root rot pathogens and the effects of root rot on rhizosphere microorganisms of C. chinensis. But the effects of root rot infection on rhizosphere microecological balance of C. chinensis have received little attention. Methods In this study, Illumina Miseq high-throughput sequencing technology was applied to analyze the impact on microbial composition and diversity of C. chinensis by root rot. Results The results showed that root rot infection had significant impact on bacterial α-diversity in rhizome samples, but had no significant effect on that in leaf samples and rhizosphere soil samples, while root rot infection exhibited significant impact on the fungal α-diversity in leaf samples and rhizosphere soil samples, and no significant impact on that in rhizome samples. PCoA analysis showed that the root rot infection had a greater impact on the fungal community structure in the rhizosphere soil, rhizome, and leaf samples of C. chinensis than on the bacterial community structure. Root rot infection destroyed the microecological balance of the original microbiomes in the rhizosphere soil, rhizome, and leaf samples of C. chinensis, which may also be one of the reasons for the serious root rot of C. chinensis. Discussion In conclusion, our findings suggested that root rot infection with C. chinensis disrupts microecological balance of rhizosphere soil and endophytic microbiomes. The results of this study can provide theoretical basis for the prevention and control of C. chinensis root rot by microecological regulation.
The magnitude and determinants of depressive symptoms amongst women in early pregnancy in Southern Nigeria: A cross-sectional study

Background Antenatal depression (AD) is prevalent and associated with adverse pregnancy, maternal and child outcomes, yet no study has addressed its magnitude and predictors in early pregnancy in Nigeria. Aim To determine the prevalence and factors associated with AD in first half of pregnancy. Setting Multicentric health facilities in Southern Nigeria. Methods A multicentric health-facilities-based cross-sectional study was conducted from January to July 2018. Using pretested structure interviewer-administered questionnaires, antenatal depressive symptoms were assessed amongst 511 pregnant mothers with the Edinburg Postnatal Depressive Scale tool. Socio-demographic, socio-economic, clinical, family and social factors were also measured. Descriptive statistics, bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were employed to describe and identify factors associated with AD. Results The prevalence of antenatal depressive symptoms in early pregnancy in this study was 29.4% (95% confidence interval [CI] 26.6–32.9). Factors independently associated with AD were intimate partner violence (adjusted odds ratios [AOR] = 8.10, 95% CI 5.00–13.14), marital dissatisfaction (AOR 5.48, 95% CI 3.48–8.38), poor social support (AOR 4.70; 95% CI 2.99–7.38), past history of depression (AOR 4.67; 95% CI 2.47–8.80), previous pregnancy complication (AOR 2.50, 95% CI 1.57–3.89), low socio-economic status (AOR 2.41, 95% CI 1.61–3.66) and unplanned pregnancy (AOR 2.35, 95% CI 1.47–3.64). Conclusions The prevalence of antenatal depression is high with modifiable risk factors requiring context-specific policies such as provision of family, social and economic support for mothers at the earliest possible contact in the antenatal period.
Research on the Policy Changes of Installing Elevators in Old Residential Communities

This article analyzes the change process of the policy of installing elevators in old residential communities in China, and based on the theoretical analysis framework of the Advocacy Coalition, it analyzes the reasons for the changes in the policy of installing elevators in old residential communities from three aspects: conflicts and collisions of policy propositions among different alliances, boosting of external events and policy learning.
Identification of Novel Indole Derivatives as Potent α-Amylase Inhibitors for the Treatment of Type-II Diabetes Using in-Silico Approaches

The α-amylase is regarded as a promising drug target for diabetes mellitus-type II. Hence, inhibiting α-amylase activity is a potential drug discovery approach for treating this chronic metabolic disorder. The present study explores the structural requirements and understands the inhibition mechanism of the novel developed indole-based derivatives as α-amylase inhibitors through 3D-QSAR, molecular docking, ADMET, and molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. The 3D-QSAR study showed good statistical reliability for two developed predictive models; CoMFA and CoMSIA. Through a deep investigation of docking analysis, detailed interactions with α-amylase of the most active compound 7 were explored. Four new indole derivatives were designed based on the contour maps and docking analysis, with significantly higher inhibitory activity than the molecules in the dataset. The selected molecules were evaluated for pharmacokinetic properties, showing a reasonably good ADMET profile. Furthermore, a 20-ns MD simulation of selected compounds bound to α-amylase was performed to ensure stability during simulation further. Greater stability of the designed molecule-protein complex A1 was found. The present findings shed light on the binding mode and the interactions between newly designed compounds, especially compound A1 and α-amylase and may be beneficial for drug development efforts targeting type-II diabetes.
Recycling of Industrial Waste Gypsum Using Mineral Carbonation

Direct mineral carbonation (MC) is used to mitigate carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. This method has the great advantages of reducing the amount of industrial residues and creating valuable materials by incorporating CO2. Waste gypsum, industrial waste including flue gas desulfurization (FGD) gypsum (25.27–53.40 wt% of CaO), and phosphogypsum (30.50–39.06 wt% of CaO) can be used for direct MC (conversion rate up to 96%). Mineral carbonation converts waste gypsum into calcium carbonate (CaCO3), which can be recycled during desulfurization. Furthermore, ammonium sulfate ((NH4)2SO4), which is used as a fertilizer, can be prepared as a by-product when the carbonation reaction is performed using ammonia (NH3) as a base. In this study, recent progress in the carbonation kinetics and preparation of CaCO3 using FGD gypsum and phosphogypsum with NH3 was investigated. Temperature, CO2 partial pressure, CO2 flow rate, and NH3 concentration were reviewed as factors affecting carbonation kinetics and efficiency. The factors influencing the polymorphs of the prepared CaCO3 were also reviewed and summarized. A state-of-the-art bench-scale plant study was also proposed. In addition, economic feasibility was investigated based on a bench-scale study to analyze the future applicability of this technology.
Systematic review and meta-analysis of C-reactive protein as a biomarker in breast cancer

Abstract Inflammation is an enabling characteristic of the hallmarks of cancer. There has therefore been increasing interest in the clinical value of circulating inflammatory biomarkers in cancer. In this review, we summarize results on C-reactive protein (CRP), alone or as part of the Glasgow Prognostic Score (GPS, composed of CRP and serum albumin), as a biomarker of prognosis or prediction and monitoring of therapeutic response in patients with breast cancer. A systematic literature search was performed in Medline and Embase from 1990 to August 2021. The association of serum CRP and overall survival and disease/progression-free survival was summarized in meta-analyses using a random effects model. The results from a total of 35 included studies (20,936 patients) were divided according to three identified patient settings (metastatic, non-metastatic, and general setting). Most of the studies examined prognostic utility. Several larger studies observed associations between high serum CRP and poor survival, but the meta-analyses suggested a limited value in a non-metastatic and general breast cancer setting (populations with unknown or varied disease stage). In metastatic patients, however, more consistent findings supported an association between serum CRP and prognosis (hazard ratio for overall survival: 1.87 (95% CI 1.31–2.67). Only five studies examined a role in prediction or monitoring of therapeutic response. One study reported a significant association between serum CRP levels and response to chemotherapy. Findings regarding serum CRP as a biomarker in breast cancer appear inconsistent, particularly in non-metastatic and general breast cancer, where the prognostic value could not be confirmed. In patients with metastatic breast cancer we suggest that high serum CRP is an indicator of poor prognosis. Too few studies assessed the role of serum CRP in prediction or monitoring of treatment response to allow conclusions.
Outcomes of intuitive eating interventions: a systematic review and meta-analysis

ABSTRACT Intuitive eating (IE) is an approach to health promotion that fosters a positive relationship with food and the body. The objective of this review was to aggregate and analyse the literature on IE interventions, thereby offering an early investigation of methodological approaches to intervention. This review was conducted in accordance with the preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analysis protocols (PRISMA) guidelines. Searching was conducted in four electronic databases. Studies were eligible for inclusion if they delivered an IE intervention and used the Intuitive Eating Scale (IES). Nine studies were included in this review. Six were eligible for meta-analysis, though only outcomes on the IES were examined; all other measures were examined individually. All interventions led to improvements on measures of IE, with a large pooled effect size (1.50 [1.15, 1.85]) and positive changes on a variety of other outcomes relating to health. This pattern preliminarily suggests that IE interventions change psychological processes as intended and can be useful in promoting health behaviour. The present review offers a synthesis of existing approaches to IE interventions and an evaluation of which specific variants appear to be more effective. This paper provides a basis upon which future interventions can be developed to improve approaches to psychoeducation. Clinical Implications Interventions contributed to improvements in measures of IE lasting up to 6 months. Interventions contributed to positive changes on outcomes such as quality of life, body image, and body appreciation. Self-management through IE-based interventions may be feasible and effective.
Evaluation of Dissolved Greenhouse Gas Profiles in Paddy Fields Irrigated with Treated Sewage Effluent

As the need for sustainable rice cultivation increases, irrigation with treated sewage effluent (TSE) has become a reasonable solution and its impact on the emission of greenhouse gas (GHG), CH 4 and N 2 O, has gained increasing attention. Despite TSE containing dissolved GHGs, previous studies have not focused on the spatiotemporal profile and impact of TSEs on GHG assessments. Therefore, we conducted an experiment with the pilot-scale reactor using TSE irrigation to assess the importance of the dissolved GHG profiles. The TSE originally contained dissolved CH 4 and N 2 O. The results showed that the dissolved CH 4 concentrations in the TSE were higher than those in the paddy fields. Although the TSE contained dissolved N 2 O, it was also produced in the soils. Moreover, microorganisms, such as Candidatus Nitrotoga arctica and Methanospirillum , became dominant species. Our study demonstrates that measuring the spatiotemporal profiles of dissolved GHGs in paddy fields, as well as in TSE, can lead to more reliable GHG monitoring by assessing the dissolved GHGs in the inflow and outflow of paddy fields.
A Cohort Study on the Effect of Parental Mind-Mindedness in Parent−Child Interaction Therapy

Parent−child interaction therapy (PCIT) is a short-term, evidence-based intervention for caregivers with children aged between 2 and 7 who exhibit behavioral problems. PCIT is effective, but has a high attrition rate ranging from 27% to 69%. We hypothesize that a low level of parental mind-mindedness—the parent’s propensity to treat the child as an intentional agent with its own thoughts and emotions—might contribute to premature attrition or cause families to profit less from treatment. To test these hypotheses, we performed a retrospective cohort study in a time-limited, home-based PCIT sample (n = 19) and in a clinic-based PCIT sample (n = 25), to investigate whether parents with a medium-high level of mind-mindedness differ from parents with a medium-low level of mind-mindedness in the outcome measures of PCIT (child’s behavioral problems, parenting skills and stress and mothers’ anxious and depressed symptoms). Furthermore, we examined if mind-mindedness was related to attrition and (for clinic-based PCIT only) number of sessions. Repeated measures ANOVA showed that mothers with a medium-high level of mind-mindedness displayed more improvement in two parenting skills benefiting a positive parent−child interaction. Furthermore, we found a group effect of mind-mindedness in the PCIT-home sample, with mothers with a medium-high level of mind-mindedness showing better results on most outcome measures. Our findings suggest that adding a mind-mindedness improving intervention prior to or during PCIT could benefit mothers with a medium to low level of mind-mindedness.
Novel Pharmaceutical and Nutraceutical-Based Approaches for Cardiovascular Diseases Prevention Targeting Atherogenic Small Dense LDL

Compelling evidence supports the causative link between increased levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (CVD) development. For that reason, the principal aim of primary and secondary cardiovascular prevention is to reach and sustain recommended LDL-C goals. Although there is a considerable body of evidence that shows that lowering LDL-C levels is directly associated with CVD risk reduction, recent data shows that the majority of patients across Europe cannot achieve their LDL-C targets. In attempting to address this matter, a new overarching concept of a lipid-lowering approach, comprising of even more intensive, much earlier and longer intervention to reduce LDL-C level, was recently proposed for high-risk patients. Another important concern is the residual risk for recurrent cardiovascular events despite optimal LDL-C reduction, suggesting that novel lipid biomarkers should also be considered as potential therapeutic targets. Among them, small dense LDL particles (sdLDL) seem to have the most significant potential for therapeutic modulation. This paper discusses the potential of traditional and emerging lipid-lowering approaches for cardiovascular prevention by targeting sdLDL particles.
The adiabatic anti-jitter circuit

The Anti-Jitter Circuit (AJC) uniquely is able to reduce phase noise of any frequency source at sideband frequencies above a defined cut-off frequency. By contrast a Phase Lock Loop (PLL) reduces phase noise closer to carrier lower than a defined frequency. The purpose of this paper is to report several further improvements in the implementation of the AJC in respect of power consumption, frequency range and maximum frequency of operation. The improvements stem mainly from the invention of the adiabatic AJC, which affords significantly enhanced performance over the AJC previously reported. The term "adiabatic" is adopted to indicate that the core part of the new circuit does not require a power supply. It takes power from the input source directly to create the sawtooth waveform that has considerably reduced time jitter on the longer of its two ramp waveforms. This paper also reports work that FET (CMOS) technology in general is to be preferred to bipolar technology for the AJC. Discrete models are now operational at 30 MHz, which is twice the 15 MHz operation previously reported. The cut-off frequency of suppression has been maintained at a few kHz. Noise analysis now shows performance comparable to an LC oscillator is possible. SPICE simulations show potential operation up to 5 GHz The AAJC is also cascadable up to the intrinsic shot noise limit. Shot noise can be reduced by feedback.
A Conveyable Ecg Monitoring Application With Advanced Memory Based Technique

A portable ECG monitoring system capable of implementing filter functionality with memory based APC and OMS technique is discussed. This can be used to evaluate the computation time, power, and area occupation of the filter component. This system identifies the cardiograph disease based on signal wavelength within nanoseconds. The proposed adaptive FIR filter is designed by using the direct realization of the filter. Reduction of power consumption is achieved in the proposed design by using a fast bit clock for carry-save accumulation and a much slower clock for all other operations. The design involves the same number of multiplexors, smaller LUT, and nearly half the number of adders compared to the existing DA-based design. Best recording quality of the ECG system is achieved by using noise analysing outputs.