Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An Empirical Investigation of the Colombian Stock Market Reaction to the US Market: Evidence from a Casewise Bootstrap Approach - Un’analisi empirica della reazione del mercato azionario colombiano al mercato USA

This paper empirically investigates the effect of returns in the US on the returns in Colombia during the period between the Black Friday and the Mortgage Crisis. Monthly data is used. A new method that is robust to non-normality and time-varying volatility is applied. Our empirical findings indicate that the Colombian financial market is significantly affected by the financial market of the US. However, the regression correlation is still less than one implying that international diversification benefits might exist. In addition, it is found that the terrorist attack of September 11 did not result in a significant change in the relationship between the two underlying markets. - In questo lavoro viene effettuata un’analisi empirica circa l’effetto dei rendimenti del mercato azionario USA sui rendimenti in Colombia nel periodo compreso tra il venerdi nero e la crisi dei mutui ipotecari. Si utilizzano dati mensili e si applica un nuovo metodo robusto alla non-normalita e alla volatilita time-varying. I risultati indicano che il mercato colombiano e significativamente influenzato dal mercato USA. Inoltre vi sono evidenze che l’attacco terroristico dell’11 settembre non ha determinato un significativo cambiamento nella relazione tra i due mercati.
Employing Transfer Learning and LSTM Networks for COVID-19 Detection via Chest X-Ray Imagery

The recent emergence of COVID-19 has posed substantial challenges to global health sectors. Given the significant impact of the virus on lung tissues, chest radiography has become a crucial tool in the early screening, detection, and continual monitoring of suspected cases. Among several technologies, X-ray imaging stands as a readily available and promising modality for the diagnosis and prognosis of COVID-19. This study presents a methodology for distinguishing between COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 chest X-ray images, leveraging deep feature extraction and pre-trained Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN). Deep features are extracted using the pre-trained deep CNN models and subsequently fed into a Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) model for end-to-end training. The observational data set comprised 200 X-ray images from non-COVID individuals and 180 from those diagnosed with COVID-19. Image classification was carried out using a variety of models including Visual Geometric Group 16 (VGG16), Visual Geometric Group 19 (VGG19), InceptionV3, Xception, ResNet50, MobileNet, and DenseNet121, yielding average accuracies of 92.7%, 94.46%, 78.1%, 90.6%, 80.7%, 65%, and 93.4% respectively. However, the inclusion of LSTM networks significantly improved the performance of these models in differentiating between COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 cases. This paper conducts a comparative analysis of various CNN models supplemented with an LSTM network, utilizing chest X-ray images. The outcomes of this study suggest that the proposed methodology could potentially aid clinicians in enhancing their diagnostic accuracy concerning COVID-19.
Toward a Novel Thermal-Based Variable Impedance Module Through Adjusting Viscoelastic Properties of a Thermoresponsive Polymer

In this article, we propose a one-of-a-kind thermal-based variable impedance module to be used towards developing a variable impedance actuator. Unlike other variable impedance actuators, where the impedance adjustment modules employ a mechanism to regulate their impedance, this novel module does it through controlling temperature of a thermoplastic polymer Polycaprolactone. The viscoelastic properties of polycaprolactone are temperature-dependent, increasing the rigidity when it is cooling down and softening when it is heating up. To change the temperature, thermo-electric Peltiers are embedded into the design. Preliminary experiments have shown that this module is able to adjust its impedance through changing the temperature. The simplicity and lightness of the proposed off-line impedance adjustment approach make it a suitable choice when the actuator’s size, weight, and compactness are the main concerns. This is because the proposed design is highly scalable, and by scaling down the size of the module, its performance regarding the speed of impedance adjustment would increase.
The Effect of Foreign Direct Investment on Economic Growth

This study examines the causal relationship between FDI and economic growth in selected MENA countries in the period 2005-2010. The results show that FDI has positive and significant effect on economic growth, so that an increase of 1 percent of its value, growth, 0.03 percent increased.
A Journey to a Global Scholar Identity: An Autoethnography of Agricultural and Extension Faculty’s Experiences

Abstract Working in the academy can be a very rewording career, but more and more faculty and graduate students are considering non-academic careers. Understanding the career journey of faculty in academic positions working in international agricultural and extension education (AEE) could be insightful to better understand this niche discipline and be informative to other faculty and graduate students along their own journeys. This article explores the journeys of three faculty members in international AEE. We used an autoethnography to our stories. We are an assistant professor, an associate professor, and a professor. We conducted a focus group and then examined: (a) curriculum vitae, (b) scholarly research, (c) research statements, and (d) teaching philosophies. We found three themes in our journeys: (a) a forked path, (b) peaks and valleys, and (c) navigating beyond – to embrace our professional identities as global scholars in international AEE. Recommendations ae made for AIAEE and other international AEE scholars.
Innovative Teaching Approach Based on Finite Element Technique in Material Mechanics for Vocational Education

This paper proposed an innovative teaching approach based on finite element technique (FET) to improve the understanding of material mechanics. A teaching experiment was conducted using pure bending deformation of a beam as an example, and the deformation and stress distribution of the beam were analyzed using FET. The results showed that using color stress nephograms and color U nephograms can improve students’ learning outcomes in mechanics classroom. The high levels of satisfaction and interest in incorporating new techniques into the classroom suggest that there is a need to explore and develop innovative teaching methods in mechanics and related fields. This approach may inspire educators to develop more effective ways of teaching material mechanics, and our research can contribute to the advancement of mechanics education.
Editorial: A global perspective on diversity in eating disorders

COPYRIGHT © 2023 Paslakis, Dimitropoulos and Halbeisen. 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: A global perspective on diversity in eating disorders
Étude des minéraux magnétiques du site préhistorique de la Caverna delle Fate (Finale, Ligurie, Savona, Italie)

La grotte delle Fate est un site prehistorique date du Pleistocene superieur et localise dans la province de Ligurie, dans le nord de l'Italie. L'etude magnetique du remplissage a permis d'en preciser les caracteristiques. La partie inferieure, formee de niveaux de sables deposes lors de la periode d'activite du karst (intercales avec des niveaux d'argile et de limon), se caracterise par de faibles valeurs des parametres magnetiques. Les oxydes de fer presents y sont essentiellement d'origine detritique, domines par des grains de goethite et de magnetite (de taille MD). Les grains fins (superparama-gnetiques ou SP) sont rares, excepte dans les niveaux argileux, au sein desquels les valeurs des parametres magnetiques sont nettement plus elevees. La partie superieure du remplissage est caracterisee par un arret de la sedimentation de karst actif et la mise en place d'un depot de karst fossile. C'est pendant cette periode que la grotte a ete frequentee par l'homme prehistorique. Dans cette partie, les valeurs des differents parametres magnetiques indi­quent la presence de grains magnetiques de faible champ coercitif et de taille fine (magnetite, maghemite), d'une concentration plus importante que dans la partie inferieure.
Cultural Understanding of Live Streaming E-commerce in Asian markets

Why has live streaming e-commerce become so popular in Asian countries? The advancement of telecommunication technology is insufficient to explain such a regional phenomenon. In this qualitative research, we analyze live streaming videos to discover cultural indicators to give answers to the question. To do so, we identified the features of live streaming e-commerce, such as identification, parasocialization, and community, from a literature review and reinterpreted them to articulate cultural indicators by applying anthropologists’ cultural dimensions. We verified this conceptual methodology through a video analysis method (n=10) based on interpretivism for case study research. We discovered the hidden cultural features such as belongingness, affective engagement, group trust, co-ownership, and so on. The features are consistent with anthropologists’ dimensions of Eastern culture, which indicates that the popularity of live streaming e-commerce is highly related to cultural backgrounds. Marketers can consider the features in developing marketing strategies to be more consumer-culture friendly and systematic.
A Wideband Gap Waveguide-Fed 16-Element Circularly Polarized Patch Antenna Array

This paper presents a design of a <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$4 \times 4$ </tex-math></inline-formula> circularly polarized (CP) patch antenna array based on gap waveguide (GW) sequential feeding network. The proposed antenna single element consists of an aperture coupled circular patch antenna. A two-level sequential feeding network, that is used to enhance the polarization bandwidth, is designed, and investigated. The GW technology is employed to decrease the feeding network loss; and consequently, to achieve a low-loss antenna array. The antenna input port is a standard waveguide (WR-28), and it is coupled to the GW-based feed network using an appropriate transition. The proposed array is printed on RT5880 substrate, (with a relative permittivity of 2.2). The measured and simulated results show that both input <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\vert \text{S}_{11}\vert $ </tex-math></inline-formula> and axial ratio bandwidths are greater than 30% over the frequency range of 25.8-35 GHz. The maximum gain is 18 dBic. The proposed work is considered a great choice for millimeter-wave applications.
Arcabouço para o escalonamento de processos em tempo real para linux embarcado.

A utilizacao do sistema operacional Linux em sistemas embarcados propicia a reutilizacao de uma grande quantidade de aplicativos. Os sistemas embarcados utilizados em sistemas industriais podem requerer o processamento de tarefas em tempo real. No Linux existem varias alternativas para prover a execucao de tarefas em tempo real, mas nenhuma delas atende os requisitos necessarios para ser incorporada oficialmente ao seu nucleo. A integracao das solucoes RT-Preempt e LITMUSrt trata-se de uma alternativa interessante para a provisao de servicos em tempo real no Linux. A primeira trata de problemas como longas secoes criticas com interrupcoes desabilitadas e inversoes de prioridades, enquanto que a segunda introduz algoritmos como o EDF e permite o uso de controladores proporcional integral para o escalonamento de processos em malha fechada. Desta forma, o objetivo deste trabalho e a integracao das solucoes RT-Preempt e do LITMUSrt em um arcabouco que permita o desenvolvimento e execucao de aplicacoes de controle e automacao em uma plataforma embarcada tipica.
Inflammatory Orofacial Pain Activates Peptidergic Neurons and Upregulates the Oxytocin Receptor Expression in Trigeminal Ganglion

The majority of orofacial pain is caused by musculoskeletal and neuropathological diseases related to inflammatory processes that lead even to transcriptional alterations in the trigeminal ganglion (TG) neurons. The hypothalamic nonapeptide oxytocin has been reported to modulate nociception via binding and activating its receptor in primary sensory neurons. The purpose of this study was to analyze the gene expression of the oxytocin receptor (OTR), c-Fos, an indicator of neuronal activity, and α-calcitonin gene-related peptide (αCGRP), a characteristic neurotransmitter of the peptidergic trigeminal primary afferents in an animal model of inflammation-induced orofacial pain. Carrageenan was unilaterally injected into the vibrissal pads of male and female adult Wistar rats. RT-qPCR was performed to analyze the levels of mRNA expression in TGs 24 h after injection. The gene expression analysis revealed higher fold changes regarding the c-Fos (mean ± S.E: ♀: 3.9 ± 0.19; ♂: 3.55 ± 0.18) and αCGRP (♀: 2.84 ± 0.13; ♂: 3.39 ± 0.47) expression levels of mRNA, and a moderate rise in the expression of the OTR mRNA (♀: 1.52 ± 0.07; ♂: 1.49 ± 0.07) was observed in comparison to both vehicle(saline)-treated and untreated controls. Our results furnish evidence for inflammation-induced activation of peptidergic neurons, and it is suggested that oxytocin modulates inflammation-induced nociception by enhancing their signaling capacity due to its elevated expression in the sensory ganglion cells, thus providing new therapies for orofacial pain relief that target the OTRs.
The success of critical velocity protocol on predicting 10000 meters running performance

Background and Study Aim. The study aims to evaluate which of the critical velocity (CV) estimates of the three widely used models and the best-fit model successfully predict the running performance of 10000 meters. Materials and Methods. The group of participants in this study consisted of 11 British endurance athletes. The CV estimations were obtained from the models with the athletes' running velocity and exhaustion times of 1500, 3000, and 5000 meters (m). The information was taken from a website where the results of the British athletes are recorded. In terms of selecting endurance athletes, the data of the athletes who ran 1500 m, 3000 m, 5000 m, and 10000 m in the same two years were included in this study. By fitting the data into mathematical models, the CV estimates of the three mathematical models and the individual best-fit model were compared with the 10000 m running velocity. The CV estimates were obtained by fitting the relevant data on the running velocity, exhaustion time, and running distance of the three running distances of athletes to each of the three mathematical models. Results. 10000 m running velocity and times of the athletes corresponded to 19.65 ± 1.26 km-1 and 30.4 ± 1.94 minutes, respectively. The CV values obtained from the three mathematical models and 10000 m running velocity were similar (p > 0.05). Although the lowest total standard error levels were obtained with the best individual fit method, the 10000 m running velocity was overestimated (p < 0.05). Conclusions. Three mathematical models predicted 10000 meters of race velocity when an exhaustion interval between 2-15 minutes was used. Even though the mathematically most valid CV value was obtained with the best individual fit method, it overestimated the 10000 m running velocity. When comparing the values of CV and the velocity of running 10,000 meters, our study suggests using the linear 1/velocity model. This is because the linear 1/velocity model has the smallest effect size, and there is no statistically significant difference in the total standard error level between the linear 1/velocity model and the best-fit model.
Age of Antibiotic Resistance in MDR/XDR Clinical Pathogen of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Antibiotic resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa remains one of the most challenging phenomena of everyday medical science. The universal spread of high-risk clones of multidrug-resistant/extensively drug-resistant (MDR/XDR) clinical P. aeruginosa has become a public health threat. The P. aeruginosa bacteria exhibits remarkable genome plasticity that utilizes highly acquired and intrinsic resistance mechanisms to counter most antibiotic challenges. In addition, the adaptive antibiotic resistance of P. aeruginosa, including biofilm-mediated resistance and the formation of multidrug-tolerant persisted cells, are accountable for recalcitrance and relapse of infections. We highlighted the AMR mechanism considering the most common pathogen P. aeruginosa, its clinical impact, epidemiology, and save our souls (SOS)-mediated resistance. We further discussed the current therapeutic options against MDR/XDR P. aeruginosa infections, and described those treatment options in clinical practice. Finally, other therapeutic strategies, such as bacteriophage-based therapy and antimicrobial peptides, were described with clinical relevance.
New Chinese-Language Documentaries: Ethics, Subject and Place

1. Introduction: New Chinese-Language Documentaries Part 1: History and Politics 2. The History of Documentary Filmmaking in Mainland China 3. The Vision and Voice of New Taiwan Documentary Part 2: Theory and Ethics 4. Independent Documentary and Social Theories of Space and Locality 5. Subject to Movement: Wu Wenguang and the Ethics of Self Part 3: Subject and Gender 6. New Subjectivities in Women's Documentary Films 7. The Other as Interlocutor: 'Voices of the People' in Taiwan's Documentaries Part 4: Place and Migration 8. Empowering Place: Jia Zhangke's Post-Nostalgic Assemblage of Shanghai 9. Migration Documentaries and the Vision of Cosmopolitanism Part 5: Exhibition and Circulation 10. YIDFF and Taiwan Documentary in the International Arena 11. The Circulation of Mainland Chinese Independent Documentary
Textile templates for ceramic crucibles in early Islamic Akhsiket, Uzbekistan

The FerghanaValley, located in eastern Uzbekistan was an important area of textile production since the beginning of the Common Era. Located on the Silk Road, this area was likely a crossroads of Central Asia, which absorbed eastern and western infl uences. The fi nds of archaeological textiles in Uzbekistan are, however, exceedingly rare. Some of the earliest textiles have been excavated at the Bronze Age site of Sapallitepa in southern Uzbekistan, dated to the 17th- 14th centuries BC (Askarov 1977, 173-174). Numerous silk fragments were found in the Karabulak cemetery in southern Ferghana and date to the last centuries BC and 1st-2nd centuries AD (Litvinskiy 1972, 133- 136). Recently a large number of textiles from the Munchaktepa cemetery near Pap dated to the 5th- 8th centuries AD have been published (Matbabaev and Zhao 2010). The vast majority of the surviving textiles are silks but cott on and wool textiles were also present. On the basis of this material, Matbabaev and Zhao (2010, 227) suggest that silk production in the Fergana Valley was already developed at the beginning of the Common Era under the infl uence of China. Looking at the wider region of Central Asia, most textile scholarship has focused on the often spectacular patt erned silk fi nds (e.g. Schorta 2006 with extensive bibliographies), while litt le is known about the more mundane and utilitarian textiles made of other materials1 . An investigation of a large number of crucibles excavated at Akhsiket, a city in the Ferghana Valley of eastern Uzbekistan dated to the 9th-12th century AD, revealed numerous textile impressions. Olga Papakhristu (1985; 1993) was the fi rst scholar to discover that these crucibles must have been made by means of a textile mould. This paper follows up on her research by looking more closely at the textile impressions left on the crucible fabric, advancing our understanding of a highly standardized, industrial scale manufacture of crucible steel. It further brings into focus textiles used for utilitarian purposes in a region where few textiles have been found.
PowerPhone: Unleashing the Acoustic Sensing Capability of Smartphones

Acoustic sensing on smartphones has gained extensive attention from both industry and research communities. Prior studies suffer from one fundamental limit, i.e., audio sampling rates on smartphones are constrained at 48 kHz. In this work, we present PowerPhone, a software reconfiguration to support higher sampling rates on both microphones and speakers of smartphones. We reverse-engineered more than 100 smartphones and found that their sampling rates can be reconfigured to 192 kHz. We conducted benchmark experiments and showcased field studies to demonstrate the unleashed sensing capability using our reconfigured smart-phones. First, we improve the sensing resolution from 7 cm to 1cm and enable multi-finger gesture recognition on smart-phones. Second, we push the sensing granularity of subtle movements to 2 μm and show the feasibility of turning the smartphone into a micrometer-level machine vibration meter. Third, we increase the sensing range to 6 m and showcase room-scale human presence detection using a smartphone. Finally, we demonstrate that PowerPhone can enable new applications that were previously infeasible. Specifically, we can detect the home appliance status by analyzing ultrasonic leakages above 24 kHz from the wireless charger while charging a smartphone. Our open-source artifacts can be found at: https://powerphone.github. io.
Seasonal and spatial heterogeneity in the limnetic zooplankton community of Lake Mead

Zooplankton samples collected from throughout Lake Mead, in 1981-1982, demonstrate the presence of a statistically significant seasonal and spatial heterogeneity in zooplankton densities. Seasonally, the major zooplankton groups were most abundant in the spring and f a l l , coincident with maxima in chlorophyIl-a concentrations. Successions among the various rotifers, cladocerans and copepods present in the reservoir were influenced by food availability, diapause, predation by planktivorous fish and, possibly, water temperatures. Spatial heterogeneity in zooplankton densities was unrelated to water temperature, pH, conductivity and dissolved oxygen concentrations, but was related to the abundance of phytoplankton (chlorophy! l-a concentrations) and fish. Statisical analyses indicate that a direct relationship between phytoplankton and zooplankton standing crops exists in Lake Mead. This relationship is clearly evident in the coincidence of seasonal and spatial maxima of chlorophyll-a concentrations and zooplankton densities. Comparison of the results of this study with other studies on Lake Mead zooplankton indicate that since 1971, the density of zooplankton in limnetic areas has declined by over 90$. This decline parallels decreases in chlorophyll-a concentrations which have occurred during this same period.