Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Social Media Effects on Academic Performance: Perceptions of Prospective Teachers

In today's modern society, technological advancement wrought the mosaic of social media. The evolved platform of social media has gained more currency and significance in everybody’s life. Social media is a platform for global communication, information sharing, and interaction among individuals and groups. This study aimed to explore the perceptions of prospective teachers of social media's effects on the academic performance of undergrads, strategies that improve academic performance, and the coping strategies that offset the negative influence of social media. In methodology, applying constructivist and interpretivist philosophical stances, the qualitative case study design was adopted. The sample was selected through a purposive sampling technique. The data collection was sourced from focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews. The data analysis was achieved by adopting within and cross-data thematic analysis processes. The study findings showcased social media’s dual influences on the academic performance of prospective teachers. The finding also suggested that social media serves as a platform to socialize and indirectly improve academic excellence. Time and mind management surfaced as key coping strategies to deter the negative influences of social media. The findings imply that students are now mentally more inclined to exploit social media offerings; however, in the absence of a proper support system, students and teachers will fail to tap into media technology and receive updates for teaching and learning. The recommendation necessitates that students maximize social media use to optimize academic activities that strengthen academic performance.
Gait monitoring system based on plastic optical fiber integrated with smartphone

This paper demonstrates a portable optical sensor for human gait monitoring. The device is based on a smartphone and POF sensor specifically designed for use in shoe insoles. The monitoring of multiple sensors by a single smart device is achieved by image segmentation based on Voronoi tessellation, as this work describes in detail. Experimental tests performed with the sensor have demonstrated its ability to provide information on spatial and temporal parameters of gait as well as pressure at different plantar loci.
What Is the Value of a “Mountain Product” Claim? A Ranking Conjoint Experiment on Goat’s Milk Yoghurt

Rural development is complex in marginal and disadvantaged areas, such as mountains, which impose high labour costs and restrict farmers in their choices of crop and livestock. To recognise this problem, the European Union regulates the use of the optional quality term “Mountain product” on the label. Consumers may recognise this label and be more willing to pay for it, resulting in higher revenues for producers using it. This study estimates the willingness to pay (WTP) for a mountain quality label. This WTP is then compared to that of functional and nutrition claims. For this purpose, we used a ranking conjoint experiment, using goat’s milk yoghurt—a typical mountain product—as a case study. Using a rank-ordered logit, we show that mountain quality labels generate a significant WTP, higher than that of functional claims. WTP differs by the demographic profile of the consumer. The study provided useful insights about the combination of the mountain quality label with different attributes. However, future studies are needed to adequately understand the potential of mountain certification as a supporting tool for farmers in marginal areas and for rural development.
Plasmonic Biosensor on the End-Facet of a Dual-Core Single-Mode Optical Fiber

Optical biosensors target widespread applications, such as drug discovery, medical diagnostics, food quality control, and environmental monitoring. Here, we propose a novel plasmonic biosensor on the end-facet of a dual-core single-mode optical fiber. The concept uses slanted metal gratings on each core, interconnected by a metal stripe biosensing waveguide to couple the cores via the propagation of surface plasmons along the end facet. The scheme enables operation in transmission (core-to-core), thereby eliminating the need to separate the reflected light from the incident light. Importantly, this simplifies and reduces the cost of the interrogation setup because a broadband polarization-maintaining optical fiber coupler or circulator is not required. The proposed biosensor enables remote sensing because the interrogation optoelectronics can be located remotely. In vivo biosensing and brain studies are also enabled because the end-facet can be inserted into a living body, once properly packaged. It can also be dipped into a vial, precluding the need for microfluidic channels or pumps. Bulk sensitivities of 880 nm/RIU and surface sensitivities of 1 nm/nm are predicted under spectral interrogation using cross-correlation analysis. The configuration is embodied by robust and experimentally realizable designs that can be fabricated, e.g., using metal evaporation and focused ion beam milling.
Geometry design based on target-oriented seismic illumination analysis

After the conventional seismic acquisition geometry design, the weak illumination areas (shadow zones) on the target layer can be determined through 3D geological modeling and seismic illumination analysis related to the designed geometry. This paper presents a method to optimize the design, which utilizes the surface ray amplitude density map to locate the initial infill shots on surface that illuminate the shadow zones. The map is produced by the ray-tracing from the weak illumination areas on the target to the surface. The optimal infill shots can then be determined by the weighted factor and illumination mean square error. The optimized design obtained by combining the conventional survey and the optimal infill shots integrates the advantages of the surface shooting with the ones of the target reflector shooting. With minimum infill shots, the illumination effect on the weak illumination areas is improved, the wave energy on the target layer is as uniformly distributed as possible, and the pre-stack depth migration imaging is then improved. Meanwhile, optimized infill shots facilitate field operation.
Role of managerial innovativeness for small Finnish firms' product and market performance

PurposeSuccessful firms are important sources of productivity, employment and economic stability in societies. As the micro-level origins of firm innovations are increasingly attracting attention amongst innovation scholars, the purpose of this study is to investigate the role of managerial innovativeness, i.e. small firm managers' innovative behaviour for firm performance. Specifically, the present study investigates managerial innovativeness as a predictor of small firms' product innovativeness and market performance.Design/methodology/approachThis research model suggests that managerial innovativeness is positively linked to firms' market performance and that product innovativeness partially mediates the relationship between managerial innovativeness and market performance. The model was tested using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) with a dataset (N = 93) collected from small logistics firms in South-Eastern Finland.FindingsThe findings support the authors' hypotheses and show that managerial innovativeness had a direct effect on firms' product innovativeness and market performance. The authors also found that firms' product innovativeness mediated the relationship between managerial innovativeness and firms' market performance.Originality/valueThis is one of the few studies that shed light on and show that managerial innovativeness is significantly and positively related with small firms' product innovativeness and market performance, whereas earlier research tended to focus on managers' personalities, traits, characteristics or managerial actions, leaving managerial innovativeness unexplored.
Entanglement in the XZ spin chain model in the external magnetic field

The entanglement at zero-temperature is studied in a two-qubit XZ spin-1/2 chain model in an external magnetic field which is applied in the z direction. We have obtained an analytical relation for the effect of the external magnetic field on the concurrence. It is shown that the ground state of the system depends on the strength of exchange coupling. We have shown that the analytical relation of the concurrence is independent of Jz. It is shown that for Jz >0 the concurrence is depended on the critical value of the external magnetic field and it is changed at the critical external magnetic field. Also we have shown that for h hc, the concurrence decreases by increasing the external magnetic field. For Jz <0, the concurrence decreases by increasing the external magnetic field.
Decreased miR-451a in cerebrospinal fluid, a marker for both cognitive impairment and depressive symptoms in Alzheimer's disease

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients are often accompanied by depressive symptoms, but its underlying mechanism remains unclear. The present study aimed to explore the potential role of microRNAs in the comorbidity of AD and depression. Methods: The miRNAs associated with AD and depression were screened from databases and literature and then confirmed in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of AD patients and different ages of transgenic APP/PS1 mice. AAV9-miR-451a-GFP was injected into the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) of APP/PS1 mice at seven months, and four weeks later, a series of behavioral and pathological analyses were performed. Results: AD patients had low CSF levels of miR-451a, which was positively correlated with the cognitive assessment score, but negatively with their depression scale. In the mPFC of APP/PS1 transgenic mice, the miR-451a levels also decreased significantly in the neurons and microglia. Specific virus vector-induced overexpression of miR-451a in the mPFC of APP/PS1 mice ameliorated AD-related behavior deficits and pathologies, including long-term memory defects, depression-like phenotype, β-amyloid load, and neuroinflammation. Mechanistically, miR-451a decreased the expression of neuronal β-secretase 1 of neurons through inhibiting Toll-like receptor 4/Inhibitor of kappa B Kinase β/ Nuclear factor kappa-B signaling pathway and microglial activation by inhibiting activation of NOD-like receptor protein 3, respectively. Conclusion: This finding highlighted miR-451a as a potential target for diagnosing and treating AD, especially for those with coexisting symptoms of depression.
Road Infrastructure and Primate Conservation: Introducing the Global Primate Roadkill Database

Simple Summary When wildlife cross roads, they risk fatality due to collisions with automobiles and motorbikes. As road infrastructure networks rapidly expand globally, especially in the tropics and subtropics, primates are increasingly at risk from these collisions. We created the Global Primate Roadkill Database (GPRD) as a comprehensive standardized repository to document incidents of primates killed by vehicular collisions. For each primate roadkill event, we recorded the species, location, and the year and month the incident was observed. As of February 2023, we collated over 2800 roadkill incidents, involving at least 107 primate species, from 41 countries. The lack of data from a large number of primate range countries did not necessarily indicate that primate roadkill events do not occur there, but more likely reflects underreporting. Given the value of these data for addressing both local and global research questions, we encourage conservationists and citizen scientists to contribute to the GPRD so that, together, we can better understand the impact road infrastructure has on primates. Abstract As road infrastructure networks rapidly expand globally, especially in the tropics, previously continuous habitats are being fragmented, resulting in more frequent wildlife–vehicle collisions (WVC). Primates are widespread throughout many sub-/tropical countries, and as their habitats are fragmented, they are increasingly at risk of WVC. We created the Global Primate Roadkill Database (GPRD), the largest available standardized database of primate roadkill incidents. We obtained data from published papers, un-published and citizen science databases, anecdotal reports, news reports, and social media posts. Here, we describe the collection methods for the GPRD and present the most up-to-date version of the database in full. For each primate roadkill incident, we recorded the species killed, the exact location, and the year and month the roadkill was observed. At the time of publication, the GPRD includes 2862 individual primate roadkill records from 41 countries. As primates range in more than twice as many countries, the absence of data from these countries is not necessarily indicative of a lack of primate vehicular collisions. Given the value of these data for addressing both local and global research questions, we encourage conservationists and citizen scientists to contribute to the GPRD so that, together, we can better understand the impact road infrastructure has on primates and evaluate measures which may help mitigate risk-prone areas or species.
Observations of Three-Dimensional Radiative Effects that Influence MODIS Cloud Optical Thickness Retrievals

Abstract When cloud properties are retrieved from satellite observations, current calculations apply one-dimensional (1D) theory to the three-dimensional (3D) world: they consider only vertical processes and ignore horizontal interactions. This paper proposes a novel approach that estimates 3D effects in cloud optical thickness retrievals. The proposed method combines visible and thermal infrared images to see whether 3D radiative effects make clouds appear asymmetric—that is, whether cloud surfaces tilted toward the sun are systematically brighter than surfaces tilted away from it. The observed asymmetries are then used to estimate 3D effects for 1-km-size pixels as well as 50-km-size areas. Initial results obtained for Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) images reveal that 3D effects cause abundant uncertainties in the 1-km-resolution 1D retrievals. Averaging over 50 km by 50 km areas greatly reduces the errors but does not remove them completely. Conservative estimates show that the m.
Dietary Lactobacillus reuteri SL001 Improves Growth Performance, Health-Related Parameters, Intestinal Morphology and Microbiota of Broiler Chickens

Simple Summary Recent research studies have revealed that probiotics such as Lactobacillus are good antibiotic alternatives in the poultry industry. We previously isolated Lactobacillus reuteri SL001 from the gastric contents of rabbits and proved that dietary inclusion of SL001 could positively improve the composition of the intestinal bacterial community in Alzheimer’s disease model mice. In the present study, we explored the effects of dietary SL001 on growth performance, health-related parameters, intestinal morphology and microbiota of broiler chickens. Our results showed that SL001 supplementation in diets promoted the growth performance of broilers, strengthened immunity, and improved antioxidant stress as well as intestinal morphology and microbiota, implying its potential application in boiler feeding. Abstract It was assumed that dietary inclusion of Lactobacillus reuteri SL001 isolated from the gastric contents of rabbits could act as an alternative to feed antibiotics to improve the growth performance of broiler chickens. We randomly assigned 360 one-day-old AA white-feathered chicks in three treatments: basal diet (control), basal diet plus zinc bacitracin (antibiotic), and basal diet plus L. reuteri SL001 (SL001) treatment. The results showed the total BW gain and average daily gain (ADG) of broilers in SL001 treatment increased significantly (p < 0.05, respectively) compared with the control group from day 0 to 42. Moreover, we observed higher levels of immune globulins in both the SL001 group and the antibiotic group. Total antioxidant capacity and levels of antioxidant factors were also significantly increased (p ≤ 0.05, respectively) in the SL001 treatment group, while the interleukin 6, interleukin 4, creatinine, uric acid, total cholesterol, triglyceride, VLDL, LDL and malondialdehyde were remarkably decreased (p < 0.05, respectively). In the ileum of SL001 treatment broilers, the height of villi and the ratio of villi height to crypt depth were significantly increased (p < 0.05). Meanwhile, the crypt depth reduced (p < 0.01) and the ratio of villi height to crypt depth increased (p < 0.05) in the jejunum compared to the control. The abundance of microbiota increased in the gut of broilers supplemented with SL001. Dietary SL001 significantly increased the relative abundance of Actinobacteria in the cecal contents of broilers (p < 0.01) at the phylum level. In conclusion, L. reuteri SL001 supplementation promotes the growth performance of broiler chickens and exhibits the potential application value in the industry of broiler feeding.
Binding energies and structures of two-dimensional excitonic complexes in transition metal dichalcogenides

The stochastic variational method is applied to excitonic formations within semiconducting transition metal dichalcogenides using a correlated Gaussian basis. The energy and structure of twoto six-particle systems are investigated along with their dependence on the effective screening length of the two-dimensional Keldysh potential and the electron-hole effective mass ratio. Excited state biexcitons are shown to be bound, with binding energies of the L = 0 state showing good agreement with experimental measurements of biexciton binding energies. Ground and newly discussed excited state exciton-trions are predicted to be bound and their structures are investigated.
Layout Optimization of FBG Sensor for Aluminum Alloy Beam Based on MOLA Multiobjective Optimization Algorithm

Optimizing sensor layouts for global strain detection of complex structures is a great challenge due to irregular shapes and complex loads. By combining global search and trajectory search, a multiobjective optimization method (MOLA) for sensor configuration is proposed. The optimization objectives are the number of sensors and the eigenvalue vector product (EVP). The EVP is the best performance index selected by the Pareto frontier solution and hypervolume (HV) judging from seven common indicators, and the optimization function is constructed to obtain the best sensor layout. The load–strain linear superposition method is used to reconstruct the strain field with the high-speed train beam structure as the research object. Simulation and experimental results show that the optimization effect of this method is better than that of MOPSO, which provides a new perspective for the optimal layout of sensors for structural health monitoring (SHM).
On the Cohomology of Compact Homogeneous Spaces of Nilpotent Lie Groups

As part of the general problem of investigating the topological structure of homogeneous spaces of non-compact Lie groups, A. Malcev [7]2 obtained the following results. Any homogeneous space of a connected nilpotent Lie group is the topological product of an euclidean space and a compact space which is itself a homogeneous space of a certain connected nilpotent Lie group. If the homogeneous space is compact, it can be expressed in the form 9I = 3/T where 5 is a simply connected nilpotent Lie group and Z a discrete subgroup. Recently, Y. Matsushima [8] has proved that the cohomology groups H*(9) (with real coefficients) of the homogeneous space 9I are isomorphic with the cohomology groups H* (g) of the Lie algebra g of 5 for dimensions r = 1 and 2. The first and main purpose of the present paper is to establish the isomorphism of these cohomology groups for every dimension r. Indeed, we shall prove Theorem 1 which gives a canonical isomorphism of the cohomology algebras H*(9)) and H*(g). As corollaries we obtain a few results on the Euler characteristic and Betti numbers of compact homogeneous spaces of nilpotent Lie groups, which are similar to known results concerning homogeneous spaces of compact Lie groups. It also follows that a homogeneous space of a connected nilpotent Lie group is always orientable. For the homogeneous spaces of compact Lie groups we have the well known theory of invariant integrals of E. Cartan, namely, the cohomology of a homogeneous space of a compact Lie group can be obtained from the complex of invariant differential forms on it (for example, [4], Chapter I, Theorem 2.3). The second purpose of this paper is to show that, in the notation 9 = = / as above, the complex of invariant differential forms on 91 is isomorphic with the complex of invariant cochains of the Lie algebra g (Theorem 2). Then we shall give a very simple example to the effect that the theory of invariant integrals does no longer hold for compact homogeneous spaces of non-compact Lie groups. Such examples do not seem to have been known. For the proof of Theorem 1 we need some fundamental concepts and results in the cohomology theory of principal fiber bundles as well as the theory of differential sequences in the sense of Leray and Koszul. In ? 2 we shall give those concepts which are necessary for our purpose and prove a lemma from which Theorem 1 can be easily derived. The formulation and proof of Theorem 1 to-
Adaptive Neyman Allocation

In experimental design, Neyman allocation refers to the practice of allocating subjects into treated and control groups, potentially in unequal numbers proportional to their respective standard deviations, with the objective of minimizing the variance of the treatment effect estimator. This widely recognized approach increases statistical power in scenarios where the treated and control groups have different standard deviations, as is often the case in social experiments, clinical trials, marketing research, and online A/B testing. However, Neyman allocation cannot be implemented unless the standard deviations are known in advance. Fortunately, the multi-stage nature of the aforementioned applications allows the use of earlier stage observations to estimate the standard deviations, which further guide allocation decisions in later stages. In this paper, we introduce a competitive analysis framework to study this multi-stage experimental design problem. We propose a simple adaptive Neyman allocation algorithm, which almost matches the information-theoretic limit of conducting experiments. Using online A/B testing data from a social media site, we demonstrate the effectiveness of our adaptive Neyman allocation algorithm, highlighting its practicality especially when applied with only a limited number of stages.
On the Cauchy problem for semilinear elliptic equations

Abstract We study the Cauchy problem for nonlinear (semilinear) elliptic partial differential equations in Hilbert spaces. The problem is severely ill-posed in the sense of Hadamard. Under a weak a priori assumption on the exact solution, we propose a new regularization method for stabilising the ill-posed problem. These new results extend some earlier works on Cauchy problems for nonlinear elliptic equations. Numerical results are presented and discussed.
Lactic Acidosis: A Novel Presentation of Intravascular Lymphoma

Intravascular large B-cell lymphoma (IVLBCL) is a rare form of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma that preferentially grows intravascularly within the capillaries and often has a fatal course. Most of the patients have advanced and disseminated disease at the time of presentation. It is often arduous to make the diagnosis during the antemortem period due to the multitude of presenting symptoms. We report a case of aggressive IVLBCL which presented with a myriad of complaints and acidosis and had a rapid clinical decline.