Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Government effectiveness and child development in lowmiddle income countries: COVID-19 pre-pandemic time

Introduction: The effect of the COVID- 19 pandemic on the development of children is still uncertain; therefore, it is essential to estimate their development status in the time before the pandemic. The sustainable development goals favor all the resources and strategies to stimulate early childhood development. Government effectiveness is the central axis of developing such actions, policies, and procedures. Methods: We used the early child development module and index from national health surveys (MICS) of 33 countries to calculate the children on track. We also use the World Bank Governance Index, specifically the effective governance score. In addition, we carry out analysis with ArcGIS and GeoDa software to evaluate geographic correlations between the variables studied and identify geographic patterns of child development levels and effective governance. Pearson and Spearman correlation tests were performed in Stata 15.1 software. Results: We studied children from 33 low and middle-income countries; from 7 world regions. Thailand (91.1%) and Turkmenistan (90.7%) have the highest percentages of child development and the lowest in Burundi (39.6%). The lowest value on GE estimate is in Burundi (-1.3), and the highest in the Democratic Republic of Korea (1.0). In the GE Rank, the highest values are again in Korea (82.1%), and the lowest in Haiti (0.9%). The correlation grade between ECDI and GE Estimate was moderate positive (0.522, P-0.001, Correlation Spearman test), similarly to (0.518, P-0001, Pearson correlation test). The general spatial pattern prevails that the African regions present low government effectiveness and early child development scores, positively correlated in this study. Conclusions: With the most up-to-date data reported by countries, it is possible to establish the level of child development before 2019, the year in which the COVID-2019 pandemic began. Studies must be carried out during and after the pandemic to develop the direct and indirect damage received by children in the dimensions of development, in which the government response is decisive.
Modelling of a tunable and room temperature operable mid-infrared photodetector using graphene nanoribbons

Room temperature-operable mid-infrared (MIR) photodetectors have drawn significant attention due to their potential applications in imaging, security and sensing. The unique and tunable optoelectronic properties of graphene make it an attractive platform for designing tunable and broadband photodetectors. This work demonstrates a tunable mid-infrared photodetector using Graphene Nanoribbons (GNR) operated in the 5 – 12 μm range. We used the tunable plasmonic properties of graphene nanoribbons to model the photodetector. We numerically compute the generation rate using the plasmon-enhanced optical absorption in the GNR. We show a peak extinction of ~35% in the structure with GNR of width 50 nm and Fermi energy 0.3 eV is due to plasmonic resonances. The computed generation rate determines the photoresponse current in the GNR-based FET. The proposed structure shows a ~ 40-fold improvement in the peak photoresponse current in patterned structure over unpatterned structure in the wavelength 5 – 12 μm. Hence the tunable plasmonic resonances and the width dependent bandgap of GNRs enable the realization of room-temperature operable broadband MIR photodetector.
Localized Downscaling of Urban Land Surface Temperature - A Case Study in Beijing, China

High-resolution land surface temperature (LST) data are essential for fine-scale urban thermal environment studies. Urban LST downscaling studies mostly remain focused on only two-dimensional (2-D) data, and neglect the impact of three-dimensional (3-D) surface structure on LST. In addition, the choice of window size is also important for LST downscaling over heterogeneous surfaces. In this study, we downscaled Landsat-LST using localized and stepwise approaches in a random forest model (RF). In addition, both 2- and 3-D building morphologies were included. Our results show that: (1) The performances of a local moving window and stepwise downscaling are dependent on the extent of surface heterogeneity. For mixed surfaces, a localized window performed better than the global window, and a stepwise approach performed better than a single-step approach. However, for monotonous surfaces (e.g., urban impervious surfaces), the global window performed better than a localized window; (2) That multi-scale geographically weighted regression (MGWR) could provide a possibility for selection of the optimal moving window. 7 × 7 windows derived from MGWR by the minimum bandwidth of predictors, performed better than other windows (3 × 3, 5 × 5, and 11 × 11) in the Beijing area; (3) That the morphology of buildings has a non-negligible impact and scaling effect on urban LST. When building morphologies were included in downscaling, the performance of the RF model improved. Furthermore, the importance of the sky view factor, building height, and building density was greater at a higher resolution than at a lower resolution.
Biophysical Model: A Promising Method in the Study of the Mechanism of Propofol: A Narrative Review

The physiological and neuroregulatory mechanism of propofol is largely based on very limited knowledge. It is one of the important puzzling issues in anesthesiology and is of great value in both scientific and clinical fields. It is acknowledged that neural networks which are comprised of a number of neural circuits might be involved in the anesthetic mechanism. However, the mechanism of this hypothesis needs to be further elucidated. With the progress of artificial intelligence, it is more likely to solve this problem through using artificial neural networks to perform temporal waveform data analysis and to construct biophysical computational models. This review focuses on current knowledge regarding the anesthetic mechanism of propofol, an intravenous general anesthetic, by constructing biophysical computational models.
Evolution and functional diversification of R2R3-MYB transcription factors in plants

Abstract R2R3-MYB genes (R2R3-MYBs) form one of the largest transcription factor gene families in the plant kingdom, with substantial structural and functional diversity. However, the evolutionary processes leading to this amazing functional diversity have not yet been clearly established. Recently developed genomic and classical molecular technologies have provided detailed insights into the evolutionary relationships and functions of plant R2R3-MYBs. Here, we review recent genome-level and functional analyses of plant R2R3-MYBs, with an emphasis on their evolution and functional diversification. In land plants, this gene family underwent a large expansion by whole genome duplications and small-scale duplications. Along with this population explosion, a series of functionally conserved or lineage-specific subfamilies/groups arose with roles in three major plant-specific biological processes: development and cell differentiation, specialized metabolism, and biotic and abiotic stresses. The rapid expansion and functional diversification of plant R2R3-MYBs are highly consistent with the increasing complexity of angiosperms. In particular, recently derived R2R3-MYBs with three highly homologous intron patterns (a, b, and c) are disproportionately related to specialized metabolism and have become the predominant subfamilies in land plant genomes. The evolution of plant R2R3-MYBs is an active area of research, and further studies are expected to improve our understanding of the evolution and functional diversification of this gene family.
Assessment of Functional Performance in Children with Cerebral Palsy Receiving Treatment in a Day Care Facility: An Observational Study

Background The study assessed changes in functional performance of children with cerebral palsy (CP), immediately following treatment and 2 months later, in addition to investigating the relationship between therapy effect and sex, age, or comorbidities. Material/Methods Functional performance of 32 children with spastic diplegia CP, aged 9–16 years, was assessed for: 1) manual function (Box and Block test), motor capacities (Gross Motor Function Measure), sensory capacities (Finger Identification [FI] and Localisation of Tactile Stimuli test [LTC]), and 2) activity and participation, ie, independence in essential and more complex daily activities (Barthel Index; Paediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory). Measurements were conducted before the start (Month 0), immediately after 6-month rehabilitation program (Month 6), and following a 2-month period with no therapy, ie, 8 months after baseline measurement (Month 8). Results Comparison of Month 0 and Month 6 scores showed significant differences (P<0.001) in all measures. However, Month 8 scores were significantly worse in all the measures, except for sensory capacities assessed using FI and LTC (P<0.001). Conclusions Functional performance of children with CP was positively affected by 6-month therapy, but 2 months later these effects significantly deteriorated, except for the sensory capacities. This suggests that therapy focusing on functional performance should be included as a permanent component of rehabilitation programs. These findings may be important for clinical practice as they show that therapy of children with CP should be continuous and systematic, and this should be taken into account by those designing therapeutic programs.
Effects of Multimedia Video Projection on Undergraduate Students’ Achievement and Retention in Quantitative Economics in the Universities in Gombe State, Nigeria

This study was design to determine the effects of multimedia video projection on undergraduates’ students’ achievement and retention in quantitative Economics in Universities in Gombe State, Nigeria. Three research questions and two null hypotheses guided the study. Quasi-experimental research design specifying pretest posttest control group design was adopted for the study. The study was conducted in Federal University Kashere and Gombe State University, Gombe. Quantitative Economics Achievement Test (QEAT) designed by the researcher and validated three experts from Federal University, Kashere, Gombe State was the instrument used for the data collected for the study. The reliability coefficient of the instrument was determined to be 0.74 through Kudder-Richardson 20 (KR-20) statistics. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer research questions; while Analysis of Covariance was used to test the null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study revealed that multimedia projection approach is more efficacious in enhancing students’ achievement and retention in quantitative Economics than lecture method. There is no statically significant difference in achievement in Quantitative Economics by male and female students who were taught using multimedia video projection approach. Based on the findings, it was recommended that the use of multimedia projection should be encouraged in teaching Quantitative Economics in tertiary institutions and that is use should be popularized through workshops, seminars and conferences.
To Evaluate the Surgical Outcome of Epiretinal Membrane Retrospective Study

The epiretinal membrane (ERM) is a common vitreoretinal intersurface disorder in elderly individuals. The objective of the study was to evaluate the outcome of vitreoretinal surgery in patients with epiretinal membrane. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of thirteen eyes of 12 patients with ERM with mean age group of 63 ± 6.07 (53 – 73) years who underwent vitreoretinal surgery in Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology and completed at least 3 month postoperative follow up from April 2018 to March 2019. The patients’ pre- and post-operative best corrected visual acuity, slit-lamp examination findings, and optical coherence tomography (OCT) images were evaluated. Three cases were pseudophakic. Out of 10 phakic eyes, 7 had combined surgery and 3 had consecutive surgery (Pars Plana Vitrectomy followed by cataract surgery). The median baseline best corrected visual acuity in Log MAR was was 0.7 (0.6-1.00) which improved to 0.30 (0.25-0.60) in 3 month follow up which was statistically significant (p-0.04). OCT parameters showed decrease in mean CMT from 411.15± 94.52 µm to 318.61 ±118. 87µm (p - 0.002). One eye developed inferior retinal detachment at 6 weeks follow up, two eyes had postoperative IOP >30mmHg which was managed with topical anti-glaucoma medication and two had persistent cystoid macular edema. Pars plana vitrectomy with membrane peeling is safe and effective in restoring visual acuity in patients with ERM. Though the study population was small with short duration of follow up, results are encouraging, so need further prospective large multi-centered study to determine the effectiveness of ERM surgery
Quint-Mode Square Ring Resonators and It’s Applications to Various Bandpass Filters

A new type of quint-mode square ring resonator is proposed in this paper. Due to the symmetry of the resonator, the classical odd- and even-mode method is used to analyze the characteristics of the proposed resonator ,which shows that it has five resonant modes and three transmission zeros. As an example, a dual-band BPF with central frequencies (CFs) at 1.78/3.04 GHz and 3-dB fractional bandwidths (FBWs) of 10.1/18.1% is designed and fabricated. By tuning the widths of the microstrip sections, we can control the bandwidth of the second passband of the above BPF on a large scale and two single band bandwidth controllable BPFs with FBWs of 19.86% and 15.9% and CFs both at 3.5 GHz are designed and fabricated. In addition, asymmetric interdigital coupled line (AICL) is utilized to general proper couplings in these filters. What’s more, the five TPs can be divided into three groups by the TZs as the lengths of the specific microstrip sections changes. Therefore, we design a dual-band BPF with good band-in-band isolation between first and second passbands, which is better than that with 26.3 dB. All of the BPFs in this paper are fabricated on the Rogers 4003C substrate with h=0.508 mm, er=3.38 and tanδ=0.0027. The results of the simulation and measurement are in good agreements.
Classification of tablet formulations by desorption electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry and transmission Raman spectroscopy

Discrepancies or defects in active ingredients, excipients and coatings that form solid oral dosage forms can both impact product quality and provide hallmarks of off‐brand or counterfeit products. There is therefore a need for rapid and continuous analytical techniques that can assess and classify product differences of intact samples at or near the production line, or in analytical labs, ideally without resorting to product dissolution. Here we test the ability of two rapid ambient chemical characterisation methods to discriminate between solid dosage forms: Desorption electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry (DESI MS) and transmission Raman spectroscopy. These two techniques are highly complementary, offering greater sensitivity to the analysis of the surface and the tablet bulk, respectively. The data sets generated were then used to test a variety of classification algorithms including linear discriminate analysis (LDA), tree‐based methods, a simple neural network, and support vector machines (SVM). The highest performing algorithms for DESI MS were the SVM, with an additional performance boost when used with a polynomial kernel. For transmission Raman data, an LDA model was found to be the most effective.
Secondary ESL Teachers Use of Google Classroom during COVID-19 Pandemic

Education means of delivery has been transformed from in person to online learning because of COVID-19. This study assesses factors influencing the use of Google Classroom (GC) in four northern states located in Peninsula Malaysia for lessons during the COVID-19 pandemic among secondary ESL educators. A non-experimental design was employed. Primary data collected from a self-administered online questionnaire were analysed descriptively in a general survey of trends, involving 103 survey respondents (i.e., teachers). The findings of this study will allow Malaysian education stakeholders to understand the factors influencing the use of GC in schools to enable appropriate decisions about its use among teachers. It will also assist Malaysia's Ministry of Education in formulating policies relating to the use of GC and assist administrators of secondary schools in making decisions on the type of infrastructure and technical support needed. To evaluate the factors affecting GC used for instructions, a longitudinal study is recommended as such study will indicate whether longer periods of instructions result in better use of GC or not. This study extends significance in the field of instruction for teachers since it can be used to perform additional studies to increase the use of GC by teachers. To better evaluate the power of GC’s instructions or other learning management systems in advancing virtual instruction prowess, a potential global expansion of this study should be performed.
Metabolomic Mechanisms of Radix Fici Hirtae against Carbon Tetrachloride-Induced Acute Liver Damage in Mice

Background Radix Fici Hirtae (RFH), known as Cantonese ginseng, is an alternative folk medicine that is widely used to treat various diseases in southern China. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect and metabolic mechanisms of pretreatment with RFH on the serum metabolic profiles of carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) induced acute liver injury in mice. Methods Mice fed with the water extract of RFH at a dose of 1.5 g/kg and 0.75 g/kg for consecutive 7 days, and then serum samples were taken for the metabolomic analysis. Furthermore, the bioinformatics and pathways analysis were measured. Results The UHPLC-Orbitrap/MS based-metabolomic analysis identified 20 differential metabolic markers in serum of CCl4-induced liver injury mice compared to that of the normal controls, which were mainly related to the metabolism of amino acids and fatty acids. Furthermore, most of these biomarkers contributing to CCl4 induction were ameliorated by RFH, and the bioinformatics and pathways analysis revealed that therapeutic actions of RFH were mainly involved in the regulation of the oxidative stress responses and energy homeostasis. Conclusion These findings provide potential metabolic mechanism for future study and allow for hypothesis generation about the hepatoprotective effects of Radix Fici Hirtae.
Clinical Application of C-TIRADS Category and Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound in Differential Diagnosis of Solid Thyroid Nodules Measuring ≥1 cm

Background The aim of this study was to investigate the performance of Chinese Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (C-TIRADS) category combined with contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in diagnosing thyroid cancer. Material/Methods From October 2020 to March 2021, 116 thyroid nodules from 113 patients who underwent conventional ultrasound and CEUS examinations at the General Hospital of Northern Theater Command were reviewed. In the conventional ultrasound examination, thyroid nodules were categorized by C-TIRADS. The nodules were reclassified based on CEUS scoring, then a combined diagnosis was made. The pathological results were taken as the criterion standard. To compare the diagnostic performance of the 3 methods according to the receiver operating characteristic curves produced for thyroid nodules. Results After chi-square test, the 7 characteristics of enhancement patterns, internal homogeneity, wash-in, wash-out, ring enhancement, morphology, and contrast agent retention characteristics (CAR) were statistically different between malignant and benign tumors; A high diagnostic performance was demonstrated by C-TIRADS combined with CEUS in diagnosing thyroid cancer. The area under the curve (AUC), the sensitivity, and the specificity of C-TIRADS combined with CEUS for diagnosing thyroid cancer were 0.918 (95% CI: 0.852–0.961), 80.9% (95% CI: 69.1–89.8%), and 90.6% (95% CI: 79.3–96.9%), respectively. The AUC of C-TIRADS alone was significantly lower than that of C-TIRADS combined with CEUS (P=0.0056), while there was no significant difference between CEUS and C-TIRADS combined with CEUS (P=0.59). Conclusions The combined method of C-TIRADS and CEUS, with reduced rate of thyroid nodule biopsy and clinical application value, has higher diagnostic accuracy than the single diagnosis method.
Influencing the undergraduate built environment curricula through stakeholder understandings of built environment employability skills

The aim of this project is to uncover new insights and understanding of Higher Education (HE) built environment employability skills. To assimilate the project findings within a built environment employability skills compass model developed as a key output of this project and promulgate the findings to enrich current thinking between stakeholders and apply this new knowledge within university pedagogy and across a wider community. In particular, reporting the opinions and interpretations of stakeholders surrounding their understanding of employability skills for a built environment undergraduate. Conduct research and literature review on the subject of employability skills. Disseminate findings within industry and academia at regional, national and transnational levels. The project uses a qualitative dual methodology was adopted; Firstly a phenomenological methodology encapsulating the rich expressive and emotional language. Secondly spirit of action research methodology facilitating numerous access and departure points within the project investigations. Using preliminary research located within various levels and modes of discreet inquiries, incorporating early reconnaissance field work investigations and group forum interventions. At the heart of the project investigation a series of thirty semi-structured interviews undertaken during 2011-2015 with key stakeholders. Contributions are gathered from a range of key stakeholders; academics, employers, policymakers/politicians, professional bodies, career advisors and graduates predominately but not exclusively within the West Midlands conurbation, with the results identified a disparity and gap in knowledge and understanding surrounding built environment employability skills. In particular, the research located and disseminated novel insights and shared agreements behind how HE curricula can be better informed and how shared ownership can contribute to the design of curricula. Pockets of shared understanding were revealed and an inner core of rich employability skills that external stakeholders believe set individuals apart from others were discovered. The findings have encouraged rich exchanges and increased levels of engagement between academics, practitioners and stakeholders; removing the fear behind ownership and shared responsibility of built environment curricula design. A key output of the project was the creation and development of a built environment employability skills compass tool and the findings situated within the compass have assisted with the modification and enrichment of HE teaching within architecture and the built environment curricula and have provided meaningful impact, evidenced by feedback received from employers who have commented on the increased levels of employability skills that graduates of (2013-15) possess as they leave the University of Wolverhampton into the world of work.