Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Switch or Stay? Applying a Push–Pull–Mooring Framework to Evaluate Behavior in E-Grocery Shopping

This study investigates the antecedents of the intention to switch to e-grocery shopping during the COVID-19 pandemic, which is critical in recommending that e-grocery shopping service providers improve their competitiveness by responding to customer expectations. This study proposes a push–pull–mooring framework to describe the influence of dissatisfaction on the physical market, the attractiveness of e-grocery, and switching costs as factors that drive switching intentions. This study surveyed 252 Indonesians aware of the existence of an e-grocery mobile application, and applied structural equation modeling as an analytical method to explain causal relationships between variables thought to influence switching intentions to e-grocery shopping. The results showed that the attractiveness of e-grocery had a significant effect on switching intention. Likewise, switching costs ultimately drive customer intention to switch to e-grocery shopping. However, dissatisfaction is not a driving factor directly affecting switching costs and intentions. Finally, e-grocery services cannot replace the local tradition of Indonesian people who prefer to shop for groceries in physical markets. Nevertheless, these findings provide theoretical and practical contributions to retail grocery businesses that have integrated conventional and digital services as a future strategy that drives business sustainability.
Social media discontinuance: the salient roles of dark side and regret

ABSTRACT This study examines why some social media users choose to stop using these platforms, despite their widespread popularity. The research suggests that negative experiences associated with social media, which is referred to as the dark side of social media, can lead to feelings of regret and a desire to discontinue use. Privacy controls are also found to be important factors in users' decisions to discontinue using social media. Using case studies and an interpretive approach, the study proposes a new theoretical model for understanding social media discontinuance intention. It shows that regret is influenced by the dark side of social media that includes cyberbullying, misinformation, information overload, misuse, and online social stress. Regret and privacy control both influence discontinuance intention. In addition, the model identifies privacy controls as mitigating tools for regret, and summarizes privacy control types and methods that can alleviate the effects of dark side.
Relationship between Financial Literacy and Behavior of Small Borrowers

Financial literacy is an emerging and common concept both of education and finance. In general, the concept is important for every ones who has to manage the money; the concept plays vital role for low income people and small borrowers in particular. The small borrowers are those who borrow a limited amount of money from the licensed financial institutions. The borrowers are small on the basis of their credit limits determined by Nepal Rastra Bank. In this study, financial literacy, as one of the significant factors to determine the financial behavior of small borrowers, was measured to establish the relationship to each other. In this paper, the level of financial literacy of small borrowers was compared with their financial attitude and behavior, for which data were collected from survey of small borrowers of two cooperatives licensed by Nepal Rastra Bank. Chi-square test was applied to test the hypothesis that showed the relationship between these selected variables. The analysis showed that the relationship of financial literacy of small borrowers was significant with their financial attitude and behavior. Hence, we argue that that there is a need of a systematic enhancement of financial literacy of the small borrowers to change their attitude and thereby the financial behavior.
Facial nerve palsy following parotid gland surgery: A machine learning prediction outcome approach

Abstract Introduction Machine learning (ML)‐based facial nerve injury (FNI) forecasting grounded on multicentric data has not been released up to now. Three distinct ML models, random forest (RF), K‐nearest neighbor, and artificial neural network (ANN), for the prediction of FNI were evaluated in this mode. Methods A retrospective, longitudinal, multicentric study was performed, including patients who went through parotid gland surgery for benign tumors at three different university hospitals. Results Seven hundred and thirty‐six patients were included. The most compelling aspects related to risk escalation of FNI were as follows: (1) location, in the mid‐portion of the gland, near to or above the main trunk of the facial nerve and at the top part, over the frontal or the orbital branch of the facial nerve; (2) tumor volume in the anteroposterior axis; (3) the necessity to simultaneously dissect more than one level; and (4) the requirement of an extended resection compared to a lesser extended resection. By contrast, in accordance with the ML analysis, the size of the tumor (>3 cm), as well as gender and age did not result in a determining favor in relation to the risk of FNI. Discussion The findings of this research conclude that ML models such as RF and ANN may serve evidence‐based predictions from multicentric data regarding the risk of FNI. Conclusion Along with the advent of ML technology, an improvement of the information regarding the potential risks of FNI associated with patients before each procedure may be achieved with the implementation of clinical, radiological, histological, and/or cytological data.
On fuzzy filters of Heyting-algebras

The concept of fuzzy filter of Heyting-algebras was introduced and some important properties were discussed. Some special kinds of fuzzy filters were defined and we prove that fuzzy Boolean filter is equivelent to fuzzy implicative filter in Heyting-algebras. And the relation among the fuzzy filters were proposed.
Differential equation and complex network approaches for epidemic modelling

This study consists of three parts. The first part focuses on bifurcation analysis of epidemic models with sub-optimal immunity and saturated treatment/recovery rate as well as nonlinear incidence rate. Different from classical models, suboptimal immunity models are more realistic for modelling the spread of the microparasitic infectious diseases such as Pertussis and Influenza A. By carrying out the bifurcation analysis, we find that for certain values of the model parameters, Hopf bifurcation, Bogdanov-Takens bifurcation and its associated homoclinic bifurcation occur. From the bifurcation curves established, one can predict the persistence or extinction of the diseases. The second part of the research focuses on the problem of estimating the domain of attraction (DOA) for compartmental ordinary differential equation epidemic models. Determination of the domain of attraction for epidemic models is important for understanding the dynamic behaviour of the spread of diseases as a function of the initial population distribution. In this work, we focus on the suboptimal immunity models investigated in the first part of this thesis. The theories of autonomous dynamical systems are utilized for the analysis, and a procedure has been established successfully to determine the maximal Lyapunov function in the form of rational functions and consequently the DOA. In the third part of the research, we develop a bond percolation model for community clustered networks with an arbitrarily specified joint degree distribution. Our model is based on the probability generating function (PGF) formalism for
Detection of high-energy gamma-ray emission from the BL Lacertae object Markarian 421 by the Egret telescope on the Compton Observatory

Gamma radiation in the energy range from 50 MeV to well over 1 GeV has been observed from the direction of the BL Lac object Markarian 421 by the Energetic Gamma Ray Experiment Telescope on the Compton Observatory during the period 1991 June 27-July 11. The source flux is weak, but still statistically significant at the level of 10 exp -5; the integrated photon flux above 100 MeV is (1.4 +/- 0.3) x 10 exp -7/sq cm s. The differential photon energy spectrum can be represented by a power law with exponent 1.96 +/- 0.14. This is the first detection of gamma-ray emission from a BL Lac object.
Anti-Obesity Effects of Dietary Fibers Extracted from Flaxseed Cake in Diet-Induced Obese Mice

Although many efforts have been made to characterize the functional properties of flaxseed, knowledge concerning the properties of insoluble and soluble dietary fibers in flaxseed is still limited. Here, insoluble and soluble dietary fibers were extracted from flaxseed cake—a valuable resource that has not been fully exploited. Subsequently, their monosaccharide compositions, structural properties, and anti-obesity effects in male mice were characterized. The anti-obesity effects of flaxseed cake insoluble dietary fiber (FIDF), flaxseed cake soluble dietary fiber (FSDF), and FIDF combined with FSDF in diet-induced obese mice were investigated in our study. Supplementation with FSDF alone or FIDF and FSDF together lowered the fat accumulation, improved the serum lipid profile, increased the basal metabolism, and improved the gut microbiota of obese mice. Supplementation with FIDF and FSDF together significantly enriched the abundance of g_Akkermansia and g_Bifidobacterium, which are negatively associated with obesity. Supplementation with FIDF alone improved the liver lipid profile, raised the basal metabolism, and enhanced the short-chain fatty acid levels in the guts of the mice. In conclusion, our results collectively support the therapeutic potential of FIDF and FSDF in obesity treatment and indicate that FIDF and FSDF play different roles in the process of obesity treatment. Furthermore, our results provide critical information for flaxseed cake resource exploitation.
3-D tissue-engineered epidermis against human primary keratinocytes apoptosis via relieving mitochondrial oxidative stress in wound healing

The tissue-engineered epidermal (TEE), composed of biocompatible vectors and autogenous functional cells, is a novel strategy to solve the problem of shortage of donor skin sources. The human primary keratinocyte (HPK), the major skin components, are self-evident vital in wound healing and was considered as one of the preferred seed cells for TEEs. Since the process of separating HPKs from the skin triggers a stress state of the cells, achieving its rapid adhesion and proliferation on biomaterials remains challenging. The key to the clinical application is to ensure the normal function of cells while improving the proliferation ability in vitro, and to complete the complex mesenchymal epithelialization to achieve tissue remodeling after vivo implantation. Herein, in order to aid HPKs adhesion and proliferation in vitro and promoting wound healing, we developed a three dimensional collagen scaffold with Y-27632 sustainedly released from the nanoplatform, hollow mesoporous organosilica nanoparticles (HMON). The results showed that the porous structure within the TEE supports the implanted HPKs expanding in a three-dimensional mode to jointly construct the tissue-engineered epidermis in vitro and inhibited the mitochondria-mediated cell apoptosis. It was confirmed that the TEEs with suitable degradation rate could maintain drug release after implantation and could accelerate vascularization of wound base and further revealed the involvement of mesenchymal transformation of transplanted HPKs during skin regeneration in a nude mouse model with full-thickness skin resection. In conclusion, our study highlights the great potential of constructing TEE using a nanoparticle platform for the treatment of large-area skin defects.
Electron energetics in the expanding solar wind via Helios observations

We present an observational analysis of electron cooling/heating rates in the fast and slow solar wind between 0.3 and 1 AU. We fit electron velocity distribution functions acquired in situ by Helios 1 and 2 spacecraft by a three‐component (core‐halo‐strahl) analytical model. The resulting radial profiles of macroscopic characteristics (density, temperatures, and heat fluxes) are employed to examine properties of theoretical energy balance equations and to estimate external cooling/heating terms. Our analysis indicates that in contrast to solar wind protons the electrons do not require important heating mechanisms to explain the observed temperature gradients. The electron heating rates are actually found to be negative for both the slow and fast solar wind, namely, due to the significant degradation of the electron heat flux with increasing radial distance from the Sun. Cooling mechanisms acting on electrons are found to be significantly stronger in the slow wind than in the fast wind streams.
Measuring the Difficulties in Forming a Coalition Government

Electoral thresholds in the context of parliamentary elections are an instrument for preventing the fragmentation of parliaments and facilitate the formation of a coalition government. However, the clauses also introduce distortions and modify the equality of electoral votes in an election. In order to decide to what extent these negative effects can be accepted, it is necessary to measure the difficulties in forming a coalition government and to quantify the effects of electoral thresholds on these difficulties. For this issue, we introduce a concept based on cooperative game theory which takes into account the distribution of seats in parliament and coalition statements of parties.
Sleep-Energy: An Energy Optimization Method to Sleep Stage Scoring

Sleep is essential for physical and mental health. Polysomnography (PSG) procedures are labour-intensive and time-consuming, making diagnosing sleep disorders difficult. Automatic sleep staging using Machine Learning (ML) - based methods has been studied extensively, but frequently provides noisier predictions incompatible with typical manually annotated hypnograms. We propose an energy optimization method to improve the quality of hypnograms generated by automatic sleep staging procedures. The method evaluates the system’s total energy based on conditional probabilities for each epoch’s stage and employs an energy minimisation procedure. It can be used as a meta-optimisation layer over the sleep stage sequences generated by any classifier that generates prediction probabilities. The method improved the accuracy of state-of-the-art Deep Learning models in the Sleep EDFx dataset by 4.0% and in the DRM-SUB dataset by 2.8%.
ROS-Based Autonomous Navigation Robot Platform with Stepping Motor

Indoor navigation robots, which have been developed using a robot operating system, typically use a direct current motor as a motion actuator. Their control algorithm is generally complex and requires the cooperation of sensors such as wheel encoders to correct errors. For this study, an autonomous navigation robot platform named Owlbot was designed, which is equipped with a stepping motor as a mobile actuator. In addition, a stepping motor control algorithm was developed using polynomial equations, which can effectively convert speed instructions to generate control signals for accurately operating the motor. Using 2D LiDAR and an inertial measurement unit as the primary sensors, simultaneous localization, mapping, and autonomous navigation are realised based on the particle filtering mapping algorithm. The experimental results show that Owlbot can effectively map the unknown environment and realise autonomous navigation through the proposed control algorithm, with a maximum movement error being smaller than 0.015 m.
Ultrasound induced lubricity in microscopic contact

A physical effect of ultrasound induced lubricity is reported. We studied the dynamic friction dependence on out-of-plane ultrasonic vibration of a sample using friction force microscopy and a scanning probe technique, the ultrasonic force microscope, which can probe the dynamics of the tip–sample elastic contact at a submicrosecond scale. The results show that friction vanishes when the tip–surface contact breaks for part of the out-of-plane vibration cycle. Moreover, the friction force reduces well before such a break, and this reduction does not depend on the normal load. This suggests the presence on the surface of a layer with viscoelastic behavior.
On the possibility of extending the passband of small-size radiators

The results of theoretical and experimental investigations are presented that confirm the theoretical possibility of substantial extension of the passband of small-size radiators. A design principle for small-size radiators with expanded passband is formulated. It is shown that radiators that represent combinations of electric and magnetic dipoles with certain mutual arrangement and amplitude-phase relations between exciting electric and magnetic currents can have a broad (up to 8: 1) passband.
Lipid Aldehydes 4-Hydroxynonenal and 4-Hydroxyhexenal Exposure Differentially Impact Lipogenic Pathways in Human Placenta

Simple Summary Omega-3 fatty acids are vital for optimal fetal and placental development. Under conditions of oxidative stress, toxic by-products called lipid aldehydes are produced, which can lead to inflammation. Little is known about the effects of lipid aldehydes on the placenta. We measured the effect of increasing the concentrations of two well-known lipid aldehydes, 4-hydroxynonenal and 4-hydroxyhexenal, on lipid metabolism genes in placental tissue. We found that they differentially impact fatty acid synthesis and uptake pathways in human placenta, which may have implications for the efficacy of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation in environments of oxidative stress. Abstract Long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFAs), such as the omega-6 (n-6) arachidonic acid (AA) and n-3 docosahexanoic acid (DHA), have a vital role in normal fetal development and placental function. Optimal supply of these LCPUFAs to the fetus is critical for improving birth outcomes and preventing programming of metabolic diseases in later life. Although not explicitly required/recommended, many pregnant women take n-3 LCPUFA supplements. Oxidative stress can cause these LCPUFAs to undergo lipid peroxidation, creating toxic compounds called lipid aldehydes. These by-products can lead to an inflammatory state and negatively impact tissue function, though little is known about their effects on the placenta. Placental exposure to two major lipid aldehydes, 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE) and 4-hydroxyhexenal (4-HHE), caused by peroxidation of the AA and DHA, respectively, was examined in the context of lipid metabolism. We assessed the impact of exposure to 25 μM, 50 μM and 100 μM of 4-HNE or 4-HHE on 40 lipid metabolism genes in full-term human placenta. 4-HNE increased gene expression associated with lipogenesis and lipid uptake (ACC, FASN, ACAT1, FATP4), and 4-HHE decreased gene expression associated with lipogenesis and lipid uptake (SREBP1, SREBP2, LDLR, SCD1, MFSD2a). These results demonstrate that these lipid aldehydes differentially affect expression of placental FA metabolism genes in the human placenta and may have implications for the impact of LCPUFA supplementation in environments of oxidative stress.
Measurements of metal gate effective work function by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

We developed a method to measure effective work function of metal gate in contact with high-k dielectric. The method was based on the deposition of ultrathin (1–5nm) continuous and very uniform layers of metal on high-k gate stack (HfO2) by pulsed laser deposition and in situ measurements by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. This approach was applied to investigate the evolution of work function during silicidation reaction between Ni overlayer and thin Si∕HfO2∕Si(100). The effect of dopants on fully silicided gate formation and work function modulation was also explored. The effective work function of NiSi, Ni2Si, and Sb-doped Si gate electrodes on HfO2 dielectric was found to be 4.4, 4.5–4.7, and 4.2eV, respectively. Ge interlayer at the NiSi∕HfO2 interface showed no significant effect. These values were in a good agreement with C-V measurements performed ex situ on metal-oxide-semiconductor capacitors.
System identification using balanced parametrizations

Some general issues in the "black-box" identification of multivariable systems are first discussed. It is then suggested that balanced parametrizations can be used to give identifiable forms. A particular advantage is that balanced parametrizations are known for several useful classes of linear dynamic models, including stable minimal models, minimum-phase models, positive-real models, and normalized coprime factor models. Before optimizing the parameters of balanced parametrizations, an initial model must be found. We use realization-based methods and so-called "subspace" methods for this purpose. These methods are very effective at finding accurate initial models without preliminary estimation of various structural indexes. The paper ends with two simulation examples, which compare the use of balanced parametrizations with more traditional ones, and three "real" examples based on practical problems: a distillation column, an industrial dryer, and the (irrational) spectrum or sea waves.
Chronic Heart Failure in Children: State of the Art and New Perspectives

Pediatric heart failure (HF) is an important clinical condition with high morbidity and mortality. Compared to adults, pediatric HF shows different etiologies characterized by different physiology, a different clinical course, and deeply different therapeutic approaches. In the last few years, new drugs have been developed and new therapeutic strategies have been proposed with the goal of identifying an individualized treatment regimen. The aim of this article is to review the new potential drugs and non-pharmacological therapies for pediatric heart failure in children.
A Molecular Dynamics Study on Stability and Thermophysical Properties of Nanoscale Liquid Threads

The thermophysical properties and stability characteristics of liquid threads are investigated by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Density and pressure profiles are obtained, and properties such as equimolar dividing radius, radius of surface of tension, and surface tension are determined. The relationship between the surface tension and thread radius based on the Gibbs theory of capillarity is derived for the liquid thread, and compared with MD simulation results. It shows that the surface tension rapidly deceases as the radius approaches the molecular scale. The surface tension of a simple binary mixture is also considered. The surface tension relative to that of one-component fluid decreases with increasing the binary ratio of the solute with a strong affinity. For a given binary ratio, the surface tension increases gradually as the affinity coefficient reaches 1.6 and decreases rapidly as it gets larger. The critical wavelength of perturbation for the instability is shown to be smaller than is predicted by the classical theory.