Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Passive Acoustic Monitoring and Automatic Detection of Diel Patterns and Acoustic Structure of Howler Monkey Roars

Nighttime studies are underrepresented in ecological research. Even well-known behaviors, such as the loud call of howler monkeys, are rarely studied at night. Our goal was to help fill this knowledge gap by studying the 24 h vocal behavior of the Guianan red howler monkey (Alouatta macconnelli) and to compare the acoustic structures of howling bouts made during the day to those made at night. We used passive acoustic monitoring coupled with automatic acoustic detection to study three groups of howlers over three months in the Viruá National Park, Roraima, Brazil. The automatic classifier we built detected 171 howling bouts with a 42% recall rate and 100% precision. Though primarily diurnal, howlers vocalized mainly at night. Greater vocal activity before nautical twilight might be associated with territorial and resource defense behaviors, with howlers calling from roosting sites before starting their daily routines. We also found that during the day, howling bouts were longer and had lower harmonic-to-noise ratios, lower frequencies, and more symmetric energy distributions than bouts at night. Our study adds to growing evidence that passive acoustic monitoring and automatic acoustic detection can be used to study primates and improve our understanding of their vocal behavior.
Sweet Pepper Seed Inspection Using Image Processing Techniques

Since seeds are the foundation of agriculture and the Thai government plans to make Thailand an export hub of seeds under the Asean Economic Community (AEC) 2015, seed quality plays an important role in the seed production. Traditionally, physical attributes of seeds are inspected by human. However this method is very time-consuming and it highly relies on human skills and experience. Thus, in this paper, we focus on seed quality inspection of sweet pepper seeds using image processing techniques. Sweet peppers are very interesting since they have been one of the most important vegetable around the world and they have a variety of vitamins and nutrients. To identify defective sweet pepper seeds, two features used in our proposed algorithm are seed color and seed size. As shown in the results, percent accuracy of abnormal seed color and unaccepted seed size detection are 95.82% and 90.76%, respectively.
Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Among Nurses During the COVID-19 Wave III: Results of a Cross-Sectional Assessment

Purpose The current study was aimed to evaluate depression, anxiety, and stress among nurses during the COVID-19 (wave III) at a public hospital in Quetta city, Pakistan. Participants and Methods By using the validated Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale - 21, three hundred and twenty-five nurses practicing at the Sandeman Provincial Hospital, Quetta were approached for data collection. Through SPSS, both descriptive and inferential statistics were used during data analysis. Chi-square test was used to assess the goodness-of-fit between observed values and demographic variables. The factors that were significantly associated with depression, anxiety, and stress were further assessed by binary logistic regression analysis. The statistical significance was set at 0.05. Results Out of the 325 nurses, 297 participated in the study with a response rate of 91.3%. Mild depression and stress were reported in the current cohort of nurses (6.00 ± 5.30 and 8.01 ± 4.47), respectively. The mean anxiety score was 6.68 ± 4.86 indicating moderate anxiety among the study respondents. Marital status, working department, and job experience were significantly associated with depression, anxiety, and stress with moderate effect size (>0.3). The logistic regression reported department in which nurses were stationed (adjusted OR = 2.54, 95% CI = 1.118–1.415, p < 0.001) and job experience (adjusted OR = 1.004, 95% CI = 1.001–1.215, p = 0.002) as significant predictors of depression, anxiety and stress. Nurses working in the corona ward were more likely to develop depression, anxiety and stress by a factor of 2.54 and married nurses with a factor of 1.004 provided controlling other confounding factors. Conclusion Moderate depression, anxiety, and stress were observed among nurses and it calls for hospital management to consider interventions for all nurses irrespective of their present working departments. Facilitating continuous and comprehensive support mechanisms aimed at protecting nurses’ mental health is of great importance during pandemics. The findings of the study have some clear suggestions for mental health advocacy among nurses that are essential for improving the quality of services and patients’ safety.
Series space vector modulation for multi-level cascaded H-bridge inverters

The study presents a series space vector modulation (SVM) method for multi-level cascaded H-bridge inverters. The proposed method is based on construction of multi-level reference voltage vectors from three-level voltage vectors, which are present in the space vector diagram of the multi-level inverter. The proposed approach is compared to the conventional SVM and the carrier-based pulse-width modulation (PWM) ones on 5-, 7-, and 13-level inverters. The implementation of these methods was simulated by Simulink. The simulation results show that implementation of the proposed series SVM is possible. Important advantages of the present series SVM approach against the conventional SVM one are simplicity and easy identification of triangles. Furthermore, it could be easily extended to any n-level inverter.
A novel 10-gene immune-related lncRNA signature model for the prognosis of colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND The tumor immune microenvironment of colorectal cancer (CRC) affects tumor development, prognosis and immunotherapy strategies. Recently, immune-related lncRNA were shown to play vital roles in the tumor immune microenvironment. The objective of this study was to identify lncRNAs involved in the immune response, tumorigenesis and progression of CRC and to establish an immune-related lncRNA signature for predicting the prognosis of CRC. METHODS We used data retrieved from the cancer genome atlas (TCGA) dataset to construct a 10-gene immune-related lncRNA pair (IRLP) signature model using a method based on the ranking and comparison of paired gene expression in CRC. The clinical prognosis, immune checkpoints and lncRNA-protein networks were analyzed to evaluate the signature. RESULTS The signature was closely associated with overall survival of CRC patients (p < 0.001 in both of the training and validating cohorts) and the 3-year AUC values for the training and validating cohorts were 0.884 and 0.739, respectively. And, there were positive correlations between the signature and age (p = 0.048), clinical stage (p < 0.01), T stage (p < 0.01), N stage (p < 0.001) and M stage (p < 0.01). In addition, the signature model appeared to be highly relevant to some checkpoints, including CD160, TNFSF15, HHLA2, IDO2 and KIR3DL1. Further, molecular functional analysis and lncRNA-protein networks were applied to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying the carcinogenic effect and progression. CONCLUSION The 10-gene IRLP signature model is an independent prognostic factor for CRC patient and can be utilized for the development of immunotherapy.
Composition of Fecal Microbiota in Grazing and Feedlot Angus Beef Cattle

Simple Summary This study is to investigate the difference of bovine fecal microbiota between grazing and feedlot Angus cattle. The fecal bacterial community was analyzed by high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA gene from six Angus cattle grazed on grassland and six Angus cattle fed on a feedlot. A total of 775 OTUs were taxonomically assigned to bacterial 12 phyla, 19 classes, 25 orders, 54 families, 141 genera, and 145 species. The dominant phyla were Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes. There was similar species richness between grazing and feedlot Angus beef, while species diversity was higher in feedlot Angus beef. The relative abundance of Firmicutes, Cyanobacteria, Elusimicrobia and Patescibacteria was significantly different between grazing and feedlot Angus beef (p < 0.05). At the genus level, five microbiotas were significantly different microbiotas between the two groups and all belonged to the Firmicutes phylum. These significant differences in microbiota composition between grazing and feedlot Angus beef may have an impact on the meat quality of Angus beef. Abstract This study is to investigate the difference in bovine fecal microbiota between grazing and feedlot Angus cattle. Fecal samples were collected from six Angus cattle grazed on grassland and six Angus cattle fed on a feedlot. The fecal bacterial community was analyzed by high-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA gene. Sequencing of the V3–V4 region totally produced 1,113,170 effective tages that were computationally clustered into 775 operational taxonomic units (OTUs). These 775 OTUs were taxonomically assigned to bacterial 12 phyla, 19 classes, 25 orders, 54 families, 141 genera, and 145 species. The dominant phyla were Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes. There was similar species richness between grazing and feedlot Angus beef, while higher species diversity was observed in feedlot Angus beef. The relative abundance of Firmicutes, Cyanobacteria, Elusimicrobia and Patescibacteria was significantly different between grazing and feedlot Angus beef (p < 0.05). At a genus level, five microbiotas were significantly different between the two groups and all belonged to the Firmicutes phylum. These significant differences in microbiota composition between grazing and feedlot Angus beef may have an impact on the meat quality of Angus beef.
Reducing the cost of beef production through the genetic improvement of net feed efficiency

Feed is the single largest cost in most animal production systems. Feed conversion ratio (FCR) is a commonly used measure of growth efficiency. Previous research has shown that FCR is moderately heritable and highly related to growth rate. While selection for FCR is beneficial to those feeding growing cattle for slaughter, any associated increase in the size of breeding females will mean this benefit will be at a cost to the calf breeder, as larger breeding cows require more feed.
ANALISIS MODAL KERJA, LIKUIDITAS, DAN LEVERAGE TERHADAP PROFITABILITAS PERUSAHAAN (STUDI KASUS PADA PERUSAHAAN MANUFAKTUR PULP DAN KERTAS DI INDONESIA)

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui faktor-faktor yang dapat memengaruhi profitabilitas pada perusahaan manufaktur sub sektor pulp dan kertas di BEI tahun 2012-2017. Sampel yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini sebanyak 7 perusahaan dengan teknik purposive sampling. Teknik analisis data yang digunakan adalah analisis regresi dengan menggunakan software SPSS 16.0. Nilai Adjusted R2 sebesar 0,183, artinya bahwa perubahan variabel independen yaitu perputaran modal kerja, rasio likuiditas (current ratio) dan financial leverage mampu memberikan kontribusi sebesar 18,3% terhadap perubahan variabel dependen yaitu profitabilitas (ROA) sedangkan sisanya dijelaskan oleh variabel lain. Hasil Uji F menunjukan bahwa perputaran modal kerja, rasio likuiditas dan financial leverage secara simultan berpengaruh signifikan terhadap profitabilitas (ROA). Sedangkan hasil Uji t menunjukan variabel rasio likuiditas (current ratio) secara parsial berpengaruh signifikan terhadap profitabilitas, sedangkan variabel perputaran modal kerja dan financial leverage tidak memiliki pengaruh yang signifikan terhadap profitabilitas (ROA).
Modelling chloride penetration in concrete subjected to cyclic wetting and drying

Corrosion of steel in concrete structures remains a major problem worldwide, and surfaces periodically wetted with chloride solution are particularly vulnerable. BS 8500-1 cover requirements have been calculated using the error function solution to Fick's second law of diffusion. However, the values of surface chloride content (Cs) assessed via the diffusion coefficient are rather low, suggesting the cover thicknesses may have been underestimated, which could account for the high incidence of reinforcement corrosion. This paper investigates the influence of a number of factors on Cs and the diffusion coefficient and considers the implications for modelling chloride ingress. Concrete cubes made from 100% CEM I, 70% CEM I + 30% pfa (pulverised fuel ash) and 50% CEM I + 50% GGBS (ground granulated blastfurnace slag) cements were subjected to either one-week (1 d wetting with 3%, 10% or 50% sodium chloride solutions and 6 d drying at 20°C) or two-week (2 d wetting with 50% sodium chloride solution and 12 d dr.
Influential fluid–structure interaction modelling parameters on the response of bridges vulnerable to coastal storms

Analysis of coastal bridges under hurricane-induced wave and surge loads is essential for safety and performance assessment of water crossing bridge inventories. A reliable numerical model that can be employed to study the behaviour of bridges in hurricane events is beneficial because it reduces the cost and effort required for experimental models. Furthermore, it is important to identify modelling parameters that have a significant effect on the simulated response in order to guide uncertainty treatment for future bridge reliability studies. To address these needs, a high fidelity numerical model for simulation of coastal bridges is utilised that takes into account the fluid–structure interaction and includes contact surfaces that permit deck shifting and unseating during surge and wave passage. After validation of the model with experimental test data, it is implemented to examine the response of a typical water crossing bridge in the Houston area, revealing the values of wave and surge loads and also the potential of deck unseating under extreme wave and surge conditions. A sensitivity study is conducted to determine the uncertain structural modelling parameters that significantly affect the bridge response when subjected to surge and wave. Concrete strength and density, coefficient of friction between super- and substructure and soil shear strength are found to influence the bridge response and should be considered in probabilistic analyses and reliability assessments of coastal bridges.
Longitudinal Analysis of Teacher Technology Acceptance and Its Relationship to Resource Viewing and Academic Performance of College Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Due to COVID-19, teachers quickly changed their courses from traditional face-to-face modality to emergency remote teaching (ERT), relying on learning management systems (LMS). In this simple prospective design study, we analyzed the relation of the level of teachers’ technological acceptance at the beginning of ERT (March 2020) considering three variables: the time spent by teachers in the LMS during that semester, the percentage of LMS’s resources their students viewed during the semester, and the final academic performance of the same students at the end of that semester (September 2020). This study included 251 teachers (57% male) and 12,185 students (45% male). We measured the teachers’ level of acceptance with the Spanish version of the Questionnaire Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). We found that the relation between the teacher’s acceptance and their time spent on the LMS was significant and positive (rho = 0.24, p < 0.001). In addition, teachers’ perception of LMS’s easiness is related to the percentage of educational resources their students utilized (rho = 0.26, p < 0.001). Finally, we found a relation between the usefulness dimension of the TAM to the academic performance of the students at the end of that semester (rho = 0.18, p < 0.01). Considering these results, we discuss practices for implementing quality education.
The ability to disperse large seeds, rather than body mass alone, defines the importance of animals in a hyper‐diverse seed dispersal network

Large‐bodied animals play irreplaceable roles in seed dispersal, partly due to their capacity to disperse large seeds. Understanding this role at a community level has been limited by the paucity of network studies that include large vertebrates, and the almost complete absence of studies including synzoochoric dispersers. Synzoochoric dispersers can disperse seeds disproportionately large for their body size, potentially overlapping the roles of large‐bodied animals. A comprehensive network, inclusive of large vertebrates and synzoochorous dispersers, is imperative to understand seed dispersal at a community level. Here, we analysed the seed dispersal network of a hyper‐diverse Sundaic forest in Malaysia using local ecological knowledge and including multiple forms of endozoochorous and synzoochorous dispersal. We evaluated the extent to which three disperser traits: body mass, seed‐handling ability (size of the largest seed dispersed) and diet explained the importance of animals in the network. We evaluated dispersers' relative importance using four network metrics—degree of specialisation (nested rank), species strength, within‐module connectivity (z‐value) and between‐modules connectivity (c‐value). We found that seed‐handling ability had the biggest effect on a disperser's importance, with strong effects on three network metrics (species strength, ecological specialisation and z‐value) and moderate effects on connectivity between modules. Body mass was important in defining interactions within modules, and dietary differences defined the ecological specialisation of species in seed dispersal. Important dispersers in our network were large‐seed dispersers (e.g. rats, gibbons), large‐bodied animals, in particular the Asian elephant, and animals with frugivorous diets such as hornbills. Synthesis. Our work uncovers the significance of seed‐handling ability in identifying pivotal seed dispersal roles in tropical rainforests. Key dispersers include large‐bodied herbivores and medium‐sized frugivores that could disperse large seeds by endozoochory, and smaller rodents that dispersed similar‐sized seeds by synzoochory. Many of the species that emerged as particularly important for the seed dispersal network are currently threatened (e.g. the Asian elephant, gibbons and hornbills). Their protection or reintroduction should be a top conservation priority.
Effect of thermoplastic appliance thickness on initial stress distribution in periodontal ligament

A numerical investigation into the initial stress distribution induced within the periodontal ligament by thermoplastic appliances with different thicknesses is performed. Based on the plaster model of a 25-year-old male patient, a finite element model of the maxillary lateral incisors and their supporting structures is constructed. In addition, four finite element models of thermoplastic appliances with different thicknesses in the range of 0.5–1.25 mm are also constructed based on the same plaster model. Finite element analysis simulations are performed to examine the effects of the force delivered by the thermoplastic appliances on the stress response of the periodontal ligament during the elastic recovery process. The results show that the stress induced in the periodontal ligament increases with an increasing appliance thickness. For example, the stress triples from 0.0012 to 0.0038 MPa as the appliance thickness is increased from 0.75 to 1.25 mm. The results presented in this study provide a useful insight into as a result of the compressive and tensile stresses induced by thermoplastic appliances of different thicknesses. Moreover, the results enable the periodontal ligament stress levels produced by thermoplastic appliances of different thicknesses to be reliably estimated.
Efficiency of the Left Atrial Appendage Thrombus Dissolution in Patients with Persistent Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation with Warfarin or Direct Oral Anticoagulants Therapy

Aim. Compare the incidence of the left atrial appendage (LAA) thrombus dissolution in patients with persistent nonvalvular atrial fibrillation receiving warfarin and direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC). Materials and methods. 68 patients with persistent nonvalvular atrial fibrillation were included in a retrospective study (age was 59.7±9.8 years, 60.3% men), in whom at least one repeated transesophageal echocardiographic examination was performed after detecting a thrombus. After detecting a thrombus in the LAA, 37 (54.4%) patients started or continued taking warfarin in doses that ensure the INR maintenance at the level of 2-3, 14 (20.6%) started or continued taking dabigatran at a dose of 150 mg 2 times/day, 14 (20.6%) started or continued taking rivaroxaban 20 mg 1 time/day and 3 (4.4%) started or continued taking apixaban 5 mg 2 times/day. Repeated transesophageal echocardiographic examination was performed on average 33.3±14.2 days after the first one.Results. Dissolution of a previously identified thrombus was found in 26 (83.9%) of 31 patients receiving DOAC and in 19 (51.4%) of 37 patients receiving warfarin (p=0.011). The logistic regression analysis showed that the chances of a thrombus dissolution in LAA while taking DOAC are 14.8 times (95% confidence interval [CI] was 2.469-88.72) higher than while taking warfarin. The size and the rate at which blood is expelled from the LAA also have an independent influence on the chances of thrombus dissolution. An increase in the size of a thrombus by 1 mm reduces the chances of a thrombus dissolution by 1.136 (95% CI was 1.040-1.244) times, and an increase in the rate of blood expulsion from the LAA by 1 cm/sec increases these chances by 1.105 (95% CI was 1.003-1.219) times.Conclusion. In the present study, the incidence of the LAA thrombus dissolution in patients with persistent nonvalvular atrial fibrillation while receiving DOAC was higher than while receiving warfarin.
Prediction of Bending Stiffness for Laminated CFRP and Its Application to Manufacturing of Roof Reinforcement

Recently, carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) with high strength, stiffness, and lightweight is used widely in number of composite applications such as commercial aircraft, transportation, machinery, and sports equipment. Especially, it is necessary to apply lightweight materials to car components for reducing energy consumption and CO2 emissions. In case of car roof reinforcement manufactured using CFRP, superior strength and bending stiffness are required for the safety of drivers in the rollover accident. Mechanical properties of CFRP laminates are generally dependent on the stacking sequence. Therefore, research of stacking sequence using CFRP prepreg is required for superior bending stiffness. In this study, the 3-point bending FE-analysis for predicting the bending stiffness of CFRP roof reinforcement was carried out on three cases [ 0 PW ∘ ] 5 , [ 0 PW ° / 0 UD ° / 0 - PW ° ] s , and [ 0 UD ∘ ] 5 . Material properties that the six independent elastic constants are E11, E22, G12, G23, G13, and ν12 used in FE-analysis were evaluated by the tensile test in 0°, 45°, and 90° directions. Through structural strength analysis of the automobile roof reinforcement fabricated using CFRP, the effect of the stacking sequence on the bending stiffness was evaluated and validated through experiments under the same conditions as the analysis.