Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
When a Voice Assistant Asks for Feedback: An Empirical Study on Customer Experience with A/B Testing and Causal Inference Methods

Intelligent Voice Assistant (IVA) systems, such as Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri, allow us to interact with them using just the voice commands. IVA systems can seek voice feedback directly from the customers, right after an interaction by simply asking a question such as “did that answer your question? ”. We refer to these IVA elicited feedbacks as crowdsourced voice feedback (CVF). In this paper, we look to understand the customer experience (CX) during interactions with an IVA that explicitly seeks feedback. We attempt to quantify the CX of providing feedback, identify the driving factors of CX and offer insights into improving CX with the drivers identified. With an A/B test, we collected data from a leading IVA system and found that feedback elicitations did not impair CX in general. To identify drivers of CX, we performed causal inference with Double Machine Learning. Causal inference teases apart multiple confounding factors and avoids CX risks in experimentation of certain variables. We identified multiple CX drivers including elicitation timing and frequency, which can be useful in establishing guardrails for a CVF system. Our results imply opportunities of CVF systems, and we suggest design specifics that can be leveraged for such feedback collection mechanisms.
Stationary Lactococcus cremoris: Energetic State, Protein Synthesis Without Nitrogen and Their Effect on Survival

During storage and ripening of fermented foods, Lactococcus cremoris is predominantly in a non-growing state. L. cremoris can become stationary due to starvation or acidification, and its metabolism in these non-growing states affects the fermented product. Available studies on the response of L. cremoris to acid and starvation stress are based on population level data. We here characterized the energetic state and the protein synthesis capacity of stationary L. cremoris cultures at the single cell level. We show that glucose starved stationary cells are energy-depleted, while acid-induced stationary cells are energized and can maintain a pH gradient over their membrane. In the absence of glucose and arginine, a small pH gradient can still be maintained. Subpopulations of stationary cells can synthesize protein without a nitrogen source, and the subpopulation size decreases with increasing stationary phase length. Protein synthesis capacity during starvation only benefits culturability after 6 days. These results highlight significant differences between glucose starved stationary and acid-induced stationary cells. Furthermore, they show that the physiology of stationary phase L. cremoris cells is multi-facetted and heterogeneous, and the presence of an energy source during stationary phase impacts the cells capacity to adapt to their environment.
Preliminary studies using silicon strip detectors in digital autoradiography

Summary form only given, as follows. Studies using commercially available 1-D silicon strip detectors (SSDs) for applications in digital autoradiography using beta and photon imaging have been conducted. Initial results confirm the potential SSDs in autoradiography. A new detection system consists of a 112-channel 1-D SSD of pitch 250 mu m interfaced to a microcomputer containing analog-to-digital converter and DMA boards for high-speed data acquisition, digitization, analysis, and real-time display. Betas or photons traversing the detector and interacting in a plastic scintillator below may be used as a trigger to enable analog data readout. The low noise of the system allows high-efficiency quantitative imaging with /sup 32/P and iodine isotopes, commonly used in autoradiography. A series of 1-D projections produced by rotating the object and imaging are reconstructed into 2-D images. Applications such as thin tissue specimens and skin tumor imaging of radioisotope distributions are expected to benefit significantly from this approach. <<ETX>>
On buried-oxide effects in SOI lateral bipolar transistors

In this paper we present an investigation on the effects of buried oxide on Silicon-On-Insulator (SOI) lateral bipolar transistors. A buried oxide induced punchthrough effect is observed even for uniformly doped base profile and zero back-gate (substrate) bias. This punchthrough effect is attributed to the increased depletion widths at collector and emitter junctions (compared to bulk-Si) due to the buried oxide. The widely accepted depletion approximation fails to predict the depletion width in SOI p-n junctions. We propose a quasi two-dimensional model to compute the depletion width in an SOI p-n (step) junction.
Effect of Baffles on Homogenous-Heterogeneous Regime In Two Phase Bubble Column With Non-Newtonian Liquid

This work presents a comparison of the flow region in baffled and unbaffled bubble columns with Newtonian and non-Newtonian liquids. The experiments were carried out in column of 15 cm inside diameter and 2m height with aspect ratio (L/D=4.5), using perforated plate gas sparger, 54 holes of 1mm diameter, and with free area of holes to cross sectional diameter of vessel 0.24. The two phase system consists of air and non Newtonian liquid of polyacrylamid e (PAA). The gas holdup was measured and the transition point from homogenous to heterogeneous region was calculated under different concentrations of PAA (0, 0.01, 0.05, and 0.1)wt% in baffled and unbaffled columns. The results show that the measured values of gas holdup are increased in the presences of baffles in homogenous region, while, they decrease in heterogeneous region. The transition points of gas holdup and superficial gas velocity were estimated from drift flux plot. It was concluded that they were decreased with increasing viscosity and increased in the presence of baffles.
Prevalence of Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection in Sheep at Babylon Governorate, Iraq

The current study aimed to determine the occurrence of the ovine respiratory syncytial virus (ORSV) infection in sheep employing sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (sandwich-ELISA) and look into some disease risk factors. We collected blood samples (n=460) from sheep of various ages and sexes in Babylon Governorate/Iraq. The epidemiological data obtained during the interview with the owners of the animals. The prevalence of ORSV infection at Babylon Governorate was 58.91% based on sandwich-ELISA. The risk factors related to ORSV infection included: sheep with 7months-2years old, imported animals, outdoor feeding, large herd size, in northern parts of the Governorate and winter and spring seasons. There was a significant elevation in RBC, Hb, PCV and a significant reduction in WBC and lymphocytes. There was a significant elevation in AST, CK, LDH, TP, globulin, and total bilirubin. At the same time, there was a significant reduction in albumin, creatinine, and glucose in the infected animals with ORSV. In conclusion, ORSV is prevalent in sheep at Babylon Governorate, with a higher prevalence of the disease in the northern parts of the Governorate. The present report is the first for detecting ORSV antigens in sheep at Babylon Governorate/Iraq.
Fast full waveform inversion with source encoding and second-order optimization methods

Clara Castellanos,1 Ludovic Métivier,2 Stéphane Operto,3 Romain Brossier4 and Jean Virieux4 1Géoazur, Université de Nice Sophia-Antipolis, Sophia Antipolis, France. E-mail: clarita.castellanos@gmail.com 2LJK, CNRS, Université de Grenoble Alpes, BP 53, 38041 Grenoble Cedex 09, France 3Géoazur, Université de Nice Sophia-Antipolis, CNRS, IRD, OCA, Sophia Antipolis, France 4ISTerre, Université de Grenoble Alpes, BP 53, 38041 Grenoble Cedex 09, France
NDT_A_340680 3693..3703

1Department of Geriatrics, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Geriatric Neurology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, People’s Republic of China; 3Anti-Aging Monitoring Laboratory, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, People’s Republic of China; 4Shandong Provincial Hospital, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Jinan, Shandong, People’s Republic of China; 5The First School of Clinical Medicine, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, People’s Republic of China; 6Department of Radiology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, Shandong, People’s Republic of China
Broiler Response to the Utilization of Fermented Palm Oil Sludge with Phanerochaete chrysosporium and Neurospora crassa

Palm Oil Sludge (POS) had the potential as an ingredient of broiler ration. POS requires to be processed by fermentation of P. chrysosporium and N. crassa to increase nutritional value. The aim of this research was to evaluate the utilization of Fermented Palm Oil Sludge (FPOS) with P. chrysosporium and N. crassa in rations of broiler. One hundred and sixty mixed-sex a-day-old chicks (DOC) Cobb CP 707 breed of broiler procured from Charoen Pokphand Indonesia were used in this experiment. Broiler were placed in 20 wire cages; each unit consists of 8 birds. Feeding treatment was carried out for 35 days. Ration was composed of 22% iso-protein and 3000 kcal/kg of iso-metabolic energy. The design of this experiment is a completely randomized design with five treatments and four replications. Treatments were: T1) 0% FPOS (control diet), T2) 15% FPOS, T3) 20% FPOS, T4) 25% FPOS and T5) 30% FPOS in broiler ration. Feed intake, body weight gain, feed conversion ratio, body weight, carcass percentage, and abdominal fat percentage) were found to be significantly (P<0.05) decreased with any treatment except carcass weight (P>0.05) as compared to control group. In conclusion, FPOS with combination of P. chrysosporium and N. crassa was capable to be used up to 25% in rations of broiler.
Effect of a Continuous Annealing Temperature on the Microstructure, Mechanical Properties and Texture of Annealed Drawn and Ironed Plate

To improve the production process and produce high-quality annealed drawn and ironed (DI) plate, continuous annealing experiments were carried out at 620 °C, 640 °C, 680 °C, and 720 °C, and the effect of a continuous annealing temperature on the microstructure, mechanical characteristics, and texture of annealed DI plate were clarified. The microstructure was tested with a scanning electron microscope (SEM); the mechanical properties and weighted average of the plastic strain ratio (r¯) were measured using a tension test; and the texture characterizations were tested by X-ray powder diffractometer (XRD) and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). The results reveal that, with the increase of the annealing temperature, the average grain size grew from 5.14 μm to 6.56 μm, the yield strength and tensile strength decreased, and the elongation increased. The rolling textures drastically reduced after annealing. When annealed at a lower temperature of 620 °C, the texture content of {111} <110> was the highest. When the annealing temperature increased to 640 °C, 680 °C and 720 °C, the texture content of {111} <112> was higher than that of {111} <110>. The mechanical properties of the DI plate that was annealed at 640 °C are the best, with a higher r¯ value and a lower planar anisotropy value.
Circular groove guide for short millimeter and submillimeter waves

A new type of groove guide, circular groove guide, has been designed for use as a low losses, high power handling, low dispersion and single mode transmission medium in the short millimetric and submillimetric waves ranges. The characteristic equations of TE modes and TM modes have been developed and the propagation characteristics of the fundamental mode have been discussed. Experimental measurements are in good agreement with theoretical results. >
Effective Covering Array Generation Using an Improved Particle Swarm Optimization

In the test case generation process of combinatorial testing, particle swarm optimization (PSO) is widely concerned for its simple implementation and fast convergence rate; however, it often falls into local optimum due to premature convergence. To attack this problem, a novel adaptive value measurement strategy is adopted by weighing the relationship between current test cases and historical test cases. The test case with the minimum average hamming distance is selected as the optimal test case, and the inertial weight linear differential decrease strategy is developed to ensure better inertial weight in different search stages, further to improve the capability of generating smaller covering arrays. In addition, we integrate the simulated annealing strategy into the improved PSO to improve the ability of particles jumping out of the local optimum, and an innovative approach for generating a better covering array is proposed. Experiments on 16 classical random strength covering arrays suggest that our approach outperforms six other techniques in terms of effectiveness.
COVID-19 Vaccine Early Skepticism, Misinformation and Informational Needs among Essential Workers in the USA

This study presents the results of a survey of 1591 hesitant U.S. essential workers, conducted over Pollfish in December 2020 when they were the only group eligible for the vaccine, aiming to describe their concerns regarding COVID-19 vaccine safety, effectiveness and distribution policies. We computed frequencies using the SAS software for each answer, using chi-squared statistics and Cochran–Armitage trend tests to determine how informational needs differ by age, gender, level of education, race, source of COVID-19 information and levels of vaccine acceptance. The results of this study show that freedom of choice, equal access to the vaccine and being able to live a life with no restrictions once vaccinated were important concerns since the early days of the distribution campaign, with 53% (836/1591), 42% (669/1591) and 35% (559/1591) of hesitant respondents, respectively, indicating they would be more likely to receive the COVID-19 vaccine if they felt these issues were satisfactorily addressed. Early risk communication and immunization campaign strategies should address not only the reported efficacy and safety of new vaccines, but, as equally important, the population’s perceptions and beliefs regarding personal choice, effectiveness and adverse consequences.
The trajectory of implementing ISO 9000 standards versus total quality management in Western Europe

This paper investigates the pattern or trajectory of implementing ISO 9000 standards versus TQM in Western Europe from a longitudinal perspective, using empirical data. The research is based on three large‐scale surveys conducted in 1992‐1993, 1996‐1997 and 2001‐2002 respectively, in 13 Western European countries. The results of the surveys show that European companies have put considerable effort into ISO 9000 certification. However, the results also reveal that, around 1996‐1997, European companies had also planned to implement TQM. However, the result of the planned “go beyond ISO to TQM” fell short of the anticipated extent, indicating that the adoption of TQM in Europe was slower than expected. Early in the twenty‐first century, European companies are still very keen on implementing TQM, indicating an obvious intention to shift from ISO 9000 to TQM. To ensure that the shift will occur this time however, the two approaches must be integrated properly. Although both ISO 9000 standards and the TQM/EFQM model have been recently updated or modified, how to best incorporate the two systems remains one of the major tasks of quality management in the future.
Nonlinear optical pulse coupling dynamics

The pulse coupling dynamics in a nonlinear directional coupler (NLDC) is analyzed by using the new normalized coupled nonlinear Schro/spl uml/dinger equations. The operation of an NLDC can be divided into three regions according to L/sub D//spl kappa/: Region 1 (L/sub D//spl kappa//spl les/1), Region 2 (L/sub D//spl kappa/>50), and Region 3 (1<L/sub D//spl kappa//spl les/50). In region 1, an NLDC can exhibit a good switching performance. In region 2, both the pulse coupling and continuous-wave (cw) coupling in an NLDC show the similar energy transfer characteristics. In the case of L/sub D//spl kappa//spl ges/1000, even an ultrashort pulse coupling can be reduced to the cw coupling and follow Jensen's equations when certain criteria are met. Consequently, many of the applications of NLDC that are suggested under the condition of cw excitation can also be implemented under the condition of ultrashort pulse excitation. In region 3, pulses suffer from pulse compression and serious distortion. The conditions for a pulse following Jensen's equations are presented. A 0.8-ps pulse with a wavelength of 1.55 /spl mu/m in a silica coupler with a half-beat length of 50 mm follows Jensen's equation. To get a good switching performance, the input optical pulsewidth should be smaller than a certain maximum value. In addition, the intermodal dispersion including the contribution of the material dispersion is derived, and zero intermodal dispersion is predicted.
An Intercellular Flow of Glutathione Regulated by Interleukin 6 Links Astrocytes and the Liver in the Pathophysiology of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Oxidative stress has been proposed as a major mechanism of damage to motor neurons associated with the progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Astrocytes are the most numerous glial cells in the central nervous system and, under physiological conditions, protect neurons from oxidative damage. However, it is uncertain how their reactive phenotype may affect motor neurons during ALS progression. In two different ALS mouse models (SOD1G93A and FUS-R521C), we found that increased levels of proinflammatory interleukin 6 facilitate glutathione (GSH) release from the liver to blood circulation, which can reach the astrocytes and be channeled towards motor neurons as a mechanism of antioxidant protection. Nevertheless, although ALS progression is associated with an increase in GSH efflux from astrocytes, generation of reactive oxygen species also increases, suggesting that as the disease progresses, astrocyte-derived oxidative stress could be key to motor-neuron damage.
Delayed respiratory syncytial virus outbreak in 2020 in Taiwan was correlated with two novel RSV‐A genotype ON1 variants

Human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a leading pathogen of acute respiratory tract disease among infants and young children. Compared with previous seasons, RSV outbreaks in Taiwan during the 2020–2021 season were delayed because of COVID‐19 mitigation measures. We conducted this study to determine the association of viral factors with clinical characteristics of preschool children with RSV infection.
Techno-Economic and Environmental Assessment of the Hybrid Energy System Considering Electric and Thermal Loads

Optimal sizing of hybrid energy systems has been considerably investigated in previous studies. Nevertheless, most studies only focused on providing AC electric loads by renewable energy sources (RESs) and energy storage systems (ESSs). In this paper, a hybrid energy system, including photovoltaic (PV) system, ESS, fuel cell (FC), natural gas (NG) boiler, thermal load controller (TLC), and converter is optimized for supplying different load demands. Three scenarios are introduced to investigate the feasibility of the energy system. Environmental aspects of each system are analyzed, as there are NG-consuming sources in the system structure. A sensitivity analysis is conducted on the influential parameters of the system, such as inflation rate and interest rate. Simulation results show that the proposed hybrid energy system is economically and technically feasible. The net present cost (NPC) and cost of energy (COE) of the system are obtained at $230,223 and $0.0409, respectively. The results indicate that the TLC plays a key role in the optimal operation of the PV system and the reduction in greenhouse gas emission productions.
Prediction of Shear Angle in Oblique Cutting With Maximum Shear Stress and Minimum Energy Principles

A new shear angle prediction law is proposed for oblique cutting operations. Assuming a thin shear zone model, the oblique cutting mechanics are described by the five angles which show the directions of shear, resultant cutting force and chip flow. Five expressions required to solve the unknown angles are derived from the kinematics of oblique cutting and the physical law of deformation, i.e. either Maximum Shear Stress or Minimum Energy Principle. Unlike the previous solutions which require intuitive or empirical assumptions, the proposed methods use only the tool geometry and the material properties, i.e. shear yield stress and average chip-rake face friction coefficient. The predicted angles and forces agree well with the empirical and experimental results reported in the literature. Furthermore, the proposed models are experimentally verified in predicting forces for practical oblique helical end milling operations.
Efficacy of botanicals against major insect pests of cabbage (Brassica oleracea var capitata)

A study was conducted to test the efficacy of different neem products, viz., pulverised neem seed powder extract (PNSPE), pulverised neem seed powder formulation (PNSPF), neem soap and neem cake petrol-water extract (NCPE), and synthetic insecticides against the insect pests of cabbage at the Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR), Bangalore during rabi 2012–13. It was found that PNSPE and PNSPF treatments recorded significantly less diamond back moth (DBM) than other botanicals and chemical insecticides except spinosad. On other hand, botanicals such as PNSPF, PNSPE and NCPE were found to be on par with the chemical insecticides in reducing leaf webber, recording very low incidence. In case of H. erysimi, PNSPF recorded the lowest incidence (4.67 aphids/8 plants) than any other treatment plots, with a significant difference over the synthetic chemical insecticides such as indoxacarb (41.33 aphids/8 plants), spinosad (75.00 aphids/8 plants) and flubendiamide (61.33 aphids/8 plants). Whereas, incidence of Brevicoryne brassicae was found to be more in chemical treated plots such as spinosad and flubendiamide than those received PNSPF and PNSPE. Population of Cotesia plutellae, larval parasitoid of DBM was ranged from zero and 7.67 in spinosad, but there was no statistical significant difference found among different treatments. All the treatments were superior to control plots in terms of yield and marketable heads. Although highest yield was recorded in PNSPE (76.17 t/ha), PNSPF (73.15 t/ha) and other insecticide treatments, like spinosad (76.37 t/ha), flubendiamide (61.97 t/ha), there was no significant difference among them. This study showed that PNSPF and PNSPE can be used as alternatives to the synthetic insecticides in managing DBM and aphids.