Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Destination Familiarity and Perceived Attractiveness of Four Polish Tourism Cities

Destination familiarity has been analyzed for many years as an important factor influencing the perceived attractiveness of a destination and its image. However, previous research has concentrated on this relation considering familiarity with a destination as a whole, while the issue of familiarity with particular elements of a destination has not been explored. The current research aimed to detect if and how familiarity with three selected elements of a destination, namely, tangible tourism attractions, events, and traditional cuisine and dishes, impacts the perceived attractiveness of a city destination. The research was conducted using the following four Polish cities as examples: Gdańsk, Katowice, Łódź, and Wrocław. The research questionnaire was distributed among the citizens of another Polish city—Krakow. Over 200 responses were received. The results show that familiarity with tangible attraction was correlated with high perceived attractiveness of a destination, while the other two factors did not impact the level of perceived attractiveness. The results were achieved on the basis of the indication of several scientific and practical conclusions.
Proteomic Response of Deinococcus radiodurans to Short-Term Real Microgravity during Parabolic Flight Reveals Altered Abundance of Proteins Involved in Stress Response and Cell Envelope Functions

Rapidly evolving space exploration makes understanding the short- and long- term effects of microgravity on humans, plants, and microorganisms an important task. The ubiquitous presence of the gravitational force has had an influence on the development of all living entities on Earth, and short- and long-term changes in perceived gravitational force can induce notable changes within cells. Deinococcus radiodurans is the Gram-positive bacterium that is best known for its extreme resistance to UV-C and gamma radiation, oxidation stress, and desiccation. Thus increased interest has been placed on this species in the context of space research. The present study aims to elucidate the short-term proteomic response of this species to real microgravity during parabolic flight. Overnight cultures of D. radiodurans were subjected to microgravity during a single parabola, and metabolic activity was quenched using methanol. Proteins were extracted and subsequently measured using HPLC nESI MS/MS. The results, such as the enrichment of the peptidoglycan biosynthesis pathway with differentially abundant proteins and altered S-layer protein abundance, suggested molecular rearrangements in the cell envelope of D. radiodurans. Altered abundance of proteins involved in energy metabolism and DNA repair could be linked with increased endogenous ROS production that contributes to the stress response. Moreover, changes in protein abundance in response to microgravity show similarities with previously reported stress responses. Thus, the present results could be used to further investigate the complex regulation of the remarkable stress management of this bacterium.
Online Learning in the Era of COVID-19: Computer Anxiety and Mental Health Among College Students

The recent outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has brought significant changes to higher education. In response to the pandemic, many colleges, and universities around the world, especially in developed countries, are embracing online or distance education. Transitioning to online learning that involves the use of information technology such as the internet and digital platform for course delivery has increased dramatically (World Economic Forum, 2020). However, these sudden changes have left some to speculate that the shift to online learning will change students’ level of anxiety, stress, which could result in poor academic performance and low achievement of learning objectives. The purpose of this descriptive cross-sectional study is to investigate undergraduate and graduate students’ perceptions of their mental health and computer anxiety in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic. Descriptive statistics such as simple percentages and averages were calculated. Also, a one-way ANOVA was used for analyzing the collected data. Results indicate that general mental health was significantly correlated with computer anxiety. The results also indicate that computer anxiety and perceived stress predicted poor general health. Demographic factors, such as sex, and academic discipline were significant predictors of computer anxiety, but age was not a significant predictor of computer anxiety. Also, the results show that chronic physical disabilities are a significant predictor of computer anxiety, and overall mental health, however, the presence of learning disabilities was not a significant predictor of computer anxiety. Implications and considerations for future research are discussed.
Sorghum Association Panel Whole-Genome Sequencing Establishes Pivotal Resource for Dissecting Genomic Diversity

Association mapping panels represent foundational resources for understanding the genetic basis of phenotypic diversity and serve to advance plant breeding by exploring genetic variation across diverse accessions with distinct histories of evolutionary divergence and local adaptation. We report the whole-genome sequencing (WGS) of 400 sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] accessions from the Sorghum Association Panel (SAP) at an average coverage of 38X (25X-72X), enabling the development of a high-density genomic-marker set of 43,983,694 variants including SNPs (~ 38 million), indels (~ 5 million), and CNVs (170,000). We observe slightly more deletions among indels and a much higher prevalence of deletions among copy number variants compared to insertions. This new marker set enabled the identification of several putatively novel genomic associations for plant height and tannin content, which were not identified when using previous lower-density marker sets. WGS identified and scored variants in 5 kb bins where available genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) data captured no variants, with half of all bins in the genome falling into this category. The predictive ability of genomic best unbiased linear predictor (GBLUP) models was increased by an average of 30% by using WGS markers rather than GBS markers. We identified 18 selection peaks across subpopulations that formed due to evolutionary divergence during domestication, and we found six Fst peaks resulting from comparisons between converted lines and breeding lines within the SAP that were distinct from the peaks associated with historic selection. This population has been and continues to serve as a significant public resource for sorghum research and demonstrates the value of improving upon existing genomic resources. Author summary
Pulsated Two-Phase Thermosyphons for Electronic Equipment Thermal Control

This work proposes some heat transfer pulsating devices as interesting alternative solution to the LHP (Loop Heat Pipe) and CPL (Capillary Pumped Loop). These devices, named pulsated two-phase thermosyphon (PTPT) by the authors, have been studied, classified and experimentally observed in previous works. In this paper the operating principles of the PTPT devices in comparison with LHPs or CPLs for thermal control applications are illustrated. Although the LHP and CPL operate in a steady state regime of heat transfer and PTPT operates in a stabilized periodic regime, some important comparisons are presented. In conclusion the application of a PTPT could become a possible cheap choice in future in case of the thermal management of electronic devices.
Economic modeling and sensitivity analysis of the costs of inputs for alfalfa production In Iran: A case study from Hamedan province

The purposes of this study were to explain the costs of inputs utilized in alfalfa production, and to make an economic model in Hamedan, Iran. Data were collected from 80 alfalfa farms in Hamedan province using a face-to-face questionnaire performed in August and September 2009. Farms were selected based on random sampling method. Economic analysis was carried out by taking various cost components into consideration, including production costs and the total production value for alfalfa 7 year production life. Total production cost was about 14174 $ ha -1 , and gross production value was 17936 $ ha -1 . Irrigation Water costs were highest followed by machinery and human labour. The Cobb-Douglas production function was used to estimate the impact of inputs used on the alfalfa yield. The results indicated that machinery costs were the most significant input which affects the output level. The major MPP was drown for farmyard manure cost. The productivity of 6.81 kg $ -1 was obtained by dividing alfalfa yield by total production costs.
An Integrated Framework to Assess 'Leanness' Performance in Distribution Centres

The theory behind lean philosophy is to create more value with less. Effective lean management enables organisations to exceed customer expectations while reducing costs. Despite the fact that numerous practices and approaches are used in the process of implementing lean philosophy and reducing waste within supply chain systems, little effort has been directed into assessing the leanness level of distribution and its impact on overall performance. Given the vital role of distribution units within supply chains, this research aims to develop a comprehensive lean assessment framework that integrates a selected set of statistical, analytical, and mathematical techniques in order to assess the ‘leanness’ level in the distribution business. Due to the limited number of published articles in the area of lean distribution, there are no clear definitions of the underlying factors and practices. Therefore, the primary phase of the proposed framework addresses the identification of lean distribution dimensional structure and practices. The other two phases of the framework discuss the development of a structured model for lean distribution and address the process to find a quantitative lean index for benchmarking lean implementation in distribution centres. Integrating the three phases provides the decision makers with an indicator of performance, subject to applying various lean practices. Incorporating the findings of a survey that sent to 700 distribution businesses in Ireland along with value stream mapping, modelling, simulation, and data envelopment analysis, has given the framework strength in the assessment of leanness. Research outcomes show that lean distribution consists of five key dimensions; workforce management, item replenishment, customers, transportation, and process quality. Lean practices associated with these dimensions are mainly focused on enhancing the communication channels with customers, simplifying the distribution networks structure, people participating in problem solving and a continuous improvement process, and increasing the reliability and efficiency of the distribution operations. The final output of the framework is two key leanness indices; one is set to measure the tactical leanness level, while the second index represents the leanness at the operational level. Both indices can effectively be used in evaluating the lean implementation process and conducting a benchmarking process based on the leanness level.
Conservation Education Impacts of Animal Ambassadors in Zoos

To mitigate the effects of anthropogenic environmental impacts, conservation education (CE) aims to increase public awareness of biodiversity and encourage the uptake of pro-environmental behaviours (PEB). One way of achieving this goal is the use of controlled animal interactions with animal ambassadors to promote CE goals. This study aimed to determine how differing experiences with ambassador Humboldt penguins (Spheniscus humboldti) affected visitors’ knowledge of conservation actions (CA) and their likelihood to perform PEBs in a UK zoo. A quasi-experimental repeated measures questionnaire was used to investigate this aim. Visit types were categorised as (a) ‘penguin parade’, (b) ‘animal encounter’, (c) ‘exhibit viewing’ and (d) a ‘control’ groups. A Kruskal–Wallis test was used to determine if responses to rating scale items related to PEBs differed according to experience. No significant (p > 0.05) differences were detectable between groups. Qualitative data provided in open ended questions relating to CAs were coded into themes and the percentage of responses were calculated for each theme. Whilst the ‘exhibit viewing’ group mentioned sustainable fish significantly more (p = 0.017) than the ‘control’ group, no significant difference was found for any other pair-wise comparison (p > 0.05 in all cases). Overall, this study highlights that zoo visitors gained specific conservation-based knowledge and had higher behavioural intentions towards PEBs than they previously had. However, no evidence was found to suggest that animal encounters improved CE outcomes. To ensure best practice is followed and CE outcomes are considered equally alongside ambassador animal welfare concerns, further research is recommended.
Sourcing human capital for organizational effectiveness: sourcing strategy, determinants, and alignment

Abstract Human capital sourcing is a major determinant of firm effectiveness. We develop logic that favors a specialized sourcing strategy in which organizations emphasize one type of sourcing, focusing either on developing or acquiring human capital, as opposed to a balanced approach. We then identify characteristics and capabilities that lead firms to adopt one sourcing type over another. Additionally, we examine whether aligning sourcing decisions with organizational characteristics and capabilities relates to better performance. We use panel regression to examine how sourcing decisions ultimately impact performance. Results suggest that specialized sourcing relates to improved performance more strongly than does a balanced approach, that certain organizational capabilities are advantageous for specific types of sourcing, and that aligning sourcing strategy with organizational fit partially relates to greater organizational performance.
Sustainable Development Indicators—Untapped Tools for Sustainability and STEM Education: An Analysis of a Popular Czech Educational Website

Environmental education has been included in Czech curricula since the 1980s, albeit without clear evidence of education for sustainable development (SD), which addresses complex socio-economic issues using SD indicators (SDIs), such as charts, single numbers, tables, maps, and (interactive) images. However, understanding such a comprehensive topic requires developing basic mathematical knowledge and skills. In this study, we aimed to analyse the nature, quality, and availability of teaching materials for SD, primarily using SDIs, which could be applied by Czech teachers. For this purpose, we performed a qualitative and basic quantitative content analysis of several descriptors of documents retrieved from a website for teachers, provided by the National Pedagogical Institute of the Czech Republic. A full-text search identified 1376 records, which were analyzed for SD pillars and SDIs. Our results showed that most records (95%) do not contain SDIs in teaching materials. Only 59 records mentioned (128) SDIs, mostly covering the environmental pillar, 26 of which contain a single SDI. The most frequent issues were waste production, treatment, savings, water parameters, and energy consumption. Mathematical skills were used in 56 SDIs, primarily for evaluating data sets and quantitative expressions of an amount. Overall, only a small number of SDIs are used in education for SD, economic and social SDIs are in the minority, and the STEM potential remains untapped.
Uropathogens and their antimicrobial resistance patterns: Relationship with urinary tract infections

Objectives: This study was performed to determine the prevalence of uropathogens causing urinary tract infections (UTIs) and to determine their pattern of antimicrobial resistance. Methods: This study was conducted on 273 urine samples collected from outpatient departments (OPDs) of Qassim University affiliated hospitals. Fully automated VITEK 2 compact system was used in the identification and antimicrobial susceptibility testing of causative microorganisms. Results: Of 273 urine samples, only 89 (32.6%) were found to show significant growth for UTI, and overall, drug resistance was found in 92% (n = 82/89) of samples, with most (80%) being resistant to at least two drugs. Antibiotic resistance was commonly observed in ampicillin (88.3%), piperacillin (72.7%), clindamycin (66.7%), amoxicillin/clavulanic acid (66.2%), and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (50%). The commonly isolated microorganisms were Escherichia coli 24 (27%), Klebsiella pneumoniae 11 (12.4%), Proteus mirabilis 4 (4.5%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa 4 (4.5%), Enterobacter cloacae 5 (5.6%), Enterococcus faecalis 5 (5.6%), and Staphylococcus saprophyticus 3 (3.4%). Conclusions: This research work has shown that patients with UTI in Qassim are at high risk of antibiotic resistance. The work also showed that multidrug-resistant bacteria can lead to momentous therapeutic problems in OPD patients.
Biaxial Tensile Strain-Induced Enhancement of Thermoelectric Efficiency of α-Phase Se2Te and SeTe2 Monolayers

Thermoelectric (TE) materials can convert waste heat into electrical energy, which has attracted great interest in recent years. In this paper, the effect of biaxial-tensile strain on the electronic properties, lattice thermal conductivity, and thermoelectric performance of α-phase Se2Te and SeTe2 monolayers are calculated based on density-functional theory and the semiclassical Boltzmann theory. The calculated results show that the tensile strain reduces the bandgap because the bond length between atoms enlarges. Moreover, the tensile strain strengthens the scatting rate while it weakens the group velocity and softens the phonon model, leading to lower lattice thermal conductivity kl. Simultaneously, combined with the weakened kl, the tensile strain can also effectively modulate the electronic transport coefficients, such as the electronic conductivity, Seebeck coefficient, and electronic thermal conductivity, to greatly enhance the ZT value. In particular, the maximum n-type doping ZT under 1% and 3% strain increases up to six and five times higher than the corresponding ZT without strain for the Se2Te and SeTe2 monolayers, respectively. Our calculations indicated that the tensile strain can effectively enhance the thermoelectric efficiency of Se2Te and SeTe2 monolayers and they have great potential as TE materials.
Classroom environment variables and mathematics achievement of junior secondary school students in Cross River State, Nigeria

The study was designed to investigate the influence of classroom environment variables on mathematics achievement of junior secondary schools students in Cross River State, Nigeria. It was a survey research involving 1200 Junior Secondary 2 (JS2) students from 48 secondary schools in Cross River State. A valid and reliable achievement test and questionnaire were used for data collection, while multiple regression analysis technique was used to analyse the data. The research findings indicated that: there is a significant individual and combined prediction effect of the classroom environment variables on students’ mathematics achievement; twenty-seven (27) out of the thirty-six (36) paths in the hypothesised recursive model are significant at . 05 probability level. Based on the findings, it was concluded that classroom environment variables significantly influence students’ mathematics achievement in secondary school. It was recommended among others that teachers and school counsellors should educate the students on the need to establish a good relationship with teachers and themselves in the classroom in order to improve their performance. Also, classrooms should be furnished and equipped to enhance effective teaching and learning.
Development and Validation of A Scale to Measure Blog Service Quality

Blogs have become an appealing research topic due to their rapid growth and increasing influence. However, there are only a few literatures concerning the customer satisfaction of bloggers and the service quality of blog websites, which indicates that the development of blog websites as a popular Web 2.0 tool has fallen far behind the dictates of academic research. To address this issue, this study first conducted a critical analysis by aggregating relevant literature and by deriving the basic items applicable to the concept of blog service quality. A multi-stage scale development process was then constructed to investigate and to identify factors needed in evaluating the service quality of blog websites. The results showed that System Functionality, Security/Responsiveness, Personalization, Efficiency, and Enjoyment were the five key factors affecting the service quality of blog websites. This study proposed managerial and practical implications, which are expected to fulfill the research gap in the service quality literature of blog websites, as well as to provide an effective and robust evaluation tool for blog websites, users, and researchers.
An updated estimate of posttransplant survival after implementation of the new donor heart allocation policy

The Organ Procurement and Transplant Network (OPTN) implemented a new heart allocation policy on October 18, 2018. Published estimates of lower posttransplant survival under the new policy in cohorts with limited follow‐up may be biased by informative censoring. Using the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients, we used the Kaplan–Meier method to estimate 1‐year posttransplant survival for pre‐policy (November 1, 2016, to October 31, 2017) and post‐policy cohorts (November 1, 2018, to October 31, 2019) with follow‐up through March 2, 2021. We adjusted for changes in recipient population over time with a multivariable Cox proportional hazards model. To demonstrate the effect of inadequate follow‐up on post‐policy survival estimates, we repeated the analysis but only included follow‐up through October 31, 2019. Transplant programs transplanted 2594 patients in the pre‐policy cohort and 2761 patients in the post‐policy cohort. With follow‐up through March 2, 2021, unadjusted 1‐year posttransplant survival was 90.6% (89.5%–91.8%) in the pre‐policy cohort and 90.8% (89.7%–91.9%) in the post‐policy cohort (adjusted HR = 0.93 [0.77–1.12]). Ignoring follow‐up after October 31, 2019, the post‐policy estimate was biased downward (1‐year: 82.2%). When estimated with adequate follow‐up, 1‐year posttransplant survival under the new heart allocation policy was not significantly different.
Use of Force and Home Safety: An Impact Assessment of Oklahoma’s Stand Your Ground Law

ABSTRACT Subsequent to Florida’s enactment of the first castle doctrine law in 2005, no less than 22 additional states have passed some sort of legislation that allows civilians to use deadly force to protect their property from violent and nonviolent offenders. Given the pervasiveness of these legislative acts, it becomes increasing important to find out whether or not they achieve their manifest goal of reducing the amount of crime within a jurisdiction. Toward this end, we employ interrupted time series modeling techniques to assess the impact of Oklahoma’s Stand Your Ground Law on the number of residential and non-residential burglaries. The findings indicate that while the legislative initiative achieved its manifest goal of reducing the number of residential burglaries, it simultaneously had the unintended consequence of increasing the number of non-residential burglaries.