Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Team Identification as an Outcome of Team Satisfaction

The study examined whether team satisfaction enhances team identification, constructing a model which is including determinates of team satisfaction: mutual support, a common goal, and multi-skills. The structural relationships between all variables were evaluated using quantitative data which was obtained from 328 shop-floor level workers in the table-ware manufacturing organizations in Sri Lanka. The study confirmed that team identification is directly improved by team satisfaction and as well, supportive activities (mutual support) and employees’ awareness on the team’s goal (common goal) make effects on team identification, indirectly. Even though the, multi-skills factor does not make a considerable effect on team identification, it acts as an important factor that can enhance the supportive activities in the teams. Accordingly, the present study provided evidence to prove, theoretically, that there is the possibility of enhancement of team identification through team satisfaction, contrasting the previous findings and practically, organizations can improve team identification via creating a team-based work environment which increases the employees’ satisfaction.
Importance Sampling Techniques for Policy Optimization

Abstract How can we effectively exploit the collected samples when solving a continuous control task with Reinforcement Learning? Recent results have empirically demonstrated that multiple policy optimization steps can be performed with the same batch by using off–distribution techniques based on importance sampling. However, when dealing with off–distribution optimization, it is essential to take into account the uncertainty introduced by the importance sampling process. In this paper, we propose and analyze a class of model-free, policy search algorithms that extend the recent Policy Optimization via Importance Sampling (Metelli et al., 2018) by incorporating two advanced variance reduction techniques: per–decision and multiple importance sampling. For both of them, we derive a high–probability bound, of independent interest, and then we show how to employ it to define a suitable surrogate objective function that can be used for both action–based and parameter–based settings. The resulting algorithms are finally evaluated on a set of continuous control tasks, using both linear and deep policies, and compared with modern policy optimization methods.
Assessing COVID-19 vaccine literacy: a preliminary online survey

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 infodemic can be countered by scientific evidence, clear and consistent communication, and improved health literacy of both individuals in need of information and those providing it. A rapid online survey was carried out to evaluate vaccine literacy (VL) skills in the general population and perceptions about COVID-19 vaccine candidates, along with behavior and beliefs about current vaccinations. Observed VL levels were consistent with previous observations – where comparable self-reported tools were administered face-to-face and by paper-and-pencil – the mean functional score being = 2.92, while the interactive-critical score was = 3.27, out of a maximum of 4. Perceptions regarding future COVID-19 vaccines, along with beliefs about vaccination, were mostly positive and significantly associated with functional and interactive-critical VL scales. Despite limitations, the study confirms that surveys via the web are a suitable method to evaluate and track attitudes during infectious disease outbreaks and assess health literacy skills about vaccination, which can be useful to adapt medical communication strategies, for a better understanding of the value of immunization.
Population Dynamics and Productivity of the Crayfish, Orconectes virilis, in a Marl Lake

The population dynamics of the crayfish, Orconectes virilis, were studied to define the role of the crayfish as a consumer in a marl lake ecosystem. Insight was gained into the factors controlling its production. There was year-class fluctuation in the age structure of the crayfish population. Males had a greater growth rate than females. After age-I, mortality rates for females were greater than for males. Both sexes matured after a molt in July, at age-I; mating followed and eggs were laid the following spring. Reproductive capacity was 58% of the potential capacity. Two-year-old females produced most of the eggs (92.5%). The estimated reproductive rate for 1963 was low (0.78 per generation) due to poor survival of the 1963 year class. The maximum life span for both sexes was three years. Newly hatched young left the females and remained in shallow water. Adult females then molted and migrated to a depth of 7.6 m, where most of them remained all summer. A migration of males to deep water followed. 0. virilis acts as a herbivore in marl lakes, feeding chiefly on the algae and the "aufwuchs" with marl incrustations, though it is also a scavenger on animal materials. The peak standing crop of crayfish (119.5 kg/ha) occurred in the spring of 1963. The annual net production of crayfish was 205.3 kg/ha, about 8.9 times greater than an estimate of the productio-n of all other bottom invertebrates in West Lost Lake (23.0 kg/ha). The total net production of 310.8 kg was 2.33 times the average standing crop during the summer of 1963. This crayfish has a lower daily numerical turnover rate (2.0%) than the amphipod Hyalella (2.9%) and the cladoceran Daphnia (25.0%). Population size is probably regulated by cannibalism and natural mortality at molting.
The Influence of Heat Exposure (34°) on Bone Growth and the Level of Thyroid Hormones in Rats

The experiment was to investigate the changes of physical traits and enzyme activities in the femur and the change of thyroid hormones in blood serum after heat exposure in growing rats. Wistar strain male rats aged 6 weeks were divided into two groups and placed in temperature controlled rooms; ambient temperature 24°C (group C) and 34°C (group H). On days 6, 12 and 18 from the beginning of experiment, blood and femur samples were collected from every rat. The blood samples were analyzed thyroid hormone concentrations and the femur samples were measured alkaline and acid phosphatase activities and physical traits. The elongation of the femur was not affected but the growth in width was retarded at high ambient temperature. Bone alkaline phosphatase activity dropped substantially at the beginning of heat exposure and then became stable, while bone acid phosphatase activities were lower in group H than in group C throughout the experimental period. The changes of bone enzyme activities indicate that the retardation of bone growth in width might be related to the reduction of mineralization at the beginning of heat exposure and the following bone resorption. Thyroxine (T4), triiodothyronine (T3) and free thyroxine concentrations in blood serum were lower in group H than in group C. The ratio of T3 to T4 was not changed by heat exposure. Jpn. J. Zootech. Sci., 59 (1): 67-74, 1988
Human Exposure to Toxic Metals and Microbiological Pollution via AC-filter Dust from Industrial, Residential and Agricultural Areas: Assessment of Health Risks

Among others, road traffic, industrial emissions, commercial activities, smoking and cooking are considered as major contributing factors for the increasing levels of pollutants in atmosphere. High levels of potentially toxic metals and microbes in atmosphere, especially in indoor air, may pose serious threat to human health. Therefore, concentration and associated health risks of potentially toxic trace metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb, and Zn) and their risk to human health, and microbial load in indoor air was assessed using air condition (AC) filter dust samples collected from 5 locations representing residential, agricultural and industrial settings of Eastern Province, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The levels of trace metals varied considerably among sampling areas, with the highest levels of Cr and Cd recorded in the Industrial-area sites followed by the Agricultural and Urban-Residential sites. The highest levels of Pb and Fe were found in the Agricultural area sites followed by the Industrial and Urban-Residential area sites. The metals in dust sample, especially Cd, Cr and Pb, showed a considerable health risk through dermal pathway. Among the sites, the highest hazard quotient for these metals was found for Al-Qatif-Industrial areas sites and among the metals it was the highest for Cd. The cancer risk from the metals contained in AC filter dust was negligible. Samples collected from Agricultural and Industrial area sites were substantially contaminated with bacteria and fungi, respectively. Bacterial contaminants were mostly Gram Negative, with considerable antibiotic resistance Preprints (www.preprints.org) | NOT PEER-REVIEWED | Posted: 26 August 2020 doi:10.20944/preprints202008.0571. v1 © 2020 by the author(s). Distributed under a Creative Commons CC BY license. and haemolytic activity. Thus, indoor air quality as assessed by AC filter dust depicted that a considerable health risk could be posed by the trace heavy metals and microorganisms for a long-term exposure. Furthermore, this study demonstrated that AC filters dust could be a unique and reliable test sample for the assessment of indoor environment. Key Word: Air-conditioned filer dust, Indoor environment, Heavy metals, Biological contaminants, Risk assessment Preprints (www.preprints.org) | NOT PEER-REVIEWED | Posted: 26 August 2020 doi:10.20944/preprints202008.0571. v1
Pros and cons of flowers strips for farmers. A review

Description of the subject. To counteract environmental problems due to agricultural intensification, European farmers can apply agri-environmental schemes in their fields. Flower strips are one example of these schemes, with the aim of supporting biodiversity, leading to an increase in “useful” species groups such as pollinators for crop pollination and natural enemies for pest control. However, to our knowledge, a complete appraisal of the pros and cons of flower strips, from a farmer’s point of view, does not yet exist. It is proposed that better and more complete information could increase the adoption and implementation of such agri-environmental schemes. Objectives. This study aims 1) to assess the pros and cons of flower strips, from a farmer’s point of view, and 2) to highlight the knowledge gaps that exist in the scientific literature, for the different types of pros and cons. Method. We listed the different components of the appraisal of pros and cons and conducted a systematic screening of the scientific literature on flower strips and these components. Results. The largest part of the 31 selected studies was concerning agronomical and ecological processes, such as pollination and animal pest control. Most of them indicated positive effects of flower strips. For many components of the appraisal, mostly economic and social ones, few or no studies were found. Conclusions. While a positive balance of pros and cons, from a farmer’s point of view, came from our literature screening, large research gaps still remain and more research is required, especially in the economic and social components of the evaluation.
SOURCE , BASIN , AND SITE EFFECTS IN STRONG MOTION RECORDS OF THE 2015 GORKHA EARTHQUAKE

The M7.8 Gorkha, Nepal mainshock ruptured a segment of the Main Himalayan Thrust directly below Kathmandu Valley, causing strong shaking levels and extensive structural damage across the valley. Strong motion data reveal an initial 6-s source pulse followed by 4-6 s energy reverberating within the basin. One of the striking features of the observed ground motions in the valley is that they were depleted of energy in the 0.5-10 Hz frequency range, which likely limited the severity of the structural damage compared to other possible realizations of similar ruptures. Isolated cases of liquefaction and lateral spreading of unconsolidated sediments were also observed but have not yet revealed a systematic damage pattern. Initial analysis of available data suggests that several different factors, including source and path as well as site effects, were responsible for the unusual character of the ground motions. In this paper, we review earthquake reconnaissance as well as available strong motion records from Kathmandu Valley to better understand the observations from this earthquake.
Public Pension Reforms and Fiscal Foresight: Narrative Evidence and Aggregate Implications

We explore the evolution of pension policy across countries and investigate the macroeconomic effects of pension structural reforms in recent decades, in particular those with implementation delays. We first document chronological changes in pension policy for 10 OECD countries between 1962 and 2017. The new data set shows that pension systems rapidly expanded between the 1960s and 1980s, followed by a wave of retrenchments since the 1990s. Structural pension reforms, which are motivated by long-run fiscal sustainability concerns, often come with significant implementation delays. We find that when structural pension retrenchments are implemented without delays, people close to retirement stay in the workforce longer to compensate for the decline in their pensions, leading to a decline in old-age pension spending. News about structural pension retrenchments in the future, however, leads people close to retirement to exit the labor market prior to the reform being implemented. As a result, government spending on old-age pensions tends to increase, rather than decrease, over the medium term. This effect is particularly prevalent for pension reforms that change retirement age and contribution years and that come with longer implementation delays.
Honors and Costs of Being Heroes: Risk Factors and Epidemiology of COVID-19 Infection among Health Care Workers of a Severely Hit COVID-19-Referral Hospital in Italy

Purpose: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the health care workers (HCWs) at the frontline have been largely exposed to infected patients, running an high risk of being infected by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. This study investigates the epidemiological, clinical and lifestyles characteristics that might play roles in the susceptibility of HCWs to COVID-19 in a hit Italian hospital. Methods:Demographic, lifestyle, work-related and comorbidities data of 1447 HCWs which underwent a nasopharyngeal swab for SARS-CoV-2 were retrospectively collected. For the 164 HCWs positive for SARS-CoV-2, data about safety in the workplace, symptoms and clinical course of COVID-19 were also collected. Cumulative incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection was estimated. Risk factors for SARS-CoV-2 infection were assessed using a multivariable Poisson regression. Results: The cumulative incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection among the screened HCWs was 11.33 (9.72-13.21). Working in a COVID-19 ward, being a former smoker (vs being a person who never smoked) and BMI were positively associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection, whereas being a current smoker was negatively associated with this variable. Conclusions: Assuming an equal accessibility and proper use of PPE of all the HCWs of our Hospital, the great and more prolonged contact with COVID-19 patients remains the crucial risk factor for SARS-CoV-2. Therefore, increased and particular care needs to be focused specifically on the most exposed HCWs groups, which should be safeguarded. Furthermore, in order to limit the risk of asymptomatic spread of SARS-CoV-2 infection, the HCWs mild symptoms of COVID-19 should be considered when evaluating the potential benefits of universal staff testing
A REVIEW ON REAL TIME MEMS SENSOR FUSION

Low cost systems for navigation make use of advancement in Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) for the realization of miniaturized inertial sensors. But the inherent drift in MEMS sensors leads to erroneous navigation data, which can be taken care by incorporating a secondary sensor along with the main sensor by sensor fusion to obtain an optimal output in real time, thereby eliminating the accumulated errors. Data from multiple sensors will provide more reliable and accurate information in addition to redundancy in case of a sensor failure. Sensor fusion algorithm based on Kalman Filter is used for navigation applications, but its accuracy reduces under dynamic conditions. Review on the different sensor fusion algorithms used for navigation applications is done here.
Distribution of Foraging Rhinoceros Auklets in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Washington

ABSTRACr-The daytime distribution of a known population of rhinoceros auklets (Cerorhinca monocerata) in Washington was determined through censuses from aircraft and from points on shore where auklets passed. Auklets concentrated in waters of > 20 m depth in areas of strong tidal currents, and near a few offshore banks. About 8085% of the birds foraged within 37 km of the main colony on Protection Island.
Genetic Relationships among the Tasmanian Scincid Lizards of the Genus Niveoscincus

Six of the eight species belonging to the scincid lizard genus Niveoscincus are restricted to Tasmania. These species are known to be closely related, based on earlier MC'F comparisons; we here use allozyme electrophoresis to test species boundaries and to elucidate cladistic relationships within the genus. All species are well characterized by fixed allelic differences, but two closely related species, N. microlepidotus and N. orocryptus, are not distinguishable electrophoretically at some localities, while maintaining reproductive isolation in other areas of sympatry. Analysis of variation at 31 presumed gene loci provides the basis for an evolutionary scenario in which N. coventryi of mainland Australia is the sister species of all other Niveoscincus. Within the Tasmanian radiation, a single ancestral form may have given rise to four modern lineages, these being N. ocellatus, N. pretiosus, N. metallicus, and a group consisting of N. palfreymani plus the three alpine species, N. greeni, N. microlepidotus, and N. orocryptus. The lygosomine genus Niveoscincus is one of several partitioned from Leiolopisma, following a combined immunological (micro-complement fixation; MC'F) and morphological study which
FORCE-VELOCITY RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SPRINTING AND JUMPING TESTING PROCEDURES

The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between the mechanical characteristics of the horizontal and vertical Force-velocity (F-v) profile as well as the performance variables of the sprinting and jumping testing procedures. Twenty high-level sprinters performed two maximal sprints and squat jumps against multiple external loads. Our main findings revealed very large correlations for maximal mechanical power output (Pmax) (r=0.72), as well as for performance variables between the sprinting and jumping tasks (r=-0.81) and large correlations for maximal velocity (V0) (r=0.66). The maximal force (F0) and the slope of the F-v relationship (F-v slope) were not significantly correlated between both tasks. These results suggest that both testing procedures should be performed in order to gain a deeper insight into the maximal mechanical properties and function of the lower-body muscles in high-level sprinters.
of the European Union

The aim of the study is to determine the impact of the EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) subsidies on farm efficiency, depending on farm economic size. Although the impact of subsidies on efficiency is already relatively well recognised, earlier studies were focused on identifying this issue rather than explaining the variation in its intensity. Typically, the analysis of variation by type of production and country was conducted with microeconomic data. Our survey is based on data from the Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN) aggregated at the regional level, for farms representative for particular economic size classes. In the survey, we apply stochastic frontier analysis and "true" fixed-effects model. The results of the research confirm the hypothesis that the impact of subsidies on efficiency depends on the size of farms. Statistically significant, stimulating effect of subsidies was identified only in the group of the largest farms. Such results put into question the effectiveness of the CAP in stimulating the development of the European Model of Agriculture, and at the same time indicate that in its current form, the policy may interfere with market mechanisms and lead to the phenomenon of "rent seeking".
Transition Gone Bad? Teenage Pregnancy and Suggested Remedies In A Rural Community In Eastern Uganda

Introduction The transition from childhood to teenage stage is a critical moment in one’s life cycle and presents with complex psychological challenges, opportunities and risks such as teenage pregnancy (TP). It predisposes to increased risk of adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes. Uganda has a high teenage pregnancy rate averaging 25%. Quite often solutions directed against it fail to deliver desired results. This study reports effects of, risk factors, and remedies from the teenagers’ perspective in Bududa district. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was employed. Using interviewer administered questionnaires; quantitative data amongst 150 randomly sampled teenagers was collected. Data were entered into Microsoft Excel and imported to SPSS version 16 for analysis. Simple proportions were used to describe categorical and numerical data. Results: Mean age of participants was 16.9yrs (IQR16- 18yrs). The majority, 59.3 % were below 18 years with 4.7% being 13yr olds. The majority, 69.4% were lowly educated, none was formally employed while 64% were married. Knowledge of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) was low. Possible risk factors to teenage pregnancy included cultural events, poverty and fertility testing. The majority associated TP with various negative social and health outcomes. Suggested remedies against TP included early age and school based SRH programs and provision of long term contraception. Conclusion: Teenage pregnancy is a public health problem in Bududa and victims suffer various adverse effects. Provision of SRH services, incorporating comprehensive sex education in the school curriculum and improved supervision during social-cultural gatherings is critical in fighting TP.
Phylogeny of Calliandra (Leguminosae: Mimosoideae) based on nuclear and plastid molecular markers

We reconstructed phylogenetic relationships in Leguminosae subfam. Mimosoideae tribe Ingeae using 135 sequences from the nuclear (ITS) and 119 from the plastid (trnL-F) genome, representing 23 of the 36 currently recognized genera in the tribe with newly generated sequences of Blanchetiodendron, Guinetia, Macrosamanea, Thailentadopsis and Viguieranthus and an extensive sampling of Calliandra. Only two of the five Neotropical generic alliances of Barneby & Grimes (1996) were supported as monophyletic. Calliandra is resolved as monophyletic with the inclusion of Guinetia. The five previously proposed sections within Calliandra were not supported by our study. Nevertheless, based on these results, a new infrageneric classifica- tion is proposed for Calliandra, and the African species of the genus are assigned to a new genus, Afrocalliandra. Three new sections are proposed for Calliandra: (1) sect. Tsugoideae based on C. ser. Tsugoideae, with four species from northwestern South America; (2) sect. Septentrionales, with six species distributed in dry areas from the United States to Mexico and (3) sect. Monticola, which consists of species restricted to the Espinhaco range of Brazil; these latter species form a clade with low levels of sequence variation, a potential indicator of the recent diversification of this group.