Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Covid-19 and public service media: Impact of the pandemic on public television in Europe

This article analyses the response of European Public Service Media to the crisis caused by Covid-19, especially the impact of the pandemic on Europe's major public broadcasters, with a particular focus on technical and professional constraints, alterations in audience volume and habits, production strategies, type of broadcast content and journalists' routines The research is based on public information from the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and 19 in-depth, structured interviews with a convenience sample of innovation and strategy managers from public broadcasters in Austria (ORF), Belgium (VRT and RTBF), Denmark (DR), Finland (YLE), France (France TV), Germany (ARD and ZDF), Great Britain (BBC), Ireland (RTE), Italy (RAI), Netherlands (NPO), Portugal (RTP), Spain (RIVE), Sweden (SV7), Switzerland (RTS) and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) The results indicate that the corporate projection of PSM was increased by emphasising their role as essential services and their defence of the values that characterise them The pandemic forced the adaptation of programme production from technical standards to an emotional approach, accelerating a formal hybridisation with native online contents Dependence on software grew and newsmaking processes were altered towards 'remote journalism' Changes are drawn that may be maintained in the future
Towards PopBots: A Suite of Conversational Agents for Daily Stress

Mobile users are increasingly using chatbots to access services. Chatbots that understand user problems and emotions could be effective public health tools for stress management for those without professional support. However, stress management applications (including chatbots) have thus far been met with low adoption and high abandonment. In this workshop paper, we explore if short interactions with multiple chatbots can have wellness beneﬁts and propose the creation of a suite of shallow chatbots—called Pop-bots —aimed at providing in-situ support for daily stressors by being quick, readily available, and engaging. To evaluate the feasibility of our approach and gather preliminary user feedback, we conducted an exploratory Wizard of Oz study (N=14), developed a prototype system, and evaluated this prototype in an online pilot (N=14) with university students. Based on data from 81 conversations, we note that users most often discussed issues related to "work" and self-reported that the system helped alleviate stress.
Modeling the non-linear response of mixed culture biofilm structures to turbulent flow

Microbial biofouling of wetted interfaces can negatively impact the hydrodynamic performance of pressurized conduits. These impacts are due, in part, to the material properties of biofilm, yet few studies have examined this polymeric substance in the context of a constitutive relation. The goal of this research was two-fold; I) to determine a suitable constitutive model for a mixed-culture biofilm and 2) use this material model in a numerical simulation to evaluate biofilm mechanical behavior in response to varying hydrodynamic conditions. Creep tests revealed that these biofilms may be classified as viscoelastic fluids. Furthermore, results indicated the presence of viscous, time-dependent and instantaneous components to the biofilm compliance functions. A regression analysis (r2 = 0.8819) supported the treatment of these samples as linear viscoelastic fluids within the stress range of 0.1 Pa to 0.5 Pa. A specific linear viscoelastic constitutive equation was then determined by fitting experimental results to analytical solutions using an optimization algorithm. It was found that the Burger material model closely approximated the behavior of all samples. A numerical fluid-structure interface model was then developed arid employed in a parametric study to investigate biofilm behavior. The effect of the Burger material parameters, mean flow velocity and biofilm size were examined. Simulations showed that weaker or softer biofilms (characterized by lower elastic moduli) were highly susceptible to lift forces. Additionally, polar diagrams were generated by plotting the coefficients of drag versus lift. The plots suggested that in the first few seconds after loading, the deformation paths taken by hemispherical biofilms are largely insensitive to specific material coefficients. Moreover, the diagrams illustrated that the effects of biofilm strength, size and channel velocity on displacement were predictable. These relationships may lead to the development of a simple, yet accurate method for predicting the hydrodynamic forces acting on an attached biofilm.
The contribution of ocean dynamics on the variability of European winter temperatures in a long coupled model simulation

A large part of the interannual variability of the European winter air temperature is caused by anomalies of the atmospheric circulation and the associated advection of air masses. However, part of the temperature variability cannot be linearly explained by such processes. Here, a long control simulation with a coupled atmosphere-ocean climate model is analyzed with the goal of decomposing the European temperature anomalies in an atmospheric-circulation-dependent part and a residual. The thermohaline circulation, closely connected in the model to the intensity of the Gulf Stream, lags the evolution of the temperature residuals by several years and does not seem to exert any control on their evolution. The variability of the oceanic convection in the northern North Atlantic on the other hand correlates with the temperature residual evolution at lags close to zero. It is hypothesised that oceanic convection produces a sea-surface temperature fingerprint that leads to the European temperature residuals. Der Einfluss der Ozeandynamik auf die Variabilität der europäischen Wintertemperaturen in einer langen gekoppelten Klimasimulation Zusammenfassung Ein großer Teil der Jahr-zu-Jahr-Variabilität der europäischen Wintertemperaturen wird durch Anomalien innerhalb der atmosphärischen Zirkulation und dem damit in Zusammenhang stehenden Luftmassentransport verursacht. Dennoch kann ein nicht unerheblicher Teil der Temperaturvariabilität nicht linear durch solche Prozesse erklärt werden. In der vorliegenden Arbeit wird eine lange Kontrollsimulation mit einem gekoppelten Klimamodell mit dem Ziel untersucht, die europäischen Wintertemperaturen in einen durch die atmosphärische Zirkulation verursachten Teil und ein dazugehöriges Residuum aufzuspalten. Die thermohaline Zirkulation, welche im Modell eng mit der Intensität des Golfstroms verbunden ist, folgt der residualen Temperaturentwicklung mit einigen Jahren Verzögerung und scheint keinen Einfluss auf deren Entwicklung zu nehmen. Die Variabilität der ozeanischen Konvektion im nördlichen Nordatlantik andererseits korreliert mit der residualen Temperaturentwicklung ohne nennenswerte Zeitverschiebung. Es wird angenommen, dass die ozeanische Konvektion einen Fingerabdruck in den Meeresoberflächentemperaturen verursacht, welcher die residuale europäische Temperaturentwicklung steuert. Manuscript received / Manuskripteingang in TDB: 3. März 2004
Factsheet Chain of Contamination : The Food Link Organotin compounds – incl . butyltins ( TBT ) and octyltins

Background Organotin compounds (OTCs) are man-made chemical compounds, based on a hydrocarbon structure combined with tin. The most well known organotin is tributyltin (TBT), used widely in marine antifoulant paints to prevent the growth of organisms such as barnacles on the hull of ships. Other organotins include the monoand dibutyltins (MBT, DBT), octyltins (monooctyltin, MOT and dioctyltin, DOT) and mono-, diand triphenyltins (MPT, DPT, TPT). Organotins have many applications, which include use as stabilisers in PVC, catalysts in chemical reactions, glass coatings, agricultural pesticides, biocides in marine antifoulant paints and wood treatments and preservatives (Batt, 2006) and in anti-odour/anti-fungal treatments for textiles and textile polymers (Greenpeace, 2003b, Peters, 2006). The five major commercial applications (biocides, PVC stabilizers, catalysts, agrochemicals and glass coatings) account for approximately 20, 000 tons of tin consumption per year (Batt, 2006).
Can Virtual Reality Mimic Prism Adaptation

Prism adaptation therapy is a commonly-used treatment for the neurological disorder, spatial neglect, in which patients are unable to attend to or interact with one side of their visual ﬁeld. Prism adaptation induces a sensory mismatch be-tween patients’ motor movements and visual input through the use of prisms which shift the visual ﬁeld either to the left or right. Patients have to adjust their motor movements to align with their shifted visual input. This process results in af-tereffects that alleviate the symptoms of neglect. The goal of this research is to determine whether a virtual reality version of prism adaptation can alter the spatial attention of healthy, undergraduate students in a way similar to traditional prism adaptation methods. The present study replicated a physical prism adaptation study performed by Goedert, LeBlanc, Tsai & Barrett (2010), but us-ing virtual reality induced visual-motor mismatch. Twenty-four participants performed line bisection and straight-ahead pointing tasks both before and after spending 15 minutes in a virtual reality game in which they poked the noses of cartoon circus animals. The virtual reality environment induced a mismatch between the visual location of the hand and the actual physical location of the hand either in the leftward or rightward direction. Results for the straight-ahead pointing task replicated those of Goedert et al. (2010). Among individuals with a leftward baseline bias of spatial attention the magnitude of the aftereffects was greater for a left-ward versus a rightward shift in the virtual reality environment. Performance on the line bisection task, however, was unaffected by the virtual reality manipulation Despite this, this work has implications for the extent to which the vision and action systems respond to virtually reality in a way similar to actual physical reality.
IMPACT CHARACTERIZATION AND SIMULATION OF A FML BASED ON A SELF-REINFORCED POLYPROPYLENE

In this work, the low velocity impact behavior in a lightweight fiber metal laminate (FML) system is studied. This FML is based on aluminum 2024 T3 and a self-reinforced polypropylene composite (SRPP). The laminate herein presented was manufactured by compression-molding process. In order to elucidate the strain-rate sensitivity of the composite, quasi-static tensile tests at different velocities in SRPP specimens were undertaken. After that, biaxial bending-impact tests in FML plates were performed with different impact energies to analyze the material’s impact behavior. Finally, a preliminary finite element model to simulate the biaxial bending-impact tests by using elastic-plastic models for the materials was developed. Results reveal this FML show a great capability of absorbing energy without taking place interlaminar delamination or debonding between layers. A good agreement between numerical and experimental data was obtained in the loading phase of force-time curves.
Does the magnetosphere behave differently on weekends?

Global geomagnetic activity has been suggested to be enhanced during weekends above the weekly average after 1930. Before the 1930s, weekends and weekdays were found to be equally active. This so-called “weekend effect” was suggested to be due to power line harmonic radiation (PLHR) in the VLF range emitted by electric power lines. Since the consumption of electric power is different on weekends and weekdays, leading to different PLHR intensities, this could possibly cause the “weekend effect” in global geomagnetic activity. In the present paper, we reanalyse the suggested “weekend effect” in global geomagnetic activity using the 69-year planetary geomagnetic Ap index and the 131-year antipodal aa index. We conclude that there is no statistically significant “weekend effect” during the interval covered by these geomagnetic activity indices. Although global geomagnetic activity is slightly enhanced on weekends from the 1930s to the 1980s, the more recent data show rather a relative decrease in global geomagnetic activity on weekends, contrary to the expected increase in the “weekend effect”, due to increasing power consumption. Moreover, the weekly distribution is fairly similar in solar wind speed and global geomagnetic activity during the last 35 years, further supporting the view that the “weekend effect” is only a statistical fluctuation.
Differential Involvement of the Locus Coeruleus in Early- and Late-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease: A Potential Mechanism of Clinical Differences?

Early-onset Alzheimers disease (EOAD) has been associated with an increased likelihood of atypical clinical manifestations such as attentional impairment, yet the cause of this heterogeneity remains unclear. The locus coeruleus (LC) is implicated early in Alzheimers disease pathology and is associated with attentional functioning. This study investigated post-mortem atrophy of the LC in EOAD and late-onset Alzheimers disease (LOAD) in a large, well-characterized sample. Results show nearly four times greater likelihood of higher LC atrophy in EOAD as compared to LOAD after controlling for other measures of pathological progression (p < .005). Follow-up analyses within the EOAD group revealed that compared to those who displayed mild or no LC atrophy at autopsy, those with moderate-severe atrophy of the LC displayed significantly worse performance on various baseline measures of attentional functioning (p < .05), despite similar overall cognition (p = .25). These findings suggest the LC is an important potential driver of clinical and pathological heterogeneity in EOAD.
USE OF NATURAL ZEOLITE (CLINOPTILOLITE) IN AGRICULTURE

Zeolites have been increasingly used in various application areas such as industry, agriculture, environmental protection, and even medicine. Although, there are no certain figures on the total amount of these minerals the world, some countries e.g. Cuba, USA, Russia, Japan, Italy, South Africa, Hungary and Bulgaria, have important reserves and production potentials. According to reports of 2001, the total consumption of zeolites was 3.5 million tons of which 18% came from their natural resources and the rest from synthetics. More than forty naturally occurring zeolites were reported by different research groups, and clinoptilolite, erionite, chabazite, heulandite, mordenite, stilbit and philipsite are the most well-known. The most common for agricultural applications is clinoptilolite since it has high absorption, cation exchange, catalysis and dehydration capacities. Zeolites are, therefore, used as a promoter for better plant growth by improving the value of fertilizers; retaining valuable nitrogen and improving the quality of resulting manures and sludge. They can also be used as a molecular sieve or filter medium.
Community interventions for people with complex emotional needs that meet the criteria for personality disorder diagnoses: a systematic review of economic evaluations

Background Diagnoses of personality disorder are prevalent among people using community secondary mental health services. Whilst the effectiveness of a range of community-based treatments have been considered, as the NHS budget is finite, it is also important to consider the cost-effectiveness of those interventions. Aims To assess the cost-effectiveness of primary or secondary care community-based interventions for people with complex emotional needs that meet criteria for a diagnosis of personality disorder to inform healthcare policy making. Method Systematic review (PRESPORO #: CRD42020134068) of five databases, supplemented by reference list screening and citation tracking of included papers. We included economic evaluations of interventions for adults with complex emotional needs associated with a diagnosis of personality disorder in community mental health settings published between before 18 September 2019. Study quality was assessed using the CHEERS statement. Narrative synthesis was used to summarise study findings. Results Eighteen studies were included. The studies mainly evaluated psychotherapeutic interventions. Studies were also identified which evaluated altering the setting in which care was delivered and joint crisis plans. No strong economic evidence to support a single intervention or model of community-based care was identified. Conclusion There is no robust economic evidence to support a single intervention or model of community-based care for people with complex emotional needs. The review identified the strongest evidence for Dialectical Behavioural Therapy with all three identified studies indicating the intervention is likely to be cost-effective in community settings compared to treatment as usual. Further research is needed to provide robust evidence on the cost-effectiveness of community-based interventions upon which decision makers can confidently base guidelines or allocate resources.
Characteristics of those most vulnerable to employment changes during the COVID-19 pandemic: a nationally representative cross-sectional study in Wales

Background The public health response to the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic has had a detrimental impact on employment and there are concerns the impact may be greatest among the most vulnerable. We examined the characteristics of those who experienced changes in employment status during the early months of the pandemic. Methods Data were collected from a cross-sectional, nationally representative household survey of the working age population (18–64 years) in Wales in May/June 2020 (n=1379). We looked at changes in employment and being placed on furlough since February 2020 across demographics, contract type, job skill level, health status and household factors. χ2 or Fisher’s exact test and multinomial logistic regression models examined associations between demographics, subgroups and employment outcomes. Results Of our respondents, 91.0% remained in the same job in May/June 2020 as they were in February 2020, 5.7% were now in a new job and 3.3% experienced unemployment. In addition, 24% of our respondents reported being placed on furlough. Non-permanent contract types, individuals who reported low mental well-being and household financial difficulties were all significant factors in experiencing unemployment. Being placed on ‘furlough’ was more likely in younger (18–29 years) and older (60–64 years) workers, those in lower skilled jobs and from households with less financial security. Conclusion A number of vulnerable population groups were observed to experience detrimental employment outcomes during the initial stage of the COVID-19 pandemic. Targeted support is needed to mitigate against both the direct impacts on employment, and indirect impacts on financial insecurity and health.
Using a Convolutional Neural Network to Predict Remission of Diabetes After Gastric Bypass Surgery: Machine Learning Study From the Scandinavian Obesity Surgery Register

Background: Prediction of diabetes remission is an important topic in the evaluation of patients with type-2 diabetes (T2D) before bariatric surgery. While several high-quality predictive indices are available, artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms offer the potential for higher predictive capability. The objective was to construct and validate an AI prediction model for diabetes remission after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery. Methods: Patients who underwent surgery from 2007 until 2017 were included in the study, with collection of individual data from the Scandinavian Obesity Surgery Registry (SOReg), the Swedish National Patients Register, the Swedish Prescribed Drugs Register, and Statistics Sweden. A 7-layer convolution neural network (CNN) model was developed using 80% of patients randomly selected from SOReg and 20% of patients for external testing. The predictive capability of the CNN model and currently used scores (DiaRem, Ad-DiaRem, DiaBetter and IMS) were compared. Results: In total, 8057 patients with T2D were included in the study. At 2 years after surgery 77.1% achieved pharmacological remission, while 62.2% achieved complete remission. The area under the receiver operating curve (AUC) for the CNN-model for pharmacological remission was 0.85 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.83-0.86] during validation, and 0.83 for the final test, which was 9-12% better than the traditional predictive indices. AUC for complete remission was 0.83 (95% CI: 0.81-0.85) during validation, and 0.82 for the final test, which was 9-11% better than the traditional predictive indices. Conclusion: The CNN method had better predictive capability compared to traditional indices for diabetes remission. However, further validation is needed in other countries to evaluate its external generalizability.
Propagation of New Chestnut Rootstocks with Improved Resistance to Phytophthora cinnamomi – New Cast Rootstocks

Nowadays there is a great demand for chestnut rootstocks with improved resistance to Phytophthora cinnamomi, the causing agent of ink disease/root rot. The majority of genotypes that are being commercialized and used in the new plantations, were selected from the breeding programs of the XX century. The climate scenarios have been changing throughout the years, therefore the selection of new genotypes, better adapted to the current conditions of soil and climate, together with an effective and expedite production system, are essential to fulfill the needs of the market on better propagation materials. The INIAV's chestnut breeding program, established in 2006, aims the improvement of resistance of chestnut to biotic stresses. By taking advantage of micropropagation, this program developed a pipeline to produce new hybrid varieties with improved resistance to P. cinnamomi. Micropropagation helps to overcome the recalcitrance that chestnut tissues present to traditional clonal propagation techniques. This work describes the pipeline of production of these hybrids and characterizes the plants from in vitro to ex vitro conditions. The pipeline allows the development of healthy plants capable of robust and continuous growth in ex vitro conditions. Nowadays these hybrids are being multiplied in a large scale production system, to be released to the market in the near future.
Studies on quality characteristics and storage life of developed chevon meat patties incorporated with carrot and pine apple pomace

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of dried pomace of carrot and pineapple on physicchemical, polyphenol content and shelf life on the bases of sensory evaluation of developed chevon meat patties. Treated samples were prepared by incorporation of dried pomace of carrot (6%) and pineapple (4%) alone and in combination (3:2) using other ingredients similar to control. The samples were stored at refrigeration temperature (4±1 C) to evaluate their sensory score at a regular interval of 4 days. Addition of pineapple and combination of carrot and pineapple showed significantly higher cooking yield, emulsion stability, water holding capacity and total phenol content as compared to control and carrot pomace alone. However, pH and firmness of all the treated products were decreased as compared to control but all the products including control were organoleptically acceptable till 12 days of storage. It is concluded that addition of dried pomace of pine apple alone (4%) or in combination with dried carrot pomace (3:2) improved the physicochemical properties of developed chevon meat patties and the products can be stored for 12 days at refrigeration temperature (4±1 C).
Tool condition monitoring and machining process control

The monitoring and control of turning operations in a metal-cutting system are examined. Tool wear sensing and metal-removing rate control are considered from a systems-theory viewpoint. Tool decay features are described along with requirements for in-process sensing devices. An adaptive control system is proposed for automatic tool replacement based on wear measurement feedback. <<ETX>>