Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Novel Channel Aware Power Control for a Multi-User Downlink NOMA Network

In this letter, we consider a downlink multi-user (MU) non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) network. We demonstrate that utilizing knowledge of the channel gains to determine the NOMA power allocation coefficients can dramatically improve throughput performance. Considering practical imperfect successive interference cancellation, expressions are derived for the optimum power allocation that ensures the minimum outage probability for the signalling scheme. The level of successive interference cancellation at each user and the decoding order are specified. It is shown that the proposed decoding order and the power allocations result in the maximum throughput. Expressions are derived for the throughput with these power allocations. Channel knowledge is exploited to determine the minimum power required for non-outage, and an expression is derived for the average value of this minimum power requirement. Computer simulations validate the derived expressions.
Top-Down Effects of an Exotic Serpulid Polychaete on Natural Plankton Assemblage of Estuarine and Brackish Systems in the SW Atlantic

ABSTRACT Pan, J. and Marcoval, M.A., 2014. Top-down effects of an exotic serpulid polychaete on natural plankton assemblage of estuarine and brackish systems in the SW Atlantic. The invasive reef-building polychaete Ficopomatus enigmaticus (Fauvel, 1923) has become well-established in many temperate brackish waters. To analyze preferences for different planktonic food sources, short-term (∼1.5 h), grazing microcosm experiments were performed in situ (n = 3), at two water bodies, a coastal lagoon (Mar Chiquita, MC) and the mixohaline stretches of a coastal creek (La Tigra, LT), Argentina, in January 2007. Relative clearance rates of phytoplankton were assessed for chlorophyll a size-fractions and for different groups of nanoplanktonic and microplanktonic protists. The two locations showed significant differences in plankton community structure. Nanoeukaryotes were the dominant group at both locations; the second most-abundant groups were diatoms at MC and ciliates at LT. There were significant differences in chlorophyll-based clearance rates in relation to phytoplankton size-fraction. Clearance rates for pennate diatoms were significantly higher than for any other planktonic prey (2.3 l h−1 g DW−1). Ficopomatus enigmaticus presented relatively high clearance rates for heterotrophic ciliates (1.5 l h−1 g DW−1). Biomass removal by F. enigmaticus was high (>50% of initial standing stocks for all components), indicating that the serpulid was capable of regulating planktonic biomass. Significant differences in clearance for different components of the community suggest that F. enigmaticus has the potential to promote changes in plankton community structure and, hence, exerts strong top-down controls.
Promoting participation in remote digital health studies: An expert interview study

Background Remote digital health studies are on the rise and promise to reduce the operational inefficiencies of in-person research. However, they encounter specific challenges in maintaining participation (enrollment and retention) due to their exclusive reliance on technology across all study phases. Objective The goal of this study was to collect experts’ opinions on how to facilitate participation in remote digital health studies. Method We conducted 13 semi-structured interviews with principal investigators, researchers, and software developers who had recent experiences with remote digital health studies. Informed by the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) framework, we performed a thematic analysis and mapped various approaches to successful study participation. Results Our analyses revealed four themes: (1) study planning to increase participation, where experts suggest that remote digital health studies should be planned based on adequate knowledge of what motivates, engages, and disengages a target population; (2) participant enrollment, highlighting that enrollment strategies should be selected carefully, attached to adequate support, and focused on inclusivity; (3) participant retention, with strategies that minimize the effort and complexity of study tasks and ensure that technology is adapted and responsive to participant needs, and (4) requirements for study planning focused on the development of relevant guidelines to foster participation in future studies. Conclusions Our findings highlight the significant requirements for seamless technology and researcher involvement in enabling high remote digital health study participation. Future studies can benefit from collected experiences and the development of guidelines to inform planning that balances participant and scientific requirements.
The Effect of Workload, Work Environment, Work Stress and Responsibility on Nurses' Job Satisfaction at Business Engaged in Health Service Sector

The purpose of this study is to determine the impact of workload on job satisfaction. The study population consisted of 212 nurses at businesses engaged in the health service sector. This research includes quantitative research using survey procedures. Collection of information by observation, interviews, and questionnaires. The sample consisted of 139 nurses. Data analysis used a simple linear regression method. The research results obtained show that workload has a negative effect on job satisfaction. The temporal demands dimension has the most substantial negative relationship with the operating procedures dimension. This indicates that the more nurses are required to work quickly, the less job satisfaction nurses will have in implementing procedures. There is an influence of the work environment on nurse job satisfaction. Keywords: Workload; Work Environment; Work Stress; Responsibility; Job Satisfaction
Finding its Voice: The Influence of Robot Voice on Fit, Social Attributes, and Willingness to Use Among Older Adults in the U.S. and Japan

Robots may be able to significantly assist older adults through making activity recommendations. Prior research suggests that gender and age of a robot’s voice may affect how people respond to such recommendations, but few studies have explored how a robot’s voice is perceived by older adults, and whether their perceptions differ across cultures. We conducted a survey study with older adult participants (aged 65+) in the U.S. (N=225) and Japan (N=466), asking them to evaluate a humanoid robot speaking with three different voices (male, female, child). After seeing a video of a robot making recommendations, participants rated the fit of the voice to the robot, its sociality (via the Robotic Social Attributes Scale - RoSAS), and their willingness to use the robot in various contexts. We discovered that robot’s social attributes and participants’ culture impacted willingness to use the robot in both countries. Having positive social attributes and lower negative attributes increases willingness to use the robot. The U.S. older adults preferred the adult robot voices, had more positive social attributes, less negative social attributes, and were more likely to accept lifestyle recommendations than Japanese older adults. This study contributes to our understanding of older adults’ perceptions of robot voice and provides design implications for robots that make recommendations to older adults.
Experience of health workers in improving patient safety in hospitals through interprofessional collaboration: study qualitative

Introduction: Patient safety is a global problem because patient safety incidents that occurare estimated to be 134 million incidents due to unsafe care and 2.6 million resulting indeath. Indonesia recorded a patient safety incident rate of 23.5%, so interprofessionalcollaboration is necessary to minimize this condition.Objective: This study aims to identify the experience of health workers in improvingpatient safety in hospitals through interprofessional collaboration. The method in this studyis a qualitative design with an interpretive descriptive approach.Methods: The method in this study is a qualitative design with an interpretive descriptiveapproach. The method in this study is qualitative with a descriptive-interpretative approachdesign. Implementation method with FGD on five professional health workers.Result: The results of the study contained 8 (eight) themes showing the experience ofhealth workers in improving patient safety in hospitals through interprofessionalcollaboration including understanding health workers in improving patient safety,implementation of patient safety for health workers in interprofessional collaboration,hospital management support, obstacles and expectations health workers in improvingpatient safety through interprofessional collaboration.Conclusion: The results of the study contained the experience of health workers on theimplementation of patient safety in hospitals through interprofessional collaboration,namely identifying actions in providing services with uniform documentation and alsocoordinating actions according to Standart Operastional Procedur (SOPs), creatingcommunication according to Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation (SBAR),joint commitment in providing services in hospitals, uniform training in hospitals, reducingbarriers in both personal and management services, awareness, interest and motivationfrom each profession, facilities that support the implementation of patient safety open andtransparent system, monitoring evaluation regulary and facilitating staff.
Sedimentation in the floodplains of the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. Part I: suspended sediment dynamics

Suspended sediment is the primary source for a sustainable agro‐ecosystem in the Mekong Delta by providing nutrient input for the subsequent cropping season. In addition, the suspended sediment concentration (SSC) plays an important role in the erosion and deposition processes in the Delta; that is, it influences the morphologic development and may counteract the deltaic subsidence and sea level rise. Despite this importance, little is known about the dynamics of suspended sediment in the floodplains of the Mekong Delta. In particular, quantitative analyses are lacking mainly because of data scarcity with respect to the inundation processes in the floodplains. In 2008, therefore, a comprehensive in situ system to monitor the dynamics of suspended sediment in a study area located in the Plain of Reeds was established, aiming at the characterization and quantification of suspended sediment dynamics in the deeply inundated parts of the Vietnamese part of the Mekong Delta. The monitoring system was equipped with seven water quality–monitoring stations. They have a robust design and autonomous power supply suitable for operation on inundated floodplains, enabling the collection of reliable data over a long period of time with a high temporal resolution. The data analysis shows that the general seasonal dynamics of suspended sediment transport in the Delta is controlled by two main mechanisms: the flood wave of the Mekong River and the tidal backwater influences from the coast. In the channel network, SSC decreases exponentially with distance from the Mekong River. The anthropogenic influence on SSC could also be identified for two periods: at the start of the floodplain inundation and at the end of the flood period, when subsequent paddy rice crops are prepared. Based on the results, we recommend an operation scheme for the sluice gates, which intends to distribute the sediment and thus the nutrients equally over the floodplain. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Leptospira Serovars Circulating Among Human, Cattle and Goats with Associated Risk Factors in Ngara and Kibondo Districts, North-Western Tanzania

Leptospirosis is a neglected zoonotic disease, prominent in north-western Tanzania where interactions among humans, livestock and wildlife is high. This study therefore, assessed Leptospira seroprevalence and associated risk factors by screening Leptospira serovars from blood sera of cattle, goats and humans in Ngara and Kibondo Districts using Microscopic Agglutination Test (MAT). Blood sera were positive for seven Leptospira serovars in which Sokoine, Sejroe and Grippotyhposa had higher seropositivity of ≥ 20.9%, whereas Leptospira serovars Kenya, Pomona, Lora, and Bataviae had seropositivity of < 10%. Variation of seropositivity and seroprevalence between Ngara and Kibondo Districts was insignificant (p = 0.0718) but varied significantly between humans, goats and cattle (p = 0.0183). Leptospira serovars Sejroe and Grippotyphosa were present in humans, goats and cattle. Sokoine, Pomona and Bataviae were co-positive in humans and goats, while serovars Kenya and Lora were co-positive in humans and cattle, indicating the possibility of dualistic transmission of Leptospira serovars in the ecosystem. Suggested risk factors associated with acquiring Leptospira bacteria were drinking contaminated water, feeding contaminated food and farming in contaminated soils. Prevalence of Leptospira in the current study alerts for health and economic risks in north-western Tanzania, which requires intensive education programs on leptospirosis transmission and avoidance.
Presidential Debates and Electoral Preferences in Weakly Institutionalised Democracies: Evidence From 32 Latin American Elections

Previous research has shown that presidential debates have “minimal effects” on aggregate electoral preferences because they mainly reinforce people's pre-existing political preferences. However, most of what we know about the behavioural effects of debates comes from research conducted in the United States and other institutionalised democracies. We re-evaluate the effects of debates on electoral preferences by focusing on Latin American elections. Given higher levels of electoral volatility, weaker partisan brands, lower partisanship, and more personalised voter linkages, we expect that debates play a significant role in shaping vote choice in Latin America. We test these expectations by conducting an analysis of presidential debates on aggregated vote preferences in thirty-two elections across fourteen Latin American countries from 2002 to 2019. Our results show that presidential debates shape electoral preferences in countries with weakly institutionalised party systems.
Further Association of Germline CHEK2 Loss-of-Function Variants with Testicular Germ Cell Tumors

Testicular germ cell tumors (TGCTs) represent the most frequent malignancy in young adult men and have one the highest heritability rates among all cancers. A recent multicenter case–control study identified CHEK2 as the first moderate-penetrance TGCT predisposition gene. Here, we analyzed CHEK2 in 129 TGCT cases unselected for age of onset, histology, clinical outcome, and family history of any cancer, and the frequency of identified variants was compared to findings in 27,173 ancestry-matched cancer-free men. We identified four TGCT cases harboring a P/LP variant in CHEK2 (4/129, 3.10%), which reached statistical significance (p = 0.0191; odds ratio (OR), 4.06; 95% CI, 1.59–10.54) as compared to the control group. Cases with P/LP variants in CHEK2 developed TGCT almost 6 years earlier than individuals with CHEK2 wild-type alleles (5.67 years; 29.5 vs. 35.17). No association was found between CHEK2 status and further clinical and histopathological characteristics, including histological subtypes, the occurrence of aggressive TGCT, family history of TGCT, and family history of any cancer. In addition, we found significant enrichment for the low-penetrance CHEK2 variant p.Ile157Thr (p = 0.0259; odds ratio (OR), 3.69; 95% CI, 1.45–9.55). Thus, we provide further independent evidence of CHEK2 being a moderate-penetrance TGCT predisposition gene.
Effects of Cloud Parameterization on the Simulation of Climate Changes in the GISS GCM. Part II: Sea Surface Temperature and Cloud Feedbacks

Abstract The influence of the sea surface temperature distribution on cloud feedbacks is studied by making two sets of doubled CO2 experiments with the Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) GCM at 4° latitude × 5° longitude resolution. One set uses Q fluxes obtained by prescribing observed sea surface temperatures (MODELII′), and the other set uses Q fluxes obtained by prescribing the simulated sea surface temperature of a coupled ocean–atmosphere model (MODELIIO). The global and annual mean surface air temperature change (ΔTs) obtained in MODELII′ is reduced from 4.11° to 3.02°C in MODELIIO. This reduced sensitivity, aside from reduced sea ice/snow–albedo feedback, is mainly due to cloud feedback that becomes nearly neutral in MODELIIO. Furthermore, the negative effect on climate sensitivity of anvil clouds of large optical thickness identified by Yao and Del Genio changes its sign in MODELIIO primarily due to sharply reduced increases of cloud water in the tropical upper troposphere. Colder tropica.
Geographic and temporal patterns in size and maturity of the longfin inshore squid (Loligo pealeii) off the northeastern United States

Analysis of 32 years of standardized survey catches (1967–98) indicated differential distribution patterns for the longfin inshore squid (Loligo pealeii) over the northwest Atlantic U.S. continental shelf, by geographic region, depth, season, and time of day. Catches were greatest in the Mid-Atlantic Bight, where there were significantly greater catches in deep water during winter and spring, and in shallow water during autumn. Body size generally increased with depth in all seasons. Large catches of juveniles in shallow waters off southern New England during autumn resulted from inshore spawning observed during late spring and summer; large proportions of juveniles in the Mid-Atlantic Bight during spring suggest that substantial winter spawning also occurs. Few mature squid were caught in survey samples in any season; the majority of these mature squid were captured south of Cape Hatteras during spring. Spawning occurs inshore from late spring to summer and the data suggest that winter spawning occurs primarily south of Cape Hatteras.
Seasonal Photoprotective Responses in Needles of Korean Fir (Abies koreana) Over an Altitudinal Gradient on Mount Halla, Jeju Island, Korea

Abstract Chloroplast pigments and chlorophyll fluorescence were characterized in needles of Korean fir (Abies koreana) in summer, winter, and spring at three altitudes on Jeju Island, Korea. High light-harvesting efficiency (intrinsic photosystem II efficiency) and indirect evidence for high photosynthetic rates (high levels of&bgr;-carotene and chlorophyll b) during the growing season contrasted with mid-winter downregulation of light-harvesting efficiency involving retention of high zeaxanthin levels and locked-in photoprotective thermal dissipation (from low chlorophyll fluorescence emission). Neoxanthin levels were inversely correlated with sustained photoprotection in the winter, and lutein to xanthophyll cycle carotenoid levels decreased from summer to winter, suggesting that zeaxanthin plays the prominent role in winter photoprotection of Korean fir needles. Summer was apparently most conducive to photosynthesis, consistent with high levels of summer precipitation on Jeju Island, and in contrast to fir and other conifers in a climate with dry summers at high altitudes in Colorado, U.S.A. , where studies have shown that the wet spring is the season most favorable for photosynthesis. Lastly, despite there being only 300 m difference in altitude among the three sites, there were discernible differences in (i) accumulation of zeaxanthin in winter (as an indicator for the severity of conditions, with highest levels at the highest altitude), (ii) apparent photosynthesis rates in summer (from &bgr;-carotene levels, with highest levels at the highest altitude), and (iii) transition to increased photosynthesis in spring (from fluorescence emission levels, slowest at the highest altitude).
Effect of Prior Tree Marking on Cutting Productivity and Harvesting Quality

Prior tree marking is used to guide loggers or forest machine operators on which trees to cut to achieve the desirable silvicultural quality of a thinning treatment. In the future, this beneficial but expensive human work could be automated with advanced driver assistance systems. This study aimed to investigate the effect of conventional prior tree marking on cutting productivity and harvesting quality of the first and later thinnings. A comparative time study was conducted with four experienced harvester operators. The operators thinned 4825 stems with the cut-to-length (CTL) harvesting method in eight thinning stands. The time consumption of the different time elements of cutting work was measured to model the cutting productivity with average values or regress these values against the stem volume or density of removal. Prior tree marking increased the cutting productivity by an average of 2.8% in the first thinnings and 2.7% in later thinnings by reducing the time consumption of boom-out (positioning the harvester head for cut) and moving. The operator effect was notable, even though only experienced operators participated in the study. For some operators, prior tree marking did not make cutting work more efficient, and sometimes hampered it. Prior tree marking improved the quality of the remaining stands in thinnings by producing a more accurate density of remaining trees after the harvesting operation in relation to thinning guidelines. When the stands were not marked, the operators chose trees of poor quality with almost the same accuracy as the forester. These findings lay the foundation for the next-generation operators' guidance and decision support systems, which could detect trees around the harvester and guide the operator in tree selection and managing better thinning intensity in cutting work. Although prior tree marking increased productivity only marginally, the improvement in the quality of harvesting operations must be acknowledged.
Antimicrobial natural products

To prevent and treat diseases caused by the spread of microbes, humans have invented all sorts of effective antimicrobial substances. The most widely used antimicrobial substance is antibiotics. However, misuse of antibiotics can generate various negative effects, bacterial resistance, decreased immunity, and internal flora imbalance which can lead to endogenous infection. In addition, existing non-natural antibacterial substances each have their own limitations; using these substances in food may spoil the flavor, and an overuse can cause negative impacts on human health and even lead to cancer. Thus, non-traditional natural antibacterial substances, such as antimicrobial peptides and cyclic lipopeptide substances, have become the major focus for medical and nutrition research due to their broad-spectrum and strong antibacterial nature, reliable performance, and high nutritious values. In this chapter, we will categorically describe the new natural antimicrobial peptides which possess different antibacterial mechanisms from traditional antibiotics and are less prone to drug resistance, as well as the structure, properties and antibacterial mechanics of cyclic lipopeptide.