Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Author response to referee comments RC2 & RC3 by Tijn Berends to manuscript No. tc-2020-353, “PISM-LakeCC: Implementing an adaptive proglacial lake boundary into an ice sheet model”

The authors describe a set of simulations of the Laurentide Ice Sheet (LIS) during the last deglaciation, and the effect that proglacial lakes have on the evolution of the ice sheet. They used the well-established PISM ice-sheet model, including an additional module that dynamically tracks the extent and depth of proglacial lakes. By allowing ice shelves to form on these lakes, and by including some additional parameterisations for processes such as basal sliding, calving, and basal melt, they claim to have included all the ways a proglacial lake can affect the dynamics of the adjacent ice sheet. Their results show that the inclusion of these lakes in their model strongly accelerates the retreat of the LIS, in a manner similar to the phenomenon of Marine Ice-Sheet Instability (MISI). While the authors do not mention this in their manuscript, this is an important conclusion, as the asymmetry in the Pleistocene glacial cycles (slow inception vs. fast deglaciation, and particularly the melt-water pulses) is something that’s still not fully understood.
EFL university teachers’ perspectives in written corrective feedback and their actual applications

This study aims at investigating the EFL university teachers’ perspectives and their actual applications in providing written corrective feedback to the writing errors made by the EFL university students and their correlation. The study was based on 80 responses of a Google-form survey distributed to EFL university teachers with various teaching experiences from the most parts of Indonesia. Correlational design was used in this research. Descriptive statistics and Pearson’s correlation tests were used to analyze data. The results indicated that the majority of teachers had perspectives that it is valuable to provide and vary the strategies of written corrective feedback. In addition, the teachers mostly applied both direct and indirect feedback in various strategies and they only sometimes provided corrections in all aspects of errors and reformulation. It was also found out that the Indonesian EFL university teachers’ perspectives in the written corrective on students’ writing errors highly correlated with their actual applications. The results of the study provide both theoretical and pedagogical implications. Theoretically, it enriches the body knowledge of feedback and EFL writing. Pedagogically, EFL teachers are also suggested to improve their knowledge on various feedback techniques and apply it in their classroom practices.
Did the COVID-19 Lock-Down Make Us Better at Working in Virtual Teams?

The COVID-19 pandemic was a key event forcing an increase in virtual work. Drawing on event system theory, we examined whether virtual teams showed enhanced processes in later stages of the pandemic compared to the early stages of the pandemic. We collected data from 54 virtual teams (N = 152 individuals) who worked on a 30-minute task. We measured team processes and performance. Virtual teams during the post-transition phase (June–August 2020) showed better levels of team action processes and conflict management compared to teams working in the immediate transition phase (March–May 2020), indicative of an adaptation effect.
Microsoft Word-5794171-file00

Program in Physiology and Experimental Medicine (A.M.L.W., P.D., X.L., M.Y., S.I.), Program in Developmental and Stem Cell Biology (P.A.H.), Research Institute, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Departments of Paediatrics (S.I.), and Pharmacology & Toxicology (A.M.L.W., D.S.R., J.M., P.A.H., S.I.), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Pathology (C.V.C.), Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA; Program in Experimental Therapeutics (D.D.R), University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Centre, and the Baltimore VA Medical Centre, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Design and Energy Consumption Analysis of Small Reverse Osmosis Seawater Desalination Equipment

The reverse osmosis method has developed extremely rapidly in recent years and has become the most competitive seawater desalination technology in the world, and it has been widely used in all aspects. Large-scale reverse osmosis desalination plants cannot provide fresh water resources in areas with insufficient water resources and limited space. Therefore, this paper proposes a research plan for a small seawater desalination device based on reverse osmosis, which is mainly suitable for handling emergencies, disaster relief, desert areas and outdoor activities and other needs for timely freshwater resources. It mainly includes pretreatment modules, a reaction infiltration module, a post-processing module and an energy supply module. Detailed design calculations are carried out for the small-scale reverse osmosis membrane system, including the selection and quantity and arrangement of membranes. Subsequently, the one-stage two-stage small-scale reverse osmosis membrane system was modeled, and its energy consumption was analyzed theoretically from the perspectives of specific energy consumption and energy utilization efficiency; the main influencing factors were clarified, and the optimal recovery rate for system operation was determined to be 20%–30%. Finally, an experimental prototype was built to conduct relevant experiments to determine the influence trend of pressure, temperature, concentration, and flow rate on the operating performance of the reverse osmosis system.
Some New Results on F-Contractions in 0-Complete Partial Metric Spaces and 0-Complete Metric-Like Spaces

Within this manuscript we generalize the two recently obtained results of O. Popescu and G. Stan, regarding the F-contractions in complete, ordinary metric space to 0-complete partial metric space and 0-complete metric-like space. As Popescu and Stan we use less conditions than D. Wardovski did in his paper from 2012, and we introduce, with the help of one of our lemmas, a new method of proving the results in fixed point theory. Requiring that the function F only be strictly increasing, we obtain for consequence new families of contractive conditions that cannot be found in the existing literature. Note that our results generalize and complement many well-known results in the fixed point theory. Also, at the end of the paper, we have stated an application of our theoretical results for solving fractional differential equations.
Could the Tree of Life Model Be a Useful Approach for UK Mental Health Contexts?

Some suggest the ethos of the Tree of Life (ToL) group aligns with the concept of “personal-recovery” promoted in mental health policy. Thus, it is claimed that the group could be a useful approach within UK mental health services. This review collated 14 papers to explore whether existing literature regarding the ToL group supports this assertion. The papers were synthesized using the thematic analysis method and three broad themes were identified, which support the argument for its utility within services. These were recovery-aligned themes, the inclusivity of the model, and group processes relevant to mental health contexts. The papers are critically appraised, key concerns regarding the wider literature discussed, and clinical implications summarized.
EFFECT OF UV-C TREATMENT ON MICROBIAL POPULATION AND BIOACTIVE COMPOUNDS OF ORANGE JUICE USING MODIFIED REACTOR BASED ON DEAN VORTEX FLOW

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effectiveness of UV-C treatment using a modified UVC reactor based on Dean vortex flow. Parameters taken into account were total aerobic bacteria count and yeast and mould counts, antioxidant capacity, total phenolic content, 5-HMF content, furan formation and sensory attributes. A UV-C treatment with 68.75 mJ/cm2 led to 2.21-log CFU/ml and 1.13-log CFU/ml reduction of TMAB and YM count, respectively. DPPH radical scavenging activity and total phenolic content of UV-C treated orange juice significantly decreased. However, UV-C induced reduction of HMF was observed. UV-C treatment would be a beneficial method to eliminate or decrease the HMF content if HMF were present in the juice as a consequences of obtained results. pH and °Brix remained constant after UV-C treatment. No furan formation was detected and no significant change observed in the quality attributes in regards to appearance and colour.
Accuracy of Urinary Etiocholanolone/Androsterone Ratio as Alternative to Serum Testosterone/Dihydrotestosterone Ratio for Diagnosis of 5 Alpha-reductase Type 2 Deficiency Patients and Carriers in Indonesia

Background The 5 Alpha-reductase type 2 deficiency (5ARD2) is an inherited condition, which clinically presents as variable degrees of under virilization in affected 46,XY individuals. In the diagnostic pathway of 5ARD2, the testosterone/dihydrotestosterone (T/DHT) ratio is broadly employed before molecular analysis of the SRD5A2 gene. However, due to cost-benefit considerations, the DHT test in our country is routinely lacking in clinical settings; therefore, we considered applying the urinary etiocholanolone/androsterone (Et/An) ratio as an alternative test. Objectives We aimed to determine the diagnostic value of the urinary Et/An ratio versus the T/DHT ratio in diagnosing 5ARD2 patients and carriers. Methods Sixty-six suspected 5ARD2 46,XY disorders of sex development (DSD) individuals and 95 family members were recruited in the study. Their clinical manifestations, T/DHT and urinary Et/An ratios, and SRD5A2 genes were analyzed. Using molecular analysis of the SRD5A2 gene as the gold standard, we compared the accuracy of both ratios in diagnosing 5ARD2 patients and carriers with receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Results Thirty-seven patients were confirmed molecularly to have 5ARD2, and the rest (n = 29) were assessed as normal controls, while in the carrier group, 53 were molecularly confirmed as carriers and 42 as controls. The AUCs (areas under the curve) of the T/DHT and urinary Et/An ratios were 57.7% (95% CI 43.0 - 72.4%, P > 0.05) and 79.7% (95% CI 69.0 - 90.4%, P < 0.001), respectively, in diagnosing 5ARD2 patients and 54.1% (95% CI 42.4 - 65.8%, P > 0.05) and 75.1% (95% CI 65.1 - 85.1%, P < 0.001), respectively, in diagnosing carriers. The cutoff value of the urinary Et/An ratio was set at ≥ 0.95 for detecting 5ARD2 patients and ≥ 0.99 for detecting carriers. Conclusions The testosterone/DHT ratio was inaccurate in diagnosing 5ARD2 patients. When molecular analysis for the SRD5A2 gene is lacking, the urinary Et/An ratio may be a useful test to diagnose 5ARD2 patients and carriers.
Tailoring the Glass Composition to Increase the Thermal Stability without Impacting the Crystallization Behavior of Oxyfluorophosphate Glass

Even though the (75 NaPO3-25 CaF2) (in mol%) glass can be heat-treated into transparent glass-ceramic with Er3+ doped CaF2 crystals precipitating in the volume of the glass during heat-treatment, this glass was found to be a poor glass former, limiting its use as upconverter under 975 nm pumping. In this study, the impact of the glass composition on the thermal, optical and structural properties of the glass was investigated in order to understand how the glass composition can be tailored for the development of thermally stable upconverter glass-based material. The addition of MgO, Fe2O3 and Al2O3 in the NaPO3-CaF2 glass system increases the thermal stability of glass due to the depolymerization of the glass network. However, the changes in the glass composition also impacted on the nucleation and growth process. Indeed, CaF2 and other crystals were found in the newly developed glasses after heat-treatment leading to glass-ceramics with lower intensity of upconversion than the (75 NaPO3-25 CaF2) glass-ceramic used as a reference. Glasses were also prepared with different concentrations of Er2O3 and ErF3. These glasses were found to be promising as not only are they thermally stable, but they also exhibit green and red emission with high intensity under 975 nm pumping due to Er3+ clustering.
Spectral characterization of morphological structure of organomodified montmorillonite clay-based epoxy nanocomposite

Abstract Effect of organoclays on formation of intercalated/exfoliated structure in epoxy–clay nanocomposites at 2 wt% filler loading was carried by spectral analysis. Organoclays were dispersed in epoxy matrix by ultrasonication method. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) were carried to characterize function group, morphology of structure, surface and glass transition temperature of the nanocomposite, respectively. FTIR study reveals the presence of epoxy in the galleries of organoclays was confirmed and proves the existence of chemical bonds between the organoclays and the epoxy matrix. XRD analysis indicated that, the interlayer spacing between the clay platelets was increased significantly, thus, the polymer is able to intercalate between the clay layers. As a result, the fully exfoliated structure was found in the E + NC-III nanocomposite while the intercalated structure was obtained in the E + NC-I, E + NC-II, E + NC-IV and E + NC-V nanocomposites. The glass transition temperature measured by TGA was increased with the addition of organoclay in epoxy matrix but decreased for unmodified nanoclay and neat composite. SEM imaging showed good filler dispersion and distribution in E + NC-III nanocomposite, highlighting the very smooth surface due to absence of clay aggregates and no voids.
Effectiveness of Online Marketing Tools: A Case Study

Offline marketing strategies are widely used; however, they are facing tough challenges from online marketing which has limitless options and proffers enormous amount of possibilities. With voluminous growth of Internet users and growing trend of online marketing, it seems indispensable to run a business without online presence. This is due to the fact that ‘consuming in shops’ is changing to ‘online consuming’. Companies are using different online marketing strategies to attract prospective buyers. Different tools and techniques are used to influence the purchasing decision of consumers. This case study on online marketing, research through survey and analysis of data received from respondents is still in its embryonic stage, and it is conducted to find the effectiveness of tools and techniques—online chat assistance, email advertisement, and word of mouth—causing opinion/decision change of prospective buyers. Marketers have to retain old loyal customers and evolve strategies to attract new prospective buyers.
The physical–chemical environment and benthic invertebrate assemblages of two thermal springs located on carbonate and ophiolite rocks in northern Oman

ABSTRACT The paper compares the physical and chemical environments and associated benthic invertebrate assemblages of two thermal streams with different geology in Oman. Nakhal Thawarah is a thermal spring originating in carbonate rocks. Mur-Fayha has its origin in igneous ophiolite rocks. The main physical and chemical parameters that contribute to the differences are water temperature, pH, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, chloride, sulphate, calcium and magnesium. Two zones in each spring-stream system, the source and stretch analysed, reveal intra- and interstream differences in the physical and chemical environments controlling the occurrence and abundance of benthic invertebrates. Despite higher water temperatures, the diversity of benthic invertebrates in Nakhal Thawarah is relatively high. Mur-Fayha with high alkalinity is a harsh environment that has low diversity dominated by tolerant Chironomidae. This study indicates the need to conserve thermal springs in Oman from adverse effects of tourism.
An Alternative Formulation of PCA for Process Monitoring Using Distance Correlation

Scale-invariant principal component analysis (PCA) is prevalent in process monitoring because of its simplicity and efficiency. However, a number of limitations are associated with this technique because of underlying assumptions. This article attempts to relax these limitations by introducing three key elements. First, a semiparametric Gaussian transformation is proposed to make the process data follow a multivariate Gaussian distribution, such that the standard PCA can be directly applied to explain the majority of the process data variance. The Gaussian transformation function preserves both important statistical information and the correlation structures of the process data. Second, eigenvectors spanning the feature space are extracted using the Spearman correlation coefficient and the distance correlation coefficient. This feature space is able to retain nonlinear and nonmonotonic correlation structures of the process data. Finally, this technique is computationally more efficient than KPCA, KICA, and improved KICA by avoiding expensive kernel mapping. Semiparametric PCA is tested on two industrial case studies and exhibits satisfactory performance.
Using GAMMs to model trial-by-trial fluctuations in experimental data: More risks but hardly any benefit

Data from each subject in a repeated-measures experiment form a time series, which may include trial-by-trial fluctuations arising from human factors such as practice or fatigue. Concerns about the statistical implications of such effects have increased the popularity of Generalized Additive Mixed Models (GAMMs), a powerful technique for modeling wiggly patterns. We question these statistical concerns and investigate the costs and benefits of using GAMMs relative to linear mixed-effects models (LMEMs). In two sets of Monte Carlo simulations, LMEMs that ignored time-varying effects were no more prone to false positives than GAMMs. Although GAMMs generally boosted power for within-subject effects, they reduced power for between-subject effects, sometimes to a severe degree. Our results signal the importance of proper subject-level randomization as the main defense against statistical artifacts due to by-trial fluctuations.
Brownian and Nonisothermal Effects in Nucleation Theory: Towards Systematic Multiscale Modeling

Nucleation is the onset of a phase-transition in a metastable medium, where fragments, or nuclei, of a new phase are formed by density fluctuations in the host medium. This process is ubiquitous to understand physical mechanisms from the smallest (nanoscopic) to the largest (cosmic) length scales, and plays a key role in the design of future materials of technological relevance. We extend the state of the art literature on nucleation theory and report achievements towards the development of a modern nucleation theory that aims for real world applications. We construct a thermodynamically guided coarse-graining procedure that obtains information about the microstructure underlining a nucleating substance directly from the atomistic scale, through efficient Monte-Carlo simulations and short-time molecular dynamics. The microscopic details are mapped in a coarse-grained way onto the proper macroscale model. Contrary to the standard procedure in the literature which, as we show, produces systematically wrong predictions in the key quantity – the nucleation rate – we take nonisothermaland Brownian effects into account thereby reducing the aforementioned lack in predictive power significantly. Our multi-scale model is formulated for nucleation in homogeneous media. By exploiting the general structure of nonequilibrium systems we obtain complementary constitutive equations for time-dependent inhomogeneous media. In relevant special cases we establish consistency of our approach with the most recent insights in the field. Finally, we discuss the late stage phase-separation process where two macroscopic bulk phases, separated by an interface, coexist. The classical approach to equilibrium interfacial thermodynamics describes the interface as a separate two-dimensional thermodynamic system and relies on the uniformity of intensive variables throughout the system. Therefore, it cannot be directly applied to nonequilibrium situations, where jumps in temperature and chemical potential across the interface occur. We present a conceptually clear formulation of local equilibrium for interfaces and verify the theoretical predictions by performing stringent tests with extensive high-precision nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulations of a coexisting liquid/vapor Lennard-Jones fluid. These simulation results are further used to get deeper insights into the nature of interfacial boundary conditions.
Screening for Growth-Factor Combinations Enabling Synergistic Differentiation of Human MSC to Nucleus Pulposus Cell-Like Cells

Background: Multiple studies have examined the potential of growth factors (GF) to enable mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) to nucleus pulposus (NP) cell-like cell differentiation. Here we screened a wide range of GF and GF combinations for supporting NP cell-like cell differentiation. Methods: Human MSC were stimulated using 86 different GF combinations of TGF-β1, -2, -3, GDF5, -6, Wnt3a, -5a, -11, and Shh. Differentiation potency was assessed by alcian blue assay and NP cell marker expression (e.g., COL2A1, CD24, etc.). The top four combinations and GDF5/TGF-β1 were further analyzed in 3D pellet cultures, on their ability to similarly induce NP cell differentiation. Results: Almost all 86 GF combinations showed their ability to enhance proteoglycan production in alcian blue assay. Subsequent qPCR analysis revealed TGF-β2/Wnt3a, TGF-β1/Wnt3a, TGF-β1/Wnt3a/GDF6, and Wnt3a/GDF6 as the most potent combinations. Although in pellet cultures, these combinations supported NP marker expression, none showed the ability to significantly induce chondrogenic NP matrix production. Only GDF5/TGF-β1 resulted in chondrogenic pellets with significantly enhanced glycosaminoglycan content. Conclusion: GDF5/TGF-β1 was suggested as an optimal GF combination for MSC to NP cell induction, although further assessment using a 3D and in vivo environment is required. Wnt3a proved promising for monolayer-based NP cell differentiation, although further validation is required.
Material signs and relational meanings: reconsidering Ancestral Pueblo material dichotomies

ABSTRACT Using archaeological materials from the pre-Hispanic American Southwest, we explore how insights from both new materialism/posthumanism and Peircean semiotics enrich our understanding of object meanings. We highlight two artefact classes commonly found in contexts interpreted as ritual: avian osteological remains and red pigment. Drawing on archaeological evidence and a rich ethnographic record, we consider their diverse associations and uses with regard to their positions within relational assemblages and their qualities as material signs. Focusing specifically on the increase in avian remains in the Middle Rio Grande region in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries and the association of red pigment with lapidary production in Chaco Canyon in the tenth to twelfth centuries, we identify how these materials are linked to disparate objects and contexts through iconicity and indexicality. We point to the relational constitution of object meaning as confounding analytical taxonomies that are traditionally applied to these materials.