Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Where Enhanced Recovery after Surgery (ERAS) Protocols Meet the Three Major Current Pandemics: COVID-19, Obesity and Malignancy

Simple Summary The SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic has significantly modified the medical services provided for patients that receive care either for COVID-19 or for those that need care for benign diseases, including obesity, or for malignant ones, such as gynecological cancer. We sought to investigate the association among three major worldwide health issues (COVID-19, obesity, and malignancy) and how ERAS protocols can potentially provide optimal management of patients with obesity and malignancy during the COVID-19 pandemic, with special attention to patients who required surgery for gynecologic oncology. We strongly believe that the application of ERAS protocols could play a key role during these unprecedented COVID-19 times. Abstract The outbreak of the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic has transformed the provision of medical services for both patients that receive care for COVID-19 and for those that need care either for benign diseases, including obesity, or for malignancies, such as gynecological cancer. In this perspective article, we focus on the association among three major worldwide health issues and how ERAS protocols can potentially provide optimal management of patients with obesity and malignancy during the COVID-19 pandemic, with special attention to patients who required surgery for gynecologic oncology. A thorough search of the literature on the respective topics was performed. Patients with malignancy and obesity presented with increased vulnerability to COVID-19 infection. However, the management of their disease should not be withheld. Protective measures should be established to reduce exposure of patients with oncological diseases to SARS-CoV-2 while simultaneously enabling their access to vaccination. Since ERAS protocols have proved to be efficient in many surgical fields, including gynecologic oncology, general surgery, and orthopedics, we strongly believe that ERAS protocols may play a significant role in this effort. The end of the COVID-19 pandemic cannot be accurately predicted. Nevertheless, we have to ensure the appropriate and efficient management of certain groups of patients.
Designing an accompanying ecosystem to foster entrepreneurship among agronomic and forestry engineering students. Opinion and commitment of university lecturers

In the Higher School of Agronomic and Forestry Engineering of the University of Cordoba, a collective project conceived as an ‘ecosystem to support and accompany entrepreneurs’ has been proposed. The approach aims to spread and consolidate the entrepreneurial spirit and to respond to the demands of possible stakeholders involved in the whole process of training, as well as the subsequent integration of graduates into the labour market. Putting into practice this initiative, which involves multiple actors, is a complex and difficult task. For this reason, prior to its implementation, the authors considered it necessary to listen to main stakeholders' opinions and evaluate their degree of commitment and the requirements they consider important for the viability and sustainability of the initiative. This paper focuses on the faculty's opinions, gathered by means of a survey conducted with the entire faculty (N = 128, response rate = 45%) and semi-structured interviews held with 20 members of the School board. The results suggest that there is a general consensus on the suitability of this collective project and that there is a core of teachers willing to get involved. Evidently, guidelines need to be produced to facilitate taking on such tasks. However, the main drawbacks are related with the conflict between formal requirements of professor professional profile and the steps needed to establish the ecosystem.
Suppression of reproductive function in juvenile rams by a slow-release gonadotropin-releasing hormone implant

Background: Regarding animal welfare and reversible suppression of reproduction the need for alternatives to surgical castration, like slow-release gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) implants, is increasing. Aim: In this study, we evaluated whether the onset of puberty can be suppressed by implantation of a slow-release GnRH implant (4.7 mg deslorelin) in juvenile rams. Methods: Seven juvenile rams (3–5.5 months) were treated with the GnRH analog deslorelin to analyze the effects on testicular development, sonographic findings of testicular tissue, testosterone concentration in the blood, spermatogenesis, and sperm parameters from the epididymis after castration. Seven rams of the same age without an implant served as controls. Results: Follow-up examinations were conducted over 5 months, after which four rams per group were castrated. No significant group differences were found in the andrological parameters on the group level, but testicular development was suppressed in three rams in the treated group. Histological examination revealed spermatogenesis in the testicular tissue in three of four animals treated with a GnRH analog. Conclusion: The onset of puberty in juvenile rams cannot be reliably suppressed by using the slow-release GnRH implant Suprelorin®.
Extra food provisioning does not affect behavioral lateralization in nestling lesser kestrels

Abstract Costs and benefits of brain lateralization may depend on environmental conditions. Growing evidence indicates that the development of brain functional asymmetries is adaptively shaped by the environmental conditions experienced during early life. Food availability early in life could act as a proxy of the environmental conditions encountered during adulthood, but its potential modulatory effect on lateralization has received little attention. We increased food supply from egg laying to early nestling rearing in a wild population of lesser kestrels Falco naumanni, a sexually dimorphic raptor, and quantified the lateralization of preening behavior (head turning direction). As more lateralized individuals may perform better in highly competitive contexts, we expected that extra food provisioning, by reducing the level of intra-brood competition for food, would reduce the strength of lateralization. We found that extra food provisioning improved nestling growth, but it did not significantly affect the strength or direction of nestling lateralization. In addition, maternal body condition did not explain variation in nestling lateralization. Independently of extra food provisioning, the direction of lateralization differed between the sexes, with female nestlings turning more often toward their right. Our findings indicate that early food availability does not modulate behavioral lateralization in a motor task, suggesting limited phenotypic plasticity in this trait.
Consumption Behavior of the Internet Active Armenian Wine Consumer

Abstract This paper aims to understand the consumption behavior of Armenian wine consumers who are active on social media platforms. Specifically, this study seeks to understand the psychographic characteristics, consumption habits, and preferences of wine consumers in a developing economy. This is one of the first wine studies on the psychographics of Armenian consumers. Understanding their shopping behaviors is key to developing capacity, increasing production, diversifying products, and launching a global expansion. The results show that the most important factors affecting consumer purchasing behavior are quality and taste, followed by image, price, and place of origin, in descending order. In terms of communication channels, word-of-mouth with colleagues, friends, or relatives is the most important method, followed by traveling to wine regions, learning about wine via social media, and television advertising. This information is crucial to marketers engaged in promoting a consumer product from an emerging industry.
The most complete extinct species of Testudo (Testudines, Testudinidae) defined by several well-preserved skeletons from the late Miocene of Romania

The genus Testudo was considered, for more than two centuries, to group almost all tortoises that are part of current biodiversity (i.e. the members of Testudinidae), as well as the extinct representatives of that successful lineage. However, only three extant species, as well as scarce late Miocene to late Pliocene extinct ones, are now considered attributable to that genus. The fossil record of the extinct representatives is restricted to postcranial elements. They correspond almost exclusively to shells or partial shells, most of the species being known on the basis of only one individual. Abundant material of testudinids from the late Miocene of eastern Romania (Crețești 1 fossil site, Vaslui County) is presented here. This material is attributable to Testudo, representing a new species. This find is not only relevant for the abundance of specimens, but they stand out for their unusually good preservation. Most of them are represented by partial skeletons, preserving not only several bones in anatomical connection but also some regions of the peculiar ossified dermal armour that covered their limbs. Two of these skeletons preserve the skull, which allows us to perform both the first three-dimensional reconstruction of the cranial anatomy and the first neuroanatomical study of an extinct member of Testudo. The best-preserved extinct species of the reference genus of the only extant lineage of tortoises (i.e. Testudinidae), Testudo lohanica sp. nov., is characterized in detail.
Creative Self-Efficacy as a Predictor of the Use of Creative Cognition

The present study examined the hypothesized predictive role of creative self-efficacy in the use of creative cognition by taking a perspective rooted in social cognitive theory. A sample of 614 undergraduate students (51.6% female) in Hong Kong was surveyed using the Creative Self-efficacy Scale and the Use of Creative Cognition Scale. The results of multiple regression analyses indicated that creative self-efficacy significantly accounted for 11% of the variance in the tendency to deploy creative cognition. The results of Pearson correlation analysis suggested that the strength of the association between creative self-efficacy and the tendency to deploy creative cognition was of medium size (r = .45). These findings lend empirical support to social cognitive theory and the creative behavior as agentic action (CBAA) model. The findings also suggest the practical implication that creative intention can be facilitated through the promotion of a stronger sense of creative self-belief.
Engineering Properties of Palm Oil Clinker Fine-Modified Asphaltic Concrete Mixtures

Palm oil clinker (POC) is a non-biodegradable palm mill by-product typically discarded in dumpsites. This study analyzed the performance of POC powder (POCF) as bitumen modifier in terms of conventional and engineering properties of bitumen and asphalt mixture. For the study, base bitumen of 60/70 penetration grade was utilized and different POCF dosages (0, 2, 4, 6, and 8% by weight of bitumen) were added. The base bitumen was effectively modified with POCF and then characterized. The conventional and engineering properties of the modified bitumen and asphalt mixtures were assessed. From the characterization results, the formation of Si-O crystalline structure and a new Si-OH functional group was identified. Furthermore, a meandering pattern was observed due to the modification of the base bitumen with POCF. Based on the conventional test results it was revealed that the addition of POCF to the base bitumen resulted in a stiffer blend compared to unmodified bitumen. The addition of POCF improved the modified mixtures’ Marshall stability relative to the unmodified mixtures. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and regression modeling showed the influence and significance of POCF-MB, with R2 values of (95-99%). Finally, the 4-6% POCF dosage was found to be the optimum dosage, yielding the best performance in terms of the engineering properties evaluated.
Heterografted chrysanthemums enhance salt stress tolerance by integrating reactive oxygen species, soluble sugar, and proline

Abstract Chrysanthemum, one of the most important commercial ornamental crops, is susceptible to salinity, which limits its cultivation and application in coastal and inland saline areas. Grafting is widely used to improve the salt tolerance of horticultural crops, but the mechanisms of grafted chrysanthemum responses to salt stress remain unclear. In this study, we showed that heterografted chrysanthemums with Artemisia annua as rootstock exhibited increased salt tolerance compared with self-grafted and self-rooted chrysanthemums. Under high salt stress, the roots of heterografted chrysanthemums enrich Na+, resulting in a reduction of Na+ toxicity in the scion, with only a small amount of Na+ being transported to the leaves. On the other hand, the roots of heterografted chrysanthemums alleviated high Na+ stress via enhanced catalase enzyme activity, downregulation of the expression of reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation-related genes, massive accumulation of soluble sugars and proline, and upregulation of the expression of heat shock protein-related genes to enhance salt tolerance. In addition, the leaves of heterografted chrysanthemums respond to low Na+ stress by increasing peroxidase enzyme activity and soluble sugar and proline contents, to maintain a healthy state. However, self-grafted and self-rooted plants could not integrate ROS, soluble sugars, and proline in response to salt stress, and thus exhibited a salt-sensitive phenotype. Our research reveals the mechanisms underlying the increased salt tolerance of heterografted chrysanthemums and makes it possible to have large-scale cultivation of chrysanthemums in saline areas.
Links between Thyroid Disorders and Glucose Homeostasis

Thyroid disorders and diabetes mellitus often coexist and are closely related. Several studies have shown a higher prevalence of thyroid disorders in patients with diabetes mellitus and vice versa. Thyroid hormone affects glucose homeostasis by impacting pancreatic β-cell development and glucose metabolism through several organs such as the liver, gastrointestinal tract, pancreas, adipose tissue, skeletal muscles, and the central nervous system. The present review discusses the effect of thyroid hormone on glucose homeostasis. We also review the relationship between thyroid disease and diabetes mellitus: type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes, as well as guidelines for screening thyroid function with each disorder. Finally, we provide an overview of the effects of antidiabetic drugs on thyroid hormone and thyroid disorders.
Co-use of existing crossing structures along roads by wildlife and humans: Wishful thinking?

This study assesses existing human-purpose underpasses below an unfenced high-traffic 4-lane highway in the Appalachian region of Quebec, Canada, as potential crossing structures for native mammal species. Eight underpasses of three types (five water culverts with minimum height and width of 1.8 m, one low-use gravel road byway, and two railroad underpasses) were continuously monitored by motion-detection infrared camera traps for time periods spanning up to 778 days (September 2016 to November 2018). We asked how the ratios of successful crossings through the structures (termed full crossings) and aversions to the structures (termed aversions) differed between species and we explored the influence of human activity levels on the use of these structures by wildlife. All monitored crossing structures had low human observations (with averages of less than 35 human activities per day). Our results provide evidence that 21 species of mammals in the study area successfully crossed through at least one of the eight observed underpasses on a minimum of one occasion. Some species were observed crossing through some of the underpasses on a regular basis, namely raccoon, red fox, and white-tailed deer. We propose a classification of mammal species into five human co-use classes (no or low co-use to very high co-use) to explore the relationship between mammal use of the structures and human presence. We found that humans and mammals were observed sharing passages for the four mammal species identified as tolerant of human co-use (high and very high co-use classes), but co-use was observed to be limited or not occurring for most other species. The strengths of this study include the length of time during which monitoring took place, as well as the placement of four cameras at each structure (two facing inward and two facing outward) to determine whether individuals successfully crossed through the structures or displayed avoidance behaviour. The results suggest select species of mammals show some co-use with humans at existing underpasses. The activity patterns of mammals documented over the two-year study can assist with future estimates of highway permeability. Further, measurements of human and mammal co-use have species-specific implications for retrofitting existing structures and constructing wildlife fences and purpose-built wildlife passages.
Identification of virulence genes and antimicrobial resistance in Campylobacter spp. from sheep from the state of Pernambuco in Brazil

The objective of this study was to genetically identify virulence and antimicrobial resistance in DNA from Campylobacter spp. from sheep in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil. The presence of virulence genes was investigated from the polymerase chain reaction. The genetic profile of antimicrobial resistance in samples of sheep origin was investigated by sequencing of the 23S rDNA region to identify A2074G and A2075G mutations and gyrA gene fragments to identify C257T and A256G mutations. Forty samples of Campylobacter spp. Of these, 11 were from Campylobacter jejuni, 12 from Campylobacter fetus subsp. fetus and 17 Campylobacter coli from sheep herds. In virulence analysis, 37 samples (92.50%) were positive for the cdtA gene, 30 (75.00%) for cdtB and 28 (70.00%) for cdtC. In the cadF gene research, 38 (95.00%) samples were positive. For the racR, dnaJ and ciaB genes, 32 (80.00%), 19 (47.50%) and 8 (20.00%) positivity were respectively. Only one sample presented the pldA gene and none presented wlaN and virB11. In genotypic analysis of antimicrobial resistance, all samples had the C257T mutation in the gyrA gene, but the A256G mutation was absent. Mutations in 23S rDNA, A2074G and A2075G were also not identified. From the results obtained, we can observe the presence of most virulence genes researched, with high resistance to fluoroquinolones. Thus, studied samples of Campylobacter spp. demonstrated the potential to cause infection and stay in the hosts.
TO CRITICALLY REVIEW THE USE OF SCREENCASTS FOR TEACHING LAND SURVEYING

Screencasting tools allow for a screen capture of the actions on a computer screen with accompanying audio. This research initially reviews through the literature how screencasting has been used pedagogically and, through this primary research, the application of an existing screencast called Screencast-O-Matic and feedback from students from both Construction Management and Geospatial Surveying Undergraduate Programmes of TU Dublin, where and how it could be deployed for the surveying classes and fieldwork during the pandemic situation. This research occurred when all Irish third-level institutions lectures and tutorials moved online, and access to survey equipment for fieldwork was severely reduced. The paper concludes with a reflection on how some of the practices put in place due to the current pandemic situation would benefit when face to face classes resume. During surveying projects, several steps were identified during which students encountered a "bottleneck" in their learning. As screencasts provide unsupervised access to teaching materials, a series of screencasts was created as online support and incorporated into our VLE (Virtual Learning Environment); this included video tutorials on how to set up and use surveying equipment, as well as screencasts showing how to process and perform calculations of recorded survey data. Results from students being subsequently surveyed through an online questionnaire showed that the vast majority found the videos helpful or very helpful in explaining how much they knew or did not know about the material and liked the format as a complement to the weekly recorded lectures. The survey also revealed a variety of learning habits and styles within the class. Those findings are consistent with previous research, which highlight that screencasting facilitates learning for the diversity of learners. Veedbacks, or video feedback, provided students feedback on various assignments, such as fieldwork projects and online examinations. A series of semi-structured interviews revealed that students found the veedbacks a valuable complement to the feedback process by better understanding how they could improve their subsequent assignments. Grades for both undergraduate classes were compared with those from previous pre-Covid classes, with a significantly higher mark for students who used screencasts as an online tool. Moreover, several students surveyed suggested that screencast videos, particularly those involving calculations, should be incorporated as online support when face-to-face classes resume. Based on these findings and their own experience in creating screencasts, lecturers in this study believe that screencasting provides a means to build support material relatively quickly for feedback, tutorials and teaching material and is a helpful complement to both online and face to face classes.
Accurate Extraction of Mobility, Effective Channel Length, and Source/Drain Resistance in 60 nm MOSFETs

Abstract An improved channel resistance method is proposed to extract gate bias dependent source and drain series resistance (RSD), effective channel length (Leff = Lmask-ΔL), and mobility. A nonscaling of the total resistance RTOT = VDS/IDS of short channel device is observed because of mobility degradation of the short channel MOSFETs. The proposed method considers the variation of the effective mobility as a function of channel length.
Towards a design for professional development of honors teachers at Saxion University of Applied Sciences

In the recent decades honors education has experienced a big growth worldwide and also in the Netherlands. Now, Saxion University of Applied Sciences wants to establish professional development for honors teaching. The main goal of this research was to examine what is a good way to professionalize teachers in honors education at Saxion and secondly to make a first step in the design process for professional development in one aspect of honors teaching. For this, a design research has been conducted, consisting of four phases: context analysis, needs analysis, design construction and test/evaluation. For one aspect of honors teaching, promoting critical thinking of students, a first design was made, based on the 4C/ID model. The design of the first session was tested by a pilot and evaluated afterwards by a focus group consisting of the participants of the pilot. In conclusion, a good way to professionalize teachers in honors education at Saxion is to develop a shared vision on honors education and pay attention to the critical reflective attitude of honors teachers and to effect measurements of methods.