Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Communication networks of an integrated project delivery team for construction: relationships between formal and informal communication networks

Abstract The current study modeled formal and informal communication networks of an integrated project delivery (IPD) team and examined the interplay between the two networks. The IPD format as an alternative method of building construction relies on its multiple stakeholders’ equal and active collaboration. Analyses of both endogenous and exogenous network variables found very distinctive tie formation dynamics between the formal and informal communication networks. While both networks were rather decentralized, a preferred structure for facilitating collaboration in IPD teams, reciprocal communication was identified only in formal (i.e., project-related information exchange), not in informal (i.e., social conversations) networks in valued exponential random graph modeling (VERGM). Ethnic heterophily, also a preferred structure for the IPD collaboration, was significant for formal, but not for informal communication networks. A small number of female members (4 out of 26) were more participating in formal, but less in informal conversations compared to males. Team members from designer and contractor organizations were active in project-related information exchange, but not as much in social conversations compared to the owner’s representatives. While a multiplexity effect was identified between formal and informal communication networks in VERGM, MR-QAP regressions revealed the cyclicality of each network significantly predicted the other type of communication frequency above and beyond its own structural configuration.
Actual and Perceived Knowledge About COVID-19: The Role of Information Behavior in Media

The COVID-19 pandemic poses a health threat that has dominated media coverage. However, not much is known about individual media use to acquire knowledge about COVID-19. To address this open research question, this study investigated how the perceived threat is linked to media use and how media use is associated with perceived and actual knowledge about COVID-19. In a German online survey conducted between April 16 and April 27, 2020, N = 952 participants provided information on their perceived threat and media use to inform themselves about COVID-19. In this process, they indicated how well they were informed about COVID-19 (perceived knowledge) and subsequently completed a COVID-19 knowledge test (actual knowledge). Results indicated that individuals who felt more threatened by COVID-19 used media more often to inform themselves (b = 0.20, p < 0.001) but focused on fewer different media channels (b = 0.01, p < 0.001). Further, frequent media use was associated with higher perceived knowledge (b = 0.47, p < 0.001), but not with higher actual knowledge about COVID-19 (b = −0.01, p = 0.938), reflecting an illusion of knowledge. Additionally, using fewer media channels was linked to higher perceived (b = 2.21, p < 0.001) and actual knowledge (b = 2.08, p = 0.008). Finally, explorative analyses on the use of different media channels revealed that an illusion of knowledge emerged for using social media, public television, and newspapers. Potential explanations for the findings and implications for future research are discussed.
Psychological symptoms of the outbreak of the COVID-19 crisis and confinement in the population of Spain

Background: The outbreak and spread of a novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) led to a confinement situation in many countries worldwide. Our objective was to analyze the short-term psychological effects of the COVID-19 crisis and the quarantine on the population. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted. A survey was completed by 3550 adults from Spain. Symptoms of anxiety, depression and stress were analyzed using the 21-item version of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale. Symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder were analyzed using the Impact of Event Scale. Results: Symptomatic scores of anxiety, depression, stress were observed in 32.4%, 44.1% and 37.0% of respondents, respectively. Also, symptomatic scores indicating psychological stress were found in 88.6% of respondents. Increased prevalence of anxiety, depression and stress symptoms was associated with female sex, younger age, self-reported COVID-19 symptoms, previous psychological or psychiatric treatment, intake of psychoactive medication and negative effect on social relationships and relationships with people living in the same place. Higher scores related to symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder was associated with most of those factors, and also with the acquaintance with a COVID-19 patient.Conclusion: An important emotional impact of confinement related to COVID-19 has been found in Spanish population. Considering a possible long period of confinement, the evolution of the psychological effects should be controlled to prevent severe mental health disorders.
Theoretical study of exciton transport in natural and synthetic light-harvesting systems

In the first part of this dissertation, we investigate on the presence of quantum effects in the exciton dynamics of the Fenna-Matthews-Olson photosynthetic complex of green sulfur bacteria using an atomistic Quantum Mechanics / Molecular Mechanics (QM/MM) model combined with open quantum systems methods. Subsequently, we explore the theoretical connection between the atomistic QM/MM approach and the open quantum system methods and propose the correct theoretical expressions to maintain consistency when using both approaches contemporarily. In particular we show that when using the correct prefactor to extract the spectral density the strength of coupling between excitation and other degrees of freedom the atomistic results are in good agreement with experimental predictions. We then describe a first atomistic study of the full light-harvesting complex of green sulfur bacteria. The various units are treated atomistically and the full system’s exciton dynamics is obtained using a Markovian open quantum system master equation. To conclude the first part, we describe a Machine Learning algorithm which we developed and implemented to learn timedependent density functional theory energies by using trained neural networks and supplying these with coulomb matrices extracted from molecular dynamics simulations. This approach provides a much more rapid solution to obtaining a QM/MM Hamiltonian and subsequently extracting dynamics. It is particularly useful when multiple identical molecules are found in similar environments as one can train the network on a single molecule and predict all others. We applied this method to the Fenna-Matthews-Olson complex. In the second part of this dissertation we focus on model systems and synthetic aggregates. In particular, we investigate the exciton dynamics in thin-film J-aggregates using a Markovian stochastic Schrödinger equation approach. We derive expressions to obtain diffusion constants from the dynamics and compare a series of different thin-film J-aggregates. The parameters of the model are obtained atomistically. From this model we obtain information on the parameters which lead to optimal exciton diffusion. This can guide the design of new exciton transfer materials.
Spin waves in periodically patterned thin yttrium iron garnet films with lattice constants down to 100 nm produced by helium ion microscopy

We investigate spin waves (SW) in yttrium iron garnet (YIG) films grown by liquid phase epitaxy on the waferscale. The YIG film was nanostructured using electron beam lithography and helium ion microscopy (HIM). Using HIM the minimum periodicity of the lattice was 100 nm. The decay length amounted to 0.86 mm, and we found a group velocity up to 5.4 km/s in the bare YIG film. The magnonic grating coupler effect induced by the HIM patterning allowed us to excite SWs with a wavelength down to 80 nm.
Solar Power Profitability with Demand Response and Carbon-Corrected Electricity Prices

We study the economic profitability of small-scale photovoltaic (PV) systems in the insolation conditions close to the Arctic Circle. We show moderate rate of returns (1.0 % in the Northern and 1.4 % in the Southern Finland) for the PV system investments with time-of-use hot water heating. Optimized hot water heating increases the rate of return by 0.6 percentage points. We internalize the negative externalities of greenhouse gas emissions from electricity generation by presenting the hourly electricity prices as a function of emission permit costs. A 10 €/tCO2 increase in carbon price improves the PV investment rate of return by 0.3 percentage points.
Perspectives of Pre-Service Teachers on Distance Education: CovÄ±d-19 Process

The Covid-19 pandemic process increasing its impact day by day across the world has transformed education services into a new form. Distance education instead of face-to-face education has begun to be used effectively in many countries. Since it is available in many educational levels, it is also widely used in teacher education. This study was intended for identifying the perceptions of Turkish pre-service teachers regarding distance education conducted during the Covid-19 pandemic process. For this purpose, quantitative and qualitative data were collected from pre-service teachers and a research was conducted according to mixed research design. The sample of the study consisted of 699 Turkish pre-service teachers studying in 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grades at 13 state universities in Turkey, in the 2019-2020 academic year. In the qualitative part of the study, opinions of the 25 pre-service teachers selected from the sample were taken. Data were collected from pre-service teachers with the help of a scale and an interview guide. SPSS 22.0 program and content analysis method were used in the analysis of the data. Tests such as t test and one wayANOVA were used on the data. Quantitative and qualitative data were examined holistically and pre-service teachers' approaches to distance education were revealed. According to the results of the research, variables affecting the perceptions of pre-service teachers about distance education were revealed and the factors affecting their perceptions with detailed views were determined. These results are expected to contribute to the distance education in teacher training programs in the Covid-19 process.
New mechanistic insight into the digestion of complex dietary fibre by rumen microbiota using combinatorial high-resolution glycomic and transcriptomic analyses

Background The rumen microbial community is considered the most efficient anaerobic digestive ecosystem known, yet less than half of the energy in low quality forages is actually metabolized. There is a knowledge gap regarding the specific factors that impede the ruminal digestion of plant cell walls or if rumen microbiota have the functional potential and activities to overcome these constraints. To address these issues, innovative experimental methods may provide a high-resolution understanding of the cell wall chemistries and higher-order structures that are resistant to microbial digestion and how they interact with the functional activities of the rumen microbial community. Results With this goal, we characterized the total tract indigestible residue (TTIR) from cattle fed a high-forage diet containing low-quality straw using two comparative glycomic approaches: ELISA-based glycome profiling and glycosidic linkage analysis. Using these techniques, we successfully detected numerous and diverse cell wall glycan epitopes in barley straw and TTIR and determined their relative abundance pre- and post-intestinal digestion. Of these, xyloglucans and heteroxylans were the most recalcitrant to digestion. Linkage analysis identified indigestible linkages consistent with the polysaccharide epitopes identified by ELISA-based glycome analysis. To determine if residual plant polysaccharides within TTIR could be metabolised, rumen microbiota from cannulated cattle fed barley straw were incubated with barley straw and TTIR in in vitro batch cultures. Transcript coding for carbohydrate-active enzymes (CAZymes) were identified and characterized for their contribution to cell wall digestion based on glycomic analyses, comparative gene expression profiles, and associated CAZyme families. High-resolution phylogenetic fingerprinting of these sequences revealed encoded enzymes with activities predicted to cleave the primary linkages within heteroxylan and arabinan. Conclusion This experimental platform provides unprecedented precision in the understanding of forage structure and digestibility, which can inform next-generation solutions to improve the growth of ruminants fed low quality forages and enhance the use of crop residues as a feedstock.
Another look at superlative modifiers as modified superlatives

This paper studies the morpho-semantic puzzle of superlative modifiers (SMs) where in many languages SMs typically involve a quantity adjective and a degree morpheme. This paper takes English at least as a case study and offers a decompositional analysis connecting its semantic properties with its morphological components. One central proposal is that SMs like at least can be structurally decomposed into three morphological pieces: a quantity adjective, a superlative and an existential operator. It is shown that the current analysis not only explains the role of the quantity adjective and degree morphology in the semantics of at least, but also captures two types of semantic parallels suggested in the literature on SMs: the parallel with disjunction and the parallel with epistemic indefinites.
ASSESSMENT OF IMPROVED BIOMASS COOK STOVES IN ETHIOPIA: UTILIZATION PRACTICES AND ADOPTION FACTORS; THE CASE OF MERAWI,

Although decades of dedicated effort have been made on dissemination of improved cook stoves by governmental and non-governmental organizations in low-income countries, it remains tough to achieve the adoption of improved cook stoves for wider utilization. Predominantly, traditional open fire cooking system has been the major cooking system for foremost segments of Ethiopian population for centuries. Currently, different stockholders have shown exertions to address this traditional cooking system through distribution of fuel saving cook stoves at national and regional levels. The aim of this study is to examine the improved cook stoves adoption status, its coverage and factors affecting adoption in Amhara regional state in the case of Merhawi, Kolela district. A structured cross-sectional survey assessment in 123 household through in depth interview was conducted in the district. A predictor socio –economic variables such as age, family size, income level, role of stake holder involvement, education level, farm land size and decision making at house hold level for the user’s choice, clean cooking preference and adoption status were deployed for investigation. Statistical analysis of linear regression and cross tabulation frequency factors were also employed to identify factors associated with the status of adoption using IBM SPSS, 20. The linear regression analysis result shown that age, family size, income level, role of stake holder involvement in the locality have a strong positive relationship with ICs stove adoption at p value<0.05. On the contrary, education level, farm land size and decision making at house hold level have no strong interaction with adoption.
Prenatal diagnosis of fetal chromosomal abnormalities among 2318 pregnant women with indications in southern China: a retrospective study

Background To investigate the frequency of fetal chromosomal abnormalities among women with abnormal ultrasound, abnormal biochemical marker screening or noninvasive prenatal testing results, advanced maternal age, or history of miscarriage in southern China. Methods We retrospectively analyzed prenatal samples from pregnant women between 2015 and 2019. Conventional karyotyping was performed using GTG banding. Copy number variation sequencing was used when indicated to identify chromosomal abnormalities. Results A total of 2,318 prenatal samples (188 chorionic villus samples, 2,003 amniotic fluids, and 127 cord blood) were analyzed. The frequency of chromosomal abnormalities was 12.4% (288/2,318) in prenatal samples, and frequency in chorionic villus samples (23.9%) was higher than in amniotic fluids (13.5%) and in cord blood (5.0%; P < 0.001). Numerical anomalies were detected in 195 (8.4%) cases and the most common abnormality were trisomy 21 (103/2,318; 4.4%), trisomy 18 (31/2,318; 1.3%) and monosomy X (18/2,318; 0.8%). Sructural anomalies were found in 29 (1.3%) cases, rare anomalies such as deletions (4 cases), duplications (2 cases), and complex rearrangement (1 case), were detected. Two cases with common chromosomal polymorphisms, inv(9)(p11q12) and inv(9)(p11q13), associated with recurrent spontaneous abortion, were detected. Five fetuses had normal karyotypes and definite pathogenic copy number variations, with microdeletions at 16p13.11, 16p12.1 (2 cases), and 17p12 and a microduplication at 7q11.23; all had normal phenotypes after birth. Conclusion Our study indicated that fetal chromosomal anomalies can be detected in early gestation and provided valuable information for interpretation of chromosomal polymorphisms and copy number variations.
Social Psychological Measurements of COVID-19: Coronavirus Perceived Threat, Government Response, Impacts, and Experiences Questionnaires

Major journals have sounded the call for social psychologists to do research on the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). Such research is only as good as the measurements used. Across three studies (total n = 984), we developed a battery of social psychology-relevant questionnaires to measure COVID-19 phenomena: (1) Perceived Coronavirus Threat Questionnaire, (2) Governmental Response to Coronavirus Questionnaire, (3) Coronavirus Impacts Questionnaire, and (4) Coronavirus Experience Questionnaire. Exploratory (Study 1) and Confirmatory (Studies 2 and 3) Factor Analyses revealed excellent factor structures for the one-factor Perceived Coronavirus Threat, the six-factor Governmental Response Questionnaires, and the three-factor Coronavirus Impacts Questionnaire. The three-factor Coronavirus Experience Questionnaire yielded poorer psychometric properties overall. Given that brevity is often desired for online studies, we further recommend psychometrically sound short versions of each questionnaire. Taken in total, this work offers social psychology researchers a battery of questionnaires to measure Coronavirus-related phenomena for the duration of the pandemic in U.S. participants.
What is the Relationship Between Helicobacter Pylori CagA Genotypes and Gastrointestinal Diseases in the Iranian Population? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is one of the most well-known risk factors for getting the gastric cancer disease. In recent studies, the relationship between its virulence factors, specially CagA (cytotoxin‐associated gene A) toxin and development into the gastrointestinal diseases is taken into consideration. According to review of literature, despite the presence of four motifs A, B, C, and D in CagA toxin, two motifs C and D are more associated with gastrointestinal complications in patients who are infected by H. pylori. Methods: In the present study, we researched about theses ambiguities using a comprehensive meta-analysis study. In this study, we assessed the information of 1762 Iranian patients for potential relationship between all genotypes of cagA gene and gastrointestinal diseases.Results: According to statistical analysis, the abundance of cagA genotypes AB, ABC, ABCC, ABCCC, and ABD in Iranian population is 5.52%, 80.18%, 22.81%, 2.76%, and 0% respectively. In addition, it was determined that there is a significant relationship between cagA genotypes ABCC and ABCCC on the one hand and cagA genotype ABCCC on the other hand with susceptibility to chronic gastritis and gastric cancer respectively.Conclusions: Overall, it can be concluded that the higher number of EPIYA-C copy numbers lead to the higher risk of gastric cancer. According to our results, it seems that the presence of EPIYA-ABCCC motif in strains of H. pylori should be considered as an appropriate marker in preventing the gastric cancer among the Iranian population.
A Randomized clinical trial of antioxidant therapy in patients with septic shock. Reference study to propose adjuvant therapy in patients with critical organic damage by COVID-19

Background: Oxidative stress (OS) participates in the pathophysiology of patients with septic shock having multiple organ failure (MOF), ischemia-reperfusion injury and acute respiratory failure syndrome (ARDS). Antioxidants have been proposed in their therapy.Objective: To evaluate the effect of antioxidant treatment in patients with septic shock with MOF and levels OS after treatment.Research question: Will the administration of specific antioxidant therapy decrease deregulatory factors of oxidative stress and organ failure in patients with septic shock? Study design and Methods: Double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial run in 2 ICU in Mexico City between May 2018 and January 2020. The random allocation sequence was generated using computer methods. Patients older than 18 years of either sex, with septic shock were included, were excluded when informed consent could not be obtained, they received chronic or recent use of steroids, statins, or antioxidants or if they had contraindications to the use of antioxidants. All antioxidants were administered by mouth or nasogastric tube during 5 days and were added to standard.Results: 97 patients were included with median age of 66 years. 20 were treated with MT and 18 with Vit C and they showed post-treatment decreased SOFA scores [p=0.007 and p<0.001 respectively]. Also, total antioxidant capacity (TAC) was improved by NAC. All patients had decreased basal levels of Vit C and patients that received Vit C had decreased levels of the NO3−/NO2− (p=0.02) and RCP levels [p=0.045]. Procalcitonin (PCT) levels were reduced by Vit E, [p=0.047], NAC; [p=0.001] and MT [p=0.045]. LPO was reduced in patients that received MT p=0.042 Conclusion: In septic shock, antioxidant therapy associated with standard intensive care unit therapy reduces MOF, the oxidative and inflammatory state. These results could be a reference to use adjuvant antioxidant therapy in patients with septic shock in COVID19.Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT 03557229