Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Virtual Reality for Supporting the Treatment of Depression and Anxiety: Scoping Review

Background Mental health conditions pose a major challenge to health care providers and society at large. The World Health Organization predicts that by 2030, mental health conditions will be the leading cause of disease burden worldwide. The current need for mental health care is overwhelming. In New Zealand, 1 in 6 adults has been diagnosed with common mental disorders, such as depression and anxiety disorders, according to a national survey. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has been shown to effectively help patients overcome a wide variety of mental health conditions. Virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET) might be one of the most exciting technologies emerging in the clinical setting for the treatment of anxiety and depression. Objective This study aims to investigate the virtual reality (VR) technologies currently being used to help support the treatment of depression and anxiety. We also aim to investigate whether and how CBT is included as part of VRET and look at the VR technologies and interventions that have been used in recent studies on depression and anxiety. Methods We performed a scoping review. To identify significant studies, we decided to use already aggregated sources from the Google Scholar database. Overall, the goal of our search strategy was to limit the number of initial results related to VR in mental health to only a relevant minimum. Results Using our defined keywords, Google Scholar identified >17,300 articles. After applying all the inclusion and exclusion criteria, we identified a total of 369 articles for further processing. After manual evaluation, 34 articles were shortlisted; of the 34 articles, 9 (26%) reported the use of CBT with VR. All of the articles were published between 2017 and 2021. Out of the 9 studies, CBT was conducted within a VR environment in 5 (56%) studies, whereas in the remaining 4 (44%) studies, CBT was used as an addition to VRET. All 9 studies reported the use of CBT either in vivo or in a virtual environment to be effective in supporting the treatment of anxiety or depression. Conclusions Most studies demonstrated the use of VR to be effective for supporting the treatment of anxiety or depression in a range of settings and recommended its potential as a tool for use in a clinical environment. Even though standalone headsets are much easier to work with and more suitable for home use, the shift from tethered VR headsets to standalone headsets in the mental health environment was not observed. All studies that looked at the use of CBT either in vivo or in a virtual environment found it to be effective in supporting the treatment of anxiety or depression.
Identification of prognostically relevant gene signatures in lung squamous cell carcinoma by Lung Cancer Explorer

Background Biological features and key genes are urgently needed to reveal the transcriptomic landscape and guide diagnosis and therapy for lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC). However, most papers have only focused on highly expressed genes correlated with poor survival in LUSC, which limits the understanding of this cancer type. Methods Meta-analysis results of genes with tumour-normal differential expression and survival association in LUSC patients provided by the web-tool Lung Cancer Explorer (LCE) were used to determine the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and prognostically relevant genes (PRGs); the intersected genes were divided into groups, and their biological functions were explored by Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses. The network of each group was visualized, and the top-ranked genes were selected by the ‘degree’ method and further tested for their survival association using the Kaplan-Meier (KM) Plotter web tool. Paired cancer and adjacent tissues from LUSC patients were used to confirm the differential expression. Results A total of 506 genes, as both DEGs and PRGs, were categorized into 4 gene signatures representing distinct biological features, including regulation of the immune system, epithelium development, small GTPase-mediated signal transduction, Adenosine diphosphate (ADP) metabolic process, and glycolysis. Finally, 9 hub genes were identified and subsequently retested to be correlated with survival through univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses in KM plotter. Paired clinical samples validated the changes in mRNA expression of NTRK2, RAB11A, and CD52. Conclusions This study provides more insight into the functional and molecular features of LUSC through meta-analysis of available data and identifies therapeutic and diagnostic markers for LUSC.
Physics-driven Locomotion Planning Method for Multilegged Robots

Deformable robots have an excellent performance in unstructured terrain, because of the highly adaptive configuration. However, most current locomotion planning methods for deformable robots require elaborate manual intervention, so autonomy is urgently demanded. We propose a physics-driven locomotion planning method for multilegged robots. Using an artificial dynamic model, this method can produce the control command automatically once given the desired path. The artificial dynamic model includes only a few parameters with definite physical meanings. This method is evaluated on a 32-legged spherical robot using MSC ADAMS (Automated Dynamic Analysis of Mechanical Systems). The results show that our method is capable of generating a feasible locomotion control scheme for multilegged robots to track smooth paths.
Repurchase Model Through Purchase Decision: Analysis of Product and Price Effect on Dulux Paint Consumers in DKI Jakarta and Tangerang Area

The purpose of this study was to determine how to analyze and how much, the following influence on the significance of product quality and price on purchasing decisions that have implications for repurchasing. This research is a census, the number of objects in the population with 100 respondents. The objective to be approved in this study is to prove empirical evidence regarding variable product quality and price, on purchasing decisions in choosing wall paint products, through purchasing decisions this research will also analyze the effect product quality and price against repurchase. The results show that the variable conditions of product quality and price have an impact on purchasing decisions in the good category, as well as the effect of product quality and price on repurchases, with positive and significant results, namely in the situation, if the product quality and price are increased then, will have an impact on increasing purchase and repurchase decisions
Detailed Investigations of Capillary and van der Waals Forces in the Adhesion between Solids

Harrison, Aaron J. Ph.D., Purdue University, December 2015. Detailed Investigations of Capillary and van der Waals Forces in the Adhesion between Solids. Major Professors: Stephen Beaudoin and David Corti. The primary focus of this dissertation is on characterizing two fundamental forces common to adhesion between solids: capillary and van der Waals forces. These two forces have a significant impact on how solids flow, stick to surfaces, agglomerate and break; therefore, understanding their behavior can lead to better processing techniques. Capillary forces are responsible for caking in the food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries and are caused by the spontaneous formation of liquid bridges between two surfaces in close contact. To better understand how capillary forces depend on the system relative humidity (RH), solid surface separation, and surface hydrophilicity, the Wang-Landau Monte Carlo technique on a lattice-gas framework has been used. For a smooth, hydrophilic AFM tip against a flat, hydrophilic plate on a 45x45 lattice, a maximum capillary force occurs when the separation distance is one molecular diameter of the adsorbate and the capillary force decreases as the separation distance increases, except when the tip and the surface are in contact. The capillary forces associated with completely wetting AFM tips are strongly dependent on the system RH, while partially wetting and partially drying tips are relatively independent of RH.
The determinants of occupational sorting: Evidence from Mozambique

We examine the link between individual characteristics and sorting into different occupations using data from university students in Mozambique. We provide a comprehensive approach combining the main determinants of occupational sorting identified in the literature in a single framework to test both the importance and mutual independence of different groups of factors: fixed personal characteristics, job characteristics, economic preferences, and personality traits.
Rethinking Food Sufficiency with Smart Agriculture using Internet of Things

The emergence of the internet of things spread across several sectors and the agricultural industry is not left out. The application of smart agriculture using IoT will improve productivity among stakeholders in the sector. It gives automation, control, and monitoring in agro-industry which leads to food sufficiency. This project was designed to address food sufficiency through smart agriculture using IoT. A methodic literature assessment (MLA) was adopted for this research where some research questions that we believe if addressed properly will increase food sufficiency were asked and answer with from literature. This project address the IoT sensor or devices and their application to achieve robust farming.
Detection of SSL/TLS Implementation Errors in Android Applications

Security Socket Layer (SSL) / Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocols are utilized to secure network communication (e.g., transmitting user data). Failing to properly implement SSL/TLS configuration during the app development results in security risks. The weak implementations include trusting all host names, trusting all certificates, ignoring certificate verification errors, even lack of SSL public key pinning usage. These unsecured implementations may cause Man-In-The-Middle (MITM) attacks. The major aim of this research is to detect configuration errors of SSL/TLS implementation in Android apps. It consists of the common use of existing open source tools in the static analysis phase and the combination of manual method in the dynamic analysis phase. During the static analysis phase, dynamic analysis of the findings obtained by scanning four types of vulnerabilities is used to verify the abuse status of SSL/TLS by testing. The dynamic analysis is essential for eliminating false positives generated at the static analysis stage. We analyze 109 apps from Google Play Store and the experimental results show that 45 (41.28%) apps contain potential security errors in the application of SSL/TLS. We verify that 19 (17.43%) out of 109 apps are vulnerable to MITM attacks.
Development of Variational Thinking for the Teaching of Preliminary Notions of Calculus. A Class Experience in Basic Education

Background: This work incorporates results that help to understand how to favour the development of variational thinking and language in students of middle school education. Objective : to relate variational thinking with some preliminary notions of calculus. Design : a sequence of activities is presented to analyse variational aspects of the function concept and the results of its implementation. Setting and participants : the experience takes place in a middle and high school education institution with a sample of 40 students attending the 9 th grade. Data collection and analysis: a didactic sequence (DS) was elaborated from the results of a diagnostic test and applied to the students’ group. The information collected from the application of the DS was submitted to an inductive analysis. Results : we focused our attention on the way in which the study variation processes allowed students to build meaningful approaches to understanding and using functions as models of change situations. Conclusions : despite the institutional limitations and the difficulties of the students, the development and emergence of variational arguments is observed in young people, based on previous knowledge that they relate to experiences of daily life.
Breeding Ecology and Nest- Site Selection of Turtle Doves (Streptopelia turtur) in Three New Orchard Habitats

The main aim of our work was to investigate the breeding parameters in three orchard types in Algeria (apple, cherry and nectarine) for better conservation of existing species. A total of 149 active Turtle dove nests were monitored in these man–made agro-systems. Egg laying occurred from early May and continued until mid-August. Egg laying started later in cherry trees and stopped earlier in nectarines. Nest density was higher in apple orchards. Nests were located higher in nectarine. Clutch size was similar among orchard types. Northeast was the dominant orientation in all orchards. Breeding success was higher than that recorded in former studies. Desertion was the main cause of nest failure. The apple orchards are the preferred breeding area for turtle dove in this region.
Separation microfluidic device fabricated by micromilling techniques

: The diagnosis of several diseases can be performed by analyzing the blood plasma of a patient. Despite extensive research work, there is still a need to improve current low-cost fabrication techniques and devices for the separation of plasma from blood cells. Microfluidic biomedical devices have great potential for that process. Hence, a microfluidic device made by micromilling and sealed with an oxygen plasma technique was tested by means of two different blood analogue fluids. The device has four microchannels with similar geometries but different channel depths. A high-speed video microscopy system was used for the visualization and acquisition of the flow of the analogue fluids throughout the microchannels of the device. Then, the separation of particles and plasma was evaluated with the ImageJ software by measuring and comparing the grey values at the entrance and the exit of the channel. The device showed a significant reduction of the amount of cells between the entrance and the exit of the microchannels. The depth of the channels and the size of the particles were not found to exert any major influence on the separation process. However, it was found that the flow rate affected the separation results, as the best results were obtained for a flow rate of 100 μ L/min. Though these results are promising, further analyses and optimizations of microfluidic devices, as well as comparisons between devices sealed using different methods such as the solvent bonding technique, will be conducted in future works.
Integrated foreign languages teaching: a concept of the English language textbook for engineering majors

Since 2017 new state educational standards for higher education have been introduced and contain the fourth universal competence (UC-4) which refers to the notion “business communication”. In this relation, the paper considers the issue of creating an up-to-date English language textbook for engineering majors in compliance with the requirements of the new state educational standards according to the methodology of the integrated teaching of foreign languages. The author presents such concept emphasizing the fact that engineering majors – and automobile engineering majors in particular – lack modern professionally oriented textbooks of English. Research methods include: analysis of the requirements of the state educational standards, scientific sources on integrated foreign languages and professional disciplines teaching; modelling a concept of the English language textbook. The purpose of the present paper is to introduce a concept of the textbook according to the model of integrated foreign languages teaching as part of the methodology of integrated foreign languages and professional disciplines teaching. In this relation, the author clarifies the difference between the Russian methodology of integrated foreign languages and professional disciplines teaching and the European technology of Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL). The author describes features of three models of integrated teaching in Russia and gives grounds for choosing the “golden mean” – integrated foreign language teaching as the basis for creating professionally oriented textbooks of English. The research results include also the author’s introducing the notion of zones of near and further integration which are characterized by a different degree of content and competence integration into students’ learning professional disciplines and acquiring professional competences. The zones of integration help to differentiate the textbook for teaching professionally oriented General English and the textbook for teaching courses of professional English. The concept contributes to disclosing the previously proposed idea of the developing of the integrated foreign language professional communicative competence because it introduces principles for creating English language textbooks and their key components. Although the concept is worked out for creating textbooks of English for students of automobile engineering, but it may as well be applied for all engineering majors. The concept will be detailed as the textbooks are being created and piloted at the same time.
Hydroxyapatite doped CeO2 nanoparticles: impact on biocompatibility and dye adsorption properties

The toxicity imparted by the commercialized use of nanoparticles in environmental remediation has become a big concern. To overcome this, the current work describes the fabrication of cerium oxide (CeO2) containing hydroxyapatite (HAp) nanoparticles. The toxicity of the system was tested against the Allium cepa anaphase–telophase chromosome aberration assay. The enhanced stability and biocompatible nature of HAp widen the scope of engineered nanoproducts for wastewater treatment. Anionic Eriochrome Black T (EBT) dye was chosen as a model system for analyzing the adsorptive behavior of the engineered nanoparticles. The meticulous analysis of surface morphology, elemental composition, size and functional groups over the engineered product were ascertained by using microscopic and spectroscopic techniques. The corresponding influence of methodological aspects such as experimental pH, time, and concentration of the toxins and the nanoadsorbate toward the removal efficiency of pollutant were also quantified by using UV-Vis spectroscopic measurements. The kinetic and equilibrium adsorption analysis were also performed and a probable adsorption mechanism was determined for the prepared materials. The prepared HAp/CeO2 nanohybrid can be exploited as a competent, low-cost adsorbent for the removal of dye molecules from the aqueous environment. This piece of work validates and promotes the idea of using biocompatible and non-toxic nanomaterials for environmental remediation, with high efficiency.
Corporate Citizenship Behaviour and Rural Livelihoods: A Study on Multinational Corporations in Sri Lanka

Corporate citizenship seems a new conceptualization of the role of business in society. Disparity between rural and urban economy is growing and it is essential for multinational companies to address the issues benchmarking best practices. MNCs enter a nation with numerous guarantees but are they equipped for accomplishing objectives as a corporate citizen? Although the role of MNCs on local firms has been measured at different industry levels, rural livelihood perspective is unkempt in developing economies. The study aims to identify the roles of MNCs in enhancing the rural livelihoods of the dairy farmers in Sri Lanka. The study was based on an exploratory approach, adopting a qualitative research design with a thematic data analysis. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews from twenty-five dairy farmers who were directly engaging with MNC subsidiaries operating in the rural community of Sri Lanka. The MNC has been able to enhance the rural livelihoods of the dairy farmers through generating of job opportunities and replacing conventional practices with modern technology, identifying the importance of knowledge management, understanding the value of quality, adhering to policies, standards and guidelines along with maintaining proper documentations and improving the return on invested capital. However, the MNC has failed to build strong relationships with local authorities and struggled to promote dairy farming as a main source of income. MNCs exercises in the developing context is still being contended and coordinating and compiling a policy framework with the local authorities could play a significant role in shaping the livelihoods of the dairy farmers.
Select Applications of Bayesian Data Analysis and Machine Learning to Flow Problems

This review focuses on the use of Bayesian Data Analysis and Machine Learning Techniques to study and analyze ﬂow problems typical to polymer melt systems. We present a brief summary of Bayesian probability theory, and show how it can be used to solve the parameter estimation and model selection problems, for cases when the model(s) are known. For the more complex non-parametric regression problem, in which the functional form of the model is not known, we show how Machine-Learning (through Gaussian Processes) can be used to learn arbitrary functions from data. In particular, we show examples for solving steady-state ﬂow problem as well as learning the constitutive relations of polymer ﬂows with memory.
Risk Management Implementation in Indonesian State Budget Fiscal Risk Disclosure

Fiscal risk management is part of the management of financial risk in the State Budget. Basically, these risks are interrelated although they are different things. State financial risk as an inherent risk of State Budget has a different process from fiscal risk management. This study aims to evaluate the management process and disclosure of fiscal risk in the State Budget using a case study-qualitative approach. The integration of the risk management system between the risk management unit and the fiscal risk management unit, and development of fiscal risk management framework could improve the process of managing and disclosing fiscal risk in the Budget Statement.
The impact of implementing augmented reality to enhance the vocabulary of young EFL learners

This study seeks to contribute to the small, but growing area of research regarding technology potential in the field of vocabulary research. The study aims to determine the usefulness of augmented reality (AR) technology in EFL vocabulary learning. An experiment was conducted to examine young learners’ motivation and vocabulary retention. The current study employed two instruments: a pre-post-delayed test and an interview. The participants (n=73) were primary school sixth-graders (11–12 years old) and were assigned into two groups, experimental (38) and control (35). The findings revealed that there were differences in the mean scores in favour of the experimental group. However, these differences were not statistically significant. Furthermore, seventeen students were interviewed regarding their perceptions of the used technology. The findings showed that AR results in better understanding and higher levels of motivation among students. The study also highlighted the role of technology in the domain of language learning.