Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Two-photon laser deposition of gold nanowires

We report on the fabrication of gold nanostructures by direct laser writing. Such metallic structures are obtained by reduction and precipitation of the corresponding metallic ions we have included in the polymer host. The reduction is initiated by two-photon absorption of the femtosecond laser. In this paper we show that the chemical composition of the active mixture as well as the laser power has a strong influence on the fabricated structure. We show that optimized conditions permit the fabrication of very regular structures whose dimension can vary from several microns to a few hundreds of nanometers. A model is proposed which predicts variation laws in good agreement with experiments.
New Cytogenetic Information of Wild Species and Cultivars in the Genus Epidendrum (Orchidaceae)

Chromosome numbers of wild species in the genus Epidendrum have previously been reported in the range of 2n=24–240. However, the ploidy levels of cultivars in the given genus originating from interspecific hybridization among several wild species have never been reported. To elucidate their ploidy levels, we analyzed the chromosome number of cultivars and related wild species. Four wild species showed a new record of chromosome number in the present study, namely, E. radicans 2n=38, 80, E. secundum 2n=60, and E. cinnabarinum 2n=64. Six cultivars examined were revealed to have more chromosomes than the wild species, with a range of 2n=84–164, suggesting that the cultivars have high polyploid levels. A significant correlation between the nuclear DNA amount and the chromosome number in wild species as well as cultivars was observed. Those cultivars originated from hybridization. Thus, the results from the present study suggest that the polyploid cultivars in this genus could have resulted from pollination involving unreduced gametes during breeding.
An Analysis on the NASDAQ’s Potential for Sustainable Investment Practices during the Financial Shock from COVID-19

There is a growing demand for sustainable business practices and for sustainable and impact investment as has been signaled by the Sustainable Development Goals ratified by all the United Nations members. However, there is not that much evidence on how sustainable investments perform during crises compared to regular investments. This paper investigates if sustainable investments within the NASDAQ have a lower volatility rate when reacting to a significant global crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic. It groups the shares of businesses with Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) practices that are ranked 70% or higher given by CSRHub, Inc. and compares it to business shares with the lowest-ranked CSR business practices at 30% or lower. The top 30% and bottom 30% CSR stocks’ volatility will be predicted using variations of the GARCH model. The top 30% CSR stocks of the NASDAQ had a lower rate of volatility for a global crisis than the bottom 30% CSR stocks. Technology is the only sector whose top 30% showed higher volatility. However, the top 30% of companies in the Health Care and Utilities sectors show a higher increase in returns and a lower drop in returns. These results signal the higher uncertainty associated with some cutting-edge products and services offered by the top 30% of technology companies and the preference for more established companies that offer higher quality services when it comes to satisfying basic needs such as health and utilities in difficult times.
On the Interpretation of Nonresonant Phenomena at Colliders

With null results in resonance searches at the LHC, the physics potential focus is now shifting towards the interpretation of nonresonant phenomena. An example of such shift is the increased popularity of the EFT programme. We can embark on such programme owing to the good integrated luminosity and an excellent understanding of the detectors, which will allow these searches to become more intense as the LHC continues. In this paper, we provide a framework to perform this interpretation in terms of a diverse set of scenarios, including (1) generic heavy new physics described at low energies in terms of a derivative expansion, such as in the EFT approach; (2) very light particles with derivative couplings, such as axions or other light pseudo-Goldstone bosons; and (3) the effect of a quasicontinuum of resonances, which can come from a number of strongly coupled theories, extradimensional models, clockwork set-ups, and their deconstructed cousins. These scenarios are not equivalent despite all nonresonance, although the matching among some of them is possible, and we provide it in this paper.
Low Temperature Property Study of MMCs Used for Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay

We present a comparison of the two types of metallic magnetic calorimeters (MMCs) developed for a large-scale neutrinoless double beta decay (<inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$0\nu \beta \beta$</tex-math></inline-formula>) search experiment. As high resolution micro-calorimeters, MMCs employ micro-fabricated superconducting circuits to measure the changes in magnetization of a paramagnetic sensor material. We constructed two alpha spectrometers with two MMC sensors made of Au:Er and Ag:Er (i.e., gold and silver alloys with small concentrations of Er). A piece of gold foil with a heat capacity comparable to that of 350 g CaMoO<inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$_4$</tex-math></inline-formula> crystal near 10 mK was used as the absorber for each alpha spectrometer. These detector setups allowed us to investigate the temperature dependence of magnetization for the different sensor materials over a wide temperature range with various amounts of field current. The magnetization measurements for both the Au:Er and Ag:Er sensors were in good agreement with calculations for field currents of up to 100 mA. Moreover, the measured and estimated pulse heights of alpha events agreed with each other, and were compared between the different sensor materials. We discuss how the excess heat capacity from the nuclear spins in Au:Er influences the pulse size and shape in calorimetric detection. Moreover, we describe the benefit of using Ag:Er sensors in thermal calorimeters with large crystal absorbers in a <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$0\nu \beta \beta$</tex-math></inline-formula> search experiment.
Spectrum calibration of the first hyperspectral infrared measurements from a geostationary platform: Method and preliminary assessment

The level‐1 (L1) radiance spectra from the first Geostationary Interferometric InfraRed Sounder (GIIRS) have been publicly available since January 2019. On account of the inherent observation characteristics, operation modes, and capabilities, a complete spectrum calibration method of GIIRS/L1 products is originally proposed to form the latest version (V3) algorithm for implementation. Particularly, four targeted improvements in three aspects are independently established: subsample location alignment to yield integrated interferograms in both forward and backward directions with almost zero phase, rough spectral scale unification as well as accurate spectral scale correction to resolve spectral non‐uniformity due to a seriously asymmetric configuration of focal plane array, and an additional double‐reflected compensation to mitigate the influence of non‐ideal onboard blackbody reference upon radiometric accuracy. Preliminary assessments from both domestic and international sources indicate that the spectral and radiometric accuracies of the measured spectra from the latest GIIRS/L1 V3 algorithm show a well‐behaved performance in both longwave (LW) and midwave (MW) bands, that is, lower than 10 ppm of spectral scale errors, which is of sufficient accuracy for numerical weather prediction use, and around 1 K for most uncontaminated channels within the LW band. However, non‐linearity correction of interferograms and spectral quality improvements, especially for the MW band, should be developed further. In general, a feasible solution of spectrum calibration for a hyperspectral sounder on geostationary platform is provided in detail for reference, which is expected to benefit users of GIIRS data as well as designers responsible for L1 data processing of other similar sensors.
Sustainable by Design: Choice Architecture and the Carbon Footprint of Grocery Shopping

The increase in global temperatures requires substantial reductions in the greenhouse emissions from consumer choices. The authors use an experimental incentive-compatible online supermarket to analyze the effect of a carbon-based choice architecture, which presents commodities to customers in high, medium, and low carbon footprint groups, in reducing the carbon footprints of grocery baskets. The authors relate this choice architecture to two other policy interventions: (1) a bonus-malus carbon tax on all grocery products and (2) moral goal priming using an online banner noting the moral importance of reducing one’s carbon footprint. Participants shopped from their home in an online store containing 612 existing food products and 39 existing nonfood products for which the authors had carbon footprint data over three successive weeks, with the interventions occurring in the second and third weeks. Choice architecture reduced participants’ carbon footprint significantly in the third week by reducing the proportion of choices made in the high-carbon aisle. The carbon tax reduced carbon footprint in both weeks, primarily by reducing overall spend. The goal-priming banner led to a small reduction in carbon footprint in the second week only. Thus, the design of the marketplace plays an important role in achieving the policy objective of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Mathematical modeling applied to ruminal digestion and gas production in vitro

The ruminal digestion performed by ruminants is one of the essential and most important processes for the use of dietary nutrients. However, the use of mathematical models applied to digestion kinetics has been widely applied to provide prediction of animal performance, maximize the use of nutrients and reduce nutritional losses due to excreta and a reduction in the cost of animal production. In this context, it aimed to conduct a literature review on the use of mathematical models and to analyze comparisons of different models to predict ruminal digestion. The in vitro gas production technique provides direct measurement of the ruminal digestion rate associated with gas production and the respective gravimetric measurement of the food or diet under test. Nonlinear models are chosen to evaluate ruminal digestion due to a better interpretation of biological parameters; they produce exponential and sigmoidal growth equations. However, the most suitable model for evaluation depends on the type of food or diet. The two-compartment logistical model presents a better adjustment of the gas production curve, mainly for foods with a high proportion of fiber. Among this, single-compartment models can be well applied to evaluate the degradation kinetics of foods with low fibrous carbohydrate content. Therefore, the choice of the most appropriate model is up to the researcher to assess which model best suits the chemical-chemical composition of the food or diet.
Untrafficked furrowed seedbed sustains soil physical quality in sugarcane mechanized fields

Management strategies that reduce machinery traffic, such as creating seedbeds, could be adopted to preserve soil health and reduce soil physical restriction to sugarcane (Saccharum sp.) growth. Field experiments on clayey and sandy loam soils were conducted along four crop seasons (2013–2017) to investigate the changes in bulk density, soil penetration resistance, macroporosity and microporosity in the row and inter‐row positions, as well as sugarcane biomass production (root and stalk yield) under different machinery traffic treatments. The experimental areas were conducted in randomized block design with two treatments and four repetitions. The evaluated treatments were: (a) regular traffic, in which all operations were performed mechanically using regular machinery traffic; and (b) without traffic, in which all field operations (except those used for sunn hemp management and for opening the sugarcane planting furrow) were performed manually without machinery traffic. No critical values of physical properties were identified in either soil type in plots without machinery traffic, indicating the lowest density and soil penetration resistance values, as well as higher macroporosity, where sugarcane seedbed zones had been established. Our findings show that seedbeds resulted in greater root growth and development in the soil profile, mainly in inter‐row positions. Overall, sugarcane stalk yield was similar between the treatments in both soil types. This study reinforces the importance of the planting furrow in keeping suitable soil conditions for plant growth and concludes that sugarcane production in untrafficked seedbeds is an effective strategy to sustain soil physical conditions over the crop cycle, without the need for tillage operations during the (re)planting period.
Utilization of Cheese Whey for Production of Azurin by Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Azurin which has attracted much attention as potential anticancer agent in recent years is a bacterial secondary metabolite. This copper-containing redox protein secreted by Pseudomonas aeruginosa has capability of preferentially entering into many human cancer cells and inducing apoptosis. In this study, whey which is the considerable by-product of the casein or cheese manufacture was used as azurin production medium by P. aeruginosa. Also, effects of copper (II) sulphate (CuSO4) and potassium nitrate (KNO3) on the azurin production were determined. At the end of the studies, optimum azurin expression level was reached during the incubation of 18 hours. The best CuSO4 concentration was 2.5 mg/L while the best KNO3 concentration was 45 mg/L according to Western blot analysis. This process can be used to obtain high levels of azurin using P. aeruginosa in whey medium. Also, using whey for azurin production can reduce many processing industrial whey waste management problems.
More Trust and Cohesion for Secondary School Classes – Experiences of the Implementation of the Express Yourself! Programme in Four EU Countries

Aim: The article describes and evaluates the implementation and impact of an inclusive grouping programme in the secondary school context, and how best practices can be established in different contextual and cultural conditions in Ireland, Germany, Lithuania, and Spain. The article is part of the Express Yourself! project and the European Union’s Erasmus+ Programme. Methodology: The theoretical framework of this study is based on the self-determination theory. Following the PDCA Cycle, the project team developed a programme scheme (fitting for the broader European context) based on an experienced Finnish model as well as a research perspective. The participating school types ranged from secondary public schools in cities to vocational schools in inclusive settings and gymnasiums with students (approx. 12-20 years) from mainly rural areas. The Express Yourself! sessions include five meetings of 60 to 120 minutes over several weeks. Each session focuses on a different topic, but building up on each other. The training was held in the facilities of the schools and mainly carried out by external pedagogical staff. A 3X10D questionnaire, mainly gathering data on the well-being of the participants (N=677), and a trainer questionnaire, focusing on the content on perception of the session content, were used for the analysis. Original Research Article Kettunen et al.; JESBS, 34(1): 42-65, 2021; Article no.JESBS. 65603 43 Results: The article provides evidence that the Express Yourself! programme is a practical way of stimulating social inclusion in schools in different cultures and contexts. The research indicates a positive impact on students’ experienced overall well-being, especially in life-as-a-whole, managing daily activities, friends, and self-esteem. Deeper analysis of the results indicates that there were differences between the success of the project in cooperation countries. The main influencing factors were gender and age. Conclusion: The Express Yourself! programme was experienced as a low threshold and effective way to positively influence students’ well-being and inclusion. Promising results were promoted by the motivation and cooperation between the trainers and teachers, which was indirectly reflected in the atmosphere in the class. Based on cooperation, sessions were tailored to the needs of each class.
Knowledge Sharing Across Culture—Critical Review

Knowledge and culture are indissolubly linked together in organizations. Considerable evidence supports the importance of culture in the success or failure of knowledge management. Then, the effectiveness of knowledge sharing needs both cultural understanding and new considerations in the knowledge transfer of intercultural organizations. This paper reviews some critical literatures and identifies the influence of different dimensions of culture on knowledge transfer and sharing in different types of knowledge. The aim of this paper is to propose a theoretical framework for knowledge sharing processes based on differences in national culture for future research.
Morphological Characterization and Lumped Element Model of Graphene and Biochar Thick Films

Carbon based materials exhibit interesting mechanical, thermal and electrical properties which make them excellent contenders for use as fillers in composites as film. Graphene has been vastly used among the carbon-based materials. More recently eco-friendly carbon-based materials like biochar have emerged. The deployment of carbon-based materials in films needs to be studied since films are more versatile and permit the exploitation of electrical properties of such materials over circuits and systems. Typical circuits and systems exploiting electrical properties of novel materials perform a number of applications including sensing, detection, tunable devices and energy harvesting. In this paper, films composed of 9:1 graphene or biochar are deployed on a microstrip line. The morphological properties of graphene and biochar and their respective films are studied with Raman spectra and Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM). The electrical properties (four-point probe measurements and scattering parameter measurements) of the films. Low frequency measurements are used as starting point for circuit models estimating the lumped impedance of the films. From the morphological characterization it is shown that biochar films appear as granulates carbonaceous materials whereas graphene films contains several flakes forming a network. From the low frequency measurements and microwave characterization it is seen that graphene films are more conductive as compared to biochar films. In many applications, it is useful to know the surface impedance of the film since it varies on interaction with any external stimulus (variation of pressure, humidity, gas, etc.).
Investigating the Effect of Urban New Technologies on the Iranian Lorry Drivers’ Behavior

Most accidents are directly related to driving offenses, and drivers who commit more offenses are more prone to accidents. Therefore, reducing driving offenses can reduce accidents. In other words, the recognition of common driving offenses among heavy vehicle (truck) drivers and the effective factors in directing them to reduce driving offenses can consequently reduce the frequency and severity of accidents. It seems that there is a necessity for in-depth studies to carry out research on this topic. The main objective of this study is to identify and evaluate important factors affecting lorry drivers committing traffic offenses. To achieve the goals, the required information was categorized into six categories: traffic tonnage, not fastening the seatbelt, speeding, technical defect, talking on cell phone, and lacking towing worksheet; these factors are known as dependent variables. Also, its influencing factors—in the group of driver characteristics, vehicle, and mileage—were obtained by using a demographic questionnaire, Driving Behavior Questionnaire (DBQ), and interviews with 420 drivers over 60 days at Tehran Terminal. After correcting incomplete questionnaires, 351 drivers’ information was used for statistical analysis. The statistical analysis of data using a multivariate logistic regression model showed that drivers loading and unloading five or six times per month are less likely to commit overloading than drivers loading and unloading more than 12 times per month. The results also show that the distracted drivers with less slip behavior are less likely to commit unauthorized speed offenses and 85.4% are less likely to commit this violation. Finally, the statistical analysis showed that drivers with aggressive driving behavior were more likely to commit a lack of towing worksheet offenses.
An Integrated Field Data and Remote Sensing Approach for Impact Assessment of Human Activities on Macro-benthos Biodiversity Along Western Coast of Aqaba Gulf

The Egyptian coast of Aqaba Gulf, north of the Red Sea suffers from severe destruction and deterioration in habitat and biodiversity due to anthropogenic activities and flooding. The present work aims to evaluate the impacts of different human activities and flooding on the biodiversity of macro-benthos invertebrates along the Egyptian coast of the Aqaba Gulf. From January 2019 to December 2019, many field trips (12 trips) were conducted to survey macro-benthos-invertebrate communities and monitor water quality at nine sites within three sectors along the study area. Each site was divided into four ecological zones and one of five categories, according to the main activities at each site. Furthermore, satellite data were used to monitor the progress of land use, and turbidity in the study area. Therefore, the current study assessing the relationship between these factors and water quality and macro-benthos-invertebrates distributions, similarity, diversity, dominance and abundance. The results revealed that fifty-three macro-benthos-invertebrates species belonging to four phyla (Crustacea, Mollusca, Echinodermata and Annelida) were recorded. Echinometra mathaei was the major eudominant species. The northern part of the Gulf was higher abundance and diversity with low land use and lowest water turbidity, while the south part showed the contrary findings. All statics analysis confirmed that the dissolved oxygen concentration was considered the only limiting factor for the abundance and diversity of macro-benthos invertebrates. Also, the variation in activities at investigated sites affected the dominance state of species in each site. Moreover, GPS data confirmed that the tourism activity had the largest influence on marine ecosystems and biodiversity, followed by fishing and desalination practices. Otherwise, flooding has significant influence on marine habitats and creates a habitat in which other certain species can be survived. In the absence of awareness, intervention and disregard for the effective coastal zone management concept, especially for the unique marine ecosystems such as the Gulf of Aqaba, the degradation of biodiversity will continue until extinction, and human life is rendered unsustainable.