Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Utilizing Multimodal Data Through fsQCA to Explain Engagement in Adaptive Learning

Investigating and explaining the patterns of learners’ engagement in adaptive learning conditions is a core issue towards improving the quality of personalized learning services. This article collects learner data from multiple sources during an adaptive learning activity, and employs a fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) approach to shed light to learners’ engagement patterns, with respect to their learning performance. Specifically, this article measures and codes learners’ engagement by fusing and compiling clickstreams (e.g., response time), physiological data (e.g., eye-tracking, electroencephalography, electrodermal activity), and survey data (e.g., goal-orientation) to determine what configurations of those data explain when learners can attain high or medium/low learning performance. For the evaluation of the approach, an empirical study with 32 undergraduates was conducted. The analysis revealed six configurations that explain learners’ high performance and three that explain learners’ medium/low performance, driven by engagement measures coming from the multimodal data. Since fsQCA explains the outcome of interest itself, rather than its variance, these findings advance our understanding on the combined effect of the multiple indicators of engagement on learners’ performance. Limitations and potential implications of the findings are also discussed.
Mass Spectrometry of Proteinsand Peptides:Sensitiveand AccurateMass Measurementand SequenceAnalysis

The studyof proteinsand peptidesby massspectrometry has been advanced by the developmentof matrix-assisted laserdesorption/ionization and electrospray ionization. Proteinswith masses >100 kDa may be measured accurately at picomolesensitivities. Sequenceanalysisof peptidesinmixturesat subpicomole quantitiesis possible by tandem mass spectrometry. Practical applications of the newtechnologyto biologicalresearchare illustrated. IndexingTerms: lasers . matrix-assistedlaserdesovptionAonization . e! ectrospray ionization . time-of-flight mass spectromeby . dem massspectrometiy
Hierarchical Design for Position-Based Formation Control of Rotorcraft-Like Aerial Vehicles

A hierarchical control strategy is designed for the position-based formation tracking control of rotorcraft-like aerial vehicles without linear velocity measurements. In the outer loop, the cooperative algorithm is designed based on auxiliary systems, to let all agents go toward desired positions. Based on an extraction algorithm, the desired quaternion-based attitude is extracted. In the inner loop, the inherent passivity property is applied to compensate for the desired but unextracted angular velocity, which makes the hierarchical control procedure more separate. Combined with the inherent passivity property, the quaternion-based attitude and the proposed bump-like functions, a hybrid formalism is established for the attitude loop containing a hybrid control strategy. In this case, the global attitude control can be realized via determining the torque orientation and overcoming the topological constraint on $SO(3)$. The effectiveness of the hierarchical control strategy is verified by the position-based formation of six miniature quadrotors.
Scoping Antifungal Activities of Various Forms of Chitosan Oligomers and Their Potential Fixation in Wood

Chitosan oligomers (average Dp~4) are known for their antifungal activity and wood decay resistance. These oligomers are susceptible to moisture, and promote yeast growth upon air exposure after a sufficient length of time. Chitosan oligomers of three different states viz. completely dried, freshly prepared and highly viscous form, were prepared to compare their in-vitro antifungal activities against three brown-rot fungi, two sapstain and one mould fungus using agar nutrient medium. Additionally, a mixture of chitosan oligomers and boric acid was used for wood treatment. The nutrient medium bioassay results show that all states of chitosan oligomers inhibited the growth of tested basidiomycetes fungi, but not sapstain and mould fungi. Subsequently, wood decay results confirm antifungal activity of chitosan oligomers plus boron against basidiomycetes, but highlighted their leachability upon water exposure.
Effects of Microbial Phytase Supplementation on Egg Production and Egg Quality in Hy-line Brown Hens During the Late Laying Period

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of microbial phytase on egg production and egg quality in older hens. A total of 216, 63-week-old Hy-line brown laying hens were distributed in a randomized complete design 10-week feeding trial of 3 dietary treatments with 12 replications per treatment and 6 hens per replication. The 3 dietary treatments were corn-soybean meal-based diets supplemented with 0% (CON), 0.06% (TRT1), and 0.12% (TRT2) microbial phytase. Significantly higher hen-day egg production was observed in the TRT1 treatment compared to CON (P<0.05), except during the first two weeks of the experiment. During weeks 3, 4, and 9, TRT2 had a greater hen-day egg production percentage than CON (P<0.05). The damaged egg ratio was not affected. The egg quality parameters (e.g., eggshell color, eggshell strength, albumen height, egg weight, and the Haugh unit) were affected by microbial phytase supplementation (P<0.05). However, there were no significant effects on the eggshell thickness and yolk color. In conclusion, microbial phytase supplementation to the diets of older hens could improve production performance, extend the peak laying period, and alter the egg quality parameters.
A Bluetooth 5 Transceiver With a Phase-Tracking RX and Its Corresponding Digital Baseband in 40-nm CMOS

A 0.8-V Bluetooth 5 (BT5) digitally intensive transceiver with a phase-tracking RX and a digital TX in 40-nm CMOS is presented. For the phase-tracking RX, a hybrid loop filter with a loop-delay compensation is proposed to suppress digitally controlled oscillator (DCO) sidelobe energy, enhancing interference resilience. To facilitate the DCO-based phase-tracking RX for the reception of BT5 signals, a corresponding digital baseband is implemented with a carrier frequency offset (CFO) calibration to remove the initial static CFO error during the preamble, while an automatic frequency calibration tackles the frequency drift during the payload. An all-digital phase-locked loop (ADPLL)-based digital frequency-modulation (FM) interface shared between TX and RX provides a precise deviation frequency control, ensuring the quality of signal transmission and reception. In the RX mode, the chip consumes 2.3 mW from a 0.8-V supply, achieving a figure of merit (FoM) of 180 dB with −91-/−94-dBm sensitivity at 2/1 Mb/s. In the TX mode, it consumes 6.1 mW when delivering a maximum 1.8-dBm output power, resulting in 25% TX system efficiency.
Reproductive traits and relative gonad expenditure of the sexes of the free spawning Chiton articulatus (Mollusca: Polyplacophora)

ABSTRACT Reproductive studies of an intertidal free-spawning population of Chiton articulatus (Mollusca: Polyplacophora) from Puerto Angel, Oaxaca, Mexico were undertaken during 2011. We used gonad histology and gonadal indices to assess the relative gonad expenditure of the sexes (RGES) and other reproductive traits, accounting for individual and seasonal variation within this population. At this location, C. articulatus is gonochoric, without sexual dimorphism, except internally by gonad colour (testis is ‘salmon’ coloured and ovary olive green). Annual and monthly sex ratios (m/f) do not differ significantly from 1:1. Highest population-level gonadosomatic index (GSI) corresponded to maximum (peak) ripe stage (i.e. maximum gonad investment), with a first peak in May with a high value (8.4 ± 0.5) and a second peak during August-September with a lower value (4.7 ± 0.3). GSI fluctuated throughout year implying that gonad expenditure may be seasonally constrained, but with overall synchrony between sexes of ripe and spawning stages. July to December was the main reproductive season with some facultative spawning occurring off-season. Ripe and spawning RGES did not differ between sexes, suggesting that either sperm competition is intense and/or that sperm limitation is high. Early spawning individuals may quickly replenish their gametes for a second phase of gamete release later. Abbreviations: RGES: relative gonad expenditure of the sexes; GSI: gonadosomatic index; GDS: gonad developmental stages; MiMI: microscopic maturity index; SST: sea-surface temperature.
The Role of Momentary and Sustained Emotional Arousal in Advertising-Influenced and Non-Influenced Purchasing Decisions

Today's trend in marketing research overlooks the role of lasting personality traits and momentary emotional influence in customer decision-making. This research seeks an answer to consumers who say they consider advertising to be an important factor in their purchasing decisions, and those who do not see advertising as a factor in their purchasing decisions, what kind of personality and compassion they have in their emotional attitudes. The research performed correlation calculations and t-tests involving 899 and 965 persons, completing a validated personality and empathy test. Comparing the two groups, those who consider advertising important are politer, less in control of their emotions, and less willing to meet social expectations.
Not Just A Number: Age-Related Modulations of Oscillatory Patterns Underlying Top-Down and Bottom-Up Attention

Attention operates through top-down (TD) and bottom-up (BU) mechanisms. Recently, it has been suggested that these mechanisms are supported by distinct frequency bands with slower (alpha) frequencies indexing facilitatory and suppressive mechanisms of TD attention and faster (gamma) frequencies indexing BU attentional capture. Ageing is characterized by increased behavioral distractibility, which can result from either a reduced efficiency of TD attention, or an enhanced triggering of BU attention. However, only few studies have investigated the impact of ageing on the balance between TD and BU attention and its oscillatory correlates. MEG data were collected from 14 elderly (mean age = 67) and 14 matched young (mean age = 25) healthy human participants while performing a modified version of the Competitive Attention Task with pitch discrimination. TD attention was manipulated by a visual cue that was either informative or not of the side of the monaural target sound. BU attention was triggered by binaural distracting sounds that were played (25% of trials) between the cue and the target. Behaviorally, older participants displayed an exacerbated distractibility to late distractors. Electrophysiologically, in comparison to young participants, they exhibited (1) deficits in the suppressive mechanisms of TD attention, indexed by a reduced alpha synchronization in task-irrelevant visual regions, (2) less prominent alpha peak-frequency differences between cortical regions, (3) a similar BU system activation indexed by distractor-induced gamma responses, and (4) a reduced activation of prefrontal inhibitory control regions. These results show that the ageing-related increased distractibility is of TD origin. Significance Statement We investigated the impact of ageing on top-down (TD) and bottom-up (BU) attention mechanisms as indexed by oscillatory activity in the alpha and gamma bands, respectively. Magnetoencephalographic data were collected in elderly and young participants performing a task engaging both TD and BU attention. Suppressive mechanisms of TD attention (indexed by alpha synchronization in task-irrelevant regions) but not facilitatory mechanisms (indexed by alpha desynchronization in task relevant regions) were found reduced with ageing. In addition, BU activation to distracting sounds (indexed by gamma synchronization) was unaffected; while TD control of this activation declined, with ageing. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of the TD origin of the ageing-related increased distractibility investigating brain oscillatory activities.
Softcatalà: nous reptes per garantir la vitalitat del català a les tecnologies

Aquest article presenta les necessitats actuals en l’ambit digital per garantir la vitalitat de les llengues minoritzades i sense estat, com el catala, en les tecnologies mes recents i futures, des del punt de vista de la tasca de Softcatala amb el catala en el programari lliure. En primer lloc, es descriuen una serie de tecnologies linguistiques existents i en desenvolupament de l’associacio i el seu funcionament basic. A continuacio, es parla de la necessitat d’alliberar dades amb formats estandards i oberts per promoure l’aparicio de noves iniciatives i l’aprofitament de recursos. Finalment, es tracta la importancia de la legislacio sobre la situacio de la llengua a la tecnologia.
Structural and Chemical Characterization of the Organic Matter in Metamorphosed CM Carbonaceous Chondrites

OF THE ORGANIC MATTER IN METAMORPHOSED CM CARBONACEOUS CHONDRITES. E. Quirico, M. Bourot-Denise, L. Bonal, F-R. Orthous-Daunay, P. Beck, G. Montagnac Laboratoire de Planétologie de Grenoble, Université Joseph Fourier, 122 rue de la Piscine, 38045 Grenoble cedex 07 (France). LEME, MNHN (Paris-France). HIGP/SOEST University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA. LST ENS-Lyon 46 allée d’Italie 69364 Lyon Cedex( France).
Sex pheromone component produced by microbial associates of the forest pest Megaplatypus mutatus

Megaplatypus mutatus (Chapuis) (Coleoptera: Platypodidae) is an ambrosia beetle native to South America that causes economic loss and was recently introduced to Italy, where it attacks and damages live poplar trees. Sulcatol and sulcatone are male‐produced pheromone components involved in the mating process of M. mutatus. Their relative proportions are highly variable among insects, although the temporal pattern shows that initially only sulcatol is present, and sulcatone increases with time, until they are finally both depleted. Sulcatol and sulcatone may be produced de novo by the beetles, they may be produced by fungi, or both pathways may contribute to their production. Sulcatol is stored in the males’ hindgut but sulcatone is only present in emissions, so there is an oxidation process to transform the alcohol to the ketone before or during pheromone release. It is our hypothesis that fungi associated with M. mutatus are responsible for this process. In this work, we studied a possible contribution of associated microorganisms in the conversion of sulcatol into sulcatone and its consequent role in the temporal release pattern of these sex pheromone components observed in male insects. Moreover, we inhibited the postulated enzymes involved in this pheromone conversion process – 3‐hydroxy‐3‐methyl‐glutatyl‐CoA reductase (HMGR) and P450 enzymes of a fungal strain – and added an antibiotic and a fungicide to the homogenate during sulcatol‐sulcatone conversion. Among the fungal species, particular interest was given to Graphium basitruncatum (Matsush.) Seifert & Okada (Microascales), as it is present in male but not in female exoskeletons and in insect gallery samples, suggesting a possible different role in pherome production, as the male is the pheromone‐producing sex. Several isolated strains were able to convert sulcatol to sulcatone, whereas the fungus G. basitruncatum showed the highest production of this ketone. Additionally, inhibition of P450 enzymes and HMGR from G. basitruncatum on this alcohol‐ketone conversion demonstrated that HMGR is involved in sulcatone generation using sulcatol as precursor, and that P450 enzymes are not. Finally, sulcatone production diminished significantly in homogenized tissues of male and female M. mutatus following addition of an antibiotic and a fungicide. The results suggest that fungi associated with M. mutatus are involved in pheromone production.
Capturing Changes in Factor Effectivity with Estimatesof a CES Production Function with Flexible Trends

Constant Elasticity of Substitution production function allows us, compared with a Cobb-Douglas function, to model different efficiency trends of labor and capital. In this article, we explore the efficiency trends of labor and capital in supply systems for the private and public sectors in Slovakia independently. If a single exponential trend for technical progress is used, the Cobb-Douglas production function can be used for the private sector and Leontieff production function for the public sector. We, however find a CES function with separate trends based on Box-Cox transformations outperforms capturing technological progress by models with a single exponential trend. Labor and capital efficiency gains in our preferred model are converging downwards to a positive constant for labor and increasing over time for capital in the private sector, whereas they are gradually decreasing for both factors in the public sector. The elasticity of substitution between labor and capital is significantly greater than zero, but also lower than 0.5 in preferred models for both sectors.
Reexamining Low-Latitude Ionospheric Error Bounds: An SBAS Approach for Brazil

The ionosphere in low-latitude regions is a major challenge for a satellite-based augmentation system (SBAS). The intense dynamics of this layer of the atmosphere in this part of the globe is one of the main reasons why Brazil discarded years ago the idea of deploying its own SBAS. In this article, we re-examine the ionospheric error bounds for a high-density ground station network in Brazil by updating previous work that assessed specific parameters for low latitudes, especially the ones related to the generation of the ionospheric error bounds expressed by the grid ionospheric vertical error (GIVE). Ionospheric delay maps and their respective GIVE values were generated by varying the functional model used in the interpolation of the grid points and the decorrelation parameter of the measurements for quiet and active days of the ionosphere. The resulting GIVE maps show values significantly higher than the bounds found in mid-latitudes and represent one of the main contributions of this article. An availability assessment for APV-I shows that the planar fit model with a spatial decorrelation standard deviation of 1 m provides the best availability for quiet days, while a quadratic fit with a decorrelation parameter of 2 m results in better availability for active days. Even though it would be possible to provide some service in quiet days within the area with a higher density of reference stations, the resulting availability is not ideal for a real SBAS when the ionosphere is more active.
Cortisol synchrony in older couples : links with differential contexts, individual characteristics, and long-term outcomes

For a lot of older adults, the relationship with a significant other is a fundamental social context that structures their daily life and interactions. This research program investigated everyday interpersonal physiological dynamics that may contribute to intertwined health trajectories in old age. In particular, it focused on interconnected fluctuations of the stress hormone cortisol (cortisol synchrony) because dysregulated cortisol secretion has been linked with significant health risks. It utilized three samples of older adult couples (N = 322 couples), who provided multiple salivary cortisol samples and concurrent electronic assessments for a 7-day period, as they went about their daily lives. Study 1 aimed to illuminate daily life situations (proximal contexts) and pertinent individual differences that may be associated with more pronounced cortisol synchrony in older couples. Cortisol synchrony was higher in moments when the partner was present and when individuals reported prior positive socio-emotional partner interactions. Furthermore, greater self-reported perspective taking tended to be linked with greater cortisol synchrony. Building on these findings, Study 2 aimed to better understand long-term risks and benefits of being ‘in sync’. Among wives, higher cortisol synchrony was associated with a stronger increase in relationship satisfaction but also a stronger increase in cardiovascular risk over time, as indexed by non-high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels. For husbands, higher cortisol synchrony was not significantly associated with changes in relationship satisfaction or non-HDL cholesterol levels over time, but it was linked with higher initial nonHDL cholesterol levels. Study 3 adopted a macro perspective, taking a step back to examine broader socio-political correlates of cortisol synchrony in older couples. The extent of cortisol synchrony was moderated by macro-context, such that couples living in a German federal state that was placed further right on the left-right political ideological spectrum exhibited greater
A method for predicting peak scanning detection efficiency of a cylindrical sodium iodide scintillation detector

approved: Scanning surveys of building surfaces and land areas are performed with radiation detection equipment to identify areas of elevated radioactivity. To quantify the extent and magnitude of the contamination, follow-up radiation surveys and soil sampling are usually required. The ability to accurately quantify discrete locations or "hot particles" of contamination requires a full understanding of the scanning detection efficiency of the instrument being used. A cylindrical sodium iodide detector's scanning detection efficiency was examined theoretically using the Monte Carlo N-Particle Code, version 4b, and examined experimentally using the Marianno Research Sled located in the Department of Nuclear Engineering, Oregon State University. A method is described for predicting instrument scanning detection efficiency for a 1 s observation interval over a range of scanning speeds using a series of static detection efficiency measurements. Testing of the prediction method and accuracy of predicted values was performed by comparison to experimentally determined values of scanning detection efficiency. Additionally, the validity of the predicted scanning detection efficiency values was tested by Redacted for Privacy quantifying a radioactive source at a number of scanning speeds to quantitatively determine its activity. Activity values determined by scanning the source were compared against an activity value determined a by high purity germanium detection system. Results indicate that the method is both easy to perform and provides statistically accurate scanning detection efficiency values that can be utilized for the quantification of discrete locations or "hot particles" of radioactive
Kinetic studies of the reactions of atomic fluorine and hydroxyl radical with methanol

By use of a discharge flow reactor apparatus with laser-excited fluorescence detection of OH and OD, rate coefficients were measured at 298 K and 3.0 Torr for seven isotopic variants of the OH + CH{sub 3}OH reaction. The rate coefficients vary from (1.67 {plus minus} 0.16) {times} 10{sup {minus}13} cm{sup 3} s{sup {minus}1} for OD + CD{sub 3}OD to (1.01 {plus minus} 0.10) {times} 10{sup {minus}12} cm{sup 3} s{sup {minus}1} for OH + CH{sub 3}OH. The observed kinetic isotope effects were analyzed to obtain the CH{sub 3}O yield, 0.15 {plus minus} 0.08, of the OH + CH{sub 3}OH reaction. Molecular-beam-sampled mass spectrometry was used to measure, at 298 K and P = 0.5-2.0 Torr, the relative yields of HF and DF from the reactions of F with CH{sub 3}OD and CD{sub 3}OH. The CH{sub 3}O and CD{sub 3}O yields of these reactions are 0.81 {plus minus} 0.07 and 0.69 {plus minus} 0.08, respectively.