Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Perceptions of Biosecurity-Based Accreditation in the Plant Trade: A UK Example

It is widely acknowledged that a major threat to tree health biosecurity comes from trade, particularly through the importation of containerised live plants and associated growing media. Nurseries can collectively play a key role in mitigating pests and diseases through attention to their daily practices (e.g., procuring plants, storage and management). More widespread adoption of best practices in the sector could be promoted through the introduction of a UK-wide accreditation scheme. However, the success of such a scheme would depend not only on its uptake by nurseries but also on the attitudes of key consumers in the plant supply chain. To date, the perspectives of the nursery sector on the feasibility of plant biosecurity, as well as the sensitivity of these sectors to consumer opinion, have remained under-researched. Using the COM-B [Capability, Opportunity, Motivation—Behaviour] model as a framework, we draw on qualitative results to assess the appetite for a hypothetical accreditation scheme amongst UK nurseries and the capability, opportunities and motivations to enhance their biosecurity practices. Nineteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with plant nurseries and 22 with their consumers. Overall a plant health accreditation scheme should have actions that are: (1) viable within the confines of the site and supply chain; (2) affordable where the benefits of changes/improvements outweigh the costs; (3) beneficial in that they promote biosecurity; (4) attractive to consumers looking to purchase products from accredited nurseries; (5) fair and inclusive where everyone has responsibility for biosecurity; (6) transparent with the scheme involving a strong monitoring and auditing component. This study provides important insights that will feed into the development of plant biosecurity-focussed accreditation or certification.
Statistical Beamforming Techniques for Power Domain NOMA System

Power-domain non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) assigns different power levels for near and far users in order to discriminate their signals by employing successive interference cancellation (SIC) at the near user. In this context, multiple-input-single-output NOMA (MISO-NOMA), where the base station (BS) is equipped with multiple antennas while each mobile user has a single antenna receiver, is shown to have a better overall performance by using the knowledge of instantaneous channel state information (CSI). However, this requires prior estimation of CSI using pilot transmission, which increases the transmission overhead. Moreover, its performance is severely degraded in the presence of CSI estimation errors. In this work, we provide statistical beamforming solutions for downlink power-domain NOMA that utilize only knowledge of statistical CSI, thus reducing the transmission overhead significantly. First, we derive the outage probabilities for both near and far users in the multi-user NOMA system without imposing strong assumptions, such as Gaussian or Chi-square distribution. This is done by employing the exact characterization of the ratio of indefinite quadratic form (IQF). Second, this work proposes two techniques to obtain the optimal solution for beam vectors which rely on the derived outage probabilities. Specifically, these two methods are based on (1) minimization of total beam power while constraining the outage probabilities to the QoS threshold, and (2) minimization of outage probabilities while constraining the total beam power. These proposed methods are non-convex function of beam vectors and, hence, are solved using numerical optimization via sequential quadratic programming (SQP). Since the proposed methods do not require pilot transmission for channel estimation, they inherit better spectral efficiency. Our results validate the theoretical findings and prove the supremacy of the proposed method.
AR Module for Learning Changes of Matter in Chemistry

Internal Visualization challenges concerning sub-microscopic particles in chemistry often result in some difficulties in learning the change of state of matter. Therefore, this study aims at developing an augmented reality ProCAR module that utilizes a project-based learning approach to facilitate learning changes of matter. This study employs ADDIE (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation and Evaluation) instructional design model. The quality of the module was evaluated by a group of 5 Chemistry teacher-educator experts of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia to identify the suitability of the module. Inter-rater reliability (IRR) percentages were determined and the feedback was analyzed based on thematic analysis. The result shows that 100% of its learning objectives, Content, Usability, and Assessment and 75% of its performances were good and reliable all having IRR value 75% and above. Such revealed that AR Module is potentially effective for the teaching phase change to Secondary school students. Recommendations for future studies were highlighted
Object-Oriented Modeling of Switching Moving Boundary Models for Two-phase Flow Evaporators

Abstract The present paper describes the design of switching moving boundary models for two-phase flow evaporators and the development of an object-oriented library written in the Modelica language. The main idea is to design basic models for each flow state: subcooled liquid, two-phase flow and superheated steam, applying the conservation laws. The design must be done in order that the basic models can be interconnected to create complete, flooded or dry-expansion evaporators depending on the particular case. The basic models should consider the balances of mass, energy and momentum, meanwhile the evaporator models should include mechanisms to switch between them, for example from a complete evaporator to a flooded evaporator in case that the superheated region becomes extinct. Several models currently exist although none of them include all the desirable features.
IV. On the theory of lubrication and its application to Mr. Beauchamp tower’s experiments, including an experimental determination of the viscosity of olive oil

1. Lubrication, or the action of oils and other viscous fluids to diminish friction and wear between solid surfaces, does not appear to have hitherto formed a subject for theoretical treatment. Such treatment may have been prevented by the obscurity of the physical actions involved, which belong to a class as yet but little known, namely, the boundary or surface actions of fluids; but the absence of such treatment has also been owing to the want of any general laws discovered by experiment. The subject is of such fundamental importance in practical mechanics, and the opportunities for observation are so frequent, that it may well be a matter of surprise that any general laws should have for so long escaped detection.
Fluorescent AgNCs Formed on Bifunctional DNA Template for Potassium Ion Detection

In this study, we examined properties of silver nanoclusters, which are AgNCs stabilized by DNA oligonucleotide scaffold containing G-quadruplex-forming sequences: human telomeric (Tel22) or thrombin-binding aptamer (TBA). Thus, we obtained two fluorescent probes abbreviated as Tel22C12-AgNCs and TBAC12-AgNCs, which were characterized using absorption, circular dichroism and fluorescence spectroscopy. Both probes emit green and red fluorescence. The presence of silver nanoclusters did not destabilize the formed G-quadruplexes. The structural changes of probes upon binding K+ or Na+ ions cause quenching in their red emission. Green emission was slightly quenched only in the case of Tel22C12-AgNCs; on the contrary, for TBAC12-AgNC’s green emission, we observed an increasing fluorescence signal. Moreover, the Tel22C12-AgNCs system shows not only a higher binding preference for K+ over Na+, but it was able to monitor small changes in K+ concentrations in the buffer mimicking extracellular conditions (high content of Na+ ions). These results suggest that Tel22C12-AgNCs exhibit the potential to monitor transmembrane potassium transport.
The Impact of Vitamin D Deficiency on the Severity of Symptoms and Mortality Rate among Adult Patients with Covid-19: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Introduction: We aimed to study the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (VDD) in patients with COVID-19 infection and evaluate the impact of vitamin D levels on the severity of symptoms and the case fatality rate. Evidence Acquisition: A comprehensive literature search was performed up to December 20, 2020, using the following databases: MEDLINE, PubMed, EMBASE, SCOPUS, Web of Science, and preprint databases (BioRxiv and MedRxiv). Any individual observational study related to the prevalence and impact of vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency (VDD/VDI) on the severity of COVID-19 symptoms and mortality rates was included. No language restrictions were applied, and both published and non-published studies were included. Evidence Synthesis: Two of the authors independently performed the literature search and assessed the eligibility of studies. The quality of studies included was assessed using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale. Data were analyzed using the Review Manager Software (version 5) and Comprehensive Meta-analysis Software (version 3). A total of 43 studies were included with a sample size of 254,963 patients with COVID-19. Pooled analysis showed a higher prevalence of VDD and VDI in patients with COVID-19 (59.0% and 40.1%, respectively). Moreover, a significant association was noticed between vitamin D levels and severity of symptoms (odds ratio [OR] = 3.38, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.94–5.87, P < 0.0001), as well as the case fatality rate (OR = 2.30, 95% CI: 1.47–3.59, P < 0.00001). Conclusions: VDD is highly prevalent in patients with COVID-19 infection. Lower vitamin D levels correlate with disease severity and poor prognosis although most of the data have been derived from moderate-quality observational studies.
Security Challenges and Air Quality Management in India: Emissions Inventory and Forecasting Estimates

The defense and peace literature have focused mainly on the military-growth nexus, with little attention paid to the environmental sustainability agenda, which is impacted by increased global arms transfers. The supply of lead-containing ammunition generates complex gas mixtures (including CO2 emissions) and particulates that harm the healthcare sustainability agenda. Based on the significance of the subject matter, the study uses the Indian economy as a case study, with a significant rate of arms transfers associated with higher carbon emissions. The study analyzed data from more than four decades, from 1975 to 2020. Data on arms imports, military personnel, and military expenditures are used to evaluate the ‘ammunition emissions function’. It corresponds to the three research hypotheses, namely, the ‘emissions-defense burden hypothesis’ (arms transfers increase carbon emissions), the ‘emissions-cleaner hypothesis’ (arms transfers reduce carbon emissions), and the ‘emissions-asymmetric hypothesis’ (positive and negative shocks of arms transfers either support the ‘defense burden hypothesis’ or ‘cleaner hypothesis’). The non-linear autoregressive distributed lag (NARDL) results confirmed the ’emissions-defense burden hypothesis‘ in the long run, as positive and negative shocks from arms imports increase carbon emissions. However, in the short run, positive arms imports increase carbon emissions while negative arms imports decrease carbon emissions. Furthermore, the findings supported the ’emissions-cleaner hypothesis‘ in the relationship between armed forces personnel and carbon emissions. The findings imply that the positive and negative shocks experienced by armed forces personnel reduce carbon emissions in the short and long run. Positive shocks to military spending support the ’emissions-defense burden hypothesis‘ in the short run; however, the results vanished when negative shocks to military spending supported the ’emissions-spillover hypothesis‘ (lowering military spending reduces carbon emissions and increases economic productivity) in the short and long run. The country’s unsustainable economic activities are viewed as a negative factor contributing to long-term carbon emissions increases. The negative shocks of armed forces personnel and positive arms imports would almost certainly have a significant long-term impact on carbon emissions. As a result, the ‘treadmill theory of destruction’ has been confirmed in a country. The study concludes that lead-free ammunition and managing ammunition safety are beneficial to a country’s environmental sustainability agenda.
Prediction of Offending: SARPO—The Czech Tool for Assessment of Offenders' Criminogenic Risk and Needs

In the past three decades, developed prison and probation services have paid large attention to risk assessment tools predicting the probability of reoffending. This not only resulted in a more accurate classification of offenders, but also in a more informed choice of effective intervention helping to reduce relapse in offending behaviour. In terms of reducing the risk of reoffending intervention programmes considering the principle of criminogenic risks, needs, and responsivity proved successful, while imprisonment on its own, where intervention methods were not applied, showed only limited effectiveness. For historical reasons, the Czech Prison Service underwent a different development, although its objectives were similar. It was not until the beginning of a new millennium when the Czech prison system together with a newly created probation service decided to seek new methods of assessing offenders based on criminogenic risks. This paper presents development and results of the first Czech tool used for assessment of offenders’ risks and needs, called SARPO (from the Czech abbreviation of Complex Analysis of Offenders’ Risk and Needs).
Compositional Variation in the Crust of Peninsular Ranges and Surrounding Regions, Southern California, Revealed by Full‐Wave Seismic and Gravity Joint Inversion

Detailed three‐dimensional models of crustal compositional variations are essential for better understanding crustal evolution and dynamics. High‐resolution wave speed and density models of the crust provide one of the most important constraints on crustal compositional variations, particularly at depths beyond direct rock sampling. Here we present a three‐dimensional density and wave speed model of Southern California obtained by jointly inverting gravity anomalies and seismic component‐differential phase delays with full‐wave sensitivity kernels, which provide a link between wave speed and density. Thus, unlike previous joint seismic and gravity inversions, the new model does not depend on an empirical relationship between wave speed and density. The resulting density and compressional‐to‐shear wave‐speed ratio (Vp/Vs) reveal detailed features of compositional variations in the upper and middle crust in the study area, such as the three‐dimensional geometry of the boundary between the western and eastern portions of the Peninsular Ranges batholith, the gabbro‐ and metavolcanics‐rich locations within the Western Peninsular Ranges batholith, the variation of sedimentary basin thickness beneath the Coachella Valley, and a likely intermediate‐to‐mafic batholith beneath the Coachella Valley and the Eastern Peninsular Ranges. The jointly inverted density and Vp/Vs values also suggest a lithological control on seismic activities off the major fault zones.
The Combined Effects of Regular Classroom and Remedial Learning Programs on the Reading Achievement of First Grade Pupils

In 2003, two school-based programs for teaching reading in English were introduced in Québec: the Accelerated Development of Reading (ADOR) program for first graders and, for ADOR pupils with weak reading skills, the Intensive Intervention in Reading (IIR) support program. Explicit and direct instruction provides the framework for ADOR and IIR. Two quasi-experimental studies were conducted to measure the effects of the ADOR and IIR programs compared to regular reading instruction and remediation. In both studies, the combined effects of ADOR and IIR were measured on two separate cohorts of grade 1 pupils over a full school year. This study shows that the ADOR and IIR programs result in superior reading performance and the largest effects were on subtests measuring reading comprehension.
Nicotinamide Mononucleotide Prevents Free Fatty Acid-Induced Reduction in Glucose Tolerance by Decreasing Insulin Clearance

The NAD-dependent deacetylase SIRT1 improves β cell function. Accordingly, nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN), the product of the rate-limiting step in NAD synthesis, prevents β cell dysfunction and glucose intolerance in mice fed a high-fat diet. The current study was performed to assess the effects of NMN on β cell dysfunction and glucose intolerance that are caused specifically by increased circulating free fatty acids (FFAs). NMN was intravenously infused, with or without oleate, in C57BL/6J mice over a 48-h-period to elevate intracellular NAD levels and consequently increase SIRT1 activity. Administration of NMN in the context of elevated plasma FFA levels considerably improved glucose tolerance. This was due not only to partial protection from FFA-induced β cell dysfunction but also, unexpectedly, to a significant decrease in insulin clearance. However, in conditions of normal FFA levels, NMN impaired glucose tolerance due to decreased β cell function. The presence of this dual action of NMN suggests caution in its proposed therapeutic use in humans.
Spring-Supported Thrust Bearings Used in Hydroelectric Generators: Laboratory Test Facility©

A test facility was developed for the experimental investigation of the large spring-supported thrust bearings used in hydroelectric generators. The test bearing had an outer diameter of 1.168 m, thus making it large enough to simulate most of the features of the thrust bearings in the field, yet small enough to be placed conveniently in an engineering laboratory. Instrumentation included a distribution of thermocouples and pressure taps along with displacement probes of eddy current type that were located in the rotor to measure oil film thickness. A detailed description of the test facility was provided along with some representative results and a description of some experimental difficulties. A survey of the relevant literature published in the past 40 years suggested that this apparatus was unique in its ability to study relatively large spring-supported thrust bearings in the laboratory. Presented as a Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers paper at the World Tribology Congress in London, .
Investigation of University Students Attitudes Towards Healthy Eating in Terms of Some Variables

The aim of this study is to examine the attitudes of university students towards healthy eating in terms of some variables. 322 students (170 male, 152 female) from Bartın University Faculty of Sports Sciences and Health Services Vocational School participated in the study. "Attitude Scale Towards Healthy Eating" developed by Tekkurşun Demir and Cicioğlu (2019) and a personal data form were used as data collection tools in the research. SPSS 20 package program was used in the analysis of the data. In the analysis of normally distributed data, the Independent Samples T test was used in pairwise comparison, and the significance level was taken as p<0.05. When the gender and attitude scores and sub-dimensions of the groups participating in the study were examined, it was found that men's attitudes towards healthy eating, feelings about nutrition and positive nutrition scores were higher than women, but there was no statistically significant difference between the groups (p>.05). When the variable of taking the nutrition lesson of the groups and the scores and sub-dimensions of the attitudes towards healthy nutrition were examined, it was determined that the students who took the nutrition lesson had higher attitude levels towards healthy nutrition, but there was no statistically significant difference (p>.05). There was no statistical difference between the department variable and the scores of attitudes towards healthy eating, and between the sub-dimensions of knowledge about nutrition, feeling towards nutrition and malnutrition (p>.05), but a statistical difference was found between the groups in the sub-dimension of positive nutrition (p<.05). As a result, the gender of the participants and the variable of taking a nutrition course do not affect the attitude towards healthy eating, while the section variable causes a difference in the positive nutrition sub-dimension. Keywords: Healthy diet, University students, Gender
Coupling a model of human thermoregulation with computational fluid dynamics for predicting human–environment interaction

This article describes the methods developed to couple a commercial computational fluid dynamics (CFD) program with a multi-segmented model of human thermal comfort and physiology. A CFD model is able to predict detailed temperatures and velocities of airflow around a human body, whilst a thermal comfort model is able to predict the response of a human to the environment surrounding it. By coupling the two models and exchanging information about the heat transfer at the body surface, the coupled system can potentially predict the response of a human body to detailed local environmental conditions. This article presents a method of exchanging data, using shared files, to provide a means of dynamically exchanging simulation data with the IESD-Fiala model during the CFD solution process. Additional code is used to set boundary conditions for the CFD simulation at the body surface as determined by the IESD-Fiala model and to return information about local environmental conditions adjacent to the body surface as determined by the CFD simulation. The coupled system is used to model a human subject in a naturally ventilated environment. The resulting ventilation flow pattern agrees well with other numerical and experimental work.
Small Endogenous Ligands Modulation of Nerve Growth Factor Bioactivity: A Structural Biology Overview

Experiments with cell cultures and animal models have provided solid support for the assumption that Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) plays a key role in the regulation of neuronal cell survival and death. Recently, endogenous ligands have been proposed as physiological modulators of NGF biological activity as part of this regulatory cascade. However, the structural and mechanistic determinants for NGF bioactivity remain to be elucidated. We recently unveiled, by an integrated structural biology approach, the ATP binding sites of NGF and investigated the effects on TrkA and p75NTR receptors binding. These results pinpoint ATP as a genuine endogenous modulator of NGF signaling, paving the way to the characterization of not-yet-identified chemical diverse endogenous biological active small molecules as novel modulators of NGF. The present review aims at providing an overview of the currently available 3D structures of NGF in complex with different small endogenous ligands, featuring the molecular footprints of the small molecules binding. This knowledge is essential for further understanding the functional role of small endogenous ligands in the modulation of neurotrophins signaling in physiological and pathological conditions and for better exploiting the therapeutic potentialities of NGF.