Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Understanding Digital Events: Process Philosophy and Causal Autonomy

This paper argues that the ubiquitous digital networks in which we are increasingly becoming immersed present a threat to our ability to exercise free will. Using process philosophy, and expanding upon understandings of causal autonomy, the paper outlines a thematic analysis of diary studies and interviews gathered in a project exploring the nature of digital experience. It concludes that without mindfulness in both the use and design of digital devices and services we run the risk of allowing such services to direct our daily lives in ways over which we are increasingly losing control.
MFA is A Necessary Chore!: Exploring User Mental Models of Multi-Factor Authentication Technologies

With technological advancements, traditional single-factor authentication methods, such as passwords, have become more vulnerable to cyber-threats. One potential solution, multi-factor authentication (MFA), enhances security with additional steps of veriﬁcation. Yet, MFA has a slow adoption rate among users, and frequent data breaches continue to impact online and real-world services. Little research has investigated users’ understanding and usage of MFA while speciﬁcally focusing on the their mental models and social behaviors in a work setting. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 28 individuals (11 experts, 17 non-experts), while focusing on their risk perceptions, MFA usage, and understanding of required technologies. We identiﬁed that experts treated MFA as a useful added layer of authentication, while non-experts did not perceive any additional beneﬁts of using MFA. Both non-experts and experts expressed frustration with MFA usage, often referring to it as a ‘chore. ’ Based on these ﬁndings, we make several actionable recommendations for improving the adoption, acceptability, and usability of MFA tools.
Graphical Research Models in the Information Systems Discipline

Graphical models facilitate communicating hypothesized or tested relationships between variables and are welcome in information systems publications. However, insufficient knowledge exists about design conventions for such models, lowering their communicative effectiveness. This paper investigates how graphical research models are used in the information systems literature. Theoretically, the article bears upon the perspective of prototypicality and cognitively effective design of conceptual modeling notations. Based on an analysis of 134 research models from 589 articles in information systems journals, we tentatively demonstrate prototypical features of visual research models and outline many unique graphical variations. We develop a set of hypotheses on how prototypicality influences preferences for research models and their comprehensibility and describe how we intend to test these hypotheses empirically. A broader goal of this research is to develop an effective modeling notation for research models to support researchers in constructing unambiguous visual models for their research.
Attack Modeling and Mitigation Strategies for Risk-Based Analysis of Networked Medical Devices

The escalating integration of network-enabled medical devices raises concerns for both practitioners and academics in terms of introducing new vulnerabilities and attack vectors. This prompts the idea that combining medical device data, security vulnerability enumerations, and attack-modeling data into a single database could enable security analysts to proactively identify potential security weaknesses in medical devices and formulate appropriate mitigation and remediation plans. This study introduces a novel extension to a relational database risk assessment framework by using the open-source tool OVAL to capture device states and compare them to security advisories that warn of threats and vulnerabilities, and where threats and vulnerabilities exist provide mitigation recommendations. The contribution of this research is a proof of concept evaluation that demonstrates the integration of OVAL and CAPEC attack patterns for analysis using a database-driven risk assessment framework.
In for a Penny, in for a Pound? A Lifecycle Model for Agile Teams

Agile methods are increasingly popular – in information systems development and in general. The process of transformation, however, is not easily done, and the inherent barriers for successful trans-formation are high. To successfully transform a team or a whole organization to work in an agile manner, the threats, barriers, and the overall process have to be known. In this paper, we derive a lifecycle model of agile teams as well as threats to their success, based on interviews from six cases across a variety of industries and organizational contexts. This model further includes pathways for teams to discard agile methods if these do not fit the team’s needs. Based on this model, organizations can refine their agile transformation strategies and can keep on improving success rates of agile transformation processes.
Post Data Breach Use of Protective Technologies: An Examination of Users' Dilemma

This preliminary research addresses the technology use uncertainties that arise when users are presented with protective technologies following a data breach or privacy violation announcement. Prior studies have provided understanding of determinants of technology use through several perspectives. The study complements prior research by arguing that, beyond individual dispositions or technology features, data breach announcements bring users ’ focus on the actions of the breaching organization. Fair process and information practices provide avenue for organizations to alleviate users’ concerns and increase service usage. We draw on organizational justice theory to develop a model that explicates the effect of organizational fairness process and use of technologies. We test this model using data from 200 Facebook users recruited from Amazon MTurk. We found that procedural and informational justice have diffe rential effect on users’ desire to use protective technologies. Our findings have both theoretical and practical implications.
Novel applications of plasmonics and photonics devices to sub-THz wireless

We recently demonstrated modulators based on plasmonic technology displaying a flat frequency response reaching 500 GHz, high linearity and power handling. We discuss their potential for extending microwave photonics (MWP) applications to the sub-THz range, demonstrating analog photonic links with bandwidth in excess of 100 GHz and the capability of direct mm-wave to optical conversion.
Mcdadea: A New Genus of Acanthaceae Endemic to the Namib Desert of Southwestern Angola

Abstract Acanthaceae represent one of the most ecologically dominant families of plants in the Namib Desert and adjacent portions of Namibia and Angola yet have never been comprehensively treated from a taxonomic perspective in the region. Recent fieldwork in Angola yielded discovery of two populations of plants, morphologically allied to the tribe Ruellieae, that could not be ascribed to any known genus. Morphological study combined with molecular phylogenetic analysis based on ddRAD sequencing that sampled broadly across other lineages of Ruellieae yielded evidence for a new, previously undocumented lineage of Acanthaceae, which we here formally describe under the monotypic Mcdadea. Plants of M. angolensis are characterized as compact, weak-wooded shrubs with dense vegetation, minute corollas, and small, 2-seeded capsules. The species is restricted to limestone mesas and outcroppings in ultra-arid deserts of Namibe Province, southwestern Angola, where plants rely primarily on coastal fog for precipitation. Although highly range-restricted, there are no known threats to this species and it is currently assessed as of Least Concern. Molecular phylogenetic analyses suggest treatment of Mcdadea angolensis within a newly described subtribe of Ruellieae: Mcdadeinae. Additional revisions to subtribal classification are herein presented, including placement of Calacanthus within Ruelliineae, placement of Echinacanthus within Petalidiinae, and description of two additional new subtribes, Dinteracanthinae and Phaulopsinae.
A New Micro-Endemic Species of Alectryon (Sapindaceae) from Koghis Forest, New Caledonia

Abstract The new species Alectryon hirsutus is described from New Caledonia. It is distinguished from the only other member of the genus occurring on this southwest Pacific island, A. carinatus, by its uniformly densely hirsute indumentum (vs. glabrous or with short, appressed trichomes) as well as features of its leaves [(2–)3–5 pairs of leaflets vs. 1–2]) and fruits (9–16 × 16–28 mm vs. 5.6–13 × 5.7–10.6 mm), along with its presence in dense humid forest (vs. sclerophyllous or lowland dry forest). A preliminary conservation status of Critically Endangered [CR] is suggested following IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria.
A New Species of Merostachys (Poaceae: Bambusoideae: Bambuseae) from the Montane Atlantic Forest of Southern Bahia, Brazil

Abstract Merostachys delicatula, a new species recorded thus far only from the montane Atlantic forest of southern Bahia, is described and illustrated here. Comments on its taxonomy, distribution, habitat, and phenology are presented. Among the narrow-leaved congeners occurring in Bahia, the new species is most similar to M. leptophylla. It is distinguished by having internodes glabrous to scabrous (vs. glabrous in M. leptophylla); internodes with an infranodal band of trichomes (vs. absent); culm leaf sheaths abaxially scabrous (vs. glabrous); upper glumes 1.2–2.1 mm wide (vs. 3.5–4 mm); anthecia dull (vs. shiny); lemmas 1.5–2.7 mm wide, abaxially pubescent (vs. ca. 4 mm, glabrous); and paleas 1.2–2.3 mm wide (vs. ca. 4 mm). We also provide an assessment of the conservation status of the new species and a geographic distribution map for both species.
Genome Size Variation between the Native and Invasive Ranges of Senecio madagascariensis (Asteraceae)

Abstract Invasive species must colonize new habitats away from their native range; therefore, factors affecting plant dispersal play a key role in invasion. The ploidy level and genome size (or Cx value) can affect the dispersal traits, physiology, and ecology of invasive species over a few generations, generating individuals that can face fluctuating environments, exploit new ones, and compete with native species. Several studies have demonstrated that invasive species tend to have smaller genomes than their noninvasive congeners, which is explained by the role that the Cx value plays in phenotypic evolution and ecological tolerance. In order to test this hypothesis, we compare the genome size variation in Argentine populations (invasive range) vs. South African populations (native range) of S. madagascariensis. To meet our goals, we estimated the Cx value of invasive populations collected on field trips, while for native populations we considered available published data. We extracted the bioclimatic variables in order to establish the ecological amplitude in which the genome sizes may be distributed. Our results evidenced larger genomes in the invasive range than in the native one. Furthermore, we propose that large genomes of the invasive populations could be mainly explained by the founder genotypes effect and the anthropogenic introduction of this species to Argentina. In addition, we demonstrated that genotypes with big genomes can tolerate different environmental conditions from those of their native range. Therefore, they could present a greater ability for colonizing new environments. The implications and importance of ploidy level in the invasion of S. madagascariensis are discussed.
Development and characterization of 20 novel EST‐SSR markers for Pteroceltis tatarinowii, a relict tree in China

Premise Pteroceltis tatarinowii (Ulmaceae), the only species of the genus Pteroceltis, is an endangered tree in China. Here, novel expressed sequence tag–simple sequence repeat (EST‐SSR) markers were developed to illuminate its genetic diversity for conservation and assisted breeding. Methods and Results Based on Illumina transcriptome data from P. tatarinowii, a total of 70 EST‐SSR markers were initially designed and tested. Forty‐eight of 70 loci (68.6%) were successfully amplified, of which 20 were polymorphic. The number of alleles per locus ranged from two to six, and the levels of observed and expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.018 to 0.781 and from 0.023 to 0.702, respectively. Additionally, cross‐amplification was successful for 17 loci in two related species, Ulmus gaussenii and U. chenmoui. Conclusions These new EST‐SSR markers are valuable transcriptomic resources for P. tatarinowii and will facilitate population genetics and molecular breeding of this species and its relatives in Ulmaceae.
Is There a Link Between Carotid Atherosclerosis and Idiopathic Overactive Bladder Among Women with Metabolic Syndrome?

Purpose To evaluate the association between increased intima-media thickness (IMT) and atherosclerotic carotid plaque (CP) with idiopathic overactive bladder syndrome (OAB) in women with metabolic syndrome (MetS). Methods This is a cross-sectional study, which included consecutive women aged 40–75 years with MetS, seeking medical assistance at a reference center between April and December 2016. OAB-V8 questionnaire was used to estimate the prevalence of OAB symptoms, which were defined by a score ≥8 points. All patients underwent bilateral carotid artery ultrasound to assess IMT and CP. Atherosclerosis was defined by the identification of CP during ultrasound, which was diagnosed according to the Mannheim carotid intima-media thickness and plaque consensus. Results Forty-five women were prospectively included. Mean age was 60±9.3 years (range 40–75 ys). Eighteen (40%) patients were diagnosed with OAB. IMT in the general population was 0.72 mm (SD = 0.20). Overall prevalence of atherosclerosis, defined by the presence of the carotid artery plaque, was 51%. OAB prevalence among women with atherosclerosis was higher than in those without atherosclerosis (56.52% versus 22.73%), with a prevalence ratio of 2.49 (p=0.04). Additionally, OAB was associated with degree of carotid stenosis (p = 0.029). Conclusion In this cohort of female patients with MetS, there was an association between carotid atherosclerosis and OAB. Identification of carotid ultrasound abnormalities may lead to refined treatment decision-making among OAB patients.
How to Implement Adherence-Promoting Programs in Clinical Practice? A Discrete Choice Experiment on Physicians’ Preferences

Introduction The aim of this study was to examine physicians’ preferences regarding adherence-promoting programs (APPs), and to investigate which APP characteristics influence the willingness of physicians to implement these in daily practice. Materials and Methods A discrete choice experiment was conducted among general practitioners, cardiologists, neurologists and ophthalmologists in Germany. The design considered five attributes with two or three attribute levels each: validation status of the APP; possibility for physicians to receive a certificate; type of intervention; time commitment per patient and quarter of the year to carry out the APP; reimbursement for APP participation, per included patient and quarter of the year. A multinomial logit model was run to estimate physicians’ utility for each attribute and to evaluate the influence of different levels on the probability of choosing a specific APP. The relative importance of the attributes was compared between different pre-defined subgroups. Results In total, 222 physicians were included in the analysis. The most important characteristics of APPs were time commitment to carry out the program (34.8% importance), reimbursement (33.3%), and validation status of the program (23.7%). The remaining attributes (type of intervention: 3.6%; possibility to receive a certificate: 4.7%) were proven to be less important for a physician’s decision to participate in an APP. Physicians on average preferred APP alternatives characterized by little time commitment (β=1.456, p<0.001), high reimbursement for work (β=1.392, p<0.001), “positive validation status” (β=0.990, p<0.001), the “possibility to get a certificate” (β=0.197, p<0.001), and the provision of “tools for both physicians and patients” (β=0.150, p<0.001). Conclusion For the majority of the physicians participating in this survey, the willingness to implement an APP is determined by the associated time commitment and reimbursement. Considering physicians' preferences regarding different APP features in the promoting process of these programs may enhance physicians' participation and engagement.
Polymorphism-Dependent Dynamic Ultralong Organic Phosphorescence

Developing ultralong organic phosphorescence (UOP) materials with smart response to external stimuli is of great interest in photonics applications, whereas the manipulation of molecular stacking on tuning such dynamic UOP is still a formidable challenge. Herein, we have reported two polymorphs with distinct photoactivated dynamic UOP behavior based on a pyridine derivative for the first time. Our experiment revealed that the dynamic UOP behavior including photoactivation and deactivation feature is highly dependent on irradiation intensity and environmental atmosphere. Additionally, given the unique dynamic UOP feature, these phosphors have been successfully applied to phosphorescence-dependent molecular logic gate and timing data storage. This result not only paves a way to design smart functional materials but also expands the scope of the applications on organic phosphorescence materials.
Universal SMP gripper with massive and selective capabilities for multiscaled, arbitrarily shaped objects

Shape memory polymer blocks are used as universal grippers to manipulate multiscaled, arbitrarily shaped objects. Grippers are widely used for the gripping, manipulation, and assembly of objects with a wide range of scales, shapes, and quantities in research, industry, and our daily lives. A simple yet universal solution is very challenging. Here, we manage to address this challenge utilizing a simple shape memory polymer (SMP) block. The embedding of objects into the SMP enables the gripping while the shape recovery upon stimulation facilitates the releasing. Systematic studies show that friction, suction, and interlocking effects dominate the grip force individually or collectively. This universal SMP gripper design provides a versatile solution to grip and manipulate multiscaled (from centimeter scale down to 10-μm scale) 3D objects with arbitrary shapes, in individual, deterministic, or massive, selective ways. These extraordinary capabilities are demonstrated by the gripping and manipulation of macroscaled objects, mesoscaled steel sphere arrays and microparticles, and the selective and patterned transfer printing of micro light-emitting diodes.
Tea polyphenols and their chemopreventive and therapeutic effects on colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC), a multifactorial disease, is usually induced and developed through complex mechanisms, including impact of diet and lifestyle, genomic abnormalities, change of signaling pathways, inflammatory response, oxidation stress, dysbiosis, and so on. As natural polyphenolic phytochemicals that exist primarily in tea, tea polyphenols (TPs) have been shown to have many clinical applications, especially as anticancer agents. Most animal studies and epidemiological studies have demonstrated that TPs can prevent and treat CRC. TPs can inhibit the growth and metastasis of CRC by exerting the anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative or pro-oxidative, and pro-apoptotic effects, which are achieved by modulations at multiple levels. Many experiments have demonstrated that TPs can modulate several signaling pathways in cancer cells, including the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway, phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase/Akt pathway, Wnt/β-catenin pathway, and 67 kDa laminin receptor pathway, to inhibit proliferation and promote cell apoptosis. In addition, novel studies have also suggested that TPs can prevent the growth and metastasis of CRC by modulating the composition of gut microbiota to improve immune system and decrease inflammatory responses. Molecular pathological epidemiology, a novel multidisciplinary investigation, has made great progress on CRC, and the further molecular pathological epidemiology research should be developed in the field of TPs and CRC. This review summarizes the existing in vitro and in vivo animal and human studies and potential mechanisms to examine the effects of tea polyphenols on CRC.
Children with Dyslexia Have Altered Cross-Modal Processing Linked to Binocular Fusion. A Pilot Study

Introduction The cause of dyslexia, a reading disability characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities, is unknown. A considerable body of evidence shows that dyslexics have phonological disorders. Other studies support a theory of altered cross-modal processing with the existence of a pan-sensory temporal processing deficit associated with dyslexia. Learning to read ultimately relies on the formation of automatic multisensory representations of sounds and their written representation while eyes fix a word or move along a text. We therefore studied the effect of brief sounds on vision with a modification of binocular fusion at the same time (using the Maddox Rod test). Methods To check if the effect of sound on vision is specific, we first tested with sounds and then replaced them with proprioceptive stimulation on 8 muscular sites. We tested two groups of children composed respectively of 14 dyslexic children and 10 controls. Results The results show transient visual scotoma (VS) produced by sensory stimulations associated with the manipulation of oculomotor balance, the effect being drastically higher in the dyslexic group. The spatial distribution of the VS is stochastic. The effect is not specific for sounds but exists also with proprioceptive stimulations. Discussion Although there was a very significant difference between the two groups, we were not able to correlate the (VS) occurrence with the dyslexic’s reading performance. One possibility to confirm the link between VS and reading impairment would be to find a specific treatment reducing the occurrence of the VS and to check its effect on dyslexia.
Perceptions and Beliefs Regarding NSAIDs in the Asia-Pacific Region

Background Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are commonly used in the treatment of pain and inflammation. However, chronic NSAID use may result in gastrointestinal (GI), cardiovascular (CV), renal or other safety concerns, especially in high-risk populations. The aim of this review is to systematically identify relevant literature and to organize available evidence for perceptions or beliefs of physicians and patients about the safety and efficacy of NSAIDs. Methods A systematic literature search was conducted in MEDLINE® (through PubMed®), Embase® (through Ovid®), and the Cochrane Library. Additional unstructured searches were conducted using Google Scholar™ and Google. The scope of this study did not include grey literature searches or handpicking of cross references. This systematic analysis was conducted with a special interest in studies conducted in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region and information related to the COX-2 (cyclooxygenase-2) selective inhibitors. Results Out of a total of 2822 studies retrieved from different databases (PubMed®, Cochrane, Google Scholar™ and Embase®), 99 (3.5%) met the inclusion criteria. Further, out of these 99 studies, 23 APAC region studies were analyzed. The common perceptions were related to GI, CV, renal and respiratory safety, efficacy and COX-2 inhibitors. Conclusion Overall, the level of awareness among patients regarding NSAIDs was observed to be considerably poor. Moreover, risk stratification by physicians must be practiced in order to decrease the incidence of adverse events.