Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Manipulation of Magnetic Skyrmion in a 2D van der Waals Heterostructure via Both Electric and Magnetic Fields

As a promising candidate for the much‐desired low power consumption spintronic devices, 2D magnetic van der Waals material also provides a versatile platform for the design and control of topological spin textures. In this work on WTe2/CrCl3 bilayer van der Waals heterostructures, a complete Néel‐type skyrmion–bimeron–ferromagnet phase transition is demonstrated, accompanied by the evolution of the topological number. This cyclic transition, mediated by a perpendicular magnetic field, is largely driven by the competition between the out‐of‐plane magnetocrystalline anisotropy and magnetic dipole–dipole interaction. In the presence of a driving current, the Néel‐type skyrmion gains a higher velocity yet larger skyrmion Hall angle, in comparison to the bimeron. By incorporating a ferroelectric CuInP2S6 monolayer as a substrate, writing and erasing of skyrmions may be regulated using a ferroelectric polarization. This work sheds light on a novel approach to the design and control of magnetic skyrmions on 2D van der Waals materials.
Enhancing low-rank coal flotation using a mixture of dodecane and n-valeric acid as a collector

ABSTRACT Low-rank coals are difficult to float using common hydrocarbon oily collectors, such as dodecane and diesel. In this investigation, a mixture of dodecane and n-valeric acid was used as a collector to enhance low-rank coal flotation. The changes in the induction time and surface functional groups of low-rank coal were measured before and after different collector’s adsorption to indicate its absorption mechanism. The surface free energy was calculated to identify the interaction mechanism quantitatively between coal and collectors. The results showed that the flotation performance using the mixture as a collector was much better than that using dodecane or n-valeric acid solely. The induction time of coal conditioned with the mixed collector was the shortest, which meant the better hydrophobicity and floatability. When used the mixture as collector, the polar group of the n-valeric acid interacting with the oxygenated functional group on the coal surface by hydrogen bond while dodecane primarily covers the hydrophobic sites on the coal surface. Additionally, the mixed collector can minimize the surface free energy of raw coal, the dodecane primarily reduces the nonpolar part of the coal surface free energy while the n-valeric acid reduces the polar part of the coal surface free energy.
Worthwhile or wasteful? Assessing the need for a radical revision of evaluation in small-sized development NGOs

ABSTRACT Recent years have heralded an unprecedented push for evaluation of non-government organisation (NGO) programmes. Meanwhile, there has been little consideration of how evaluation expectations affect small-sized development NGOs. Small NGOs contend with several challenges including limited staff skill-pools, stretched time, and insufficient funding. This paper investigates evaluative practices in 20 small development NGOs to examine how they check effectiveness, improve their programmes, and remain accountable to donors and intended beneficiaries in ways that are meaningful and useful to them. These findings suggest the need for radical post-development style conversations to critically rethink evaluation worth, particularly for small NGOs.
Estimation of Nitrogen Use Efficiency for Ryegrass-Fed Dairy Cows: Model Development Using Diet- and Animal-Based Proxy Measures

This study aimed to identify suitable predictors of nitrogen (N) use efficiency (NUE; milk N/N intake) for cows that differed in breeds and were fed with ryegrass pasture, using existing data from the scientific literature. Data from 16 studies were used to develop models based on the relationships between NUE and dietary and animal-based factors. Data from a further 10 studies were used for model validation. Milk urea N (MUN) and dietary water-soluble carbohydrate-to-crudeprotein ratio (WSC/CP) were the best and most practical animal- and diet-based proxies to predict NUE. The results indicate that it might be necessary to adopt separate models for different breeds when using WSC/CP to predict NUE but not when using MUN.
Regulation of the RP-MDM2-P53 pathway by SUMO

﻿The ribosomal protein L11 integrate different types of stress into a p53-mediated response. Here we analyzed the impact of the ubiquitin-like protein SUMO on the RPL11-MDM2-p53 signaling. We show that SUMO modify RPL11, mutation of all lysine residues in RPL11 did not abolish SUMOylation, suggesting that this conjugation occurs through an alternative non-canonical SUMOylation pathway. We find that SUMO downregulates the conjugation of the ubiquitin-like protein NEDD8 to RPL11 and promotes the translocation of RPL11 outside of the nucleoli. Moreover, the SUMO conjugating enzyme, Ubc9, is required for RPL11-mediated activation of p53. SUMOylation of RPL11 is triggered by ribosomal stress as well as by ARF. The ribosomal protein L23 and ARF can be also modulated by SUMO. In addition, this study has led us to advance in the knowledge of post-translational modifications by ubiquitin-like proteins demonstrating that SUMO can bind to a substrate in lysine independent manner and that there is an interplay between SUMOylation and NEDDylation.
LSH-GAN: in-silico generation of cells for small
sample high dimensional scRNA-seq data

A fundamental problem of downstream analysis of scRNA-seq data is the unavailability of enough cell samples compare to the feature size. This is mostly due to the budgetary constraint of single cell experiments or simply because of the small number of available patient samples. Here, we present an improved version of generative adversarial network (GAN) called LSH-GAN to address this issue by producing new realistic cell samples. We update the training procedure of the generator of GAN using locality sensitive hashing which speeds up the sample generation, thus maintains the feasibility of applying the standard procedures of downstream analysis. LSH-GAN outperforms the benchmarks for realistic generation of quality cell samples. Experimental results show that generated samples of LSH-GAN improves the performance of the downstream analysis such as feature (gene) selection and cell clustering.
Telework, Hybrid Work and the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals: Towards Policy Coherence

With increased participation in telework expected to continue, in the aftermath of COVID, it will be important to consider what long-term impact this practice could have on sustainability outcomes. This paper describes a scoping review and identifies connections between telework and sustainability outcomes from previous academic studies. These connections were categorised, and are discussed, based on their contributions to different United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Most research was found to focus on countries classified as having a very high human development index status. The SWOT matrix technique was used to illustrate the strengths and weaknesses identified in the existing literature, and the threats and opportunities for future work. This aims to ensure policy coherence so that strategies to promote one outcome, such as economic productivity improvements, do not undermine another, such as improved health. Practical implications and research opportunities were identified across a range of SDG impact areas, including good health and well-being, gender equality, reduced inequality, climate mitigation, sustainable cities, and resilient communities. Overall, our impression is that increased rates of telework present an important opportunity to improve sustainability outcomes. However, it will be important that integrated and holistic policy is developed that mitigates key risks.
Protective effect of cannabinoids on gastric mucosal lesions induced by water immersion restrain stress in rats

Objective(s): This study aimed to determine the impact of cannabinoid agonists and antagonists on the mucosal lesion progress in the stomach induced by water-immersion restraint stress (WIRS). Materials and Methods: Rats subjected to WIRS for 4 hr were treated with Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), CBR1 agonist (NADA, 1 mg/kg), CBR1 antagonist (Rimonabant, 1 mg/kg), CBR2 agonist (GW405833 1 mg/kg) or CBR2 antagonist (AM630, 1 mg/kg SC) 30 min before WIRS. Microscopic lesions, oxidative stress, inflammatory cytokines biomarkers, and (Myeloperoxidase) MPO in gastric tissues were determined. Results: Results indicated development of severe gastric lesions with a substantial increase in the contents of (nitric oxide) NO, (malondialdehyde) MDA, (interleukin-1 beta) IL-1β, MPO, (tumor necrosis factor-alpha) TNF-α, and a significant fall in the content of GSH and the activity of PON-1 after WIRS. Conclusion: Treatment with NADA and AM630 protected gastric tissues against ulcers as demonstrated by a decrease in the contents of MDA, TNF-α, MPO, and IL-1β along with an increase in the content of PON-1 activity and GSH in the stomach tissues. On the other hand, treatment with SR141716A or GW405833 showed no protective effects on ulcers development. It seems that cannabinoids exert their antioxidant potential and anti-inflammatory effects against WIRS-induced gastric ulcers by activation of CB1R.
Paracelsus 10,000: A Prospective Cohort Study Based On The Population of Salzburg, Austria. Rationale, Objectives And Study Design

Paracelsus 10,000 is a prospective cohort study with the objective to investigate the health status of the population in and around the city of Salzburg. The focus lies on common non-communicable diseases, mainly cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, and their risk factors in a population-based cohort aged between 40 and 70 years. Between the years 2013 and 2020, 10,062 randomly selected participants (w: 5,187, m: 4,875) were investigated, of whom 2,620 underwent an intensified examination. The program consists not only of medical examinations, but was extended to inventories on mental disorders, lifestyle including nutrition and physical activity. From all study participants biological samples were stored in a biobank at -80°C enabling future investigations of biomarkers and utilization of the whole spectrum of multi-omics. The first follow-up phase of the study has started in late 2020 and will allow us to investigate the development of common non-communicable diseases occurring over time in the cohort of the Paracelsus 10,000 study. This gives the study a unique position within the framework of Austrian epidemiological research with the potential to gain new insight into the role of interaction between genetic predisposition and lifestyle factors for disease development in the Salzburg population. Obtaining high-quality epidemiological data is also of particular relevance for the development of evidence-based prevention strategies. This report describes rationale, objectives and design of the study and provides insight into the main characteristics of the study cohort.
Export Entrepreneurship and SMEs: Determinants and Performance

ABSTRACT The main objective of this study is to analyze the export entrepreneurship determinants and performance achieved by 70 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the engineering industry of Bangalore in India. The results reveal that export entrepreneurship is influenced by CEOs who are young, have high entrepreneurial orientation, and possess export market knowledge. The study also shows that export entrepreneurship positively affects the performance of SMEs. These results extend the existing knowledge of how SMEs can strategize their international activities and performance by utilizing the CEO’s specific attributes.
‘We just have to sail this sea all together until we find a shore’: parents’ accounts of home-educating primary-school children in England during COVID-19

ABSTRACT Parents’ everyday realities of enforced home-schooling during COVID-19 may offer important insights into strengths and weakness of education systems. This article presents findings from a qualitative study involving parents of primary-school-age children in England during the first ‘lockdown’. Parents shared common concerns with routine, motivation, resources, support, and children’s wellbeing, and responded creatively to the challenges they faced. We argue that focusing narrowly on ‘learning loss’ and getting ‘back on track’ may lead to impoverished educational experiences post-COVID-19, and that a broad, engaging curriculum with social and emotional wellbeing at its core will support children’s thriving in an uncertain future.
Road edge detection based on combined deep learning and spatial statistics of LiDAR data

ABSTRACT Mobile laser scanning data can be used for effective extraction of road edge information, which is important in the domain of road maintenance and intelligent transportation. This paper proposes a road edge detection method that combines a deep learning and spatial statistics of point cloud data. Semantic segmentation using a deep neural network enables the effective extraction of point cloud fragments recognized as road. The process continues with the spatial statistical analysis of voxel features of data organized into a 3D voxel grid. Filtered voxels are clustered into spatially proximate clusters of similar shape, i.e. straight or curved edges.
Uji Aktivitas Antibakteri Ekstrak Etanol Kulit Pohon Faloak (Sterculia sp.) Terhadap Bakteri Staphylococcus Aureus

Faloak is a medicinal plant that grows in extreme conditions in the East Nusa Tenggara region. Faloak has benefits for herbal treatment wherein the content of saponin compounds, steroids and triterpenoids, flavonoids, and alkaloids found in the bark of the faloak tree serves for the treatment of various diseases caused by bacteria. The purpose of this research is to know the antibacterial activity of ethanol extract of faloak bark (Sterculia sp.) On the growth of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. Determination of antibacterial activity by a diffusion method using a cylinder, and see the existence of a clear zone around a cylinder. The results showed that the concentration of 22.5% w / v; 45% w / v; 75% w / v and 100% w / v were able to inhibit the growth of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria with mean inhibitory zone diameter of 1.33 cm, 1.66 cm, 1.90 cm, 2.13 cm, the concentration of the inhibitory zone is greater so that the effective concentration inhibiting the growth of Staphylococcus aureus bacteria is 100% w / v.
A pulse‐width adjustable electro‐optic Q‐switched nanosecond laser oscillator

An all‐solid‐state pulse width adjustable Nd:YAG nanosecond laser at 1064 nm is demonstrated based on the bidirectional voltage supplied Q‐switched technology. Continuously adjustable pulse‐width from 4.6 to 32.3 ns is generated in a linear cavity, which is laser diode side‐pumped at 808 nm at 100 Hz repetition rate. With 27 ns Q‐switch duration, the shortest pulse width of 4.6 ns with single pulse energy of 0.77 mJ and a near‐Gaussian beam quality (M2 < 1.6) is obtained. Our results suggest an approach to generating pulse‐width adjustable nanosecond lasers for applications in LIDAR.
Model-Predictive-Control-Based Time-Optimal Trajectory Planning of the Distributed Actuation Mechanism Augmented by the Maximum Performance Evaluation

Trajectory planning for a redundant manipulator is a classic problem. However, because it is difficult to precisely evaluate its maximum performance, an optimization method has been typically used. In this study, a novel time-optimal trajectory planning method for a redundant manipulator is proposed using the model predictive control (MPC) augmented by the maximum performance evaluation (MPE). First, the optimization formulation is expressed to evaluate the maximum performance of the distributed-actuation-mechanism-based three-revolute-joint manipulator (DAM-3R), which has a high level of redundancy, and the joint-actuation-mechanism-based three-revolute-joint manipulator (JAM-3R) for comparison. The optimization is conducted by linking the multibody dynamics analysis module and the optimization module. For time-optimal trajectory planning, the MPC problem is then formulated using mathematical performance models for the DAM-3R and JAM-3R based on the MPE results, which are considered as the upper bound of the manipulator performance at each end-effector position. To verify the proposed method, a point-to-point task with no predefined path is investigated. The simulation results show that the working time of the DAM-3R is 19.1% less than that of the JAM-3R. Moreover, the energy consumption for the DAM-3R is 45.0% lower than that for the JAM-3R by optimally utilizing the higher redundancy of the DAM-3R. Thus, it can be concluded that the proposed method is effective for time-optimal trajectory planning for redundant manipulators.
EFFECT OF SALICYLIC ACID APPLICATION ON GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF GREEN ONIONS GROWN UNDER SALT STRESS

Correspondence Email: noura.kka@su.edu. krd Soil salinity negatively affects crop production and leads to loss of agricultural lands worldwide. In Iraq, poor agricultural practices, such as inadequate drainage facilities and low water quality, are known to be caused soil salinization. Onion (Allium cepa L.) is an economic crop that is consumed heavily as green or dry bulb onion. The cultivated area of green onion was statistically decreased in the Kurdistan region, Iraq, lately. Therefore, this study was conducted in the Directorate of Agriculture, Ankawa, Erbil, to examine whether salicylic acid (SA) mitigate the effect of salt stress and improve the growth and development of green onions. Two different concentrations of NaCl (20 and 40 mM) were injected around the base of each plant and after 24h, SA (0.5 and 1mM) was sprayed to the vegetative parts of each plant, evenly. The results showed that the short-term application of SA was reduced the impact of NaCl. The number of green leaves, leaf area, plant height, root growth, bulb diameter, plant weight and total yield (t. ha-1) was improved by the application of SA. It has been suggested the application of a commercial or SA analogue to the agricultural saline land may alleviate the salt stress and improve the product. College of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Mosul. This is an open access article under the CC BY 4.0 license (https://magrj.mosuljournals.com/ ).
Single-mode helical Bragg grating waveguide created in multimode coreless fiber by femtosecond laser direct writing

We demonstrate the fabrication of single-mode helical Bragg grating waveguides (HBGWs) in a multimode coreless fiber by using a femtosecond laser direct writing technique. This approach provides a single-step method for creating Bragg grating waveguides. Specifically, the unique helical structure in such an HBGW serves as a depressed cladding waveguide and also generates strong Bragg resonance due to its periodicity. Effects of pulse energy, helical diameter, and helical pitch used for fabricating HBGWs were studied, and a single-mode HBGW with a narrow bandwidth of 0.43 nm and a Bragg wavelength of 1546.50 nm was achieved by using appropriate parameters, including a diameter of 10 μ m and a helical pitch of 1.07 μ m. The measured cross-sectional refractive index profile indicates that a depressed cladding waveguide has been created in this single-mode HBGW. Moreover, five single-mode HBGWs with various Bragg wavelengths were successfully fabricated by controlling the helical pitch, and this technique could be used for achieving a wavelength-division-multiplexed HBGW array. Then, the temperature and strain responses of the fabricated single-mode HBGW were tested, exhibiting a temperature sensitivity of 11.65 pm/ ° C and a strain sensitivity of 1.29 pm/ με , respectively. In addition, the thermal stability of the single-mode HBGW was also studied by annealing at a high temperature of 700 ° C for 15 h. The degeneration of the single-mode waveguide into a multimode waveguide was observed during the isothermal annealing process, and the peak reflection and the Bragg wavelength of the fundamental mode exhibited a decrease of ∼ 7 dB and a “ blue ” shift of 0.36 nm. Hence, such a femtosecond laser directly written single-mode HBGW could be used in many applications, such as sapphire fiber sensors, photonic integrated circuits, and monolithic waveguide lasers.
Monitoring Ocean Acidification within State Borders: Lessons from Washington State (USA)

Abstract The Washington State Department of Ecology conducted a large-scale ocean acidification (OA) study in greater Puget Sound to: (1) produce a marine carbon dioxide (CO2) system dataset capable of distinguishing between long-term anthropogenic changes and natural variability, (2) characterize how rivers and freshwater drive OA conditions in the region, and (3) understand the relative influence of cumulative anthropogenic forcing on regional OA conditions. Marine CO2 system data were collected monthly at 20 stations between October 2018 and February 2020. While additional data are still needed, the climate-level data collected thus far have uncovered novel insights into spatiotemporal distributions of and variability in the regional marine CO2 system, especially at low salinities in shallow, river-forced shelf regions. The data provide a strong foundation with which to continue monitoring OA conditions across the region. More importantly, this work represents the first successful long-term OA monitoring program undertaken at the state-level by a regulatory agency. Therefore, we offer the work described herein as a blueprint to help state and local scientists and environmental and natural resource managers develop, implement, and conduct long-term OA monitoring programs and studies in their own contexts and jurisdictions.
Determinants of virtual classroom adoption in Jordan: the case of princess Sumaya university for technology

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate the factors that affect students’ behavioral intentions to use virtual classrooms at Princess Sumaya University for Technology (PSUT) in Jordan. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative research approach was adopted, an online survey method was used and the data were collected among students at PSUT in Jordan. A total of 511 responses were usable for analysis. A structural equation modeling partial least squares technique was used to examine the hypothesized model. Findings The findings reveal that the proposed factors have direct and indirect relationships with behavioral intentions to use virtual classrooms. They show that students’ satisfaction has a direct influence on behavioral intention, while other variables such as instructor characteristics, virtual classroom quality, perceived self-efficacy, perceived organizational support, perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness have an indirect effect on behavioral intentions to use virtual classrooms. Research limitations/implications The study was conducted at PSUT in Jordan, which could limit the generalizability of the findings. Furthermore, the present study measured students’ behavioral intentions to use virtual classrooms and future research should consider the actual use of virtual classrooms. Practical implications The findings of this study offer significant and useful information to policymakers, instructors, developers and students regarding the use of virtual classrooms in universities. Based on students’ needs and readiness, the findings identify which factors to consider when developing an e-learning system to enhance learning and teaching performance. Originality/value This study extends existing knowledge by developing a conceptual model to identify the key factors of virtual classroom adoption in higher education institutions in Arab countries. This study contributes to the literature in the context of e-learning by validating an extended technology acceptance model from an Arab countries perspective and considering the differences in culture, learning style and physical environment compared to developed countries.