Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Social workers' perception of practice with lesbians, gays and bisexuals (LGBs) in Nigeria

People from Low-to-Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) like Nigeria, irrespective of differences in beliefs and sexual orientation, face similar challenges in terms of living standards, access to resources and quality of life. However, people who have been ‘othered’ on the basis of their nonconformity to heteronormativity face additional challenges. The existence of the Same-Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act (SSMPA) of 2014, which criminalizes the normalization of homosexual ‘lifestyles’ and the persistence of a homophobic socio-political climate in Nigeria, exposes lesbians, gays and bisexuals (LGBs) in Nigeria to unique difficulties. Although social workers are expected to work, guided by the values of social justice and respect for human rights, with the vulnerable and oppressed in society such as LGBs, the socio-political contexts they operate in can limit how well they do this work. This paper seeks to explore the views of social workers on social work practice with LGBs in Nigeria, with qualitative data obtained from 12 professional social workers using in-depth interviews that were thematically analysed. Findings show that social workers’ perception of practice with LGBs in Nigeria is influenced by existing policies in the country, in addition to cultural and religious beliefs. Some social workers also view LGBs through a medical perspective of homosexuality being an illness, which can affect their work with this population. Recommendations from the study include developing a contextualized ethical code that addresses practice dilemmas and further research centred on the experiences of LGBs and social work practice, as this is one of the few studies on social work practice in Nigeria with this population.
A circular dichroism microspectrophotometer

A microscope capable of measuring the CD of intact single eukaryotic cells, DNA microcrystals, and other microscopic structures has been constructed and tested. It can measure the CD spectra in the 200‐ and 800‐nm wavelength range and consists of a modification to a standard Cary 60 CD machine in combination with a Zeiss uv microspectrometer. Preliminary CD spectra of red blood cells and lymphocytes are presented.
A tolerance constrained robot path circular interpolation method for industrial SCARA robots

The linear robot path is tangential and curvature discontinuity, which will lead to vibration and unnecessary hesitation during execution. Local corner transition method and local spline interpolation method are used in state-of-art industrial robot controller to reduce vibration, while local corner transition method cannot interpolate target points and local spline interpolation method cannot constrain chord errors. This research proposes a robot path local interpolation method that eliminates deficiencies of each method. The smoothing method satisfies all of the following requirements: G1 continuity, target point interpolation and chord tolerance confined, shape-preserving (free of self-intersection), and unified parameterization. The generated smooth path consists of linear path and circular arc path with G1 continuity. A geometric iterative method cooperating with local corner transition method is used to generate local interpolation path. Simulations and actual experiments verify the generated smooth path is G1 continuous, tolerance constrained, shape-preserving, and have high computational efficiency.
Reflection electron microscopy

Reflection electron microscopy (REM) in ultra-high vacuum (UHV) conditions is reviewed. UHV-REM can characterize surface structures of monolayer levels such as steps, domains of reconstructed surface structures and their boundaries and these capabilities are used to observe surface dynamic processes such as phase transitions of reconstructed surface structures and adsorbate structures and adsorption processes, oxidations, sublimations and ion-sputtering and annealing. The method is compared with other surface-imaging techniques.
Biomimetic Sensors for Toxic Pesticides and Inorganics based on Optoelectronic/Electrochemical Transducers—An Overview

Toxic pesticides and heavy metals constitute an important class of pollutants that degrade the environment due to their persistent nature and their unavoidable use in increasing the agricultural output and industrial importance respectively. The design and development of portable devices such as sensors rather than laboratory based instruments in monitoring the above species at trace levels in real samples is prime challenge to analytical chemists at this juncture. Because of the poor physical and chemical stability of biosensors despite their specificity and sensitivity preclude their use in environmental analysis. On the other hand, in conventional chemical sensors are beset with problems of selectivity. Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) are being increasingly used as recognition elements in mimicking molecular/ionic recognition by natural receptors. A brief survey of synthetic strategies and characterization of MIPs, transducers that convert binding event into a detectable signal, integration strategies of recognition element with a suitable transducer and finally the reported sensors for toxic pesticides and inorganics is discussed. Future outlook of such biomimetic sensors in environmental analysis has been highlighted.
The Reading and Writing Connections in Developing Overall L2 Literacy: A Case Study

This study focused on the characteristics of an action-research study concerning an English language reading and writing intervention program in a primary state school, located in northeast Portugal (low-Socio Economic Status setting), where four groups of children (n = 92) participated in the academic year 2019–2020, after the National strategy for foreign languages was launched. The longitudinal study carried out in the action-research methodology, where the teacher, syllabus designer and researcher was the main author, was set out with two main aims. The first was to tackle and to overcome the lack of teacher training for teaching English to young learners in Portuguese primary schools. The second was to prompt intervention, through the design and implementation of a suitable pedagogic approach for teaching English to young learners, in line with Content for Language and Integrated Learning (CLIL) principles, namely English Across the Curriculum, thus fostering the interrelationships between English language reading and writing skills. The findings of the action-research reading intervention program demonstrate that it is possible to overcome such barriers as pupils’ negative attitudes and counteract the damaging effects of poverty in foreign language literacy development by exposing them to children’s picturebooks/storybooks, thus fostering the overall literacy development. The key concepts explored in these books, being associated with primary key curriculum themes are an effective way to establish clear positive connections among English language reading and writing relationships. In addition, the current study also sheds light on how primary English language school teachers can design suitable pedagogic approaches to foster overall literacy development, thus advancing innovative teacher training opportunities.
A blood circulation-prolonging peptide anchored biomimetic phage-platelet hybrid nanoparticle system for prolonged blood circulation and optimized anti-bacterial performance

Phage therapy holds great promise for resolving the ever-worsening crisis of antibiotic resistance, but it also faces many challenges. One of the issues hampering phage therapy is the short blood residence time of bacteriophages. We have previously identified, through in vivo phage display, a blood circulation-prolonging peptide (BCP1) that was capable of significantly prolonging the blood retention time of a doxorubicin-loaded human ferritin nanocage, leading to enhanced therapeutic efficacy against tumors. Herein, we aimed to extend the application of BCP1 to anti-bacterial phage therapy. Methods: A genetically engineered M13 phage, BCP1-BGL, that displayed the BCP-1 peptide and expressed the restriction endonuclease Bgl II, was constructed. Taking advantage of the fact that BCP1 harbors an RGD motif (a three amino-acid sequence Arg-Gly-Asp with the ability to bind to integrins) and exerts its circulation-prolonging activity primarily through interaction with platelets, we further designed and fabricated a biomimetic phage-platelet hybrid nanoparticle (PPHN) via the physical binding of the BCP1-BGL phage to the platelet membrane nanoparticles derived via a repeated freeze-thaw procedure. A series of experiments in vitro and in vivo were conducted to reveal the long circulation and anti-bacterial capacities of BCP1-BGL phages and PPHNs. Results: The resulting PPHNs possessed a hydrodynamic size of 368 nm in deionized water, with each spherical membranous nanoparticle harboring approximately 12 rod-shaped phage particles stably bound to its surface. PPHNs, which were superior to the BCP1-BGL phages that displayed significantly prolonged anti-bacterial action in vivo against Escherichia coli infection, exhibited further extended blood retention time and optimal anti-bacterial performance in both the prophylactic and treatment approaches. Conclusion: Our work demonstrated a novel strategy in engineering biomimetic phage-based nanoparticles with improved blood retention and anti-bacterial performance and may have implications in phage therapy.
Effects of Linear Alkylbenzene Sulphonates (LASs) on Exogenous Organic Matter Content and Evolution in Sewage Sludge–Amended Soils

Abstract Linear alkylbenzene sulphonates (LASs) are anionic surfactants commonly used in commercial detergents. A potential risk associated with the recycling of sewage waste materials is the presence of LASs and their primary degradation products, which could accumulate in sludge, especially during anaerobic processing. The long‐term accumulation of these contaminants in soils and especially the potential disturbance of soil functions need to be studied in more detail. In our study, the influence of the amendment added to an agricultural soil with different organic wastes containing LASs on organic matter content and nitrogen (N) content evolution and mineralization was studied in field conditions. A completely randomized 3×3 factorial arrangement, representing two sewage sludge types (composted and uncomposted) and three levels of LAS presence (0, 15, and 30 g/m2) in treated soils, was established using field plots (7×2 m); the results are compared with untreated plots. Statistical models based on covariance analysis were used to understand the dynamics of and the main factors influencing carbon (C) and N mineralization in sewage sludge amended–soils in the presence of LAS. LAS seemed to alter nitrogen mineralization, especially the nitrate dynamics.
Cold-moderator scattering kernel methods

An accurate representation of the scattering of neutrons by the materials used to build cold sources at neutron scattering facilities is important for the initial design and optimization of a cold source, and for the analysis of experimental results obtained using the cold source. In practice, this requires a good representation of the physics of scattering from the material, a method to convert this into observable quantities (such as scattering cross sections), and a method to use the results in a neutron transport code (such as the MCNP Monte Carlo code). At Los Alamos, the authors have been developing these capabilities over the last ten years. The final set of cold-moderator evaluations, together with evaluations for conventional moderator materials, was released in 1994. These materials have been processed into MCNP data files using the NJOY Nuclear Data Processing System. Over the course of this work, they were able to develop a new module for NJOY called LEAPR based on the LEAP + ADDELT code from the UK as modified by D.J. Picton for cold-moderator calculations. Much of the physics for methane came from Picton`s work. The liquid hydrogen work was originally based on a code using the Young-Koppel approach thatmore » went through a number of hands in Europe (including Rolf Neef and Guy Robert). It was generalized and extended for LEAPR, and depends strongly on work by Keinert and Sax of the University of Stuttgart. Thus, their collection of cold-moderator scattering kernels is truly an international effort, and they are glad to be able to return the enhanced evaluations and processing techniques to the international community. In this paper, they give sections on the major cold moderator materials (namely, solid methane, liquid methane, and liquid hydrogen) using each section to introduce the relevant physics for that material and to show typical results. « less
Liberalization, Import of Capital Goods, and Industrial Exports: Evidence from Indian Manufacturing Sectors

This article examines the impact of capital goods import on Indian manufacturing exports at the sectoral level. Import of capital goods provides dynamic productivity gains through quality, variety, and cost-efficiency channels that further boost manufacturing exports. Since trade liberalization facilitates this process, we presumed that better access to capital inputs would enhance Indian exports for 15 major manufacturing sectors at the 3-digit level from 1997 to 2016. The panel regression analysis based on fixed effect(s) feasible generalized least squares (FGLS), and ordinary least squares (OLS) indicate that, after controlling for world demand, relative export prices, and in-house research and development (R&D), the capital goods import has a positive and statistically significant impact on the aggregate manufacturing sector. The OLS estimates at the sectoral level further confirm the positive impact across nine major sectors. In general, the engineering sectors such as metals, machinery and transport equipment, and traditional labor-intensive sectors like textiles show positive benefit from these technology imports.
Switchable dual-wavelength erbium-doped fiber laser based on the broadband filtering performance of tapered long period fiber gratings

In this paper, a switchable, dual-wavelength erbium-doped fiber laser, based on the broadband filtering performance of a tapered long-period fiber grating, is experimentally demonstrated. The lasing emission can be built up in sets of dual-wavelengths in the entire C-band, with variable and controllable separation between laser lines from 6.75 nm to 35 nm when the optical fiber filter structure is gradually bent.
MeSHProbeNet-P

Indexing biomedical research articles with Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) can greatly facilitate biomedical research and information retrieval. Currently MeSH indexing is performed by human experts. To alleviate the time consumption and monetary cost caused by manual indexing, many automatic MeSH indexing models have been developed, such as MeSHProbeNet, DeepMeSH, and NLM’s official model Medical Text Indexer. In this article, we propose an end-to-end framework, MeSHProbeNet-P, which extends MeSHProbeNet with personalizable MeSH probes. In MeSHProbeNet-P, each MeSH probe carries certain aspects of biomedical knowledge and extracts related information from input articles. MeSHProbeNet-P is able to automatically personalize its MeSH probes for different input articles to ensure that the current MeSH probes best fit the current input article and the most informative features can be extracted from the article. We demonstrate the effectiveness of MeSHProbeNet-P in a real-world large-scale MeSH indexing challenge. MeSHProbeNet-P won the first place in the first batch of Task A in the 2019 BioASQ challenge. The result on the first test set of the challenge is reported in this article. We also provide ablation studies to show the advantages of personalizable MeSH probes.
Towards vendor-agnostic real-time optical network design with extended Kalman state estimation and recurrent neural network machine learning [Invited]

The network operator’s call for open, disaggregated optical networks to accelerate innovation and reduce cost, make progress in the standardization of interfaces, and raise telemetry capabilities in optical network systems has created an opportunity to adopt a new paradigm for optical network design. This new paradigm is driven by direct measurement and continuous learning from the actual optical hardware deployed in the field. We report an approach towards practical, vendor-agnostic, real-time optical network design and network management using a combination of two learning models. We generalize our physics-based optical model parameter estimation algorithm using the extended Kalman state estimation theory and, for the first time, to the best of our knowledge, present results using real optical network field data. An observed 0.3 dB standard deviation of the difference between typical predicted and measured signal quality appears mostly attributable to transponder performance variance. We further propose using the physics-based optical model parameter values as inputs to a second learning model with a recurrent neural network such as a gated recurrent unit (GRU) to allocate the appropriate required optical margin relative to the typical signal quality predicted by the physics-based optical model. A proof of concept shows that for a dataset of 3000 optical connections with a wide variety of amplified spontaneous emission noise and nonlinear noise limited conditions, a 10-hidden-unit 2-layer GRU was sufficient to realize a margin prediction error standard deviation below 0.2 dB. This approach of measurement data-driven automated network design will simplify deployment and enable efficient operation of open optical networks.
Microstructure and Wear Behavior of In Situ ZA27/TiB2 Composites

In situ ZA27/TiB2 composites were synthesized successfully by diluting the in situ Al/TiB2 composite, which was used as a master alloy. The microstructure and hardness of the developed in situ composites have been investigated. Results have shown that TiB2 particles distribute uniformly through the matrix and significantly refine the matrix grain. The hardness of the composites was higher than that of the matrix alloy and increased with the increasing TiB2 content. The dry sliding wear behavior under heavy loads and high rotation speed were studied in detail by using a pin-on-disc wear tester at room temperature. The results revealed that the wear resistance of the composites increased monotonically with the increase in the TiB2 content. The composites had a lower coefficient of friction, friction temperature, wear rate, and specific wear rate especially under high loads when compared with the matrix alloy. An increase in the applied load increased the wear severity by changing the wear mechanism from abrasion and oxidation to adhesive wear. The composites possess better adhesive wear resistance properties compared with the matrix, which shows obvious adhesive wear as the load increased to 36 N, while the ZA27/3.0% TiB2 composite did not show adhesive wear until the load increased to 54 N.
Low‐Temperature Synthesis, Characterization, and Properties of Lead‐Based Ferroelectric Niobates

Technologically important lead-based ferroelectric niobates of the type $A(B'B")O_3$ (where A is Pb, B' is Fe, Ni, Mg, or Zn, and B" is Nb), and their solid solutions with barium titanate and lead titanate, have been prepared via a solution combustion process that involves metal nitrates/oxalate and tetraformal trisazine (TFTA) at a temperature of 350°C. The thermal evolution of perovskite niobates has been investigated at different calcination temperatures. Particulate properties such as density, particle size, and surface area have been determined. Particles are fine (<1 μm) and are sinter active at low temperature (1050°C). Dielectric and piezoelectric properties of the lead-based ferroelectrics that have been prepared via the low-temperature method are reported.
Musical DIAMONDS: The influence of situational classes and characteristics on music listening behavior

Music listening behavior has changed significantly due to technological advancements, leading to new listening contexts in which the situational circumstances play an increased influencing role. The aim of this study was thus to investigate the relationship between situational characteristics captured by the Situational Eight DIAMONDS and psychological characteristics of music (Arousal, Valence, and Depth) people listen to in different situations. Hence, an online study was conducted, in which 198 participants described and reported on features of 3 typical, self-selected listening situations. Results suggested that individuals adapted their music listening behavior dependent on the situational characteristics reflected by the eight DIAMONDS. Furthermore, utilizing a Latent Class Analysis, we established a taxonomy of music listening situations, including positive-social, ambivalent-individual, and negative-demanding situations. Finally, both DIAMONDS and the established classes reliably predicted reported music listening behavior and therefore are recommended to be considered in future research on social and music psychology.
Can Aquaculture Ponds Be Managed as Foraging Habitats for Overwintering Water Birds? An Experimental Approach

Coastal wetlands have been gradually developed by aquaculture and other anthropogenic infrastructure, reducing the habitat for water birds. The traditional operation of shallow-pond milkfish (Chanos chanos) aquaculture in Taiwan may provide a model for aquaculture production that operates in harmony with overwintering water birds. The goal of this study was to test whether experimental water drawdown of aquaculture ponds, following the seasonal, traditional milkfish aquaculture, can create resource pulses that attract water birds in Tainan City in southern Taiwan. This experiment tested four types of aquaculture with potential for application: wild fish, no-feed tilapia, milkfish, and tilapia with feed. Ponds were surveyed every other day for water depth and water birds at least 37 times in four winters after water drawdown. In general, drawdown ponds created resource pulses that attracted higher feeding bird densities and numbers of species than control ponds in all aquaculture types. Milkfish ponds often had higher water birds in each year. Deep waders were sometimes the most abundant guild in the control, whereas shorebirds, shallow and deep waders were often higher in the drawdown treatment. Bird densities and numbers of species were correlated with water level, benthic biomass and water Chl a, but not with tilapia biomass. Species, such as Black-faced Spoonbills (Platalea minor), responded to water levels with the exception of Little Egrets (Egretta garzetta). The operation of seasonal, traditional shallow-pond milkfish aquaculture is suitable for foraging of water birds during the winter migratory bird season.
A WAVE‐OPTICS EFFECT WHICH ENHANCES LIGHT ABSORPTION BY CHLOROPHYLL IN VIVO

Abstract Light is widely thought to move through cells and tissues as rays. Actually light is inherently wave‐like; ray motion is a special simple case of wave motion. To determine how well rays simulate light propagation and gradients within cells, absorption and scattering by particles were calculated with two sets of equations: one based on wave propagation within the particle and the other based on ray propagation. The ray model is found to substantially describe absorption at all particle size levels; however, it does not correctly describe scattering. Furthermore, for biological cells and structures larger than λ, the wave equations predict absorption cross sections which are 8–10% larger than expected on the basis of ray optics and extraction data: i.e. absorption is increased by a peculiar wave optics effect. This effect must enhance the efficiency with which the plants collect light energy for photosynthesis. The effect should be accounted for in corrections for the sieve effect.