Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Semiconductor-mediated photocatalysed degradation of two selected pesticide derivatives, terbacil and 2,4,5-tribromoimidazole, in aqueous suspension

The photocatalysed degradation of two selected pesticide derivatives, namely 3-tert-butyl-5-chloro-6-methyluracil (terbacil) and 2,4,5-tribromoimidazole (TBI) has been investigated in aqueous suspensions of titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) under a variety of conditions employing a pH-stat technique. The degradation was studied by monitoring the change in substrate concentration of the model compound employing HPLC analysis, and the decrease in total organic carbon (TOC) content, respectively, as a function of irradiation time. The degradation kinetics were studied under different conditions such as reaction pH, substrate and photocatalyst concentration, type of TiO 2 photocatalyst and the presence of alternative additives such as H 2 O 2 , KBrO 3 and (NH 4 ) 2 S 2 O 8 besides molecular oxygen. The degradation rates and the photonic efficiencies were found to be strongly influenced by the above parameters. Toxicity tests for the irradiated samples of the pesticide derivatives measuring the luminescence of bacteria Vibrio fischeri after 30 minutes of incubation were also performed.
Gender and sexuality in intimate relationships: interpretation and experiences by elderly women

This research aimed to understand the older women’s meanings and experiences attributed to gender relations and sexuality in their intimate relationships. Twelve women attending an Elderly Care Unit in a city in the state of Minas Gerais/Brazil were interviewed. Three categories were established from a thematic content analysis: Sexuality education influences, Sexuality standardization, and Aging sexuality resignifications. The main results highlighted that the participants received a morally rigid education that reinforced traditional gender roles (double sexual morality), generating misinformation, fears, shame, uncertainties, and doubts about femininity and sexuality that could, however, be reformulated during aging due to new experiences and knowledge and, thus, their meanings and experiences moved from gender and sexuality traditional conceptions to their questionings.
Jokers or Journalists? A Study of Satirists’ Motivations, Role Orientations, and Understanding of Satire

ABSTRACT This study contributes to recent discussions about the role of satire in public communication. We conducted qualitative expert interviews with 13 satirists in Germany to explore their understanding of satire, their motivations and role orientations as well as their perceptions of satire in relation to journalism and the factors they perceive to influence their role performances. The findings indicate that satirists perceive their business to be multifaceted and diverse and do not strictly distinguish between political satire and apolitical comedy. They identify with the accommodative role of the entertainer and roles connected to the development of public opinion while being reluctant to adopt interventionist roles. Even though professionalization in satire involves acquiring journalistic skills, the interviewees consider themselves to complement rather than substitute journalistic reporting. The findings also indicate strong politicization in satire that results from satirists standing up for their political beliefs. Finally, politicization and normativity in satire are influenced by media organizations and the perception of the political climate. By focusing on the producers of satire, the study extends previous research dominated by studies on satirical content and its effects.
Conservation, Restoration, and Sustainable Use of Biodiversity Based on Habitat Quality Monitoring: A Case Study on Jeju Island, South Korea (1989–2019)

Biodiversity loss is progressing despite biodiversity being essential for human survival, prosperity, and well-being. Conservation, restoration, and sustainable use of the habitat, given that its change is the most prominent factor causing the deterioration of biodiversity, represents a highly effective way of securing biodiversity. Therefore, we assessed and monitored habitat quality as a proxy for biodiversity with habitat quantity in Jeju Island, South Korea. We used an InVEST model with data on the habitat type, suitability, sensitivity, accessibility, and threat factors. Natural habitats throughout Jeju had rapidly decreased in area by 24.9% from 1989 to 2019, and this change contributed to the degradation of habitat quality by 15.8%. We provided significant evidence on the critical degradation of habitat for a long period of over 30 years and highlighted the urgent need for policies and behaviors that enhance biodiversity. We proposed appropriate strategies to prompt people to conserve better, restore effectively, and use biodiversity sustainably. We expect that our findings will provide scientific and evidence-based guidance for policy-making on biodiversity enhancement and will further support achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and Aichi Biodiversity Targets, in addition to compliance with the New Deal for Nature and People.
DEVELOPING SYSTEMS VISUALISATIONS IN DESIGN THROUGH A TYPOLOGY OF VISUAL TASKS: A MECHATRONIC CASE

Abstract Visual representations are essential to design. Data-rich representations such as systems visualisations are gaining prominence in engineering practice. However, as such visualisations are often developed ad-hoc, we propose more systematically to link visual tasks with design-specific tasks for which the visualisations are used. Whereas research on such linking focuses mostly on CAD models and sketches, no such studies are yet available for systems visualisations. Thus, this paper introduces a typology of visual tasks from the Information Visualisation field to aid the development of systems visualisations in design. To build a visualisation using the typology, a case study with engineering students developing an autonomous robot was conducted. Through interviews and analysis of product representations used, design-specific tasks were identified and decomposed into visual tasks. Then, a visualisation that assisted the team in performing their design activities was created. Results illustrate the benefits of using such a typology to describe visual tasks and generate systems visualisations. The study suggests implications for researchers studying visual representations in design as well as for developers of systems visualisations.
Individual and Socioeconomic Variables as Predictors of Middle School Students’ Intrinsic Reading Motivations

Individuals’ engagement with reading and maintaining it depends on personal motivations. Having a multidimensional structure, reading motivation is affected by intrinsic factors. Studies on reading motivation can make a significant contribution to identifying students’ intrinsic motivation profiles closely, encouraging them to read, and increasing their reading engagement. The present study aimed to determine the individual and socioeconomic variables predicting middle school students’ intrinsic reading motivations. Employing the predictive correlational design, the study was carried out with 459 students attending six different public schools in the city of Sanliurfa. The participants were determined by stratified purposeful sampling method. The study data were collected by the Intrinsic Reading Motivation Scale and the Personal Information Form. According to the hierarchical regression analysis results, all the models constructed in the study were significant. All of the variables explained the intrinsic reading motivation with a 22% variance explanation percentage. As a result, it can be said that the change observed in intrinsic reading motivation variance mostly stemmed from reading engagement (ΔR2=.12), family (ΔR2=.07), demographic characteristics (ΔR2=.03), and school (ΔR2=.01), respectively. It can be stated that the predictors of the intrinsic reading motivation determined in this study should be taken into consideration by educators.
Investigation of robust gait recognition for different appearances and camera view angles

A gait recognition framework is proposed to tackle the challenge of unknown camera view angles as well as appearance changes in gait recognition. In the framework, camera view angles are firstly identified before gait recognition. Two compact images, gait energy image (GEI) and gait modified Gaussian image (GMGI), are used as the base gait feature images. Histogram of oriented gradients (HOG) is applied to the base gait feature images to generate feature descriptors, and then a final feature map after principal component analysis (PCA) operations on the descriptors are used to train support vector machine (SVM) models for individuals. A set of experiments are conducted on CASIA gait database B to investigate how appearance changes and unknown view angles affect the gait recognition accuracy under the proposed framework. The experimental results have shown that the framework is robust in dealing with unknown camera view angles, as well as appearance changes in gait recognition. In the unknown view angle testing, the recognition accuracy matches that of identical view angle testing in gait recognition. The proposed framework is specifically applicable in personal identification by gait in a small company/organization, where unintrusive personal identification is needed.
Identifying Shelter and Housing Models for Older People Experiencing Homelessness

Abstract Limited research has identified the types of shelter/housing and supports for the growing population of older people experiencing homelessness (OPEH) and the extent to which existing models align with their needs. To redress this gap, we conducted an environmental scan and three World Café workshops to identify and characterize shelter/housing models for OPEH in Montreal, Calgary, and Vancouver (Canada). Fifty-two models were identified and categorized into six shelter/housing types based on the program length of stay and level of health and social supports provided onsite: (1) Emergency, transitional, or temporary shelter/housing with supports; (2) Independent housing with offsite community-based supports; (3) Supported independent housing with onsite, non-medical supports; (4) Permanent supportive housing with onsite medical support and/or specialized services; (5) Long-term care for individuals with complex health needs and; (6) Palliative care/hospice, offering end-of-life services. Models that met the unique needs of OPEH had coordinated supports, social and recreational programming, assistance with daily tasks, and had a person-centered, harm-reduction approach to care. This typology of shelter/housing models offers a basis from which local and regional governments can audit their existing shelter/housing options and determine where there may be gaps in supporting OPEH.
Predicting Popularity of Facebook Videos Through Visual Features Using Support Vector Machine Classifier

With the popularization of social networks, the sharing and consumption of content in video format becomes easier. Understanding what makes a video popular and being able to predict its popularity in number of views is useful for both content creators and advertising. In this work, we explore visual features extracted from 1,820 Facebook videos in order to predict whether they will reach more than a certain number of views on the seven days after publication. For this purpose, we used Support Vector Machine with Gaussian Radial Basis Function classification model. Using only visual features as predictors, the model with Video Characteristics and Rigidity features combined reached Kappa of 0.7324, sensitivity of 0.8930, and positive predictive value of 0.8930.
Utilization of Yeast Waste Fermented Citric Waste as a Protein Source to Replace Soybean Meal and Various Roughage to Concentrate Ratios on In Vitro Rumen Fermentation, Gas Kinetic, and Feed Digestion

The objective of this study was to determine the application of citric waste fermented yeast waste (CWYW) obtained from an agro-industrial by-product as a protein source to replace soybean meal (SBM) in a concentrate diet. We also determined the effect of various roughage to concentrate ratios (R:C) on the gas production kinetics, ruminal characteristics, and in vitro digestibility using an in vitro gas production technique. The experiment design was a 3 × 5 factorial design arranged in a completely randomized design (CRD), with three replicates. There were three R:C ratios (60:40, 50:50, and 40:60) and five replacing SBM with CWYW (SBM:CWYW) ratios (100:0, 75:25, 50:50, 25:75, and 0:100). The CWYW product’s crude protein (CP) content was 535 g/kg dry matter (DM). There was no interaction effect between R:C ratios and SBM:CWYW ratios for all parameters observed (p > 0.05). The SBM:CWYW ratio did not affect the kinetics and the cumulative amount of gas. However, the gas potential extent and cumulative production of gas were increased with the R:C ratio of 40:60, and the values were about 74.9 and 75.0 mL/0.5 g, respectively (p < 0.01). The replacement of SBM by CWYW at up to 75% did not alter in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD), but 100% CWYW replacement significantly reduced (p < 0.05) IVDMD at 24 h of incubation and the mean value. In addition, IVDMD at 12 h and 24 h of incubation and the mean value were significantly increased with the R:C ratio of 40:60 (p < 0.01). The SBM:CWYW ratio did not change the ruminal pH and population of protozoa (p > 0.05). The ruminal pH was reduced at the R:C ratio of 40:60 (p < 0.01), whereas the protozoal population at 4 h was increased (p < 0.05). The SBM:CWYW ratio did not impact the in vitro volatile fatty acid (VFA) profile (p > 0.05). However, the total VFA, and propionate (C3) concentration were significantly increased (p < 0.01) by the R:C ratio of 40:60. In conclusion, the replacement of SBM by 75% CWYW did not show any negative impact on parameters observed, and the R:C ratio of 40:60 enhanced the gas kinetics, digestibility, VFA, and C3 concentration.
Simulation and Experiment of Gas-Solid Flow in a Safflower Sorting Device Based on the CFD-DEM Coupling Method

To study the movement characteristics and separation mechanism of safflower petals and their impurities under the action of airflow and lower the impurity rate in the cleaning operation process, integration of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and discrete element method (DEM) codes was performed to study the motion and sorting behavior of impurity particles and safflower petals under different airflow inclination angles, dust removal angles and inlet airflow velocities by establishing a true particle model. In this model, the discrete particle phase was applied by the DEM software, and the continuum gas phase was described by the ANSYS Fluent software. The Box-Behnken experimental design with three factors and three levels was performed, and parameters such as inlet airflow velocity, airflow inclined angle, and dust remover angle were selected as independent variables that would influence the cleaning impurity rate and the cleaning loss rate. A mathematical model was established, and then the effects of various parameters and their interactions were analyzed. The test results show that the cleaning effect is best when the inlet airflow velocity is 7 m/s, the airflow inclined angle is 0°, and the dust remover angle is 25°. Confirmatory tests showed that the average cleaning impurity rate and cleaning loss rate were 0.69% and 2.75%, respectively, which dropped significantly compared with those from previous optimization. An experimental device was designed and set up; the experimental results were consistent with the simulation results, indicating that studying the physical behavior of safflower petals-impurity separation in the airflow field by using the DEM-CFD coupling method is reliable. This result provides a basis for follow-up studies of separation and cleaning devices for lightweight materials such as safflower petals.
Implementing Smart City Technologies to Inspire Change in Consumer Energy Behaviour

One of the main challenges in smart city models is consumer behaviour, namely guiding the efforts to promote optimal use of energy in the dynamics of the developing cities, through lower energy consumption without impact on the comfort level. This relates to all energy vectors and can be done through different means. The uptake stage of smart metering and information and communication technologies (ICT) varies in different countries, creating the need for tailored innovative approaches in motivating behavioural change. This paper presents the work carried out within the joint research project ITCity (an ICT platform for sustainable energy ecosystem in smart cities) between the European Union and Latin American Countries. Cooperation of energy researchers and experts in ICT and application developers facilitates adoption of a multipurpose interdisciplinary approach. This work aims at providing the smart city and energy research and innovation community broader understanding of factors influencing adoption of energy efficiency technologies. Different ways of guiding optimal energy use are addressed elaborating on the building blocks for a smart city which consider load patterns based on high resolution, high reporting rate measurements, extensive consumer surveys, available communication solution analysis and end-user interaction with the ICT tool based on gamification principles.
Effectiveness of Direct-Acting Antivirals in Treatment of Elderly Egyptian Chronic Hepatitis C Patients

Background: Hepatitis C virus treatment has dramatically improved by direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of DAA in elderly Egyptian chronic hepatitis C (CHC) patients. Methods: The study was carried out on 327 CHC elderly patients >60 years; patients were divided into 3 age subgroups (<65, 65–75 and >75 years) on DAA therapy for 12 weeks. Ninety-one patients (27.8%) were treated with dual therapy, 234 patients (71.6%) with triple therapy and 2 patients (0.6%) with quadrable therapy. Results: All patients achieved end-of-treatment virological response (100%). ALT levels normalized during therapy. The follow-up rate of sustained virological response at 12 weeks after the end of treatment (SVR12) was 100%. One hundred and two patients had missed SVR12 data due to being lost tofollow-up. Two hundred twenty-two adverse events were reported (67.8%), including anemia in 30 patients (9.1%), leucopenia in 129 patients (39.4%) and thrombocytopenia in 63 patients (19.2%). No serious side effects led to discontinuation of therapy. No hepatic decompensation was observed, and no patients died. Conclusion: Age does not influence the success of DAA treatment and all DAA regimens are well tolerated, safe and highly efficacious, even in those aged 75 years or older.
Development of pulsed‐laser three‐dimensional imaging flash lidar using APD arrays

Over the past two decades, pulsed‐laser three‐dimensional imaging flash lidar using avalanche photodiode (APD) arrays has attracted extensive research interest due to its great potential for both military and civilian applications. This invited paper gives a brief review of the state‐of‐art pulsed‐laser three‐dimensional imaging flash lidar using APD arrays. The principle of the pulsed‐laser three‐dimensional imaging flash lidar using APD arrays is briefly introduced. According to the working mode of the APD arrays, we divide the current flash lidar into two types: the linear‐mode and the Geiger‐mode. The performances of the pulsed‐laser three‐dimensional imaging flash lidar using APD arrays working at linear‐mode and the Geiger‐mode are summarized. The opportunities and challenges in this field are also discussed. This review is expected to provide a snapshot of the current landscape of flash lidar using APD arrays to attract more interest in this field.
Architecture and Process Integration Overview of 3D NAND Flash Technologies

In the past few decades, NAND flash memory has been one of the most successful nonvolatile storage technologies, and it is commonly used in electronic devices because of its high scalability and reliable switching properties. To overcome the scaling limit of planar NAND flash arrays, various three-dimensional (3D) architectures of NAND flash memory and their process integration methods have been investigated in both industry and academia and adopted in commercial mass production. In this paper, 3D NAND flash technologies are reviewed in terms of their architecture and fabrication methods, and the advantages and disadvantages of the architectures are compared.
Impact of External Human–Machine Interface Communication Strategies of Automated Vehicles on Pedestrians’ Crossing Decisions and Behaviors in an Urban Environment

The development of automated vehicles (AVs) and their integration into traffic are seen by many vehicle manufacturers and stakeholders such as cities or transportation companies as a revolution in mobility. In future urban traffic, it is more likely that AVs will operate not in separated traffic spaces but in so-called mixed traffic environments where different types of traffic participants interact. Therefore, AVs must be able to communicate with other traffic participants, e.g., pedestrians as vulnerable road users (VRUs), to solve ambiguous traffic situations. To achieve well-working communication and thereby safe interaction between AVs and other traffic participants, the latest research discusses external human–machine interfaces (eHMIs) as promising communication tools. Therefore, this study examines the potential positive and negative effects of AVs equipped with static (only displaying the current vehicle automation status (VAS)) and dynamic (communicating an AV’s perception and intention) eHMIs on the interaction with pedestrians by taking subjective and objective measurements into account. In a Virtual Reality (VR) simulator study, 62 participants were instructed to cross a street while interacting with non-automated (without eHMI) and automated vehicles (equipped with static eHMI or dynamic eHMI). The results reveal that a static eHMI had no effect on pedestrians’ crossing decisions and behaviors compared to a non-automated vehicle without any eHMI. However, participants benefit from the additional information of a dynamic eHMI by making earlier decisions to cross the street and higher certainties regarding their decisions when interacting with an AV with a dynamic eHMI compared to an AV with a static eHMI or a non-automated vehicle. Implications for a holistic evaluation of eHMIs as AV communication tools and their safe introduction into traffic are discussed based on the results.