Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
OPTWEB: A Lightweight Fully Connected Inter-FPGA Network for Efficient Collectives

Modern FPGA accelerators can be equipped with many high-bandwidth network I/Os, e.g., 64 x 50 Gbps, enabled by onboard optics or co-packaged optics. Some dozens of tightly coupled FPGA accelerators form an emerging computing platform for distributed data processing. However, a conventional indirect packet network using Ethernet's Intellectual Properties imposes an unacceptably large amount of the logic for handling such high-bandwidth interconnects on an FPGA. Besides the indirect network, another approach builds a direct packet network. Existing direct inter-FPGA networks have a low-radix network topology, e.g., 2-D torus. However, the low-radix network has the disadvantage of a large diameter and large average shortest path length that increases the latency of collectives. To mitigate both problems, we propose a lightweight, fully connected inter-FPGA network called OPTWEB for efficient collectives. Since all end-to-end separate communication paths are statically established using onboard optics, raw block data can be transferred with simple link-level synchronization. Once each source FPGA assigns a communication stream to a path by its internal switch logic between memory-mapped and stream interfaces for remote direct memory access (RDMA), a one-hop transfer is provided. Since each FPGA performs input/output of the remote memory access between all FPGAs simultaneously, multiple RDMAs efficiently form collectives. The OPTWEB network provides 0.71-μsec start-up latency of collectives among multiple Intel Stratix 10 MX FPGA cards with onboard optics. The OPTWEB network consumes 31.4 and 57.7 percent of adaptive logic modules for aggregate 400-Gbps and 800-Gbps interconnects on a custom Stratix 10 MX 2100 FPGA, respectively. The OPTWEB network reduces by 40 percent the cost compared to a conventional packet network.
Composição química de silagens de milho cultivado em dois tipos de solos da região norte do Paraná

Este trabalho foi realizado com o objetivo de determinar a composicao quimica de silagens de milho produzidas em solos derivados do arenito caiua e basalto, na regiao norte do Parana. Foi utilizado um delineamento experimental inteiramente casualizado com dois tratamentos (solos derivados do arenito caiua (AC) e basalto (BA) com 18 repeticoes para solo AC e 13 para solo BA. Determinaram-se os teores de materia seca, materia mineral, proteina bruta, fibra bruta, extrato etereo, fibra em detergente neutro, fibra em detergente acido, calcio, fosforo e nutrientes digestiveis totais. A analise de variância nao indicou diferenca significativa entre os solos arenito caiua e basalto, do norte do Parana, para os diferentes componentes analisados nas silagens, provavelmente devido a grande variabilidade observada entre os cultivares. Considerando-se os parâmetros estudados, a Analise de Componentes Principais explicou 65% da variabilidade entre amostras de silagens de milho de diferentes cultivares provenientes de solos derivados do arenito caiua e do basalto. EE, NDT, FDA, FDN e FB foram os parâmetros mais importantes para caracterizacao e diferenciacao entre os cultivares, independentemente do tipo de solo.
Better not to quarrel after a sleepless night: preliminary evidence of the negative impact of sleep deprivation on interpersonal conflict

Although poor sleep has been found to correlate with deteriorations in romantic relationships, its causal impact on interpersonal conflict has not previously been studied. Therefore, 30 couples were randomly assigned to either a single night of total sleep deprivation or a night of normal sleep to test the effects of sleep deprivation on couples’ conflict. After the experimental night, all participants discussed a topic of recurrent conflict for 15 minutes. We collected pre- and post-conflict measures of cortisol, self-reports of feelings and satisfaction with the conflictual discussion. Multilevel analyses revealed higher cortisol levels during conflict and less positive affect prior to and after the conflict for sleep-deprived couples compared to couples in the control condition. Additionally, higher cortisol levels during the conflict predicted lower satisfaction about the content of the conflict among sleep-deprived couples. These findings provide initial evidence for a causal negative impact of sleep deprivation on couples’ conflicts.
Dielectric Properties of Sustainable Nanocomposites Based on Zein Protein and Lignin for Biodegradable Insulators

Two types of lignin, alkali lignin and lignosulfonic acid sodium salt, are blended into thermoplastic zein through melt mixing in order to develop biodegradable insulator materials for multifunctional applications in electronics. The effects of lignin type and content on the dielectric properties of the resulting bio‐nanocomposites are investigated. The results indicate that, by modifying the structural arrangement of the zein with the use of lignin, it is possible to obtain bio‐nanocomposites characterized by tunable dielectric properties. The bio‐nanocomposites containing low amounts of lignin derivatives exhibit extensive protein structural changes together with a modification of the dielectric properties compared to the pristine thermoplastic zein. Changes in the dielectric properties of these systems are also observed to change over time, indicating a loss of plasticizer, as is evident by a decrease in the glass‐transition temperature. At high frequencies, the resulting values of the dielectric permittivity and of the loss tangent demonstrate that the bio‐nanocomposite can be used as biodegradable dielectric material for transient (temporary) electronics.
Depressive Symptoms, External Stress, and Marital Adjustment: The Buffering Effect of Partner’s Responsive Behavior

Guided by theory emphasizing that partner responsiveness underlies well-functioning romantic relationships, we examined whether partners’ responsive behavior buffered the degree to which a personal vulnerability (depressive symptoms) and external stress predicted declines in relationship adjustment. Using an existing data set, we tested whether individuals’ depressive symptoms and stress interacted with observer-coded partner responsive behavior during marital conflict discussions to predict change in marital adjustment at the next time point (N = 195 couples Time 1 [T1]–Time 2 [T2], 158 couples T2–Time 3 [T3]). Individuals experiencing greater (a) depressive symptoms or (b) stress showed sharper declines in marital adjustment. However, as predicted, the negative effects of both depressive symptoms and stress were attenuated when partners displayed high behavioral responsiveness. These findings underscore the importance of adopting a dyadic perspective to understand how partners’ responsive behavior can overcome the harmful effects of personal and situational vulnerabilities on relationship outcomes.
The Estimation of Compaction Parameter Values Based on Soil Properties Values Stabilized with Portland Cement

The strength and durability of pavement construction is highly dependent on the properties and subgrade bearing capacity. This then led to the idea of the selection methods to estimate the density of the soil with the proper implementation of the system, fast and economical. This study aims to estimate the compaction parameter value namely the maximum dry unit weight (γd max) and optimum moisture content (wopt) of the soil properties value that stabilized with Portland Cement. Tests conducted in the laboratory of soil mechanics to determine the index properties (fines and liquid limit) and Standard Compaction Test. Soil samples that have Plasticity Index (PI) between 0-15% then mixed with Portland Cement (PC) with variations of 2%, 4%, 6%, 8% and 10%, each 10 samples. The results showed that the maximum dry unit weight (γd max) and wopt has a significant relationship with percent fines, liquid limit and the percentation of cement. Equation for the estimated maximum dry unit weight (γd max) = 1.782 - 0.011*LL + 0,000*F + 0.006*PS with R2 = 0.915 and the estimated optimum moisture content (wopt) = 3.441 + 0.594*LL + 0,025*F + 0,024*PS with R2 = 0.726.
Alterations in Metabolic and Cardiovascular Risk Factors During Critical Training in Wildland Firefighters

Objective: To identify physiologic stressors related to cardiovascular disease via changes in metabolic, inflammatory, and oxidative stress biomarkers during 2 weeks of preseason training in wildland firefighters (WLFFs). Methods: Participants were recruited from a local hotshot crew and monitored during preseason training. Fitness was assessed via the Bureau of Land Management fitness challenge. Venipuncture blood was collected on days 1, 4, 8, and 11 and analyzed for changes in a lipid and glucose panel, C-reactive protein, and oxidative stress markers 8-isoprostane (8ISO), 3-nitrotyrosine (3NT), lipid hydroperoxides (LOOH), and protein carbonyls. Results: The high physical demands of training resulted in significant (P < 0.05) reductions in total cholesterol, glucose, and hemoglobin A1c. A main effect for time was observed in 8ISO, 3NT, and LOOH. Conclusions: Alterations in metabolic and oxidative stress markers suggest an acute, high-intensity physical stress during WLFF preseason training.
Serum YKL-40 Levels are Increased in Patients with Diabetes Mellitus and Coronary Artery Diseases: A Meta-analysis

Background: YKL-40 also named as chitinase-3-like protein 1 (CHI3L1) is a novel inflammatory biomarker found to be elevated in inflammatory and chronic diseases. This meta-analysis was done to estimate the pooled SMD of serum YKL-40 and evaluate its use as a diagnostic biomarker for Diabetes Mellitus (DM) and Coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods: Through searching the following electronic databases: Google scholar, PubMed, Scopus among others, related articles were extracted in English language. Stata (Version 12.0) was used for statistical analysis. Newcastle–Ottawa Scale was used for quality assessment. Standard mean Review Article Papabathini et al.; JAMMR, 33(5): 34-49, 2021; Article no.JAMMR. 66028 35 difference (SMD) and its corresponding 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were calculated. Heterogeneity was assessed by I 2 statistic. Results: Fourteen CAD studies with 1400 patients, 1685 controls and Thirteen DM studies with 1103 patients, 982 controls were selected for statistical analysis. The results showed that serum YKL-40 level in both CAD and DM patients was significantly higher than that in control subjects (SMD = 1.76 (95% CI 0.96-2.57) and (SMD=1.89 (95% CI 0.79-3.00) respectively. In both studies, stratified analysis showed that, studies which did not control for smoking had higher SMD compared to those controlled. Besides, CAD patients from developed countries had higher serum YKL-40 levels compared to those from developing countries. Conclusion: This meta-analysis suggests that an elevated serum YKL-40 level may be used as a promising diagnostic tool for early identification of CAD and DM. However patients’ age, history of smoking, and comorbidities should be put into consideration.
Agroforestry Systems and Their Contribution to Supplying Forest Products to Communities in the Chure Range, Central Nepal

Agroforestry (AF), an integration of agricultural and/or pastureland and trees, is a powerful tool for the maximization of profit from a small unit of land; however, it has been less well explored and recognized by existing policies. AF could be the best approach to conserving the fragile soils of Chure and to supplying subsistence needs to the local people. This study endeavored to understand how the adoption of various AF practices contributed to people’s livelihoods in the Bakaiya rural municipality of Makawanpur District. To achieve this, 5 focus group discussions, 10 key informant interviews and 100 household surveys were conducted. These were analyzed using various statistical analysis tools: Kruskal–Wallis test, Games–Howell post hoc comparison test and Wilcoxon test. Thematic analysis was employed to understand the status and growth process of AF in the study area. Of three different AF systems used in the area, agri-silviculture was found to be the dominant form. Local people derived forest products, especially fuelwood, fodder and leaf litter from AF, where agri-silvi-pasture was most common. The three AF systems studied here were in turn compared with community forestry (CF), which is a participatory forest management system overseen by the community. People derived almost 75% of fuelwood from CF, whereas in the case of fodder and leaf litter, contributions from CF and AF were almost equal. Despite the potentiality of AF in fulfilling the demands of local people, promotional and development activities were lacking. This study recommends a strong collaboration of local people and concerned stakeholders for the promotion and technical facilitation of AF systems.
Digital Health in Response to COVID‐19 in Low‐ and Middle‐income Countries: Opportunities and Challenges

Abstract COVID‐19 has pulled back the curtain on health system fragility to expose persistent and deepening inequities worldwide. The limited capacity of low‐ and lower‐middle income countries (LMICs) to respond to the pandemic and its impact on the health of populations – particularly the most vulnerable – presents a marked challenge. In this context, countries face the enormous task of rethinking the way essential services will be delivered. A critical and essential part of solving these challenges will be using information and communication technology and digital health to enhance direct communication with the public; scale proven and innovative service delivery models; and empower the frontlines. However, if the deployment, adaptation, or expansion of these innovations are not user‐centered for the most marginalized or do not learn from past lessons, it could be highly wasteful at best. At worst, such shortcomings could exacerbate pre‐existing weaknesses in the health care system such as exclusion of peripheral populations, disempowerment of health workers, and proliferation of unregulated private providers. We provide recommendations of which innovations should be prioritized and implementation principles to address the current challenges while responding to the need to fundamentally change service delivery for accelerated impact.
Reviewing two decades of research on the Forest School impact on children: The sequel

ABSTRACT Dabaja ([2021]. “The Forest School Impact on Children: Reviewing Two Decades of Research.” Education 3-13. doi:10.1080/03004279.2021.1889013) drew on the literature published between 2000 and 2019 to identify seven main impacts of Forest School on children and then outlined two of these impacts which pertained to social and cooperative skills and physical skills. Expanding on the latter work, this article aimed to shed light on the five remaining Forest School impacts: (a) learning performance and cognitive skills, (b) self-confidence and self-esteem, (c) emotional and mental wellbeing, (d) risk management skills, and (e) environmental awareness and sense of belonging. I then tapped into the findings of this review and other resources to advance a set of research suggestions in the Forest School realm.
A proposal for emotion recognition using speech features, transfer learning and convolutional neural networks

In this paper, we present a proposal for emotion recognition us-ing audio speech signal features consisting of two functionally independent systems. First, a voice activity detection module (VAD) acts as a ﬁlter prior to the emotion classiﬁcation task. It extracts features from the input audio and uses a SVM classiﬁer to predict the presence of voice activity. Secondly, the speech emotion classiﬁer (EMO) transforms the power spectrum of the signal to a Mel scale and obtains a vector of its characteristics using a convolutional neural network. Emotion labels are assigned using this vector and a KNN classiﬁer. The RAVDESS dataset has been used for training the models obtaining a maximum accuracy of 93.57% classifying 8 emotions.
Progress in DNA-based hydrogels for biosensing

ABSTRACT Hydrogels are significant hydrophilic materials with 3D polymeric network structures, which have received much attention in recent decades. DNA-based hydrogel materials have been widely used for tissue engineering, biosensors, bioanalysis, and clinical therapy on their excellent stability, bioanalysis, biocompatibility, and programmability. The addition of functional DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) sequences, such as DNAzymes or aptamers, are embedded in polymer networks, which expand the additional molecular recognition capabilities and sensibility of smart DNA hydrogels. In particular, targeting-responsive DNA hydrogels have attracted much attention and provided a portable, sensitive, selective, and visualised detection platform for biosensors. In this review, the latest applications of distinct types of DNA hydrogel biosensors for detection in various fields are introduced. Then, the prospects for future development trends and challenges of DNA-based hydrogel materials for biosensing are given.
Changing Practice in University English Language Teaching: The Influence of the Chronotope on Teachers’ Action

This study aims to investigate how time is coordinated with the professional space of the universities in western China. It examines how the situatedness of English language teachers in institutional spaces inﬂuences their understandings of and the value attributed to time and how these impact on how they make changes to their practice following participation in a professional development workshop. Using a combination of observations and interviews, this study identiﬁed a preference for adopting teaching techniques that were implemented in less integrated ways and teachers’ discussion of change frequently invoked time pressures as a limiting factor in developing their teaching. The study draws on Bakhtin’s idea of the chronotope to examine how time is constructed within the space of the university and the ways that such constructions give value to time and how it works as a constraint on teachers changing their practice. It argues that culturally constructed understandings of the status of time in academic work limit what teachers feel able to do in changing their practice and constrain possibilities for change.
The impact of fibromyalgia in disease activity assessment and treatment response in axial spondyloarthritis

Aim: Spondyloarthritis represents a group of diseases with common clinical features. When axial symptoms are predominant, the disease is called axial SpA (axSpA). Fibromyalgia frequently accompanies rheumatological diseases and affects the evaluation of disease activity measurements and treatment responses. In this study, we aimed to compare axSpA patients with and without accompanying fibromyalgia syndrome (FS). Material and Method: The patients with axSpA were retrospectively reviewed according to the Assessment of Spondyloarthritis international Society classification criteria. The Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI), erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and C-reactive protein data were used to evaluate disease activity. The Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index (BASFI) was used to evaluate the functional status of the patients. Results: The study included a total of 300 patients, including 162 (54%) males and 138 (46%) females. The median age of the patients (25%-75% IQR) was 35 (30-46) years. In the comparison of the two axSpA groups with and without FS, age, BASFI, ESR and CRP levels, and the rate of receiving biological therapy were similar. In the FS group, female gender was dominant (n = 46, 92%; p = 0.000) and the rates of peripheral arthritis and BASDAI were significantly higher (p = 0.024 and p = 0.004, respectively). Conclusion: AxSpA is frequently accompanied by FS, especially in women. The symptoms of FS cause an increase in disease activity scores. Therefore, it is evaluated as low treatment response. The disease activity of FS and axSpA should be carefully evaluated to lower treatment costs and apply more accurate treatment.
Adaptive cross backstepping control for a class of nonstrict feedback nonlinear systems with partial state constraints

The tracking control problem for a class of partial state constrained nonlinear system is studied in this article. The system is divided into two semistrict feedback nonlinear subsystems, one is state constrained and the other is state free. By means of state transformation, the state constraint problem is transformed into the bounded problem of the transformed function. Compared with the barrier Lyapunov function (BLF) method, it not only solves the state constraint problem but also circumvents the feasibility check on virtual controllers. Based on the cross backstepping control, the constrained controller and unconstrained controller are designed simultaneously. It solves the coupling problem effectively in the design of cross processing control. On the other hand, dynamic surface control is used which effectively avoids “computation explosion” caused by backstepping control. The designed controllers can ensure the error signals converge to a small neighbourhood of zero and keep the asymmetric time‐varying constraints on system partial states are satisfied for all the time. Finally, simulation experiments are carried out on a hyperchaotic Rössler system to verify the efficacy of the control scheme.
Historical, current, and future climate niche of the red dwarf honey bee across its native range

Knowledge of spatial patterns of climatically suitable habitats, and species range contractions/expansions, or shifts due to changing climate are important to improve the effectiveness of conservation efforts. Ecological niche models (ENMs) are the primary tools currently available for evaluating species’ response to anthropogenic or natural changes. We used ENMs to evaluate potential effects of future climate changes on the distribution range of a keystone pollinator, Apis florea Fabricius 1787 (Apidae: Apini), across its native range. We also provided a picture of the potential paleodistribution range of this species to complement future genetic/phylogenetic studies. In all assessed scenarios (i.e past, current, and future), the species was limited to its current native range and the mean temperature of the coldest season was the most key determinative factor affecting the species’ climate niche. The projection results revealed that the extent of climatically suitable habitats of the species was probably more than current in the past time periods and will increase in the future. Our findings of the consequences of climate changes on geographical distributions of this pollinator facilitate future management efforts for the species conservation by the identification of potential habitats where A. florea may already exist, prioritizing key habitats within the species’ native range under the current and future conditions, and recognizing regions where it is likely to spread its range.