Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Effect of Swabs on Modeling the First Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Italy

The daily fluctuations in the released number of Covid-19 cases played a big role at the beginning of the pandemic, when local authorities in Italy had to decide whether imposing restrictive policies. When an increase/decrease was communicated, especially a large one, it was difficult to understand if it was due to a change in the epidemic evolution or if it was a fluctuation due to other reasons, such as an increase in the number of swabs or a delay in the swab processing. The aim of this paper is both to model the main trend of the outbreak evolution in the number of confirmed cases and to describe the daily fluctuations strongly dependent on the daily number of swabs. For our analysis, we propose a nonlinear asymmetric diffusion model, which includes information on the daily number of swabs, to describe daily fluctuations in the number of confirmed cases in addition to the main trend of the outbreak evolution. The proposed model is found to be the more efficient for prediction, as compared to 6 already existing models, including the SIRD and the logistic models. The new model combines the properties of innovation diffusion models with a parsimonious way to exploit information about swabs. Doi: 10.28991/esj-2021-SPER-04 Full Text: PDF
Integrating Mindfulness and Character Strengths for Improved Well-Being, Stress, and Relationships: A Mixed-Methods Analysis of Mindfulness-Based Strengths Practice

The integration of mindfulness and character strengths is an emerging area of research and practice. The evidence-based, 8-week program, Mindfulness-Based Strengths Practice (MBSP) represents a unique approach in that the starting point and focus is on what is best in human beings – their character strengths. These qualities are then leveraged to improve one’s meditation practice or area of mindful living (referred to as “strong mindfulness”) and in turn, mindfulness is used as a lens for deepening awareness and use of strengths (referred to as “mindful strengths use”). While early controlled studies find MBSP to elicit well-being and reduce stress, and find it to be superior to popular mindfulness programs for different outcomes, we are not aware of any published qualitative analyses examining the MBSP participant’s experience. This study offers insights from a large international sample and extends the empirical data on MBSP, including the novel finding of benefit for building positive relationships, as well as confirming other findings such as the most common obstacles people confront in mindfulness practices. Additional areas discussed using qualitative and quantitative findings include the most beneficial mindfulness/character strengths practices, the use of inward and outward-oriented practices, cognizance of the integration of mindfulness and character strengths, and self-reported positive outcomes, including substantial benefits to stress and problem management and boosts to meaning, purpose, engagement, accomplishment, and sense of self.
Silicon nanoparticles (SiNPs) in sustainable agriculture: major emphasis on the practicality, efficacy and concerns

Silicon (Si), a beneficial element for plants, is known for its prophylactic effect under stress conditions. Many studies have documented the role of biogenic silica (bulk-Si) in alleviating biotic and abiotic stresses in plants. The scarce amount of the plant-available form of Si (monosilicic acid) in most of the cultivated soil and the limited efficacy of silicate fertilizers (bulk-Si) are the major concerns for the exploration of Si-derived benefits. In this regard, recent advances in nanotechnology have opened up new avenues for crop improvement, where plants can derive benefits associated with Si nanoparticles (SiNPs). Most of the studies have shown the positive effect of SiNPs on the growth and development of plants specifically under stress conditions. In contrast, a few studies have also reported their toxic effects on some plant species. Hence, there is a pertinent need for elaborative research to explore the utility of SiNPs in agriculture. The present review summarizes SiNP synthesis, application, uptake, and role in stimulating plant growth and development. The advantages of SiNPs over conventional bulk-Si fertilizers in agriculture, their efficacy in different plant species, and safety concerns have also been discussed. The gaps in our understanding of various aspects of SiNPs in relation to plants have also been highlighted, which will guide future research in this area. The increased attention towards SiNP-related research will help to realize the true potential of SiNPs in agriculture.
Intelligent Reflecting Surfaces for Free Space Optical Communication Systems

In this paper, we investigate the use of intelligent reflecting surfaces (IRSs) to relax the line-of-sight requirement of free space optical (FSO) systems. Considering a Gaussian laser beam, we first design a phase-shift distribution across the IRS that enables the reflection of the incident beam in any desired direction, i.e., realizing the generalized law of reflection. Moreover, for the designed phase-shift profile, we show that there exists an equivalent mirror-assisted FSO system that generates a reflected electric field on a mirror that is identical to that on the IRS in the original system. However, the location of the laser source and the properties of the emitted Gaussian laser beam are different in the original and the equivalent systems. This equivalence allows us to study the mirror-assisted system, employing the image method from geometric optics, instead of directly analyzing the original IRS-assisted system. Based on this analysis, we model the geometric and misalignment losses (GML) and characterize the impact of the physical parameters of the IRS, such as its size, position, and orientation, on the end-to-end FSO channel. Moreover, we develop a statistical model for the GML which accounts for the random movements of IRS, transmitter (Tx), and receiver (Rx) due to building sway. Furthermore, we analyze the outage probability of an IRS-assisted FSO link based on the derived channel model. Our simulation results validate the accuracy of the developed channel model and offer various insights for system design. For instance, both our simulations and theoretical analysis reveal that even if the variances of the fluctuations of the Tx, IRS, and Rx positions caused by building sway are identical, their impact on the end-to-end channel is not necessarily the same and depends on the relative positioning of these three nodes.
International business travelers' job exhaustion: effects of travel days spent in short-haul and long-haul destinations and the moderating role of leader-member exchange

PurposeThe purpose of the present study is to examine the general and travel-specific job exhaustion of international business travelers (IBTs). The study employs a JD-R model to explain general and travel-specific job exhaustion (IBTExh) through international business travel as demand and leadership (LMX) as a resource buffering the demands of international business travel.Design/methodology/approachThe study was conducted among Finnish service company employees who had taken at least one international business trip during the previous year. The data (N = 569), collected in 2015, were analyzed with path models.FindingsThe results suggest that a higher number of international business travel days is related to a higher level of job exhaustion, especially the exhaustion related to international business travel. Moreover, a high-quality LMX was found to be linked to lower levels of both types of exhaustion. Interestingly, for those IBTs' with a low-quality LMX, even a high number of long-haul international business travel days was not connected with IBTExhOriginality/valueThe contribution of our study is threefold. First, this study contributes to JD-R theory and the ill-health process by focusing on a job-specific well-being indicator, IBTExh, in addition to general exhaustion. Second, specific job demands related to international business travel, particularly the duration of business travel spent in short-haul and long-haul destinations, contributes to the literature on global mobility. This study sheds light on the potential effects on IBTs of different types of business travel. Third, our study contributes to the leadership literature and the importance of acknowledging the context in which LMX occurs.
High Purity DNA Extraction with a SPE Microfluidic Chip Using KI as the Binding Salt

Based on solid phase extraction method, a novel silicon-PDMS-glass microchip for high purity DNA extraction has been developed by using KI as the binding salt. The microfluidic chip fabricated by MEMS technology was composed of a silicon substrate with a coiled channel and a compounded PDMS-glass cover. With this microfluidic chip, the wall of the coiled channel was used as solid phase matrix for binding DNA and DNA was extracted by the fluxion of the binding buffer, washing buffer and elution buffer. KI as a substitute for guanidine, was used successfully as binding salt for purification DNA, obtaining higher purity of genomic DNA and about 13.9 ng DNA from 1 μL rat whole blood in 35 minutes.
Active Noise Control System Based on the Improved Equation Error Model

This paper presents an algorithm structure for an active noise control (ANC) system based on an improved equation error (EE) model that employs the offline secondary path modeling method. The noise of a compressor in a gas station is taken as an example to verify the performance of the proposed ANC system. The results show that the proposed ANC system improves the noise reduction performance and convergence speed compared with other typical ANC systems. In particular, it achieves 28 dBA noise attenuation at a frequency of about 250 Hz and a mean square error (MSE) of about −20 dB.
Evaluation of physical and chemical soil properties under different management types in the south-western Colombian Andes

Aim of study: Evaluating the variability of physical and chemical soil properties under different soil uses in an experimental farmland of the southwestern Colombian Andes.Area of study: This research was conducted at the Botana Experimental Farm in the mountainous area of Nariño, at the south-western Colombia.Material and methods: nine soil variables were measured under six soil uses which included traditional agriculture, agroforestry systems, and a 67-year-old secondary forest that was used as a reference for comparisons with other soil uses. Data was analyzed through Principal Component Analysis and Duncan’s tests.Main results: organic carbon, cation exchange capacity, clay contents and base saturation were the variables with higher variability among soil uses. The secondary forest and an agroforestry system with alley-cropped wax laurel showed the best soil conditions, whilst pastures and monoculture potato crop plots showed the least desirable conditions for all variables.Research highlights: We found that soils under alley-crop with wax laurel presented the characteristics most similar to the secondary forest. Conversely, soils under alley-crop with alder resembled the soils under intensive management (pasture and potato monocrop); which is related to the inadequate management of this agroforestry systems, provoking that the woody component does not accomplish its goal when implemented.Keywords: soil; agroforestry systems; Andes; forest.Abbreviations used: ACAL, Alley cropping of Alder Trees, ACWL; Alley cropping of Wax Laurel; AFS, agroforestry systems; AWC, available water capacity; BD, Bulk Density; BS, Base saturation; CEC, Cation Exchange Capacity; CLA, Clay; CI, Confidence Intervals, INF, Infiltration; ANOVA, Analysis of Variance; OC, Soil Organic Carbon; PAST, Pasture; PCA, Principal Component Analysis; PC, Principal Component; POCR, Potato Crop; POR, Soil Porosity; SCAL, Scattered Alder Trees; SEFO, Secondary Forest; SU, soil uses; AU, Animal unit.
Spatiotemporal Differentiation of Territorial Space Development Intensity and Its Habitat Quality Response in Northeast China

Studying the spatiotemporal distribution characteristics of territorial space development intensity (TSDI) and its habitat quality (HQ) response is of substantial theoretical and practical significance to optimize regional development patterns and coordinate the relationship between territorial space development and eco-environmental protection. This study establishes a comprehensive assessment model across various aspects, including land, population, economy, and input, to assess the TSDI of each county in Northeast China. We used the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST) model to evaluate the HQ of each county and investigated the HQ response to TSDI. The results showed that the TSDI in Northeast China was high in the south and west, low in the north and east, and prominent in urban agglomeration areas, which increased between 2000 and 2015. The spatial pattern of HQ was low in the east and south, high in the west and north, and the HQ was degraded as a whole. Bivariate spatial autocorrelation analysis showed a significant negative spatial correlation between TSDI and HQ, and distinct patterns of local spatial agglomeration were identified. Our findings provide guidelines for territorial space planning and may offer a reference for the ecological civilization construction and the coordinated development of Northeast China.
Stability Analysis of Systems with Fuzzy PI Controllers Applied to Electric Drives

This paper analyzes the stability of fuzzy control systems with applications for electric drives. Ensuring the stability of these systems is a necessity in practice. The purpose of the study is the analysis of the dynamic characteristics of the speed control systems of electric drives based on fuzzy PI controllers in the context of performing stability analyses, both internal and input–output, finding solutions to stabilize these systems and provide guidance on fuzzy regulator design. The main methods of treatment applied are as follows: framing the control system in the theory of stability of multivariable non-linear systems, application of Lyapunov’s theory, performing an input–output stability analysis, and verification of the stability domain. The article presents the conditions for correcting the fuzzy controller to ensure internal and external stability, determines the limits of the stability sector, and gives indications for choosing the parameters of the controller. The considerations presented can be applied to various structures for regulating the speed of electric drives which use various PI fuzzy controllers.
Standards for Evaluating Impact in Entrepreneurship Education Research: Using a Descriptive Validity Framework to Enhance Methodological Rigor and Transparency

Given calls for more rigorous research able to measure the impact of entrepreneurship education, this study proposes guidelines for enhancing methodological and reporting practices. First, drawing on prior research syntheses, we developed a descriptive validity framework that outlines key elements for rigorous evaluation research. Second, we use this framework to examine 61 quantitative, university-based entrepreneurship education impact studies to identify and describe methodological and reporting practices that are most prevalent. The result is a set of Impact Evaluation Research Standards for entrepreneurship educators and scholars wishing to improve education evaluation research.
Epistemic Trust and the Emergence of Conduct Problems: Aggression in the Service of Communication

Fonagy and colleagues have recently proposed that deficits in the capacity for epistemic trust (i. e., the expectation that interpersonal communication is relevant to the addressee) are fundamental to psychopathology. In this paper, we consider the implications of this hypothesis for understanding the role of aggression in conduct disorder and conduct problems more generally. Our main proposal is to view conduct problems not only as reflecting dysregulation, but as an adaptation that allows communication with others who are (or are perceived to be) unreliable. Our formulation hinges on two propositions. The first one is to view aggression as a modality of communication adapted to scenarios in which the communicator expects the audience to have low epistemic trust in the communicator. The second idea is to conceptualize the failed “unlearning of aggression” as reflecting a lack of interest in maintaining one's reputation as a communicator, which in turn stems from a lack of epistemic trust in other communicators. In this paper, we discuss these ideas and examine how they may account for the developmental pathways that lead young people to develop conduct problems.
Eye injuries sustained during protests due to non-lethal weaponry: a systematic review

ABSTRACT Introduction Ocular injuries may be produced by non-lethal weaponry. With the upsurge of protests in the United States earlier in 2020, the consequences posed by non-lethal weaponry represent an emerging public health concern. This review summarizes the types of ocular injuries sustained, reports on secondary injuries when applicable and outlines the visual outcomes and necessary methods of treatments. Areas covered This paper reviews the current literature pertaining to ocular injuries sustained during protests. The literature was searched through three databases (Medline, Ovid, CINAHL). Grey literature was searched through Clinical Trials.gov and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses. Conferences held through American Academy of Ophthalmology, Canadian Society of Ophthalmology, and Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology were searched. Primary studies that adhered to the inclusion and exclusion criteria were included. Expert opinion Numerous forms of non-lethal weaponry are capable of producing ocular injuries. Open and closed globe injuries are observed in addition to countless secondary injuries. The presenting visual acuity is an indication to the severity of the ocular injuries. Surgical intervention is the frequent primary method of treatment. In the interest of public health, the necessary regulations must be implemented to control the usage of non-lethal weaponry during protests.
The impact of accessibility of mobile devices on the intention to post online reviews

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate how the characteristic of mobile devices, particularly high accessibility, influences a consumer's intention to post an online review depending on the valence of consumption experiences.Design/methodology/approachThis paper employs a between-subject design of experimental study based on different scenarios with 378 participants. A pretest is conducted to confirm that participants perceive the experimental scenarios as intended prior to proceeding with the main experimental study.FindingsThe authors’ experimental analysis shows that the intention to post a review of extreme positive and negative experiences is significantly higher when the level of accessibility for review-posting is high. By contrast, the intention to post a review of neutral consumption experiences is neither higher nor lower regardless of the level of accessibility.Originality/valueThe findings of this paper contribute to a better understanding of online reviews by demonstrating how high accessibility for review-posting have differential influences on the intentions to post online reviews depending on the valence of consumer experiences. The findings provide important theoretical and managerial implications.
Anticancer and Antioxidant Activity of the Greenly Synthesized Zinc Nanoparticles Composites using Aqueous Extract of Withania Somnifera plant

Withania somnifera L. is a medicinal herb related to Solanaceae family, known as ashwagandha. The aqueous extract of W. somnifera was utilized for the green synthesis of zinc nanoparticles to investigated their antioxidant and anticancer potentials. The synthesized zinc nanoparticle solution of W. somnifera extract was characterized by phytochemical analysis, Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM), and zeta potential. The results revealed reduced values of the phytochemical constitutes, large surface area, and high stability of the nanoparticles. The antioxidant activity of the extracted W. somnifera and its zinc nanoparticles was evaluated by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH • ) assay, in which the original extract has the more antioxidant capacity with IC 50 = 0.701 mg/mL, along with potent results for both samples relative to ascorbic acid. The extracted W. somnifera , its zinc nanoparticles, and zinc sulfate solution were in vitro assessed as anticancer agents on well-known six human tumor, and a normal cell lines using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2 H -tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The results demonstrated that the synthesized zinc nanoparticles of the W. somnifera extract shown the most potent cytotoxicity with IC 50 = 19.17 µg/mL on HeLa cell line. The synthesized nano-zinc solution of the W. somnifera aqueous extract performed to be proficient as a potent anticancer characteristic than the plant extract with developed biological potency.
How Austerity Undermines School Feeding Programmes: An Analysis of Ghana’s Home-Grown School Feeding Model

Starting in 2015, the government of Ghana implemented austerity as a response to economic challenges in the country. The aim of this paper, therefore, is to demonstrate how a political climate of austerity undermines the goal of linking local agricultural production to school feeding markets. The paper draws on one-on-one semi-structured in-depth interviews with 25 service providers and one expert from the international NGO SEND-Ghana to examine the implication of austerity for Ghana’s home-grown school feeding programme. The findings reveal that austerity has meant that the actions and decisions of the service providers undermine the critical goal of linking the school feeding market to local agricultural production. Specifically, due to significant delays in reimbursing service providers for services delivered, the service providers are forced to deliver the programme by relying on credit purchases from the open market, rather than purchasing 80% of their foodstuff from the local smallholder farmers as required of them. Thus, Ghana might miss out on the development policy potential of stimulating local agricultural production through its connection to school feeding markets.
Do mistakes acceptance foster innovation? Polish and US cross-country study of tacit knowledge sharing in IT

Purpose This study aims to understand and compare how the mechanism of innovative processes in the information technology (IT) industry – the most innovative industry worldwide – is shaped in Poland and the USA in terms of tacit knowledge awareness and sharing driven by a culture of knowledge and learning, composed of a learning climate and mistake acceptance. Design/methodology/approach Study samples were drawn from the IT industry in Poland (n = 350) and the USA (n = 370) and analyzed using the structural equation modeling method. Findings True learning derives from mistake acceptance. As a result of a risk-taking attitude and critical thinking, the IT industry in the USA is consistently innovation-oriented. Specifically, external innovations are highly correlated with internal innovations. Moreover, a knowledge culture supports a learning culture via a learning climate. A learning climate is an important facilitator for learning from mistakes. Originality/value This study revealed that a high level of mistake acceptance stimulates a risk-taking attitude that offers a high level of tacit knowledge awareness as a result of critical thinking, but critical thinking without readiness to take a risk is useless for tacit knowledge capturing.