Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Young children (0-8) and digital technology. : A qualitative exploratory study. National report : Spain

The study is a part of a larger qualitative study carried out across 16 European countries aimed at exploring experiences with digital technologies, e.g. smart phones, tablets, computers, TVs, video-games, etc. of young children aged between 0 and 8 years and their families. The overall research question is: In what ways, if any, are children and/or their families empowered by the use of new (online) technologies? and was addressed through four areas (Use, Perceptions/Attitudes, Individual context, Family context). This national report of Spain is written based on data generated interviewing 11 families who have at least one child between 6-7 years of age, and the fieldwork was conducted in the Autonomous Community of Madrid and of Catalonia between June and November 2015. Although literature regarding technology in the life of children 0-8 is emerging in the Spanish context as a key focus as such, it is still very scarce. We hope, therefore, that the presented results from the study will serve as a basis for larger EU studies on related topics and for policy recommendations in Spain and beyond
Column studies on the capture and destruction of E. coli from simulated urban stormwater runoff using conventional bioretention media and iron oxide-coated sand

Given the magnitude of the threat to water quality posed by microbial pollutants in urban stormwater runoff and the untested potential for their removal in bioretention systems, the objectives of this research are to evaluate the capture and destruction of E. coli O157:H7 strain B6914 (as a pathogenic indicator) from synthetic urban stormwater runoff by conventional bioretention media, and to examine the potential of iron oxide-coated sand (IOCS) for enhancing bacterial removal. The results of these column experiments indicate that conventional bioretention media achieved approximately 80% removal of E. coli under the test conditions. Coated iron oxides enhanced bacterial adsorption through surface charge modification, increasing bacterial removal to 99%. However, the die-off rate of trapped cells in conventional bioretention media was far quicker than in the IOCS as studied. More than 99.98% of B6914 cells attached to conventional bioretention media died off within one week. Therefore, conventional bioretention media have a greater potential to render the process sustainable.
On the variability of trend test results

Trend tests are used to investigate statistical significance of trends. The popular Mann–Kendall (MK) trend test was originally proposed for random data. It was later modified to handle correlated data. After the scaling hypothesis was introduced, the MK test was further modified to accommodate it. The results from these three versions of the MK test can be very different. The objective of the present paper is to illustrate these variations in the MK trend test results. Not considering these variations would lead to spurious conclusions about statistical significance of trends in data with associated erroneous deductions. Monthly temperature data from Malaysia are used for illustration.
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—Extreme learning machine (ELM) is an extremely fast learning method and has a powerful performance for pattern recognition tasks proven by enormous researches and engineers. However, its good generalization ability is built on large numbers of hidden neurons, which is not beneficial to real time response in the test process. In this paper, we proposed new ways, named " constrained extreme learning machines " (CELMs), to randomly select hidden neurons based on sample distribution. Compared to completely random selection of hidden nodes in ELM, the CELMs randomly select hidden nodes from the constrained vector space containing some basic combinations of original sample vectors. The experimental results show that the CELMs have better generalization ability than traditional ELM, SVM and some other related methods. Additionally, the CELMs have a similar fast learning speed as ELM.
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1  Abstract—This paper presents techniques to reduce energy with minimal degradation in system performance for multimedia signal processing algorithms. It first provides a survey of energy-saving techniques such as those based on voltage scaling, reducing number of computations and reducing dynamic range. While these techniques reduce energy, they also introduce errors that affect the performance quality. To compensate for these errors, techniques that exploit the algorithm characteristics are presented. Next, several hybrid energy-saving techniques that further reduce the energy consumption while keeping the performance degradation very low are presented. For instance, a combination of voltage scaling and dynamic range reduction is shown to achieve 85% energy saving in a low pass FIR filter for a fairly low noise level. A combination of computation reduction and dynamic reduction for Discrete Cosine Transform shows, on average, 33% to 46% reduction in energy consumption while incurring 0.5dB to 1.5dB loss in PSNR. Both of these techniques have very little overhead and achieve significant energy reduction with little quality degradation.
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—The use of design patterns proved successful in lowering the development time and number of errors when producing software with the object-oriented paradigm. Now the need for a reuse technique is occurring for the emergent agent paradigm, for which a great effort is currently spending in methodology definitions. In this work we present our experiences in the identification, description, production and use of agents patterns. A repository of patterns was enriched during these years so to request a classification criteria and a documentation template useful to help user during the selection.
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1  Abstract— A verification methodology for 3D-ICs is presented, including connectivity checking and parasitic extraction. An example was given to illustrate a true 3D-IC stack verification using a GDS based flow. The new challenges were presented and the development efforts to respond to those challenges were identified.
Formation mechanisms, marker compounds and source apportionment for BIOgenic atmospheric aeroSOLs

Biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) play an important role in atmospheric chemistry and give rise to secondary aerosols, which have effects on climate and human health. Increased temperature and CO2 concentrations will lead to increased plant photosynthesis and growth rates and higher emissions of BVOCs, which in turn result in a higher aerosol load from natural sources and partly offset the decreased cooling from anthropogenic aerosols. A considerable lack of knowledge exists concerning the formation of new particles from BVOCs and the organic chemical composition of natural aerosols.
Synthesis and characterization of chitosan/polyvinylpyrrolidone hydrogels for controlled amoxicillin release

Hybrid crosslinked hydrogel-based drug delivery systems can deliver therapeutically beneficial drug release effects through controlled release on a temporal and spatial scale. Due to their tuneable physicochemical properties and the ability to prevent drug degradation, these systems facilitate different physicochemical interactions that control drug release. This research aims to synthesize a potent pH-sensitive crosslinked chitosan/polyvinylpyrrolidone hydrogel using different ratios of both the polymers and varying the glutaraldehyde crosslinking agent amount by the solution casting technique for controlled amoxicillin-release properties to mitigate gastrointestinal tract bacterial infection. The effect of polymer ratios and glutaraldehyde amount is investigated by the developing porosity, gel fraction, and extent of swelling in simulated physiological fluids of pH 1.2, 6.8, and 7.4 and in vitro biodegradation at pH 7.4. Interaction between the polymers with the formation of crosslinked structures, good stability, amorphous phase nature, and honeycomb-like structures of the hydrogels is revealed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy. Based on these properties, a chitosan/polyvinylpyrrolidone hydrogel (ratio of 60:40) crosslinked with 600 μL glutaraldehyde in 8 g of the polymers displaying adequate swelling in acidic to basic pH and in vitro biodegradation at pH 7.4 is chosen for the in situ loading of 200 mg of the drug amoxicillin. The cumulative drug release in simulated physiological fluids and the drug release kinetics using different models show that the best-fit Korsmeyer-Peppas model suggests amoxicillin release from the matrix follows diffusion and swelling-controlled time-dependent non-Fickian transport related to hydrogel erosion. This composition displays excellent antimicrobial activity against Streptococcus pyogenes and Escherichia coli. Graphical Abstract
A Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic Approach to Recommend an Individual Dose of Tacrolimus in Adult Heart Transplant Recipients

Tacrolimus is the principal immunosuppressive drug which is administered after heart transplantation. Managing tacrolimus therapy is challenging due to a narrow therapeutic index and wide pharmacokinetic (PK) variability. We aimed to establish a physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model of tacrolimus in adult heart transplant recipients to optimize dose regimens in clinical practice. A 15-compartment full-PBPK model (Simbiology® Simulator, version 5.8.2) was developed using clinical observations from 115 heart transplant recipients. This study detected 20 genotypes associated with tacrolimus metabolism. CYP3A5*3 (rs776746), CYP3A4*18B (rs2242480), and IL-10 G-1082A (rs1800896) were identified as significant genetic covariates in tacrolimus pharmacokinetics. The PBPK model was evaluated using goodness-of-fit (GOF) and external evaluation. The predicted peak blood concentration (Cmax) and area under the drug concentration–time curve (AUC) were all within a two-fold value of the observations (fold error of 0.68–1.22 for Cmax and 0.72–1.16 for AUC). The patients with the CYP3A5*3/*3 genotype had a 1.60-fold increase in predicted AUC compared to the patients with the CYP3A5*1 allele, and the ratio of the AUC with voriconazole to alone was 5.80 when using the PBPK model. Based on the simulation results, the tacrolimus dosing regimen after heart transplantation was optimized. This is the first PBPK model used to predict the PK of tacrolimus in adult heart transplant recipients, and it can serve as a starting point for research on immunosuppressive drug therapy in heart transplant patients.
Tree‐ring‐based precipitation reconstruction in southern Kazakhstan, reveals drought variability since A.D. 1770

In this article, we developed a tree‐ring‐width chronology of Schrenk spruce (Picea schrenkiana Fisch. et Mey) in southern Kazakhstan. Climate‐growth response result showed that the precipitation from the previous June to current May was the principal limited factor of radial growth. We also obtained a 246‐year reconstruction of June–May precipitation in southern Kazakhstan. The reconstruction explains 39.7% of the variance in precipitation records during the 1902–2013 calibration periods. In addition, the precipitation over the past 246 years in southern Kazakhstan has experienced six wetter periods and seven drier ones, and the extreme drought years were 1837, 1879, 1917 and 1945. From 1985 to 2004, precipitation has experienced longer and more rapid wetting, but the trend of precipitation has decreased in the past few years. The reconstructed series of precipitation is consistent with the historic precipitation/Palmer Drought Severity Index of the western Tianshan Mountains. Here, high precipitation variability occurred during 1770–1800 and 1900‐present, while 1800–1900 was relatively calm. Meanwhile, there was large power in the 2‐ to 7‐year short‐period and over the 34‐ to 35‐ and 40‐ to 43‐year long‐periods. We suggest the precipitation variability may be associated with large‐scale oscillations in the climate system. The reconstruction sheds new light on precipitation variability and the changes in a region where the climate history over the past several centuries is poorly understood.
Finite-Difference Time-Domain Simulation of the Maxwell–Schrödinger System

A thorough studyon the finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) simulation of the Maxwell-Schrödinger system in the semiclassical regime is given. For the Maxwell part which is treated classically, this novel approach directly using the vector and scalar potentials (A and Φ) is taken. This approach is stable in the long-wavelength regime and removes the need to extract the potentials at every time step. The perfectly matched layer important for FDTD simulations is developed for this new approach. For the Schrodinger and quantum mechanical part, minimal coupling is applied to couple the charges to the electromagnetic potentials. FDTD stability is analyzed for the whole system and simulation results agree with the properties of quantum coherent states.
Finite-Difference Time-Domain Simulations of Surface Bragg Gratings

Bragg gratings are an essential component of semiconductor lasers. One of the most precise methods to calculate an optical response of such a component is the 3D FDTD method. However, due to its computational effort, it is usually not used for the simulation of large structures. Here, we investigate the performance of 2D and 3D Finite-Difference Time-Domain (FDTD) methods for Bragg grating simulations. We demonstrate, that the 2D FDTD method can be used for grating structures of interest, while the 3D FDTD can only be used for short structures up to 500 μm. We show that the 2D simulation results can be utilized to set up an efficient 3D FDTD simulation. We demonstrate that the combination of the 3D FDTD method and the coupled mode theory provides an efficient way of predicting the reflectance of longer Bragg gratings.
Temperature Change in the Largest Industrial City, Korea

This study analyzed a change trend of ambient temperature over the last sixty years in the largest industrial city in Korea, Ulsan. Linear warming rates in Ulsan over the last 25 (1985 to 2009), 40 (1970 to 2009), and 60 (1950 to 2009) years were 0.0507, 0.0416, and 0.0277°C/yr, respectively. The annual average temperature (AAT) and the annual average of the daily lowest temperature (AADLT) in Ulsan increased 1.3 and 2.9°C, respectively, over the last fifty years (1960 to 2009). The increasing slopes of the AAT and AADLT over the fifty years in Ulsan were higher or much higher than those in neighboring cities and on a global scale. In the comparison analysis of daily average temperature over the most recent ten years, the highest (15.9°C) was observed in the industrial area followed by the downtown, coastal, suburban, and rural areas with 14.6, 14.5, 14.0, and 12.8°C, respectively. The number of cold days less than 5.0°C decreased, while the number of hot days higher than 20.0°C increased. The decreasing slopes in the cold days in lower latitude cities were steeper than those in higher latitude cities in Korea.
Habitat of the ortolan bunting Emberiza hortulana on a causse in Southern France

We studied the habitat requirement of the ortolan bunting Emberiza hortulana on the Causse Mejean (Lozere, France) during the breeding season by point counts, using a paired-point design (i.e., points with vs. without ortolan), and describing the habitat within a 100 m radius. We compared variable by variable, by mean of Chi 2 tests, the point counts where the ortolan bunting was present (N = 98) with the points where it was absent (N = 94). Most of the ortolan buntings breed in steppe-like grasslands with scattered bushes, and in open shrublands where the mean height of the shrub layer is between 0.5 and 1.75 m. This bird is particularly frequent in Buxus sempervirens shrublands (cover ranging between 10 to 40%). In such open and low habitats, song posts are needed. They mainly consist in scattered trees or tall shrubs higher than 1.8 m, but wires and rocks are also used. On the Causse Mejean, the ortolan bunting clearly prefers slopes to flat areas. Certain environmental variables regarded as important elsewhere in Europe (such as orientation, cover of bare soil, or proximity of farmland) are not relevant on the Causse. Using a vegetation map drawn for the purpose of this study, we estimated at 15 222 ha the area of suitable habitat available to the species, of a total area of 21 314 ha for the bare part of the Causse Mejean. A discriminant analysis performed on the two sets of census points (i.e., with and without ortolan bunting) reveal a good, although incomplete, discrimination, and led us to assume that the present ortolan bunting population on the Causse Mejean does not occupy the entire area of favourable habitat. As a result, possible variations of habitat availability cannot explain alone the present decline of this population.
Are Kernel Drivers Ready For Accelerated Packet Processing Using AF_XDP?

AF_XDP is a new technology for accelerated packet processing that was introduced in Linux kernel 4.18. Unlike other kernel bypassing technologies, AF_XDP promises low operational efforts requiring no special execution environment and relying on the vendor kernel driver to achieve good performance. Our paper targets understanding the operational readiness of AF_XDP kernel drivers by comparing their maturity to their DPDK counterparts. We use the throughput and latency of both technologies for multiple frame sizes as metrics to study the mlx5 driver design, an example of enterprise-grade drivers available for AF_XDP and DPDK. Our results show that the AF_XDP mlx5 driver performs better than the traditional sockets API but is less mature in design to handle heavy traffic of all types than its user-space counterpart. We also contribute documentation of all drivers supporting AF_XDP and their limitations to familiarize the developers with the risks of porting an AF_XDP application from one driver to another.
BIOTECHNOLOGICALLY RELEVANT ENZYMES AND PROTEINS Artificial control of the multistep oxidation reactions catalyzed by the cytochrome P450 enzyme RosC

The cytochrome P450 monooxygenase RosC catalyzes the three-step oxidation reactions, which leads to the formation of a hydroxy, formyl, and carboxy group at C-20 during rosamicin biosynthesis inMicromonospora rosaria IFO13697. To determine if amino acid substitutions in RosC could allow for the control of the multistep oxidation reactions, we screened RosC random mutants. The RosC mutant RM30, with five amino acid substitutions (P107S, L176Q, S254N, V277A, and I319N), catalyzed only the first step of the oxidation reaction. Whole-cell assays using Escherichia coli cells expressing RosC mutants with single and double amino acid substitutions derived from RM30 indicated that P107S/L176Q, P107S/V277A, P107S/I319N, L176Q/ V277A, L176Q/I319N, and S254N/V277A significantly reduced the catalytic activity of the second reaction, which is alcohol oxidation. Of the previously mentioned mutants, double mutants containing L176Q, which was presumed to occur in the FG loop region, lost the total catalytic activity of the third reaction (aldehyde oxidation). Additionally, an engineeredM. rosaria strainwith rosC disruption, which introduced the gene encoding the RosC mutants P107S/L176Q and P107S/V277A preferentially produced 20-dihydrorosamicin, which is formed after the first oxidation reaction of RosC.
BIOTECHNOLOGICALLY RELEVANT ENZYMES AND PROTEINS A conidial protein (CP15) of Beauveria bassiana contributes to the conidial tolerance of the entomopathogenic fungus to thermal and oxidative stresses

Aerial conidia are central dispersing structures for most fungi and represent the infectious propagule for entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana, thus the active ingredients of commercial mycoinsecticides. Although a number of formic-acid-extractable (FAE) cell wall proteins from conidia have been characterized, the functions of many such proteins remain obscure. We report that a conidial FAE protein, termed CP15, isolated from B. bassiana is related to fungal tolerance to thermal and oxidative stresses. The fulllength genomic sequence of CP15 was shown to lack introns, encoding for a 131 amino acid protein (15.0 kDa) with no sequence identity to any known proteins in the NCBI database. The function of this new gene with two genomic copies was examined using the antisense-RNA method. Five transgenic strains displayed various degrees of silenced CP15 expression, resulting in significantly reduced conidial FAE protein profiles. The FAE protein contents of the strains were linearly correlated to the survival indices of their conidia when exposed to 30-min wet stress at 48°C (r=0.93). Under prolonged 75-min heat stress, the median lethal times (LT50s) of their conidia were significantly reduced by 13.6–29.5%. The CP15 silenced strains were also 20–50% less resistant to oxidative stress but were not affected with respect to UV-B or hyperosmotic stress. Our data indicate that discrete conidial proteins may mediate resistance to some abiotic stresses, and that manipulation of such proteins may be a viable approach to enhancing the environmental fitness of B. bassiana for more persisting control of insect pests in warmer climates.
BIOTECHNOLOGICALLY RELEVANT ENZYMES AND PROTEINS Identification of catalytically important residues of the carotenoid 1,2-hydratases from Rubrivivax gelatinosus and Thiocapsa roseopersicina

Carotenoid 1,2-hydratases (CrtC) catalyze the selective addition of water to an isolated carbon–carbon double bond. Although their involvement in the carotenoid biosynthetic pathway is well understood, little is known about the mechanism by which these hydratases transform carotenoids such as lycopene into the corresponding hydroxyl compounds. Key residues were identified at positions His239, Trp241, Tyr266, and Asp268 in CrtC from Rubrivivax gelatinosus (and corresponding positions in Thiocapsa roseopersicina). Alanine mutants at these positions were found to be completely inactive, suggesting their direct involvement in the catalytic reaction. Our resulting mechanistic hypothesis is in analogy with the recently studied class of terpenoid cyclase enzymes containing a highly acidic aspartic residue in their active site. We propose that a similar aspartic acid residue, which is conserved through all putative CrtCs, is involved in initial protonation of the double bond in lycopene.