Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Product Service Systems and supply network relationships : an exploratory case study Journal Item

Purpose – In recent years there has been increasing interest in Product Service Systems (PSS) as a business model for selling integrated product and service offerings. To date there has been extensive research into the benefits of PSS to manufacturers and their customers, but there has been limited research into the effect of PSS on the upstream supply chain. It is this gap that this research seeks to address. Design/Methodology/Approach – The research uses case based research which is appropriate for exploratory research of this type. In depth interviews were conducted with key personnel in a focal firm and two members of its supply chain and the results were analysed to identify emergent themes. Findings – The research has identified differences in supplier behaviour dependent on their role in PSS delivery and their relationship with the PSS provider. In particular it suggests that for a successful partnership it is important to align the objectives between PSS provider and suppliers. Originality/ value – This research provides a detailed investigation into a PSS supply chain and highlights the complexity of roles and relationships among the organisations within it. It will be of value to other PSS researchers and organisations transitioning to the delivery of PSS.
Disentangling the Role of Forest Structure and Functional Traits for the Thermal Balance in the Mediterranean-Temperate Ecotone

19 The thermal balance of forests is the result of complex land–atmosphere interactions. Different 20 climate regimes and plant functional types can have contrasting energy budgets, but little is known 21 about the influence of forest structure and functional traits. Here, we combined spaceborne 22 measurements of surface temperature from ECOSTRESS with ground-based meteorological data 23 to estimate the thermal balance at the surface ( ∆𝑇 𝑐𝑎𝑛−𝑎𝑖𝑟 ) during four summers (2018–2021), at 24 the Mediterranean–temperate ecotone in the NE Iberian Peninsula. We analyzed the 25 spatiotemporal drivers of ∆𝑇 𝑐𝑎𝑛−𝑎𝑖𝑟 by quantifying the effects of meteorology, forest structure 26 (stand density, tree height) and ecophysiology (hydraulic traits), during normal days and hot spells. 27 Canopy temperatures ( 𝑇 𝑐𝑎𝑛 ) fluctuated according to changes in air temperature ( 𝑇 𝑎𝑖𝑟 ) but were on 28 average 4.2 K warmer. During hot spells, ∆𝑇 𝑐𝑎𝑛−𝑎𝑖𝑟 was smaller than during normal periods. We 29 attribute this decrease to the advection of hot and dry air masses from the Saharan region resulting 30 in a sudden increase in 𝑇 𝑎𝑖𝑟 relative to 𝑇 𝑐𝑎𝑛 . Vapor pressure deficit (VPD) was negatively 31 correlated with ∆𝑇 𝑐𝑎𝑛−𝑎𝑖𝑟 , since the highest VPD values coincided with peaks in heat advection. 32 Nonetheless, 𝑇 𝑐𝑎𝑛 increased with VPD due to decreased transpiration (following stomatal closure), 33 even though sufficient soil water availability enabled some degree of evaporative cooling. Our 34 findings demonstrate that plot-scale forest structural and hydraulic traits are key determinants for 35 the forest thermal balance. The integration of functional traits and forest structure over relevant 36 spatial scales would improve our ability to understand and model land–atmosphere feedbacks in 37 forested regions. 38
Typical disaster damage target extraction method based on object oriented classification

The extraction of typical targets (such as water, road and damaged buildings) of nature disaster is important to the emergency management, post-disaster damage assessment and disaster monitoring. This paper shows an objected oriented method to extract water, road and building targets in the earthquake of Wenchuan(2008), Yushu(2010) and Haiti(2010). We built the optimal feature sets with spectral features, shape features, texture features and context features. Experiment result shows that this method can extract flood area, road and damaged buildings effectively and achieve a relatively high accuracy. These experimental studies are leading to the opportunity to integrate classical damage survey and image oriented semi-automatic interpretation.
Identification of Morpho-Physiological and Yield Traits of Sweet Corn Hybrids at Various Shade Levels

The selection of shade-tolerant sweet corn under intercropping conditions is necessary to provide adaptive superior cultivars for agroforestry systems. Until recently, there have not been many reports of superior varieties of sweet corn tolerant to low light. This study aimed to determine the differences in the morphological, physiological and production responses of 25 hybrid sweet corn genotypes to low light intensity. This study used a nested design with three replications. The factors tested were the shade level (0%, 25%, 50% and 75%) and the genotype of hybrid corn. The results showed that most of the hybrid corn genotypes tested showed an increase in production at 25% shade, while at 50% and 75% shade, they showed a decrease in production. Based on relative production at 25% shade, the genotypes can be split into three groups: sensitive, moderate and tolerant. The tolerant genotype including F1 T8-2A x SM12-2 (G6); Exotic (G13); Talenta (G15); Golden boy (G16); F1 SM12-2 x T9-2 (G20) provided the highest increase in morpho-physiological characters and yields compared to the moderate and sensitive. In all genotype groups, morphological variables (number of leaves, leaf area, stem diameter and relative growth rate), physiological variables (stomata conductance, photosynthetic rate, and total dissolved solids (TDS)), and yield variables (length, diameter, number, weight and unhusked weight of ears) were significantly higher in the no-shade than in the shaded conditions. These findings can be used as a basis for sweet corn planting recommendations under shade condition areas such as in agroforestry systems.
Deglacial and postglacial sedimentary architecture in a deeply incised paleovalley-paleofjord : The Pennsylvanian (late Carboniferous) Jejenes Formation, San Juan, Argentina

Quebrada de las Lajas, near San Juan, Argentina, preserves an early Pennsylvanian deglacial-postglacial succession in a highly confined paleofjord setting. The sedimentary succession records four distinct stages in the evolution of the valley fill. Stage 1 is represented by the deposits of subglacial diamictites, ice-contact deltas, and related deep-water lacustrine environments, including several subaqueous channels. Stage 2 records a glacio-eustatic marine transgression, and a slow-down of the clastic supply into the paleofjord. Stage 3 records a sandy, confined turbidite environment. Stage 4 consists of a coarse-grained delta, which represents a significant rejuvenation of the sedimentary system in the paleofjord. The transition from stage 1 to stage 2 was abrupt and basinwide, and has proven to be a good regional correlation marker. In this paleovalley, the glacio-eustatic rise probably caused floating and consequent rapid melting of the valley glacier. This resulted in a paleovalley-wide turbidite event that is up to 5 m thick and indicates an overall waning character. The rapid sediment emplacement in this event and resulting loading of the paleovalley sediments may have helped cause widespread mass-transport events at the stage 1–2 boundary. All stages show evidence of mass-transport–related deposits, but stage 1 records the most widespread mass transport, with a large spectrum of processes represented, including coherently slumped material, rafted blocks, and completely mixed debris-flow deposits. These mass-transport deposits range from a few meters to over 50 m thick, and up to hundreds of meters wide and long. Most of the large mass-transport deposits in the lower part of the fjord fill occurred at the transition to stage 2, implicating a rise in relative sea level as a possible trigger for the slope failures. Additionally, stage 3 deposits were affected by several thrust-sense dislocations that have large offsets relative to the scale of the sedimentary succession (tens to over 50 m vertically and hundreds of meters laterally); strata associated with the dislocations exhibit growth, indicating very early movement, and they are interpreted as the frontal ramp zones of mass-transport deposits. The abundance and size of mass-transport deposits in stages 1 and 3 helped control sediment pathways throughout the paleofjord.
Physical modelling of wetting-induced collapse in embankment base

The relevance of the oedometer tests used for the prediction of wetting-induced deformations in embankments is examined. Single and double oedometer tests are carried out. A comparison is made between laboratory tests and geotechnical centrifuge modelling at 100g conducted to examine an inundated embankment made of a sand–clay mixture. A 20 cm high embankment model is built and instrumented. The material is compacted on the ‘dry side' of the optimum Proctor curve at a low compaction rate in order to emphasise settlement phenomena. The inundation simulation is conducted in two successive sequences during centrifuge flight up to a water table of 5 cm. The results prove that the prediction of the dry density after settlement due to inundation is good.
The Impact of Bank Direct Marketing on Enrollment Intention : Opening Bank Account

The aim of this research is to further explore the characteristics of marketers that are appropriate for enhancing trust and significantly influencing customers' purchase intentions. The method used in this study is quantitative. Non-probability sampling was used to select a sample of 233 participants. The data analysis technique employed in this research is Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) Partial Least Squares (PLS). The results of the study indicate that product knowledge, friendliness, and communication skills have a positive impact on perceived trust, which in turn stimulates customers' interest in opening a bank account. This study highlights the crucial role of perceived trust as a mediator in this relationship, providing insights for banking institutions to enhance their marketing strategies. For instance, effective communication with the public regarding recognition, awards, company performance, and empowering credible influencers can be beneficial. Additionally, it is noteworthy that product knowledge emerges as the most influential independent variable in shaping perceived trust. Therefore, organizations are encouraged to enhance their marketers' product knowledge through various means such as training, personal experiences, Q&A forums, mentoring, coaching, and attractive incentives.
Tide-surge adjoint modeling: A new technique to understand forecast uncertainty

[1] For a simple dynamical system, such as a pendulum, it is easy to deduce where and when applied forcing might produce a particular response. However, for a complex nonlinear dynamical system such as the ocean or atmosphere, this is not as obvious. Knowing when or where the system is most sensitive, to observational uncertainty or otherwise, is key to understanding the physical processes, improving and providing reliable forecasts. We describe the application of adjoint modeling to determine the sensitivity of sea level at a UK coastal location, Sheerness, to perturbations in wind stress preceding an extreme North Sea storm surge event on 9 November 2007. Sea level at Sheerness is one of the most important factors used to decide whether to close the Thames Flood Barrier, which protects London. Adjoint modeling has been used by meteorologists since the 1990s, but is a relatively new technique for ocean modeling. It may be used to determine system sensitivity beyond the scope of ensemble modeling and in a computationally efficient way. Using estimates of wind stress error from Met Office forecasts, we find that for this event total sea level at Sheerness is most sensitive in the 3 h preceding the time of its unperturbed maximum level and over a radius of approximately 300 km. We also find that the pattern of sensitivity follows a simple sequence when considered in the reverse-time direction.
A High-Frequency Planar-Configured Millimeter-Wave MIMO Antenna for Fifth-Generation NR Operations

This article presents a simple planar millimeter-wave (mm-wave) multiple input multiple output (MIMO) antenna with four closely spaced radiating elements. The antenna is intended to enhance the bandwidth for 5G new radio (NR) applications and also cover the industrial Ka-band (26.5-40 GHz), Q-band (30-50 GHz), and U-band (40-60 GHz) frequency ranges. The antenna is designed using Rogers RT/duroid 5880 substrate with a size of 25 × 26 × 1.6 mm3. The proposed antenna consists of four identical radiating elements with two of them positioned in a linear configuration facing each other, while the other two elements are placed opposite to the first two, which improves isolation between the elements. Across the entire operating frequency range (26-60 GHz), the antenna demonstrated excellent performance, including 34 GHz wide bandwidth, high isolation of >25 dB, nearly omnidirectional radiation patterns, high gain of 11.1 dB with a high radiation efficiency of 94%, low envelope correlation coefficient (ECC) of 0.0068, and high diversity gain (DG) of 9.967 dB. The simulated findings exhibit a strong positive correlation with the experimental results. The proposed MIMO antenna design is a promising solution for 5G NR applications.
“Influence of plasmids, selection markers and auxotrophic mutations on Haloferax volcanii cell shape plasticity”

Haloferax volcanii and other Haloarchaea can be pleomorphic, adopting different shapes, which vary with growth stages. Several studies have shown that H. volcanii cell shape is sensitive to various external factors including growth media and physical environment. In addition, several studies have noticed that the presence of a recombinant plasmid in the cells is also a factor impacting H. volcanii cell shape, notably by favoring the development of rods in early stages of growth. Here we investigated the reasons for this phenomenon by first studying the impact of auxotrophic mutations on cell shape in strains that are commonly used as genetic backgrounds for selection during strain engineering (namely: H26, H53, H77, H98, and H729) and secondly, by studying the effect of the presence of different plasmids containing selection markers on the cell shape of these strains. Our study showed that most of these auxotrophic strains have variation in cell shape parameters including length, aspect ratio, area and circularity and that the plasmid presence is impacting these parameters too. Our results indicated that ΔhdrB strains and hdrB selection markers have the most influence on H. volcanii cell shape, in addition to the sole presence of a plasmid. Finally, we discuss limitations in studying cell shape in H. volcanii and make recommendations based on our results for improving reproducibility of such studies.
Effects of vitamin D supplementation on maximal strength and power in athletes: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Background Vitamin D is thought to be a powerful modulator of skeletal muscle physiology. However, available data on the effects of vitamin D supplementation on muscle function in athletes are limited and with mixed results. This meta-analysis therefore, aimed to quantitatively summarize the up-to-date literature assessing the effects of vitamin D supplementation on muscle strength and power in athletes. Methods Sport Discus, PubMed, Cochrane Library and Web of Science were searched to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that used one-repetition maximum (1RM) tests to assess maximal strength, and vertical jump to assess muscle power in athletes. The Cochrane Risk of Bias tool was used to evaluate the included RCTs for sources of bias. The standardized mean difference (SMD) was used as the effect size, interpreted together with its 95% confidence intervals (CI). The effect sizes were calculated on the changes from baseline between vitamin D and placebo groups for maximal strength results by upper body and lower body, and for power results. Results Eleven RCTs involving 436 athletes were included. The results indicated that if baseline serum 25(OH)D concentration was < 75 nmol/L, the treatment had a small effect on upper body muscle strength [SMD 0.25, 95% CI: (−0.44, 0.95), p = 0.47] and on lower body muscle strength [SMD 0.26, 95% CI: (−0.13, 0.65), p = 0.19]; if the baseline serum 25(OH)D concentration was ≥ 75 nmol/L, the treatment had a trivial effect on muscle power [SMD 0.15, 95% CI: (−0.42, 0.72), p = 0.61]. Discussion This meta-analysis demonstrated that there is not a statistically significant effect of vitamin D supplementation on improving maximum strength and power, but highlights that further research is required addressing the key limitations in previous studies before definitive conclusions can be made.
Investigation of the effects of volume change on flow structure and acoustic in a silencer

This study numerically examined the propellant flow from gunfire using the kω-SST turbulence model and their sound attenuation using the Ffowcs-Williams and Hawkins equations (FW-H). For simulation, a pressure-based solver and 3D axisymmetric geometry were used. The second-order implicit time approach and the second-order upwind scheme spatial discretization were used in the simulation. The maximum exit pressure was 3.748 MPa for the suppressor with a length of 70 mm and diameter of 20 mm. However, when the diameter suppressor increased by 1/6, the maximum exit pressure was reduced to 3.4961 MPa. When the length increased by 1/6, the maximum pressure became 3.3636 MPa. Lastly, when the diameter and length were increased by 1/6, the maximum exit pressure became 3.177 MPa. For this suppressor, 20.835 dB (12.29%) sound pressure level attenuation was achieved with 16.823 MPa (84.115%) overpressure reduction and 484.86 K or 32.32% temperature reduction. Generally, the attenuation increased with the increase in the suppressor’s internal volume.
Improved Steepest Descent Method using Modified Bessel Function K_(1/4 ) for Gamma Function Evaluation

Steepest descent method employs a Gaussian function when approximating an integral of a function. In this article we improve the approximation by using function in the form of . As an example, we approximate the value of gamma function to provide improved approximation for Stirling formula that is often used for estimating factorial of a large number.
Strong Ground Motion Attenuation Relationships for Subduction Zone Earthquakes

We present attenuation relationships for peak ground acceleration and response spectral acceleration for subduction zone interface and intraslab earthquakes of moment magnitude M 5 and greater and for distances of 10 to 500 km. The relationships were developed by regression analysis using a random effects regression model that addresses criticism of earlier regression analyses of subduction zone earthquake motions. We find that the rate of attenuation of peak motions from subduction zone earthquakes is lower than that for shallow crustal earthquakes in active tectonic areas. This difference is significant primarily for very large earthquakes. The peak motions increase with earthquake depth and intraslab earthquakes produce peak motions that are about 50 percent larger than interface earthquakes.
Influence of Group Involvement on Self-Concept among Young Adults

This investigated the effects of group participation on the self-concept of young adults affiliated with organizations at the University of Cebu - Main Campus. It further describes the factors that influence the participants to join group organizations, the experiences of participants in group involvement, and the influences of group involvement on self-concept. This study employed a qualitative research approach. The study participants ranging from 18 to 24 years old, were deliberately selected through purposive sampling. This diverse group included at least one male and one female participant from the following organizations: Lakandiwa, UCCP, UC Cheerdance, UC Chorus, Criminal Justice Society, Educators' Society, Society of Junior Hoteliers, and AB SBO. The researcher's semi-structured interview guide containing open-ended questions was used in data gathering through interviews. The thematic analysis of Braun and Clarke was used to analyze the qualitative data. Code categories and common themes were identified from the transcript of the in-depth interviews. Ten (10) emergent themes were established from the participants' responses that were classified under three (3) overarching themes, which are the statement of the problem that provided answers to the sub-problems. The emergent themes were derived from the significant statements of the participants. For the factors that influence the participants to join the group organization, the overarching theme, Factors that influence young adults to join group organizations, has five (5) emergent themes categorized as To socialize, Altruism, Self-development, Benefits, and Influenced by Peers. For the experiences of participants in group involvement, the overarching theme, Experiences to Group Involvement, has two (2) emergent themes that were categorized as Enhancement of Interpersonal Skills (Positive Experiences) and Burden (Negative Experiences). For the group involvement effect on young adults´ self-concept, the overarching theme, Influence of Group involvement on self-concept, has three (3) emergent themes: Self-confidence, Enhancement of Self-worth, and Self having a Sense of Direction. The findings and recommendations obtained from the study will be used to raise awareness of the influences of group involvement on self-concept among young adults.
Case Report: A playful digital-analogical rehabilitative intervention to enhance working memory capacity and executive functions in a pre-school child with autism

Background Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is often associated with deficits in Working Memory Capacity (WMC) and Executive Functions (EFs), as early as the first years of life. Research has shown that, even young children with ASD, WMC and EF deficits can be effectively addressed through interventions employing digital and/or analogical tools. Early intervention is important because executive dysfunction can negatively impact on the quality of life, both of children and their families. However, very few studies have been carried out involving intervention with pre-schoolers with ASD. To fill this gap, we developed an intervention that promotes pre-schoolers’ WMC and EFs by employing both digital apps and analogical playful activities. This study reports on the feasibility of this intervention, which was carried out in a rehabilitative context. Methods A male pre-schooler diagnosed with ASD was engaged in a total of 17 intervention sessions, all held in a clinical context, over a nine-week period. Outcomes were measured using a battery of pre- and post-treatment tasks focusing on WMC, EFs and receptive language. The clinician who administered the intervention made written observations and noted any improvements in the child’s performance emerging from the digital and analogical activities. Results The pre- and post-test scores for the cognitive tasks revealed qualitative improvements in the following cognitive domains: (a) WMC in the language receptive domain; (b) updating in WMC; (c) inhibition, specifically concerning control of motor response; (d) receptive vocabulary. Furthermore, when monitoring the child’s performance, the clinician noted improvement in almost all the playful activities. Particularly notable improvements were observed in interaction with the apps, which the child appeared to find very motivating. Conclusion This study supports feasibility of a playful digital-analogical intervention conducted by a clinician in a rehabilitation context to promote cognitive abilities in pre-schoolers with ASD. Further studies are needed to establish whether the intervention’s effectiveness can be generalized to a broad sample of children with ASD.