Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Forest Beliefs in an Urbanizing World: Views on and Usage of Forest Areas Among Persons with and Without a Migration Biography in Germany and Sweden

ABSTRACT Previous studies have shown that environmental values of inhabitants of urban areas differ to some extent from those of people living in rural contexts. In the light of increasing urbanization, it is sometimes argued that these differences are becoming even greater, as people are becoming more and more alienated from nature. In the context of a larger survey study on beliefs about forests and forest management among the general public in Germany and Sweden, the influences of people’s migration biographies on their patterns of forest usage, their environmental concerns about forests, and the expectations and values they ascribe to forests are explored. While previous findings on differences between urban and rural populations are confirmed, we also find variation within these groups depending on their history of moving between the two spatial categories. This study thus adds a dynamic aspect to the discussion on the urban–rural perspective on beliefs about forests.
Detection of Nucleic Acids of the Fish Pathogen Yersinia ruckeri from Planktonic and Biofilm Samples with a CRISPR/Cas13a-Based Assay

Yersinia ruckeri is the cause of hemorrhagic septicemia, known as enteric redmouth disease, in salmonid fish species. This bacterial pathogen can form biofilms on abiotic surfaces of aquaculture settings or even on the surfaces of the fish themselves, contributing to their persistence in the aquatic environment. Detection methods for this and other fish pathogens can be time-consuming and lack specificity and sensitivity, limiting timely monitoring, the treatment of microbial infections, and effective control of their transmission in aquaculture settings. Rapid and sensitive detection methods for nucleic acids can be crucial for an appropriate surveillance of bacterial pathogens, and the CRISPR/Cas-based assays have emerged as a good alternative since it has been proven to be a useful tool for the rapid, specific, and sensitive detection of viruses and some bacteria. In this study, we explored the capability of the CRISPR/Cas13a system (SHERLOCK) to specifically detect both DNA and RNA (gene transcripts) from planktonic and biofilm samples of the bacterial fish pathogen Y. ruckeri. The assay was designed to detect the gyrA gene and the small noncoding RNAs (sRNAs) MicA and RprA from planktonic cultures and biofilm samples prepared in marine broth. The specific crRNA designed for these gene targets included a 28 nt specific gene sequence, and a scaffold sequence necessary for Cas13-binding. For all the assays, the nucleic acids obtained from samples were previously subjected to isothermal amplification with the recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) method and the subsequent T7 transcription of the RPA amplicons. Finally, the detection of nucleic acids of Y. ruckeri was by means of a reporter signal released by the Cas13a collateral RNA cleavage triggered upon target recognition, measured by fluorescence- or lateral-flow-based readouts. This CRISPR/Cas13a-based assay was able to specifically detect both DNA and sRNAs from the Y. ruckeri samples, and the sensitivity was comparable to that obtained with qPCR analysis, highlighting the potential applicability of this CRISPR/Cas13a-based assay for fish pathogen surveillance.
Height distribution between cloud and aerosol layers from the GLAS spaceborne lidar in the Indian Ocean region

The Geoscience Laser Altimeter System (GLAS), a nadir pointing lidar on the Ice Cloud and land Elevation Satellite (ICESat) launched in 2003, now provides important new global measurements of the relationship between the height distribution of cloud and aerosol layers. GLAS data have the capability to detect, locate, and distinguish between cloud and aerosol layers in the atmosphere up to 40 km altitude. The data product algorithm tests the product of the maximum attenuated backscatter coefficient β′(r) and the vertical gradient of β′(r) within a layer against a predetermined threshold. An initial case result for the critical Indian Ocean region is presented. From the results the relative height distribution between collocated aerosol and cloud shows extensive regions where cloud formation is well within dense aerosol scattering layers at the surface.
ACTIVE POWER FILTER IMPACT ON POWER QUALITY IMPROVEMENT FOR INDUSTRUAL PLANT SUPPLIED BY PHOTOVOLTAIQUE STATION

This work deals on industrial electrical power quality improvement using an active power filter (APF) based on fuzzy logic controller. The studied system is a PV conversion chain used to supply linear and non-linear industrial loads of 200 kw plant. The PV station is modeled then simulated under Matlab Simulink, with standard conditions consideration in the first time then under real irradiation and sun power variation during the day hours, to obtain the true parameters design of the PV station to be able to give the needed power during the climatic conditions changing. APF parameters design and control loop structure are well studied to have an optimal control. MPPT technique is used in PV station control with the P&O algorithm. Also PV panel fault diagnosis has been done by using alarm for fault indicator and protection over under power. Simulation results are analyzed and discussed comparison with real signals, produced by the FLUK 6001B reference source with the use of the PRS 600 and the Teledyne 3,5 GHz-40Gs/s oscilloscope as measurement instrument, to improve the effectiveness of APF on electrical power quality, THD, amelioration and harmonic minimization in the industrial installation.
Mentoring and Quality Service Delivery in Nigerian Public Universities: Does Organizational Culture Matter?

The study sought to investigate the effect of mentoring on quality service delivery in Nigerian public Universities by adopting the cross-sectional survey research design involving the administration of a questionnaire on a sample of 1900 respondents. The structural equation modelling was used to estimate the specified model. The results showed that supervisory mentoring and career development mentoring significantly affect quality service delivery. Similarly, peer review mentoring and role modelling significantly positively affect quality service delivery. Our study shows that organisational culture moderates the relationship between mentoring and quality service delivery. The study recommends that the management of Universities in Nigeria should institutionalise mentoring programmes to support employee career development and encourage senior employees to take on the responsibility of role modelling so that younger employees could emulate their work attitudes and improve the quality of service delivery in the institutions. The study’s result bears an important implication for public universities in Nigeria which must prioritize mentoring to foster the career growth of young faculty members and enhance quality service delivery.
Geological mapping of the south-central Gulf of Corinth coastal fault system - Greece

This thesis is related to geological mapping of the south-central Gulf of Corinth (Greece), providing an interpretation for the major fault systems towards the east and the west of much studied coastal fault segments: Eghio, Eliki, Mamousia and Pirgaki. The Corinth Rift is the focus of numerous studies witch are typically centered on key locations and relate to active coastal faults and syn-rift sediments. A structural framework that allows for data integration is of great importance, however regional structural studies have considerable impediments as fault scarps are frequently affected by erosional processes or covered by syn-rift sediments. It is the main intention of this thesis to describe faults while investigating regional connectivity, linkage and continuity. Detailed descriptions of depositional systems are available on the literature, hence field observations intend only to aid fault characterization and contribute for an integrated regional perspective. Field work covered over 1300 km, produced 312 observation points with over 500 field measurements. Over the course of 17 days, field activities strived to map and describe faults while observing lithological changes and comparing field data with literature information. Multispectral satellite compositions were designed for the purpose of geological and geomorphological compartmentalization, while gravimetric datasets and digital elevation models supported field mapping and discussions. The regional scope of field mapping with the occasional impracticality of field observations, added to the different scales and uneven distribution of literature were major obstacles for this project. Nonetheless major fault zones have been defined as composed of multiple unaligned segments up to 10 kilometers long that connect over soft and hard linked structures to develop regional trends. These trends extend for up to 50 kilometers on a predominant S75°E direction and present lower displacement trend west and northwards. Segments have brittle fault damage zones up to 100 meters wide containing discrete fault surfaces marked with slickensides that suggest a mix of normal and oblique slip. The average of displacements estimates is 1530 meters with maximum 4700 and minimum at 230. Fault development in the region is an important factor controlling synrift depositional systems where modern examples can be used to predict expected patterns on older units in the study area.
Improvement Motivation, Communication, And Engagement Human Resources For Accreditation Hospitals With “Photovoice

Abstract. Hospital accreditation is an effort to improve the quality of hospitals. All employees in the hospital must support these efforts. To increase employees' motivation, communication, and involvement in carrying out accreditation. One way to achieve it is done by Photovoice, which is a participatory research method by involving all employees in the hospital in one activity by "identifying, representing, and strengthening communication through photographic techniques". This study aims to provide a communication space for the members of RSUD Dr. Soedono Madiun to express the circumstances, strengths, and problems they face related to Accreditation and facilitate the hospital community to express their views, thoughts, and ideas about accreditation. The research method used Participatory Action Research (PAR) with 5 stages of implementation, namely: 1) Recruiting photovoice participants and introducing photovoice through FGD; 2) Taking and collecting photos; 3) Discussing the photos; 4) Holding photo exhibition; and 5) Evaluating the activities. The subjects in this study were the members of RSUD Dr. Soedono Madiun. As a result of this community service activity, 16 working groups contributed to Hospital Accreditation. The response from all working groups was very positive. They felt that their contribution to accreditation was indispensable. All groups displayed photos of their struggles to carry out the accreditation. In conclusion, Photovoice can increase motivation, communication, and attachment both physically and mentally for the employees in hospitals in carrying out accreditation on an ongoing basis to improve the quality of hospitals and the quality of reliable human resources.
How to assess the accuracy of the individual tree-based forest inventory derived from remotely sensed data: a review

ABSTRACT Effort has been devoted to automatic or semi-automatic individual tree detection and crown delineation from remotely sensed data, aiming at the effective creation of forest inventory, to assist forest management and ecosystem modelling. However, there is no uniform evaluation scheme to assess the resulting products. This paper reviews the available techniques and essential considerations for evaluating remote sensing-based forest inventory products, including detected individual tree locations, crown delineation maps, forest structure parameters, and species classification results. The reference data collection, individual tree matching method, mismatched individual tree crown treatment, and stratification criteria are summarized as four key factors in the evaluation process. Additionally, a discussion of future working directions, regarding limitations of existing techniques, multi-scale evaluation, sampling schemes, uncertainty analysis, and results interpretation, is also included. A new accuracy assessment framework is proposed, and an accuracy report example is provided.
Learning Robust Skills for Tightly Coordinated Arms in Contact-Rich Tasks

Multi-arm coordination has been receiving increasing attention in industry and our daily life. However, empowering arms to skillfully manipulate a common object within contact-rich tasks remains a daunting challenge. In this letter, we introduce a novel learning-based framework for arms to manipulate the object skillfully while maintaining tight coordination, which not only avoids dynamic modeling for keeping tight coordination but also eliminates the necessity to pre-program task-specific skills for handling complex contacts. To the best of our knowledge, our study is the first to concentrate on tightly coordinated arms in contact-rich tasks. Specifically, we improve and utilize value-decomposed multi-agent policy gradient methods to simultaneously learn tight coordination skills and task-specific skills. Contrasting with previous work on multi-arm skill learning, our approach efficiently learns skills without integrating human skills. Furthermore, we evaluate our approach through two challenging dual-arm assembly tasks and the performance exhibits promising robustness and generalizability.
Graphitic Carbon Nitride as Reinforcement of Photopolymer Resin for 3D Printing

Digital light processing (DLP) has the advantages of higher printing speed and product precision than other 3D printing technologies. However, DLP products have low mechanical strength owing to the inherent properties of photocurable materials. Graphitic carbon nitride (GCN), which is an abundant hydrogen bonding motif (-NH2, -NH), has low solubility in most solvents; thus, to use GCN as a reinforcement of the polymer matrix, optimal dispersion processes must be applied. In this study, GCN was proposed as a novel reinforcing material to improve the mechanical properties of photocurable epoxy acrylate (EA) resins for DLP. Herein, two-step (planetary mixing and ultrasonication) processes were applied to disperse GCN within EA, and the dispersion performance was identified by checking the degree of precipitation over time. To test the printability of the dispersed GCN/EA composites subjected to DLP 3D printing, cube specimens of GCN/EA composites were prepared, and the dispersed GCN/EA output had a low dimensional error of 0.3–1.3%, while the undispersed composite output showed larger dimensional errors of 27.7–36.2%. Additionally, in the mechanical test of the DLP-3D-printed sample (dispersed GCN/EA composite), the tensile strength and elastic modulus of the dispersed GCN/EA composite specimen were measured to be 75.56 MPa and 3396 MPa, respectively, which were improved by 22% (tensile strength) and 34% (modulus of elasticity) in relation to those of the neat EA specimen. This study is the first to use GCN as a reinforcement and manufacture a composite product for DLP with excellent performance (22% increased tensile strength) through the optimal dispersion of GCN. Considering the high mechanical performance, DLP products using the GCN/EA composites can be used in industries such as automobiles, shipbuilding, and aviation.
Is the Sosiani River Healthy? Investigating the Relationship between Water Quality Indicators and Macroinvertebrate Assemblages in the Sosiani River

The health of rivers is of great concern to governments and communities worldwide due to their important ecological functions. Numerous studies have established that water quality indicators have a positive effect on river health. However, only a few studies have examined equatorial rivers, and, to date, there has been no study on the Sosiani River in Kenya. As such, this study explored the health of the Sosiani River by considering how its aquatic macroinvertebrate assemblages were affected by various water quality parameters. The research considered whether there was a relationship between water quality indicators and macroinvertebrate assemblages in the Sosiani River. This knowledge is of paramount importance to the communities and decision makers of the Sosiani catchment, and Kenya as a whole, since there is need to understand the relationship between the water quality indicators and the health of the river in order to allocate resources for its rehabilitation and maintenance. This study examined 10 sites, nine being “test” sites and one a “reference” site. The study established a significant relationship between water quality parameters and macroinvertebrate assemblages. The sites with natural riparian zone vegetation conditions were found to have more Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera macroinvertebrates when compared to those without or with exotic vegetation. In terms of absolute numbers of surface aquatic macroinvertebrates, sites characterised by dense stream bank vegetation had more macroinvertebrates than those characterised by forest with eroded, bare stream banks. From the study, it was therefore concluded that Sosiani River is healthier at head waters where there was natural forests compared to downstream where there was plantations, intensive farming and urban area. The study recommends that more detailed studies classify macroinvertebrates to gunus level and include microinvertebrates, since this may give a more accurate assessment of the river’s health. The study further recommends that identification keys for East African macroinvertebrates be developed.
Luminescence of Binary-Doped Silica Aerogel Powders: A Two-Step Sol-Gel Approach

In this study, we report a novel synthesis of hydrophobic silica aerogel powder composites, functionalized and binary-doped with [Tb(phen)2](NO3)3 and [Eu(phen)2](NO3)3 nanocrystals, employing a two-step sol-gel methodology. The investigation delves into the structural elucidation, optical properties and thermal conductivity of these functionalized Tb(III)-Eu(III) composites. Our analysis includes diffuse reflectance spectra and excitation and luminescence spectra, highlighting the quantum yields of composites with varying chemical compositions. Remarkably, these samples exhibit a strong luminescence, with distinct hues of red or green based on the specific doping type and level. The detailed examination of excitation spectra and quantum yields establishes robust energy-transfer mechanisms from the 1,10-phenanthroline molecule to the lanthanide ions. Notably, our study uncovers a Tb3⁺→Eu3⁺ energy-transfer phenomenon within the binary functionalized samples, providing compelling evidence for a structural formation process occurring within the mesoporous framework of the aerogel powders.
Antioxidative Sirt1 and the Keap1-Nrf2 Signaling Pathway Impair Inflammation and Positively Regulate Autophagy in Murine Mammary Epithelial Cells or Mammary Glands Infected with Streptococcus uberis

Streptococcus uberis mastitis in cattle infects mammary epithelial cells. Although oxidative responses often remove intracellular microbes, S. uberis survives, but the mechanisms are not well understood. Herein, we aimed to elucidate antioxidative mechanisms during pathogenesis of S. uberis after isolation from clinical bovine mastitis milk samples. S. uberis’s in vitro pathomorphology, oxidative stress biological activities, transcription of antioxidative factors, inflammatory response cytokines, autophagosome and autophagy functions were evaluated, and in vivo S. uberis was injected into the fourth mammary gland nipple of each mouse to assess the infectiousness of S. uberis potential molecular mechanisms. The results showed that infection with S. uberis induced early oxidative stress and increased reactive oxygen species (ROS). However, over time, ROS concentrations decreased due to increased antioxidative activity, including total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) enzymes, plus transcription of antioxidative factors (Sirt1, Keap1, Nrf2, HO-1). Treatment with a ROS scavenger (N-acetyl cysteine, NAC) before infection with S. uberis reduced antioxidative responses and the inflammatory response, including the cytokines IL-6 and TNF-α, and the formation of the Atg5-LC3II/LC3I autophagosome. Synthesis of antioxidants determined autophagy functions, with Sirt1/Nrf2 activating autophagy in the presence of S. uberis. This study demonstrated the evasive mechanisms of S. uberis in mastitis, including suppressing inflammatory and ROS defenses by stimulating antioxidative pathways.
Assessing losses and gains with ageing: the psychometric properties of the Polish version 
of the Attitudes to Ageing Questionnaire

The Attitudes to Ageing Questionnaire (AAQ) is a measure designed for cross-cultural comparisons of attitudes to ageing from the perspective of older adults. The article presents a cultural and linguistic adaptation of the AAQ for use with Polish-speaking people.The Polish translation of the AAQ-24, Personal Wellbeing Index, Geriatric Depression Scale and demographic and health survey were administered to 500 older adult participants living in Poland: 269 women (53.8%) and 231 men (46.2%), aged 60 to 86 (M = 66.75, SD = 5.10). Similar to other translations of the AAQ, analyses confirmed a three-factor structure for the AAQ. Factor structure was confirmed as: psychosocial loss, physical change, and psychological growth. The tool was found to have good validity based on confirmatory factor analysis, as well as satisfactory latent construct reliability and internal consistency (Cronbach’s α and H coefficient > .70 for all subscales). Test-retest reliability in a three-week interval was good (intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) ranged between . 86 and . 91, p < . 01, for all subscales). The AAQ-24-PL shows appropriate con-vergent and divergent validity. Demographic differences in AAQ-24-PL were also found.The results confirm the validity and reliability of the AAQ-24-PL, and this useful tool demonstrates acceptable psychomet-ric performance. Researchers and practitioners working with older adults can benefit from using this tool to assess losses and gains with ageing.
Antiplasmodial and onset speed of growth inhibitory activities of Tithonia diversifolia (Hemsley) A Gray leaf fractions against Plasmodium falciparum

Purpose: To investigate the antiplasmodial and onset of growth inhibitory activities of T. diversifolia fractions against Plasmodium falciparum FCR3 strain.Methods: Seven fractions of T. diversifolia (F1-F7) were used in this study. Phytochemical analysis was conducted to identify the major compounds in the fractions. Various concentrations of fractions ranging from 2.5 – 100.0 μg/mL were exposed to P. falciparum FCR3 strain for 60 h and the growth inhibition was then calculated. The fraction which exhibited the best antiplasmodial activity was tested further to determine the growth inhibition onset against P. falciparum FCR3 strain. This was achieved by examining the inhibitory activity of the fraction when it was added at the beginning of the experiment and assessing subsequent parasite growth after 8, 16, 24, 32, and 40 h incubation.Results: The major compounds found in the fractions were terpenes. Fraction six (F6) had the best antiplasmodial activity (IC50 13.63 ± 1.43 μg/mL). During the first 32 h of incubation, F6 inhibited the growth of parasites and this increased with longer incubation time; 32 h incubation provided the highest growth inhibition (99.23 ± 0.05 %). After 32 h the inhibition activity began to decrease, and resulted in < 50 % inhibition at 48 h incubation. This result suggested that F6 is a rapid-onset antiplasmodial agent.Conclusion: Fractions of T. diversifolia, especially F6, are promising antimalarial agents and require further development for clinical application.Keywords: Tithonia diversifolia, Plasmodium falciparum, Onset speed, Antimalarial, Antiplasmodial