Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Musical Activities in Early Childhood Education Textbooks / Glazbene aktivnosti u udžbenicima za obrazovanje u ranom djetinjstvu

The main aim of this study is to analyse musical activities and treatment of music in early childhood education textbooks. The sample comprised 2200 activities in textbooks from leading publishing houses in Spain. This information was collected through an instrument elaborated ad hoc articulated in five sections: (1) textbook data; (2) activity identification data; (3) activity planning; (4) content areas for the activities and (5) resources and materials. Exploratory statistics were used for the descriptive analysis and confirmatory statistics for the univariate, bivariate and multivariate analysis. The results of this research showed large differences in the musical planning of publishing houses; the most current textbooks had more musical sessions and activities; activities which used music as an end in itself were more common than those used as a resource; the most developed content areas by publishers were movement/dance and listening; and finally, concerning resources and materials, half of the activities referred to the use of CDs, but the incorporation of musical digital games was very low.Keywords: Early Childhood Education; music education; music syllabus; textbook---Glavni cilj ovoga istraživanja bio je analizirati glazbene aktivnosti i obradu glazbe u udžbenicima za obrazovanje u ranom djetinjstvu. Uzorak se sastojao od 2200 aktivnosti iz udžbenika koje su tiskale vodeće izdavačke kuće u Španjolskoj. Informacije su prikupljene koristeći instrument koji je u ovome slučaju opisao pet domena: (1) podatci o udžbenicima; (2) podatci za prepoznavanje aktivnosti; (3) planiranje aktivnosti; (4) sadržaji aktivnosti te (5) sredstva i materijali. Istraživačka statistika korištena je za deskriptivnu analizu dok je potvrdna statistika korištena za univarijatnu, bivarijatnu i multivarijatnu analizu. Rezultati ovoga istraživanja ukazali su na velike razlike u planiranju glazbenih aktivnosti s obzirom na izdavačke kuće; aktualni udžbenici sadržavali su više glazbenih jedinica i aktivnosti; aktivnosti koje su se koristile glazbom koja je sama sebi svrha učestalije su od aktivnosti koje glazbu koriste kao resurs; područja sadržaja koja su izdavači najviše razvili su pokret/ples i slušanje; konačno, s obzirom na izvore i materijale, polovica aktivnosti upućivala je na korištenje CD-ova, dok je uključivanje glazbenih digitalnih igara vrlo niska. Ključne riječi: glazbeno obrazovanje; nastavni plan za glazbeni; rani odgoj i obrazovanje; udžbenik
Optimal Energy Management of District Cooling System and Energy Storage Systems: A Case Study

A district cooling system (DCS) consumes a significant amount of energy in any multi-vector energy system to maintain a set temperature and desired comfort level. As a result, having energy management strategies (EMSs) focusing on both operational optimization and optimal planning becomes obligatory to achieve a cost-effective DCS. The contribution of this work is twofold: (a) optimal planning of the battery energy storage system to be integrated with the DCS, which is already equipped with thermal energy storage. (b) co-optimization of the multi-chiller system within the DCS and energy storage systems conjoined with it. Both the optimization problems are formulated as bi-level and mixed-integer non-linear programs, respectively. The proposed EMSs offer near-configurability and selective decision-making that enables system operators to adopt any scheduling strategies. Finally, the developed formulations are realized with the DCS at the Gujarat International Finance-Tec City, i.e., a special economic zone as a test bench, thereby illustrating the efficacy of the proposed EMSs for the cost-effective operation of DCS and energy storage systems.
Enhanced COVID-19 Detection and Privacy Preserving Using Federated Learning

COVID-19 is rapidly spreading internationally, and early detection and diagnosis are mandatory to prevent the spread of the virus. Machine learning and deep learning models are considered for the detection of viruses accurately. However, these need to be improved to maintain the privacy of the patient's information. To keep the patient's private information and to detect COVID-19 with maximum accuracy, Federated learning allows multiple users to train models locally without sharing local data. This research study uses a distributed learning system to build a global model. The objective is to develop and evaluate a federated learning method for COVID-19 identification using chest X-ray pictures. Developed a decentralised and collaborative system that allows clinics to transmit sensitive information while remaining anonymous. The experiments and evaluations were conducted to emphasise the applicability of the federated learning technique, which is beneficial in COVID-19 circumstances.
Effects of Climate Change and Nitrogen Addition on Carbon Loss in Alpine Wetland of Qinghai–Tibet Plateau

Soil microorganisms and soil organic carbon (SOC) play important roles in ecosystem cycling, but there is a lack of clarity about the effects of nitrogen addition on soil microorganisms and SOC, as well as the key microbial taxa that influence SOC. This study was conducted in the alpine wetland of Xiaopo Lake in the Qinghai Lake basin, using NH4NO3 as the nitrogen source, three nitrogen addition gradients (N2: 2 g/m2, N5: 5 g/m2, N10: 10 g/m2), and a blank control treatment (N0: 0 g/m2), with three replicate experiments for each treatment. The main findings were as follows: (1) Both increased soil temperature and decreased precipitation reduced SOC content. SOC content gradually decreased with increasing nitrogen concentration; SOC was reduced by 3.36–29.54% and 8.57–26.66% at 0–15 cm and 15–30 cm soil depths, respectively. (2) Proteobacteria, Chloroflexi, Acidobacteria, and Actinobacteria were the main dominant species, and their changes determined the changes in the entire bacterial community. The relative abundance of Proteobacteria and Actinobacteria decreased under nitrogen addition; Acidobacteria increased significantly; and Chloroflexi did not change significantly. The overall abundance and diversity of soil bacteria showed an increasing trend. The number of soil bacteria is a key factor affecting SOC content, and an increase in the number and diversity of soil bacteria enhances their decomposition capacity, and thus, reduces SOC content. (3) Increased soil temperatures and decreased precipitation are associated with decreased SOC and are the main climatic factors affecting SOC. This study provides a reference for the rational utilization and management of wetland ecosystems under climate change.
The pathophysiological impact of intra-abdominal hypertension in pigs

Background Intra-abdominal hypertension and abdominal compartment syndrome are common with clinically significant consequences. We investigated the pathophysiological effects of raised IAP as part of a more extensive exploratory animal study. The study design included both pneumoperitoneum and mechanical intestinal obstruction models. Methods Forty-nine female swine were divided into six groups: a control group (Cr; n = 5), three pneumoperitoneum groups with IAPs of 20mmHg (Pn20; n = 10), 30mmHg (Pn30; n = 10), 40mmHg (Pn40; n = 10), and two mechanical intestinal occlusion groups with IAPs of 20mmHg (MIO20; n = 9) and 30mmHg (MIO30; n = 5). Results There were significant changes (p<0.05) noted in all organ systems, most notably systolic blood pressure (SBP) (p<0.001), cardiac index (CI) (p = 0.003), stroke volume index (SVI) (p<0.001), mean pulmonary airway pressure (MPP) (p<0.001), compliance (p<0.001), pO2 (p = 0.003), bicarbonate (p = 0.041), hemoglobin (p = 0.012), lipase (p = 0.041), total bilirubin (p = 0.041), gastric pH (p<0.001), calculated glomerular filtration rate (GFR) (p<0.001), and urine output (p<0.001). SVV increased progressively as the IAP increased with no obvious changes in intravascular volume status. There were no significant differences between the models regarding their impact on cardiovascular, respiratory, renal and gastrointestinal systems. However, significant differences were noted between the two models at 30mmHg, with MIO30 showing worse metabolic and hematological parameters, and Pn30 and Pn40 showing a more rapid rise in creatinine. Conclusions This study identified and quantified the impact of intra-abdominal hypertension at different pressures on several organ systems and highlighted the significance of even short-lived elevations. Two models of intra-abdominal pressure were used, with a mechanical obstruction model showing more rapid changes in metabolic and haematological changes. These may represent different underlying cellular and vascular pathophysiological processes, but this remains unclear.
Backed Into a Corner: Structural Changes That Lead to Local News Deserts

On the surface, it may look like there are no news deserts in the Czech Republic, but that does not mean that all audiences are able to get relevant local news. Apart from independent local news outlets, which are diminishing, Czech districts are served by information provided either by a delocalised publishing chain or a municipality press that promotes the local government. I will focus on the emergence of news deserts from the perspective of independent local newspapers, especially on the structural changes that lead to the declining number of media outlets that offer local news in Czechia. Moreover, I take the bottom-up approach to reflect on the local journalists’ point of view. The mixed-method research, which was conducted in 2019 and 2020, consisted of a survey of local newspaper owners and in-depth interviews with local journalists. I identified several structural changes to both the local newspapers and to the general publishing industry that have led to growing organisational and economic problems for the local newspapers, and often to their demise. Local news is still carried by newspapers, which depend on the traditional business model and are slow with their digital transition. Their survival is based on (non)cooperation with either ancillary organisations (printing office, distribution firm, and sales outlet) or other local newspapers. Newspapers are cornered by the demands of external actors; their economic stability depends on the self-sufficiency of their production.
Exploring Household Food Waste Reduction for Carbon Footprint Mitigation: A Case Study in Shanghai, China

With the steady growth of the global population and the accelerated urbanization process, the carbon footprint resulting from food waste has a significant impact on the environment and sustainable development. Considering Shanghai’s significance as a major urban center in China and a global hub for economic and cultural activities, this study primarily aims to accurately estimate household food waste generation and calculate the carbon footprint related to edible food waste. It analyzes the factors influencing household food waste generation and reviews the anti-food waste-related policies at both the national and Shanghai regional levels. The study reveals that although the Shanghai municipal government attaches great importance to the issue of food waste, the current policies mainly focus on the catering industry, and there is still a need for further strengthening measures to address food waste at the household level. In Shanghai, the per capita daily food waste generation is 0.57 kg, with 43.42% being edible food waste, contributing to a per capita daily carbon footprint of 1.17 kgCO2eq. Employing the logistic regression analysis to scrutinize the characteristics of the respondents, it is ascertained that education level and annual household income significantly influence food waste generation. In addition, excessive food quantities and expiration dates lead to high-frequency food waste. The culmination of this study is the formulation of a series of pragmatic and impactful policy recommendations aimed at curbing the carbon footprint that stems from food waste.
A Low-Cost, Stable, and Accurate Method for Electromagnetic Characterization of 3D Printing Filaments Using 3D-Printed Waveguides for Microwave Applications

We present a novel measurement approach to electromagnetic characterization of 3D printing filaments via Nicholson-Ross-Weir (NRW) method. In particular, we measure reflection and transmission coefficients of 3D-printed samples by placing them into 3D-printed sample holder waveguides and using a vector network analyzer. Then constitutive parameters are found by using these coefficients. NRW method produces inaccurate results when sample thicknesses are greater than half of the guided wavelength. In addition, measured dielectric and magnetic loss values are highly sensitive to phase data of reflection and transmission coefficients. We show that stable and accurate results can be obtained via 3D-printed sample holder waveguides with proper thicknesses.
Virus Behavior after UV254 Treatment of Materials with Different Surface Properties

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the limitations in scientific and engineering understanding of applying germicidal UV to surfaces. This study combines surface characterization, viral retention, and the related UV dose response to evaluate the effectiveness of UV254 as a viral inactivation technology on five surfaces: aluminum, ceramic, Formica laminate, PTFE and stainless steel. Images of each surface were determined using SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy), which produced a detailed characterization of the surfaces at a nanometer scale. From the SEM images, the surface porosity of each material was calculated. Through further analysis, it was determined that surface porosity, surface roughness, contact angle, and zeta potential correlate to viral retention on the material. The imaging revealed that the aluminum surface, after repeated treatment, is highly oxidized, increasing surface area and surface porosity. These interactions are important as they prevent the recovery of MS-2 without exposure to UV254. The dose response curve for PTFE was steeper than ceramic, Formica laminate and stainless steel, as inactivation to the detection limit was achieved at 25 mJ/cm2. These findings are consistent with well-established literature indicating UV reflectivity of PTFE is maximized. Statistical testing reinforced that the efficacy of UV254 for surface inactivation varies by surface type.
Export-Related Dynamic Capabilities and Export Success: Absorptive Capacity Moderated Mediating Effect of Ambidexterity

The success of exporting SMEs depends on their distinctive export-related dynamic capabilities that enable them to survive and grow in international environment. Since these capabilities are knowledge-based, they provide a great advantage for resource-constrained SMEs even with very small investments. This study investigates these specific export-related dynamic capabilities and their effect on export performance in SMEs of an emerging economy. A survey was conducted to 427 exporting SMEs in all over Turkey to test the hypothesis concerning the relations between international orientation, export market orientation, ambidexterity, absorptive capacity and export performance. The results showed that ambidexterity is a mediator between orientations (international orientation, export market orientation) and export performance. Besides, absorptive capacity has a moderating effect on the relationship between ambidexterity and export performance.
Exploring the Skin Brain Link: Biomarkers in the Skin with Implications for Aging Research and Alzheimer’s Disease Diagnostics

Neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD), are challenging to diagnose. Currently the field must rely on imperfect diagnostic modalities. A recent study identified differences in several key bio-mechano-physiological parameters of the skin between AD patients and healthy controls. Here, we visually align these differences with the relevant histological, aging, and embryological paradigms to raise awareness for these potential biomarkers. In a study conducted by Wu et al., a series of n = 41 patients (n = 29 with AD and n = 12 healthy controls) were evaluated, demonstrating that AD patients exhibit a less acidic skin pH, increased skin hydration, and reduced skin elasticity compared to healthy controls. We constructed a visual overview and explored the relevant paradigms. We present a visual comparison of these factors, highlighting four paradigms: (1) the findings emphasize a shared ectodermal origin of the brain and the skin; (2) functional systems such as micro-vascularization, innervation, eccrine excretory functions, and the extracellular matrix undergo distinct changes in patients with AD; (3) the human skin mirrors the alterations in brain stiffness observed in aging studies; (4) assessment of physiological features of the skin is cost-effective, accessible, and easily amenable for monitoring and integration with cognitive assessment studies. Understanding the relationship between aging skin and aging brain is an exciting frontier, holding great promise for improved diagnostics. Further prospective and larger-scale investigations are needed to solidify the brain-skin link and determine the extent to which this relationship can be leveraged for diagnostic applications.
Les glaciers-rocheux, objets géographiques : analyse spatiale multiscalaire et investigations environnementales : application aux Alpes de Vanoise

La these tend vers la comprehension de la mise en place des glaciers-rocheux dans les Alpes de Vanoise. L'approche est multiscalaire de la petite echelle du massif a la grande echelle de l'individu. A petite echelle, on utilise les methodes de la geographie quantitative. La grande echelle est reservee a la cartographie geomorphologique, a l'investigation geophysique et aux enregistrements climatiques. L'objectif de l'approche quantitative est de comprendre la mise en place regionale d'un cortege de cent soixante glaciers-rocheux. De l'analyse multivariee et de la modelisation ressortent de nombreux elements a valeurs chronologique et dynamique. Les glaciers-rocheux apparaissent surtout comme les signataires d'adaptations morphodynamiques dans des espaces abandonnes par les glaciers ; on les inscrit dans une subsequence au desenglacement. On montre les limites imposees a leur developpement par la topographie et la disponibilite des materiaux. A grande echelle, les resultats de la cartographie et de l'utilisation du radar geologique soulignent la composition spatiale complexe des cas etudies ; on retient l'idee d'une mise en place polyphasee avec pietinement et relais des processus sur une espace restreint. Dans une derniere partie on s'interesse au temoignage environnemental lato sensu des glaciers-rocheux. Une methode de cadrage chronologique sur un echantillon d'individus donne des âges hypothetiques de plusieurs millenaires remontant eventuellement a la fin de la grande glaciation. Enfin l'etude du comportement thermique de la surface de trois glaciers-rocheux souligne le role de la morphologie des glaciers-rocheux dans la preservation de leur cryosphere interne.
Top-of-Atmosphere Direct Radiative Effect of Aerosols from the Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System Satellite Instrument (CERES)

Nine months of CERES/TRMM broadband fluxes combined with VIRS high-resolution imager measurements are used to estimate the daily average direct radiative effect of aerosols for clear-sky conditions over the tropical oceans. On average, aerosols have a cooling effect over the tropics of 4.6 +/- 1 W/sq m. The magnitude is approx.2 W/sq m smaller over the southern tropical oceans than it is over northern tropical oceans. The direct effect derived from CERES is highly correlated with coincident aerosol optical depth retrievals inferred from 0.63 microns VIRS radiances (correlation coefficient of 0.96). The slope of the regression line is approx. -32 W/sq m/t over the equatorial Pacific Ocean, but changes both regionally and seasonally, depending on the aerosol characteristics. Near sources of biomass burning and desert dust, the aerosol direct effect reaches -25 W sq m to -30 W/sq m. The direct effect from CERES also shows a dependence on wind speed. The reason for this dependence is unclear-it may be due to increased aerosol (e.g. sea-salt or aerosol transport) or increased surface reflection (e.g. due to whitecaps). The uncertainty in the tropical average direct effect from CERES is approx. 1 W/sq m (approx. 20%) due mainly to cloud contamination, the radiance-to-flux conversion, and instrument calibration. By comparison, uncertainties in the direct effect from the ERBE and CERES "ERBE-Like" products are a factor of 3 to 5 larger.
PLPF‐VSLAM: An indoor visual SLAM with adaptive fusion of point‐line‐plane features

Simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) is required in many areas and especially visual‐based SLAM (VSLAM) due to the low cost and strong scene recognition capabilities conventional VSLAM relies primarily on features of scenarios, such as point features, which can make mapping challenging in scenarios with sparse texture. For instance, in environments with limited (low‐even non‐) textures, such as certain indoors, conventional VSLAM may fail due to a lack of sufficient features. To address this issue, this paper proposes a VSLAM system called visual SLAM that can adaptively fuse point‐line‐plane features (PLPF‐VSLAM). As the name implies, it can adaptively employ different fusion strategies on the PLPF for tracking and mapping. In particular, in rich‐textured scenes, it utilizes point features, while in non‐/low‐textured scenarios, it automatically selects the fusion of point, line, and/or plane features. PLPF‐VSLAM is evaluated on two RGB‐D benchmarks, namely the TUM data sets and the ICL_NUIM data sets. The results demonstrate the superiority of PLPF‐VSLAM compared to other commonly used VSLAM systems. When compared to ORB‐SLAM2, PLPFVSLAM achieves an improvement in accuracy of approximately 11.29%. The processing speed of PLPF‐VSLAM outperforms PL(P)‐VSLAM by approximately 21.57%.
CRISPR-Cas9-Mediated Cytosine Base Editing Screen for the Functional Assessment of CALR Intron Variants in Japanese Encephalitis Virus Replication

The Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is a mosquito-borne flavivirus that causes viral encephalitis in humans, pigs and other mammals across Asia and the Western Pacific. Genetic screening tools such as CRISPR screening, DNA sequencing and RNA interference have greatly improved our understanding of JEV replication and its potential antiviral approaches. However, information on exon and intron mutations associated with JEV replication is still scanty. CRISPR-Cas9-mediated cytosine base editing can efficiently generate C: G-to-T: A conversion in the genome of living cells. One intriguing application of base editing is to screen pivotal variants for gene function that is yet to be achieved in pigs. Here, we illustrate that CRISPR-Cas9-mediated cytosine base editor, known as AncBE4max, can be used for the functional analysis of calreticulin (CALR) variants. We conducted a CRISPR-Cas9-mediated cytosine base editing screen using 457 single guide RNAs (sgRNAs) against all exons and introns of CALR to identify loss-of-function variants involved in JEV replication. We unexpectedly uncovered that two enriched sgRNAs targeted the same site in intron-2 of the CALR gene. We found that mutating four consecutive G bases in the intron-2 of the CALR gene to four A bases significantly inhibited JEV replication. Thus, we established a CRISPR-Cas9-mediated cytosine-base-editing point mutation screening technique in pigs. Our results suggest that CRISPR-mediated base editing is a powerful tool for identifying the antiviral functions of variants in the coding and noncoding regions of the CALR gene.