Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Phosphorus leaching from riparian soils with differing management histories under three grass species.

Plants release carbon-based exudates from their roots into the rhizosphere to increase phosphorus (P) supply to the soil solution. However, if more P than required is brought into solution, additional P could be available for leaching from riparian soils. To investigate this further, soil columns containing a riparian arable and buffer strip soil, which differed in organic matter contents, were sown with three common agricultural and riparian grass species. The P loads in leachate were measured and compared with those from unplanted columns, which were 0.17 ± 0.01 and 0.89 ± 0.04 mg kg-1 for the arable and buffer strip soil, respectively. A mixture of ryegrass and red fescue significantly (p ≤ .05) increased dissolved inorganic P loads in leachate from the arable (0.23 ± 0.01 mg kg-1 ) and buffer strip soil (1.06 ± 0.05 mg kg-1 ), whereas barley significantly reduced P leaching from the buffer strip soil (0.53 ± 0.08 mg kg-1 ). This was dependent on the dissolved organic C released under different plant species and on interactions with soil management history and biogeochemical conditions, rather than on plant uptake of P and accumulation into biomass. This suggested that the amount and forms of P present in the soil and the ability of the plants to mobilize them could be key factors in determining how plants affect leaching of soil P. Selecting grass species for different stages of buffer strip development, basing species selection on root physiological traits, and correcting soil nutrient stoichiometry in riparian soils through vegetative mining could help to lower this contribution.
Robust Artificial Noise-aided Secure Communication against ICA-based Attacks

Physical layer security (PLS) technologies have attracted much attention in recent years for their potential to provide information-theoretically secure communications. Artificial Noise (AN)-aided transmission, which can realize secure communications against the external passive eavesdropping, is considered one of the most practicable PLS technologies. In this paper, we reveal that the conventional AN scheme has a severe vulnerability when the eavesdropper adopts Independent Component Analysis (ICA)-based attack, by which the AN-aided transmission will be cracked in a high probability even with most transmission power allocated to AN signals. In order to ensure secure communications, we propose a robust AN scheme focused on the ICA’s ability of blind source separation. In our proposed scheme, AN signals are generated with the same modulation scheme and a certain correlation to information signals, thus to introduce irremovable correlation to degrade the ICA’s separation performance. Furthermore, we derive the optimal correlation factors from the relation between an information-AN correlation and the ICA’s performance. Numerical simulation results with the comparison to the conventional AN scheme show that, our proposed scheme can ensure secure communications by degrading eavesdropper’s success probability of attack from 96% to lower than 1%.
A data-driven approach for pavement surface distress classification

Pavement undergoes a fast deterioration process either due to the damages induced by weather conditions, an increase in traffic flow and load, or passive factors like aging of infrastructure. Thus requiring periodic rehabilitation measures to maintain the condition of the underlying asset. Since damages on the asphalt road, impose economic setbacks and concern for the users, governmental authorities are looking for a proactive approach to detect and classify distresses in their "early" stages. As a reason, governmental authorities like the Province of Zuid-Holland (PZH) yearly inspect the road network, which was optimal until now, but as the traffic flows are increasing and weather conditions are worsening, a new approach is required to mitigate the need for a frequent, cost-effective and reliable inspection method. Modern data sources such as smartphones are the biggest data generators. Having an intriguing number of sensors and in-built features, governmental and private authorities are just starting to acknowledge the potential of such crowd-sourced data generators. In this research data-types like vibration and imagery were gathered and synthesized to assess the efficiency and accuracy of the 3 data-driven models. A 7-step methodology was implemented to build all the machine learning models. At first, vibration data was gathered to detect road anomalies and predict the International Roughness Index (IRI), by building a Random Forest decision tree. Secondly, a Convolution Neural Network (CNN) was constructed and utilized to classify pavement surface distresses. The last model, is a next step towards autonomously distinguishing the classified distress with its severity ranking. A Deep Neural Network (DNN) called EnDec (Encoder a Decoder) architecture was built and trained on the Dutch supercomputer called "cartesius", by utilizing multi-threading opportunities, to objectively segment the given pavement surface distress.
Introductory Chapter: Surgical Site Infections - A Quick Glance

Surgical site infections (SSIs) are infections of the incision or organ space that occur after surgery [1]. Thus, infections that occur in the wound created by an invasive surgical procedure are generally referred to as surgical site infections (SSIs). SSIs are one of the most important causes of healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs). The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has developed a definition for SSI as an “infection related to an operative procedure that occurs at or near the surgical incision within 30 days of the procedure or within 90 days if prosthetic material is implanted at surgery. ” This CDC definition thus describes three levels of SSI [2]:
High-level Gentamicin Resistance and Detection of aac (6’)Ie-aph (2”)Ia Gene in Enterococci Isolated from Pediatric Hospital in Northwest of Iran

Background: Enterococci form a part of the normal ﬂora of the intestinal tract, the oral cavity, and the vagina; also, they can cause UTI, septicemia, intraabdominal abscesses, and nosocomial infections. High-level gentamicin resistance (HLGR) in enterococci is mediated by aminoglycoside modifying enzymes, which is mainly encoded by aac (6’)-Ie-aph (2”)-Ia gene. Objectives: Thepresentstudyaimedatinvestigatinghigh-levelgentamicinresistanceinenterococciisolatedfromapediatrichos-pital in Tabriz and detecting aac (6’) Ie-aph (2”) Ia gene. Methods: Inadescriptiveandprospectivestudy,atotalof 100enterococcalisolateswerecollectedduringSeptember2014andJune 2015 from a pediatric hospital in Tabriz, northwest of Iran. Bacterial identiﬁcation and species determination were performed by standardbiochemicaltests. AntimicrobialsusceptibilitytestswereperformedbyKirbyBauerdiscdiﬀusionmethod. Thefrequency of aac (6’)-Ie-aph (2”)-Ia gene in the isolates was determined by polymerase chain reaction. Results: Antibiotic susceptibility tests revealed that the highest resistance was against erythromycin (79%) and tetracycline (74%), whereas the highest susceptibility was observed against chloramphenicol (86%). Resistance to ampicillin, ciproﬂoxacin, and vancomycin were detected in 47%, 53%, and 42% of the isolates, respectively. In this study, 31 isolates (31%) were identiﬁed as HLGR from which 21 (67.74%) had resistance gene of aac (6’)-Ie-aph (2”)-Ia in their genome. The prevalence of resistance to other antibiotics and multi-drug resistance (MDR) was higher among the HLGR isolates compared to the non-HLGR isolates. Conclusions: High prevalence rates of MDR and HLGR enterococci are important problems associated with medical settings. The results of this study indicated that aac (6’)-Ie-aph (2”)-Ia resistance gene is highly prevalent among gentamicin resistant isolates.
Digital distraction in the classroom: exploring instructor perceptions and reactions

ABSTRACT We examined college instructors’ perceptions of student use of mobile technology for off-task purposes during class. Previous research demonstrated that digital distraction hinders student learning, yet little is known about instructor views and reactions to this behavior. Phenomenological interviews with 11 college instructors revealed that student digital distraction has a profound influence on their pedagogical decision-making, relationships with students, and professional satisfaction. These instructors regularly encounter student digital distraction during class and have well-defined views on the deleterious influence digital distraction has on the integrity of the classroom learning environment. However, instructors were divided in their perceived responsibility to curb this behavior. Most rely on proactive prevention strategies rather than reactive strategies out of concern for negatively impacting student-instructor rapport. Moreover, these instructors experience frustration stemming from student digital distraction. Findings indicate that student digital distraction influences pedagogical decision-making and threatens the quality of student-instructor rapport.
Radiology in endodontics

U poglavlju je opisana upottreba rendgenskih prikaza u dijagnostici, terapiji i kontroli endodontskog lijecenja. Prikazane su razlicite tehnike snimanja, kao i anatomske i patoloske strukture vidljive na rendgenskim snimkama važnim za endodonciju.
Time Efficient Evaluation of Multi-axis MEMS Gyroscope Using Three-dimensional Test Methodology

Recently, the demand for micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) based inertial sensors has been increased due to a wide range of application in consumer electronics; however, high volume production remains a major challenge for the MEMS industry. This paper proposes a new three dimensional (3-D) test methodology for the time-efficient evaluation of multi-axis MEMS gyroscopes. A mathematical model for the proposed 3-D test method was derived based on the coordinates transformation. The 3-D test methodology was validated experimentally using three-axis MEMS gyroscope from ST Microelectronics and the results were compared with the conventional one dimensional (1-D) test method. The experimental results revealed that the measurement error between the conventional 1-D and the proposed 3-D test was less than 1%, whereas the test time was decreased three times. Finally, the error sources and limitations of the proposed 3-D test method was highlighted.
Characterization of Adipose Tissue Inflammation in Alcoholic Liver Disease

Adipose tissue inflammation has an impact on liver health and it has been demonstrated that chronic alcohol consumption leads to the expression of proinflammatory markers in the adipose tissue. A thorough characterization of alcohol-induced adipose inflammation is lacking, and is important to understand in order to identify immune-related mechanisms that drive this phenomenon. Current therapeutic regimens for alcoholic liver disease are ineffective. It is critical to understand how other organs influence liver injury in this disease when developing novel and effective therapies in the future. Alcoholic liver disease exhibits a sexual dimorphism; women are more susceptible to liver injury than men and the same paradigm exists in rodent models. Here, I demonstrate that female mice have greater alcohol-induced adipose tissue inflammation than male mice, evidenced by greater expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and cell markers. Further, female mice also exhibit higher expression of toll-like receptor genes in the adipose tissue, suggesting a potential role for the innate immune system in alcohol-induced adipose inflammation. Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) has been demonstrated to drive inflammation in both the liver and adipose tissue. I used both germline and conditional knockouts of Tlr4 to characterize alcohol-induced changes in the immune cell composition of adipose tissue. Alcohol increased the number of pro-inflammatory adipose tissue macrophages. This macrophage phenotype switching is partially
Беги и решай: опыт соревнований по математическому рогейну

Urban orienteering is a popular activity in Russia that combines physical and intellectual exercises. Many residents of megapolises are keen of it, including students and alumni of mathematical and technical study programs. We organized a similar competition focused on mathematics as a part of Caucasus Mathematical Olympiad. Over 300 people took part in the event, including schoolchildren and general public. This paper provides a guideline on preparing and carrying out such events.
Determinación de Elementos Clave de Éxito para las Pymes Basados en la Metáfora del Cuerpo

Resumen En este articulo se presenta la creacion de la metafora del cuerpo humano en relacion con la organizacion, para determinar elementos indispensables que las pymes (pequenas y medianas empresas) pueden tomar en cuenta para sobrevivir en el mercado. En la metodologia se describen los pasos requeridos para crear una metafora, donde se identifican y contraponen aspectos anatomicos y fisiologicos del cuerpo con caracteristicas estructurales y funcionales de la organizacion, teniendo como finalidad encontrar una interrelacion entre los dos sistemas de estudio, desde un enfoque sistemico. Dentro de los resultados encontrados se muestran las asociaciones entre el sistema respiratorio-area comercial, sistema circulatorio-area financiera y sistema tegumentario-imagen corporativa.
Investigation of the incidence of vitamin B12 deficiency in leukopenia and neutropenia secondary to infection

Leukopenia is a common condition in childhood. Most cases develop due to secondary causes. Infections, nutritional deficiency, drugs, immune neutropenia, neonatal neutropenia, pure white cell aplasia, hypersplenism are the most important secondary causes. Infections are the most common etiology in these conditions. In addition to this virus are the most common cause of infectious agents. Acute transient neutropenia most commonly occur after viral infections and starts in a few days before the onset of infection and continues until viremia ends. Viral infections including influenza, varicella, Ebstein-barr virus, parvovirus B19, rubella, measles, hepatitis A and B, cytomegalovirus, adenovirus and coxsackie lead to neutropenia by causing reduction in production and increase in destruction. In addition, sepsis due to gram negative bacteria, may be the cause leukopenia and neutropenia. Bacterial infections secondary to leukopenia and neutropenia due to viral infections may be associated with severe mortality, especially in patients with immunodeficiency or underlying chronic disease. Nutritional deficiencies are other common conditions after infections.
Calcium und Vitamin D zur Osteoporose-Prävention

Richtlinien zur Pravention einer Vitamin D Unterversorgung wurden 2012 vom Bundesamt fur Gesundheit (BAG) neu definiert und beziehen sich ausschliesslich auf die Knochengesundheit und Osteoporose Pravention. Die BAG Empfehlungen beruhen auf der 2-jahrigen Arbeit einer Schweizer Expertengruppe, deren Empfehlungen auf der BAG Website einsehbar ist (1).
Evaluating player immersion in survival horror video game design

THESIS: Evaluating Player Immersion in Survival Horror Video Games STUDENT: Melodie Griffin DEGREE: Master of Arts COLLEGE: College of Communication, Information, Media DATE: May 2019 PAGES: 66 While survival horror video games develop at a rapid pace, a gap in user experience research continues to widen alongside their development. More specifically, this study seeks to understand how perspective and narrative affect player immersion in survival horror video games by performing a comparative study of player experience during gameplay with and without virtual reality enhancement. By evaluating how players interact with the gameplay experience, this study will identify how differing player perspective provokes or affects player immersion. Based on these findings, this study recommends a less restrictive game structure that limits the use of narrative cutscenes, provides more than one way to complete game challenges/objectives, and allows for virtual reality enhancement options. EVALUATING PLAYER IMMERSION IN SURVIVAL HORROR VIDEO GAME DESIGN 2
Desenvolvimento de jogo digital educacional no RPG Maker MV para auxiliar no processo de ensino-aprendizagem de ortografia da Língua Portuguesa

Relato do desenvolvimento de um jogo digital, a ser utilizado como recurso didático para auxiliar no processo de ensino-aprendizagem de ortografia. A fundamentação teórica baseia-se nos estágios de aquisição da escrita (MOREIRA, 2009) e na relação entre letras e sons (MORAIS, 2008). O conteúdo didático do jogo foi elaborado em conjunto com uma professora de Língua Portuguesa e o jogo digital foi desenvolvido através do software RPG Maker MV. Os dados foram coletados através de sessões de jogos e de entrevistas com alunos do 5º ano do Ensino Fundamental de uma escola pública de Fortaleza/CE. A análise dos dados preliminares mostrou que o jogo digital foi bem aceito pelos alunos. Os dados mostram também uma série de aspectos que precisam ser aprimorados para a próxima versão do jogo digital educacional, como a dificuldade e a diversidade dos conteúdos e a interação entre o jogador e os elementos do próprio jogo.
The Development of Prosocial Emotions

Humans rely heavily on their prosocial relationships. We propose that the experience and display of prosocial emotions evolved to regulate such relationships through inhibiting individual selfishness in service of others. Two emotions in particular serve to meet two central requirements for upholding prosociality: gratitude motivates maintenance of ongoing prosocial interactions, and guilt motivates repair of ruptured prosocial interactions. We further propose, and review developmental evidence, that nascent forms of these two emotions serve their respective functions from early in ontogeny. The remarkably early emergence of these prosocial emotions allows even very young children to participate in and benefit from prosociality. We discuss the implications of and challenges to this conclusion and identify pressing future directions for this work.
New Results on Joint Channel and Impulsive Noise Estimation and Tracking in Underwater Acoustic OFDM Systems

Impulsive noise can greatly affect the performance of underwater acoustic (UA) orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) systems. In this paper, by utilizing the sparsity of the UA channel impulse response and impulsive noise, we first propose a novel sparse Bayesian learning (SBL) based expectation maximization (EM) algorithm for joint channel estimation and impulsive noise mitigation in UA OFDM systems. Secondly, considering that the UA channel and impulsive noise are fast time-varying, we develop a new approach which combines the SBL with the forward-backward Kalman filtering to track the UA channel and impulsive noise. To further improve the system performance, we utilize the information available on data subcarriers for joint time-varying channel estimation and data detection, based on the SBL algorithm and the Kalman filter. The performance of our proposed algorithms is verified through both numerical simulations and by data collected during a UA communication experiment conducted in the estuary of the Swan River, Perth, Australia. The results demonstrate that compared with existing approaches, the proposed algorithms achieve a better system bit-error-rate and frame-error-rate performance.
Evenly brightening using kurtosis Gaussian pattern to simplify image binarization

A problem of separating object from background using thresholding in image segmentation is uneven image brightness. Some binary image objects vanish because the pixel intensity value on the edge side is greater than the pixel’s background intensity. The others at the edge of image are covered by background pixel. The background pixel at the edge is bigger than the pixel value of the object in the inside of image. A light source type affects the spread of brightness adding thresholding difficulty. The object’s light distribution from the exposed light source follows the Gaussian distribution. A kurtosis value depends on the light source type. Following the kurtosis of standard deviation, the method for creating brightness evenly is designed. The Gaussian pattern is formed from the distribution of Gaussian values in the cells of the Gaussian matrix. The pixel values in the corresponding images will be added to the matrix cells. The pixel value will increase according to the Gaussian matrix pattern. This process results in the highest pixel value not getting added value, while the lowest pixel intensity value will get the greatest value addition.
Metaphysical realism in classical Indian Buddhism and modern Anglo-European philosophy

In modern Anglo-European philosophy there is a distinct progression from the metaphysical realism of ancient and classical philosophy towards a type of scepticism that eventually leads towards nihilism. Interestingly this progression also appears in the doctrines of the Classical schools of Indian Buddhism that pre-date modern European philosophy by six centuries. This progression stems from the application of the same types of logical and philosophical reasoning to the problems of metaphysics. The movement from metaphysical realism to representationalism to idealism and finally towards nihilism, which is seen within both the classical Indian Buddhist tradition and Modern Anglo-European philosophy are products of a coherent and wholly logical progression from the acceptance of certain metaphysical principles. The fact that these same movements occur in two philosophical traditions that are separated by vast chasms in space, time and culture seems to point to an underlying commonality underlying human philosophical enquiry, whether this is a result of a common intelligible reality, an essential and universal human nature or both is a philosophical question we must continue to pursue.
Evaluation of the effect of pre-surgical transaminase enzyme disorder on early outcomes of laparoscopic cholecystectomy

Introduction: Gallbladder removal surgery is performed in two ways: open, or laparoscopic. Compared with open surgery, laparoscopic surgery has a shorter admission period, less cost of treatment, and the patient’s faster return to work and daily activities. This study aims to investigate the effect of the disorder of transaminase enzymes before surgery on laparoscopic cholecystectomy outcomes. Methods: The present study is a cross-sectional analysis conducted during the period of 2015-2016 on all patients with a diagnosis of acute cholecystitis admitted to the surgical ward of Firoozgar Hospital in Tehran. These patients, based on the level of disorder of the alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) enzymes, were divided into two groups: enzymatic disorder less than 2 times normal and normal, and enzymatic disorder higher than 2 times normal up to a maximum of 10 times normal. Data were collected by the researcher using a checklist containing the variables under study and analyzed in SPSS-22. Results: The results of the study showed that of 89 patients with acute cholecystitis, 59.6% were female and the rest were male. The mean and standard deviation of the age of the patients was 48.6 ± 18.71. The analytical results showed that there was no significant relationship between elevated liver enzymes SAT and ALT and variables such as incidence of hemorrhage during surgery, change of surgical method (laparoscopic to open), surgical difficulty report by the surgeon, changes in anesthesia after surgery, and duration of hospitalization (P >0.05). Conclusions: The results of this study showed that laparoscopy is possible for acute cholecystitis, even with the presence of elevated liver enzymes, and it depends largely on the experience of the surgeon and the anatomy of biliary duct.