Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Purpose-Built System for Culturing Cells as In Vivo Mimetic 3D Structures

Culturing cells in 3D is often considered to be significantly more difficult than culturing them in 2D. In practice, this is not the case: the situation is that equipment needed for 3D cell culture has not been optimised as much as equipment for 2D. Here we present a few key features which must be considered when designing 3D cell culture equipment. These include diffusion gradients, shear stress and time. Diffusion gradients are unavoidably introduced when cells are cultured as clusters. Perhaps the most important consequence of this is that the resulting hypoxia is a major driving force in the metabolic reprogramming. Most cells in tissues do not experience liquid shear stress and it should therefore be minimised. Time is the factor that is most often overlooked. Cells, irrespective of their origin, are damaged when cultures are initiated: they need time to recover. All of these features can be readily combined into a clinostat incubator and bioreactor. Surprisingly, growing cells in a clinostat system do not require specialised media, scaffolds, ECM substitutes or growth factors. This considerably facilitates the transition to 3D. Most importantly, cells growing this way mirror cells growing in vivo and are thus valuable for biomedical research.
An optimistic outlook on the use of evidence syntheses to inform environmental decision‐making

Practitioners and policymakers working in environmental arenas make decisions that can have large impacts on ecosystems. Basing such decisions on high‐quality evidence about the effectiveness of different interventions can often maximize the success of policy and management. Accordingly, it is vital to understand how environmental professionals working at the science‐policy interface view and use different types of evidence, including evidence syntheses that collate and summarize available knowledge on a specific topic to save time for decision‐makers. We interviewed 84 senior environmental professionals in Canada working at the science‐policy interface to explore their confidence in, and use of, evidence syntheses within their organizations. Interviewees value evidence syntheses because they increase confidence in decision‐making, particularly for high‐profile or risky decisions. Despite this enthusiasm, the apparent lack of available syntheses for many environmental issues means that use can be limited and tends to be opportunistic. Our research suggests that if relevant, high quality evidence syntheses exist, they are likely to be used and embraced in decision‐making spheres. Therefore, efforts to increase capacity for conducting evidence syntheses within government agencies and/or funding such activities by external bodies have the potential to enable evidence‐based decision‐making.
Self Reported Hearing Impairments and Associated Risk Factors Among Metal and Woodwork Workers in Gondar Town, North West Ethiopia

Background: The global prevalence of occupational noise-induced hearing loss ranges between 16% and 24%. The wood and metalwork industries have recently expanded in Ethiopia. This study aims to determine the level of noise exposure and the prevalence of self-reported hearing impairments and associated risk factors among metal and woodworkers in Gondar town Ethiopia. Material and Methods: An institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted on 580 metal and woodwork workers from February10 to March 25/2020. The data were collected through an interviewer-led questioner and the noise level measurement. Multivariate Poisson regression models were used. P-values less than . 05 and adjusted prevalence ratios with 95%CI were used to declare the presence and strength of an association respectively. Result: The mean (SD) average noise exposure level in the wood and metalworking industries was 96.9 ± 3.5 dBA and 96.2 ± 4 dBA, respectively. The overall prevalence of self-reported hearing impairment was 20.7% [95%CI: (17.4-24)]. In an adjusted Poisson regression, listening to music with earphones for more than 2 hours per day (PR = 2.95, 95%CI: 1.32, 6.21) and listening to music at maximum volume (PR = 2.24, 95%CI: 1.05, 4.79) were associated with hearing impairments. Conclusion: The majority of workers are exposed to noise levels that exceed OSHA’s permissible exposure limit value. A hearing conservation program should be implemented to reduce noise exposure levels in the wood and metal work industries. Workers should be aware of the duration and volume of recreational noise exposure.
Online Teaching and Learning Experiences During the COVID-19 Pandemic – A Comparison of Teacher and Student Perceptions

ABSTRACT Understanding teachers’ and students’ perceptions of online teaching and learning has been an important and popular research topic. As the COVID-19 outbreak has made online learning the best available option under social distancing and quarantine policies, the conversation on the effectiveness of online learning and its potential to strive in the future continues. However, as this conversation has received relatively less attention in the tourism and hospitality literature, this study investigated the online teaching and learning experiences of university teachers and students respectively the tourism and hospitality programs. Using an online survey distributed in March 2020, data were collected from 117 academic staff members and 491 students from over 15 higher education institutions that offer tourism and hospitality subjects in China. The two data sets (teachers and students) were compared using independent samples t-test and multi-group structural equation modeling. The findings reveal the similarities and differences between the two groups in terms of the factors affecting online teaching and learning satisfaction. Managerial implications are suggested to institutions and educators to enhance teachers’ online teaching satisfaction and students’ online learning satisfaction.
The Impact of Economic and Non-Economic Incentives to Induce Residential Demand Response—Findings from a Living Lab Experiment

This study assesses the impact of economic and non-economic incentives to induce demand response in private households. The experiment was realized by a three-months residential phase in which two tenants lived in the Energy Smart Home Lab, an experimental lab with the equipment of a modern smart home. The tenants received calls to action (CtAs) on a regular basis, incentivized economically or by moral nudges with a social or environmental background. A mixed-methods approach, consisting of smart meter data analysis, a value scale assessment, surveys and interviews, assessed the tenants’ reactions on their energy consumption behavior towards the CtAs. The smart meter data shows that the tenants performed the majority of CtAs, revealing no significant difference between economic or non-economic incentives. Results from the value scale, the interviews and the surveys indicate that this behavior might be due to the tenants’ high tendency towards biospheric and altruistic values and a high self-efficacy. Furthermore, the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic caused a 100% home-office situation, suggesting a higher flexibility of the tenants. Although the results are not representative and need further experiments to be confirmed, the incentives show a promising potential to evoke residential demand response.
Radio loudness and classification for radio sources

The extragalactic radio sources are divided into two subclasses (radio-loud and radio-quiet sources) in the literature using radio loudness (R), which is defined as the ratio of radio emission to optical emission, but the boundary R-value separating the two classes is different in various sources. In this work, a sample of 2419 objects from the 13th catalog of quasars and active nuclei is used to build a boundary for the two subclasses. To do so, we compiled the radio and optical data, calculated their radio and optical indexes, made K-correction, obtained the radio loudness, and adopted a Bayesian analysis method to the logarithm of radio loudness for classification. We also investigated the correlations of radio loudness with radio/optical luminosities. Our main conclusions are summarized as follows: (1) The distribution of the logarithm of radio loudness (log R) is bimodal, the sources with log R < 1.26 are classified as radio-quiet sources, and those with log R > 1.26 are classified as radio-loud ones from the Bayesian analysis method. (2) The average radio-optical effective spectral index of radio-quiet sources is 〈αRO〉 = 0.05, while that of radio-loud sources is 〈αRO〉 = 0.55. (3) There are positive correlations between radio luminosity and radio loudness for both radio-loud sources and radio-quiet sources. (4) A dividing line of separating the distribution of the clusters on the diagram of radio loudness against radio luminosity was obtained statistically to set the boundary between radio-loud sources and radio-quiet sources, with an accuracy of $99.73\%$ based on the classification result from the Bayesian analysis method.
Reconstruction Of Oil Spill Trajectory In The Java Sea, Indonesia Using Sar Imagery

Oil spill phenomena in the ocean possess a very serious threat to ocean health. On the ocean surface, oil slicks immediately start to spread and mostly end up in the ecosystem. Furthermore, it could threaten the organisms living in the ocean or impact nearby coastal area. The aim of this research was to investigate the trajectories of oil spill based on a real accident in the Java Sea. Tracking oil spills using satellite images is an efficient method that provides valuable information about trajectories, locations and the spread intensity. The objective of this study was to periodically track the trajectory of the oil spill from the Karawang incident using Sentinel-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images. Pre-processing of the images consisted of radiometric and geometric corrections. After the corrections, SAR images were mapped and plotted accordingly. To understand the oil spill trajectories in relation to the oceanic processes, the ocean current pattern map and surface wind roses were also analysed. The processed images from July to October 2019 show a trajectory dominated by the oil spill layers movement towards the west to northwest from the original location along with a decrease in the detected oil spill area over time. The identified trajectories of the oil spill followed the ocean current pattern and surface winds. Thus, these two parameters were considered to be the main factors responsible for the oil spill drift.
Intention to use online meeting applications during Covid-19 pandemic: A Technology Acceptance Model perspective

This research aims to add to the repertoire on the knowledge of perceived risk effect on the intention to use online meeting applications during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were obtained from 186 respondents using the questionnaire instrument, which had been tested, for validity and reliability. The obtained data were analyzed using the Structural Equation Model. Based on the data testing, it was found that all hypotheses in this research were accepted. Therefore, the intention to use online meeting applications was most affected by perceived ease of use comparing to perceived risk. The results showed that developingcompanies increased perceived ease of use, hence the technology is easily accepted by consumers.
Household’s Allocation of Payment for Ecosystem Services in “La Antigua” Watershed, Veracruz, México

Payment for ecosystem services (PES) is an environmental policy looking to improve ecosystem conservation and well-being. Assets have been used to evaluate socioeconomic outcomes of the program; however, the allocation of PES at a household level and its explaining variables have not been addressed. Thus, the aim of this article is to study the allocation of PES in nondurable and durable goods and the determinants of this household decision. Results from the La Antigua watershed located in Mexico indicate that the PES program is primarily used in durable goods, mainly on health, house infrastructure, agricultural inputs, and reforestation. Econometric models show that this allocation to one or several assets depends on the average age of the household head, on participation in a community organization, and on the average income. In contrast, government transfers are not significant. Based on this, policy recommendations are made related to the program’s socioeconomic outcomes and alignment with other conditional cash transfer.
Toll/interleukin-1 Receptor Domain-Only Protein of Arabidopsis Thaliana AtTX14 2IR, Produced By Alternative Splicing, Can Induce Defense Responses

Toll/interleukin -1 receptor (TIR) domains, which have NAD+ cleavage activity, are used as signaling modules in NOD-like receptors for defense responses. It has been shown that TIR domains not only form homo- or heterodimers with TIR domain-containing proteins but also interact with various proteins. A previous study showed that overexpression of Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis) AtTX14, encoding an N-terminal TIR domain and a C-terminal domain with unknown function, resulted in dwarfism and constitutive defense signaling or autoimmunity. Transgenic Arabidopsis overexpressing AtTX14 displays enhanced defense responses and associated dwarf phenotypes at 28 °C compared with those at 22 °C, which differs from other mutant or transgenic Arabidopsis with constitutive defense responses. We found that AtTX14 is alternatively spliced to encode three different proteins, and the TIR domain itself can induce autoimmunity and elevated defense responses to the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato. In addition, we revealed that the transcription of AtTX14 is regulated by a positive feedback mechanism. With transient overexpression of three AtTX14 protein forms in tobacco leaves, providing a heterologous system free from the positive feedback of AtTX14 in Arabidopsis, we demonstrated that expression of a splicing variant encoding the TIR domain-only protein is sufficient to activate defense signaling. A deeper understanding of interaction networks involving AtTX14 will broaden our knowledge on how plant defense signaling is regulated in response to pathogen infection and ambient temperature changes.
Strain engineering of digitally alloyed AlN/GaN nanorods for far-UVC emission as short as 220 nm

Far-UVC light with emission wavelengths between 207 nm and 222 nm has shown significant potential for killing pathogens without damaging exposed human tissues and can be an alternative for safe sterilization. This work first reports on different compressively strained (AlN)8/(GaN)2 nanorods constructing by strain engineering digitally alloyed GaN embedded in an AlN barrier. By controlling the atomically thin GaN well under increasing compressive stress, we use the top-down etching method to realize regular nanorod arrays based on (AlN)8/(GaN)2 with different compressive strains in the GaN well. The emission wavelength is as short as 220 nm in the far-UVC, as expected by the theoretical calculations. We believe that this study will play an essential role in the design and fabrication of short-wavelength and high-efficiency LED structures with far-UVC emissions and potential use in effective, reliable, and safe UV disinfection systems.
Different methods applied to remove pollutants from real epoxy paint wastewater: modeling using the response surface method

ABSTRACT Comparing between classical and advanced methods for the treatment of industrial wastewater is extremely important to optimize factory operations and cost, and reduce the effects on environment. In the present study, some classical and advanced processes were assessed for chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal, the biggest problem in the wastewater from a factory producing epoxy paints. The response surface methodology was used for optimization. While the chemical coagulation (CC) and classical Fenton (CF) processes were used as the traditional methods, the electrocoagulation (EC) and electro-Fenton (EF) processes were used as the advanced methods to treat wastewater. As a result, the highest COD removal efficiencies were obtained in EF (97.8%) and CF (88.6%), respectively. Low COD removal efficiencies (43.5% and 47.5% respectively) were achieved in coagulation-based processes (CC and EC). Operating cost for CF calculated as 2.15 €/m3. Considering in terms of treatment efficiency, sludge volume and operating cost, CF is the most suitable option for the management of epoxy paint wastewater (EPW). These results also show that Fenton-based methods provide higher removal yields for the treatment of EPW. In other words, it is stable wastewater and the presence of hydroxyl radicals is required for its successful management.
The Effects of Employee Learning, Knowledge, Benefits, and Satisfaction on Employee Performance and Career Growth in the Hospitality Industry

The service industry is considered one of the fastest growing industries in the world, especially in the context of developing countries with economies which rely on tourism sectors as the drivers for economic growth. The development of human resources can directly support the expansion of this industry. The aim of the current study was to investigate the relationships among factors at the employee level, including employee learning and knowledge. Furthermore, this study aimed to analyze the relationships among several determinants (e.g., employee satisfaction) and the influence of those relationships on employee performance and the growth of human resources careers in the context of the hospitality industry. Data were collected from 608 employees in three sectors of the service industry: airlines, hotels, and spas. The results indicated that employee learning, employee knowledge, and employee satisfaction were influential factors for employee performance. In addition, employee benefits and employee creativity showed significant effects on employee satisfaction. Furthermore, employee performance showed a significant positive effect on career growth. The implications of the current research for practitioners are also provided, and directions for further research are discussed in greater detail.
Analyzing the Research Evolution in Response to COVID-19

In order to understand how these studies are evolving to respond to COVID-19 and to facilitate the containment of COVID-19, this paper accurately extracted the spatial and topic information from the metadata of papers related to COVID-19 using text mining techniques, and with the extracted information, the research evolution was analyzed from the temporal, spatial, and topic perspectives. From a temporal view, in the three months after the emergence of COVID-19, the number of published papers showed an obvious growth trend, and it showed a relatively stable cyclical trend in the later period, which is basically consistent with the development of COVID-19. Spatially, most of the authors who participated in related research are concentrated in the United States, China, Italy, the United Kingdom, Spain, India, and France. At the same time, with the continuous spread of COVID-19 in the world, the distribution of the number of authors has gradually expanded, showing to be correlated with the severity of COVID-19 at a spatial scale. From the perspective of topic, the early stage of COVID-19 emergence, the related research mainly focused on the origin and gene identification of the virus. After the emergence of the pandemic, studies related to the diagnosis and analysis of psychological health, personal security, and violent conflict are added. Meanwhile, some categories are most closely related to the control and prevention of the epidemic, such as pathology analysis, diagnosis, and treatment; epidemic situation and coping strategies; and prediction and assessment of epidemic situation. In most time periods, the majority of studies focused on these three categories.
SAP TESTS FOR MEASURING NITROGEN STATUS OF CEREALS

The possible role of sap tests for nitrate to monitor the nitrogen status of wheat and barley as part of a flexible nitrogen policy is discussed. The method is briefly described as are its main advantages and limitations. Some preliminary results are presented that show sap tests taken at G.S. 6 were related to final yield levels. Further work to evaluate and calibrate the test is required.
Socially Defined Subpopulations Reveal Demographic Variation in a Giraffe Metapopulation

Populations are typically de ﬁ ned as spatially contiguous sets of individuals, but large pop ulations of social species can be composed of discrete social communities that often overlap in space. Masai gira ﬀ es ( Gira ﬀ a camelopardalis tippelskirchi ) of Tanzania live in distinct social subpopulations that overlap spatially, enabling us to simultaneously explore environmental and social factors correlated with demo graphic variation in a metapopulation of > 1,400 adult females and calves. We considered statistically distinct communities in the social network as subpopulations and tested for variation among the 10 subpopulations in adult female survival, calf survival, and reproductive rate (calf ‐ to ‐ adult female ratio). We then related variation in demographic rates among subpopulations to di ﬀ erences in vegetation, soil type, proximity to 2 types of human settlements, local gira ﬀ e population density, and social metrics of rela tionship strength and exclusivity among adult females. We did not ﬁ nd any among ‐ subpopulation e ﬀ ects on adult female survival, suggesting adult female survival is bu ﬀ ered against environmental heterogeneity among subpopulations. Variation in calf demographic rates among subpopulations were correlated with vegetation, soils, anthropogenic factors, and gira ﬀ e population density but not with adult female rela tionship metrics, despite substantial spatial overlap. Subpopulations with more dense bushlands in their ranges had lower calf survival probabilities, and those closer to human settlements had higher reproductive rates, possibly because of spatial gradients in natural predation. Reproductive rates were higher in sub populations with more volcanic soils, and calf survival probabilities were greater in subpopulations with higher local adult female densities, possibly related to higher ‐ quality habitat associated with fertile soils or lower predation risk, or to greater competitive ability. The variation in ﬁ tness among subpopulations suggests that gira ﬀ es do not move unhindered among resource patches to equalize reproductive success, as expected according to an ideal free distribution. The di ﬀ erences in calf survival and reproductive rates could rather indicate intercommunity di ﬀ erences in competitive ability, perception, learning, or experience. Our approach of comparing demography among spatially overlapping yet distinct socially de ﬁ ned sub populations provides a biologically meaningful way to quantify environmental and social factors in ﬂ uencing ﬁ ne ‐ scale demographic variation for social species. © 2021 The Wildlife Society.
A Data Mining and Analysis Platform for Investment Recommendations

This article describes the development of a recommender system to obtain buy/sell signals from the results of technical analyses and of forecasts performed for companies operating in the Spanish continuous market. It has a modular design to facilitate the scalability of the model and the improvement of functionalities. The modules are: analysis and data mining, the forecasting system, the technical analysis module, the recommender system, and the visualization platform. The specification of each module is presented, as well as the dependencies and communication between them. Moreover, the proposal includes a visualization platform for high-level interaction between the user and the recommender system. This platform presents the conclusions that were abstracted from the resulting values.