Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Proteomics Revealed Distinct Responses to Salinity between the Halophytes Suaeda maritima (L.) Dumort and Salicornia brachiata (Roxb)

Plant resistance to salinity stress is one of the main challenges of agriculture. The comprehension of the molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in plant tolerance to salinity can help to contrast crop losses due to high salt conditions in soil. In this study, Salicornia brachiata and Suaeda maritima, two plants with capacity to adapt to high salinity levels, were investigated at proteome level to highlight the key processes involved in their tolerance to NaCl. With this purpose, plants were treated with 200 mM NaCl as optimal concentration and 500 mM NaCl as a moderate stressing concentration for 14 days. Indeed, 200 mM NaCl did not result in an evident stress condition for both species, although photosynthesis was affected (with a general up accumulation of photosynthesis-related proteins in S. brachiata under salinity). Our findings indicate a coordinated response to salinity in both the halophytes considered, under NaCl conditions. In addition to photosynthesis, heat shock proteins and peroxidase, expansins, signaling processes, and modulation of transcription/translation were affected by salinity. Interestingly, our results suggested distinct mechanisms of tolerance to salinity between the two species considered, with S. brachiata likely having a more efficient mechanism of response to NaCl.
What’s in a Font?: Ideological Perceptions of Typography

ABSTRACT Although extensive political communication research considers the content of candidate messages, scholars have largely ignored how those words are rendered – specifically, the typefaces in which they are set. If typefaces are found to have political attributes, that may impact how voters receive campaign messages. Our paper reports the results of two survey experiments demonstrating that individuals perceive typefaces, type families, and type styles to have ideological qualities. Furthermore, partisanship moderates subjects’ perceptions of typefaces: Republicans generally view typefaces as more conservative than Independents and Democrats. We also find evidence of affective polarization, in that individuals rate typefaces more favorably when perceived as sharing their ideological orientation. Results broaden our understanding of how meaning is conveyed in political communication, laying the groundwork for future research into the functions of typography and graphic design in contemporary political campaigns. Implications for political practitioners are also discussed.
Effect of ethanolic seed extract of Caesalpinia bonducella on hormones in mifepristone induced PCOS rats

The aim of the current study is to evaluate the effect of ethanolic seed extract of Caesalpinia bonduella (ESECB) on altered hormonal levels in mifebristone-induced polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) female rats. PCOS was induced in female rats by a daily administration of mifepristone (4 mg/kg b.w.) for 8 days which was confirmed by the persistent estrous cycle. Once PCOS was induced, the rats were treated with ESECB 200 and 400 mg/kg b.w. p.o. for 28 days, and the hormonal parameters were analyzed. Metformin was used as a standard drug. A significant increase (p < 0.01) in the luteinizing hormone, Prolactin, insulin, testosterone, estrone, and estradiol levels and decrease in follicle stimulating hormone and progesterone hormone levels in the PCOS rats were observed, which were normalized in the ESECB drug-treated animals. Among the two concentrations, 400 mg/kg b.w of ESECB drug treatment showed significant effect in correcting this hormonal imbalance. Its effect was comparable to the positive control used in the present study. It can be concluded that the ESECB can be used as a potential ovulation inducer in the treatment of PCOS.
Prediction Error Criterion for Selecting of Variables in Regression Model

This paper is concerned with criteria for selecting of variables in regression model. We propose a prediction error criterion Cpe which is unbiased as an estimator for the mean squared error in prediction Rpe, when the true model is contained in the full model. The property is shown without normality. Such unbiasedness property is studied for other criteria such as cross-validation criterion, Cp criterion, etc. We will also examine modifications of multiple correlation coefficient from the point of estimating Rpe. Our results are extended to multivariate case. AMS 2000 Subject Classification: primary 62H10; secondary 62E20
STRATEGIC PLANNING PRACTICES IN MALAYSIAN SMES: AN EMPIRICAL ASSESSMENT

The notion that strategic planning is an important management process that can help firms manage their resources, develop competit ive advantage and create their future has resulted in an extensive literature in this area. While a good number of empirical studies have examined the strategic planning process in large firms, little research has focused on this area of management in small and mediumsized enterprises (SMEs), specifically in the Malaysian context. This study initiates an attempt to address this issue. This study which is part of a larger study reports findings that indicate owners and managers of SMEs used rational strategic planning process and adopt business strategies as espoused in the literature.
Housing First Literature: Different Orientations and Political-Practical Arguments

> > Abstract_ Over about twenty years, Housing First (HF) and its adaptations have become internationally promoted housing models for long-term homeless people with mental health dif ficulties or/and substance abuse issues. The model called Pathways Housing First (PHF) created in New York by Sam Tsemberis, the founder of the Pathway to Housing organization, is the most well-known. PHF model is depicted in the research literature as the original implementation of Housing First (HF). In addition to a housing model, HF has been defined as a philosophy and it is a rapidly growing research branch. In this review article, HF is approached first and foremost as a diverse research branch and the aim is to map HF literature from 1990 to 2014. The article is based on 184 publications. The main criterion for including a publication in the database was that it takes as a starting point and/or comments on the original PHF model. The following research questions were asked: 1) what are the research types that are represented in HF literature? (we call these ‘literature orientations’), and 2) what kind of political-practical arguments and objectives are expressed within each type i.e. orientation? The review found nine different types of research: 1) comparative studies, 2) guidelines and text books, 3) evaluation reports, 4) commentaries, 5) reviews, 6) implementation and outcome studies, 7) the development of scales and tests, 8) experiences and interaction studies and 9) critical social science research. As a conclusion, possible future directions of HF research are discussed.
Contrast and color balance enhancement for non-uniform illumination retinal images

Color retinal images play an important role in supporting a medical diagnosis. However, some retinal images are unsuitable for diagnosis due to the non-uniform illumination. In order to solve this problem, we propose a method for improving non-uniform illumination that can enhance the image quality of a color fundus photograph suitable for reliable visual diagnosis. Firstly, a hidden anatomical structure in dark regions of the retinal images is revealed by improving the image luminosity with gamma correction. Secondly, multi-scale tone manipulation is then used to adjust the image contrast in the lightness channel of L*a*b* color space. Finally, color balance is adjusted by specifying the image brightness based on Hubbard’s specification. The performance of the applied method has been evaluated against the data from the DIARETDB1 dataset. The results obtained show that the proposed algorithm performs well for correcting the non-uniform illumination of color retinal images.
A Pilot Study on Adoption of Mobile Communication Systems in Libyan Secondary Schools

Information systems play a huge role in strengthening the relationship between schools and parents/ guardians. Usages of new technologies facilitate interaction between the parents/ guardians and their respective schools ant this in return could help students to excel holistically. Mobile Communication Systems in particular if implemented could connect schools with student’s parents/ guardians in accordance with Libyan cultural context. It could be an effective method to assist students to improve and show significant achievement in the class. (Beleid and Jaharadak, 2019). According to Beleid and Jaharadak, (2019), schools in Libya lack proper communication with parents/ guardians and it is a common complaint among the parents/ guardians of the students. Information about their children academic performances, attendance, disciplinary issues other matters of concern in does not reach parents/ guardians on time. And despite the tremendous popularity of Mobile Communication Systems in Libya, they are not utilized by schools and parents/ guardians as a medium of communication to enhance the student learning environment. To understand and address this gap, this study adopt a model proposed by Abu Nadi (2012) to study factors affecting the adoption of mobile communication systems in Libyan Secondary Schools and in accordance with Libyan cultural context. This aim of this study is to pilot test the hypothesis that was driven from the adopted research model to establish their reliability and validity.
The stock market impact of information security investments: The case of security standards

Cyber security executives are inherently interested in developing, implementing, and reviewing cost-effective systems to safeguard their organisations from severe impacts of security breaches. Deciding which security projects to invest in can be a complex issue for such executives. One method that can help inform such decision making involves giving consideration to how the stock market reacts to security investments. One type of information security investment — complying with cyber security standards — is particularly interesting to consider, as these investments may not only have the potential to reduce financial penalties and losses associated with data breaches, but may also help to enhance reputation, win new business, and improve business processes. In this paper, we report upon a study that analysed the firm value impact of successful completion of such security investments by exploring two cases of cyber security certificates: the UK’s Cyber Essentials scheme and the global ISO/IEC 27001 standard. 145 Cyber Essentials events between 2014 and 2018 and 76 ISO/IEC 27001 certifications between 2001 and 2018 were analysed. We find that the award of a Cyber Essentials (Plus) certificate is systematically associated with significant and positive market reactions. Surprisingly, our international sample reveals that becoming ISO/IEC 27001-compliant elicits significant negative abnormal stock returns. Potential explanations and implications of our findings are discussed.
Unique Games and Small Set Expansion

The order of quantifiers here is crucial. Clearly there is a propagation type algorithm that can find a perfectly satisfying assignment if one exist, and as we mentioned before, it turns out that there is also an algorithm nearly satisfying assignment (e.g., satisfying 0.99 fraction of constraints) if e tends to zero independently of Σ. However, when the order is changed, the simple propagation type algorithms fail. That is, if we guess an assignment to the variable x1, and use the permutation constraints to propagate this guess to an assignment to x1’s neighbors and so on, then once we take more than O(1/e) steps we are virtually guaranteed to make a mistake, in which case our propagated values are essentially meaningless. One way to view the unique games conjecture is as stating this situation is inherent, and there is no way for us to patch up the local pairwise correlations that the constraints induce into a global picture. While the jury is still out on whether the conjecture is true as originally stated, we will see that the sos algorithm allows us in some circumstances to do just that. The small set expansion (SSE) problem (Raghavendra and Steurer [2010]) turned out to be a clean abstraction that seems to capture the “combinatorial heart” of the unique games problem, and has been helpful in both designing algorithms for unique games as well as constructing candidate hard instances for it. We now describe the SSE problem and outline the known relations between it and the unique games problem.
WHO EMRO | Smoking prevalence in the Eastern Mediterranean Region

Background: Three global reports issued by the World Health Organization (WHO) track and report on trends in the prevalence of tobacco smoking from 2000 to 2025 based on data from national surveys. Aims: This review aimed to compare regional and country-level projections for current tobacco smoking as presented in the WHO trend reports. These changes were considered in the context of improved monitoring and tobacco control policies. Methods: Regional and country-level results in the WHO trend reports were considered in terms of the projected percentage point increase of current tobacco smoking between 2000 and 2025. Data on national surveys and policy implementation came from the relevant WHO reports. Results: In the 2019 trend report, the prevalence of current tobacco smoking among males is projected to decrease by less than 2 percentage points by 2025. Eight countries featured in both the 2015 and 2019 WHO trend reports. Seven of these countries indicated a more encouraging projection (a decline in their projected increase between 2000 and 2025) for current male tobacco smoking in the 2019 report than in the 2015 report. For five out of these seven countries, their monitoring and tobacco control policy implementation improved over the same period.
Formal model of student competencies in higher education and required skills in the job market

Higher education is a system that educates, professionally directs and strives to deliver competitive students in the labor market. The study programme determines the set of competencies and knowledge that the student acquires during the course and each course is determined by the curriculum, learning outcomes, achievements, and other data. On the other hand, the real sector is dynamic, defining new jobs, competencies and employment criteria every day. The research presented in this paper aims to define a formal knowledge model for the presentation of student's competencies and match them to the criteria and requirements of the real sector. Using web scraping technologies, the data related to courses and job ads were retrieved. Afterwards they were grouped, categorised and matched using the Web Ontology Language language for further potential comparison of the best candidates and job positions. The results indicate the potential of automatised retrieval and classification of available course data using formal knowledge representation which could lead to a more efficient discovery of employees. The paper concludes with guidelines for further analysis and potential upgrades of the student evaluation process.
New insights on low energy πN scattering amplitudes: comprehensive analyses at level

A production representation of partial-wave S matrix is utilized to construct low-energy elastic pion-nucleon scattering amplitudes from cuts and poles on complex Riemann sheets. Among them, the contribution of left-hand cuts is estimated using the results obtained in covariant baryon chiral perturbation theory within the extended-on-nass-shell scheme. By fitting to data on partial-wave phase shifts, it is indicated that the existences of hidden poles in S11 and P11 channels, as conjectured in our previous paper [Eur. Phys. J. C, 78(7): 543 (2018)], are firmly established. Specifically, the pole mass of the S11 hidden resonance is determined to be (895±81)−(164±23)i MeV, whereas, the virtual pole in the P11 channel locates at (966±18) MeV. It is found that analyses at the level improves significantly the fit quality, comparing with the previous one. Quantitative studies with cautious physical discussions are also conducted for the other S- and P-wave channels.
5G-DIVE: eDge Intelligence for Vertical Experimentation

5G-DIVE targets end-to-end 5G trials aimed at proving the technical merits and business value proposition of 5G technologies in two vertical pilots, namely (i) Industry 4.0 and (ii) Autonomous Drone Scout. Its design is built around two main pillars, namely (1) end-to-end 5G connectivity including 5G New Radio, Crosshaul transport and 5G Core, and (2) distributed edge and fog computing integrating intelligence located closely to the user to achieve optimized performance, improving significantly the business value proposition of 5G in each targeted vertical application.
The effect of empty chair method on future self connection in vivo and in virtual reality

Studies have already shown that the Empty Chair Method, using virtual reality in therapy and future-oriented thinking have various advantages. However, there are no studies on whether and how these concepts are related. To address this gap, this study examines the effect of the Empty Chair Method on future self-connection in vivo and in virtual reality. Therefore, a quasi-experimental design was employed (pre questionnaire – experiment – post questionnaire) containing three conditions: Empty Chair (EC), Empty Chair Virtual Reality (ECVR) and Virtual Reality (VR). Participants (N = 68) carried out a practical task in a laboratory of the University of Twente, in which they had a conversation with their 10-year-older future self about an achieved goal. The results showed, there was no statistical significance that the experiment in all conditions caused a difference in future self-connection (FSC). However, there was a significant difference between pre and post FSC in ECVR. Further results showed, there was a significant correlation between presence and post FSC, and that presence was significantly higher in EVCR than VR. The paper concludes by discussing limitations that may affect these results and providing ideas for future studies. Keywords: Virtual reality, Future self, Future self-connection, Empty Chair Method, Presence
Classifications of $K$-Contact Semi-Riemannian Manifolds

The object of the present paper is to characterize a K-contact semi-Riemannian manifold satisfying certain curvature conditions. We study Ricci semi-symmetric K-contact semi-Riemannian manifolds and obtain an equivalent condition. Next we prove that a K-contact semi-Riemannian manifold is of harmonic conformal curvature tensor if and only if the manifold is an Einstein manifold. Also we study $\xi$-conformally flat K-contact semi-Riemannian manifolds. Finally, we charecterize conformally semisymmetric Lorentzian $K$-contact manifolds.
Applicability of Vector Field Histogram Star (VFH*) on Multicopters

This paper investigates the applicability of the Vector Field Histogram Star (VFH*) obstacle avoidance algorithm on multicopters using twodimensional LIDAR systems. Modifications to the existing VFH* algorithm are made to account for position and yaw uncertainties of multicopters. The effects of tilt angles caused by pitch and roll manoeuvres are also addressed by modifying range measurements from the LIDAR system. The need for steering control and the effects of changes in the search depth of the VFH* algorithm are also investigated.
Cosimulation of Power and Temperature Models at the SystemC/TLM for a Soft-Core Processor

Nowadays, modern embedded applications are becoming more and more complex and resource demanding. Fortunately, Systems on Chip (SoC) are one of the keys used to follow their requirements that stand in need of high performance while maintaining a low-power profile. On one hand, today, due to the limited power budget imposed by the batteries, power is the limiting factor of the logic CMOS. On the other hand, the downscaling of the technology node for 65 nm and beyond, based on the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors (ITRS) as a reference, has not only resulted in huge energy consumption but also increased the temperature chip. To address this challenge, designing at the system level is the suitable measure to tackle with the complexity of the Systems on Chip, aiming at having better adjustment between timing and accuracy for power and temperature estimations. We present in this paper, at the first stage, two models describing the static and dynamic power at the physical level. These models are implemented on an open virtual platform Model Power-Consumption and Temperature in SystemC/TLM (LIBTLMPWT) based on a representative SoC architecture. At the second stage, we focus on power, especially the thermal behaviour of the chip while running three benchmarks set on the game of life application for two different technology nodes.
The relationship between emotional literacy, cognitive flexibility and counseling self-efficacy of senior students in psychology and psychological counseling and guidance

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between emotional literacy, cognitive flexibility and counseling self-efficacy among senior students studying in psychology and psychological counseling and guidance departments. Participants of the study were 397 (306 female and 91 male) undergraduate students enrolled in Medipol University, Trakya University, Ankara University, Pamukkale University, Istanbul Commerce University and NuhNaci Yazgan University. The age of the participants ranged from 20 to 38 with the mean age of 22.36 (SD 1.67). For data collection, the 34-item Emotional Literacy Scale, 12-item Cognitive Flexibility Scale and 41-item Counseling Self-Efficacy Scale have been used. The results of path analysis yielded that emotional literacy has positively direct correlations with helping skills self-efficacy and session management self-efficacy whereas cognitive flexibility has positively direct correlations with helping skills self-efficacy, session management self-efficacy and counseling challenges self-efficacy. The proposed model of emotional literacy and cognitive flexibility came by accounting for 21% of the variance of the helping skills self-efficacy, 17% of the variance of the session management and 12% of the variance of the counseling challenges self-efficacy in the current study. Key words: Emotional literacy, cognitive flexibility, counseling self-efficacy, undergraduate students.