Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Spatial and temporal dynamics of the bacterial community under experimental warming in field-grown wheat

Climate change may lead to adverse effects on agricultural crops, plant microbiomes have the potential to help hosts counteract these effects. While plant–microbe interactions are known to be sensitive to temperature, how warming affects the community composition and functioning of plant microbiomes in most agricultural crops is still unclear. Here, we utilized a 10-year field experiment to investigate the effects of warming on root zone carbon availability, microbial activity and community composition at spatial (root, rhizosphere and bulk soil) and temporal (tillering, jointing and ripening stages of plants) scales in field-grown wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). The dissolved organic carbon and microbial activity in the rhizosphere were increased by soil warming and varied considerably across wheat growth stages. Warming exerted stronger effects on the microbial community composition in the root and rhizosphere samples than in the bulk soil. Microbial community composition, particularly the phyla Actinobacteria and Firmicutes, shifted considerably in response to warming. Interestingly, the abundance of a number of known copiotrophic taxa, such as Pseudomonas and Bacillus, and genera in Actinomycetales increased in the roots and rhizosphere under warming and the increase in these taxa implies that they may play a role in increasing the resilience of plants to warming. Taken together, we demonstrated that soil warming along with root proximity and plant growth status drives changes in the microbial community composition and function in the wheat root zone.
Promoted Abutment-Soft Tissue Integration Around Self-Glazed Zirconia Surfaces with Nanotopography Fabricated by Additive 3D Gel Deposition

Introduction Improving the biological sealing around dental abutments could promote the long-term success of implants. Although titanium abutments have a wide range of clinical applications, they incur esthetic risks due to their color, especially in the esthetic zone. Currently, zirconia has been applied as an esthetic alternative material for implant abutments; however, zirconia is purported to be an inert biomaterial. How to improve the biological activities of zirconia has thus become a popular research topic. In this study, we presented a novel self-glazed zirconia (SZ) surface with nanotopography fabricated by additive 3D gel deposition and investigated its soft tissue integration capability compared to that of clinically used titanium and polished conventional zirconia surfaces. Materials and Methods Three groups of disc samples were prepared for in vitro study and the three groups of abutment samples were prepared for in vivo study. The surface topography, roughness, wettability and chemical composition of the samples were examined. Moreover, we analyzed the effect of the three groups of samples on protein adsorption and on the biological behavior of human gingival keratinocytes (HGKs) and human gingival fibroblasts (HGFs). Furthermore, we conducted an in vivo study in which the bilateral mandibular anterior teeth of rabbits were extracted and replaced with implants and corresponding abutments. Results The surface of SZ showed a unique nanotopography with nm range roughness and a greater ability to absorb protein. The promoted expression of adhesion molecules in both HGKs and HGFs was observed on the SZ surface compared to the surfaces of Ti and PCZ, while the cell viability and proliferation of HGKs and the number of HGFs adhesion were not significant among all groups. In vivo results showed that the SZ abutment formed strong biological sealing at the abutment–soft tissue interface and exhibited markedly more hemidesmosomes when observed with a transmission electron microscope. Conclusion These results demonstrated that the novel SZ surface with nanotopography promoted soft tissue integration, suggesting its promising application as a zirconia surface for the dental abutment.
Current Research in Ecological and Social Psychology

Recently, there has been increasing attention to the interaction between empathy and memory. During the COVID- 19 pandemic, a period when empathy played a key role in people’s behaviors, we assessed the relationship between empathy and memory. In this pre-registered report, we used memory accuracy for the number of COVID-19 cases as a measure of recent memory and examined its relationship with trait empathy. Moreover
Quantification of the model risk in finance and related problems

The main objective of this thesis is the study of the model risk and its quantification through monetary measures. On the other hand we expect it to fit a large set of complex (exotic) financial products. The first two chapters treat the model risk problem both from the empirical and the theoretical point of view, while the third chapter concentrates on a theoretical study of another financial risk called basis risk. In the first chapter of this thesis, we are interested in the model-independent pricing and hedging of complex financial products, when a set of standard (vanilla) products are available in the market. We follow the optimal transport approach for the computation of the option bounds and the super (sub)-hedging strategies. We characterize the optimal martingale probability measures, under which the exotic option price attains the model-free bounds; we devote special interest to the case when the martingales are positive. We stress in particular on the symmetry relations that arise when studying the option bounds. In the second chapter, we approach the model risk problem from an empirical point of view. We study the optimal management of a natural gas storage and we quantify the impact of that risk on the gas storage value. As already mentioned, the last chapter concentrates on the basis risk, which is the risk that arises when one hedges a contingent claim written on a non-tradable but observable asset (e.g. the temperature) using a portfolio of correlated tradable assets. One hedging criterion is the mean-variance minimization, which is closely related to the celebrated Follmer-Schweizer decomposition. That decomposition can be deduced from the resolution of a special Backward Stochastic Differential Equations (BSDEs) driven by a cadlag martingale. When this martingale is a standard Brownian motion, the related BSDEs are strongly related to semi-linear parabolic PDEs. In that chapter, we formulate a deterministic problem generalizing those PDEs to the general context of martingales and we apply this methodology to discuss some properties of the Follmer-Schweizer decomposition. We also give an explicit expression of such decomposition of the option payoff when the underlying prices are exponential of additives processes.
An expert review of voxelotor for the treatment of hemolytic anemia in patients with sickle cell disease: ‘bridging the gap between laboratory data and patient related outcomes’

ABSTRACT Introduction Until recently, the treatment of sickle cell disease (SCD) for a long time has been limited to hydroxycarbamide alone. SCD is characterized by hemoglobin (Hb) polymerization, hemolysis, and ischemia. Voxelotor, a first-in-class Hb modulator that increases Hb-oxygen affinity and reduces RBC polymerization, is approved for the treatment of hemolytic anemia in SCD patients. Areas Covered This review is to examine the evidence supporting the laboratory and clinical benefits of voxelotor in SCD. The search keywords were as follows: hemolytic anemia, SCD, voxelotor/GBT 440. A total 19 articles were reviewed. Most studies report voxelotor’s significant reduction in hemolysis; however, data related to positive effects on clinical outcomes, namely Vaso-occlusive crisis (VOCs), are sparse. We note the ongoing trials that have different endpoints related to the brain, kidney, and skin. Additional information from real-life post-marketing observational studies may shed more light on the benefits of voxelotor in SCD. Further research is required with the view to using related outcomes as end points e.g. VOCs, renal impairment. This is need to be undertaken in sub Saharan Africa, the epicentre of SCD. Expert Opinion Our recommendation remains to offer and optimize hydroxycarbamide therapy and consider voxelotor in situations with severe anemia and related sequelae affecting the brain or kidney.
Code to Cope: Supporting Self-Care by Integrating Creative Coding and Coping Mechanisms

Code to Cope is a STEAM curriculum for young adults designed to teach, develop, and encourage coping mechanisms while learning programming with JavaScript. COVID-19 restrictions, such as social distancing and remote learning, disrupted social development and identity formation in young adults, exacerbating mental health issues that remain unaddressed in existing STEAM curriculum. Young adults are vulnerable to psychological distress that adversely affects educational experiences and career path choices. The Code to Cope curriculum was adopted by the creative coding course at Louisiana State University from 2021 to 2022. We conducted interviews with four students in 2021 and empirical studies with 34 students in 2022 to evaluate the effects of the curriculum in terms of code, coping, and creativity. The results of the study show that the Code to Cope curriculum effectively teaches computational thinking, develops self-care practices, and engages and motivates students.
Modulation and performance of synchronous demodulation for speech signal detection and dialect intelligibility

Abstract Speech processing is one of the fundamental operations in computer science and it is particularly difficult to process and distinguish speech in different Arabic dialects when background noise is present. In any nation, communication skills are crucial. Pushing a button is all it takes for the typical person to make phone calls and leave voicemails but for telecommunications experts, the process is very different. We understand how communication actually works. The terms detection and demodulation are commonly used when addressing the full demodulation process. The procedures and circuits are substantially the same under both designations. As the name implies, demodulation is the opposite of modulation, which is applying a signal, such as an audio signal, to a carrier. The demodulation process isolates the output signal from the audio or other signal that was transmitted using amplitude shifts on the carrier. In this study, a system for distinguishing speech signals was developed using modulation and demodulation to transmit speech by extracting it from a variety of factors, the most significant of which is background noise in addition to a wide variety of dialects, which poses a significant challenge in speech processing. The proposed system was applied to a dataset that was created for a group of voices in different dialects, and by using important techniques, the noise accompanying the voices was deleted and then the voices were processed with other techniques such as modulation and demodulation to distinguish the dialect. The system has proven effective by distinguishing dialects.
Who Should Own the Data? The Impact of Data Ownership Shift from the Service Provider to Consumers

ABSTRACT With the wide use of information technologies including Big Data and artificial intelligence (AI), consumers’ personal actions (their search history, transaction records, click-through behaviors, etc.) can be tracked, recorded and analyzed by the service provider (e.g., Google) to provide personalized services. Under the current regime, consumers usually hand over their personal data for free in exchange for high-quality services. As it becomes more and more commonly accepted that “data is property,” should consumers be entitled to claim their property rights over their personal data? New technologies emerge to empower consumers to control their own data, and the service provider may need to compensate for the usage of such data. How consumers and the service provider should react to such technologies, however, is not clear. We build a theoretical model in which consumers have different sensitivities towards their data ownership. We show that the impact of the data ownership shift depends not only on the service provider’s revenue structure and the discount in the service quality offered to non-data-providing consumers, but also on whether and how consumers are compensated. More importantly, if the service provider can endogenously adjust the qualities of services provided to consumers, the shift of data ownership may not necessarily benefit consumers, or harm the service provider. We also offer guidelines for data regulation policy designs.
WORKING AGILE TO SPEED UP RESEARCH WITH INDUSTRY: FIVE INDEPENDENCE PRINCIPLES

Abstract One of the obstacles to the ability of research to make an impact on industry resides on the research process itself. Today, there is a need to accelerate the means for research to support industrial transformation. At the same time, there is the need to maintain scientific rigorousness, which often requires time. To solve this trade-off, this paper evaluates existing research approaches through the lenses of agile development. The analysis is based on a simulation of research process architectures, and on observations made over several research projects with industry. The results of this analysis highlight five light-but-sufficient rules of research project behavior to keep momentum, motivation and trust when doing research with industry. The paper demonstrates the use of these five rules in a “research sprint” conducted iwith two automotive OEMs.
A SPECTRUM OF STAKEHOLDER PERSPECTIVE TAKING IN EARLY-STAGE DESIGN

Abstract Stakeholder perspective taking is a critical skill in early-stage problem exploration and framing. We examined stakeholder perspective taking within an early-stage design team of engineers at NASA to begin to understand in what ways and under what conditions designers adopt stakeholder perspectives in the context of professional engineering organizations. Our findings identify a spectrum of perspective taking during problem framing deliberations that ranges from (1) fully taking the stakeholder's point of view (POV), (2) interpreting the stakeholder's POV using the designer's POV, (3) implanting the stakeholder's POV into the designer's POV, to (4) fully taking the designer's own POV. We also identify and describe conditions that appeared to encourage or hinder perspective taking in this setting. These findings are significant because they suggest ways to gauge and encourage the skill of stakeholder perspective taking among professional engineers working on real-world design challenges with societal implications.
THE DESIGN MINDSET INVENTORY (D-MINDSET0): A PRELIMINARY INSTRUMENT FOR MEASURING DESIGN MINDSET

Abstract Mindset has been identified as an essential aspect of design and innovation, impacting both behaviours and performance. However, the concept of design mindset is elusive. Often design mindset is used indistinguishably from design behaviour, diminishing the complexity of the mechanisms and cognitive processes underlying design behaviour. As the initial step in researching these mechanisms, we operationalise the concept of design mindset and present the design mindset inventory (D-Mindset0) to measure it. The initial inventory centered around 16 agreement-to-value statements related to design practice. To analyse the inventory, we conducted an exploratory factor analysis based on 473 master students from different engineering disciplines participating in a course on innovation in engineering. The analysis revealed a four-factor structure with 11 final items. The four factors align with the concepts of ‘conversation with the situation,’ ‘iteration,’ ‘co-evolution of problem-solution,’ and ‘imagination. ’
SIMULATING BIORESORBABLE LATTICE STRUCTURES TO ENABLE TIME-DEPENDENT STIFFNESS IN FRACTURE FIXATION DEVICES

Abstract Additive manufacture (AM) enables a greatly increased design freedom owing to its ability to manufacture otherwise difficult or impossible geometries. However, design creativity can often present itself as a barrier to realising the advantages that AM could offer. In this study the use of AM, bioresorbable materials and lattice design is considered as a method of satisfying contradicting design requirements during fracture healing. Often, immediately after a fracture high stiffness fixation is required; contradictingly during the remodelling phase high stiffness can inhibit bone healing. This study proposes the use of a bioresorbable body centred cubic (BCC) or face centred cubic (FCC) lattice structure to meet the need for tailored variation in implant stiffness over time. To reduce computational expense of lattice modelling a method is outlined, including the use of homogenisation. Results show homogenised representations perform within 5.2% and 1.4% for BCC and FCC unit cells respectively, with a 95% reduction in computational expense. Using resorption rates from the literature, time-dependent change in unit cell geometry was also modelled, showing the way in which a decrease in stiffness over time could be achieved.
EFFECTS OF BIOPHILIC RESTORATIVE EXPERIENCES ON DESIGNERS' BODIES, BRAINS, AND MINDS

Abstract The research presented in this paper explores a novel method for assessing the effects of biophilic restorative experiences on designers’ cognition by combining the use of physiological, neurocognitive and semantic measures. A total of 12 engineering graduate students participated in a three-step pilot experiment that consisted of (1) a stressor (the Trier Social Stress Test), (2) a destressing intervention (biophilic sound experience), and (3) a design task. Heart rate variability (HRV) was used to track subjects’ autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) was used to track patterns of brain activation in subjects’ prefrontal cortex (PFC). Changes in design quality were assessed by the semantic space they explored, measured through a natural language processing (NLP) technique. Preliminary findings suggest that an auditory biophilic restorative experience can change designers’ bodies, brains, and minds. Results from this pilot study encourage further exploration of the use of exposure to nature-based stimuli as a method to help enhance engineering design cognition.
WHAT USERS WANT: A NATURAL LANGUAGE PROCESSING APPROACH TO DISCOVER USERS' NEEDS FROM ONLINE REVIEWS

Abstract Digital media are a means to deliver products and services, but also a channel to interact with consumers and a source of information on users’ preferences. Data shared by customers on the web, the User-Generated Content (UGC), can give entrepreneurs a detailed perspective of the market. This work examines an application of Natural Language Processing techniques on UGC to discover insights on users' opinions. We collected more than 13.000 reviews of software from digital stores and review website to gather information on the customers’ perspective and their response to a given marketing strategy in two case studies on digital product's launch. The objective is to give support to two Italian companies in the process of business model development through data-driven evidence. We aim to discover who are the users and which are their needs using a lexicon-based approach to mine unstructured text. The results provide qualitative and quantitative descriptions of the market segments. We propose a method to examine UGC and to explore customers’ behavior on social media. The findings helped managers for the development of their business model, enhancing an informed decision-making process.
CHANGES IN COGNITION AND NEUROCOGNITION WHEN THINKING ALOUD DURING DESIGN

Abstract The think-aloud protocol provides researchers an insight into the designer's mental state, but little is understood about how thinking aloud influences design. The study presented in this paper sets out to measure the cognitive and neurocognitive changes in designers when thinking aloud. Engineering students (n=50) were randomly assigned to the think-aloud or control group. Students were outfitted with a functional near-infrared spectroscopy band. Students were asked to design a personal entertainment system. The think-aloud group spent significantly less time designing. Their design sketches included significantly fewer words. The think-aloud group also required significantly more resources in the left and right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). The left DLPFC is often recruited for language processing, and the right DLPFC is involved in visual representation and problem-solving. The faster depletion of neurocognitive resources may have contributed to less time designing. Thinking aloud influences design cognition and neurocognition, but these effects are only now becoming apparent. More research and the adoption of neuroscience techniques can help shed light on these differences.
MEDICAL DEVICE OR FASHION ACCESSORY? A CASE STUDY OF A REDESIGNED CHILD'S PROSTHETIC UPPER LIMB APPLYING PRINCIPLES OF PERCEPTION AND SEMANTICS TO REFRAME SOCIAL ACCEPTANCE

Abstract This paper explores the value of the visual features of assistive products for a positive psychological impact on users. The research focuses on upper limb prosthetic devices and their aesthetic impact on the user. Within the presented study, these products are identified not only as assistive products but also as fashion accessories. A case study is presented that applies an understanding of human behaviour, motivation, and perception of semantic cues within the cultural context of a given society to deliver a more socially acceptable child's upper limb prosthetic.
DESIGNING WITH SELF-DETERMINATION THEORY: HOME-BASED DIGITAL EXERCISE INTERVENTIONS CREATING POSITIVE CHANGE

Abstract The well-thought implementation of technology within the product-service system (PSS) will undoubtedly contribute to the increase of healthy life expectancy and to the improvement of the wellbeing of society. The ‘Exercise-Well’ project, explored the problem and solution areas related to home-based exercise through digital interventions. Students worked in pairs and expected to propose a PSS solution providing a type of sports/physical activities for individuals to support their wellbeing. The proposed solutions were encouraged to create positive change especially through the integration of self-determination theory (SDT), but also be functionality suited to the persona. The project had the goals of directing students: i) to learn how digital technologies can be best tailored to assist people to exercise; ii) to consider engineering and healthcare domain constraints for utilizing convenient technological methods and integrating relevant hardware and software components; and iii) to motivate people by integrating autonomy, competence, relatedness into their design proposals. The paper demonstrated how SDT can be integrated into the design process, and how home-based digital exercise interventions can lead to creative solutions.