Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
MIT Open Access Articles Weight and volume changing device with liquid metal transfer

This paper presents a weight-changing device based on the transfer of mass. We chose liquid metal (Ga-In-Tin eutectic) and a bi-directional pump to control the mass that is injected into or removed from a target object. The liquid metal has a density of 6.44g/cm 3 , which is about six times heavier than water, and is thus suitable for effective mass transfer. We also combine the device with a dynamic volume-changing function to achieve programmable mass and volume at the same time. We explore three potential applications enabled by weight-changing devices: density simulation of different materials, miniature representation of planets with scaled size and mass, and motion control by changing gravity force. This technique opens up a new design space in human-computer interactions.
OWC 2020 Paper Submission - Science Forum

: Controlling soil-borne diseases is crucial for farmers because these pathogens can persist in the soils for a long time due to their form of resistance, and are able to stay on the crop residues. To fight against the presence of these pathogens, research in organic agriculture (OA) has shown the interest of certain intercultural plants but it’s a restrictive field technique. We tested a method easily usable in fields: mechanical amendment by compost. This method has positive effects on agronomic characteristics of soils, and microorganisms growing in composts can directly influence soil microbial communities [1-3]. We performed a screening of 18 various composts, with a focus on manufacturing process, agronomic values and suppressive effect against three pathogenic fungi regularly encountered in vegetable crops: Pythium ultimum, Rhizoctonia solani, Fusarium oxysporum. The purpose of this study was to characterize composts for use in agriculture to control these soil-borne diseases in vegetable crops.
The relationship between Salusin-α, Salusin-β, and Klotho levels with subclinical atherosclerosis in ankylosing spondylitis.

OBJECTIVE Subclinical atherosclerosis (SA) is often observed in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients; Salusin-α (Sal-α), Salusin-β (Sal-β), and Klotho hormones are thought to be associated with atherosclerosis. This study aims to evaluate the relationship between Sal-α, Sal-β, and Klotho levels with SA in AS. PATIENTS AND METHODS The study included patients older than 18 years who applied between August 1, 2019, and September 1, 2019. Patients with AS were included in the AS group, and patients without a known disease were included in the healthy group. Epicardial adipose tissue thickness (EATT) and carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) measurements were used to assess SA. RESULTS The study group included 38 (40.9%) patients diagnosed with AS, and the control group included 55 (59.1%) participants. CIMT and EATT levels were higher in the AS group than in the healthy group [0.37 (0.17) vs. 0.54±0.18, p<0.001; 0.44±0.11 vs. 0.54 (0.18), p=0.004, respectively]. There was no significant difference in Sal-α, Sal-β, and Klotho levels between the AS and healthy groups (p>0.05). Furthermore, there was no observed relationship between EATT or CIMT and Klotho, Sal-α, or Sal-β in either group (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS Although SA level was higher in AS patients, there was no relationship between SA and Sal-α, Sal-β, and Klotho levels.
MIT Open Access Articles Active Learning in Persistent Surveillance UAV Missions

The performance of many complex UAV decision-making problems can be extremely sensitive to small errors in the model parameters. One way of mitigating this sensitivity is by designing algorithms that more eﬀectively learn the model throughout the course of a mission. This paper addresses this important problem by considering model uncertainty in a multi-agent Markov Decision Process (MDP) and using an active learning approach to quickly learn transition model parameters. We build on previous research that allowed UAVs to passively update model parameter estimates by incorporating new state transition observations. In this work, however, the UAVs choose to actively reduce the uncertainty in their model parameters by taking exploratory and informative actions. These actions result in a faster adaptation and, by explicitly accounting for UAV fuel dynamics, also mitigates the risk of the exploration. This paper compares the nominal, passive learning approach against two methods for incorporating active learning into the MDP framework: (1) All state transitions are rewarded equally, and (2) State transition rewards are weighted according to the expected resulting reduction in the variance of the model parameter. In both cases, agent behaviors emerge that enable faster convergence of the uncertain model parameters to their true values.
Efficient Fine-tuning of SlovakBERT with Epinet

The popularity of creating artificial intelligence models has been incredibly rising. These tools can be used in many different areas, including text analysis. Most modern models offer great accuracy in many different text-based tasks but are limited by a huge number of data required to not only pre-train but also fine-tune these models. This problem only deepens in models trained on data from low and mid-resource languages, such as Slovak. In this paper, we examined the fine-tuning process of such models and tried to enhance it by connecting to Epinet to create Epistemic neural network, a relatively new concept that helps the model to detect its own uncertainty to make better decisions in the long run.
STORIA DEL GHIACCIAIO DEL TROBIO(Aipi Orobie,Bergamo)E COLONIZZAZIONE DELLA VEGETAZIONE NELLE AREE LIBERATE DOPO LA PICCOLA ETGLACIALE

RIASSUNTO-Nella presente nota viene esaminata la storia olocenica del Ghiacciaio del Trobio(Alpi Orobie)e la morfogenesi glaciale della valle omonima.Le evidenze geomorfologiche indicano che,duran- te l'Olocene,la lingua del ghiacciaio non ha mai superato i margini dell'anfiteatro deposto alla culmina- zione della Piccola Eta Glaciale.All'inferno dell'anfiteatro sono stati individuati due sistemi morenici, deposti a seguito di due modeste avanzate alla fine del XIX secolo e intorno al 1920. La vegetazione pioniera e rappresentata da formazioni pioniere delle morene silicee(Androsacion alpinae Br.-Bl.et Jenny'26),arricchita da numerosi elementi basifili.In base ad un confronto con aree proglaciali situate alia stessa quota nelle Alpi,la dinamica vegetazionale nell'anfiteatro del Gleno appare lenta.Probabilmente cio dipende dall'abbassamento dei piani altitudinali nelle Alpi Orobie e dall'esposi- zione sfavorevole dell'area in studio. History of the Trobio Glacier(Orobian Alps,Bergamo)and pioneering by vegetation in the areas cleared after Little Ice Age.The present study carries out an outline of the Holocene glacial history of the Trobio Glacier.Reconstruction is based on a comparison between geomorphological survey and historical documents. During the whole Holocene the Trobio Glacier tongue did not exceed the deposits of the Maximum of the Little Ice Age.Two weak advance phases are documented by morains and photographs at the beginning of the 1920's.During the last century the ice volume was reduced more strongly and production of glacial deposits was smaller than for the other glaciers of the Orobie chain.This seems to be due to the particular setting of the glacial basin. Investigations on vegetation dynamics lead to the identification of three main types of lithophilous vegetation:Oxyrietum dyginae Br. -Bl. '26,Luzuletum alpino-pilosae Br. -Bl. '26(Androsacion alpinae Br.-Bl.et Jenny'26)and one type dominated by Cirsium spinosissimum and Achillea nana.They are well developed only on the older deposits of the Little Ice Age.A comparison with some others proglacial areas at the same altitude was made.A depression of altitudinal belts in Orobie chain is observed.This, in combination with the northern exposition of the Trobio Basin,probably explains the strong decrease of the pioneering activity of the vegetation.
Abundance and associated factors of Amblyomma tigrinum (Acari: Ixodidae) infesting wild foxes in north-central Chile

Abstract The tick Amblyomma tigrinum inhabits areas with diverse climatic conditions, with adult stages parasitizing wild canids, such as chilla (Lycalopex griseus) and culpeo (Lycalopex culpaeus) foxes. We described the infestation loads in wild foxes captured at three sites (periurban, rural and wild) through an anthropization gradient in north-central Chile. We tested whether local-scale environmental and/or individual host factors can predict tick abundance by using negative binomial models. During 2018-2020 (spring and summer), we captured 116 foxes (44 chillas and 72 culpeos), and 102 of them were infested with ticks (87.9%, CI=80.6-93.2%). We collected 996 A. tigrinum adult ticks, estimating a total mean abundance of 8.6±0.8 ticks/host. Periurban and rural foxes harbored greater tick loads than foxes from the wild site (2.34 and 1.71 greater, respectively) while tick abundance in summer decreased by up to 57% compared to spring. Tempered, more humid climate conditions of the periurban site could favor the development and survival of adults A. tigrinum; and ticks may have adopted a quiescent stage or similar survival mechanisms to cope with summer temperature increases related to the ongoing megadrought. Further studies are warranted to understand the underlying factors determining the life cycle of A. tigrinum at larger spatiotemporal scales.
Bacterial biomineralization: new insights from Myxococcus-induced mineral precipitation

Abstract Bacteria have contributed to the formation of minerals since the advent of life on Earth. Bacterial biomineralization plays a critical role on biogeochemical cycles and has important technological and environmental applications. Despite the numerous efforts to better understand how bacteria induce/mediate or control mineralization, our current knowledge is far from complete. Considering that the number of recent publications on bacterial biomineralization has been overwhelming, here we attempt to show the importance of bacteria–mineral interactions by focusing in a single bacterial genus, Myxococcus, which displays an unusual capacity of producing minerals of varying compositions and morphologies. First, an overview of the recent history of bacterial mineralization, the most common bacteriogenic minerals and current models on bacterial biomineralization is presented. Afterwards a description of myxobacteria is presented, followed by a section where Myxococcus-induced precipitation of a number of phosphates, carbonates, sulphates, chlorides, oxalates and silicates is described and discussed in lieu of the information presented in the first part. As concluding remarks, implications of bacterial mineralization and perspectives for future research are outlined. This review strives to show that the mechanisms which control bacterial biomineralization are not mineral- or bacterial-specific. On the contrary, they appear to be universal and depend on the environment in which bacteria dwell.
Are LED lights driving the massive nuptial flight swarm of the tramp ant Technomyrmex albipes?

Whereas most economic and ecological impacts of tramp ant species stem in large part from numerical dominance and exacerbated aggressiveness of workers, those imposed by alate (winged) ants have been rarely described. In the present study, we report an unprecedented massive alate swarming (i.e., mating flight) event in southern Taiwan by a tramp ant species, Technomyrmex albipes (Smith) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), that triggers immediate pest management responses, and examine factor(s) that potentially contribute to the remarkably high number of alates. We monitored the seasonal activities of T. albipes workers and phenology of alate swarming, attempting to link the worker foraging dynamics with swarm ontogeny. As it was argued that recent streetlight fixtures converted from high‐pressure sodium to light‐emitting diode (LED) may serve as a major cause of the massive swarming, alates' light color preference was investigated. Sex ratio of trapped alates was also assessed to test whether sex‐specific light preference exists in T. albipes. We showed that foraging intensity of workers increased in the spring, peaked in May, and was followed by the nuptial flight season that began in August and lasted for 4 months. The phenological pattern is consistent with the colony dynamics in many other ant species. Although the two light preference experiments did not yield the same results, T. albipes alates overall preferred lights with shorter wavelengths in the active trapping, partially supporting the argument of white LED streetlights contributing to the massive flight. The sex ratio of trapped alates was overall female‐biased, suggesting female alates are disproportionally produced and/or more sensitive toward lights.
Methoprene, a Juvenile Hormone Analog, Causes Winter Diapause Elimination in Univoltine Bee Species Osmia bicornis L.

Simple Summary Diapause is physiological state of developmental arrest and dormancy, which is genetically determined and mediated by neurohormones. Diapause process is an opportunity for insects to survive seasonal environmental changes. Red mason bee Osmia bicornis is an univoltine species with imaginal diapause, and it is used for crop pollination. Our work shows that obligatory diapause in O. bicornis can be modified by a juvenile hormone analog. Treating pupae or young imagoes in cocoons during the pre-wintering period with a JHA (methoprene) can prevent winter diapause and induce the emergence of adult bees in October when development was accelerated in the laboratory or in November when bees developed outdoors according to their life cycle. More sensitive to methoprene is the imago than the pupa, but earlier application of JH analog can accelerate the emergence of adult bees. Our study suggests that JH levels during the pupal stage and soon after adult eclosion are related to hormonal regulation of winter diapause in O. bicornis. On the other hand, a better understanding of the mechanisms of reproductive diapause can help us improve the management of Osmia bees as commercial pollinators that can be used regardless of the emergence period in nature. Abstract Osmia bicornis syn. O. rufa is a univoltine bee species in which adults fly in spring and the offspring overwinter as cocooned imagoes. The flight period of solitary bees is short, so methods of control for development and emergence time are needed to synchronize the activity of managed pollinators with blooming. In our study, we tested the effectiveness of a juvenile hormone analog for the prevention of winter diapause. Bees developed in settled nests outdoors or in the laboratory (22 °C) until the end of the pre-pupa stage, then cocoons were removed from the nest cells and treated with a JH analog—methoprene—during the pupa and young imago stages. Then, bees were activated at 25 °C until the adults left the cocoons. Topical application of methoprene to the cocoon at the pupa or imago stage induced the emergence of some adult bees in the pre-diapause period, while no adults emerged when the bees were not treated with methoprene. Most adults emerged (about 50%) when treated with methoprene on 3-week-old cocooned imagoes. Bees treated in the pupal stage had a lower emergence rate (20–30%), but adult bees emerged earlier. The emergence time of adults for the laboratory group was, on average, from 70 to 91 days, and that for outdoor groups was from 57 to 72 days.
Locus of Control and Pedagogy in Skill-Based Agricultural Mechanics

Teachers of agriculture have use project-based learning as a primary teaching method in agricultural mechanics since the 19th century. These methods teach the information and motivate students to engage the content. Locus of Control (LOC) categorizes the relationship with decision-making and motivation. Internal LOC have a higher level of internal motivation and desire a central role in decision-making processes. External LOC typically do not seek out opportunities for decision making. A student with an internal LOC acts on the world and a student with an external LOC believes the world acts on them. This research was to determine if students’ LOC differentiated between hands-on compared to lecture-based teaching. Students in an agricultural mechanics course at [University] (N = 38) were neither internal nor external (f =16) LOC, those with a tendency towards one or the other were more internal (f = 15) and (f = 7) were external LOC. Most students felt slightly positive toward project-based learning (M = 3.61, SD = 0.70) and slightly negative toward lecture-based learning (M = 2.78, SD = 0.85). Either LOC plays no role in students’ feelings toward project-based methods or there are so few internal students that no correlation could be detected
A tracer study of mixing in the Santa Cruz Basin

A tracer release experiment to study diapycnal and isopycnal mixing was performed in Santa Cruz Basin in 1988–1989. Approximately 1450 g of sulfur hexafluoride were injected close to an isopycnal surface at 1500 m depth in May 1988. This depth is midway between the bottom of the basin at 1920 m and the sill at 1084 m. The diapycnal dispersion measured during the first few months, while the tracer was still mixing to the walls of the basin, yielded a diapycnal eddy diffusivity of 1.0 cm2 s−1, within a factor of 1.5. This is approximately 4 times larger than the diffusivity found by Ledwell and Watson (1991) in the interior of Santa Monica Basin, where the buoyancy frequency was 5 times greater. The tracer was well mixed to the walls 6 months after the injection, and at that time the diapycnal spread of the tracer was greater near the walls than in the interior. The rate of diapycnal dispersion of the tracer increased dramatically after the tracer had mixed to the walls of the basin, indicating enhanced boundary mixing. An effective basin-wide diapycnal diffusivity of 10 cm2 s−1 would be required to support the fluxes of tracer observed. A one-dimensional model for tracer and heat diffusion does not simulate the results very well, however, probably because of the finite mixing time between the boundary region and interior and because of the complexity of the processes in the boundary region.
3-D Seismic Discontinuity For Faults And Stratigraphic Features: The Coherence Cube

Seismic data are usually acquired and processed for imaging reflections. This paper describes a method of processing seismic data for imaging discontinuities (e.g., faults and stratigraphic features). One application of this nontraditional process is a 3-D volume, or cube, of coherence coefficients within which faults are revealed as numerically separated surfaces. Figure 1 compares a traditional 3-D reflection amplitude time slice with the results of the new method. To our knowledge, this is the first published method of revealing fault surfaces within a 3-D volume for which no fault reflections have been recorded.
DESIGNING INTERNSHIPS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF DIGITAL SKILLS OF AGRICULTURAL STUDENTS IN VIETNAM

To prepare citizens for the digital era, the Vietnamese government has issued guidance for higher institutions to play a vital role in cultivating digital skills. However, these institutions face challenges due to limited digital technology capacity, resulting in inadequate skill development. To address this, they collaborate with industries through internships to provide students with opportunities to enhance their digital skills in real work settings. Nonetheless, the strategies that higher institutions have implemented in designing internships for the development of students' digital skills are questionable to the public. Hence, this study aimed to explore the educational strategies implemented by higher education institutions in Vietnam to design internships that enhance learners' digital skills. Using a qualitative approach, primary data was collected through interviews with six policymakers from a higher institution in southern Vietnam, and additional data was gathered from documents related to internship and curriculum designs. Thematic analysis of the data revealed several strategies implemented in internship design, including curriculum design, pre-internship preparation, stakeholder regulations during internships, and evaluation actions. These strategies were identified as major themes for effective internship designs and the development of students' digital skills. The study also suggests various applications for multiple stakeholders and highlights the need for further research in this area. Keywords: designing internships, development of digital skills, agricultural students, Vietnam
Impact of an Intervention to Promote the Vaccination of Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have a dysregulated immune system, being at high risk of opportunistic infections. Low vaccination rates hinder the prevention of such diseases. Therefore, we implemented an intervention to increase vaccination rates, and we aimed to evaluate the effect. We determined the change in professionals and the change in the vaccination rates after the intervention. A quasi-experimental study was carried out using data from 31 December 2016 to 31 December 2021. First, healthcare professionals specializing in IBD agreed on a vaccination protocol; then, this protocol was passed on to the professionals involved in vaccination. We evaluated the perception of knowledge, capacity, and intention to vaccinate patients with IBD among the professionals before and after the intervention with a survey. We also described the effectiveness of the intervention for already diagnosed patients and compared the vaccination rates between patients diagnosed prior to the intervention and newly diagnosed patients. The intervention resulted in an improved perception of knowledge, capacity, and intention to vaccinate patients with IBD among the professionals (p < 0.05). Moreover, during the post-intervention period, in the 315 patients, the vaccination rate increased for all immune-preventable diseases (p < 0.05). The professionals positively valued the intervention, and compliance with the recommended vaccination protocol in patients with IBD improved significantly.