Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Assessment of surface water potential using morphometry and curve number-based approaches

Abstract Geomorphic and curve number-based run-off estimation approaches are proposed in this study for Olidih watershed, India. Cartosat Digital Elevation Model derived morphometry parameters were used for the computation of run-off. The observed and predicted run-off are uniformly scattered around 1:1 line and coefficient of correlation (R2) is found to be around 0.94 in case of NRCS-CN method. Run-off assessment computed using geomorphological parameters and NRCS-CN approach has improved with the introduction of rainfall correction factor. The improved R2 from 0.3 to 0.86 in this case was attributed to rainfall correction factor computed based on the long-term rainfall average of the study area. Run-off assessment made using composite parameter approach shows R2 values of 0.98 and 0.82 for different initial abstraction losses 0.2 and 0.3, respectively, and has indicated better prediction. Therefore, proposed morphometry-based approaches can be explored as an alternative for simulating the hydrological response of the watersheds.
The Determinants of Behavioral Intention and Use Behavior of QRIS as Digital Payment Method Using Extended UTAUT Model

: The development of QR code payment services by various fintech companies in Indonesia prompted Bank Indonesia to issue a Quick Response Indonesian Standard (QRIS) to support transactions that were safer, easier, faster, and more efficient. This study aimed to analyze the consumer preferences and factors that influenced their intention and use behavior when using QRIS in the Jabodetabek area. The extended Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model was employed to analyze these aspects. This research was conducted from March 2023 until May 2023. Online questionnaires were distributed to 198 respondents who were users of e-wallets or mobile banking and knew about the QRIS feature. Then, the collected data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modelling – Partial Least Square (SEM-PLS). The findings revealed that perceived risk, performance expectancy, social influence, and effort expectancy had a significant positive effect on the behavioral intention to use QRIS. Meanwhile, QRIS usage behavior was positively influenced by both behavioral intentions and facilitating conditions. The priority strategy that could be implemented to enhance the adoption of QRIS was by educating the role of QRIS in reducing payment risks.
Sensoriamento remoto na análise do alinhamento das lagoas do pantanal da nhecolândia, MS

Among the several kinds of pantanais, the Nhecolândia sub-region deserves prominent role for presenting peculiar landscape. Its main feature is the presence of numerous lakes, which are divided into “baias” and “salinas” (fresh and brackish, respectively). The study aimed to quantify and analyze the orientation and aligning intensity of the major axes of these water ponds, in order to contribute for understanding the formation and functioning of this intriguing and yet unknown region. Firstly, we adopted the object-oriented classification method on Landsat 5 satellite image, TM sensor. Then, we used a specific algorithm for identifying the alignment of the ponds. As results, we recognized 17,631 lakes, 17,050 being baias and 577 salinas. These ponds are aligned in two directions - NE and NW -, which would be associated to the directions of the winds prevailing during the origin of the Nhecolândia lakes.
Game-Based Assessment of Students’ Digital Literacy Using Evidence-Centered Game Design

This study measured secondary students’ digital literacy using a digital game-based assessment system that was designed and developed based on the Evidence-Centered Game Design (ECGD) approach. A total of 188 secondary students constituted the valid cases in this study. Fine-grained behavioral data generated from students’ gameplay processes were collected and recorded with the assessment system. The Delphi method was used to extract feature variables related to digital literacy from the process data, and the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method was used to construct the measurement model. The assessment results of the ECGD-based assessment had a high correlation with standardized test scores, which have been shown to be reliable and valid in prior large-scale assessment studies.
Estimating poultry aspergillosis prevalence and diagnostic accuracy of histopathological and mycological culture in Côte d’Ivoire using Bayesian latent class analysis

ABSTRACT This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of poultry aspergillosis and evaluate the accuracy of histopathology (test under evaluation) and mycological culture (an imperfect reference test). Farms raising layer and breeder or broiler birds, with suspected aspergillosis cases, clinical or subclinical, were eligible and visited for sampling. After necropsy, histopathology and mycological culture examinations were conducted by two evaluators. A Bayesian latent class model was used to estimate the accuracy of histopathology when compared to the imperfect reference test, mycological culture. A total of 142 chicken farms, 96 laying and breeding hen farms, and 46 broiler farms were used for the study. True aspergillosis median prevalence was estimated at 63.7% (95% credibility intervals, CrI: 53.8%, 73.0%) in layers and breeders and at 65.2% (95% CrI: 50.2%, 78.3%) in the broiler farms’ population. The median diagnostic sensitivity of histopathology and culture were estimated at, respectively, 98.8% (95% CrI: 94.6%, 100.0%) and 90.4% (95% CrI: 83.6%, 95.3%). Tests’ diagnostic specificity was estimated at, respectively, 97.3% (95% CrI: 87.7%, 99.9%) and 95.7% (95% CrI: 91.8%, 98.2%). Both tests had very high and comparable positive predictive values, but, in a population where disease prevalence was 25%, histopathology had a higher negative predictive value than culture.
Preventing coastal erosion by biological denitrification

Coastal erosion is a major problem along sandy coastlines. Increasing the strength and stiffness of sand could be a possible strategy to prevent land loss. Recent studies have found that denitrifying bacteria may be able to increase erosion resistance by inducing precipitation of calcium carbonate. In this study bacteria obtained from different sites have been evaluated on their activity and efficiency in seawater conditions with different substrate concentrations. Both bacteria, one obtained from freshwater the other from a seawater environment, were found to be active and efficient in seawater. The most active and efficient combination turned out to be bacteria obtained from the North Sea at low substrate concentrations.
The effect of corporate social activism: an integrative literature review

Abstract Individuals and organized groups may adopt social activism to demand corporate change to tackle many issues, from the companies’ lack of attention to social problems to global climate demands. This research considers that social activism influences organizations and aims to analyze the effects of this influence. An integrative review was carried out in the databases Scopus and Portal de Periódicos da Capes, identifying 152 articles to analyze the theories and constructs adopted, findings, and gaps in the literature on social activism. The results reveal that studies have analyzed social activism under different theoretical lenses, as a phenomenon of study, materialized in isolated actions, or as coordinated movements advocating a specific cause, bringing different effects to organizations. The literature reveals the use of different tactics to promote social activism and that gender equality, company diversity, and impact on environmental, social, and governance issues are examples of causes advocated. In the theoretical perspective, most of the studies did not mention a specific theory. Even when studies mention theories, they do it in a pluralistic way, not focusing on the development of one specific theory. The most recurrent theories identified were agency theory, institutional theory, stakeholder theory, digital activism theory, resource dependency theory (RDT), social movement theory, and resource mobilization theory. The theoretical connection, therefore, can bring new contributions to the study of social activism.
Mediterranean-like Diet May Modulate Acute Inflammation in Wistar Rats

: Mediterranean Diet (MD) is very rich in bioactive and immunomodulatory components. Some of these have demonstrated their protective activity in inflammation. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of a diet rich in fiber and polyphenols on an inflammatory process. The intervention was performed in two groups of 7-week-old rats, one receiving an experimental MD-like diet and another fed a reference diet (REF). At the end of the study, a local inflammation was induced by injecting the rat's paw with carrageenan. A lower paw volume was observed in the rats from the MD-like diet group.
The microbiome of peatland plants – literature review

: The aggregate of various taxonomic groups of microorganisms colonising living organisms is known as the microbiome. The plant microbiome encompasses a wide network of biological, chemical and metabolic interactions between the plant and microorganisms (mainly algae, bacteria and protozoa). The relationships between microbes and peatland plants, particularly carnivorous plants, are a very interesting subject that is still little understood. Microbes colonising carnivorous peatland plants may be present in their traps or on the surface of the plant. Previous research on the relationships between the microbiome composition of carnivorous plants and the external factors influencing it directly and indirectly is still inadequate. There is a lack of review articles analysing the current state of knowledge regarding carnivorous plant–microbiome interactions. This review of the literature is a collection of data on the functioning of the microbiome of carnivorous plants growing in peatland ecosystems. In addition, it summarises the available information on host–microorganism relationships.
Primary Care Professionals’ Empathy and Its Relationship to Approaching Patients with Risky Alcohol Consumption

The aim of this study was to estimate the level of empathy among primary care (PC) health professionals and its relationship with their approach to patients at risk due to alcohol consumption. This is an observational, descriptive, and multicenter study that included 80 PHC professionals. The professionals completed a questionnaire comprising socio-occupational questions and inquiries regarding their actions when dealing with patients suspected of risky alcohol consumption. The Jefferson Scale of Empathy was used to measure their level of empathy and was completed by 80 professionals, of whom 57.5% were family physicians, 10% were nurses, and 32.5% were family- and community-medicine residents. The mean age was 39.5 ± 13.1 (SD) (range of 24–65 years) and 71.3% were females. The mean empathy level score was 112.9 ± 11.1 (95% CI: 110.4–115.4; range: 81–132 points). Actions that stood out for their frequency were providing health advice in the general population, offering advice to pregnant women, and recommending abstinence to users of hazardous machinery or motor vehicles. The level of empathy was associated with age (p = 0.029), the health center’s scope (p = 0.044), systematic alcohol exploration (p = 0.034), and follow-ups for patients diagnosed with risky consumption (p = 0.037). The mean score obtained indicated a high level of empathy among professionals. Professionals with greater empathy more frequently conducted systematic screening for risky alcohol consumption.
Solving the Climate Dilemma: The Budget Approach (Special Report 2009)

At their meeting in the Italian city of L'Aquila in July 2009, the heads of state and government of the G8 countries and the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate (MEF), whose members include India, Brazil and China, acknowledged the importance that global warming must not exceed the 2 degrees Celsius guard rail if dangerous climate change is to be avoided. The German Advisory Council on Global Change views this as an extremely important step towards the adoption of a binding international agreement which establishes a well-founded target for global climate protection. The task now is to build on this consensus and reach agreement, at Copenhagen, on a follow-up treaty to the Kyoto Protocol, which is due to expire in 2012. This new international agreement should translate the relevant scientific knowledge into a fair and practicable global strategy to combat global warming. So far, however, the lack of unanimity between the countries involved in the negotiating process has meant that there is no clear leitmotif pointing the way towards such an agreement.
Alimentación estimada de la población del Castellet de Bernabé (ss. V-III a. C.) mediante el uso de ratios de isótopos estables de C y N

Carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes of archaeological bone collagen are routinely used to investigate human and animal diets. Their ratios both give information on the trophic level of the organisms and the amount of protein intake and help distinguish between terrestrial and marine protein, as well as between C3 and C4 plant consumption. Few carbon and nitrogen stable isotope studies have been published on Iberian Prehistory, none so far on Iron Age Iberian Culture. Stable isotope analysis from neonates and faunal remains from the Castellet de Bernabe and La Bastida de les Alcusses sites presented in this article show a diet for these populations based in C3 resources in which cows were probably not consumed. There seems not to exist diet differences between social groups, although some differences in weaning are observed amongst the infantile individuals analysed.
HMGB1 enhances the migratory and invasive abilities of A2780/DDP cells by facilitating epithelial to mesenchymal transition via GSK‑3β

The aim of the present study was to investigate the impact and mechanism of high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) on the regulation of cell migration and invasion in A2780/DDP cisplatin-resistant ovarian cancer cells. After transfecting small interfering (si)RNA-HMGB1 into A2780/DDP cells, Transwell migration and invasion assays were conducted to assess alterations in the cell migratory and invasive abilities. Additionally, western blotting analyses were performed to examine changes in HMGB1, phosphorylated (p)-GSK-3β, GSK-3β, E-cadherin and vimentin expression levels. The results of the present study demonstrated that the migratory and invasive abilities of A2780/DDP cells were significantly higher compared with those of A2780 cells. Additionally, the expression levels of HMGB1, p-GSK-3β and the mesenchymal phenotype marker, vimentin, in A2780/DDP cells were significantly elevated relative to the levels in A2780 cells. Conversely, the expression level of the epithelial phenotype marker, E-cadherin, was markedly decreased compared with that in A2780 cells. Following transfection of A2780/DDP cells with siRNA-HMGB1, there was a significant reduction in the rate of cell migration and invasion. Simultaneously, the expression levels of HMGB1, p-GSK-3β and vimentin were downregulated while the level of E-cadherin was upregulated. It was therefore concluded that the high expression of HMGB1 in A2780/DDP cells enhanced the cell migration and invasion abilities by facilitating epithelial to mesenchymal transition via GSK-3β.
Nomination committees in Iceland and Nordic comparison: An overview

Nomination committees are becoming increasingly popular. A nomination committee, or a nominating board, is a group or committee responsible for selecting and nominating candidates for a company’s board of directors. The primary purpose of a nomination committee is to identify and recommend qualified individuals who can effectively fulfill the responsibilities of the positions in question. Still, nomination committees’ roles and work processes have not been much researched. Among those issues yet not solved is whether selection practices will be more professional and transparent by the existence of nomination committees. Nonetheless, according to guidelines on good corporate governance, there are existing arguments for how beneficial nomination committees can be for good governance practices. This research compares and presents similarities and differences regarding nomination committees in the Nordic countries. The Nordic countries, being similar in many ways, have not all taken the same path regarding nomination committees. Hence, it makes an interesting comparison study. Guidelines for governance are similar and, in all essentials, comparable to what is happening in the Nordic countries. Therefore, it must not be forgotten that companies can deviate from the guidelines’ recommendations as their circumstances require. It can be assumed that good governance, including nomination committees, is one of the things that companies should adopt more and more if considering the development in other countries, e.g., the Nordic countries. The activity of foreign investors has also led to jumps in the development of governance practices.
Broadband Millimeter-Wave GaAs Dual-Function Switching Attenuators With Low Insertion Loss and Large Attenuation Range

This paper presents millimeter-wave (mmW) wide-band dual-function switching attenuator chips based on gallium arsenide (GaAs) pseudomorphic high electron mobility transistor (pHEMT). The broadband attenuator chips integrate the function of absorption single-pole-single-throw (SPST) switch by using balanced architecture. By analyzing the effects of transistor size and parasitic couplings from bias lines on mmW attenuator chips, the attenuation range is further improved. Based on the 90-nm GaAs pHEMT process, a 26~80 GHz attenuator chip I and a 40~110 GHz attenuator chip II were designed and measured, with chip sizes of <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$1.65\ast 0.85$ </tex-math></inline-formula>mm2 and <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$1.30\ast 0.80$ </tex-math></inline-formula>mm2, respectively. In the operating frequency band, the measured insertion losses (IL) of chips I and II are less than 2.8 dB and 2.2 dB, respectively, with the return losses (RL) of better than 12.4 dB and 11.6 dB. At the center frequency, the measured attenuation ranges of Chip I and II are <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$1.4\sim 34.4$ </tex-math></inline-formula> dB and <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$1.1\sim 30.9$ </tex-math></inline-formula> dB, respectively, and the 1dB compressed input power (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$IP_{\mathrm {1dB}})$ </tex-math></inline-formula> of both chips are greater than 21 dBm. To the best of authors’ knowledge, this is the first wide-band mmW GaAs pHEMT attenuator chip integrated with absorption SPST switching function.
Climate Change Communication in Portugal

In Portugal, global politics tend to dominate climate change communication. Policyoriented news stories prevail, being very much influenced by international events, dynamics, and actors, especially European ones, whereas national politicians and officials tend to be given less space. Climate change is thus mainly (re)presented as a global issue, distant from local realities, in spite of the vulnerabilities that the country faces. National policy makers tend to adopt a technocratic discourse that comes across as “rational” and fairly optimistic, with little contestation by environmental groups or others. A “green economy” discourse has prevailed in the media, with investment on renewable energy being depicted as the way to both stimulating the economy and addressing climate change. Scientific knowledge tends to be represented as consensual and national scientists tend to avoid dramatization. Although public opinion surveys have shown that the population considers climate change a serious problem and skepticism regarding its anthropogenic causes is low, surveys have also revealed high levels of ignorance and selfevaluated lack of information. In spite of a traditionally weak environmental movement and lack of public engagement, the population has shown a consistent sense of collective responsibility to tackle climate change. The economic and financial crisis up until the mid-2010s considerably affected the already fragile media system and turned political and public attention to economy-related topics. News coverage of climate change, in all its complexity, has been constrained by a lack of specialized reporters and increased dependency on the pro-activity of news sources.
Sister haplotypes and recombination disequilibrium: a new approach to identify associations of haplotypes with complex diseases

Haplotype-based association analysis has several advantages over single-SNP association analysis. However, to date all haplotype-disease associations have not excluded recombination interference among multiple loci and hence some results might be confounded by recombination interference. Association of sister haplotypes with a complex disease, based on recombination disequilibrium (RD) was presented. Sister haplotypes can be determined by translating notation of DNA base haplotypes to notation of genetic genotypes. Sister haplotypes provide haplotype pairs available for haplotype-disease association analysis. After performing RD tests in control and case cohorts, a two-by-two contingency table can be constructed using sister haplotype pair and case-control pair. With this standard two-by-two table, one can perform classical Chi-square test to find statistical haplotype-disease association. Applying this method to a haplotype dataset of Alzheimer disease (AD), association of sister haplotypes containing ApoE3/4 with risk for AD was identified under no RD. Haplotypes within gene IL-13 were not associated with risk for breast cancer in the case of no RD and no association of haplotypes in gene IL-17A with risk for coronary artery disease were detected without RD. The previously reported associations of haplotypes within these genes with risk for these diseases might be due to strong RD and/or inappropriate haplotype pairs.
Surprising magic of CD24 beyond cancer

CD24 has emerged as a molecule of significant interest beyond the oncological arena. Recent studies have unveiled its surprising and diverse roles in various biological processes and diseases. This review encapsulates the expanding spectrum of CD24 functions, delving into its involvement in immune regulation, cancer immune microenvironment, and its potential as a therapeutic target in autoimmune diseases and beyond. The ‘magic’ of CD24, once solely attributed to cancer, now inspires a new paradigm in understanding its multifunctionality in human health and disease, offering exciting prospects for medical advancements.