Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Adjustment of k ω − SST turbulence model for an improved prediction of stalls on wind turbine blades

The eddy viscosity in the buffer zones of the turbulent boundary layers was limited to investigate its effects on the points of incipient separation for flows over wind turbine airfoils. The k ω − SST turbulence model was used as the base model within the framework of a finite volume CFD scheme. Flows over two different wind turbine airfoils were computed and compared with experimental results. Much improvements in the lift and drag coefficients in the stall regions were observed when compared with the results of the original turbulence model.
The influence of different forms of camera surveillance and personality characteristics on deviant and prosocialbehaviour

Personality characteristics of 86 students were measured, who were then randomly assigned to three different camera conditions and one control condition. They were asked to solve a couple of puzzles but were given the chance to cheat in various ways. Apart from that situations were set up in which participants had the possibility to show pro-social behaviour. The results show that cheating behaviour decreases the more control is indicated by the presence and presentation of the camera. Interaction effects of camera condition and personality characteristics on both cheating and pro-social behaviour were found. Further research is needed to use surveillance cameras more efficient.
Measuring Commodity Price Volatility And The Welfare Consequences Of Eliminating Volatility

Commodity price volatility in international markets has been used to justify numerous policy interventions, including the need for buffer stocks and counter-cyclical payments. The common measure of volatility, the standard deviation or coefficient of variation, likely overstates the actual variation faced by economic agents. By making a distinction between its predictable and unpredictable components, volatility is found to be low, suggesting that significant welfare gains may be unattainable with policy interventions designed to stabilize prices. The use of the standard deviation implies price volatility as high as 30 per cent for certain grain markets. Removing the predictable components from this measure decreases volatility to between 0.1 per cent and 15.9%. We find little evidence to suggest that volatility is increasing over time for all commodities. The benefits of eliminating low levels of commodity price volatility are small, less than 1% of consumption for the majority of commodities studied.
The ~3.6 to 3.7 M Paucity in Global Earthquake Frequency: Potential Coupling to Zero Point Fluctuation Force and Quantum Energies

There has been protracted historical evidence of a relative paucity in the distribution frequency of global earthquakes within the M = 3.5 to 4.0 range. We observed a similar phenomenon for all recently recorded earthquakes from January 2009 through August 2013. Frequency distributions with increments of M = 0.1 verified the trough of the diminished incidence to be between M = 3.6 and 3.7 with an abrupt increase between M = 3.9 and 4.0. The calculated equivalent photon wavelength for the energies associated with M = 3.6 approaches Planck’s Length while the related time increment is the cutoff frequency for the Zero Point Fluctuation force coupled to gravity. The conspicuous congruence between Planck’s time and length and the lower than expected frequency based upon Gaussian assumptions of distribution for the discrete band of energy associated with this magnitude range of earthquakes suggests a conduit may exist between intrinsic features of Planck space-time and geophysical processes. The existence of such a connection would encourage alternative explanations for sun-seismic activities as due to solar instabilities. Instead, it may reflect influence upon both from alterations in the structure of space being traversed by the solar system as it moves through the galaxy.
Lessons for Mainland China from Anti-corruption Reform in Hong Kong

Hong Kong, with its government ranked among the "cleanest" in the world, presents an excellent example of successful anti-corruption reform. Its experience offers four general lessons for ongoing anti corruption efforts in mainland China. First, by creating a powerful independent anti-corruption agency, the government clearly signalled its commitment to anti-corruption enforcement. Second, the anti-corruption agency achieved major enforcement successes quickly and publicized them widely to consolidate its reputation. Third, it accompanied enforcement with broad public education, reaching out to the community in innovative ways. Fourth, it studied government work procedures and proposed measures to reduce incentives for corruption in institutional design. Flaws in anti-corruption reform in mainland China are illuminated by the contrast with the Hong Kong experience. First, leaders in Beijing have responded to corruption with ambivalent signals, creating two anti-corruption agencies with overlapping jurisdictions and an unclear division of labour. Second, with routine enforcement
Response of Storm Tracks to Bimodal Kuroshio Path States South of Japan

AbstractA large meridional shift of the sea surface temperature front occurs off the south coast of Japan associated with transitions between the large-meander and straight paths of the Kuroshio. Most extratropical cyclones generated in winter near the Kuroshio in the East China Sea pass through the region where the Kuroshio takes either the meander or the straight path. To examine whether such cyclones change their tracks and intensities according to the two states of the path, a new dataset of winter cyclone tracks derived from surface weather charts from the period 1969/70–2008/09 was produced. The composite analysis of cyclone tracks with respect to the meander and straight path states reveals the following: the cyclone track axis for the meander path state is located away from the south coast of Japan with a dispersive tendency, while that for the straight path state is attached to the south coast with a long extending feature. A difference in track between these two states also occurs to the east of.
Health effects following long-term exposure to thorium dusts: a twenty-year follow-up study in China

A twenty-year follow-up study was carried out at Baiyun Obo Rare-earth Iron Mine in China, This mine has been mined since 1958. Its ore contains 0.04% of ThO 2 and 10% of SiO 2 . The purpose of this study is to investigate possible health effects in dust-exposed miners following long-term exposure to thorium-containing dusts and thoron progeny. By using the negative high voltage exhaled thoron progeny measurement system to estimate the miner’s thorium lung burden. The highest thorium lung burden among 1 158 measurements of 638 miners was 11.11 Bq. The incidence of stage 0 + pneumoconiosis was increased among dust-exposed miners. An epidemiological study showed that the lung cancer mortality of the dust-exposed miners was significantly (p 2 and SiO 2 ) and thoron progeny. This is the first evidence in humans of the carcinogenicity after long-term inhalation of thorium-containing dusts and thoron progeny. The total person-years of observation for the dust-exposed miners and the controls were 62 712 and 34 672 respectively.
An Empirical Study on Organizational Determinants of RFID Adoption In the Logistics Industry

Radio frequency identification technology (RFID) has been taken as an important application in logistics operations. However, scarce attention has been paid on empirically studying factors affecting the adoption of RFID in the logistics industry. The main purpose of this paper is to study organizational determinants of RFID adoption by logistics companies. A questionnaire survey on logistics companies in Taiwan was conducted to test proposed research hypotheses. Research findings reveal that organizational support for innovation, the quality of human capital, organizational knowledge accumulation, and company size are significantly positively associated with the adoption of RFID. According to research results, managerial implications and opportunities for future research are discussed as well.
NEW APPROACH OF EGGSHELL MECHANICAL PROPERTIES DETERMINATION

SEVERA, L. , BUCHAR, J., VOTAVA, J.: New approach of eggshell mechanical properties determinantion. Acta univ. agric. et silvic. Mendel. Brun. , 2010, LVIII, No. 1, pp. 161–166 The paper describes a new approach for determination of mechanical properties of hen’s eggshell. The suitability and applicability of a Berkovich indentation is discussed. The eggshells were tested in the area surrounding equator line. The deformation modes active during indentation have been examinined from the shape of load-displacement curves. According to measured dependencies, the eggshel shown an viscous-elastic deformation.The values of Young’s modulus E obtained from radial and tangential directions did not vary signifi cantly. This fact shows on isotropic nature of eggshell structure. It was found that values of E do not signifi cantly change neither around the cir cum feren ce of the equator. The values obtained within this research correspond to values reported in literature and obtained on macroscopic samples. Nanoindentation was found to be a precise and powerful tool, suitable for determining local variations of mechanical properties of eggshells. egg shell, modulus of elasticity, mechanical properties
Cooling Effect of Crushed Rock-Based Embankment along the Chaidaer-Muli Railway

This paper presents an experimental study of the cooling effect of crushed rock-based embankment on slope wetlands along the Chaidaer-Muli Railway. The result shows that only the embankment shady side can be effectively cooled down in a warm permafrost region and the crushed rock-based embankment can cool the entire embankment in a cold permafrost region. The crushed rock-based embankment cannot eliminate the problems from the south-north slope. Slope wetland can influence the temperature field of the crushed rock-based embankment. On the uphill side, it will lead to degradation in some cases and development of permafrost in other cases, which depends on the topsoil water content and ground surface runoff. On the downhill side, it always leads to the warming of permafrost. For crushed rock-based embankment constructed on slope wetlands, it is necessary to adopt other stronger measures to eliminate the sunny-shady slope problems.
The Effects of Active Therapeutic Exercises on the Electromyographic Activity of Lumbopelvic Muscles during Prone Hip Extension in Patients with Chronic Non-Specific Low Back Pain

Purpose: LBP is one of the most common health issues throughout the world and has multiple causes which one of them is the defect in motor patterns. This study compared the effectiveness of stability, general and mixed exercises on the electromyographic activity of ipsilateral erector spinae muscle (IES), contralateral erector spinae muscle (CES), gluteus maximus (GM) and medial hamstring (MH) during prone hip extension (PHE) in patients with nonspecific chronic low back pain (NSCLBP). Methods: The study used an interventional quasi-experimental design. Thirty patients with NSCLBP between the ages of 20 to 40 years were randomly divided into 3 groups (each with ten patients) including stability, general and mixed groups. The study was conducted in Spring and Summer of 2014 in Amir Physical Clinic in Isfahan. MVEA of the muscles was measured using surface electromyography (EMG) prior and after exercises during PHE. Exercises were done for 10 sessions and 3 times per week. The obtained data by SPSS (version 22) and using the Kolmogorov- Smirnov test, Independent t–test Paired t test and ANCOVA were analyzed. Results: MVEA of GM (P=0.036) significantly increased in the group who practiced with mixed exercises. Also‚ the exercises decreased MVEA of IES‚ MH and CES. Besides, this decrease for IES (P=0.024) was significant but for MH (P=0.973) and CES (P=0.111) were not. However, the statistical results did not show any significance among any two and or all three groups. Conclusion: The findings of this study revealed that mixed exercises are more effective than stability and general exercises on the EMG activity of lumbo- pelvic muscles and could alter the electrical activity pattern of these muscles. A B S T R A C T
Spatial consistency and bias in avalanche forecasts – a case study in the European Alps

Abstract. In the European Alps, the public is provided with regional avalanche forecasts, issued by about 30 forecast centers throughout the winter, covering a spatially contiguous area. A key element in these forecasts is the communication of avalanche danger according to the five-level, ordinal European Avalanche Danger Scale (EADS). Consistency in the application of the avalanche danger levels by the individual forecast centers is essential to avoid misunderstandings or misinterpretations by users, particularly those utilizing bulletins issued by different forecast centers. As the quality of avalanche forecasts is difficult to verify, due to the categorical nature of the EADS, we investigated forecast goodness by focusing on spatial consistency and bias, exploring real forecast danger levels from four winter seasons (477 forecast days). We describe the operational constraints associated with the production and communication of the avalanche bulletins, and we propose a methodology to quantitatively explore spatial consistency and bias. We note that the forecast danger level agreed significantly less often when compared across national and forecast center boundaries (about 60 %) than within forecast center boundaries (about 90 %). Furthermore, several forecast centers showed significant systematic differences in terms of more frequently using lower (or higher) danger levels than their neighbors. Discrepancies seemed to be greatest when analyzing the proportion of forecasts with danger level 4 – high and 5 – very high. The size of the warning regions, the smallest geographically clearly specified areas underlying the forecast products, differed considerably between forecast centers. Region size also had a significant impact on all summary statistics and is a key parameter influencing the issued danger level, but it also limits the communication of spatial variations in the danger level. Operational constraints in the production and communication of avalanche forecasts and variation in the ways the EADS is interpreted locally may contribute to inconsistencies and may be potential sources for misinterpretation by forecast users. All these issues highlight the need to further harmonize the forecast production process and the way avalanche hazard is communicated to increase consistency and hence facilitate cross-border forecast interpretation by traveling users.
Toxic effects of heavy metals (cadmium plus mercury) on haematological parameters and DNA damage in Lates calcarifer

The present study was carried out to evaluate the effects of toxic metals (cadmium plus mercury) on the haematology and DNA damage of fish, Lates calcarifer for every 24 h up to 96 h. A significant gradual decrease of haemoglobin (-35.01 to -24.11) and hematocrit (-35.01 to -31.78) was noted at acute concentration of cadmium plus mercury (3.0 ppm) as compared to that of control. The comet assay of fish blood cells exhibited a significant higher DNA damage and the highest OTM was observed in 96 h of acute mixed metals concentration. From this investigation, the results proved that the combined metal toxicity induced haematological and DNA damage of fish Lates calcarifer than individual metal toxicity.
Fluoride Interactions: From Molecules to Disease

Fluoride has long been known to influence the activity of various enzymes in vitro. Later it has been demonstrated that many effects primarily attributed to fluoride are caused by synergistic action of fluoride plus aluminum. Aluminofluoride complexes have been widely used as analogues of phosphate groups to study phosphoryl transfer reactions and heterotrimeric G proteins involvement. A num- ber of reports on their use have appeared, with far-reaching consequences for our understanding of fundamental biological processes. Fluoride plus aluminum send false messages, which are amplified by processes of signal transduction. Many investigations of the long- term administration of fluoride to laboratory animals have demonstrated that fluoride and aluminofluoride complexes can elicit impair- ment of homeostasis, growth, development, cognition, and behavior. Ameliorative effects of calcium, vitamins C, D, and E have been re- ported. Numerous epidemiological, ecological, and clinical studies have shown the effects of fluoride on humans. Millions of people live in endemic fluorosis areas. A review of fluoride interactions from molecules to disease is necessary for a sound scientific assessment of health risks, which may be linked to the chronic intake of small doses of fluoride and aluminum from environmental and artificial sources.
Creating Automated Interactive Video Playback for Studies of Animal Communications

Creating Automated Interactive Video Playback for Studies of Animal Communications. (May 2009) Trisha Ann Butkowski, B.S., The University of Texas at Austin Co-Chairs of Advisory Committee, Dr. F. I. Parke Dr. W. Yan Video playback is a technique used to study the visual communication and behaviors of animals. While video playback is a useful tool, most experiments lack the ability for the visual stimulus to interact with the live animal. The limited number of experiments involving interactive video playback can be attributed partially to the lack of software available to conduct instructive interactive video playback experiments. To facilitate such interactive experiments, I have created a method that combines real-time animations with video tracking software. This method may be used to conduct interactive playback experiments. To demonstrate this method, a prototype was created and used to conduct automated mating choice trials on female swordtail fish. The results of the mating choice trials show that this prototype is able to create effectively interactive visual stimulus automatically. In addition, the results show that the interactive video playback has a measurable effect on the female swordtail fish, Xiphophorus birchmanni.
The Relationship between Subsidized Free Day Secondary Education and Retention in Secondary Schools in Kenya.

A workforce that can adapt to the fast changing global dynamics is critical for sustainable growth and development. Secondary level segment in the education cycle of a Kenyan plays a key role in the development of this workforce and is important since it de-links one from elementary (primary) learning, provides a chance for one to complete the cycle of basic education and anchors as a springboard to either tertiary or higher learning. The study focused on the relationship between subsidized free day secondary education (SFDSE) and learners’ retention in secondary schools. The specific objectives were to determine retention rates of students in secondary schools before and after the introduction of SFDSE by the government since the year 2008 and the adequacy of SFDSE funds in enhancing retention of learners in secondary schools in Bungoma County. The target population of the study comprised of all the 3,993 stakeholders in the education sector including the Educational Officers, Principals, B.O. G chairpersons, P.T. A chairpersons and Parents from each Sub County in Bungoma County in Kenya. Cross-sectional survey research and proportional stratified sampling were adopted to obtain a sample size of 340 respondents purposively for the study. Questionnaires and interview schedules were used to collect data from the respondents. Qualitative data collected was analyzed using content analysis while quantitative data using descriptive statistics. The results indicated SFDSE had increased enrollment and transition rates and reduced dropout rates of the learners at secondary level education level. The study recommended that due to the importance of SFDSE which had enhanced retention, the amount allocated per child should be increased and the government should also remove the extra burdens from the parents by removing extra charges. The information was useful to education planners, stakeholders and well wishers. Keywords: Subsidized Free Day Secondary Education, Learners’ Retention
The impact of financial slack on explorative and exploitative knowledge sourcing from universities: evidence from the UK

Some organizations use universities to explore new areas, whereas others turn to universities to exploit knowledge for immediate and practical gain. Drawing on the behavioral theory of the firm and the literature on university–industry collaboration, we examine how the level of financial slack available to a firm influences their level of explorative and exploitative knowledge sourcing from universities. We suggest that two types of proximity moderate this relationship: organizational and geographical. Using on a rich sample of university collaborators, we find—consistent with our expectations—that high levels of financial slack are associated with explorative knowledge sourcing, whereas low levels of slack are associated with exploitative knowledge sourcing. Our results also point out that organizational proximity can complement for the lack of financial slack in shaping explorative knowledge sourcing, while it can heightens the effects of low levels of financial slack on exploitative knowledge sourcing. In contrast, we find that geographical proximity plays a weaker moderating role compared to organizational proximity. We explore the implications of these findings for our understanding of university–industry collaboration.
The polarity sub-network in the yeast network of protein-protein interactions

Rare, but highly connected, hub proteins subdivide hierarchically global networks of interacting proteins into modular clusters. Most biological research, however, focuses on functionally defined sub-networks. Thus, it is important to know whether the sub-networks retain the same topology of the global networks, from which they derive. To address this issue, we have analyzed the protein-protein interaction sub-network that participates in the polarized growth of the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and that is derived from the global network of this model organism. We have observed that, in contrast to global networks, the distribution of connectivity k (i.e., the number of interactions per protein) does not follow a power law, but decays exponentially, which reflects the local absence of hub proteins. Nonetheless, far from being randomly organized, the polarity sub-network can be subdivided into functional modules. In addition, most non-hub connector proteins, besides ensuring communications among modules, are linked mutually and contribute to the formation of the polarisome, a structure that coordinates actin assembly with polarized growth. These findings imply that identifying critical proteins within sub-networks (e.g., for the aim of targeted therapy) requires searching not only for hubs but also for key non-hub connectors, which might remain otherwise unnoticed due to their relatively low connectivity.