Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Nanoelectromechanical Studies of Suspended Resonators using Graphene grown by Chemical Vapour Deposition

Graphene is an ideal material for high quality nanoelectromechanical resonators due to its high Young’s modulus, low mass to surface ratio, ability to sustain high in-plane strain, and unique electrical properties like high carrier mobility, ballistic transport and nonlinear modulation of conductance under the electric field effect. In this work, atmospheric pressure chemical vapour deposition (CVD) is employed to obtain monolayer graphene on copper. The effect of growth parameters such as gas concentration, growth temperature and growth time are studied and optimized such that predominantly monolayer graphene is obtained. Scanning electron microscopy and Raman analysis reveal the presence of high quality, monolayer graphene. The graphene is transferred to Si/SiO2 wafers and multiple step electron beam lithography, metal deposition, substrate etching, and critical point drying are used to fabricate suspended graphene doublyclamped resonators. The present fabrication technique, thus combines top-down and bottom-up fabrication method and presents an important work in the development of batch-processing of large area graphene towards future industrial applications. Modeling the suspended devices as Duffing resonators near their fundamental flexural mode shows the presence of mechanical nonlinearity in response to an applied force even at moderate bias voltages. We discuss the implications of this nonlinearity for parametric amplification. Interesting parametric responses such as gain saturation and presence of multistability are obtained as a result of the complex interplay between the mechanical nonlinearities in graphene suspended resonators. As a final step, a measurement system is developed to electrostatically actuate the suspended devices and read out the motion using nonlinear mixing of graphene’s electrical conductivity. The electromechanical
Search for hydrogen-helium molecular species in space

Context. Helium, the second most abundant element in the Universe, with a relative abundance of He/H ~ 1/10, has never been observed in any other form than that of a neutral atom (He) or an ion (He + ) in the interstellar medium. Since He is a noble gas its non-observation as part of neutral molecular systems is understandable, but it is very surprising for a positively charged species such as HeH + that is a stable diatomic ion whose spectral signatures are well known in the laboratory. Aims. This non-observation, even in hydrogen rich regions, could imply that HeH + is not a proper target and that alternatives have to be considered, such as small HeH n + clusters. The present study aims at finding whether the leading term HeH 3 + fulfills the conditions required. Methods. We addressed the question with state-of-the-art numerical simulations. We determined a two-dimension ab initio potential energy surface (PES) of the HeH 3 + cluster along the He.H 3 + and HeH + . H 2 reaction coordinates. The calculations rely on complete active space configuration interaction followed by a second order perturbation treatment (CAS-PT2). This surface was used for the evaluation of the two radiative associations rate constants by means of a quantum treatment of the collision between the interacting fragments. Results. These calculations show unambiguously that HeH 3 + is the most stable point on the corresponding global PES. Then, we determined the rate constants of the radiative associations HeH + + H 2 and He + H 3 + leading to HeH 3 + . Conclusions. Significative values were obtained that reach up to 2 × 10 -18 cm 3 s -1 , which should stimulate new tentatives to detect molecular helium in astrophysical objects.
Socio-Economics Factors Affecting Poultry Farmers in Ejigbo Local Government Area of Osun State

Abstract The study investigated factors affecting poultry farmers in Ejigbo Local Government area of Osun State, Nigeria. Structured questionnaire were used in interviewing 80 poultry farmers randomly selected in the study area. Frequency distribution and Pearson correlation technique were used to analyse the data. The study revealed that a national support to strengthen the poultry production is required in the area of finance and input. This is essential for substantial improvements in the contribution of the enterprise to household food production and economic well being of poor farmers. However, a critical gap is still needs to be filled by the research extension outfit in combining the technical and socio-economics aspects of poultry production in order to boost country’s egg and meat production.
Facets of Integration in Economic and Management Sciences: Theory, Learning—Teaching, Assessment and Metaphor

Abstract This study is conceptualised against the background of addressing the principle of integration which is one of the fundamental issues of the National Curriculum Statement for Economics and Management Sciences (EMS) curriculum. A desk top review and document analysis were used to retrieve document, research articles, and anecdotal notes from teachers to reflect critically on fundamental issues pertaining to EMS at school level in the North West Province. Within the context of a new curriculum paradigm, the article establishes that EMS is an integrated discipline. Given that this is a subject in the new school curriculum, there are teaching and learning dimensions of EMS that need to be more carefully understood in order for effective instruction to take place. Within the phenomenographic paradigm, the theory of variation is presented and discussed as a useful theoretical resource for understanding learning in such a way that we are able to conceptualise more effective ways of teaching EMS. It is argued that understanding EMS and the constituents of EMS in the way presented in this article is not completely unproblematic. Nevertheless, understanding EMS in this way has powerful implications for thinking about effective EMS education in schools.
The effect of feed rations containing high moisture crimped corn ensiled with microbial inoculant or chemical additive on milk production and metabolism of dairy cows.

The study evaluated the effects of crimped corn preserved either with organic acids or with a microbial inoculant on a range of metabolic and production indicators of dairy cows. Two hundred and sixty in-calf, second and third parity cows were selected into pairs on basis of age, parity, milk production in previous lactation, days in milk and body condition score with the greatest possible conformity within pairs. Cow pairs were assigned into a 2-period crossover experiment (2 × 45 days) and kept in separate groups within the same shed. Dietary treatments were TMR with crimped corn preserved with either organic acids (treatment K) or microbial inoculant (treatment B). Ten superbly matched cow-pairs were selected to form nucleus pairs for metabolic studies. The preservatives had no effect on the nutrient content of crimped corn. Crimped corn preserved with the microbial inoculant were found mouldy, predominantly with Mucor sp. at a number high enough to inhibit the growth of lactic acid bacteria, and had significantly higher pH and ammonium concentration compared to the chemical treatment. The milk yield of treatment K cows was significantly higher than that of treatment B cows with identical feed intake. Blood beta-hydroxy-butyrate concentration was lower and blood aspartate amino transferase activity higher with treatment K compared to treatment B. Results of this study suggest the superiority of total mixed rations containing chemically preserved crimped corn in terms of ammonia and microbiological indicators of crimped corn, significantly higher milk yield, and balanced energy metabolism. Crimping, corn preservation, organic/microbial preservatives, energy and protein metabolism
Accretion in common envelope evolution

Abstract Common envelope evolution (CEE) occurs in some binary systems involving asymptotic giant branch (AGB) or red giant branch (RGB) stars, and understanding this process is crucial for understanding the origins of various transient phenomena. CEE has been shown to be highly asymmetrical and global 3D simulations are needed to help understand the dynamics. We perform and analyze hydrodynamic CEE simulations with the adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) code AstroBEAR, and focus on the role of accretion onto the companion star. We bracket the range of accretion rates by comparing a model that removes mass and pressure using a subgrid accretion prescription with one that does not. Provided a pressure-release valve, such as a bipolar jet, is available, super-Eddington accretion could be common. Finally, we summarize new results pertaining to the energy budget, and discuss the overall implications relating to the feasibility of unbinding the envelope in CEE simulations.
Cohort overlays of evolving childbearing patterns: how postponement and recuperation are refl ected in period fertility trends

Combining cohort and period perspectives a method is developed that follows the process of childbearing postponement and recuperation and its reflection in total period fertility levels and trends in low fertility populations. It is complementary to methods pioneered by Bongaarts and Feeney (1998) estimating tempo-adjusted period total fertility rates. The method can be characterized as revealing the internal structural mechanism of the postponement and recuperation process. It is applied to analyzing the fertility history of Western countries, Southern Europe, Central and Eastern Europe, and East Asia during the past half century. Our research concludes that period fertility descents and troughs, for instance, “lowest-low” fertility, as well as increases and peaks are a reflection of changing cohort childbearing patterns due to fertility postponement and recuperation combined with overlays of successive birth cohorts. Period fertility troughs occurred in Western countries during the 1980s, in Central and Eastern Europe around 2000.
Buyer-Supplier Relationships and Power Position: Interchaining

According to several studies, power and interdependence play a considerable role in understanding the buyer–supplier relationships, yet, empirical research is still limited. Also, the nature of the buyer-supplier relationship and managing them might vary based on the power position of buyers and suppliers. Few studies focused on the reason behind this interrelation and strong influence of power on the buyer-supplier relationships. Thus, the purpose of this study is to gain better understanding and try to identify how power position and buyer-supplier relationships are interrelated, and whether there are common determinants and/or characteristics behind this strong bond between the two concepts. Both transaction cost analysis theory and social exchange theory were integrated in building the argument. Regarding the methodology, qualitative exploratory research design was employed by using multiple-case study as the main research method, where three multinational Egyptian organizations were selected. Moreover, data was collected using individual in-depth interviews, and analyzed through coding and cross case analysis techniques. The results showed that there are common factors that influence both buyer-supplier relationship characteristics and power position attributes. And according, the findings helped in pointing out a new lens of discussing and investigating the bond between buyer-supplier relationships ad power in research.
The interactive influence of country of origin of brand and product involvement on purchase intention

Purpose – Globalization and outsourcing have decoupled country of origin into the country of origin of manufacture (COM) and the country of origin of the brand (COB). This study seeks to extend the work of Gurhan‐Canli and Maheswaran and Lee et al. by investigating the interactive influence of COB and personal involvement with a product on purchase intention.Design/methodology/approach – A total of 168 young adults in Hong Kong were intercepted for mall interviews and presented with mock advertisements for personal computers ostensibly with brands originating in Japan and Korea. Their personal involvement with such products was measured using an instrument designed by Zaichkowsky, and their purchase intentions were self‐assessed.Findings – COB was found to predict purchase intentions among consumers with a low level of personal involvement with computers, but not among consumers with a high level of personal involvement.Research limitations/implications – First, to improve internal validity, the study inv.
Nobel Lecture: Inflation and Unemployment

In the past several decades, professional views on the relation between inflation and unemployment have gone through two stages and are now entering a third. The first was the acceptance of a stable trade-off (a stable Phillips curve). The second was the introduction of inflation expectations, as a variable shifting the short-run Phillips curve, and of the natural rate of unemployment, as determining the location of a vertical long-run Phillips curve. The third is occasioned by the empirical phenomenon of an apparent positive relation between inflation and unemployment. The paper explores the possibility that this relation may be more than coincidental.
Evaluation for Salt Tolerance in Rice Using Multiple Screening Methods

Screening methods that are effective in the early stage of growth will potentially provide the largest quantity of breeding material. Although various screening methods under greenhouse have been proposed, potential effective approaches must be described a good correlation with results under field conditions. This study was aimed to assess the correlations between traits obtained from four salt screening methods, hydroponic culture, soil culture, pot and field methods. Salt injury scores from the soil culture and hydroponic methods at the seedling stage under salinity of 12 dS m, were not correlated, but were able to identify the variety Pokkali as being a tolerant variety, and IR29 as a susceptible variety. Traits in the pot and field experiments were significantly related to the rice varieties and salt salinity levels. The correlations at the seedling stage were found between salt injury score in the soil culture and plant height, proline content of leaves and panicle length in the field experiment (r= -0.886, r= 0.992 and r= -0.933, respectively). Also, traits from the pot experiment showed significant correlations with those from the field experiment. Salt injury scores obtained from soil culture method provide a simple and efficient method for indirect selection for salt tolerance in rice.
RF Power and Thermal Annealing Effect on the Properties of Zinc Oxide Films Prepared by Radio Frequency Magnetron Sputtering

Polycrystalline zinc oxide (ZnO) films were prepared by radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering under different powers. The XRD results showed that ZnO crystallite size along c-axis decreased by 43% with deposition power increased from 60 W to 300 W, increased 36% with annealing temperature rising to 400 ∘ C . TDS measurement revealed that the desorption peaks of both atomic Zn (60 W-deposited) and oxygen molecule (180 W and 300 W-deposited) obtained from ZnO films were originated from 300 ∘ C . When annealing temperature was higher than 300 ∘ C , the sheet resistance dramatically decreased, and compressive stress in the (002) plane changed to tensile stress as well. The comparison measurements of ZnO films crystallinity strongly suggested that both lower deposition power and certain thermal annealing temperature over 300 ∘ C would contribute to the formation of high quality ZnO films.
The Nexus between environmental knowledge and ecotourism attitude among the local youths in Co-educational Secondary Schools in Bondo Sub-County, Siaya County, Kenya

Kenya’s pursuit to be among the top tourism destinations globally require strategic focus as envisaged in Kenya’s Vision 2030 and the Constitution of Kenya 2010. Ecotourism supports environmental conservation as well as generating economic opportunities. It additionally emphasizes benefits to the local community and suggests that the involvement of the residents is important for the effective management of tourism. Bondo district is endowed with vast ecotourism resources yet the residents lavish in poverty. The objectives of the study were: To investigate the relationship between youths’ environmental knowledge and ecotourism attitude in Bondo district; to propose a structural relationships between, environmental knowledge and ecotourism attitude; and to recommend an appropriate strategy for community capacity building for promotion of ecotourism in Bondo District and its environs. This study used students enrolled in Form Three at 16 co-educational day secondary schools in Bondo district. Random sampling technique was used to derive representative sample from the target youth population. Structural equation modeling using AMOS (Analysis of Moment Structures) was used to develop structural models for the relationships. A strategy for community capacity building was proposed based on the relationship between environmental knowledge and ecotourism attitude (.70). Analysis indicated that residents’ environmental knowledge strongly influence attitudes towards ecotourism. Residents’ involvement in ecotourism may be stimulated through: appropriate management strategies aimed at increasing their environmental knowledge; encouraging positive ecotourism attitudes, and environmental planning that promotes residents’ affinity for local attractions.
Assessment of snowfall accumulation underestimation by tipping bucket gauges in the Spanish operational network

Abstract. Within the framework of the World Meteorological Organization Solid Precipitation Intercomparison Experiment (WMO-SPICE), the Thies tipping bucket precipitation gauge was assessed against the SPICE reference configuration at the Formigal–Sarrios test site located in the Pyrenees mountain range of Spain. The Thies gauge is the most widely used precipitation gauge by the Spanish Meteorological State Agency (AEMET) for the measurement of all precipitation types including snow. It is therefore critical that its performance is characterized. The first objective of this study is to derive transfer functions based on the relationships between catch ratio and wind speed and temperature. Multiple linear regression was applied to 1 and 3 h accumulation periods, confirming that wind is the most dominant environmental variable affecting the gauge catch efficiency, especially during snowfall events. At wind speeds of 1.5 m s−1 the tipping bucket recorded only 70 % of the reference precipitation. At 3 m s−1, the amount of measured precipitation decreased to 50 % of the reference, was even lower for temperatures colder than −2 °C and decreased to 20 % or less for higher wind speeds. The implications of precipitation underestimation for areas in northern Spain are discussed within the context of the present analysis, by applying the transfer function developed at the Formigal–Sarrios and using results from previous studies.
Habitat use and new locality records for Cryptoblepharus poecilopleurus (Squamata: Scincidae) from French Polynesia

widespread taxon in the family Scincidae. They occur within the Ethiopian-Malagasy region, on the IndoAustralian continent and on many Pacific islands of both continental and volcanic origin (Ineich and Blanc, 1988; Rocha et al., 2006; Horner, 2007; Hayashi et al., 2009). Although the broad distribution of Cryptoblepharus suggests an ecological generalist, Greer (1989) proposed that these small (<55 mm snout-vent length), heliotropic and diurnal lizards, are actually adapted to a narrow set of ecological parameters or microhabitats. Horner (2007) developed this idea further in his comprehensive overview of the genus and distinguished between species occurring on littoral (‘beach’), arboreal (‘tree’) or saxicolous (‘rock’) substrates. Littoral species of Cryptoblepharus have been characterized as beach-dwelling, intertidal specialists and species have even been observed consuming small crustaceans and polychaetes (Fricke, 1970; Horner, 1984). These coastal lineages are of particular interest since littoral populations might potentially be the source of the vast distribution of the genus and other habitat specialists might derive from such littoral dispersers (i.e. a taxon cycle model (Ricklefs and Bermingham, 2002)). Among all littoral species, Cryptoblepharus poecilopleurus has the most extensive distribution, including the majority of islands in the Pacific (Ineich and Blanc, 1988; Horner, 2007). Within the French Polynesian region, these skinks have been recorded on islands that differ in both species richness and habitat complexity (Ineich and Blanc, 1988), providing a promising scenario to examine whether herpetofaunal diversity might induce or reduce alternative habitat use. Accordingly, I visited eight islands (Fig. 1) across French Polynesia from May 18 until June 19, 2015, to verify species presence and record habitat use of C. poecilopleurus. On each island, I walked transects along the beach and where possible further inland, in the morning and afternoon and collected lizards by hand. On transects, I occasionally stripped away long pieces of bark from Casuarina trees to spot hiding skinks. This was particularly effective for finding Lipinia noctua, but did not reveal many Cryptoblepharus. Herpetology Notes, volume 8: 579-582 (2015) (published online on 06 December 2015)
Representation of climate extreme indices in the ACCESS1.3b coupled atmosphere–land surface model

Abstract. Climate extremes, such as heat waves and heavy precipitation events, have large impacts on ecosystems and societies. Climate models provide useful tools for studying underlying processes and amplifying effects associated with extremes. The Australian Community Climate and Earth System Simulator (ACCESS) has recently been coupled to the Community Atmosphere Biosphere Land Exchange (CABLE) model. We examine how this model represents climate extremes derived by the Expert Team on Climate Change Detection and Indices (ETCCDI) and compare them to observational data sets using the AMIP framework. We find that the patterns of extreme indices are generally well represented. Indices based on percentiles are particularly well represented and capture the trends over the last 60 years shown by the observations remarkably well. The diurnal temperature range is underestimated, minimum temperatures (TMIN) during nights are generally too warm and daily maximum temperatures (TMAX) too low in the model. The number of consecutive wet days is overestimated, while consecutive dry days are underestimated. The maximum consecutive 1-day precipitation amount is underestimated on the global scale. Biases in TMIN correlate well with biases in incoming longwave radiation, suggesting a relationship with biases in cloud cover. Biases in TMAX depend on biases in net shortwave radiation as well as evapotranspiration. The regions and season where the bias in evapotranspiration plays a role for the TMAX bias correspond to regions and seasons where soil moisture availability is limited. Our analysis provides the foundation for future experiments that will examine how land-surface processes contribute to these systematic biases in the ACCESS modelling system.
Reflections on the question of mother tongue instruction in Namibia.

In recent years, the question of medium of instruction in education in African countries has become one of the crucial issues in research and discussion at many levels and in many fora. Since contexts, resources and social dynamics vary widely from country to country, factors addressed in this paper cannot be generally applied. The main focus will therefore be on factors which pertain specifically to Namibia and the Namibian context.