Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The long-term evolution of known resonant trans-Neptunian objects

Aims. Numerous trans-Neptunian objects are known to be in mean-motion resonance with Neptune. We aim to describe their long-term orbital evolution (both past and future) by means of a one-degree-of-freedom secular model. In this paper, we focus only on objects with a semi-major axis larger than 50 astronomical units (au). Methods. For each resonant object considered, a 500 000-year numerical integration is performed. The output is digitally filtered to get the parameters of the resonant secular model. Their long-term (Giga-year) orbital evolution is then represented by the level curves of the secular Hamiltonian. Results. For the majority of objects considered, the mean-motion resonance has little impact on the long-term trajectories (the secular dynamics is similar to a non-resonant one). However, a subset of objects is strongly affected by the resonance, producing moderately-high-amplitude oscillations of the perihelion distance and/or libration of the argument of perihelion around a fixed centre. Moreover, the high perihelion distance of the object 2015 FJ345 is plainly explained by long-term resonant dynamics, allowing us to also deduce its orbital elements at the time of capture in resonance (at least 15 million years ago). The same type of past evolution is expected for 2014 FZ71.
From icy grains to comets

Comets formed from icy grains in the outer region of the solar nebula. Their coagulation into macroscopic bodies was driven by differential motions induced by nebular gas drag. The hierarchical growth by collisions produced “rubble pile” structures with sizes up to ~100 km on timescales on the order of 1 m.y. Two-dimensional models of this growth, including orbital decay due to drag, show radial mixing that lessens the tendency seen in one-dimensional models for components of a single characteristic size. Radial migration causes redistribution of condensed matter in the outer nebula, and produces a sharp outer edge to the Kuiper belt.
Modeling Intra-label Dynamics and Analyzing the Role of Blank in Connectionist Temporal Classification

The goal of many tasks in the realm of sequence processing is to map a sequence of input data to a sequence of output labels. Long short-term memory (LSTM), a type of recurrent neural network (RNN), equipped with connectionist temporal classification (CTC) has been proved to be one of the most suitable tools for such tasks. With the aid of CTC, the existence of per-frame labeled sequences are no longer necessary and it suffices to only knowing the sequence of labels. However, in CTC, only a single state is assigned to each label and consequently, LSTM would not learn the intra-label relationships. In this paper, we propose to remedy this weakness by increasing the number of states assigned to each label and actively modeling such intra-label transitions. On the other hand, the output of a CTC network usually corresponds to the set of all possible labels along with a blank. One of the uses of blank is in the recognition of multiple consecutive identical labels. Assigning more than one state to each label, we can also decode consecutive identical labels without resorting to the blank. We investigated the effect of increasing the number of sub-labels with/without blank on the recognition rate of the system. We performed experiments on two printed and handwritten Arabic datasets. Our experiments showed that while on simple tasks a model without blank may converge faster, on real-world complex datasets use of blank significantly improves the results.
Tractor Performance as Affected by Tilt Angle of Disc Plough under Clay Soil

The three-bottom, fully mounted disc plough is the most commonly used primary tillage implement in the small scale farming in central and northern Sudan. In the disc plough, two angles (tilt and disc angles) affect tractor performance and ploughing quality. This research was conducted at the demonstration farm of the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Khartoum during November and December 2014 to study the effect of three tilt angles (15 o , 20 o and 25 o ) on disc plough field performance variables, namely, tractor rear wheel slippage, fuel consumption rate, draft force, power requirement, field capacity and field efficiency in clay soil. Randomized complete block design was used. Tractor forward speed and disc angle were maintained at 6 km/h and 45 o , respectively. The highest field capacity (0.32 ha/h) and efficiency (74.75%) were recorded for the tilt angle 20 o as compared to 71% and 69% under the tilt angles 15 o and 25 o , respectively. Both tilt angles 15 o and 20 o recorded the highest values of slippage (14.2% and 12.5%, respectively) while tilt angle of 25 0 recorded the lowest value of slippage (9.5%). The highest value of fuel consumption rate was 2.83 l/fed and it was recorded by 25 0 tilt angle followed by 2.72 L / fed and 2.54 l/fed for tilt angles of 20 o and 15 o respectively. The highest value of draft was 9.125 kN and it was recorded 250 tilt angle while the lowest values were 8.38 kN and 8.68 kN and they were recorded by tilt angles of 15 o and 20 o respectively. The results showed that the highest value of power was 15.05 kW was demonstrated by 25 o tilt angle followed by 14.47 kW for the tilt angle of 20 o , while the tilt angle of 15 o recorded the lowest power (13.9 kW). It can be concluded that the tilt angle of 20 o is the most appropriate for ploughing with the disc plough as it recorded the highest field capacity, field efficiency and low draft, moreover, such angle recorded moderate value of the required power, rear wheel slippage and fuel consumption. Keywords— Disc plough; tilt angle; tractor performance.
Capuchin monkeys use only proto-tools to crack jatobá hard-shelled fruits in an urban environment

O objetivo deste estudo foi descrever o comportamento de quebra de frutos por seis macacos-prego adultos de um grupo habitando uma area urbana de protecao ambiental denominada Bosque Bougainville, na cidade de Goiânia, Centro-oeste, Brasil. Os eventos de quebra de frutos, que ocorreram com jatoba ( Hymenaea stygonocarpa Mart.), foram registrados em video digital e classificados em termos de categorias comportamentais de quebra de frutos: protoferramenta e ferramenta. O comportamento de quebra de frutos tambem foi quantificado e analisado por meio de categorias de unidades motoras TOTE. Todos os eventos de quebra de fruto de jatoba registrados foram da categoria protoferramenta. A quebra bem-sucedida (unidades motoras TOTE completas) de frutos de jatoba ocorreu na maioria dos eventos registrados para todos os animais. A ausencia de registros de uso de ferramentas e tentativamente explicada pelas circunstâncias ecologicas do Bosque Bougainville e pelo alto nivel de eficacia do comportamento de quebra de fruto de jatoba por meio do uso de protoferramenta. Palavras-chave: forrageio, ferramentas, controle motor, cognicao animal.
Combating Corrosion Degradation of Turbine Materials Using HVOF Sprayed 25% (Cr3C2-25(Ni20Cr))

High velocity oxy fuel process (HVOF) is an advanced coating process for thermal spraying of coatings on to components used in turbines. HVOF process is a thermal spray coating method and is widely used to apply wear, erosion, and corrosion protective coatings to the components used in industrial turbines. 25% (Cr3C2-25(Ni20Cr))
Using the Fundamental Plane of black hole activity to distinguish X-ray processes from weakly accreting black holes

The Fundamental Plane of black hole activity is a relation between X-ray luminosity, radio luminosity and black hole mass for hard-state Galactic black holes and their supermassive analogues. The Fundamental Plane suggests that, at low-accretion rates, the physical processes regulating the conversion of an accretion flow into radiative energy could be universal across the entire black hole mass scale. However, there is still a need to further refine the Fundamental Plane in order to better discern the radiative processes and their geometry very close to the black hole, in particular the source of hard X-rays. Further refinement is necessary because error bars on the best-fitting slopes of the Fundamental Plane are generally large, and also the inferred coefficients can be sensitive to the adopted sample of black holes. In this work, we regress the Fundamental Plane with a Bayesian technique. Our approach shows that sub-Eddington black holes emit X-ray emission that is predominantly optically thin synchrotron radiation from the jet, provided that their radio spectra are flat or inverted. X-ray emission dominated by very radiatively inefficient accretion flows is excluded at the >3σ level. We also show that it is difficult to place Fanaroff-Riley type I (FR I) galaxies on to the Fundamental Plane because their X-ray jet emission is highly affected by synchrotron cooling. On the other hand, BL Lac objects (i.e. relativistically beamed sub-Eddington AGN) fit on to the Fundamental Plane. Including a uniform subset of high-energy peaked BL Lac objects from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, we find sub-Eddington black holes with flat/inverted radio spectra follow log LX= (1.45 ± 0.04)log LR− (0.88 ± 0.06)log MBH− 6.07 ± 1.10, with σint= 0.07 ± 0.05 dex. Finally, we discuss how the effects of synchrotron cooling of jet emission from the highest black hole masses can bias Fundamental Plane regressions, perhaps leading to incorrect inferences on X-ray radiation mechanisms.
Drivers of Merger and Acquisition Activities in the US Market

The two ways firms can expand their business are organic growth and inorganic growth. Organic growth is based on firms’ internal investments, which aim to increase a company’s outputs and enhance its sales (Bruner, 2004). On the other hand, inorganic growth can be accomplished through investments or structuring a partnership outside the business (Bruner, 2004). A decision to grow organically or inorganically is a choice about “make” versus “buy”. There are several strategies which a company can pursue in order to grow inorganically, such as merger or acquisition, minority investment, joint venture, strategic alliance and contractual relationship (Bruner, 2004). This paper will investigate inorganic growth strategies, focusing the analysis on M&A activity, which is defined as mergers and acquisitions1 where bidders are US-based companies that acquire US or foreign target firms. Thus, the geographic area of interest is represented by the United States of America. The choice of the selected geographical area, is related to the importance of the M&A activity in the US region, which accounted for 1 trillion of USD in 2011, roughly 30 per cent of the world’s M&A volume (Qiu, 2012). As Graph 1 shows below, the Americas currently represent the biggest share of the worldwide mergers and acquisitions business (Qiu, 2012).
Allopatric divergence and phylogeographic structure of the plateau zokor (Eospalax baileyi), a fossorial rodent endemic to the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau

Aim Most species of temperate regions are believed to have shifted to lower latitudes or elevations during the glacial periods of the Quaternary. In this study we test whether this phylogeographic assumption is also true for the plateau zokor (Eospalax baileyi), a fossorial rodent endemic to the climate‐sensitive Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau (QTP), which ranges in elevation from 2600 to 4600 m.
DETERMINATION OF DIFFUSION AND SEGREGATION CHARACTERISTICS OF 32 P IN POLYCRYSTALLINE Fe - 2.2 wt.% Si

The grain boundary diffusion of phosphorus in polycrystalline Fe – 2.2 wt. % Si was measured using serial sectioning method with radioisotope 32 P. The measurements were carried out under the conditions of the B-regime (845 – 1173 K) and the C-regime (735 – 830 K). The diffusivity P = sδDgb (s denotes the segregation factor, δ the grain boundary width and Dgb the grain boundary diffusion coefficient) was obtained from the penetration profiles measured in B regime. The pre-exponential factor P0 and the activation enthalpy Qgb were calculated form the temperature dependence of P. The initial part of the penetration profiles measured in B-regime was used to calculate the volume diffusion coefficients Dv and together the relevant Arrhenius parameters were also calculated. The grain boundary diffusion coefficient Dgb was directly measured under the condition of the C-regime. Combining both sets of measurements, the segregation coefficient s, the segregation enthalpy Hs and the preexponential factor s0 were determined. The obtained results were compared with segregation data of phosphorus measured by Auger Electron Spectroscopy in alpha-Fe.
Hydrogen production by means pyrolysis and steam gasification of glycerol

The objectives of this work were to optimize the variables affecting pyrolysis and steam gasification of glycerol (by-product formed during biodiesel production); and to characterize the gaseous phase formed, in order to carry out its energetic use. The studied operation variables were reaction temperature (700-900 oC), water flow rate (0-0.173 g·min), glycerol flow rate (0.009-0.676 g·min) and carrier gas (nitrogen) flow rate (30-180 cm·min). The most interesting phase (analyzed by gas chromatography) was the gas fraction. In this work, gas fraction was composed by H2, CH4, CO, C2H6, C2H4 and CO2. The main gas generated was the hydrogen. Its generation was favoured by steam presence and its yield was increased in 224% in relation with pyrolysis process (default of water steam). The better conditions for studied process were 800 oC, 0.074 g·min of water flow rate, 0.009 g·min of glycerol flow rate and 60 cm·min of nitrogen flow rate. In these conditions, the volume of synthesis gas was 1.86 L·(gglycerol) -1 and its higher heating value (HHV) was 26.70 MJ· (kgglycerol) . This study indicated that the bio-glycerol is an excellent raw material in the obtaining of medium heating value gases. These gases could be used as fuel in industrial furnaces or domestic use.
Physics-Constrained, Data-Driven Discovery of Coarse-Grained Dynamics

The combination of high-dimensionality and disparity of time scales encountered in many problems in computational physics has motivated the development of coarse-grained (CG) models. In this paper, we advocate the paradigm of data-driven discovery for extract- ing governing equations by employing fine-scale simulation data. In particular, we cast the coarse-graining process under a probabilistic state-space model where the transition law dic- tates the evolution of the CG state variables and the emission law the coarse-to-fine map. The directed probabilistic graphical model implied, suggests that given values for the fine- grained (FG) variables, probabilistic inference tools must be employed to identify the cor- responding values for the CG states and to that end, we employ Stochastic Variational In- ference. We advocate a sparse Bayesian learning perspective which avoids overfitting and reveals the most salient features in the CG evolution law. The formulation adopted enables the quantification of a crucial, and often neglected, component in the CG process, i.e. the pre- dictive uncertainty due to information loss. Furthermore, it is capable of reconstructing the evolution of the full, fine-scale system. We demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed frame- work in high-dimensional systems of random walkers.
Specific heat of liquid helium in zero gravity very near the lambda point

We report the details and revised analysis of an experiment to measure the specific heat of helium with subnanokelvin temperature resolution near the lambda point. The measurements were made at the vapor pressure spanningthe region from 22 mK below the superfluid transition to 4 μK above. The experiment was performed in Earth orbit to reduce the rounding of the transition caused by gravitationally induced pressure gradients on Earth. Specific-heat measurements were made deep in the asymptotic region to within 2 nK of the transition. No evidence of rounding was found to this resolution. The optimum value of the critical exponent describing the specific-heat singularity was found to be α = -0.0127 ′ 0.0003. This is bracketed by two recent estimates based on renormalization-group techniques, but is slightly outside the range of the error of the most recent result. The ratio of the coefficients of the leading-order singularity on the two sides of the transition is A + /A - = 1.053′0.002, which agrees well with a recent estimate. By combining the specific-heat and superfluid density exponents a test of the Josephson scaling relation can be made. Excellent agreement is found based on high-precision measurements of the superfluid density made elsewhere. These results represent the most precise tests of theoretical predictions for critical phenomena to date.
ESTUARINE CURRENTS AND TIDAL STREAMS

Fresh water spreading out from the mouth of a river as it enters a salt sea may preserve its identity for a considerable distance on the surface if wind-generated waves, longshore currents and tidal streams are capable of producing only weak mixing. Fig. 1 shows the three dimensional shape of a fresh-water tongue overlying more dense salt water, derived by Takano (1954) on the assumption of constant eddy viscosity and constant density in the fresh water layer, below which the density increases according to an assumed law, making an asymptotic approach to the density of salt water. Takano's model is thus a water jet entraining salt from around and below it. Salt or brackish water may penetrate along the deep channels of an estuary in the shape of a wedge complementary to the fresh water tongue, the salt wedge retreating seawards as heavy rainfall increases the river discharge, and advancing in dry weather intervals. Tidal streams cause a regular oscillation of both fresh and braok water in flood and ebb directions but the seasonal movements of the sloping boundary between fresh and salt water may still be important in low-lying delta regions. Strong tidal streams lead to intense mixing, when neither a fresh water tongue nor a salt wedge can be distinguished, but the isohalines (salinity contours) preserve the general wedge pattern - see Figs. 3 to 6. In the upper reaches of an estuary it is possible to study the effect of the tidal motion by treating it as a simple harmonic perturbation of the uni-directional river flow. Even in the middle portion of the estuary where there is reversal of the horizontal motion, one may seek a "quasi steady" solution for the net effect (seaward movement of fresh water) while allowing for the increased turbulence due to the tidal action. At the seaward end of the estuary there is little deviation from the astronomical tidal rhythm, so the problem reduces to simple harmonic oscillations of salt water. Higher harmonics may be introduced as an extension of the simple solution. For a first approximation it is sufficient to consider flow in the longitudinal vertical plane, to assume that the pressure distribution is hydrostatic as in long wave theory, and even to neglect inertia terms when investigating net effects.
Invasive ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi in the Caspian Sea: feeding, respiration, reproduction and predatory impact on the zooplankton community.

The impact of the invasive ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi on the zooplankton commu- nity of the Caspian Sea was quantified according to food consumption and other major physiological activities (i.e. respiration and reproduction), coupled with field data on population structure. The adverse effects of M. leidyi on the zooplankton community during the first years of the invasion were tremendous for the Caspian Sea compared to other regions affected by this ctenophore. The impact was highest in summer, due to high water temperatures and a population size structure in which juvenile ctenophores with mean lengths of 2 to 5 mm accounted for most of the population. During winter/spring, these ctenophores could consume the available stock of zooplankton in 3 to 8 d, whereas in summer consumption took only 1 d. The computed critical ctenophore biomass that does not affect (decrease) the abundance of mesozooplankton in the Caspian Sea is about 4 g m -3 (or 120 g m -2 , assuming most of the ctenophores occur in the upper 30 m layer). As is clear from the moni- toring data, the M.leidyi biomass in summer in different regions of the Caspian Sea is far in excess of this value. Such a high abundance of ctenophores, if maintained, would constantly keep the non- gelatinous zooplankton biomass at very low levels, and, as a consequence, no recovery could be expected in the pelagic fishery.
Is profitability driven by working capital management? Evidence for high-growth firms from emerging Europe

Despite the importance of high-growth firms (HGFs) for job creation, innovation, and economic development in transition economies, current knowledge on the role of financial decisions in explaining their profitability is limited. The aim of this paper is to examine the relationship between working capital management and firm profitability. Using a panel data set on HGFs from Central, Eastern, and South-Eastern Europe during the time span 2006–2015, we found an inverted U-shape relationship between working capital level and firm profitability. Our findings indicate that HGFs should find and maintain the optimal working capital level that maximizes their profitability. Our results proved to be robust when we employ different methodology (quantile regression), different sub-samples as well as alternative measures of profitability and working capital management. The study highlights the importance of short-term financial decisions in enhancing HGFs’ profitability, with significant implications for academics and practitioners. We contribute to the extant literature by providing empirical evidence on the existence a concave relationship between working capital level and firm profitability for a cross-country sample of firms.
Searching for French Civilization: Reflections on Situating Information Literacy Skills in an Undergraduate French Curriculum

This chapter questions and reflects on the changing role of the foreign; language and civilization lecturer as educator, when information; literacy skills are situated in an undergraduate curriculum. As such, it; does not set itself the task of providing solutions. Instead, it considers all; the complications which occur en route to a greater use of Internet-based; information sources within the discipline of French studies. In a departure; from standard academic writing, I am inserting myself directly in the; argument which follows a trajectory from my initial reluctance towards the; Internet and the changes required of me in order to adapt. This chapter uses; existing research to outline the current state of play regarding the digital; debate within education. However, rather than reaching a specific conclusion,; this chapter captures a recent moment of a situation in flux within higher; education
Multiple Unit Particle Systems (MUPS), a Versatile Strategy for Controlled Drug Delivery: Focus on Formulation and Process Concerns

In oral drug delivery modified release dosage forms (MRD) plays an important role in regulating the drug delivery to improve the quality of therapy. One excellent technique to formulate MRDs is multiple unit particle systems (MUPS), where the dosage form is distributed over multiple units rather than a single unit. This unique feature of MUPS makes them a suitable candidate for the delivery of different types of drug molecules for a variety of therapeutic purposes. The current techniques like fluidized bed granulation and, extrusion and spheronization are promising in maintaining uniformity of dosage form and successful drug delivery at the desired site or maintaining the desired time profile of drug delivery. Apart from formulation strategies more focus is required in process optimization and scale-up issues to broaden the range of application of MUPS to different drug candidates and drug delivery systems.