Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Aerodynamic Shape Optimization Using Feature based CAD Systems and Adjoint Methods

This paper presents a CAD-based optimization framework using adjoint functions for aerodynamic design. In this work, the SU 2 code is used to obtain high-ﬁdelity ﬂow solutions and surface sensitivities using adjoint methods. This work proposes methodologies to exploit CAD models created using standard commercial modelling software like CATIA V5 in the optimization workﬂow. A formulation to obtain geometric sensitivities is introduced, enabling the calculation of gradients with respect to these CAD variables. The performance and robustness of the optimization framework is assessed using a range of inviscid and viscous problems. The results show the CAD parameterisation can be eﬃciently used in obtaining reliable optimums, while operating directly on feature based CAD systems.
A bayesian approach to model-based clustering for panel probit models

Consideration of latent heterogeneity is of special importance in non linear models for gauging correctly the effect of explaining variables on the dependent variable. This paper adopts the stratified model-based clustering approach for modeling latent heterogeneity for panel probit models. Within a Bayesian framework an estimation algorithm dealing with the inherent label switching problem is provided. Determination of the number of clusters is based on the marginal likelihood and out-of-sample criteria. The ability to decide on the correct number of clusters is assessed within a simulation study indicating high accuracy for both approaches. Different concepts of marginal effects incorporating latent heterogeneity at different degrees arise within the considered model setup and are directly at hand within Bayesian estimation via MCMC methodology. An empirical illustration of the developed methodology indicates that consideration of latent heterogeneity via latent clusters provides the preferred model specification compared to a pooled and a random coefficient specification. JEL classification: C11; C23; C25
Mating Compatibility and Competitiveness between Wild and Laboratory Strains of Eldana saccharina (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) after Radiation Treatment

Abstract The efficacy of the sterile insect technique (SIT) applied as part of area-wide integrated pest management (AW-IPM) depends on efficient transfer of sperm carrying dominant lethal mutations from sterile males to wild females. Success or failure of this strategy is therefore critically dependent on quality and ability of sterile males to search for and copulate with wild females. The African sugarcane borer, Eldana saccharina Walker (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) is an economic pest of sugarcane targeted for control in South Africa using an AW-IPM approach with a SIT component. As part of further steps towards development of the technique, levels of mating competitiveness and compatibility were assessed by observing the extent to which individuals from different populations interbreed when confined together under both laboratory and semi-field conditions. Three types of pair-wise competition experiments were conducted: non-irradiated laboratory adults vs. non-irradiated wild adults, irradiated (200 Gy) laboratory adults vs. non-irradiated wild adults, and non-irradiated laboratory adults vs. irradiated (200 Gy) laboratory adults. Data from these tests were used to generate indices for mating performance and measuring sexual compatibility between strains. Irrespective of trial location, wild moths did not discriminate against irradiated or laboratory-reared moths, indicating no negative effects on acceptability for mating due to laboratory rearing or radiation treatment. In general, irradiated males mated significantly more than their wild counterparts regardless of the type of female, which indicated that they were still as competitive as their wild counterparts. The mating indices generated showed no evidence of incipient pre-mating isolation barriers or sexual incompatibility with the wild strain. Data presented in this paper therefore indicate that there is scope for further development of the SIT as an addition to the arsenal of tactics available for AW-IPM of this economic pest.
Adhesion shear theory of ice friction at low sliding velocities, combined with ice sintering

Adhesion and shear deformation of ice have been traditionally considered to be responsible for ice friction at sliding velocities lower than about 10−2 m/s, but the simple mechanism cannot explain the recent finding that the ice–ice friction coefficient increases with decreasing sliding velocity. This article proposes an improved adhesion shear theory, which takes account of junction growth of asperities at the sliding ice interface due to sintering. At lower sliding velocities and higher homologous temperatures, contacts of ice asperities develop resulting in the increase of friction force.
A thermophilic last universal ancestor inferred from its estimated amino acid composition

The last universal ancestor (LUA) represents a relatively accessible theoretical intermediary between extant cellular organisms and early, precellular ‘‘life’’. Through analysis of modern-day genomes it is possible to infer characteristics of the LUA (Lazcano and Forterre, 1999) and these provide important clues to early evolution. One feature that has attracted significant interest is the temperature of the environment in which the LUA lived (Woese, 1987; Galtier and Lobry, 1997; Galtier et al., 1999; Bocchetta et al., 2000; Brochier and Philippe, 2002; Whitfield, 2004). The earliest evidence, from analysis of a phylogenetic reconstruction of the tree of life, prompted the proposal that the LUA was a (hyper)thermophile; that is, it lived at temperatures above 55 C (Woese, 1987). However, reconstruction of the tree remains controversial, as do the inferences drawn from it (Bocchetta et al., 2000; Brochier and Philippe, 2002). Although it has been asserted that the inferred GþC content of rRNA in the LUA supports a mesophilic lifestyle (Galtier et al., 1999), that claim does not hold up under scrutiny (see the Results and discussion section, below). Characteristics of ancestral proteins have also been brought to bear on this question. Experimentally reconstructed elongation factor EF-Tu proteins of early ancestral bacteria were found to have temperature optima falling between 55 and 65 C, implying that those ancestors were thermophilic in nature (and by the most parsimonious extension, that the LUA was also; Gaucher et al., 2003). In addition, the amino acid composition of the inferred sequences of signal recognition particle and a tRNA synthetase in the LUA was reported to be more similar to that of extant thermophiles than mesophiles (Di Giulio, 2001). Because of the contradictory nature of the evidence regarding the optimal growth temperature (OGT) of the LUA, a fresh approach that provides alternative data should help advance the debate. There have been several studies reporting a relationship between the OGT and amino acid composition (Kreil and Ouzounis, 2001; Tekaia et al., 2002; Nakashima et al., 2003; Singer and Hickey, 2003). Taking advantage of this relationship, inferred amino acid composition of proteins in the LUA could be used to infer whether it was a thermophile or a mesophile. We described previously an approach analogous to that used by Galtier et al. (1999) to infer the ancestral GþC content of RNA, but addressing proteins rather than RNA (Brooks et al., 2004). Briefly, the expectation-maximization (EM) approach was used to infer ancestral amino acid frequencies, where in each iteration expected counts were derived from posterior distributions at each site (thereby avoiding the bias associated with inference of a single discrete ancestral sequence; Krishnan et al., 2004). Applying this approach to estimate the amino acid composition of 65 proteins in the LUA, we found that composition to be more similar to that of extant thermophiles than mesophiles (Brooks et al., 2004). In the current analysis, we examined
Tensile Properties and Blow Forming of 5083 Aluminum Alloy Recycled by Solid-State Recycling

The tensile properties and blow forming characteristics of 5083 Al alloy recycled by solid-state recycling were investigated from the viewpoint of oxide contamination. Three types of machined chip with different volumes were recycled by hot extrusion and hot rolling in air. Oxide layers, which were contaminants from the machined chip surface, were distributed in the extrusion direction for the recycled specimens. Oxygen concentration in the recycled specimens increased with the total surface area of the machined chips per unit volume. From the result of the tensile tests performed at 773 K, the elongation to failure of the specimen made of smaller machined chips was lower, than that of the specimens made of larger machined chips, in spite of their same strain rate sensitivity of 0.5. Similarly, in the blow-forming tests at 773 K, the specimen made of smaller machined chips exhibited a lower formability. The low elongation to failure and formability of the recycled specimens made of smaller machined chips are likely to be attributed to a greater contamination of oxide. Thus, oxide contamination has a detrimental effect on the superplastic properties of recycled Al alloy.
Why IT Matters: An Empirical Study of E-Business Usage, Innovation, and Firm Performance

The article argues that IT continues to have strategic relevance for companies because it en-ables innovation. A conceptual link between the adoption of IT and innovation is established. This conceptual link allows a market-based, economic explanation for variations in IT payoffs among firms: The successful adoption of new IT leads to innovation. Depending on the be-havior of customers and competitors, a successful innovation can enable companies to gain competitive advantages. The economic theory of innovation suggests conditions that are nec-essary for firms to benefit from innovative activities. The relevance of IT as an important enabler of innovation is demonstrated using a very large sample of enterprises from different industries and countries in the European Union surveyed in late 2003. It is shown that a substantial share of firms use IT to introduce new processes into their business, or to offer new products or services to their customers. To study the rela-tionship between firm performance and innovation, I estimate an error component model that controls for unobserved market-specific effects and various firm-specific characteristics. The regression results indicate that innovative firms are generally more likely to exhibit increasing turnover and employment. In addition, firms that conduct product or service innovations are also more likely to be profitable. Furthermore, enterprises using IT to innovate perform at least as well as those innovating without IT. Yet, no significant relationship between process innovation and profitability is found, suggesting that firms might have problems to appropri-ate excess profits from process innovations, independent from whether they are enabled by IT or not. Possible reasons for this include time-lags between process innovations and profit gains, problems to effectively protect process innovations from imitation by competitors, or a lack of complementary resources. The results suggest that the returns to IT critically depend on whether and how IT investments are transferred into innovative activities. In addition, they suggest that IT will maintain its strategic importance as long as the IT industry remains inno-vative in developing new IT hardware and useful new business applications for it.
Population Attributable Fraction of Hypertension Associated with Obesity in Iran

Introduction: Prevalence of obesity has been increased in Iran over the recent decades. Little is known about fraction of hypertension attributable to obesity in Iran. This study aimed to determine the Population Attributable Fraction (PAF) of hypertension due to obesity across different provinces of Iran. Materials and Methods: Data on prevalence of hypertension were extracted from Iranian Ministry of Health NonCommunicable Disease Risk Factor InfoBase. Measure of association between hypertension and obesity was extracted from Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study, for men and women separately. The extracted relative risks were used to calculate PAF of hypertension associated with obesity after age standardization of the reported prevalence of obesity across different provinces of Iran. Results: In this study, PAF of hypertension associated with obesity observed in females; 25.6 (95% CI:18.9-30.1) was more than that of males; 24.6 (95% CI: 18.1-29.2), in males across different provinces, North-Khorasan had the highest PAF of hypertension due to obesity 24.6 (95% CI: 18.1-29.2), followed by Qom; 22.6 (95% CI: 16.5-26.7), and Hormozgan; 22.5 (95% CI: 16.5-26.6). In females, North-Khorasan province had the highest PAF; 25.6 (95% CI: 18.9-30.1) followed by Semnan 22.3 (95% CI: 16.5-26.3), Hormozgan 20.9 (95% CI: 15.5-24.6), as well as Qom 20.7 (95% CI: 15.5-24.6). Conclusion: Prevalence of hypertension is relatively high in provinces of Iran and a sizable share of it is associated with obesity. It is recommended that health promotion programs focus on obesity in these provinces.
DISTRIBUTED PROPULSION AND TURBOFAN SCALE EFFECTS

A coupled aircraft and engine model is used to evaluate the fuel consumption and mission weight of distributed propulsion aircraft. The engine cycle is optimized for the installation to show the ultimate performance of each propulsion alternative. The effect of higher specific fuel consumption for smaller engines is weighed against the potentially lower installation weight and higher integration efficiency of distributed propulsion.
Advanced Nanocomposite Coatings of Fusion Bonded Epoxy Reinforced with Amino-Functionalized Nanoparticles for Applications in Underwater Oil Pipelines

The performance of fusion-bonded epoxy coatings can be improved through advanced composite coatings reinforced with nanomaterials. Hence, in this study a novel organic-inorganic nanocomposite finish was designed, synthesized, and characterized, achieved by adding γ-aminopropyltriethoxysilane modified silica nanoparticles produced via sol-gel process in epoxy-based powder. After the curing process of the coating reinforced with nanoparticles, the formation of a homogenous novel nanocomposite with the development of interfacial reactions between organic-inorganic and inorganic-inorganic components was observed. These hybrid nanostructures produced better integration between nanoparticles and epoxy matrix and improved mechanical properties that are expected to enhance the overall performance of the system against underwater corrosion.
Decomposing the Bid - ask Spread in Multi-Dealer Markets

In this paper, we modify the Huang and Stoll spread-decomposing model to fit multi-dealer markets. In a multi-dealer market, individual dealers can rebalance their inventories either by trading with other dealers or by changing the quote price. Our modified model captures this feature. Using transaction data from the Reuters D2000-1 system, we find that the order-processing and inventory control components of the spread in the foreign exchange market are relatively small and dealers may tolerate the unwanted inventory to keep the spread small to attract informed orders. The asymmetric information component carries the biggest weight. We study the time pattern of the spread and its components. The spread varies significantly with the time of day, but the inventory control and asymmetric information components do not. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Functional analysis of subelliptic operators on Lie groups

Let G be a Lie group with a left Haar measure dg and L the action of G as left translations on Lp(G; dg). Further let H = dL(C) denote an m-th order subelliptic operator associated with L. We establish that for a large family of holomorphic functions f one can use the Cauchy representation to define functions f(H) of the operator H and that these functions are bounded operators if p E (1,00). Similar conclusions hold on the spaces formed with respect to right Haar measure, or in any unitary representation. As an application we show that the Cn-subspaces of the left regular representations, or the unitary representations, have natural interpolation properties relative to the complex method.
Technology Adoption and Innovation of E-Government in Republic of Iraq

Electronic government (EG) refers to a computer application employed in government activities and operations,where both government and the public are enabled to interact and transact online. The practicability of EG hasnot been largely explored in the context of Iraq, owing to the conflicting activities it has been experiencing in thepast few years. Prior to EG adoption, variables have to be examined such as infrastructure, social factors,security, skills, users’ behavior etc. The present study aims at examining the related variables that couldpotentially bar the EG services adoption in Iraq with the help of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use ofTechnology (UTAUT). Three independent variables are examined namely effort expectancy, performanceexpectancy, and social influence – the influence of these variables on the EG services uses as the dependentvariable is examined. The study proposes a quantitative examination of the EG services usage behavior with datagathered from Iraq. The study findings are then discussed.
TCAD based modeling and simulation of Graphene Nanostructured FET (GFET) for High Frequency Performance

Â In this paper, the modeling of a Graphene based Field Effect Transistor(GFET) is presented. The modeling is done using the SILVACO TCAD tools. The structure is developed in ATLAS virtual framework and the model is used to investigate the performance of graphene based FET. First we deposit 5nm thick polysilycon film instead of graphene film to generate the device structure. Graphene is modeled as a semiconductor, a carrier mobility of 10,000 cm 2 /V-s and used as the channel material. The characteristics curves: output characteristic and transfer curve are plotted using TONYPLOT. Pristine graphene has no band gap. So it is considered as semi-metal or zero bandgapsemiconductor. Due to the lack of bandgap, I ON /I OFF is relatively low compared to the Silicon based transistor, so for digital logic circuits, GFET still lags behind comparing to Si transistors. It is more suitable for RF application with its very high mobility. Therefore, in this paper, the parameters which are considered to the FOMs of RF transistors i.e. maximum cut off frequency (f T ) and the maximum frequencies of oscillations (f max ) are extracted.
A Demand Determinants Model for Public Spending in Spain

In this paper an attempt is made to analyze the causes of growth of public government considering a demand model. The main contribution is the elaboration of a comprehensive and synthetic model in which economic-structural and political-institutional variables are included. To our knowledge, it is the first work that attempts this kind of model as it considers such a high number of variables, which implies great difficulties upon conducting the corresponding analysis. We consider the public expenditure in Spain in the period 1958-2014 where there are structural points. Then we use unit root and cointegration tests in a structural breaks context.
Primary production in the upper sea ice

Observations and expenments were conducted on fast ice in McMurdo Sound, Antarctica, to investigate seasonal changes in primary production in the upper sea ice intenor. In November and early December 1995, a dense phytoflagellate assemblage developed in the brine channels and pockets at a snow-free site. Primary production was calculated from I4C measurements of primary productivity in brine samples combined with estimates of the proportion of the ice volume occupied by brine. On 4 December 1995, when the dinoflagellate PolareUa glacialis dominated, eshmated daily production peaked at 12.4 mg C m-' in the upper 50 cm of ice. On this date, brine temperature was --3°C and brine salinity was -60. By mid-December, daily production d e c h e d by 77 %, but chlorophyll-specific rates of photosynthesis remained high. The decline in production coincided with encystment of P. glacialis and nutnent deplehon, the former triggered by the latter. Pnmary production continued to decrease during December and January. On 9 January 1996, when ice temperatures were --1°C and brine salinlty was -20, there was a brief bloom of small pennate diatoms in the upper ice interior, but chlorophyll-specific rates of photosynthesis were low and estimated daily production was < l mg C m-' Based on I4C uptake and brine volume, algal production in the upper 50 cm of sea ice was 181 mg C m-* for the season (mid-November through mid-January). Increases in phytoflagellate biomass in the upper 90 cm of ice for this same period indicated that produchon was 2 5 6 mg C m-'. Bnef early season blooms of cryoand halo-tolerant phytoflagellates accounted for most of the primary production in the upper sea ice interior.
COMMUNICATION OF RESEARCH FINDINGS AND THE LEARNING PREFERENCES OF END USERS

The importance of effective communication of researcher findings to the end users in advancing teaching, researcher and practice is well understood. However, there is an apparent gap between the methods used by researchers in reporting their findings and the learning preferences of the users of such findings. This is evident in the field of architecture, where there is a gap between researchers, the students and practitioners, who are the intended beneficiaries of the research findings. This study investigated the predominant learning preferences of postgraduate students and the methods used by the faculty in the Department of Architecture, Covenant University, Ota, Nigeria, in communicating their research findings. Questionnaire surveys of 55 postgraduate students and 20 research active faculty members in this department were conducted in the last quarter of 2016. The data were analysed using simple descriptive statistics. The result shows that the students, who are mainly kinesthetic and visual learners, preferred videos as opposed to text based formats used by researchers in presenting their research findings. Although both the students and faculty were found to have preference for the Internet and electronic media for the purpose of exchanging research findings, the students relied mostly on websites as the main source of information for their academic work, while the faculty disseminate their research findings mainly through journals. The paper concludes that a reconciliation between the modes of communication used by researchers and the learning preferences of students will result in a better communication of research findings and promote effective teaching and learning in architecture.