Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Brain signal analysis using EEG and Entropy to study the effect of physical and mental tasks on cognitive performance

Some theoretical control models posit that the fatigue which is developed during physical activity is not always peripheral and it is the brain which causes this feeling of fatigue. This fatigue develops due to a decrease of metabolic resources to and from the brain that modulates physical performance. Therefore, this research was conducted to find out if there was finite level of metabolic energy resources in the brain, by performing both mental and physical activities to exhaustion. It was found that there was an overflow of information during the exercise-involved experiment. The circular relationship between fatigue, cognitive performance and arousal state insinuates that one should apply more effort to maintain performance levels which would require more energy resources that eventually accelerates the development of fatigue. Thus, there appeared to be a limited amount of energy resources in the brain as shown by the cognitive performance of the participants.
Improving tensile fatigue life of centre-notched steel plates using CFRP sheets

Composite materials are used extensively in many industries today and have become popular in civil and structural projects worldwide. Composites can be used as a base material in construction and be designed to carry a portion or all of the applied loads. They can also be added to a structure in order to improve its loadbearing capacity or serviceability for higher loads. To date composites have been mainly used for the repair and rehabilitation of damaged structural members. Previous research shows that CFRP strengthening can effectively increase the sectional properties and loadbearing capacity of structural members. However, fatigue failure of structures such as bridges and offshore platforms is an issue, and few studies have been carried out on improving the fatigue behaviour of structures using CFRP material. In this research centre-notched steel plates are retrofitted and tested for fatigue. In addition some research has shown the benefit of the active effect of pre-tensioned CFRP, since pre-tensioning can increase the structural properties of cracked members. Our study shows the effect of pre-stressing CFRP patches in enhancing the fatigue life of cracked plates. Different configurations are tested for comparison of results.
EVALUATION OF ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITIES OF LATEX OF CARICACEAE (CARICA PAPAYA L.)

Objective: Carica papaya Linn. belonging to the family of Caricaceae is a well-known fruit and medicinal plant that has been widely used for a long time to cure various types of infectious disease especially in South Asian countries. The current study was aimed to evaluate the antibacterial properties of crude latex of C. papaya. Methods: The screening of antibacterial activity of latex was evaluated against one Gram-positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis and three Gram-negative pathogenic bacterial strains as Escherichia coli, Agrobacterium sp and Rhizobium sp. Ciprofloxacin was used as a control for investigating the bacterial species. Antibacterial activity was expressed in terms of the radius of zone inhibition. Latex of this plant was tested in seven doses (1, 2, 5, 7, 10, 15 and 20 mg/disk) and it was found that the antibacterial activity was dose dependent and a significant difference was also observed in case of different bacterial stains. Results: The results demonstrated noticeable inhibition of the bacterial growth against the tested organisms. In case of Agrobacterium sp. 20 mg of latex showed the average of 20.66 mm zone of inhibition and for E. coli this value was 16 mm for the same concentration of latex. The rest of the two bacterial species showed comparative resistance to papaya latex. Conclusion: It is concluded that the latex of C. papaya probably contains some valuable antibacterial compounds that are crucial forinhibiting the growth of a wide variety of bacteria, especially Gram-negative bacteria and suggesting this for applying the treatment of a variety of bacterial infections. Keywords: Antibacterial activity, Bacteria, Escherichia coli, Carica papaya, Disk diffusion, Latex. Zoon inhibition.
Lean Manufacturing and Business Performance in Brazilian Firms

In this paper, we examine the relationship among lean manufacturing management, competitive skills, and business performance from the perspective of managers of companies doing business in Brazil. We conduct a survey of 68 Brazilian companies that use lean manufacturing and analyze data using structural equation modeling based on partial least squares method. Results show, considering competitive skills as mediating variable, a positive relationship between lean manufacturing and business performance. Results also suggest that managers lack awareness about the importance of the competitive skills to enhance business performance. DOI: 10.12660/joscmv6n1p91-105 URL: http://dx.doi. org/10.12660/joscmv6n1p91-105
The effects of industrial waste from enzyme production on pasture growth and soil chemical properties

Farmers have used liquid waste from the enzyme industry as fertilizer. To determine the impact of liquid waste from enzymes (LWEs) on soil properties, plant growth and nutrient content in pasture, an experiment was conducted with five different rates of LWE application (0, 45, 90, 135 and 180 m 3 ha -1 ) to a Cambisol in August 2006. In August 2007, 60 m 3 ha -1 of LWE was applied in every treatment. Soil was sampled on four different dates and at four different depths (0-10, 10-20, 20-40 and 40-60 cm) to verify changes in its chemical properties. Soil was improved in terms of acidity and availability of Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ , K + and P in the 0-10 cm layer, indicating that the effect of LWE is corrective concerning these attributes. There was also improvement in pasture quality through increased levels of N, P and K in plants during the first year of waste application. The use of larger doses of LWE led to increases in productivity (42.6 kg dry weight m -3 residues). These results indicate that the application of LWE is feasible for the fertilization of this grassland containing low-fertility acidic Cambisol.
Stable climate and surface mass balance in Svalbard over 1979–2013 despite the Arctic warming

Abstract. With the help of the regional climate model MAR (Modele Atmospherique Regional) forced by the ERA-Interim reanalysis (MARERA) and the MIROC5 (Model for Interdisciplinary Research on Climate) global model (MARMIROC5) from the CMIP5 (Coupled Model Intercomparison Project) database, we have modelled the climate and surface mass balance of Svalbard at a 10 km resolution over 1979–2013. The integrated total surface mass balance (SMB) over Svalbard modelled by MARERA is negative (−1.6 Gt yr−1) with a large interannual variability (7.1 Gt) but, unlike over Greenland, there has been no acceleration of the surface melt over the past 35 years because of the recent change in atmospheric circulation bringing northwesterly flows in summer over Svalbard, contrasting the recent observed Arctic warming. However, in 2013, the atmospheric circulation changed to a south–southwesterly flow over Svalbard causing record melt, SMB (−20.4 Gt yr−1) and summer temperature. MIROC5 is significantly colder than ERA-Interim over 1980–2005 but MARMIROC5 is able to improve the near-surface MIROC5 results by simulating not significant SMB differences with MARERA over 1980–2005. On the other hand, MIROC5 does not represent the recent atmospheric circulation shift in summer and induces in MARMIROC5 a significant trend of decreasing SMB (−0.6 Gt yr−2) over 1980–2005.
The effect of colipase gene (CLPS) polymorphism on selected carcass traits in Polish Large White and Polish Large White × Polish Landrace fatteners.

Tgene and reared under standard conditions. The pigs were slaughtered at a mean live body weight of 105 kg and their carcasses were evaluated according to the reference method of Walstra and Merkus. The relationship was studied between selected carcass quality traits and the colipase (CLPS/DdeI) genotype. Within PLW fatteners the animals of AB genotype showed a significantly thicker backfat than those of genotype AA (3.33 vs. 2.87 cm). Within crossbreds, meat content of loin was significantly higher in AB than in AA pigs (53.70 and 50.02%, respectively).
Electrical conductivity monitoring of soil condition and available N with animal manure and a cover crop

Development of sustainable agricultural management systems will depend, in part, on the ability to better use renewable resources, such as animal manure, and to synchronize the levels of soil available N with crop plant needs during the growing season. This study was conducted at the US Meat Animal Research Center in the central USA to determine whether differences in electromagnetic (EM) soil conductivity and available N levels over a growing season can be linked to feedlot manure/compost application and use of a green winter cover crop. A series of soil conductivity maps of a research cornfield were generated using global positioning system (GPS) and EM induction methods. The study site was treated over a 7-year period with manure and compost at rates matching either the phosphorus or the nitrogen requirements of silage corn ( Zea maysL.). The plot was split for sub-treatments of a rye ( Secale cerealeL.) winter cover crop and no cover crop. Image processing techniques were used to establish electrical conductivity (EC) treatment means for each of the growing season surveys. Sequential measurement of profile weighted soil electrical conductivity (EC a) was effective in identifying the dynamic changes in available soil N, as affected by animal manure and N fertilizer treatments, during the corn-growing season. This method also clearly identified the effectiveness of cover crops in minimizing levels of available soil N before and after the corn-growing season, when soluble N is most subject to loss. The EM method for assessing soil condition provides insights into the dynamics of available N transformations that are supported by soil chemical analyses. This real-time monitoring approach could also be useful to farmers in enhancing N use efficiencies of cropping management systems and in minimizing N losses to the environment. © 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Precipitation changes in the South American Altiplano since 1300 AD reconstructed by tree-rings

Throughout the second half of the 20th century, the Central Andes has experienced significant climatic and environmental changes characterized by a persistent warming trend, an increase in elevation of the 0 °C isotherm, and sustained glacier shrinkage. These changes have occurred in conjunction with a steadily growing demand for water resources. Given the short span of instrumental hydroclimatic records in this region, longer time span records are needed to understand the nature of climate variability and to improve the predictability of precipitation, a key factor modulating the socio-economic development in the South American Altiplano and adjacent arid lowlands. In this study we present the first quasi-millennial, tree-ring based precipitation reconstruction for the South American Altiplano. This annual (November–October) precipitation reconstruction is based on the Polylepis tarapacana tree-ring width series and represents the closest dendroclimatological record to the Equator in South America. This high-resolution reconstruction covers the past 707 yr and provides a unique record characterizing the occurrence of extreme events and consistent oscillations in precipitation. It also allows an assessment of the spatial and temporal stabilities of the teleconnections between rainfall in the Altiplano and hemispheric forcings such as El Nino-Southern Oscillation. Since the 1930s to present, a persistent negative trend in precipitation has been recorded in the reconstruction, with the three driest years since 1300 AD occurring in the last 70 yr. Throughout the 707 yr, the reconstruction contains a clear ENSO-like pattern at interannual to multidecadal time scales, which determines inter-hemispheric linkages between our reconstruction and other precipitation sensitive records modulated by ENSO in North America. Our reconstruction points out that century-scale dry periods are a recurrent feature in the Altiplano climate, and that the future potential coupling of natural and anthropogenic-induced droughts may have a severe impact on socio-economic activities in the region. Water resource managers must anticipate these changes in order to adapt to future climate change, reduce vulnerability and provide water equitably to all users.
Alarm calls in action – does it pay off to help ?

Traditionally alarm call behavior has been considered costly for the caller because launching an alarm has been thought to attract a predator's attention. This has induced discussion considering alarm calls as an altruistic action, raising a question who actually benefits from an alarm and how? Many theories and studies have revealed different mechanisms that could maintain alarm call behavior. According to kin selection theories alarming pays off because it increases survival of the caller’s offspring. However, kin selection theory fails to explain the alarming behavior outside the breeding season. Alarm calling in the absence of relatives has led to controversial theories about the inconspicuousness of alarm calls. Classically it has been suggested that the structure of the call makes it hard to be located by a predator, decreasing the costs of alarming. Alternatively it has been suggested that one function of an alarm call is to deliver a message also to the predator saying that it has been seen and there is no reason to continue the attack now that the advantage of surprise is lost. Despite this versatile theoretical background there has been only few studies dealing predators' ability to locate alarm calls and there is no experimental data considering the effect of alarm calls on predator’s prey preferences. Thus, to test these assumptions about the conspicuousness of the calls, two experiments were conducted dealing the conspicuousness and the costs of alarming from the predators perspective. First pygmy owls, Glaucidium passerinum, were tested, to determine if they could localize an alarm call used by willow tits, Parus montanus, at a sudden appearance of a close predator (i.e. a stalking pygmy owl). Next, it was investigated how the alarm affects the probability of being attacked by a stalking predator (pygmy owl) between an individual giving the alarm and its silent flock mates. The experiments show that the alarm call used by willow tits in this context is clearly locatable for the predator. However, alarming did not involve any costs as the owls only attacked the non-alarming individuals. The results indicate that the alarm call in this context includes a message for the predator that it has been seen by the caller, making the catching of this specific individual more difficult for the predator. Moreover, it seems that in this situation the caller actually benefits from alarm calling as it reduces the risk of predation.
In search of the sources of psychologically controlling parenting: The role of parental separation anxiety and parental maladaptive perfectionism

This study investigated the role of two dimensions of parental separation anxiety—Anxiety about Adolescent Distancing (AAD) and Comfort with Secure Base Role (CSBR)—and parental maladaptive perfectionism in the prediction of psychologically controlling parenting. In a sample of middle adolescents and their parents (N 5677), it was found that parents’ AAD scores and maladaptive perfectionism were positively related to psychological control, whereas parents’ CSBR scores were negatively related to psychological control. Further, psychological control served as an intervening variable in the links between parent characteristics and adolescent wellbeing. These findings suggest that two qualitatively different types of psychological control may exist: one originating from parents’ separation anxiety and another originating from parents’ maladaptive perfectionist standards.
Connectedness of Higgs bundle moduli for complex reductive Lie groups

We carry an intrinsic approach to the study of the connectedness of the moduli space $\mathcal{M}_G$ of $G$-Higgs bundles, over a compact Riemann surface, when $G$ is a complex reductive (not necessarily connected) Lie group. We prove that the number of connected components of $\mathcal{M}_G$ is indexed by the corresponding topological invariants. In particular, this gives an alternative proof of the counting by J. Li of the number of connected components of the moduli space of flat $G$-connections in the case in which $G$ is connected and semisimple.
Thermal ion upflow in the cusp ionosphere and its dependence on soft electron energy flux

[1] We investigate the origin of low-energy (Ek 500 m s−1) ion upflows within the cusp at altitudes between 640 km and 768 km. We report a significant correlation between ion upflow and precipitating magnetosheath electron energy flux in this altitude range. There is only very weak correlation between upflow and wave power in the VLF band. We find a small negative correlation between upflow and the magnitude of the DC electric field for fields less than about 70 mV m−1. The apparent relation between upflow and electron energy flux suggests a mechanism whereby ions are accelerated by parallel electric fields that are established by the soft electrons. Significant ion upflows are not observed for electron energy fluxes less than about 1010 eV cm−2 s−1. The lack of correspondence between ∣∣ and upflow on the one hand, and wave power and upflow on the other, does not rule out these processes but implies that, if operating, they are not local to the measurement region. We also observe narrow regions of large ion downflow that imply either a rebalancing of the ionosphere toward a low-Te equilibrium during which gravity dominates over the pressure gradients or a convection of the upflowing ions away from the precipitation region, outside of which the ions must fall back into equilibrium at lower altitudes.
Period Change and Stellar Evolution of β Cephei Stars

The $\beta$ Cephei stars represent an important class of massive star pulsators probing the evolution of B-type stars and the transition from main sequence to hydrogen-shell burning evolution. By understanding $\beta$ Cep stars, we gain insights into the detailed physics of massive star evolution such as rotational mixing, convective core overshooting, magnetic fields and stellar winds, all of which play important roles. Similarly, modeling their pulsation provides additional information into their interior structures. Furthermore, measurements of the rate of change of pulsation period offer a direct measure of $\beta$ Cephei stellar evolution. In this work, we compute state-of-the-art stellar evolution models assuming different amounts of initial rotation and convective core overshoot and measure theoretical rates of period change for which we compare to rates previously measured for a sample of $\beta$ Cephei stars. The results of this comparison are mixed. For three stars, the rates are too small to infer any information from stellar evolution models, whereas for three other stars the rates are too large. We infer stellar parameters, such as mass and age, for two $\beta$ Cephei stars: $\xi^1$ CMa and $\delta$ Cet, that agree well with independent measurements. We explore ideas for why models may not predict the larger rates of period change. In particular, period drifts in $\beta$ Cep stars can artificially lead to overestimated rates of secular period change.
The mid-UV population of the nucleus and the bulk of the post-merger NGC 3610

The very center of NGC~3610, a clearly disturbed giant elliptical generally assumed to be a post-merger remnant, appears dominated in the mid-UV (2500-3200 A spectral region) by a stellar population markedly different from that dominating the bulk of its stellar body. I want here to make use of the mid-UV spectra of NGC~3610 as seen through tiny ($\sim$1") and large (10"$\times$20") apertures as a diagnostic population tool. I compare archive IUE/LWP large aperture and HST/FOS UV data of NGC 3610. The strength of mid-UV triplet (dominated by the turnoff population) shows a remarkable drop when switching from the galaxy central arcsec (FOS aperture) to an aperture size comparable to $\sim$0.5 r$_e$ (IUE). The sub-arsec (mid)-UV properties of this galaxy involved in a past merger reveal a central metal enrichment which left intact the bulk of its pre-existing population.
Magnetohydrodynamic stability of large scale liquid metal batteries

The aim of this paper is to develop a stability theory and a numerical model for three density-stratified electrically conductive liquid layers. Using regular perturbation methods to reduce the full three-dimensional problem to the shallow layer model, the coupled wave and electric current equations are derived. The problem set-up allows for weakly nonlinear velocity field action and an arbitrary vertical magnetic field. Further linearisation of the coupled equations is used for the linear stability analysis in the case of a uniform vertical magnetic field. New analytical stability criteria accounting for the viscous damping are derived for particular cases of practical interest and compared to the numerical solutions for a variety of materials used in batteries. These new criteria are equally applicable to the aluminium electrolysis cell magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) stability estimates.
Alcohol Consumption Among Inflammatory Rheumatic Patients: A Survey From Turkey

1Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Antalya Training and Research Hospital, Division of Rheumatology, Antalya, Turkey; 2Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Gumushane State Hospital, Gumushane, Turkey; 3Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Konya Training and Research Hospital, Division of Rheumatology, Konya, Turkey; 4Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Medical Faculty of Cumhuriyet University, Division of Rheumatology, Sivas, Turkey; 5Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Medical Faculty of Akdeniz University, Division of Rheumatology, Antalya, Turkey
Modelling of Solar Thermal Power Plant Using Parabolic Trough Collector

The target of the National Solar Mission is to build up India as a worldwide pioneer in solar energy generation. Solar power can be transmitted through grid either from solar photovoltaic or solar thermal technology. As compared to solar photovoltaic, solar thermal installations are less studied, especially regarding energy estimation and performance analysis. For estimating the potential of CSP plants, it is planned to simulate a power plant. We have marginally modified the design of 1 MW operational power plant installed at Gurgaon using Parabolic Trough Collector (PTC) technology. The results are compared with the expected output of Gurgaon power plant and also 50 MW power plant at Rajasthan. Our results have closely matched with a small deviation of 3.1% and 3.6% for Gurgaon and Rajasthan plants, respectively. Our developed model is also validated with 18 different solar power plants in different parts of the world by slightly modifying the parameters according to the plant capacity without changing major changes to the plant design. Difference between our results and the expected energy generation varied from 0.4% to 13.7% with an average deviation of 6.8%. As our results show less than 10% deviation as compared to the actual generation, an attempt has been made here to estimate the potential for the entire nation. For this modelling has been carried out for every grid station of 0.25° × 0.25° interval in India. Our results show that annual solar thermal power plant of 1 MWe capacity potential varies from 900 to 2700 MWh. We have also compared our results with previous studies and discussed.