Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An attempt to reveal synergies between biology and mechanical engineering

Biomimetics is a continuously growing field. In this article specific examples for successful technology transfer among biology and engineering are classified along a newly proposed scheme of the field — biomimetics by analogy and biomimetics by induction — complemented by technical biology. Famous examples as well as niche applications are presented: winglets on airplanes, an optimized straw-bale screw, Velcro, and self-cleaning surfaces and paints, as well as investigations on spiders. The need of a common language for biologists and engineers, in which descriptions at different level of detail are more compatible, is stressed and general principles that can be applied by engineers who are not at all involved in biology are presented.
Effect of Drying Methods on the Chemical Quality Traits of Cocoa Raw Material

This study concerns the measurement of some chemical quality properties of raw cocoa dried by solar and heating methods. Sun drying method is considered as standard process. Drying trials were conducted in thin layer using natural sun light drying method, heating methods by exposition of the beans to hot air ventilated oven at 60℃ and in sun light consecutive artificial drying methods. Changes in volatile acidity on the drying method were not very clear. Only sun and mixed dried raw cocoa showed a high volatile acidity. Oven and mixed drying methods have caused higher free acidity and higher Ammonium Nitrogen content in raw cocoa than natural drying methods. Changes in Ammonium Nitrogen in fermented appeared significantly due to the fermentation. Also all studied drying processes did not influence the production of free fatty acids in raw cocoa. The results obtained from this study are essential in understanding and solving the problems associated with the final quality of raw cocoa material dependent on the drying methods. Better quality of raw cocoa material could be resulted from natural drying process than heating methods.
Cross-Curricular Teaching Going Forward: A View from "Strange Fruit".

“Strange Fruit”, a song popularized by Billie Holiday in 1939, paints a gruesome picture of racial violence suffered by former African-American slaves following Reconstruction, 1863-1877 (Foner, 2011). While many scholars have analyzed the lyrics of “Strange Fruit”, research that focuses on young people’s reaction to the song is scarce. This study explores the impact of Holiday’s performance of the song on students at a New England Research University. Institutional survey software was used to create an online questionnaire that participants (n= 40) answered in a controlled environment. The findings indicate feelings of disgust, anger, shame and IJEA Vol. 19 No. 4 http://www.ijea. org/v19n4/ 2 sadness after participants listened to “Strange Fruit”. Although few students could indicate the song’s time-period, many recognized the atrocities committed against African-Americans since slavery and the discrimination that continues. “Strange Fruit”, irrespective of whether the participants knew the background of the song, provokes a powerful reaction against racial violence, one which demonstrates the song’s value as a cross-curricular pedagogical tool for developing transversal competences linked to socially desirable values and principles.
School Type and Mathematics Achievement in English-Speaking Primary Schools in Cameroon: Implications for Technological Development

Science and Technology are critical for propelling Cameroon towards emergence and primary school mathematics creates a good foundation for Science and Technology. However, very little research in Cameroon has focused on assessing mathematics achievement in primary schools in order to forecast the future of Science and Technology. The study thus set out to assess the mathematic achievement of class six (final year) pupils in 18 English-speaking public, private and confessional primary schools in six divisions of the North West and South West regions of Cameroon. An achievement test which is an extract of the 2013/2014 First School Leaving Certificate Examination constituted the instrument for data collection. Thus validity and Reliability had already been established by the Ministry of Basic Education. Data were analyzed descriptively and inferentially. Results revealed that mathematics achievement is generally low and differs by school type. Implications and recommendations are discussed.
Proxima’s orbit around α Centauri

Proxima and α Centauri AB have almost identical distances and proper motions with respect to the Sun. Although the probability of such similar parameters is, in principle, very low, the question as to whether they actually form a single gravitationally bound triple system has been open since the discovery of Proxima one century ago. Owing to HARPS high-precision absolute radial velocity measurements and the recent revision of the parameters of the α Cen pair, we show that Proxima and α Cen are gravitationally bound with a high degree of confidence. The orbital period of Proxima is ≈ 550 000 years. With an eccentricity of 0.50 +0.08 −0.09 , Proxima comes within 4.3 +1.1 −0.9 kau of α Cen at periastron, and is currently close to apastron (13.0 +0.3 −0.1 kau). This orbital motion may have influenced the formation or evolution of the recently discovered planet orbiting Proxima, as well as circumbinary planet formation around α Cen.
Levels of Arousal in Positive Moods: Effects on Motor Performance

Background: The use of simple preparatory methods, such as listening to relaxing music, may decrease negative emotions and enhance performance. The purpose of this research was to explore whether certain types of music, as a preparatory task, could enhance motor performance. Method: Fifty-six participants were randomly assigned to a condition before completing a pre and postdexterity test using the Purdue Pegboard Test (PPT). Performance was assessed with the PPT and arousal of mood was assessed with the Affect Grid. During the postdexterity test, the participants heard no music or specific music based on their condition. The experimental conditions included listening to an uptempo Mozart sonata to elicit a high arousal, positive valence mood, or a down-tempo version of the same sonata to achieve a low arousal, positive valence mood. Results: ANOVAs showed a significant increase between pre and posttests over time in participant arousal and performance. In addition, there was a significant interaction term between performance and gender, where women improved significantly more than men. Conclusion: The results suggest that the up-tempo and down-tempo Mozart sonatas do not play a significant role in motor performance, yet gender significantly affects performance, regardless of the type of music. Comments The authors report no conflicts of interest to disclose.
Counterflows in viscous electron-hole fluid

In ultra-pure conductors, collective motion of charge carriers at relatively high temperatures may become hydrodynamic such that electronic transport may be described similarly to a viscous flow. In confined geometries (e.g., in ultra-high quality nanostructures), the resulting flow is Poiseuille-like. When subjected to a strong external magnetic field, the electric current in semimetals is pushed out of the bulk of the sample towards the edges. Moreover, we show that the interplay between viscosity and fast recombination leads to the appearance of counterflows. The edge currents possess a non-trivial spatial profile and consist of two stripe-like regions: the outer stripe carrying most of the current in the direction of the external electric field and the inner stripe with the counterflow.
Optimal indexation of government bonds and monetary policy

Using an overlapping generations model in which the young save for old age using indexed and nominal government bonds, this paper investigates how optimal indexation is influenced by monetary policy. In order to do so, two monetary policies with markedly different long run implications are examined: inflation targeting and price-level targeting. Optimal indexation differs significantly under the two regimes. Under inflation targeting, long-term inflation uncertainty is substantial due to base-level drift in the price level. Nominal bonds are thus a poor store of value and optimal indexation is relatively high (76 per cent). With price-level targeting, by contrast, long-term inflation uncertainty is minimal because the price level is trend-stationary. This makes nominal bonds a better store of value compared to indexed bonds, reducing optimal indexation somewhat (26 per cent). Importantly for these results, the model captures two imperfections of indexation (indexation bias and lagged indexation) that are calibrated to the UK case.
An Empirical (S, s )M odel of Dynamic Capital Structure ∗

Traditional regressions find that average leverage ratios move counter-cyclically, in contrast to the predictions of most recent dynamic capital structure models. In this paper we show that the traditional analysis does not separate target leverage from refinancing thresholds, which changes the interpretation of the results. We develop and estimate a general (S, s) model of capital structure that allows us to investigate the relation between target leverage, refinancing thresholds, and firm characteristics in a dynamic environment. We find that firms’ target leverage ratios are pro-cyclical. Companies allow leverage to float within a wide inaction region around the target, which becomes wider during recessions. We also document that most of the time-series variation in capital structure policy variables is due to the aggregate macro-economic variables, rather than changes in firm-specific variables such as profitability or earnings volatility.
Yönetim ve Örgüt Kültüründe Değerlerin Önemi

Bu calismanin amaci; degerlerin orgut ve yonetim acisindan onemini ortaya koymaktir. Degerler, bireysel duzeyde kisinin amaclarina ve eylemlerine rehberlik ederken, orgutsel duzeyde de orgutsel amaclar, politikalar ve stratejilerin belirlenmesine yon vermektedir. Orgutsel kultureyonelik yapilan pek cok calisma, orgutsel kulturun tanimlanmasinda anahtar ogelerin orgutsel deger sistemlerive yaygin paylasilan degerler oldugunu gostermektedir. Orgut uyelerinin sahip oldugu degerlerle ortusen kurumsal degerler, calisanlarca kolaylikla benimsenmekte ve kurumsal butunlesme ve orgutsel vatandaslik bilincinin olusmasina katki saglamaktadir. Ayrica kisisel ve orgutsel degerler, yoneticilerin bireysel ve orgutsel basariya iliskin algilarina, kisilerle iliskilerine, kararlarina, sorunlara bakisina ve problem cozumune etki etmektedir.
Extreme correlation and repulsive interactions in highly excited atomic anions

At high energies, single-photon photodetachment of alkali negative ions populates final states where both the ejected electron and the residual valence electron possess high angular momenta. The photodetached electron interacts strongly with the anisotropic core, and thus the partial cross sections for these channels display non-Wigner threshold behavior reflecting these large, and occasionally repulsive, interactions. Our fully quantum mechanical theoretical study enables a deeper interpretation of these partial cross sections. Comparisons of the behavior in different channels and between different atomic species sodium, potassium, and cesium show the critical role of near-degeneracies in the energy spectrum and demonstrate that much of the behavior of the partial photodetachment cross sections stems from the permanent, rather than induced, electric dipole moments of these nearly-degenerate channels. This provides a concrete example of a system where negative dispersion forces play a decisive role.
Nonstandard Methods in Stochastic Analysis and Mathematical Physics

3. H. Davenport, Cubic forms in sixteen variables, Proc. Roy. Soc. London Ser. A 272 (1963), 285-303. 4. H. Davenport and H. Heilbronn, On indefinite quadratic forms in five variables, J. London Math. Soc. 21 (1946), 185-193. 5. D. R. Heath-Brown, Cubic forms in ten variables, Proc. London Math. Soc. (3) 47 (1983), 225-257. 6. H. Heilbronn, On the distribution of the sequence On (modi), Quart. J. Math. Oxford Ser. (2) 19 (1948), 249-256. 7. W. M. Schmidt, Small solutions of congruences with prime modulus, Diophantine Analysis (J. Loxton and A. van der Poorten, eds.), London Math. Soc. Lecture Notes, vol. 109, Cambridge Univ. Press, 1986. 8. R. C. Vaughan, The Hardy-Littlewood method, Cambridge Univ. Press, Cambridge, 1981.
Zagospodarowanie terenów zagrożonych powodziami w województwie łódzkim

W pracy podjeto problematyke zagospodarowania terenow zagrozonych powodziami w gminach wojewodztwa lodzkiego, w kontekście potencjalnych negatywnych konsekwencji dla ludzi, środowiska przyrodniczego, dziedzictwa kulturowego i dzialalności gospodarczej. Badaniu podlegaly tereny zagrozone powodziami w 21 gminach polozonych w zlewniach trzech glownych rzek: Warty, Pilicy, Bzury. Z punktu widzenia ochrony przed powodzią najistotniejsze znaczenie miala analiza stopnia zainwestowania tych terenow oraz wskazanie obszarow w szczegolności narazonych na negatywne konsekwencje, co jest kluczowe w ich wlaściwej ochronie. W ramach prowadzonych badan skoncentrowano sie na ocenie poziomu ryzyka powodziowego, wynikającego ze sposobu zagospodarowania terenow zagrozonych powodziami. Ograniczając proces zasiedlania rownin zalewowych, mozna zminimalizowac ryzyko powodziowe, co mialoby wymierne efekty dla ludności oraz samych gmin. „Praca ta potwierdza, ze geografia moze wnieśc istotny wklad do praktycznych rozwiązan problemow zycia codziennego, nie ograniczając jej teoretycznego i akademickiego dorobku” (Tadeusz Siwek). Zagadnienia poruszane w ksiązce powinny zainteresowac zarowno naukowcow, jak i osoby odpowiedzialne za ochrone przeciwpowodziową w Polsce.
Breaking seed dormancy in black murberry [Morus nigra L.] by cold stratification and exogenous application of gibberellic acid

Experiments were done to determine the effects of cold stratification (0, 20, 40, 60, 80 or 100 days), application of gibberelic acid (GA3) (0, 250, 500, 1000 or 2000 mg/l) and the combination (GA3 + stratification) on seed germination of black mulberry. Application of 1000 mg/l GA3 proved more effective than any of the other concentrations of GA3 applied. Seeds stratified for 100 days showed 88% germination. The combined treatment of 250 mg/l GA3 and 100 days of stratification yielded 96% germination of seeds. The relationships between GA3 concentration and seed germination (r = 0.93), and between stratification duration and seed germination (r = 0.91) of black mulberry were linear.
MID-INFRARED VARIABILITY FROM THE SPITZER DEEP WIDE-FIELD SURVEY

We use the multi-epoch, mid-infrared Spitzer Deep Wide-Field Survey to investigate the variability of objects in 8.1 deg2 of the NOAO Deep Wide Field Survey Boötes field. We perform a Difference Image Analysis of the four available epochs between 2004 and 2008, focusing on the deeper 3.6 and 4.5 μm bands. Out of 474, 179 analyzed sources, 1.1% meet our standard variability selection criteria that the two light curves are strongly correlated (r>0.8) and that their joint variance (σ12) exceeds that for all sources with the same magnitude by 2σ. We then examine the mid-IR colors of the variable sources and match them with X-ray sources from the XBoötes survey, radio catalogs, 24 μm selected active galactic nucleus (AGN) candidates, and spectroscopically identified AGNs from the AGN and Galaxy Evolution Survey (AGES). Based on their mid-IR colors, most of the variable sources are AGNs (76%), with smaller contributions from stars (11%), galaxies (6%), and unclassified objects, although most of the stellar, galaxy, and unclassified sources are false positives. For our standard selection criteria, 11%–12% of the mid-IR counterparts to X-ray sources, 24 μm AGN candidates, and spectroscopically identified AGNs show variability. The exact fractions depend on both the search depth and the selection criteria. For example, 12% of the 1131 known z>1 AGNs in the field and 14%–17% of the known AGNs with well-measured fluxes in all four Infrared Array Camera bands meet our standard selection criteria. The mid-IR AGN variability can be well described by a single power-law structure function with an index of γ ≈ 0.5 at both 3.6 and 4.5 μm, and an amplitude of S0 ≃ 0.1 mag on rest-frame timescales of 2 yr. The variability amplitude is higher for shorter rest-frame wavelengths and lower luminosities.
Influence of Tree Size on Transplant Establishment and Growth

Studies have demonstrated that the size of transplanted trees has a measurable impact on establishment rates in the landscape. Larger trees require a longer period of time than smaller trees to produce a root system comparable in spatial distribution to similar sized non-transplanted trees. This lag in redevelopment of root system architecture results in reduced growth that increases with transplant size. Research has demonstrated that smaller transplanted trees become established more quickly and ultimately result in larger trees in the landscape in a few years. Additional studies dispute these fi ndings. This paper provides a review of current research on the effect of tree size on transplant establishment.
Register The results of 479 thumb carpometacarpal joint replacements reported in the Norwegian Arthroplasty

In this study we report the results of thumb carpometacarpal (CMC) joint replacements in the Norwegian population over a 17-year period. In total, 479 primary replacements performed from 1994 to 2011 were identified in the Norwegian Arthroplasty Register. Implant survival and risk of revision were analyzed using Cox regression analyses. Four different implant designs were compared and time trends were analyzed. The overall 5 and 10 year survivals were 91% and 90%, respectively. The newer metal total arthroplasties did not outperform the older silicone and mono-block implants. At 5 years, the implant survival ranged from 90% to 94% for the different implant brands. Gender, age, and diagnosis did not influence the risk of revision. The incidence of thumb CMC joint replacement did not change during the study period. Despite relatively satisfactory implant survivorship in our register study, current evidence does not support widespread implementation of thumb CMC replacements.
Modeling Spikes in Electricity Prices

uring periods of market stress, electricity prices can rise dramatically. Electricity retailers cannot pass these extreme prices on to customers because of retail price regulation. Improved prediction of these price spikes therefore is important for risk management. This paper builds a time-varying-probability Markov-switching model of Queensland electricity prices, aimed particularly at forecasting price spikes. Variables capturing demand and weather patterns are used to drive the transition probabilities. Unlike traditional Markov-switching models that assume normality of the prices in each state, the model presented here uses a generalised beta distribution to allow for the skewness in the distribution of electricity prices during high-price episodes.
BIOLOGY AND CPUE SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION OF ESCOLAR Lepidocybium flavobrunneum (Smith, 1843) IN EASTERN INDIAN OCEAN (EVOLVING FISHERIES: TODAY’S BY-CATCH IS TOMORROW’S TARGET CATCH)

Discharge of by catch is a significant problem in world fishery. Every commercial fishery such as tuna longline has a suite of bycatch species, escolar fish (LEC). LEC as by catch product has received a little attention because of its lower economic value and given its importance as a secondary market. With time, however, market can become establish for this presently undesirable species. Acknowledging that today’s by catch might become tomorrow’s target fish. The aims of this study areto provide information on biological aspect and catch per unit of effort (CPUE) spatial distribution of escolar (Lepidocybium flavobrunneum) as by catch in Indonesian longline fishery operating in the Eastern Indian Ocean. Total escolar samples of 1,815 were taken from scientific observer data from 2011-2013. The study area of escolar was between 0.897-33.175°S and 85.366– 138.733°E of Eastern Indian Ocean. Results show that the escolar length (cmFL) is distributed from 27-178 cmFL (median=83 cmFL, mode=85 cmFL, mean=83.95 cmFL and n= 1.812) and dominated by the size of 85 cmFL. The length weight relationship was determined to be W=0.0002FL2. 2926(W in kg, FL in cm). In terms of CPUEs distribution, the lower CPUEs( 1.0001 to 7.382) generally occurred in Western Australian, precisely on grid between 10-35°S and 85-110°E. These grids would be a potential for fishing LEC with the best time to catch in June to August.
The Effect of Islamic Values on Voluntary Corporate Governance Disclosure: The Case of Saudi Listed Firms

Purpose – The study examines the effect of Islamic values on the extent of voluntary corporate governance (CG) disclosure. In addition, we investigate the effect of traditional ownership structure and CG mechanisms on the extent of voluntary CG disclosure.Design/methodology/approach – We distinctively construct Islamic values and voluntary CG disclosure indices using a sample of 75 Saudi listed firms over a seven-year period in conducting multivariate regressions of the effect of Islamic values on the extent of voluntary CG disclosure. Our analyses are robust to controlling for firm-level characteristics, fixed-effects, endogeneities and alternative measures.Findings – We find that corporations that depict greater commitment towards incorporating Islamic values into their operations through high Islamic values disclosure index score engage in higher voluntary CG disclosures than those that are not. Additionally, we find that audit firm size, board size, government ownership, institutional ownership and the presence of a CG committee are positively associated with the level of voluntary CG disclosure, whilst block ownership is negatively associated with the extent of voluntary CG disclosure.Practical implications – Our study has clear practical implications for future research, practice and broader society by demonstrating empirically that corporations that voluntarily incorporate Islamic values into their operations are more likely to be transparent about their CG practices, and thereby providing new crucial insights on the effect of Islamic values on voluntary CG compliance and disclosure.Originality – To the best of our knowledge, this is the first empirical attempt at explicitly examining the effect of Islamic values on the extent of voluntary CG disclosure. We also offer evidence on the effect of traditional CG and ownership structures on the extent of voluntary CG disclosure.
CHEMODYNAMICAL SIMULATIONS OF THE MILKY WAY GALAXY

We present chemodynamical simulations of a Milky-Way-type galaxy using a self-consistent hydrodynamical code that includes supernova feedback and chemical enrichment, and predict the spatial distribution of elements from oxygen to zinc. In the simulated galaxy, the kinematical and chemical properties of the bulge, disk, and halo are consistent with the observations. The bulge formed from the assembly of subgalaxies at z ≳ 3, and has higher [α/Fe] ratios because of the small contribution from Type Ia supernovae. The disk formed with a constant star formation over 13 Gyr, and shows a decreasing trend of [α/Fe] and increasing trends of [(Na,Al,Cu,Mn)/Fe] against [Fe/H]. However, the thick disk stars tend to have higher [α/Fe] and lower [Mn/Fe] than thin disk stars. We also predict the frequency distribution of elemental abundance ratios as functions of time and location, which can be directly compared with galactic archeology projects such as HERMES.