Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Intrinsic disc emission and the soft X‐ray excess in active galactic nuclei

Narrow-line Seyfert 1 (NLS1) galaxies have low-mass black holes and mass accretion rates close to (or exceeding) Eddington, so a standard blackbody accretion disc should peak in the extreme ultraviolet. However, the lack of true absorption opacity in the disc means that the emission is better approximated by a colour temperature corrected blackbody, and this colour temperature correction is large enough (∼2.4) that the bare disc emission from a zero spin black hole can extend into the soft X-ray bandpass. Part of the soft X-ray excess seen in these objects must be intrinsic emission from the disc unless the vertical structure is very different to that predicted. None the less, this is not the whole story even for the extreme NLS1 as the shape of the soft excess is much broader than predicted by a bare disc spectrum, indicating some Compton upscattering by warm, optically thick material. We associate this with the disc itself, so it must ultimately be powered by mass accretion. We build an energetically self-consistent model assuming that the emission thermalizes to a (colour temperature corrected) blackbody only at large radii. At smaller radii the gravitational energy is split between powering optically thick Comptonized disc emission (forming the soft X-ray excess) and an optically thin corona above the disc (forming the tail to higher energies). We show examples of this model fit to the extreme NLS1 RE J1034+396, and to the much lower Eddington fraction broad-line Seyfert 1 PG 1048+231. We use these to guide our fits and interpretations of three template spectra made from co-adding multiple sources to track out a sequence of active galactic nucleus (AGN) spectra as a function of L/LEdd. Both the individual objects and template spectra show the surprising result that the Compton upscattered soft X-ray excess decreases in importance with increasing L/LEdd. The strongest soft excesses are associated with low mass accretion rate AGN rather than being tied to some change in disc structure around Eddington. We argue that this suggests a true break in accretion flow properties between stellar and supermassive black holes. The new model is publicly available within the xspec spectral fitting package.
Cherry virus A Infecting Cherries and Plums in the Czech Republic

The presence of Cherry virus A (CVA) in the germplasm collections of sweet cherries and plums was studied. CVA was detected using the specific RT-PCR assay in six of eight sweet cherry and one of four plum cultivars. Specifity of amplicons and distant position of cherry and non-cherry isolates was verified by sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. Results indicate that the cherry landraces and cultivars could be infected by CVA more than it has been assumed.
The role of gliptins on adipogenesis

VII Resumo IX Table of contents XI Index of figures XV Index of tables XVII Abreviations XIX CHAPTER 1 – INTRODUCTION 1.1 Adipose tissue 3 1.2 Adipogenesis 3 1.2.1 Adipogenic transduction pathways 5 1.3 Metabolic function 6 1.3.1 Lipid droplets formation 7 1.3.1.1 Perilipin 7 1.3. 2 Lipolysis 8 1.4 Endocrine function 9 1.5 Dipeptidyl peptidase IV 12 1.5. 1 Structure and localization 12 1.5. 2 Function and substrates 12 1.5. 2.1 DPPIV substrates and their functions in the adipose tissue 14 1.6 Neuropeptide Y 15 1.6. 1 NPY synthesis 15 1.6. 2 NPY receptors 16 1.6. 2.1 NPY Y1 receptor 17 1.6. 2.2 NPY Y2 receptor 17 1.6. 2.3 NPY Y3 receptor 17 1.6. 2.4 NPY Y4 receptor 17 1.6. 2.5 NPY Y5 receptor 18 1.6. 2.6 NPY y6 receptor 18 1.6. 3 NPY and NPY receptors in the adipose tissue 18 1.6. 3.1 NPY role on lipid accumulation 18 1.7 Dipeptidyl peptidase IV inhibitors 19 1.7. 1 Vildagliptin 20 1.7. 2 Sitagliptin 20 1.7. 3 Saxagliptin 21
Social media marketing and advertising

Social media has recently gained tremendous fame as a highly impactful channel of communication in these modern times of digitized living. It has been put on a pedestal across varied streams for facilitating participatory interaction amongst businesses, groups, societies, organizations, consumers, communities, forums, and the like. This subject has received increased attention in the literature with many of its practical applications including social media marketing (SMM) being elaborated, analysed, and recorded by many studies. This study is aimed at collating the existing research on SMM to present a review of seventy one articles that will bring together the many facets of this rapidly blooming media marketing form. The surfacing limitations in the literature on social media have also been identified and potential research directions have been offered.
Factors Affecting Loan Repayment Performance Among Yam Farmers in the Sene District, Ghana

The study analyzed the factors that are critical in improving loan repayment by yam farmers in the Sene district of Ghana. Random sampling technique was used to select 100 respondents in the district and structured questionnaire was administered to collect data. Descriptive statistics and the probit model were employed. The results show that 42% of yam farmers in Sene district are illiterates. More males (93%) are involved in yam farming than females (7%) and most of the farmers are married (91%). Also most of the yam farmers in the district have a family size of 6-10 households (66%) and 54% of them have 1-10 years of yam farming experience. Also, the results show that education, experience, profit, age, supervision and off-farm income have positive effects on loan repayment performance. Conversely, gender and marriage have negative effects on loan repayment while the effect of household size was found to be ambiguous.
Use of kitchen steel wool as oxygen absorber improves storage retention of beta-carotene in solar-dried vegetables

Vitamin A deficiency remains a major health concern in developing countries whereas the season availability of vegetables could provide for vitamin A. Dehydration is widely used to preserve dark green leafy vegetables (DGLV) but storage in normal atmosphere condition losses beta-carotene by oxidation, therefore requiring use of an oxygen absorber. The study examined use of kitchen steel wool as an oxygen absorber in reducing the loss of beta-carotene content in three indigenous DGLVs that were solar dried and stored for a period of 168 days in four different packing conditions. Fresh vegetables contained between 781.94 to 1047.42 μg/g dry matter (DM) beta-carotene, reducing significantly (p=0.01) to between 653.63 to 712.99 μg/g DM after dehydration. Steel wool oxygen absorber significantly improved (p = 0.02) beta-carotene retention, recording a loss of 19.5 to 37.6% compared to 47 to 72% in normal conditions. Storage of DGLVs under kitchen steel wool oxygen absorber preserves vegetables and retains high levels of beta-carotene.
CFR: A Finite Volume Approach for Computing Incompressible Viscous Flow

An incompressible unsteady viscous two-dimensional Navier-Stokes solver is developed by using “Consistent Flux Reconstruction” method. In this solver, the full Navier-Stokes equations have been solved numerically using a collocated finite volume scheme. In the present investigation, numerical simulations have been carried out for unconfined flow past a single circular cylinder with both structured and unstructured grids. In structured grid, quadrilateral cells are used whereas triangular elements are used in unstructured grid. Simulations are performed at Reynolds number (Re) = 100 and 200. Flow simulation over a NACA0002 airfoil at Re = 1000 using unstructured grid based solver is also reported. The vortex shedding phenomena is mainly investigated in the flow. It is observed that the nature of flow depends strongly on the value of the Reynolds number. The present results are found to be in satisfactory agreement with several numerical results and a few experimental results available from literature.
A Pragmatic Analysis of Victory and Inaugural Speeches of President Umaru Musa Yar"Adua

The study was conducted to identify the speech acts features of President Umaru Yar’Adua’s Victory and Inaugural Speeches. Hence, the study focused on the pragmatic functions of locution, illocutionary and perlocutionary acts of the speeches. This was done with a view to determine the global pattern of pragmatic moves of the selected political speeches. The data were drawn from the Victory speech and Inaugural Speech and analyzed following the Speech Act theory of Austin (1962) and Searle (1969). The tabular presentations of the analysis were drawn showing the relative frequencies of the speech acts and percentages. Twenty (20) sentences were obtained from the speeches, from which forty(40) speech acts (direct and indirect illocutionary acts) were obtained. The findings showed that the Overall Relative Frequency Percentages (ORFPs) for the selected speeches of Umaru Musa Yar’Adua were: assertive-60%, directive-35%, expressive-15%, verdictive-40%, commisive-30%, and declarative-20%. These ORFPs results showed that Umaru Musa Yar’Adua relied more on sentences that performed assertive acts than other speech acts. He used the sentences that were vindictive and directive to assert his authority and exercise his power as the President. Sentences that were expressive had the least ORFP; hence, it was observed that the President exploited less of sentences which were meant for indicating the sincerity of his intentions. The Speech Act analysis of the political discourses of Umaru Musa Yar’Adua provided the understanding that political leaders in Nigeria perform various acts through their speeches. These speech acts assist in the understanding and interpretation of the messages in their speeches.
Low‐frequency passive seismic experiments in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates: implications for hydrocarbon detection

Low‐frequency passive seismic experiments utilizing arrays of 3‐component broadband seismometers were conducted over two sites in the emirate of Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. The experiments were conducted in the vicinity of a producing oilfield and around a dry exploration well to better understand the characteristics and origins of microtremor signals (1–6 Hz), which had been reported as occurring exclusively above several hydrocarbon reservoirs in the region.
What matters in practice teaching? The perceptions of schools and students

Based on research involving interviews and focus groups with teachers and student teachers involved in teaching practice, the authors sought to identify the factors that make a qualitative difference to school experience in the training of teachers. The factors identified were: how much teaching practice, the relationships between schools and the university, mentoring and supervision, teaching ability and the value added by schools. They were considered in the light of the literature on teaching practice and examples of established international standards. The first factor involved a consideration of the period of time spent by student teachers in schools. Relationships between the schools and university probed the perceptions of the schools and the students of how the university organised teaching practice. Mentoring and supervision explored the implications of an existing system of supervision and the more extensive use of mentors in schools. Teaching ability considered subject area knowledge, relationships with learners and professionalism, and the value added by schools reflected upon those aspects of training that can only be provided by schools. Conclusions are presented for each of the factors.
Spectropolarimetric forward modelling of the lines of the Lyman-series using a self-consistent, global, solar coronal model

Context. The presence and importance of the coronal magnetic field is illustrated by a wide range of phenomena, such as the abnormally high temperatures of the coronal plasma, the existence of a slow and fast solar wind, the triggering of explosive events such as flares and CMEs. Aims. We investigate the possibility of using the Hanle effect to diagnose the coronal magnetic field by analysing its influence on the linear polarisation, i.e. the rotation of the plane of polarisation and depolarisation. Methods. We analyse the polarisation characteristics of the first three lines of the hydrogen Lyman-series using an axisymmetric, self-consistent, minimum-corona MHD model with relatively low values of the magnetic field (a few Gauss). Results. We find that the Hanle effect in the above-mentioned lines indeed seems to be a valuable tool for analysing the coronal magnetic field. However, great care must be taken when analysing the spectropolarimetry of the Lα line, given that a non-radial solar wind and active regions on the solar disk can mimic the effects of the magnetic field, and, in some cases, even mask them. Similar drawbacks are not found for the Lβ and Lγ lines because they are more sensitive to the magnetic field. We also briefly consider the instrumental requirements needed to perform polarimetric observations for diagnosing the coronal magnetic fields. Conclusions. The combined analysis of the three aforementioned lines could provide an important step towards better constrainting the value of solar coronal magnetic fields.
Multiple eruptions from magnetic flux emergence

Aims. In this paper we study the effects of a toroidal magnetic flux tube emerging into a magnetiz ed corona, with an emphasis on large-scale eruptions. The orientation of the fields is such that the two flux systems are almost antiparallel when they me et. Methods. We follow the dynamic evolution of the system by solving the 3D MHD equations using a Lagrangian remap scheme. Results. Multiple eruptions are found to occur. The physics of the trigger mechanisms are discussed and related to well-known eruption models.
Validation of radiochemical purity analysis methods used in two tertiary public hospitals in South Africa

Radiopharmaceutical kits are supplied by manufacturers with package inserts containing information about the kit including validated methods of preparation and radiochemical purity (RCP) analysis. Validated analytical methods are also described in pharmacopoeial monographs. However the information provided is not always complete or practical and in a hospital setting it can be difficult to select and perform adequate RCP testing on the prepared radiopharmaceuticals. This situation has led to modifications or substitution for much quicker, simplified, safe or cost-effective analytical procedures. A number of these procedures have been proposed in published literature and have been incorporated in some hospital settings including radiopharmacies in Africa. Since the responsibility of any method that deviates from the official pharmacopoeial or manufacturer’s method rests with the end user, this study was aimed to determine whether appropriate validation procedures based on the Q2A and Q2B guidelines of the International Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Registration of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH) are feasible for use in a resource limited environment, which pertains in most hospital radiopharmacy settings in Southern Africa. A further aim was to develop a prototype protocol for validation of analytical procedures in a hospital radiopharmacy setting. In an attempt to undertake a full analytical method validation, eight validation parameters described in the ICH guidelines were selected for the current study namely specificity, accuracy, precision (repeatability and intermediate precision), linearity, range, limit of detection, limit of quantitation and robustness. To undertake the validation exercise, fast RCP test methods for Tc-99m sestamibi involving the use of Whatman 31ET and Schleicher and Schuell chromatography paper were used. Locally procured Macherey-Nagel (MN) Alox N aluminium oxide TLC strips were intended as control method as the Baker-Flex aluminium oxide TLC strips described in the manufacturer’s instructions could not be sourced. All the tests were performed in triplicate and results were compared. A limited number of tests was also performed on Baker-Flex TLC strips to compare with the results of the substitute MN Alox method. The radiochemical components namely Tc-99m sestamibi, Tc-99m colloid and pertechnetate that were prepared in house and were assumed to be 100 % pure, were each tested on the chromatography strips. Samples containing mixtures of varying concentrations of the radiochemical components were also tested on all the strips. Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za
Antibacterial activity of extracts of twelvecommon medicinal plants from the Philippines

The antibacterial activity of the n-hexane, acetone/dichloromethane, ethanol and aqueous extracts of twelve common medicinal plants from the Philippines obtained through pounding and solvent extraction was evaluated using disc Agar diffusion. The microorganisms tested were: Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Susceptibility test results showed that different extracts (1000 mcg/disc) from ten plants inhibited growth with a mean zone of inhibition range of 15 to 30 mm against S. aureus, E. coii, and P. aeruginosa. The common medicinal plants which showed highly positive activity were Psidium guajava (guava), Eucalyptus globulus, Mangifera indica(Indian mango), Nasturtium officinale (Watercress), Pterygospermum oleiferum (Moringa),Carmona retusa (Wild tea), Citrus aurantifolia (Lemon), Citrus sinensis (Orange), Allium sativum (garlic), and Allium cepa (onion). Preliminary phytochemical screening revealed the presence of flavonoids, tannins, alkaloids, glucosides, saponins and steroids/terpenes. The results suggest that the different plant extracts contain bioactive constituent(s) particularly tannins, flavonoids, terpenoids and other glycosides with very strong antibacterial activity and validates the ethno-medical use in the treatment of bacterial skin diseases and other forms of bacterial infections. However, many reputed plant antibacterials have very variable activities depending on certain conditions. Key words: Antibacterial, medicinal plants from the Philippines, n-hexane, acetone/dichloromethane, ethanol, aqueous extracts, Psidium guajava, preliminary phytochemical screening.
Dynamic Collective Choice with Endogenous Status Quo

We analyze a bargaining situation in which preferences evolve over time and the previous agreement becomes the next status quo. The endogeneity of the status quo exacerbates the players’ conflict of interest: Players disagree more often than under exogenous status quo. This leads to inefficiencies and status quo inertia. Under certain conditions, the negotiations can come to a complete gridlock: Players never reach an agreement. Gridlock can occur between players with arbitrarily similar preferences, provided they are sufficiently patient. In legislative settings, our model predicts polarization and explains why legislators may fail to react promptly to economic shocks.
Perception enhancement system for automotive steering

Laboratory-based experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of the frequency and scale of transient vibration events on the human detection of road surface type by means of steering wheel vibration. The study used steering wheel tangential direction acceleration time histories which had been measured in a mid-sized European automobile that was driven over three different types of road surface. The steering acceleration stimuli were manipulated by means of the mildly non-stationary mission synthesis (MNMS) algorithm in order to produce test stimuli which were selectively modified in terms of the number, and size, of transient vibration events they contained. Fifteen test participants were exposed to both unmanipulated and manipulated steering wheel rotational vibration stimuli, and were asked to indicate, by either "yes or no", whether the test stimuli was from a target road surface which was displayed on a board. The findings suggested that transient vibration events play a key role in the human detection of road surface type in driving situations. Improvements of up to 20 percentage points in the rate of correct detection were achieved by means of selective manipulation of the steering vibration stimuli. The results also suggested, however, that no single setting of the MNMS algorithm proved optimal for all three road surface types that were investigated.
Noise Exposure and Hearing Status among the Registered Locksmiths in Tehran, Iran

Noise is one of the most common workplace hazardous agents that can cause permanent hearing damage. Workers in many industries are usually exposed to noise levels with high risks of hearing loss. Accordingly this research aims to study the noise exposure and haring status of registered locksmiths who are exposed to harmful effects caused by several factors, such as key making machines loud noises. This study has been carried out in 33 key workplaces in Tehran capital city of Iran. In order to eliminate the effects of background noise, two different measurements were carried out in the same field conditions by taking in and out of key making machines . The overall sound level and octave band of noise analysis of the key making machine, during the process of Right and Left Shift Gears by considering the background noise level during off time of the machine was determined using ISO 9612 standard method. Hearing threshold of locksmiths is also determined using the NIOSH standard method. Based on results, average of right and left groove keys scraping processes and background noise levels were 92.9, 96.2 and 66.5dBA respectively. The mean noise exposure time of locksmiths was 0.2 h/day. So, the amount of the workers noise equivalent level was found to be 77.63 dBA which is lower than the ACGIH threshold limit values. The results of audiometric tests also showed no significant hearing loss among locksmiths, something can be explained by their low noise exposure levels. It is suggested to assess hearing response of the workers by other methods like ABR.
NORMA: a medical therapy and imaging FFAG with realistic magnets

NORMA is a design for a normal-conducting race track fixed-field alternating-gradient accelerator (FFAG) for protons from 30 to 350 MeV. In this article we show the development from the nominal lattice design to a model implemented with field maps from 2D and 3D FEM magnet designs. We show that while the fields from the 2D model are sufficient, adjustments must be made lattice to account for differences in the fringe-field and full 3D models. With the corrections implemented we recover the required properties of small tune shift with energy and sufficiently-large dynamic aperture. The result is the first realistic design for a proton therapy accelerator that can rapidly deliver protons for treatment and for imaging at up to 350 MeV.
TDC Determination in IC Engines Based on the Thermodynamic Analysis of the Temperature-Entropy Diagram

A thermodynamic methodology of TDC determination in IC engines based on a motoring pressure-time diagram is presented. This method consists in entropy calculation and temperature- entropy diagram analysis. When the TDC position is well calibrated, compression and expansion strokes under motoring conditions are symmetrical with respect to the peak temperature in the (T,S) diagram. Moreover, in case of error on the TDC position, a loop appears which has no thermodynamic significance. Hence an easy methodology has been conceived to obtain the actual position of TDC. This methodology is applied to motoring measurements in order to present its performance, which are compared to usual methods.