Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A distributed‐circuit return‐stroke model allowing time and height parameter variation to match lightning electromagnetic field waveform signatures

A new lightning return‐stroke model based on a distributed circuit approach is formulated. The DNUTL (Dynamic Non‐Uniform Transmission Line) model allows the computation of the time and height dependence of the channel parameters and contemplates the corona sheath and core losses representation. The capacitance and inductance of the channel are calculated by applying an original approach based on simple recursive equations. Electromagnetic fields generated by the DNUTL model at several distances from the channel base are presented for a given set of parameters. The obtained results indicate that the proposed model is able to successfully reproduce the main features of electromagnetic field waveshapes associated to natural and triggered lightning.
Lower secondary intended curricula of science subjects and mathematics: a comparison of the Czech Republic, Estonia, Poland and Slovenia

ABSTRACT Comparative studies on science curricula provide insights into educational standards worldwide. Accordingly, in this study, we analysed the intended curricula of mathematics and science subjects of the Czech Republic, Estonia, Poland and Slovenia by comparing their lower secondary (ISCED 2) National Curriculum Documents on mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, geography and geology from the perspective of learning outcomes. By document analysis, we extracted obligatory learning outcomes from the national curricula, assessing their level of detail and structure. A team of seven coders also measured cognitive demands of the learning outcomes using the revised Bloom’s taxonomy. Our results showed considerable differences in the number of learning outcomes across countries and in the structure of these outcomes across subjects, even within national documents. Cognitive demands determined by learning outcomes were similar across the countries, but metacognitive knowledge and cognitive processes of higher level (Evaluate and Create) were mostly overlooked. We also found a lack of learning outcomes explicitly requiring the use of ICT, experimental or field work or data analysis. Although these requirements are usually formulated in general sections of curriculum documents, we recommend explicitly incorporating them into these documents as individual learning outcomes.
Dynamic Flight Guidance Recalibration After Actuator Failure

In the event of an actuator failure, an aircraft’s operational flight envelope can drastically change, in that the set of achievable trim configurations the aircraft can attain is severely limited. A robust flight management system must be capable of recognizing the corresponding contraction of the flight envelope and be capable of re-planning its maneuvers accordingly. We present a solution to this problem that creates a trim automaton describing the boundaries of the new flight envelope, coupled with a planning algorithm which can use this information to determine new feasible trajectories to the desired goal state. In this paper, we describe application of this methodology to a high-fidelity nonlinear model of an F-16 aircraft subjected to rudder failure in the initial phases of landing approach. Boundaries of the flight envelope for a variety of rudder failure conditions are identified, and feasible trajectories which still allow for successful landing are automatically generated.
Reinforcement in the Aggregate: Partisan Newspaper Circulation and the Presidential Vote, 1900–1928

ABSTRACT While generally understood as an individual-level effect, we argue that reinforcement effects—or the strengthening of existing party loyalties through media exposure—might also play a role in shaping aggregate-level outcomes. Looking across eight presidential elections from 1900 to 1928, this study provides evidence that partisan newspaper circulation was significantly linked to two-party vote share at the county level. Counties with higher circulation rates of Republican dailies had a smaller percentage of votes cast for the Democratic presidential candidate, while a weaker positive association was found between the circulation of Democratic leaning dailies and Democratic vote in non-Southern counties. Some variance in this effect was observed across elections, with some evidence suggesting a weaker association between circulation and vote share as newspapers moved away from overtly partisan content toward a more professional tone. Further, some of the relationships were reciprocal with votes influencing partisan circulation. Results suggest that greater attention be given to the role of the political media environment and how citizens engage with it when understanding macro-level political outcomes.
Enhancement and degradation of drain current in pseudomorphic AlGaAs/InGaAs HEMTs induced by hot-electrons

New failure mechanisms induced by hot-electrons in AlGaAs/InGaAs pseudomorphic HEMTs have been identified by means of accelerated testing of commercial devices from four different suppliers. Different degradation modes have been observed, depending on the device type, namely: (a) recoverable increase of I/sub D/ and |V/sub T/|, which has been attributed to recombination of electrons trapped under the gate with holes generated by impact ionization; (b) enhancement of the kink in the output characteristics, possibly due to the generation of deep levels with subsequent electron trapping/detrapping; (c) permanent increase of the breakdown voltage, due to creation of negatively charged traps in the gate-drain region, yielding a wider space-charge region, hence a reduced maximum electric field. The link between the observed degradation modes and the underlying physical mechanisms is investigated by means of different techniques, and the main functional effects of the degradation modes are addressed.
Sensitive optical gating of reverse-biased AlGaAs/GaAs optothyristors for pulsed power switching applications

A heterojunction-based optothyristor has been fabricated and tested with biasing field intensity up to 34 kV/cm for pulsed power applications. The reverse-biased optothyristor can even be triggered by a light-emitting diode (LED) of a few microwatts power, and more than 500 times reduction in the required LED power for triggering has been observed when compared to bulk photoconductive switches. The optothyristor, however, does not turn on under similar triggering conditions if bias polarity is changed. The sensitive optical gating of the reverse-biased optothyristor is explained. The turn-on delay time under reverse bias has been found to be inversely proportional to the square root of the LED power. The possibility of improving the switching efficiency by superimposing the laser pulse on a constant lower level background illumination has been demonstrated. >
‘I cannot stop taking weed cos it makes me survive’: cannabis use, criminal sanctions and users’ experiences in Nigeria

Abstract Studies on cannabis criminalization that interrogate the experiences of users are mostly of western origin. Relatively little is known about the experiences of cannabis users in Africa. This study explored cannabis use and criminal sanctions based on the experiences of users. It draws on qualitative data collected through in-depth interviews with street-involved youth (n = 97) recruited through time-location sampling from 11 purposively selected cannabis hot-points in Uyo, Nigeria. Data were transcribed, coded and analysed thematically. Cannabis was used by these young people for recreational and functional purposes, including stress relief, work performance and coping with life’s difficulties. Criminal sanctions for cannabis use, which included arrest and (pre-trial) detention following crackdowns on hot-points by police officers, did not produce desistance, but encouraged corrupt and unlawful policing practices (e.g. extortion) that exacerbated social and health harms for marginalized youth. Law enforcement officers’ complicity in the supply and use of cannabis within detention facilities further undermined desistance. The failure of criminal sanctions to reduce cannabis use highlights a need to explore alternative measures, including decriminalization of minor cannabis offences (e.g. retail, consumption) and provision of treatment services for dependent users as an alternative to custodial sentencing.
Multistage semantic‐aware image inpainting with stacked generator networks

Deep learning has been widely applied into image inpainting. However, traditional image processing methods (i.e., patch‐based and diffusion‐based methods) generally fail to produce visually natural contents and semantically reasonable structures due to ineffectively processing the high‐level semantic information of images. To solve the problem, we propose a stacked generator networks assisted by patch discriminator for image inpainting by multistage. In the proposed method, our generator network mainly consists of three‐layer stacked encoder‐decoder architecture, which could fuse different level feature information and achieve image inpainting via a coarse‐to‐fine hierarchical representation. Meanwhile, we split the masked image into different patches in each layer, which could effectively enlarge the receptive field and extract more useful features of images. Moreover, the patch discriminator is introduced to judge the patches of inpainting image are real or fake. In this way, our network can effectively utilize the semantic information to complete a fine result. Furthermore, both perceptual loss and style loss are used to improve the inpainting results in verse. Experimental results on Places2 and Paris StreetView illustrate that our approach could generate high‐quality inpainting results, and our method is more effective than the existing image inpainting methods.
Corn Cob Dry Matter Loss in Storage as Affected by Temperature and Moisture Content

Abstract. Agricultural residues, such as corn cobs, are one of the first promising cellulosic materials to be fermented and thermochemically processed into fuel in the emerging bio-based economy. Few studies have been conducted on the deterioration of cellulosic feedstock in storage. This study measured the loss of corn cob dry matter, as measured by carbon dioxide evolution, under various storage conditions (temperature and moisture content) for 21 days. High moisture content and temperature conditions (35% w.b. and 30°C) resulted in almost 3% dry matter loss in 21 days, as opposed to negligible losses at drier conditions (15% w.b.). There was a significant interaction between the effects of moisture content and temperature on dry matter loss. These data provide a first approach to understanding the material loss due to microbial activity, thus helping to identify storage strategies to maximize the conservation of cellulosic feedstock.
Steering a Flexible Railway Truck on Curved Track

This paper gives a linear analysis for the steady motion of a flexible two-axle railway truck on curved track. Most existing truck designs are too rigid to be self-steering, but provided that the primary suspension is sufficiently flexible, it is shown that a truck can negotiate main line curves without slipping or flange contact. Results are obtained for the maximum rolling displacement of the wheelsets (the tracking error), Fig. 8, and the minimum radius of curvature for no slipping, Fig. 10, expressed as a function of the suspension stiffness. It is shown that lateral loads due to superelevation deficiency have only a small effect on the motion of the truck, which is mainly determined by creep forces arising from the geometric inability of the four wheels to roll freely on curved track.
mbtrack2, a Collective Effect Library in Python

This article introduces mbtrack2 , a collective effect library written in python3. The idea behind mbtrack2 is to build a coherent object-oriented framework to work on collective effects in synchrotrons. mbtrack2 is composed of different modules allowing to easily write scripts for single bunch or multi-bunch tracking using MPI parallelization in a transparent way. The base of the tracking model of mbtrack2 is inspired by mbtrack , a C multi-bunch tracking code initially developed at SOLEIL [1]. In addition, many tools to prepare or analyse tracking simulations are included
Varieties of the state of exchange of nitrogenous metabolites (creatinine, urea, uric acid and bilirubin) and their immune accompaniment at rats

Background. Earlier we found that even in intact rats, certain parameters of nitrogenous metabolism and immunity fluctuate in a fairly wide range, which further expands in cases of prolonged water loads. The links between the individual parameters of metabolism and immunity were revealed. Based on this, the aim of this study was to create groups that are homogeneous in the parameters of nitrogenous metabolism, followed by a search for the characteristic parameters of immunity. Material and methods. Experiment was performed on 60 healthy female Wistar rats, both intact and loaded with different mineral waters. The plasma levels and urinary excretion of the nitrogenous metabolites (creatinine, urea, uric acid and bilirubin) were determined. Immune status was assessed by thymocytogram, splenocytogram, blood leukocytogram and immunocytogram, as well as by phagocytosis parameters of blood neutrophils and monocytes. Results. The characteristic features of the members of the most numerous (29 animals) of the first cluster are moderately elevated plasma urea and upper borderline creatinineemia in combination with lower borderline uricemia. In members of the third cluster (22 animals), all seven parameters are in the range of normal. In contrast, rats of the second cluster (n=9) were found to have significantly increased levels of urea and creatinine excretion, as well as uricemia. Each cluster is accompanied by a specific constellation of immune parameters. The overall accuracy of the classification is 95%. Conclusion. The variety of states of exchange of nitrogenous metabolites is accompanied by specific constellations of immune parameters.
Simulated Multispectral Temperature and Atmospheric Composition Retrievals for the JPL GEO-IR Sounder

Abstract. Satellite measurements enable quantification of atmospheric temperature, humidity, and trace gas vertical profiles. The majority of current instruments operate on polar orbiting satellites and either in the thermal/mid-wave or in the shortwave infrared spectral regions. We present a new multispectral instrument concept for improved measurements from geostationary orbit (GEO) with sensitivity to the boundary layer. The JPL GEO-IR sounder, which is an imaging Fourier Transform Spectrometer, uses a wide spectral range (1–15.4 μm), encompassing both reflected solar and thermal emission bands to improve sensitivity to the lower troposphere and boundary layer. We perform retrieval simulations for both clean and polluted scenarios that also encompass different temperature and humidity profiles. The results illustrate the benefits of combining shortwave and thermal infrared measurements. In particular, the former adds information in the boundary layer, while the latter helps to separate near-surface and mid-tropospheric variability. The performance of the JPL GEO-IR sounder is similar to or better than currently operational instruments. The proposed concept is expected to improve weather forecasting, severe storm tracking and forecasting, and also benefit local and global air quality and climate research.
A Century of Tidal Variability in the North Pacific Extracted From Hourly Geomagnetic Observatory Measurements at Honolulu

Previous analyses of hourly tide‐gauge data taken at Honolulu since 1905 have shown that both sea level and the amplitude of the tides have increased synchronously over time, and a process has been proposed whereby the common cause is an increase in ocean temperature. Validation with independent data of this change in tides, as well as the proposed cause, has been lacking. Ocean tides also generate magnetic fields that reach far outside the ocean, and tidal signals are clearly seen in the hourly data since 1905 from the Honolulu geomagnetic observatory. Here, it is found that the tidal amplitudes have increased synchronously in the tide‐gauge and magnetic records, providing independent support for the previous results. Further information about the changing ocean is likely contained in the historical data from geomagnetic observatories as well as the global coverage of modern satellite magnetic surveys.
A V-band micromachined 2-D beam-steering antenna driven by magnetic force with polymer-based hinges

This paper presents a new type of antenna fabricated by micromachining technology for mechanical beam steering with two degrees of freedom of motion. A V-band two-dimensional mechanical beam-steering antenna was designed and fabricated on a single high-resistivity silicon substrate using microelectromechanical systems technologies. A fabricated antenna is driven by magnetic force to overcome the limit of electrostatic actuation, and a polymer-based hinge structure is used to increase the maximum scanning angle to as much as 40/spl deg/. Simulation result for validating the mechanical beam-steering concept is presented. In addition, mechanical properties such as static actuation angles are investigated together with microwave properties such as the return loss and radiation pattern at the V-band.
Roles of synoptic‐scale waves and intraseasonal oscillations in the onset of the South China Sea summer monsoon

The maintenance period (20 days after the onset day) of the South China Sea (SCS) summer monsoon (SCSSM) onset is investigated in this paper, the main focus of which is the roles of synoptic‐scale (2–10‐day period) waves (SSWs) relative to those of 10–20‐day and 30–60‐day intraseasonal oscillations (ISOs). The results reveal that the eddy kinetic energy (EKE)‐based SSW intensity displays a greater amplitude and closer relationship with the SCSSM onset date (correlation coefficient: −0.50) than either ISO during the SCSSM onset maintenance period, indicating that frequent synoptic‐scale processes play an important role in the SCSSM onset. Regression analyses based on the original EKE‐based wave intensity further reveal that SSW‐related horizontal wind anomalies show significant cyclonic anomalies over the SCS, with westerlies occupying the central and southern SCS. Moreover, SSW‐induced low‐pressure systems, including negative outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) anomalies, low‐level convergence and weakening of the 500 hPa height field, are observed over the SCS and maintain the SCSSM onset. A three‐dimensional EKE diagnosis is conducted to investigate the relative contributions of SSWs and both ISOs. The results demonstrate that the SSW‐related horizontal barotropic EKE conversion and EKE conversion from eddy available potential energy cooperate to contribute more than the two ISOs to the dynamic processes during the maintenance stage of the SCSSM onset.
Bioconcentration and bioaccumulation of toxic metals in Scirpus californicus from natural wetlands in the Central Andes of Peru

Bioconcentration and bioaccumulation levels of lead, zinc, iron and arsenic in Scirpus californicus of the Paca and Tragadero Lagoons, Jauja, Peru, were evaluated. Water, sediment and Scirpus californicus samples were collected from each lagoon, which were transported to the laboratory for the analytical determination of lead, iron, zinc and arsenic, which was performed by atomic absorption spectrophotometry based on the methodology recommended by FAO. The results obtained reveal the current status of the quality of the aquatic environment of natural wetlands in the central region of Peru in terms of heavy metals and arsenic, which provide an important source of water for the populations of large cities in the central region of Peru. The presence of heavy metals and arsenic with great impact on the quality of these water bodies may be due to the pressure exerted by anthropogenic activities such as mining, agriculture, industrial and domestic wastewater. The sediments of Paca and Tragadero Lagoons showed high concentrations of Fe, exceeding international standards. Aquatic vegetation represented by Scirpus californicus in both lagoons bio accumulated mainly Zn, without exceeding international standards.
Intelligent Content Caching Strategy in Autonomous Driving Toward 6G

The rapid development of 6G can help to bring autonomous driving closed to the reality. Drivers and passengers will have more time for work and leisure spending in the vehicles, further generating a lot of data requirements. However, edge resources from small base stations are insufficient to match the wide variety of services of the future vehicular networks. Besides, due to the high-speed nature of the vehicles, users have to switch the connections among different base stations, whereas such way will cause external latency during the data request. Therefore, it is vital to enable the local cache of vehicle users to realize the reliable autonomous driving. In this paper, we consider caching the contents in the local cache, small base station, and edge server. In practice, the request preference of some single users may be different from a whole region. To maximize the efficiency of content cache, we design a strategy that uses reinforcement learning algorithm to optimize cache schemes on different devices. The experimental results demonstrate that our strategy can enhance the cache hit ratio by 10%-20% compared with the well-known counterparts.
Thermodynamic Analysis of Negative CO2 Emission Power Plant Using Aspen Plus, Aspen Hysys, and Ebsilon Software

The article presents results of thermodynamic analysis using a zero-dimensional mathematical models of a negative CO2 emission power plant. The developed cycle of a negative CO2 emission power plant allows the production of electricity using gasified sewage sludge as a main fuel. The negative emission can be achieved by the use this type of fuel which is already a “zero-emissive” energy source. Together with carbon capture installation, there is a possibility to decrease CO2 emission below the “zero” level. Developed models of a novel gas cycle which use selected codes allow the prediction of basic parameters of thermodynamic cycles such as output power, efficiency, combustion composition, exhaust temperature, etc. The paper presents results of thermodynamic analysis of two novel cycles, called PDF0 and PFD1, by using different thermodynamic codes. A comparison of results obtained by three different codes offered the chance to verify results because the experimental data are currently not available. The comparison of predictions between three different software in the literature is something new, according to studies made by authors. For gross efficiency (54.74%, 55.18%, and 52.00%), there is a similar relationship for turbine power output (155.9 kW, 157.19 kW, and 148.16 kW). Additionally, the chemical energy rate of the fuel is taken into account, which ultimately results in higher efficiencies for flue gases with increased steam production. A similar trend is assessed for increased CO2 in the flue gas. The developed precise models are particularly important for a carbon capture and storage (CCS) energy system, where relatively new devices mutually cooperate and their thermodynamic parameters affect those devices. Proposed software employs extended a gas–steam turbine cycle to determine the effect of cycle into environment. First of all, it should be stated that there is a slight influence of the software used on the results obtained, but the basic tendencies are the same, which makes it possible to analyze various types of thermodynamic cycles. Secondly, the possibility of a negative CO2 emission power plant and the positive environmental impact of the proposed solution has been demonstrated, which is also a novelty in the area of thermodynamic cycles.