Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Microstructure and Solute Concentration Analysis of Epitaxial Growth during Wire and Arc Additive Manufacturing of Aluminum Alloy

Microstructure and solute distribution have a significant impact on the mechanical properties of wire and arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) deposits. In this study, a multiscale model, consisting of a macroscopic finite element (FE) model and a microscopic phase field (PF) model, was used to predict the 2319 Al alloy microstructure evolution with epitaxial growth. Temperature fields, and the corresponding temperature gradient under the selected process parameters, were calculated by the FE model. Based on the results of macroscopic thermal simulation on the WAAM process, a PF model with a misorientation angle was employed to simulate the microstructure and competitive behaviors under the effect of epitaxial growth of grains. The dendrites with high misorientation angles experienced competitive growth and tended to be eliminated in the solidification process. The inclined dendrites are commonly hindered by other grains in front of the dendrite tip. Moreover, the solute enrichment near the solid/liquid interface reduced the driving force of solidification. The inclined angle of dendrites increased with the misorientation angle, and the solute distributions near the interface had similar patterns, but various concentrations, with different misorientation angles. Finally, metallographic experiments were conducted on the WAAM specimen to validate the morphology and size of the dendrites, and electron backscattered diffraction was used to indicate the preferred orientation of grains near the fusion line, proving the existence of epitaxial growth.
Morphological processing in L2 Italian: Evidence from a masked priming study

The present paper explores the processing of morphologically complex words in L2 Italian by means of as series of masked priming experiments associated with a LDT. We manipulated deadjectival nominalizations in -ita (e.g. velocita < veloce) and in -ezza (e.g. bellezza < bello), that differ in terms of numerosity, productivity (Rainer, 2004) and on surface frequency. Morphological priming effects were evaluated relative to both orthographic and identity conditions and the data revealed significant morphological priming effects emerging for words ending with the most productive suffix (-ita) and having a high surface frequency in Italian. Our data on derivation suggest that similarly to native speakers, L2 learners are sensitive to morphological information, but they integrate it progressively through L2 learning process.
Teachers’ perceptions, facilitators, and barriers to the regular use of self-reflection in public health higher education during COVID-19 — a mixed methods approach

ABSTRACT The objective of this study was to assess the perceptions as well as to explore the facilitators and barriers to the regular use of self-reflection as a pedagogical tool by teachers in public health education during COVID-19. We used a mixed methods approach, comprising a cross-sectional survey followed by in-depth interviews. Quantitative findings revealed that there was a significantly greater proportion of regular users of self-reflection who knew how to incorporate self-reflection elements in their teaching than the infrequent users. Qualitative findings revealed that a recurring reason for using self-reflection in teaching was to better understand students, given the online classroom environment during COVID-19. Teachers expressed the need for support to sustain the regular use of reflection in teaching. Facilitating factors could be external or internal to the teacher. For external factors, a recurring subtheme was institutional support, indicating that teachers expected support (or at least no objections) from their organisation. For internal factors, perceived positive impacts on students was identified as a recurring subtheme. Several barriers to the regular use of reflection were described. These included external factors such as the lack of peer sharing, as well as internal factors such as the prioritisation of other contents to teach.
Effects of a High-Concentrate Diet on the Blood Parameters and Liver Transcriptome of Goats

Simple Summary In order to increase the growth performance and make up for the lack of high-quality roughage, farmers are accustomed to adopting high-concentration diets during the fattening period of ruminants. The long-term consumption of high-concentration diets induces a series of nutritional metabolic diseases. In production practice, the major mutton sheep fattening region (e.g., Jiangsu, China) generally uses diets with a concentrate ratio of up to 80% to 90% during the fattening period, and reports of cases of nutritional metabolic diseases are also rare. This seems to indicate that sheep and goats are more adaptable to high-concentration diets than cattle. Our work shows that high-concentrate diets can significantly promote the digestion of nutrients; the liver enhances the adaptability of goats to high-concentration diets by regulating the expression of genes involved in nutrient metabolism and toxin clearance. Therefore, the liver plays a vital role in the adaptation of ruminants to high-concentration diets. The results here can lay the foundation for the rational application of high-concentration diets in production. Abstract The objective of this study was to determine the effect of high-concentrate diets on the blood parameters and liver transcriptome of goats. Eighteen goats were allocated into three dietary treatments: the high level of concentrate (HC) group, the medium level of concentrate (MC) group, and the low level of concentrate (LC) group. The blood parameters and pathological damage of the gastrointestinal tract and liver tissues were measured. In hepatic portal vein blood, HC showed higher LPS, VFAs, and LA; in jugular vein blood, no significant differences in LPS, VFAs, and LA were recorded among groups (p > 0.05). Compared to the LC and MC groups, the HC group showed significantly increased interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-10, TNF-α, and diamine oxidase in jugular vein blood (p < 0.05). Liver transcriptome analysis discovered a total of 1269 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) among the three groups and most of them came from the HC vs. LC group. There were 333 DEGs up-regulated and 608 down-regulated in the HC group compared to the LC group. The gene ontology enrichment analysis showed that these DEGs were mainly focused on the regulation of triacylglycerol catabolism, lipoprotein particle remodeling, and cholesterol transport. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis revealed that the liver of the HC group enhanced the metabolism of nutrients such as VFAs through the activation of AMPK and other signaling pathways and enhanced the clearance and detoxification of LPS by activating the toll-like receptor signaling pathway. A high-concentrate diet (HCD) can significantly promote the digestion of nutrients; the liver enhances the adaptability of goats to an HCD by regulating the expression of genes involved in nutrient metabolism and toxin clearance.
Multi-MHz time-of-flight electronic bandstructure imaging of graphene on Ir(111)

In the quest for detailed spectroscopic insight into the electronic structure at solid surfaces in a large momentum range, we have developed an advanced experimental approach. It combines the 3D detection scheme of a time-of-flight momentum microscope with an optimized filling pattern of the BESSY II storage ring. Here, comprehensive data sets covering the full surface Brillouin zone have been used to study faint substrate-film hybridization effects in the electronic structure of graphene on Ir(111), revealed by a pronounced linear dichroism in angular distribution. The method paves the way to 3D electronic bandmapping with unprecedented data recording efficiency.
Aerodynamics of Heavy Vehicles

We present an overview of the aerodynamics of heavy vehicles, such as tractor-trailers, high-speed trains, and buses. We introduce three-dimensional flow structures around simplified model vehicles and heavy vehicles and discuss the flow-control devices used for drag reduction. Finally, we suggest important unsteady flow structures to investigate for the enhancement of aerodynamic performance and future directions for experimental and numerical approaches.
Relationship between Blood Volume, Blood Lactate Quantity, and Lactate Concentrations during Exercise

We wanted to determine the influence of total blood volume (BV) and blood lactate quantity on lactate concentrations during incremental exercise. Twenty-six healthy, nonsmoking, heterogeneously trained females (27.5 ± 5.9 ys) performed an incremental cardiopulmonary exercise test on a cycle ergometer during which maximum oxygen uptake (V·O2max), lactate concentrations ([La−]) and hemoglobin concentrations ([Hb]) were determined. Hemoglobin mass and blood volume (BV) were determined using an optimised carbon monoxide-rebreathing method. V·O2max and maximum power (Pmax) ranged between 32 and 62 mL·min−1·kg−1 and 2.3 and 5.5 W·kg−1, respectively. BV ranged between 81 and 121 mL·kg−1 of lean body mass and decreased by 280 ± 115 mL (5.7%, p = 0.001) until Pmax. At Pmax, the [La−] was significantly correlated to the systemic lactate quantity (La−, r = 0.84, p < 0.0001) but also significantly negatively correlated to the BV (r = −0.44, p < 0.05). We calculated that the exercise-induced BV shifts significantly reduced the lactate transport capacity by 10.8% (p < 0.0001). Our results demonstrate that both the total BV and La− have a major influence on the resulting [La−] during dynamic exercise. Moreover, the blood La− transport capacity might be significantly reduced by the shift in plasma volume. We conclude, that the total BV might be another relevant factor in the interpretation of [La−] during a cardio-pulmonary exercise test.
Provider Perspectives on Sleep as a Determinant of Health and Housing Outcomes among Veterans Experiencing Homelessness: An Exploratory, Social-Ecological Study

Sleep problems are common among United States (U.S.) veterans and are associated with poor health, mental health, and functioning. Yet, little is known about insufficient sleep and factors contributing to sleep disparities among veterans experiencing homelessness. We conducted semi-structured interviews to better understand the clinical, environmental, and structural factors contributing to insufficient sleep among veterans and to improve care for this population. Interviews were conducted with 13 providers caring for veterans experiencing homelessness, including physicians, psychologists, nurses, social workers, and peer support specialists. Providers worked at a West Coast VA institution serving a large population of veterans experiencing homelessness. Interviews were analyzed for themes pertaining to sleep using the social-ecological model as a framework. On an individual level, factors influencing sleep included psychiatric disorders and use of substances. On an interpersonal level, factors included safety concerns while sleeping. On an environmental level, factors included noise and proximity to others as barriers to sleep. On the organizational level, logistical issues scheduling sleep clinic appointments and lack of transportation to attend sleep clinic appointments were identified as treatment barriers. These findings can inform future research studying the impact of sleep on health and housing outcomes and interventions addressing sleep among veterans experiencing homelessness.
Feasibility Study on the Effect of FRP Shear Reinforcements on the Behaviour of FRP-Reinforced Concrete Deep Beams

Unlike steel reinforcements in concrete, Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) materials are light and free from corrosion. Therefore, FRP materials are increasingly being used in structural engineering as a replacement for steel reinforcements. While the use of FRP bars as longitudinal reinforcements in concrete deep beams has been studied somewhat widely, their use and effectiveness as web reinforcements are not well studied. In this study, the effect of the FRP web reinforcements on the behaviour and strength of FRP-reinforced concrete deep beams were investigated in an experimental study. Four glass fiber-reinforced concrete (RC) simply supported deep beam specimens were tested under a concentrated load with different shear span-to-depth ratios and web reinforcement ratios. The behaviour of the deep beams was described in terms of load–deflection behaviour, crack developments, strain in FRP reinforcements, and failure modes. The experimental investigation emphasized the significance of web reinforcements in determining the reinforced concrete deep beam behaviour, such as mid-span deflection, crack breadth, failure modes, and ultimate strengths. Furthermore, to predict the behavior of deep beams, numerical Finite Element models using Abaqus software were created. The present test results were compared to those predicted using the Finite Element models. This investigation shows that web reinforcement is quite important for FRP-RC deep beams to achieve a robust behaviour by enhancing its capacity and deformability.
Scattering of SH-wave around a circular cavity in half space

An analytic method is developed for the problem of scattering of SH-wave and dynamic stress concentration around a circular cavity near the interface of elastic half space. The scattered wave function which can satisfy the condition of stress free on the horizontal surface around a circular cavity in half space is constructed based upon the symmetry of scattering of SH-wave and the method of multi-polar coordinate systems. Using this scattered wave function, the problem can be summarized into scattering of SH-wave around a circular cavity in full space. And finally, the problem can be reduced to solution of a series of algebraic equations and solved numerically truncating the finite terms of the infinite algebraic equations. Numerical examples are provided to show the effect of wave number and distance between the center of the cavity and the horizontal interface upon the dynamic stress concentration around the circular cavity.
Learning End-to-End Visual Servoing Using an Improved Soft Actor-Critic Approach With Centralized Novelty Measurement

End-to-end visual servoing (VS) based on reinforcement learning (RL) can simplify the design of features and control laws and has strong scalability in combination with neural networks. However, it is challenging for RL-based VS tasks to operate in a continuous state or action space due to the difficulty in space exploration and slow training convergence. Hence, this article presents a novel measurement method based on centralized features extracted by a neural network, which calculates the novelty of the visited state to encourage RL-agent exploration. Moreover, we propose a hybrid probability sampling method that improves the prioritized experience replay (PER) based on a temporal-difference (TD) error by integrating the intrinsic and external rewards. This strategy represents the transition novelty and quality in the buffer replay, respectively, to promote convergence in the training process. Finally, we develop an end-to-end VS scheme based on the maximum entropy RL soft actor-critic (SAC). Several simulated experiments in CoppeliaSim are designed for end-to-end VS, where the target detection information is the agent’s input. The results highlight that our method’s reward value and completion rates are 0.35% and 8.0% higher than the SAC VS baseline. At the same time, we conduct experiments to verify the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.
NURBS-BASED PROFILE RECONSTRUCTION USING CONSTRAINED FITTING TECHNIQUES

Ordered data point cloud obtained by laser-scanning, image processing or contact digitizing techniques is widely used for reconstructing a cross section profile in the field of reverse engineering. In this research, a comprehensive algorithm for reconstruction of 2D profile is developed based on NURBS parametric curve theory. In this regard, the line, arc and B-spline segments are firstly extracted from the set of ordered data points using a developed segment detection algorithm. Then, the final profile is reconstructed using the newly proposed algorithm of constrained local fitting which approximates these segments by NURBS curves with appropriate geometric continuity conditions. The validity, capability and functionality of the developed method are investigated by some practical case studies. Results show that developed algorithm can be integrated and improve the functionality of exiting reverse engineering systems.
Performance of Slovenian Listed Firms during COVID-19 Out-break

This research aims to estimate the determinants of firm performance during the COVID-19 pandemic. For this purpose, the sample of Slovenian non-financial listed firms operating in the period 2017 – 2021 is used. Firm performance is expressed with market-based as well as accounting-based performance measures, including Tobin's Q, ROA, and ROE, while potential determinants encompass several firm-oriented variables. These are the firm size, liquidity expressed with the current ratio, leverage, tangibility, sales growth, age of the firm as well as COVID-19 dummy variable. The results of dynamic panel analysis disclose that liquidity, leverage, sales growth, and COVID-19 dummy are statistically significant in explaining firm performance. Specifically, liquidity and leverage are found to be significant in explaining Tobin's q, sales growth is a statistically significant determinant of both ROA and ROE while the latter is also negatively impacted by leverage and the COVID-19 dummy.
The Effect of An Educational Program on Intensive Care Units Nurses' Knowledge Regarding Prevention Of Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia

Background: Ventilator-associated pneumonia is one of the most common Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAI). Worldwide, VAP ranges from 6 to 52% and might be as much as 76% of all intubated patients in some developing countries. VAP accounts for 15% to 45% of the mortality rate in critical care settings. Despite advances in medical science, VAP continues to be one of the biggest threats in ICUs, being responsible for most infections in critically ill patients, and leading to prolonged ventilator dependency and prolonged stays in ICUs. Aim: This study evaluated the effectiveness of implementing an educational program on the knowledge of ICU nurses from different healthcare sectors regarding VAP prevention guidelines. Methods: One group pretest-posttest design was used. A total of 156 critical care registered nurses from 12 hospitals attended an educational program of four hours. Eight sessions were conducted in total. Nurses were asked to complete an adapted 19-itemtem questionnaire based on strategies and guidelines adopted by CDC for VAP prevention, which was used to evaluate nurses' actual knowledge of VAP prevention guidelines. Results: ICU nurses mostly demonstrated a knowledge deficit regarding VAP prevention guidelines (pretest M = 8.79). The educational program was effective in increasing nurses' level of knowledge (posttest M = 14.9). Results have shown a statistically significant mean difference between pretest and posttest (p < .05). Nurses' actual level of knowledge was positively correlated with type of health sector, participants' ages, and attendance of previous educational sessions regarding VAP prevention. Conclusion: The study evaluated the effectiveness of an educational program on critical care nurses' knowledge regarding VAP prevention. The introduced program was efficient and positively influenced nurses' knowledge wherever results demonstrated a knowledge deficit toward VAP prevention guidelines by the nurses who participated in this study. The importance of conducting frequent educational programs is essential to supporting nurses' knowledge. Implementation and dissemination of VAP prevention evidence-based guidelines on caring for intubated patients in critical care units is a prerequisite to improving nurses' level of knowledge and improving quality of nursing care.
NS1 Protein N-Linked Glycosylation Site Affects the Virulence and Pathogenesis of Dengue Virus

Live attenuated vaccine is one of the most effective vaccines against flavivirus. Recently, site-directed mutation of the flavivirus genome using reverse genetics techniques has been used for the rapid development of attenuated vaccines. However, this technique relies on basic research of critical virulence loci of the virus. To screen the attenuated sites in dengue virus, a total of eleven dengue virus type four mutant strains with deletion of N-glycosylation sites in the NS1 protein were designed and constructed. Ten of them (except for the N207-del mutant strain) were successfully rescued. Out of the ten strains, one mutant strain (N130del+207-209QQA) was found to have significantly reduced virulence through neurovirulence assay in suckling mice, but was genetically unstable. Further purification using the plaque purification assay yielded a genetically stable attenuated strain #11-puri9 with mutations of K129T, N130K, N207Q, and T209A in the NS1 protein and E99D in the NS2A protein. Identifying the virulence loci by constructing revertant mutant and chimeric viruses revealed that five amino acid adaptive mutations in the dengue virus type four non-structural proteins NS1 and NS2A dramatically affected its neurovirulence and could be used in constructing attenuated dengue chimeric viruses. Our study is the first to obtain an attenuated dengue virus strain through the deletion of amino acid residues at the N-glycosylation site, providing a theoretical basis for understanding the pathogenesis of the dengue virus and developing its live attenuated vaccines.
Diffusion and segregation of silver in copperΣ5(310) grain boundary

Grain boundary diffusion of ${}^{110m}\phantom{\rule{-0.16em}{0ex}}$Ag in Cu $\ensuremath{\Sigma}5(310)$ bicrystal is measured along and perpendicular to the $[001]$ tilt axis in both C and B kinetic regimes after the common Harrison's classification. The grain boundary diffusion coefficients, ${D}_{\mathrm{gb}}$, of the single grain boundary in a true dilute limit of solute concentration are determined in the C kinetic regime and the values of the triple products $P=s\ifmmode\cdot\else\textperiodcentered\fi{}\ensuremath{\delta}\ifmmode\cdot\else\textperiodcentered\fi{}{D}_{\mathrm{gb}}$ are measured in the B regime (here $s$ and $\ensuremath{\delta}$ are the segregation factor and the diffusional grain boundary width, respectively). A strong anisotropy of the grain boundary diffusion is established, which disappears above 826 K. It is the point at which the triple product $P$ demonstrates a downward deviation from the otherwise linear Arrhenius dependence at lower temperatures. These results substantiate a temperature-induced disordering transition of the grain boundary structure. The anisotropy of the product $s\ifmmode\cdot\else\textperiodcentered\fi{}\ensuremath{\delta}$ for the $\ensuremath{\Sigma}5(310)$ grain boundary is estimated.