Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Experimental and numerical study of the polyurethane foaming process using high-pressure CO2

A simulation of simultaneous bubble nucleation and growth was performed for polyurethane/CO2 physical foaming process. The single-factor and comprehensive effects of viscoelastic properties, Henry’s constant, CO2 diffusion coefficient and surface tension on the cell morphology were numerically analyzed. The results show that the cell density of PU foam (N0) increases and its average cell diameter (Dv) reduces with increased Henry’s constant and slower gas diffusion. Both N0 and Dv reduces with the curing degree (α). In addition, the effects of α and foaming conditions on the cell structure were experimentally investigated. With an increase of α at foamable range, Dv decreases continuously and N0 increases first and then declines. With increasing saturation pressure and depressurization rate or decreasing temperature, N0 increases and Dv reduces. There is an intrinsic correlation between the simulated and experimental variables, and the results of the simulation and experiment are generally consistent.
Labor Market Implications of Education Mismatch

This project studies the impact of education mismatch on labor outcomes. Across our sample of OECD countries, there is evidence of mismatch in education choices and labor markets. Labor market outcomes are not independent of education mismatch. Our framework for analysis is a dynamic choice model, focusing on decisions on education and training. From the estimation of model parameters, the main factor explaining education mismatch is a shock to the perceived value of education. In Germany, imperfect information about ability at the time of the education decision creates mismatch as well. From simulations of lifecycle dynamics and counterfactual experiments, among four key countries, education undermatch in Japan is sustained through labor market mechanisms while in Germany, Italy and the US, education undermatch is resolved. Training plays a key role in these dynamics.
Species Distribution Modelling via Feature Engineering and Machine Learning for Pelagic Fishes in the Mediterranean Sea

In this work a fish species distribution model (SDM) was developed, by merging species occurrence data with environmental layers, with the scope to produce high resolution habitability maps for the whole Mediterranean Sea. The final model is capable to predict the probability of occurrence of each fish species at any location in the Mediterranean Sea. Eight pelagic, commercial fish species were selected for this study namely Engraulis encrasicolus, Sardina pilchardus, Sardinella aurita, Scomber colias, Scomber scombrus, Spicara smaris, Thunnus thynnus and Xiphias gladius. The SDM environmental predictors were obtained from the databases of Copernicus Marine Environmental Service (CMEMS) and the European Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODnet). The probabilities of fish occurrence data in low resolution and with several gaps were obtained from Aquamaps (FAO Fishbase). Data pre-processing involved feature engineering to construct 6830 features, representing the distribution of several mean-monthly environmental variables, covering a time-span of 10 years. Feature selection with the ensemble Reciprocal Ranking method was used to rank the features according to their relative importance. This technique increased model’s performance by 34%. Ten machine learning algorithms were then applied and tested based on their overall performance per species. The XGBoost algorithm performed better and was used as the final model. Feature categories were explored, with neighbor-based, extreme values, monthly and surface ones contributing most to the model. Environmental variables like salinity, temperature, distance to coast, dissolved oxygen and nitrate were found the strongest ones in predicting the probability of occurrence for the above eight species.
Area spectral efficiency and energy efficiency in underlay D2D cellular networks

Device-to-device (D2D) communication has attracted a great deal of attention in the last few years due to its potential to enhance wireless network capacity and reduce energy consumption, among other beneﬁts. Here, the problem of maximisation of the performance of a D2D network in a scenario in which D2D users share communication channels with users of a cellular network is investigated. Using stochastic geometry tools, the problems of maximisation of the performance metrics area spectral efﬁciency (ASE) and energy efﬁciency (EE) of the D2D network by adjusting the density, transmit power, and link throughput of D2D users are formulated and solved. The maximisation of ASE and EE is performed by imposing that the successful transmission probabilities of both D2D and cellular networks are not below given minimum acceptable levels. Based on the derived formulation, the effects of several parameters on the network performance are assessed. The study shows the existence of three possible operating regimes for the D2D network, according to the behaviours (increasing or decreasing) of ASE and EE when the quality of the D2D links increases.
Influence of Amylose-Amylopectin Ratio on Properties of Extruded Starch Plastic Sheets

Abstract Starch plastic sheets were prepared by extrusion processing of mixtures of granular high-amylopectin and high-amylose starches in the presence of glycerol and water as plasticizers. Amylose content varied between 0 and 70% (w/w). Structural characterization and determination of the mechanical properties of the sheets were performed after aging the materials between 40–65% relative humidity for 2 and 35 weeks and at 90% relative humidity for two weeks. The materials were semicrystalline and viscoelastic. The materials were described as complex heterogeneous multiphase materials. They consisted of amorphous and crystalline phases of amylose and amylopectin as well as granular structures and domains of amylose, amylopectin and amylose-amylopectin helices. Single-helical type crystallinity was formed solely by amylose directly after processing while B-type crystallinity was rapidly formed in amylose-rich materials and slowly during aging of amylopectin-rich materials. The stress-strain and stress-rel.
Operando surface science methodology reveals surface effect in charge storage electrodes

Abstract Surface and interface play critical roles in energy storage devices, calling for operando characterization techniques to probe the electrified surfaces/interfaces. In this work, surface science methodology, including electron spectroscopy and scanning probe microscopy, has been successfully applied to visualize electrochemical processes at operating electrode surfaces in an Al/graphite model battery. Intercalation of anions together with cations is directly observed in the surface region of a graphite electrode with tens of nanometers thickness, the concentration of which is one order higher than that in bulk. An intercalation pseudocapacitance mechanism and a double specific capacity in the electrode surface region are expected based on the super-dense intercalants and anion/cation co-intercalation, which are in sharp contrast to the battery-like mechanism in the electrode bulk. The distinct electrochemical mechanism at the electrode surface is verified by performance tests of real battery devices, showing that a surface-dominant, nanometer-thick graphite cathode outperforms a bulk-dominant, micrometer-thick graphite cathode. Our findings highlight the important surface effect of working electrodes in charge storage systems.
Grizzly Bear Management in the Kananaskis Valley: Forty Years of Figuring It Out

Case studies offer rich insight into the way knowledge is gathered, understood, and applied (or not) in parks and conservation contexts. This study aims to understand how knowledge and information have been used to inform decision-making about human-wildlife co-existence—specifically what knowledge has informed decisions related to grizzly bear management in the Kananaskis Valley. Focus groups of decision-makers involved in the valley’s bear program painted a rich account of decision-making since the late 1970s that was coded thematically. Our findings suggest there are typical impacts on knowledge mobilization, such as management support (or lack thereof), other agencies, capacity, and social and political pressures. In addition, the special context of the Kananaskis Valley and the forty-year timespan explored in focus group conversations provide unique lenses through which to understand knowledge mobilization. This case study reflects the barriers identified in the literature. However, the findings also include unique aspects of decision-making, such as the evolution of decision-making over a period of time in a multi-use landscape, the successful creation of networks to mediate knowledge and practice, and the creation of knowledge by practitioners.
Scheduling optimization for smart microgrids considering twolevels transactions of electric vehicles and energy markets

Smart microgrid planning poses some challenges, including bi-directional energy flow both inside and outside the smart microgrid. This research studies at the internal flow level energy transactions with the internal resources of the microgrid, and at the external flow level the energy transactions with external stakeholders to the microgrid. Electric vehicles can operate bidirectionally and participate at the internal and external level of smart microgrids. In this context, this study analyzes electric vehicles both levels. (1) At the level of internal participation, electric vehicles operate in a residential area of a microgrid that is also connected to energy storage systems and elements with uncertainty, such as photovoltaic generation systems and residential loads. Prices are set by considering operating costs within the smart microgrid. (2) The level of external participation refers to an electric vehicle station that offers three services: charging, discharging and swapping battery. Prices are stochastic and come from the spot market prices of electric vehicles. Consequently, it is proposed that the aggregator must plan the optimal scheduling for the visit scenarios of two-level stochastic electric vehicles. The system can also trade energy that come from a local and wholesale energy market. Results demonstrate that two-level operation can help to evaluate the economic impact of electric vehicles.
Pushed Together or Pulled Apart? Economic Stressors and Romantic Relationship Quality

Previous research indicates that romantic partners’ relationship quality is associated with poverty and material hardship. Few studies have used longitudinal data to incorporate changing economic circumstances over time, included a range of economic factors, or investigated the role of social support in this association, however. Using five waves of data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, we extend prior work by evaluating the association between multiple economic stressors and romantic relationship quality over time, and whether social support explains or alters this association. Changes in economic stressors are associated with changes in romantic relationship quality over time, particularly nonstandard work and material hardship. Social support neither explains nor moderates this association in most cases. This study confirms the stress process perspective, showing how economic and work-related stress can proliferate into family life, but does not support the contention that social support buffers families against stress proliferation.
Peat depth as a control on moss water availability during drought

Peatlands are globally important long-term sinks of carbon, however there is concern that enhanced moss moisture stress due to climate change mediated drought will reduce moss productivity making these ecosystems vulnerable to carbon loss and associated long-term degradation. Peatlands are resilient to summer drought moss stress because of negative ecohydrological feedbacks that generally maintain a wet peat surface, but where feedbacks may be contingent on peat depth. We tested this ‘survival of the deepest’ hypothesis by examining water table position, near-surface moisture content, and soil water tension in peatlands that differ in size, peat depth, and catchment area during a summer drought. All shallow sites lost their WT (i.e. the groundwater well was dry) for considerable time during the drought period. Near-surface soil water tension increased dramatically at shallow sites following water table loss, increasing ~5–7.5× greater at shallow sites compared to deep sites. During a mid-summer drought intensive field survey we found that 60%–67% of plots at shallow sites exceeded a 100 mb tension threshold used to infer moss water stress. Unlike the shallow sites, tension typically did not exceed this 100 mb threshold at the deep sites. Using species dependent water content - chlorophyll fluorescence thresholds and relations between volumetric water content and water table depth, Monte Carlo simulations suggest that moss had nearly twice the likelihood of being stressed at shallow sites (0.38 ± 0.24) compared to deep sites (0.22 ± 0.18). This study provides evidence that mosses in shallow peatland may be particularly vulnerable to warmer and drier climates in the future, but where species composition may play an important role. We argue that a critical ‘threshold’ peat depth specific for different hydrogeological and hydroclimatic regions can be used to assess what peatlands are especially vulnerable to climate change mediated drought.
Experience With Moxifloxacin for the Treatment of Latent Tuberculosis Infection in Liver Transplantation: A Single‐Center Prospective Study

Active tuberculosis (TB) after liver transplantation (LT) is associated with poor outcomes. Most cases arise from the reactivation of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI). Current guidelines recommend LTBI treatment for all LT candidates with compensated cirrhosis, with isoniazid plus pyridoxine as the preferred regimen. Nevertheless, both completion rates and tolerability are low. Fluoroquinolones exhibit good antimycobacterial activity and favorable safety profile. We report our single-center experience with a 9-month moxifloxacin regimen (400 mg daily) for the treatment of LTBI in the LT setting. Between 2015 and 2019, 28 candidates and 10 recipients received moxifloxacin for a median of 260 days (interquartile range: 180 - 274). The 9-month course was completed in 60.5% (23/38) of patients. Adverse events (AEs) requiring permanent treatment discontinuation occurred in 21.0% (8/38) of patients (Clostridioides difficile infection [5 cases], diffuse arthralgias [2 cases], and hematologic toxicity [one case]). All AEs resolved without sequelae, with no episodes of moxifloxacin-associated liver toxicity. No cases of active TB were diagnosed following completion of therapy (cumulative follow-up of 19,475 patient-days). In conclusion, a 9-month moxifloxacin regimen appears to be a reasonable alternative to isoniazid for the treatment of LTBI among LT candidates and recipients, although a close follow-up is mandatory for an early recognition of associated AEs.
Hydraulic and soil mechanical aspects of rill generation on agricultural soils

SUMMARY An attempt is made, using literature data, to clarify the relationship between the detachment capacity of overland flow and its hydraulic characteristics. Attention is paid to the influence of sediment properties and rainfall. Using these relationships and the concept of effective shear velocity, it was possible to establish a relationship for rill prediction which covers a variety of soils and a wide range of field conditions. Raindrop impacts do not seem to have an important influence on rill generation on cohesive materials.
Characteristics of Hg‐ and Zn‐sensitive Water Channels in the Plasma Membrane of Chara Cells*

: Hydraulic conductivity (Lp) of the plasma membrane of Chara corallina was inhibited by HgCl2 maximally by about 95%. The inhibition was reversed by 2-mercaptoethanol, reconfirming the observation obtained by Henzler and Steudle (1995). The results suggest that osmotic water transport through Chara cells occurs mostly via mercury-sensitive water channels containing thiol groups. ZnCl2 dissolved in APW (pH 5.6) also inhibited Lp by about 80% within 1–2 h, while ZnCl2 dissolved in Hepes-Tris buffer (pH 7.4) inhibited it by about 90% within several minutes. Inhibition of Lp by ZnCl2 was also reversed by 2-mercaptoethanol, suggesting that zinc acts also on thiol groups of water channel proteins. Cells from which tonoplast had been removed by ECTA were as sensitive to both HgCl2 and ZnCl2 (pH 7.4) as normal cells. This demonstrates that water channels sensitive to thiol reagents really exist in the plasma membrane. On the other hand, ZnCl2 (pH 5.6) did not inhibit Lp of tonoplast-free cells. This may be accounted for by assuming first that Hg- and Zn-sensitive thiol groups of water channels may exist on the cytoplasmic side, and second that ZnCl2 in acidic medium may exist in ionized species which can be chelated by EGTA after permeation. The polar water permeability, or the endoosmotic Lp being larger than the exoosmotic one, was not affected by lowering the rate of osmosis by decreasing the osmotic gradient for transcellular osmosis down to 0.02 M sorbitol. The polarity disappeared when osmotic water flow through water channels was completely inhibited by HgCl2. Thus the polarity is assumed to be intrinsic to water channels in the plasma membrane.
Hypoxia Inducible Factor-1alpha (HIF-1A) plays different roles in Gallbladder Cancer and Normal Gallbladder Tissues

Purpose: Hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1A) is a transcription factor that plays an “angiogenic switch” role especially under hypoxia microenvironment in solid tumor. However, the functions and clinical significance of HIF-1A in gallbladder cancer (GBC) are still controversial, and it has not been studied in normal gallbladder tissues. In this study, we sought to clarify the role of sub-cellular localization of HIF-1A expression in GBC and normal gallbladder tissues. Methods: The expressions of HIF-1A and CD34 in 127 GBC and 47 normal gallbladder tissues were evaluated by immunohistochemistry. Cox's proportional hazards model analysis and Kaplan-Meier method analysis were used to assess the correlations between these factors and clinicopathological features and prognosis. Results: HIF-1A was expressed in both cytoplasm and nucleus of GBC and normal control tissues, and was significantly correlated with microvessel density (MVD). GBC tissues with positive nuclear HIF-1A expression had higher MVD compared to that with positive cytoplasmic HIF-1A expression; however, in normal gallbladder tissues, samples with positive cytoplasmic HIF-1A had higher MVD compared to that with positive nuclear HIF-1A expression. Moreover, GBC with nuclear HIF-1A expression tended to be more poorly differentiated and had larger tumor size compared to that with cytoplasm HIF-1A expression. Furthermore, GBC patients with nuclear HIF-1A positive were significantly correlated with worse overall survival (OS) compared with cytoplasmic HIF-1A positive. Multivariate Cox regression analysis identified lymph node metastasis and nuclear HIF-1A expression to be independent prognostic parameter in GBC. Conclusions: Our findings provide evidence for the first time that HIF-1A is expressed in normal gallbladder tissues. Nuclear HIF-1A and cytoplasm HIF-1A plays different roles in GBC and normal gallbladder tissues.
A Case Study of Lessons Learned from a Decade of Success in Preparing and Supporting Quality School Leadership Through District–University Partnerships

The purpose of this case study was to explore the context and key features of a successful decade-long district and university principal preparation program. Despite the importance of such partnerships, long-standing partnerships appear to be far from the norm. The partnership was designed in collaboration with faculty at a flagship university in the American Southwest and district leaders in a large urban school system. At the initiation of the partnership, the school district faced challenges similar to other districts in ensuring a steady pool of quality school leaders. The study was grounded in theory and anchored in relevant scholarly literature. Research methods included data collected from a qualitative analysis of the perspectives of key personnel who co-created the principal preparation program and supplementary data from external evaluations conducted by recognized appraisers. Findings indicate that district–university partnerships are more likely to endure when the partners are able to strengthen shared goals, leverage existing assets, sustain trusting relationships, uphold mutuality of purpose, and support collaborative interactions. The implications and recommendations from the study may appeal to other providers of principal preparation programs who desire to adapt the lessons learned and build on the assets that exist in their own unique school and community contexts. Future research on long standing district–university partnerships may help inform states in their oversight of principal preparation programs and university and district partners who wish to start or sustain the recruitment, preparation, placement, and retention of quality educational leaders in contextually specific and complex school environments.
Information-Seeking Question Intonation in Basque Spanish and Its Correlation with Degree of Contact and Language Attitudes

The present study analyzes the prosodic characteristics of the variety of Spanish in contact with Basque (in the Basque Country, Spain). We focus on information-seeking yes/no questions, which present different intonation contours in Spanish and Basque. In Castilian Spanish, these sentences end in a rising contour, whereas in Basque, they end in a falling or rising–falling circumflex contour. In our previous work, this topic was investigated among the urban populations of Bilbao and San Sebastian. The results were that 79% of information-seeking yes/no questions had final falling intonational configurations. All the speakers presented a substantial presence of final falls regardless of their linguistic profile, but there were differences among speakers in the degree of presence of such features. A correlation was observed between the dependent variable of ‘frequency of occurrence of final falls in absolute interrogatives’ and social factors, such as ‘degree of contact with Basque’ and ‘attitudes towards Basque and the Basque ethnolinguistic group’. The correlation was that the higher the degree of contact with Basque and the more positive the attitudes towards Basque and the Basque ethnolinguistic group, the greater the frequency of occurrence of final falling intonational contours in information-seeking absolute interrogatives. The interpretation of this correlation was that the adoption of the characteristic Basque prosody allows speakers to be recognized as members of the Basque community. In the present study, we focused on rural areas. Falling intonational contours at the end of information-seeking absolute interrogatives were even more common than in urban areas (93.4%), and no correlation was found with degree of contact with Basque and with attitudes towards Basque. Our interpretation is that in rural areas the presence of Basque in daily life is stronger, and that there is a consolidated variety of Spanish used by all speakers regardless of their attitudes. Thus, the adoption of intonating features of this language is not the only indicator belonging to the Basque ethnolinguistic group. Our study reveals the great relevance of subjective social factors, such as language attitudes, in the degree of convergence between two languages.