Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Maglev Vehicle/Guideway Vertical Random Response and Ride Quality

Summary The research and development (R & D) of maglev technology had made a great progress in China since the early 1980s. Especially, a 35 km-long Shanghai high-speed maglev railway employing the German Transrapid system began to be constructed on March 1, 2001. Based on the Transrapid system, the paper develops a 10-degree-of-freedom model of maglev vehicle running over three types of guideways with constant speed. Random guideway irregularities are discussed and taken into account for simulation of the vehicle response and for evaluation of the ride comfort. Using the direct time integration method and the discrete fast Fourier transform (DFFT), random responses of the maglev vehicle-guideway systems are obtained and analyzed. Numerical results show that the resonant frequency of car body acceleration response is 0.5–1 Hz, and there is a 2.2 Hz periodic vibration due to the periodic configuration of rigid piers when the maglev vehicle travels over the elevated-beam guideway. The car body acceleration power spectral density (PSD) curves meet well the ride quality criterion of the urban tracked aircushion vehicle (UTACV) and the maximum acceleration of car body is less than 0.05 g. Moreover, the Sperling ride index values are less than 2.5 as long as the operational speed is less than 450 km/h. It is concluded that the maglev vehicle ride quality is quite well.
A Comprehensive Study of the Genus Sanguisorba (Rosaceae) Based on the Floral Micromorphology, Palynology, and Plastome Analysis

Sanguisorba, commonly known as burnet, is a genus in the family Rosaceae native to the temperate regions of the Northern hemisphere. Five of its thirty species are distributed in Korea: Sanguisorba officinalis, S. stipulata, S. hakusanensis, S. longifolia, and S. tenuifolia. S. officinalis has been designated as a medicinal remedy in the Chinese and Korean Herbal Pharmacopeias. Despite being a valuable medicinal resource, the morphological and genomic information, as well as the genetic characteristics of Sanguisorba, are still elusive. Therefore, we carried out the first comprehensive study on the floral micromorphology, palynology, and complete chloroplast (cp) genome of the Sanguisorba species. The outer sepal waxes and hypanthium characters showed diagnostic value, despite a similar floral micromorphology across different species. All the studied Sanguisorba pollen were small to medium, oblate to prolate-spheroidal, and their exine ornamentation was microechinate. The orbicules, which are possibly synapomorphic, were consistently absent in this genus. Additionally, the cp genomes of S. officinalis, S. stipulata, and S. hakusanensis have been completely sequenced. The comparative analysis of the reported Sanguisorba cp genomes revealed local divergence regions. The nucleotide diversity of trnH-psbA and rps2-rpoC2, referred to as hotspot regions, revealed the highest pi values in six Sanguisorba. The ndhG indicated positive selection pressures as a species-specific variation in S. filiformis. The S. stipulata and S. tenuifolia species had psbK genes at the selected pressures. We developed new DNA barcodes that distinguish the typical S. officinalis and S. officinalis var. longifolia, important herbal medicinal plants, from other similar Sanguisorba species with species-specific distinctive markers. The phylogenetic trees showed the positions of the reported Sanguisorba species; S. officinalis, S. tenuifolia, and S. stipulata showed the nearest genetic distance. The results of our comprehensive study on micromorphology, pollen chemistry, cp genome analysis, and the development of species identification markers can provide valuable information for future studies on S. officinalis, including those highlighting it as an important medicinal resource.
Moving Bottlenecks in Lighthill-Whitham-Richards Model: A Unified Theory

A unified general framework for the moving-bottleneck models based on the Lighthill-Whitham-Richards theory is proposed. It is shown that all existing models may be considered as particular cases of the general model, differing only by the phenomenology involved, that is, by the shape of the flow-density relationship used for the restricted section. Possible generalization of the model through various flow-density relationships is discussed, as well as the possibilities of experimental validation.
Combining an HA + Cu (II) Site-Targeted Copper-Based Product with a Pruning Wound Protection Program to Prevent Infection with Lasiodiplodia spp. in Grapevine

The genus Lasiodiplodia has been reported from several grape growing regions and is considered as one of the fastest wood colonizers, causing Botryosphaeria dieback. The aim of this study was to (i) evaluate the efficacy of Esquive®, a biocontrol agent, on vineyard pruning wound protection, applied single or, in a combined protection strategy with a new site-targeted copper-based treatment (LC2017), and (ii) compare their efficacy with chemical protection provided by the commercially available product, Tessior®. For two seasons, protectants were applied onto pruning wounds, while LC2017 was applied throughout the season according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Pruning wounds of two different cultivars were inoculated with three isolates of Lasiodiplodia spp. Efficacy of the wound protectants, varied between both years of the assay and according to the cultivar studied but were able to control the pathogen to some extent. The application of LC2017 did not show clear evidence of improving the control obtained by the sole application of the other products tested. Nevertheless, LC2017 showed a fungistatic effect against Lasiodiplodia spp. , in vitro, and has previously shown an elicitor effect against grapevine trunk diseases. Therefore, this combination of two protection strategies may constitute a promising long-term approach to mitigate the impact of Botryosphaeria dieback.
The Intention-Behavior gap in Ethical Consumption: Mediators, Moderators and Consumer Profiles Based on Ethical Priorities

Ethical consumers do not always convert their beliefs into purchasing decisions and the impact of influencing variables on the intention-behavior (I-B) gap in ethical consumption remains unresearched. The answers of 364 respondents expressing their intentions regarding ethical consumption and of 346 having ever purchased ethically show that the I-B relationship is mediated by Plans and Habits and moderated by Commitment and Sacrifice, although this was not a full moderation. This study identifies four profiles of ethical consumers, considering the hierarchy of ethical choices and the fact that ethical issues are prioritized as primary and secondary concerns. This paper is the first to measure the mediation and moderation variables regarding the I-B gap in ethical consumption, discussing intervention and priorities to close the gap: promoting ethical consumption as a social norm, expanding the distribution of prioritized ethical products, and mitigating the barriers that entail sacrifices to purchasing ethically.
The Impact of Intraspecies Variability on Growth Rate and Cellular Metabolic Activity of Bacteria Exposed to Rotating Magnetic Field

Majority of research on the influence of magnetic fields on microorganisms has been carried out with the use of different species or different groups of microorganisms, but not with the use of different strains belonging to one species. The purpose of the present study was to assess the effect of rotating magnetic fields (RMF) of 5 and 50 Hz on the growth and cellular metabolic activity of eight species of bacteria: Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus mirabilis, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterococcus faecalis, Enterobacter cloacae, Moraxella catarrhalis, and Bacillus cereus. However, contrary to the research conducted so far, each species was represented by at least four different strains. Moreover, an additional group of S. aureus belonging to a single clonal type but representing different biotypes was also included in the experiment. The results showed a varied influence of RMF on growth dynamics and cellular metabolic activity, diversified to the greatest extent in dependence on the bacterial strain exposed to the RMF and to a lesser extent in dependence on the frequency of the generated magnetic field. It was found that, with regard to the exposed strain of the same species, the effect exerted by the RMF may be positive (i.e., manifests as the increase in the growth rate or/and cellular metabolic activity) or negative (i.e., manifests as a reduction of both aforementioned features) or none. Even when one clonal type of S. aureus was used, the results of RMF exposure also varied (although the degree of differentiation was lower than for strains representing different clones). Therefore, the research has proven that, apart from the previously described factors related primarily to the physical parameters of the magnetic field, one of the key parameters affecting the final result of its influence is the bacterial intraspecies variability.
How should one read Trump’s map of the ‘deal of the century’?

Abstract The article provides a critical analysis of the two maps that were included in the ‘Deal of the Century’ (DoC) which delineates the territory of the so-called ‘State of Palestine’. It examines in detail the proposed new partitioning of historic Palestine among Israelis and Palestinians and defines rules and constraints over who will be living where and aspects of mobility in the area between the River Jordan and the Mediterranean Sea. The paper argues that territorial injustice has been done to the local Palestinian residents and the West Bank. Should the DoC be implemented, the so-called ‘State of Palestine’ as envisioned will be fragmented into three main enclaves and smaller ones and turned into a landlocked state. These enclaves will be connected with each other via bridges and tunnels. The entire area of historic Palestine west of the Jordan River will be placed under Israeli control, leaving the ‘State of Palestine’ without any type of basic sovereignty. It is argued that this will not end the Israeli–Palestinian conflict but will escalate it for many years to come.
Compressive, flexural and splitting strength of fly ash and silica fume concrete

Cement replacement materials are commonly used in concrete technology. Several researchers have examined high-performance concrete after adding mineral admixtures to it, but further studies are still needed to provide the optimum dosage of these materials for instance fly ash and silica fume. This study compares three types of concrete and the mechanical properties (compressive strength, flexural strength, and splitting tensile) of these types at the age of 28 and 90 days. The test results designate that adding the mineral admixtures commonly affects the mechanical properties of all the tested types. However, silica fume is more operative than fly ash. Furthermore, adding the fly ash and silica fume in the same concrete type slightly improves the mechanical properties.
Exploring the Effects of MXene on Nonisothermal Crystallization and Melting Behavior of β-Nucleated Isotactic Polypropylene

In this study, one of the commonly used MXene (Ti3C2Tx) and β nucleated isotactic polypropylene (β-iPP)/MXene composites of different compositions were fabricated. The effects of MXene on non-isothermal crystallization and polymorphic behavior of β-iPP/MXene composites were comparatively studied. The non-isothermal crystallization kinetics indicates that for all samples, the lower cooling rates promote composites to crystallize at higher temperatures. When MXene and β-Nucleating agent (β-NA) are added separately, the crystallization temperature of composites shifts towards higher temperatures at all cooling rates. When MXene and β-NA are added simultaneously, the composite shows different cooling rate dependence, and the effects of improving crystallization temperatures is more obvious under rapid cooling. The activation energy of four samples iPP, iPP/MXene, iPP/β-NA, and iPP/MXene/β-NA were −167.5, −185.5, −233.8, and −218.1 kJ/mol respectively, which agree with the variation tendency of crystallization temperatures. The polymorphic behavior analysis obtained from Differential Scanning calorimetry (DSC) is affected by two factors: the ability to form β-crystals and the thermal stability of β-crystals. Because β-crystals tend to recrystallize to α-crystals below a critical temperature, to eliminate the effect of β-α recrystallization, the melting curves at end temperatures Tend = 50 °C and Tend = 100 °C are comparatively studied. The results show that more thermally unstable β-crystals would participate in β-α recrystallization with higher cooling rates. Moreover, thermal stability of β-crystals is improved by adding MXene. To further verify these findings, samples of three different thermal conditions were synthesized and analyzed by DSC, X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), and Polarized Light Optical Microscopy (PLOM), and the results were consistent with the above findings. New understandings of synthesizing β-iPP/MXene composites with adjustable morphologies and polymorphic behavior were proposed.
Covid-19 Impact on Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Intellectual Disability: Study in Saudi Arabia

This study investigated the impact of COVID-19 on children with autism spectrum disorder and intellectually disabled children from a parent's point of view and statistically significant differences between the responses of parents of children with disabilities about the impacts of the COVID-19 attributed to the child’s sex (male/female), the type of the child’s disability (autism/intellectual disability), the parents’ education level (intermediate or lower/above intermediate). The study used the quantitative approach and used a questionnaire applied to a sample of (217) parents of children with autism spectrum disorder and intellectually disabled children in Jeddah who are registered in governmental and private centers and institutes of the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Social Affairs. The results of the study showed that the impact of COVID-19 on children with autism spectrum disorder and intellectually disabled children had a high degree. Also, the results showed that there are no statistically significant differences between the responses of parents of children with disabilities about the impacts of the COVID-19 attributed to the child’s sex, the type of the child’s disability, the parents’ education level. The study recommends Involve parents of children with disabilities during rerehabilitation sessions for their children so that they can train their children in desired behaviors in light of some crises such as the Corona pandemic. Received: 4 August 2021 / Accepted: 23 September 2021 / Published: 5 November 2021
Clinical characteristics and risk factors for COVID-19 infection and disease severity: A nationwide observational study in Estonia

Background COVID-19 pandemic has led to overloading of health systems all over the world. For reliable risk stratification, knowledge on factors predisposing to SARS-CoV-2 infection and to severe COVID-19 disease course is needed for decision-making at the individual, provider, and government levels. Data to identify these factors should be easily obtainable. Methods and findings Retrospective cohort study of nationwide e-health databases in Estonia. We used longitudinal health records from 66,295 people tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA from 26 February 2020 to 28 February 2021 and 254,958 randomly selected controls from the reference population with no known history of SARS-CoV-2 infection or clinical COVID-19 diagnosis (case to control ratio 1:4) to predict risk factors of infection and severe course of COVID-19. We analysed sociodemographic and health characteristics of study participants. The SARS-CoV-2 infection risk was slightly higher among women, and was higher among those with comorbid conditions or obesity. Dementia (RRR 3.77, 95%CI 3.30⎼4.31), renal disease (RRR 1.88, 95%CI 1.56⎼2.26), and cerebrovascular disease (RRR 1.81, 95%CI 1.64⎼2.00) increased the risk of infection. Of all SARS-CoV-2 infected people, 92% had a non-severe disease course, 4.8% severe disease (requiring hospitalisation), 1.7% critical disease (needing intensive care), and 1.5% died. Male sex, increasing age and comorbid burden contributed significantly to more severe COVID-19, and the strength of association for male sex increased with the increasing severity of COVID-19 outcome. The strongest contributors to critical illness (expressed as RRR with 95% CI) were renal disease (7.71, 4.71⎼12.62), the history of previous myocardial infarction (3.54, 2.49⎼5.02) and obesity (3.56, 2.82⎼4.49). The strongest contributors to a lethal outcome were renal disease (6.48, 3.74⎼11.23), cancer (3.81, 3.06⎼4.75), liver disease (3.51, 1.36⎼9.02) and cerebrovascular disease (3.00, 2.31⎼3.89). Conclusions We found divergent effect of age and gender on infection risk and severity of COVID-19. Age and gender did not contribute substantially to infection risk, but did so for the risk of severe disease Co-morbid health conditions, especially those affecting renin-angiotensin system, had an impact on both the risk of infection and severe disease course. Age and male sex had the most significant impact on the risk of severe COVID-19. Taking into account the role of ACE2 receptors in the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 infection, as well as its modulating action on the renin-angiotensin system in cardiovascular and renal diseases, further research is needed to investigate the influence of hormonal status on ACE2 expression in different tissues, which may be the basis for the development of COVID-19 therapies.
Collectivized Discretion: Seeking Explanations for Decreased Asylum Recognition Rates in Finland After Europe's 2015 “Refugee Crisis”

In 2015, during the so-called “refugee crisis” in Europe, Finland was among the European countries receiving exceptionally large numbers of asylum applications. As the volume of asylum applications surged, however, the percentage of positive asylum decisions in Finland declined substantially. In this article, we explore reasons for this dramatic drop in recognitions rates and examine Finnish immigration control authorities’ use of discretion in asylum credibility assessment. Our approach is unique in its application of mixed methods to examine asylum decisions in pre- and post-crisis situations. We found that asylum caseworkers’ inconsistent assessment of similar facts and lack of faith in the veracity of applicants’ claims were essential to the mass denial of young Iraqi asylum applicants in Finland. This finding is important because it illustrates how asylum officers are able to “shift the border,” or generate a shift in asylum decision-making on a grand scale, without meaningful changes in law. Asylum officers, we show, are able to bring about such a shift via what we call collectivized discretion, or large-scale use of discretion, in asylum status determinations to control migration. Prior research on discretion in asylum decision-making highlights the individual decision-maker. This article expands discretion research by offering new insights on large-scale, collective discretionary shifts in the application of asylum law. We conclude that it is crucial that asylum status determinations be anchored in the individual assessment of each applicant's case, as collectivized discretion can lead to arbitrary results in the application of asylum law, potentially forcing those in need of refugee protection to face deportation.
Different HCV Exposure Drives Specific miRNA Profile in PBMCs of HIV Patients

Micro RNAs (miRNAs) are essential players in HIV and HCV infections, as both viruses modulate cellular miRNAs and interact with the miRNA-mediated host response. We aim to analyze the miRNA profile of HIV patients with different exposure to HCV to explore specific signatures in the miRNA profile of PBMCs for each type of infection. We massively sequenced small RNAs of PBMCs from 117 HIV+ infected patients: 45 HIV+ patients chronically infected with HCV (HIV/HCV+), 36 HIV+ that spontaneously clarified HCV after acute infection (HIV/HCV-) and 36 HIV+ patients without previous HCV infection (HIV). Thirty-two healthy patients were used as healthy controls (HC). Differential expression analysis showed significantly differentially expressed (SDE) miRNAs in HIV/HCV+ (n = 153), HIV/HCV- (n = 169) and HIV (n = 153) patients. We found putative dysregulated pathways, such as infectious-related and PI3K signaling pathways, common in all contrasts. Specifically, putatively targeted genes involved in antifolate resistance (HIV/HV+), cancer-related pathways (HIV/HCV-) and HIF-signaling (HIV) were identified, among others. Our findings revealed that HCV strongly influences the expression profile of PBMCs from HIV patients through the disruption of its miRNome. Thus, different HCV exposure can be identified by specific miRNA signatures in PBMCs.
Comprehensive Sensitivity Analysis of the OTS Data

two sets of data have been attributed to the annic! irectionality of the ocean waves and currents, the varia'lbe Ocean Test Structure (ors) data obtained by the tions in the characteristics of a given wave train, the ~Production Research CatI>any were re-analyzed in decrease of the wave velocity and acceleration with :elDE of their sensitivity to disturbances imposed on increasing depth, the methods of evaluation of the raw :ll! measured forces, velocities, and accelerations. It data, measurerrent errors, the use of the speculative been shown that part of the scatter in the said data generalizations of the Morison equation, etc. Consebe explained in tenns of these disturbances. Turquently, it has not been possible to carpare the labot! ErnDre, a correlation has been sought between the ratory and ocean data. Only the oscillating cylinder ! ate coefficients and the relative current velocity and experiments of Ga.rrisonl6 agreed with the ors data rt has been dE! ll)nstrated that a reasonable correlation because the severe vibrations of his small test cylin. s between the drag coefficient, relative current der, the inappropriate use of the end plates, reduced ocity, Keulegan-Carpenter number, and the ratio of span-wise coherence, the surface waves resulting fran tie Reynolds number to the Keulegan-Carpenter number. the oscillations of the cylinder and the hand-filter'lb! results have confinned the fact that the drag coefing of the extranely noisy force traces sinrulated, ! icients obtained fran tests in an ocean environment inadvertently, the environmental rather than the :mt be necessarily smller than those obtained in a laboratory conditions, as noted previously by Sarpkaya trolled laboratory environment. and Collins . 17
The contribution of thermoreflectance to high resolution thermal mapping

Thermal phenomena that occur in operating integrated circuits can disturb their functioning and even cause failures. In order to prevent such dramatic issues, it is necessary to study these phenomena by developing high‐resolution thermal mapping of electronic devices. This can be done by using the thermoreflectance technique. The principle of thermoreflectance measurements is reviewed and various experimental setups are described. Experimental results show that this technique allows the mapping of both low and high frequency thermal phenomena at submicron scales.