Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Real-Time Measurement of Dynamic Wheel-Rail Contacts Using Ultrasonic Reflectometry

The contact condition between the wheel and the rail is paramount to the lifespan, safety, and smooth operation of any rail network. The wheel/rail contact condition has been estimated, calculated, and simulated successfully for years, but accurate dynamic measurement has still not been achieved. Methods using pressure-sensitive films and controlled air flow have been employed, but both are limited. The work described in this paper has enabled, for the first time, the measurement of a dynamic wheel/rail contact patch using an array of 64 ultrasonic elements mounted in the rail. Previous work has successfully proved the effectiveness of ultrasonic reflectometry for static wheel/rail contact determination. The dynamic real-time measurement is based on previous work, but now each element of an array is individually pulsed in sequence to build up a linear measurement of the interface. These cross-sectional, line measurements are then processed and collated resulting in a two-dimensional contact patch. This approach is able to provide not only a contact patch, but more importantly, a detailed and relatively high-resolution pressure distribution plot of the contact. Predictions using finite element methods (FEM) have also been carried out for validation. Work is now underway to increase the speed of the measurement.
Sustainability dimensions and World Heritage Site management: the case of the Royal Alcazar of Seville, Spain

The management of a World Heritage Site must have an intergenerational and sustainable perspective that leads to the development and implementation of policies for its sustainability. The purpose of this research is to expand knowledge on whether and how World Heritage Sites include sustainability dimensions in their management processes. Sustainability is envisioned as a multifaceted concept made up of financial, heritage, sociocultural, and environmental perspectives. A case study has been carried out at the Royal Alcazar of Seville, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987. The findings highlight how sustainability dimensions intertwine with its management system. They also indicate that the financial and heritage dimensions are those that remain the most developed and that sociocultural and environmental dimensions are gaining prominence in management processes. Managers of other heritage sites can benefit from this research by acknowledging the role that all dimensions of sustainability play in the management processes of their organisations.
Improving Physic Nut (Jatropha curcas) – a Bio-fuel and Multipurpose Crop Production in Sub-Saharan Africa through Appropriate Nursery Media

Physic nut (Jatropha curcas) is a bio-fuel and multipurpose crop that can be used to produce biodiesel, biogas and latex. The toxic substances – curcin and diterpenoids in raw Jatropha leaves and seeds can scare grazing animals away and this suggests the possibility of using the plant as live fence to curb cattle menace which is one of the major constraints facing crop production in Sub-Saharan Africa especially in Nigeria. Despite its nutritive, medicinal and economic values, Jatropha is one of the most neglected crops in Nigeria and in sub-Sahara Africa at large. There is often loss of vigour of Jatropha seedlings due to high seed oil content which results in rancidity and weak seedling growth. An experiment was conducted at Enugu State Polytechnic, Iwollo, Enugu state, Nigeria to determine the appropriate nursery media towards improving the production of Jatropha curcas in sub-Saharan Africa. Four nursery media viz: 3:2:1; 1:2:1; 0:0:1 and; 1:0:0 of top soil, organic manure and river sand respectively, were evaluated. The experiment was laid out in Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with three replications. Data on emergence percentage, seedling height, number of leaves per seedling and seedling girth were collected and analyzed using Analysis of variance (ANOVA) for CRD. The treatment means with significant differences were separated using least significant difference at 0.05 probability level. The results showed that there was no significant difference (p>0.05) among the treatments in emergence percentage of Jatropha curcas. However, there were significant differences (p<0.05) among the treatments in seedling height and stem girth with the highest values obtained in 1:2:1 of top soil, poultry droppings and river sand, respectively and the least in 0:0:1 of top soil, poultry droppings and river sand, respectively. It could be concluded that the use of 1:2:1 of top soil, organic manure and river sand, respectively significantly improved seedling growth of Jatropha curcas compared to the other treatments and could therefore be recommended for Jatropha curcas nursery for improved production of the crop in sub-Sahara Africa.
Genetic Analysis and Status of Brown Bear Sub-Populations in Three National Parks of Greece Functioning as Strongholds for the Species’ Conservation

In order to optimize the appropriate conservation actions for the brown bear (Ursus arctos L.) population in Greece, we estimated the census (Nc) and effective (Ne) population size as well as the genetic status of brown bear sub-populations in three National Parks (NP): Prespa (MBPNP), Pindos (PINDNP), and Rhodopi (RMNP). The Prespa and Pindos sub-populations are located in western Greece and the Rhodopi population is located in eastern Greece. We extracted DNA from 472 hair samples and amplified through PCR 10 microsatellite loci. In total, 257 of 472 samples (54.5%) were genotyped for 6–10 microsatellite loci. Genetic analysis revealed that the Ne was 35, 118, and 61 individuals in MBPNP, PINDNP, and RMNP, respectively, while high levels of inbreeding were found in Prespa and Rhodopi but not in Pindos. Moreover, analysis of genetic structure showed that the Pindos population is genetically distinct, whereas Prespa and Rhodopi show mutual overlaps. Finally, we found a notable gene flow from Prespa to Rhodopi (10.19%) and from Rhodopi to Prespa (14.96%). Therefore, targeted actions for the conservation of the bears that live in the abovementioned areas must be undertaken, in order to ensure the species’ viability and to preserve the corridors that allow connectivity between the bear sub-populations in Greece.
Coenrad Laurens Coolen: Pioneer of Contextual Mission among Javanese Abangans

This historiographical article aims to describe Coolen as a pioneer of the indigenous church among the abangans in Ngoro, East Java in the 19th century, where he pioneered the ministry of indigenizing the gospel as an exciting new breakthrough. The discussion was conducted in stages of collecting historical data about Coolen, evaluating the obtained data, interpreting relevant data, and presenting the findings. The results show that Coolen was the initiator of the establishment of the ‘ngelmu’ Christian congregation among the abangans in Ngoro Village in the interior of East Java. He explained the secrets of ngelmu Kristen (lit., learning the Christianity) and appreciated Javanese culture as a new breakthrough in the ministry of preaching the gospel, compared to the Indische Kerk missionaries. However, some of his followers were more interested in joining Emde’s ministry pattern, so the outputs of his ministry were finally adopted into the Indische Kerk churches. Since then, the harvest of the abangans had stopped.
Study of Characterization of Activated Carbon from Coconut Shells on
 Various Particle Scales as Filler Agent in Composite Materials

Activated carbon (AC) derived from coconut shells (CS-AC) was obtained through pyrolysis at 700℃ and subsequently activated with H 3 PO 4 . AC was ground in a Wiley mill several times to form powder particles at particle scales of 80, 100, and 200 meshes. The characterization of the AC was studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and surface area analysis (S BET ). The CS-AC-200 mesh resulted in a higher percentage of mesopores and surface area. This particle size had a larger surface area with angular, irregular, and crushed shapes in the SEM view. The smaller particles had smoother surfaces, less wear, and increased curing depth and ratio of the hardness of the resin composite. Based on the characterization results of the AC, it is evident that CS-AC with a 200 mesh particle size has the potential to be used as a filler in biocomposites.
Preparation, characterization, and antimicrobial activity of cinnamon essential oil and cinnamaldehyde nanoemulsions

ABSTRACT Cinnamomum verum essential oil and its main component, cinnamaldehyde, were incorporated into nanoemulsions to improve their stability and activity. Oil-in-water (O/W) nanoemulsions were prepared using the high-energy ultra-sonication method. Cinnamon oil nanoemulsion exhibited a more vigorous DPPH radical scavenging activity (IC50 = 1.81 mg/L) than the standard α-tocopherol (IC50 = 9.16 mg/L). Cinnamaldehyde nanoemulsion exhibited the highest antibacterial action against Salmonella typhimurium and Staphylococcus aureus (MIC = 175 and 150 mg/L, respectively). It was also displayed the highest inhibition against Candida albicans (EC50 = 19.92 mg/L). Cinnamaldehyde nanoemulsion was the most active against mycelial growth of Aspergillus flavus and A. niger (EC50 = 38.20 and 134.80 mg/L, respectively). It also presented the highest activity against spore germination. This study describes antimicrobials and antioxidants based on nanoemulsions made from natural products that can be used to treat microbial infections.
Cone-Beam Computed Tomographic analysis of Root and Root Canal Morphology of Mandibular Premolars in Egyptian Population

The goal of this retrospective research was to assess the root and root canal morphology of mandibular premolars in the Egyptian population using cone-beam computed tomography. 300 CBCT scans were surveyed and the anatomy of 306 mandibular first and 288 second premolars was evaluated. The prevalence of the number of roots, root canals, canal morphologies according to the Vertucci classification and C-shaped canals was calculated and statistically assessed. Regarding the first and second mandibular premolars, the majority showed 1 root (95.4% and 98.6%, respectively) with 1 canal (84.6% and 97.9%). Most of the mandibular first (62.4%) and second premolars (96.2%) showed (type I) root canal morphology, followed by type V (27.1% and 2.1%) in the first and second premolars, respectively. A C-shaped root canal configuration was only detected in one mandibular second premolar (0.3%). Additional root canals and variations in root canal morphology should be considered when treating mandibular premolars to avoid failures.
No association of a risk variant for severe COVID-19 with HIV protection in three cohorts of highly exposed individuals

Abstract An extended haplotype on chromosome 3 is the major genetic risk factor for severe COVID-19. The risk haplotype, which was inherited from Neanderthals, decreases the expression of several cytokine receptors, including CCR5. Recently, a study based on three general population cohorts indicated that the minor allele of one of the variants in the haplotype (rs17713054) protects against HIV infection. We thus expected this allele to be over-represented in highly exposed individuals who remain uninfected (exposed seronegative individuals, ESN). To perform a meta-analysis, we genotyped rs17713054 in three ESN cohorts of European ancestry exposed to HIV through different routes. No evidence of association was detected in the single cohorts. The meta-analysis also failed to detect any effect of the variant on protection from HIV-1. The same results were obtained in a Cox-regression analysis for the time to seroconversion. An in-vitro infection assay did not detect differences in viral replication as a function of rs17713054 genotype status. We conclude that the rs17713054 minor allele is not associated with the ESN phenotype and does not modulate HIV infection in vitro.
Autonomous unmanned aerial vehicle flight control using multi-task deep neural network for exploring indoor environments

In recent years, owing to the advance in image processing using deep learning, autonomous unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) navigation based on image recognition has become possible. However, several image-based deep learning methods focus primarily on single-task autonomous UAV systems, which cannot perform other required tasks. Meanwhile, deep learning methods based on multi-task learning, which are suitable for multi-tasking autonomous UAV systems, have not been sufficiently researched. Therefore, in this study, we propose a UAV flight control method that can enable correction of a UAV's self-position, self-direction, and recognition/selection of multiple movement directions using multi-task learning for exploring an unknown indoor environment, which is based only on information from monocular camera images.
SARS-CoV-2 Seroprevalence at an Urban Hospital in Haiti

Background: Much to the surprise of the global community, Haiti has had far fewer COVID-19 cases and deaths than initially expected. In this study, we sought to estimate the seroprevalence of COVID-19 in a convenience cohort based in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, to elucidate potential reasons for the apparently low burden of COVID-19 in Haiti. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional analysis of SARS-CoV-2 antibody prevalence in patients aged one to 89 years old who were seen at the Haiti Adventist Hospital (HAH) laboratory between December 17, 2020, and July 3, 2021, with an order requiring a blood draw. We excluded patients outside of the age range and those who did not verbally consent to the study. We tested residual patient serum samples using the Biosys PlusTM COVID-19 IgM/IgG Rapid Test. Findings: Of 9,740 patients seen by the HAH laboratory from December 2020 to July 2021, 538 consented to have antibody testing and answer survey questions. 529 were included in the final analysis. We excluded nine participants who were aged greater than 89 (n=3), aged less than one (n=2), or had results that were not properly recorded (n=4). Three of the tested patients were repeat testers, with one who had been tested three times. These repeat results were included for a final seroprevalence analysis of 533 samples. In the final participant pool, 142 (26.6%) of 533 samples tested positive for either IgM, IgG, or both antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Adjustment for test sensitivity resulted in an estimated seroprevalence of 28.7% (95% CI 24.9-32.9). We observed significant differences in seroprevalences among age groups, with seroprevalence increasing with age. Interpretation: The SARS-CoV-2 antibody seroprevalence in Haiti appears to be greater than the publicly reported statistics by several orders of magnitude. Furthermore, a reduced fatality rate relative to high-income countries points to uncertain factors that may confer immunologic resistance in the Haitian population.
Generating Ectropis obliqua axenic larvae in support of functional microbiome studies

Ectropis obliqua Prout (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) is a serious leaf‐eating pest in tea gardens throughout China, with rich bacterial communities in the larval gut. Few studies have investigated whether these bacteria play an important role in growth, development, and adaptability of E. obliqua. Axenic larval models are a useful tool for the study of interactions between gut bacteria and host insects. At present, artificial diet and antibiotics are typically used to remove larval gut bacteria for study; however, this method may change the natural food of insects and the habitat provided by their host plants, and cannot completely eliminate insect gut bacteria. Therefore, in order to establish an axenic insect feeding model, we first investigated the effects of egg age, different disinfectant concentration, and treatment time on the eggs of E. obliqua through orthogonal experiments. Next, we fed E. obliqua larvae tissue‐cultured tea seedlings under aseptic conditions. Thus, we successfully generated a feeding model of gut axenic larvae in the laboratory. Based on it, we then compared the mortality of axenic and non‐axenic E. obliqua larvae infected with the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuill. These results demonstrated the feasibility of this axenic larval model and that B. bassiana is a broad‐spectrum entomogenous fungus with a toxic effect on E. obliqua.
Cytological Evaluation of Urinary Samples among Vesicovaginal Fistula Patients in National Obstetrics Fistula Centre, Southeastern Nigeria

Vesicovaginal fistula (VVF) is a non-physiological epithelial fistulous tract between the bladder and the vagina, resulting in continuous urinary incontinence. VVF occurs most commonly after obstetrical and gynecological injury. This study is a descriptive cross-sectional study designed to carry out cytological evaluation of urine samples of vesicovaginal fistula patients in National Obstetrics Fistula Centre, Southeastern Nigeria. The voided and catheterized urine samples collected were stained using Papanicolaou and Diff-Quick staining techniques. A total number of 123 patients were involved in this study. The mean age of the patients was 36.66 (± 6.21) years. The patients were grouped according to age into 4 groups: 1 (0.8%) was ≤ 24 years, 59 (48.0%) were 25 to 34 years, 43 (35.0%) were 35 to 44 years and 20 (16.2%) were ≥ 45 years of age. The parity status of these cases was grand multipara 29 (23.6%), multipara 32 (37.4%), primipara 46 (37.4%) and nullipara 16 (13.0%). Majority of the patients 111 (90.2%) were from rural areas, 8 (6.5%) from urban areas and 4 (3.3%) were from semi-urban areas. According to marital status, 91 (74.0%) were married, 16 (13.0%) were widowed, 5 (4.1%) were single and 11 (8.9%) were divorced. According to the period the patients had lived with fistula, majority of the patients 94 (76.4%) had lived less than one year with this problem, while 29 (23.6%) had suffered from VVF for 1-5 years. Cytological evaluation of the urine smears showed that a total of 92 (74.8%) urine samples had normal findings. The rest of the 31 (25.2%) urine samples showed a variety of findings. Out of these 31 samples, 16 (51.6%) showed inflammatory aggregates suggestive of urinary tract inflammation, 3 (9.7%) showed decoy cells suggestive of Polyoma virus infection, 7 (22.6%) cases showed perinuclei halo suggestive of Trichomonas vaginalis infection, 3 (9.7%) showed oval fat bodies suggestive of possible nephrotic syndrome, 8(25.8%) cases showed koilocytes, indicative of Human papilloma virus infections. Cases that showed presence of haematuria were 7 (22.6%). There was no case of tumor cells detected in all the urine samples examined. From the outcome of this study, it is important to take special note of the presence of the viral carcinogens: Polyoma virus and Human papilloma virus, since in theory and as reported in few case reports, malignancy of the urinary tract can lead to formation of vesicovaginal fistula.
Direct Numerical Simulations of Laboratory‐Scale Stratified Turbulence

Turbulence in density-stratified fluids, or stratified turbulence, is an idealized model for the atmospheric mesoscale and oceanic sub-mesoscale. It has been the subject of a number of modelling studies – both laboratory and computational – which have sought to explore the energy cascades of geophysical turbulence. However, there are important differences between atmospheric and oceanic parameter regimes and those accessible in laboratory experiments and numerical simulation. One major difference is the viscous damping by vertical gradients, which can be significant in stratified turbulence even at large Reynolds numbers. Small vertical dissipation is thought to require large buoyancy Reynolds number Reb ≡ Fr 2 h Re, where Frh is the horizontal Froude number and Re is the Reynolds number. Geophysical values of Reb are huge, but laboratory experiments and numerical simulations frequently have Reb ∼ O(1). In this chapter, we review recent work on stratified turbulence that has pointed to differences between geophysicaland laboratory-scale dynamics. We also present direct numerical simulations (DNS) of stratified turbulence in the laboratory parameter regime of Reb ∼ O(1). The turbulence in these simulations is extremely dependent on Frh and Re, with some (but not all) of this sensitivity accounted for by Reb. There is also a strong transfer of energy to small horizontal scales, which varies with Frh and Re even at constant Reb. We speculate that this transfer is due to Kelvin–Helmholtz instabilities of the large-scale layerwise flow. Implications of using laboratory experiments and DNS of stratified turbulence as proxies for the atmospheric mesoscale and oceanic sub-mesoscale are discussed.
Methods and Criteria for Evaluation of Asphalt Mixture Resistance to Low Temperature Cracking

In cold regions and areas where there is a huge difference between high and low temperatures asphalt pavements are subject to low temperature cracking. The appeared cracks form pavement discontinuities, through which water penetrates into pavement structure. It reduces the bearing capacity of the whole pavement structure, weakens adhesion between bitumen and aggregate, affects bonding between layers and increases the development of frost heaves. A sealing of cracks deals with these issues. However, additional inspections after each winter have to be carried out to identify both cracks that have newly appeared and cracks that need to be resealed. These activities significantly increase road maintenance cost. Selection of the appropriate asphalt mixture by its performance at low temperatures reduces or even prevents low temperature cracking of asphalt pavements. A number of methods such as the Indirect Tensile Test, the Bending Beam Rheometer Test, the Thermal Stress Restrained Specimen Test, Asphalt Thermal Cracking Analyser, the Single-Edge-Notched Beam Test, the Disc-Shaped Compact Tension Test, the Semi-Circular Bend Test, the Fenix Test, Asphalt Concrete Cracking Device and Spectral Analysis of Acoustic Emission are developed to evaluate asphalt mixture resistance to low temperature cracking. This paper presents an analysis of these tests, emphasizes their advantages and disadvantages and gives limiting criteria to evaluate asphalt mixture resistance to low temperature cracking. The test advantages and disadvantages are deciding factors in a test selection. Some tests such as the Thermal Stress Restrained Specimen Test and Spectral Analysis of acoustic emission can directly reveal the lowest temperature at which asphalt mixture can withstand induced thermal stresses.