Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Spatiotemporal Trends and Detection of Changes in Hydrological and Climatic Variables of Modjo River Watershed, Ethiopia

Understanding hydro-climatic trends in space and time is crucial for water resource planning and management, agricultural productivity and climate change mitigation of a region. This study examined the spatiotemporal variations in precipitation, reference evapotranspiration (ETo) and streamflow in a tropical watershed located in the central highlands of Ethiopia. Temporal trend implications were analyzed using the Mann-Kendall test, and Theil-Sen approach, whereas the inverse distance weighted interpolation method was applied for spatial trend variability analysis. The result showed that a significant decreasing trends in streamflow for the major rainy (Kiremt: Jun - Sept) season and annual time scales. At the same time, the annual and monthly ETo followed significantly increasing trends, but there has been a trendless time series for most of the months and annual mean precipitation series for the period 1986 - 2015. The study indicated that the spatial variability of annual and seasonal precipitation series decreased from north to south and west to east, while this was increased for ETo both for annual and seasonal time series over the study watershed. The contribution of rainfall and mean temperature to streamflow decline was insignificant. It is pointed out that river flow regime is weakly affected by climate changes, hence human activities are stronger in explaining the river flow trends of the watershed. Therefore, urgent calls on the needs for reducing human-induced impacts, and implementing appropriate watershed management, conservation measures and an efficient use of water resources.
Neutron-Induced Pulsewidth Distribution of Logic Gates Characterized Using a Pulse Shrinking Chain-Based Test Structure

This work presents measured data showcasing neutron-radiation-induced single-event transient (SET) pulse widths in distinct standard logic gate types, together with a detailed analysis on the choice of design parameters impacting the corresponding sampled pulsewidth distributions. The SET pulsewidth distributions are obtained from a high-density, array-based characterization vehicle, implemented in 65-nm planar CMOS and 16-nm FinFET processes, featuring a tunable, high-resolution pulse shrinking chain together with a closely embedded sampling circuit to avoid width distortion effects. The proposed macro uses standard logic gate chains in varying lengths, threshold voltages (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$V_{\mathrm {TH}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>), and transistor width flavors as the devices under test (DUTs). The measured irradiation data for a range of operating voltages from nominal down to near-threshold reveal the relative impact of the chosen design parameters such as VDD, <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$V_{\mathrm {TH}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>, device width, and the logic chain length and their interplay, impacting the overall soft error susceptibility and the sampled pulsewidth distributions among the different standard gate types.
Bridges with engineering to teach authentic inquiry-based mathematics and science courses to middle and high school students

The paper presents the development and implementation of National Science Foundation funded GK-12 Fellows Project STEP, which is designed to educate, nurture, and facilitate engineering, and science and technology education for university students (ten graduates and three undergraduate) into becoming educators and bringing their experiences and knowledge into six secondary schools in Cincinnati. Seven University of Cincinnati (UC) faculty members, fifteen secondary school teachers, and a dedicated graphics/Web developer have worked in teams with the graduate and undergraduate fellows to design, develop, and implement hands-on activities and technology-driven inquiry-based projects, which relate to the students' community issues, as vehicles to authentically teach STEM skills. The Fellows are trained to create and implement these activities by taking a new education course, and field practicuum. The paper presents how the project has evolved over the first year, the activities developed and implemented, and the findings from the whole experience.
Integrated PV and multilevel converter system for maximum power generation under partial shading conditions

The emerging trend towards the harnessing of the electrical power from solar energy has increased the research effort in power electronics applications. To achieve the required voltage level, a number of photovoltaic PV sources (cells/modules) are connected in series. The major challenge here is to deal with the partial shading problem, where the series connected PV sources are exposed to different insolation. The generated current is limited by the current of the shaded PV sources unless those sources are bypassed by diodes, in which case the total DC voltage is reduced and the shaded sources do not contribute to the generated output power. A power electronics approach can be employed to overcome the problem, by enabling both shaded and non-shaded sources to generate their maximum power, thereby and delivering the total generated power to the load. Thus no shaded PV source is bypassed or degrades the power extraction from the other PV sources. This thesis investigates the PV partial shading problem of individual PV sources which are connected in series. After the review and evaluation of existing methods to overcome this problem, the thesis employs for the first time the multilevel DC-Link inverter to deal with the problem of partial shading by using a novel control algorithm called PV permutation algorithm. The thesis also develops a simplified generalized Integration PWM (IPWM) algorithm which can be used to control higher level inverters. An improved maximum power point algorithm “voltage-hold perturbation and observation (VH-P&O)”, which overcomes the major tracking limitations, is developed from the basic P&O algorithm. Experimental systems of five and seven level DC-link inverters with a DC-DC buck converter system have been implemented. The digital processing unit eZdspTM F28335 is used to control the PV systems in real time, and Matlab-Simulink Real Time Data Exchange (RTDX) is employed to display the extracted power and to control the system parameters via a designed Graphical User Interface (GUI) window. The simulation and experimental results showed that the series connected PV sources operate at their maximum power points under partial shading conditions without affecting each other.
KAJI BANDING KUALITAS SPERMATOZOA SAPI SIMMENTAL, LIMOUSIN, DAN FRIESIAN HOLSTEIN TERHADAP PROSES PEMBEKUAN

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mempelajari dan membandingkan kualitas spermatozoa beku sapi Simmental, Limousin, dan Friesian Holstein (FH) di Balai Inseminasi Buatan Lembang (BIB), Bandung, Jawa Barat. Jumlah sapi yang digunakan pada penelitian ini adalah 24 ekor sapi jantan yang terdiri atas 8 Simmental, 8 Limousin, dan 8 FH berumur 4 tahun dengan kisaran bobot badan 800-900 kg. Penelitian menggunakan data sekunder dan primer BIB Lembang bulan November sampai Desember 2010. Data sekunder yang diambil adalah data motilitas spermatozoa segar meliputi, before freezing (BF), post thawing motility (PTM), longivitas dan data primer yaitu nilai recovery rate. Hasil yang diperoleh dari penelitian adalah motilitas spermatozoa segar dan before freezing sapi Simmental lebih tinggi (P<0,05) dibandingkan sapi Limousin dan FH, sedangkan hasil PTM, longivitas, dan recovery rate tidak berbeda nyata pada ketiga bangsa tersebut. (Kata kunci: Freezability, Spermatozoa, Simmental, Limousin, Friesian Holstein)
Cardiac activity impacts cortical motor excitability

Human cognition and action can be influenced by internal bodily processes such as heartbeats. For instance, somatosensory perception is impaired both during the systolic phase of the cardiac cycle and when heartbeats evoke stronger cortical responses. Here, we test whether these cardiac effects originate from overall changes in cortical excitability. Cortical and corticospinal excitability were assessed using electroencephalographic and electromyographic responses to transcranial magnetic stimulation while concurrently monitoring cardiac activity with electrocardiography. Cortical and corticospinal excitability were found to be highest during systole and following stronger neural responses to heartbeats. Furthermore, in a motor task, hand–muscle activity and the associated desynchronization of sensorimotor oscillations were stronger during systole. These results suggest that systolic cardiac signals have a facilitatory effect on motor excitability—in contrast to sensory attenuation that was previously reported for somatosensory perception. Thus, it is possible that distinct time windows exist across the cardiac cycle, optimizing either perception or action.
Analytical Estimation of Economic Loss for Buildings in the Area Struck by the 1999 Athens Earthquake and Comparison with Statistical Repair Costs

Reliable loss assessment (in monetary terms) for buildings struck by an earthquake is an essential factor in the development of seismic risk scenarios for a given urban area. The evaluation of loss due to building damage in a certain region depends both on seismic hazard and the vulnerability of the building stock in the area. The study presented herein consists of predicting the loss to selected groups of buildings struck by the 1999 Athens earthquake using an analytical methodology and comparison with statistical repair costs collected after the earthquake. Since no near-field strong ground motion recordings from the main shock were available, a pilot methodology was used for its analytical evaluation for different soil conditions. Different suites of motions were derived, based on various theoretical and semi-empirical approaches, and were then used in analytical investigations of the seismic behavior of the buildings in the examined area, aiming at the prediction of economic losses. An in-situ survey of about 10% of the total building stock was performed, and data regarding the structural type, actual earthquake damage, and corresponding repair costs were collected. The statistically derived repair cost for the area was compared with the economic loss estimation obtained using the analytical procedure and various estimates of the seismic action in the area considered, and was found to agree with it reasonably for some of the seismic hazard scenarios.
Glucosinolate Bioactivation by Apis mellifera Workers and Its Impact on Nosema ceranae Infection at the Colony Level

The microsporidian fungus Nosema ceranae represents one of the primary bee infection threats worldwide and the antibiotic fumagillin is the only registered product for nosemosis disease control, while few alternatives are, at present, available. Natural bioactive compounds deriving from the glucosinolate–myrosinase system (GSL–MYR) in Brassicaceae plants, mainly isothiocyanates (ITCs), are known for their antimicrobial activity against numerous pathogens and for their health-protective effects in humans. This work explored the use of Brassica nigra and Eruca sativa defatted seed meal (DSM) GSL-containing diets against natural Nosema infection in Apis mellifera colonies. DSM patties from each plant species were obtained by adding DSMs to sugar candy at the concentration of 4% (w/w). The feeding was administered in May to mildly N. ceranae-infected honey bee colonies for four weeks at the dose of 250 g/week. In the treated groups, no significant effects on colony development and bee mortality were observed compared to the negative controls. The N. ceranae abundance showed a slight but significant decrease. Furthermore, the GSL metabolism in bees was investigated, and MYR hydrolytic activity was qualitatively searched in isolated bee midgut and hindgut. Interestingly, MYR activity was detected both in the bees fed DSMs and in the control group where the bees did not receive DSMs. In parallel, ITCs were found in gut tissues from the bees treated with DSMs, corroborating the presence of a MYR-like enzyme capable of hydrolyzing ingested GSLs. On the other hand, GSLs and other GSL hydrolysis products other than ITCs, such as nitriles, were found in honey produced by the treated bees, potentially increasing the health value of the final product for human consumption. The results are indicative of a specific effect on the N. ceranae infection in managed honey bee colonies depending on the GSL activation within the target organ.
Acoustic assisted actuation of Ni-Mn-Ga ferromagnetic shape memory alloys

Ferromagnetic shape memory alloys (FSMA) have been shown in recent work to exhibit large magnetic field induced strains. The material generally requires a large threshold field (of order 3-4 kOe) to initiate the strain. Thus, the power requirements are large and actuators based on these materials could tend to be large. This thesis reports on the effect on the actuation properties of Ni-Mn-Ga single crystals of the use of a sinusoidal stress wave generated by a piezoelectric stack actuator. The piezoelectric drive causes a time varying stress wave in the FSMA that resolves as a shear across the twin-boundaries and aids the twin boundary in overcoming defect-related obstacles. The FSMA shows increased strain and a reduction in threshold field. The effect is most pronounced for crystals showing large initial threshold fields which are associated with high defect strengths or concentrations. For crystals with a large threshold, 4.7 kOe, actuated at 1 Hz, the piezoelectric drive reduces the threshold field by as much as 21% for a piezoelectric driven at 5 kHz and 20 Vr,m. As a result of this large threshold reduction, strain output can be more than doubled for magnetic drive amplitudes near the threshold field. Strain improvement is modest, 0.001, for magnetic field drive amplitudes that are near saturation magnetization. The effect of piezo-assisted actuation as a function of the magnetic drive frequency was also investigated. The apparatus was first modeled using finite element simulations to determine its expected resonant behavior. The actuation behavior of the high-frequency apparatus was then tested at Ni-Mn-Ga actuation frequencies up to 500 Hz. It was found that the strain amplification at constant piezoelectric drive tends to decrease with increasing actuation frequency. Maximum benefit is seen for actuation frequencies under 20 Hz and is believed to be the result of both a reduction in piezoelectric energy input per FSMA actuation cycle at elevated actuation frequencies, and the system dynamics. The change in piezoelectric drive performance as a function of temperature was investigated for temperatures below the martensitic transformation, 0-30 'C. Strain output decreases with temperature as a result of lowered twin-boundary mobility. The piezoelectric drive does yield an improvement in strain response for all temperatures investigated, however the effect is maximized at 12.5 'C which is near the inflection point of increasing field-induced strain with temperature. Thesis Supervisor: Samuel M. Allen Title: POSCO Professor of Physical Metallurgy Thesis Supervisor: Robert C. O'Handley Title: Senior Research Scientist
Upper Secondary Teachers’ Experiences Promoting Belonging and Engagement in Culturally Diverse Classrooms

The aim of this study was to investigate upper secondary teachers’ experiences of promoting belonging and engagement in culturally diverse classrooms. The selected teachers in this study were employed in two upper secondary schools and had substantial experience in teaching in culturally diverse classes. They participated in focus group interviews to discuss their experiences. The interview topics were relationships in class, academic and social learning, discrimination and victimisation, academic resources and expectations, adaptation and support in learning activities. The interview data were transcribed, analysed and discussed using thematic analysis. The findings showed that the interviewed teachers considered 1) teacher-student relationships, 2) acceptance of diversity and student-student relationships, and 3) participation in learning activities to be important aspects of students’ belonging and engagement. Moreover, the findings indicated challenges in creating stable relationships to promote cross-cultural friend­ships. Based on these findings, teachers need more strategies to develop cross-cultural friendships. Furthermore, teachers need to know how and when to intervene in situations of exclusion or segregation. For the prevention of exclusion and segregation, it is important to further develop knowledge of how to promote belonging and engagement among culturally diverse student groups.
Anterior Glenoid Reconstruction With Distal Tibial Allograft: Biomechanical Impact of Fixation and Presence of a Retained Lateral Cortex

Background: Glenoid reconstruction with distal tibial allograft (DTA) is a known surgical option for treating recurrent glenohumeral instability with anterior glenoid bone loss; however, biomechanical analysis has yet to determine how graft variability and fixation options alter the torque of screw insertion and load to failure. Hypothesis: It was hypothesized that retention of the lateral cortex of the DTA graft and the presence of a washer with the screw will significantly increase the maximum screw placement torque as well as the load to failure. Study Design: Controlled laboratory study. Methods: Whole, fresh distal tibias were used to harvest 28 DTA grafts, half of which had the lateral cortex removed and half of which had the lateral cortex intact. The grafts were secured to polyurethane solid foam blocks with a 2-mm epoxy laminate to simulate a glenoid with an intact posterior glenoid cortex. Grafts underwent fixation with 4.0-mm cannulated drills, and screws and washers were used for half of each group of grafts while screws alone were used for the other half, creating 4 equal groups of 7 samples each. A digital torque-measuring screwdriver recorded peak torque for screw insertion. Constructs were then tested in compression with a uniaxial materials testing system and loaded in displacement control at 100 mm/min until at least 3 mm of displacement occurred. Ultimate load was defined as the load sustained at clinical failure. Results: The use of a washer significantly improved the ultimate torque that could be applied to the screws (+cortex and +washer = 12.42 N·m [SE, 0.82]; –cortex and +washer = 10.54 N·m [SE, 0.59]) (P < .0001), whereas the presence of the native bone cortex did not have a significant effect (+cortex and –washer = 7.83 N·m [SE, 0.40]; –cortex and –washer = 8.03 N·m [SE, 0.56]) (P = .181). Conclusion: In a hybrid construct of fresh cadaveric DTA grafts secured to a foam block glenoid model, the addition of washers was more effective than the retention of the lateral distal tibial cortex for both load to failure and peak torque during screw insertion. Clinical Relevance: This biomechanical study is relevant to the surgeon when choosing a graft and selecting fixation options during glenoid reconstruction with a DTA graft.
COVID-19 Impact on Students in Physical Therapist and Physical Therapist Assistant Education Programs in New York and New Jersey: Key Issues and Recommended Responses

Supplemental Digital Content is Available in the Text. Introduction. In March 2020, after the COVID-19 pandemic surged in New York City, higher education had to either halt or immediately convert to fully online education. Physical therapy program directors in New York (NY) State and New Jersey (NJ) immediately recognized a need to understand the new challenges facing students. Purpose. The purpose of this paper was to identify the challenges that students in physical therapist (PT)/physical therapist assistant (PTA) programs in NY and NJ were experiencing and how institutions could respond to those challenges. Subjects. Students enrolled in a PT or PTA program in NY or NJ; N = 934 (861 PT and 73 PTA). Methods. An online survey was distributed to PT/PTA programs in NY/NJ. The survey consisted of open-ended and closed-ended questions related to academic, financial, and nonacademic issues, transition to online learning, and how institutions could respond to student challenges. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis were used. Results. The most important challenges that students identified were quality/quantity of hands-on experiences, lack of contact with classmates, personal physical and mental health/wellness, and affording tuition and fees. Some differences were found across geographical regions and graduating cohorts. Physical therapist and PTA student cohorts had the same top concerns. Five major themes emerged from open-ended questions: communication; safe return to campus for psychomotor skills; additional academic resources; recognition of students' financial, mental, and physical health concerns; and, financial support. Discussion and Conclusion. Students in physical therapy education in NY and NJ faced similar challenges because of COVID-19 as observed by other universities worldwide. Physical therapy education can be stressful, and these additional challenges made this time extremely difficult. The findings of this survey can be used to develop a crisis management plan for university emergencies that require program modifications.
Multi-Source Hybrid Energy Harvesting Wireless Sensor Network Framework for Addressing Energy Unpredictability Issues

Energy harvesting wireless sensor network (EH-WSN) harvests energy from the environment to supply power to the sensor nodes which apparently enhances their lifetime. However, the unpredictable nature of the resources throws challenges to the sustainability of energy supply for the continuous network operation. This creates a gap between unstable energy harvesting rates & energy requirements of the nodes of the network. The state-of-the-art algorithms proposed so far to address this problem domain are not able to bridge the gap fully to standardize the framework. Hence there is considerable scope of research to create a trade-off between EH techniques and specially designed protocols for in EH-WSN. Current study evaluates the performance and efficiency of some futuristic techniques which incorporate advanced tools and algorithms. The study aims to identify the strength and weaknesses of the proposed techniques which can emerge specific research requirement in this field. Finally, we propose a research direction towards Multi-source Hybrid EH-WSN (MHEHWSN) which is able to maximize energy availability and functional efficiency. The scope of this study is to develop a notion of a framework which eliminates the limitations of very recent techniques of EH-WSN by including multiple energy resources to extract required energy even in presence of unpredictability. However, keeping in mind the ease of use and less complex structure Multi-source hybrid EH technique requires a careful design paradigm.
Next Wave of Technology Partnering

India has not adopted the import-innovate-export paradigm of ASEAN countries, yet the gains in absorption capacity of Indian firms seem impressive. As India has not followed the trajectory of ASEAN neighbors, it is interesting to examine the future scenarios of technology partnering. Would large Indian firms form strategic alliances or scale-up sponsored research projects? Will there be more joint ventures with European SMEs? This paper looks at the work of several authors on Indian technological capabilities and state of university TTOs. Taking into account the move away from joint ventures to specialists for disembodied knowledge and need for TTOs to capitalize long tail of low revenue technologies, a scenario is projected for next wave of technology partnering. It is envisaged there would be a pipe, choke full of technologies, connecting knowledge clusters with production clusters, cutting across nations. IT tools reducing transaction costs and national measures enforcing IP rights could be the key enablers.