Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Genetic algorithm for contaminant source characterization using imperfect sensors

Abstract A simple, straightforward, modified genetic algorithm scheme for contaminant source characterization using imperfect sensors is presented and demonstrated in this study. Previous work on this subject concentrated on developing source-inversion models using sensors that provide accurate, unbiased, contamination concentration measurements. The developed contamination source-detection model is implemented using three sensor types: (1) perfect sensors providing accurate, unbiased, contamination concentration measurements; (2) sensors transmitting fuzzy measured information (i.e., high, medium, and low contamination); and (3) ‘0–1’ (Boolean) sensors indicating only a contamination presence. A comparison between the three sensor types is explored taking into consideration thesystem's response time (i.e., the time elapsed between a contaminant detection and a decision-maker's response action). The methodology capabilities are demonstrated using two example applications of increasing complexity, showing the trade-offs between the sensor types and the model abilities to receive a unique solution to the source-detection problem.
A qualitative inquiry into the workplace experiences of adapted physical education teachers

ABSTRACT While much is known about the lived experiences of physical education teachers and individuals preparing for careers in physical education, there is a dearth of research on how adapted physical educators are socialized into and through their careers. While physical educators and adapted physical educators have similar goals, such as a general focus on teaching physical skills, they also have different roles and responsibilities as adapted physical educators work specifically with children with a range of cognitive, physical, and emotional disabilities. The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to develop an in-depth understanding of the workplace experiences itinerant adapted physical education teachers. Participants included 31 itinerant adapted physical education teachers (22 female, 9 male) who were purposively selected from among 273 teachers who completed the initial quantitative survey. Data were collected through in-depth, semi-structured interviews. Two members of the research team analyzed the interview data using a multiphase qualitative analysis procedure grounded in inductive and deductive analysis. Qualitative data analysis indicated that relationships with key stakeholders (e.g. colleagues, administrators, parents, students) were essential to the development of a coordinated, effective system of support for students receiving adapted physical education services. Nevertheless, the itinerant adapted physical educators in this study struggled to develop deep, supportive relationships with colleagues, administrators, and students across schools. relationships with key stakeholders (e.g. colleagues, administrators, parents, students) were essential to the development of a coordinated, effective system of support for students receiving adapted physical education services. Specifically, analysis resulted in the construction of three themes: (a) adapted physical educators rely on an unpredictable support system, (b) support for APE requires targeted relationship development, and (c) relationship building and knowledge of the field aids advocacy efforts. Implications are discussed and recommendations for future research and teacher development are provided.
Resolvin D1 Suppresses H2O2-Induced Senescence in Fibroblasts by Inducing Autophagy through the miR-1299/ARG2/ARL1 Axis

ARG2 has been reported to inhibit autophagy in vascular endothelial cells and keratinocytes. However, studies of its mechanism of action, its role in skin fibroblasts, and the possibility of promoting autophagy and inhibiting cellular senescence through ARG2 inhibition are lacking. We induced cellular senescence in dermal fibroblasts by using H2O2. H2O2-induced fibroblast senescence was inhibited upon ARG2 knockdown and promoted upon ARG2 overexpression. The microRNA miR-1299 suppressed ARG2 expression, thereby inhibiting fibroblast senescence, and miR-1299 inhibitors promoted dermal fibroblast senescence by upregulating ARG2. Using yeast two-hybrid assay, we found that ARG2 binds to ARL1. ARL1 knockdown inhibited autophagy and ARL1 overexpression promoted it. Resolvin D1 (RvD1) suppressed ARG2 expression and cellular senescence. These data indicate that ARG2 stimulates dermal fibroblast cell senescence by inhibiting autophagy after interacting with ARL1. In addition, RvD1 appears to promote autophagy and inhibit dermal fibroblast senescence by inhibiting ARG2 expression. Taken together, the miR-1299/ARG2/ARL1 axis emerges as a novel mechanism of the ARG2-induced inhibition of autophagy. Furthermore, these results indicate that miR-1299 and pro-resolving lipids, including RvD1, are likely involved in inhibiting cellular senescence by inducing autophagy.
Dimensional analysis of the earthquake‐induced pounding between adjacent structures

In this paper the dynamic response of two and three pounding oscillators subjected to pulse‐type excitations is revisited with dimensional analysis. Using Buckingham's Π‐theorem the number of variables that govern the response of the system is reduced by three. When the response is presented in the dimensionless Π‐terms remarkable order emerges. It is shown that regardless of the acceleration level and duration of the pulse all response spectra become self‐similar and follow a single master curve. This is true despite the realization of finite duration contacts with increasing durations as the excitation level increases. All physically realizable contacts (impacts, continuous contacts, and detachments) are captured via a linear complementarity approach. The study confirms the existence of three spectral regions. The response of the most flexible among the two oscillators amplifies in the low range of the frequency spectrum (flexible structures); whereas, the response of the most stiff among the two oscillators amplifies at the upper range of the frequency spectrum (stiff structures). Most importantly, the study shows that pounding structures such as colliding buildings or interacting bridge segments may be most vulnerable for excitations with frequencies very different from their natural eigenfrequencies. Finally, by applying the concept of intermediate asymptotics, the study unveils that the dimensionless response of two pounding oscillators follows a scaling law with respect to the mass ratio, or in mathematical terms, that the response exhibits an incomplete self‐similarity or self‐similarity of the second kind with respect to the mass ratio. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Upgrading Biogas from Small Agricultural Sources into Biomethane by Membrane Separation

The agriculture sector in Poland could provide 7.8 billion m3 of biogas per year, but this potential would be from dispersed plants of a low capacity. In the current study, a membrane process was investigated for the upgrading biogas to biomethane that conforms to the requirements for grid gas in Poland. It was assumed that such a process is based on membranes made from modified polysulfone or polyimide, available in the market in Air Products PRISM PA1020 and UBE UMS-A5 modules, respectively. The case study has served an agricultural biogas plant in southern Poland, which provides the stream of 5 m3 (STP) h−1 of biogas with a composition of CH4 (52 vol.%), CO2 (46.3 vol.%), N2 (1.6 vol.%) and O2 (0.1 vol.%), after a pretreatment. It was theoretically shown that this is possible to obtain the biomethane stream of at least 96 vol.% of CH4 purity, with the concentration of the other biogas components below their respective thresholds, as required in Poland for gas fuel “E”, with methane recovery of up to 87.5% and 71.6% for polyimide and polysulfone membranes, respectively. The energetic efficiency of the separation process is comparable for both membrane materials, as expressed by power excess index, which reaches up to 51.3 kWth kWel−1 (polyimide) and 40.7 kWth kWel−1 (polysulfone). In turn, the membrane productivity was significantly higher in the case of the polyimide membrane (up to 38.3 kWth m−2) than those based on the polysulfone one (up to 3.13 kWth m−2).
Putative biotic drivers of plant phenology: With special reference to pathogens and deciduousness

Abstract Plant phenology is not only manifested in the seasonal timing of vegetative and reproductive processes but also has ontogenetic aspects. The adaptive basis of seasonal phenology has been considered mainly in terms of climatic drivers. However, some biotic factors as likely evolutionary influences on plants’ phenology appear to have been under‐researched. Several specific cases of putative biotic factors driving plant phenology are outlined, involving both herbivores and pathogens. These illustrate the diversity of likely interactions rather than any systematic coverage or review. Emphasis is on woody perennials, in which phenology is often most multifaceted and complicated by the ontogenetic aspect. The complete seasonal leaf fall that characterizes deciduous plants may be a very important defense against some pathogens. Whether biotic influences drive acquisition or long‐term persistence of deciduousness is considered. In one case, of leaf rusts in poplars, countervailing influences of the rusts and climate suggest persistence. Often, however, biotic and environmental influences likely reinforce each other. The timing and duration of shoot flushing may in at least some cases contribute to defenses against herbivores, largely through brief periods of “predator satiation” when plant tissues have highest food value. Wide re‐examination of plant phenology, accommodating the roles of biotic factors and their interplays with environments as additional adaptive drivers, is advocated toward developing and applying hypotheses that are observationally or experimentally testable.
The Evolution of Texaco's Blending Systems: From OMEGA to StarBlend

Gasoline blending is a critical refinery operation. In the 1980s, Texaco developed OMEGA, an optimization-based decision support system, to assist in planning and scheduling its blending operations. OMEGA ran primarily on minicomputers and on a mainframe computer system. In 1990, Texaco began replacing OMEGA with StarBlend, a Microsoft Windows application, running on personal computers and client-server networks. StarBlend uses a multi-period extension of OMEGA's blending model written in the GAMS modeling language and extracts model data from relational databases. Its improved features make it easier to use and it enables blenders and blend planners to more readily incorporate future requirements into current blending decisions. Currently, StarBlend is operational in all Texaco refineries. As federal and state regulations on auto emissions become more complex, StarBlend's importance will continue to increase.
Comparison of delay analysis methodologies

During a construction project, delays may result from many circumstances. Delays may be caused by the owner, the contractor, by acts of God, or a third party. They may occur early or late in the job, alone or with other delays. Negotiating a fair and timely damage settlement is beneficial to all parties. Network-based scheduling is an excellent vehicle for negotiating settlement of changes, disputes, and delays throughout the project. In the construction industry, however, there is no single, standard, and “accepted” procedure to determine the impact of schedule delays due to change orders or other unplanned developments. In this paper, three delay measurement processes were studied. These procedures were employed to measure delay impact, utilizing computerized critical path method (CPM) analyses, performed on genuine construction schedules. Results indicate that outcomes of delay analyses are not predictable, nor can one method be used universally. However, in given circumstances, one procedure can be more beneficial than another. Guidelines for the utilization of each method have been presented.
Statistical Characterization of the Angle of Arrival in an Underwater Channel Due to Scattering From the Sea Surface Modeled as Sum of Sinusoids

The objective of this work is the statistical characterization of the angle of arrival (AoA) at the receiver due to scattering from a random sea surface. The sea surface is represented using the sum of sinusoids (SoS) and modeled using the JOint North Sea WAve Project (JONSWAP) sea wave spectrum. The random behavior of potential scatterers along the sea surface, surface wave height, and their impact on the distribution of AoA is evaluated. For coherent scattering, initially, the scatterer distribution is computed for a single realization of the SoS, i.e., a sinusoidal surface. The result obtained is averaged to evaluate the characteristics of the ensemble-averaged SoS surface. For incoherent scattering, the acute randomness of the sea surface leads to every point along the SoS surface acting as a potential scatterer. The overall scattering for any given channel state would be an appropriate combination of coherent and incoherent components. A similar effect manifests itself in the distribution of the overall AoA. Further, the impact of factors such as acoustic signal frequency, wind speed, and the underwater (UW) channel geometry on the parameters of the overall AoA has been studied. The AoA model proposed in this work is general and widely applicable.
HIF-1α Negatively Regulates Irisin Expression Which Involves in Muscle Atrophy Induced by Hypoxia

Exposure to high altitude environment leads to skeletal muscle atrophy. As a hormone secreted by skeletal muscles after exercise, irisin contributes to promoting muscle regeneration and ameliorating skeletal muscle atrophy, but its role in hypoxia-induced skeletal muscle atrophy is still unclear. Our results showed that 4 w of hypoxia exposure significantly reduced body weight and gastrocnemius muscle mass of mice, as well as grip strength and the duration time of treadmill exercise. Hypoxic treatment increased HIF-1α expression and decreased both the circulation level of irisin and its precursor protein FNDC5 expression in skeletal muscle. In in vitro, CoCl2-induced chemical hypoxia and 1% O2 ambient hypoxia both reduced FNDC5, along with the increase in HIF-1α. Moreover, the decline in the area and diameter of myotubes caused by hypoxia were rescued by inhibiting HIF-1α via YC-1. Collectively, our research indicated that FNDC5/irisin was negatively regulated by HIF-1α and could participate in the regulation of muscle atrophy caused by hypoxia.
Transient Moisture Gradients in Rough Rice Mapped with Finite Element Model and Related to Fissures After Heated Air Drying

A two-dimensional diffusion equation was solved by the finite element method to estimate transient moisture gradients in the endosperm of a rice grain. Moisture elevated samples of 150 rough rice grains were dried for different durations with different air temperatures. Fissured grains were counted immediately after drying and at periodic intervals of 12 h. High initial moisture contents and high drying air temperatures caused the most fissured grains. Transient moisture gradients at several locations of the rice endosperm are presented at selected periods during and after drying. The relationships between the transient moisture gradients and the resulting fissured grains are explained.
Quality of Life, Insomnia and Coping Strategies during COVID-19 Pandemic in Hospital Workers. A Cross-Sectional Study

COVID-19 became a pandemic in a few months, leading to adverse health outcomes, reducing the quality of life, affecting the sleep/wake cycle, and altering coping strategies, especially among hospital personnel. Life quality, insomnia, and coping strategies were thus assessed among hospital personnel during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy. This cross-sectional study was conducted from May to November 2020 through an online survey. There were 558 participants (28.5% males and 71.5% females) enrolled in two different metropolitan areas (in North and South of Italy, respectively). Three standardized questionnaires were administered: European Quality of life–5 Dimensions (EQ-5D), Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS), and Brief COPE. Differences in sociodemographic characteristics and work-related factors were also investigated in order to identify possible predictors through a generalized linear model and logistic regression analysis. Results showed good perceived life quality and high insomnia prevalence. After sample stratification, the statistical analysis highlighted that personal (gender, age, educational level) and work-related factors (employment in COVID wards, remote working) played different roles in predicting quality of life, insomnia, and coping attitude. Active, Planning, and Acceptance were the most frequently adopted coping strategies. Despite women confirming their attitude in reacting to the difficulties, adopting emotion-focused coping strategies, they showed a higher probability to develop insomnia, so a gender perspective should be considered in the health protection of this working category. An integrated approach should be implemented at individual, interpersonal and organizational levels aiming to monitor psychological distress, favor regular sharing and communication between peers, and also allow conciliation of work with family life. At the organizational level, preventive and protective measures adequate to work-related risk to COVID-19 should be adopted.
Assessment of Heavy Metal Contamination in Red Seaweeds from the Coastal Areas of Zanzibar by Using EDXRF Technique

The content of Mn, Zn, Ni, Cu, Fe, and Pb in 10 samples of Kappaphycus alvarezii (cottonii) and 10 samples of Eucheuma denticulatum (spinosum) from 15 different sites in the intertidal coastal area of Zanzibar were determined by using EDXRF. The heavy metals assessed in both species decreased in the order of Fe >Mn > Zn >Pb> Cu > Ni. In general, the cottonii samples in Unguja had significantly higher (p ≤ 0.05) concentrations of Fe, Zn, Ni, Cu and Pb than the spinosum samples, but the latter had significantly higher levels of Mn. Similarly, the cottonii samples in Pemba had significantly higher (p ≤ 0.05) concentrations of Ni, Cu and Pb than the spinosum samples, but the latter had significantly higher levels of Fe and Zn. The concentrations of heavy metals in cottonii and spinosum in the present study were noticed lower compared to publish results. The results from this study revealed that, the heavy metals contaminations in cottonii and spinosum along the coastal area in Zanzibar were mainly caused by effluents that directly flow into marine environments. Hence, serious measures should be taken to reduce the flow of waste effluents into the marine ecosystem.
The need for an explicit model describing MOS transistors in moderate inversion

Explicit expressions are derived for the drift and diffusion components of the channel current as a function of position along the channel of a MOSFET. It is shown that in moderate inversion the assumption that the channel current is ‘mostly due to diffusion’ or ‘mostly due to drift’ can lead to not only quantitative but also qualitative errors, since drift and diffusion can dominate simultaneously, but at different parts of the channel.
Race Car Aerodynamics - The Design Process of an Aerodynamic Package for the 2012 Chalmers Formula SAE Car

This paper describes the design process of a full aerodynamic package of a Formula SAE (FSAE) style race car. The meaning of a full aerodynamic package in this context is a front wing, a rear wing and a diffuser; the focus will however be on the wings. The vehicle for which the aerodynamic package is designed is the Chalmers Formula Student (CFS) 2012 FSAE car, but vehicle data logged from the CFS 2011 FSAE car was used during the design phase. This data was used to evaluate how the aerodynamic package will influence the behaviour of the vehicle, both in terms of lateral and longitudinal acceleration as well as fuel consumption, in order to determine whether or not an aerodynamic package can enhance the vehicle performance. The main tool used during the design process was numerical simulations (computational fluid dynamics, CFD) and special attention was paid to post-processing of these simulations. It was concluded that although the resolution of the simulations was relatively low, valuable insights on how the air flows over the vehicle was obtained using CFD. The manufactured aerodynamic package was also evaluated during pre-competition testing using an on-board data acquisition system as well as flow-visualisation tufts.
Transmission theory of a parallel-two-wire-transmission-line covered with three layer media

A parallel-two-wire-transmission-line covered by a three layer media has particular transmission characteristics. It is expected that this type of line might therefore be applied to new microwave circuits and antennas. Such lines have been analyzed by solving Laplace equations as a two dimensional boundary value problem. However, at higher frequencies, it is not appropriate to explain these particular properties using the quasi-TEM mode analysis. Transmission theory for these lines has to be solved using a rigorous three dimensional analysis. in this paper, we describe a new three dimensional analysis technique that is used to obtain more accurate propagation constants by considering the E/sub Z/, H/sub Z/ components of the field. The assumed current distribution of the parallel-two-wire-line system is Fourier expanded over the angular coordinate /spl theta/, and the boundary value problem is solved by the mode matching technique. It is found that mainly hybrid modes are transmitted via this type of transmission system and that the propagation constant varies discontinuously at frequencies where the dipole mode can exist on the three layer dielectric media itself. Numerical results are presented and compared with experimental data. >
Dementia and Dance: Medication or Movement?

The purpose of this paper was to examine the benefits of dance in providing a realistic and viable alternative to the provision of traditional physical activities for dementia patients. Physical activity, while beneficial for increasing the components of health and fitness in general populations, may not be dementia friendly. Dance seems to be more suited as a physical activity form for dementia patients providing specific benefits including cerebrovascular enhancement. The usefulness of dance in relation to the physiological, psychological, and societal benefits for dementia patients’ needs serious consideration as a future complementary/alternative physical therapy intervention.