Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparative analysis of hydraulic fracturing wastewater practices in unconventional shale developments: Regulatory regimes

This paper is the second in a two-part series that assesses and summarizes extant knowledge regarding hydraulic fracturing wastewater management using a comparative, multidisciplinary approach. This study compares the regulatory regimes related to wastewater handling (storage and transport), treatment and disposal practices as they apply to the hydraulic fracturing industry in four unconventional shale plays in North America: the Montney in British Columbia (BC), the Duvernay in Alberta (AB), the Marcellus in the northeastern United States (US) and the Barnett in Texas. In North America, handling, treatment and disposal practices in the regulation of oil and gas wastewater is complex and multifaceted due to shared jurisdiction over many aspects across provincial or state lines, and/or across provincial/state and federal levels. All jurisdictions considered in this assessment have highly specific regulations for many elements of wastewater handling, treatment and disposal. However, much of the guidance for these practices comes from other legislation that makes provisions for environmental or safety performance, or prohibitions against pollution. The research suggests that knowledge gaps exist in the areas of regulatory outcomes, and compliance and best management practices, particularly in how those factors enable and constrain environmentally sustainable practices. BC’s area-based-management model and AB’s play-based-regulation pilot project are examples of attempted cumulative effects assessment and management noticeably absent from the Marcellus or Barnett plays.
Spatial pattern‐based performance evaluation and uncertainty analysis of a distributed hydrological model

Advancement in data acquisition techniques (e.g., satellites) has provided enormous opportunities to improve the predictions of distributed hydrological models by incorporating new types of information. Moreover, such advancements have paved the way for the spatial scale evaluation rather than the conventional temporal evaluation of models for more accurate water management by considering the spatial variability. The present study focuses on the spatial pattern‐oriented model evaluation by intercomparing the satellite remote sensing data‐driven patterns of actual evapotranspiration (AET) and soil moisture with simulated patterns from a hydrological model for the 19 276 km2 Subarnarekha basin in Eastern India. Pattern comparison is carried out by incorporating three spatial performance metrics as diagnostic tools, that is, joint empirical orthogonal functions (EOF), fractional skill score (FSS), and spatial efficiency (SPAEF). Moreover, the present study made a novel contribution to spatial pattern evaluation by incorporating the uncertainty associated with the patterns through the “Quantile Regression’ technique”. The EOF analysis indicated a significant similarity between simulated and observed patterns. High scores for both the FSS and SPAEF metrics also revealed similarities between simulated and observed spatial patterns. Overall, the results show an acceptable spatial pattern performance of the hydrological model mimicking the observed spatial patterns across time. The uncertainty analysis represents reasonable predictive ranges, with a 95 per cent prediction uncertainty (PPU) band enclosing 80%–95% of AET and 79%–92% of the soil moisture observations. The present study demonstrated a framework for improving the basin's overall water balance analysis by incorporating a spatial pattern‐based evaluation of hydrological models.
Digital-Twin-Enabled City-Model-Aware Deep Learning for Dynamic Channel Estimation in Urban Vehicular Environments

Most of the existing works on vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communications assume some deterministic or stochastic channel models, which is unrealistic for highly-dynamic vehicular channels in urban environments under the influence of high-speed vehicle motion, intermittent connectivity, and signal attenuation in urban canyon. Enabled by the concept of digital twin, the digital replica of a real-world physical system, this paper proposes a city-model-aware deep learning algorithm for dynamic channel estimation in urban vehicular environments. Specifically, the digital twin simulation allows us to accurately model radio ray reflection and attenuation in urban canyon, and the data can be supplemented and validated with empirical measurements. Our results indicates that the city-model-aware deep neural network (CMA DNN) estimator performs much better than conventional methods and has more than 32% improvement in BER when compared with generic DNN approaches that do not take the 3D city model into account. Since some geometry-based models like ray-tracing techniques used in the digital twin simulation for dynamic channel modeling could be computational expensive, we also propose a basis expansion model (BEM) approach to simplify the computation load of the overall methodology to gain a good balance between accuracy and timeliness.
Investigating the Impact of Ad Formats and Ad Intrusiveness on Social Media Ad Effectiveness in the Fashion Market in Egypt

Purpose – This paper aims to investigate advertising effectiveness in various social media platforms in the fashion industry in Egypt. The present study uses a proposed framework to explore online advertising in Egypt. From a theoretical point of view, this study examines the relationship among three groups of factors including attitude towards online ad formats, ad intrusiveness, product involvement and social media ad effectiveness among Egyptian consumers. Design/methodology – The study examines advertising effectiveness in social media in terms of ad attitude and loyalty intentions. An online survey was conducted with 1300 social media users.
Identification of legged locomotion via model-based and data-driven approaches

In the first part of this thesis, we present our efforts on experimental validation of the predictive performance of mechanics-based mathematical models on a physical one-legged hopping robot platform. We extend upon a recently proposed approximate analytical solution developed for the lossy spring--mass models for a real robotic system and perform a parametric system identification to carefully identify the system parameters in the proposed model. We also present our assessments on the predictive performance of the proposed approximate analytical solution on our one-legged hopping robot data. The second part considers estimating state space models of legged locomotion using input--output data. To accomplish this, we first propose a state space identification method to estimate time periodic state and input matrices of a hybrid LTP system under full state measurement assumption. We then release this assumption and proceed with subspace identification methods to estimate LTP state space realizations for unknown stable LTP systems. We utilize bilinear (Tustin) transformation and frequency domain lifting methods to generalize our solutions to different LTP system models. Our results provide a basis towards identification of state space models for legged locomotion.
Research Article Effect of increasing load exhaustive exercise on oxidative stress of skeletal muscle in different parts of rat

To explore oxidative stress condition of skeletal muscle in different parts of rat under the influence of the increasing load exhaustive exercise. Divide the 7-week-old SD male rats into two groups: quiet group(CG) and exhaustion group (EG). Conduct this experiment on the exhaustive group by gradually increasing load to skeletal muscle cells until exhaustive exercise and detect skeletal muscle cells' oxidative stress change.Quadriceps and gastrocnemius muscles' antioxidant activity increased, MDA content decreased, of which quadriceps CAT, GSH-PX activity increased more significantly(P<0.05) after gradually increasing load exhaustive exercise; in contrast, flounder's antioxidant enzyme activity decreased, MDA content increased.Gradually increasing load exhaustive exercise can lead to oxidative damage of flounder muscle.
Measuring Uncertainty in Export Destinations And Its Impact on Economic Growth: Evidence from Turkey

ABSTRACT Using data from the World Uncertainty, the World Trade Uncertainty, and the World Pandemic Uncertainty indices for 142 countries, this paper introduces three new indicators for measuring Turkey’s export markets’ uncertainty from 1996Q1 to 2021Q3. The indicators measure uncertainty in Turkey’s export destinations. After introducing three indicators of uncertainty for export markets, we investigate their effects on economic performance. It is found that all uncertainty indicators are negatively related to economic growth. Specifically, an increase in export destinations’ uncertainty leads to a slower growth rate of two quarters. Pandemic-induced uncertainty also negatively affects economic growth. The implications for the role of risks and uncertainties, such as financial, geopolitical, and political risks, are also discussed.
Effect of Organic and Inorganic Fertilizer on Growth, Yield and Nutritional Quality of Cucumber (Cucumis sativus)

The application of organic and inorganic fertilizer on agricultural farming as a management practice has tremendously brought about a great boost to crop yield due to improvement in soil fertility. The thrust of this experiment was to compare the effect of organic and inorganic fertilizer on the growth, yield and nutritional qualities of cucumber (cucumis sativus). The research was conducted at the Teaching and Research Farm of Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti in 2019 using a randomized complete block design with three replications. The treatment consisted of sole application of NPK fertilizer, sole application of goat manure, sole application of poultry, NPK + goat manure, NPK fertilizer + poultry manure and control. Parameters assessed include vine length (cm), stem girth (cm), number of leaves, fruit weight (g), length of fruit (cm), fruit diameter (cm) and number of fruit plant-1. The results revealed that poultry manure (PM) significantly influenced all the agronomic parameters and yield of cucumber than other treatments. There were significant differences among the agronomic parameters measured including yield in all the treatments except the number of fruits plant-1. Poultry manure had the highest fruit yield followed by goat manure, NPK fertilizer and poultry manure respectively. For the proximate test, it was observed in the results that there were slight differences in the composition of the proximate of cucumber based on the treatments, suggesting that fertilization can influence the proximate of fruit and vegetables. The overall assessment of the research suggested that poultry manure is the best fertilizer for cucumber growth and yield performance.
Further Improvement on Stability Results for Delayed Load Frequency Control System via Novel LKFs and Proportional-Integral Control Strategy

In this work, novel stability results for load frequency control (LFC) system considering time-varying delays, nonlinearly perturbed load, and time-varying disturbance of system parameters are proposed by using proportional-integral control strategy. Considering the nonlinearly exogenous load disturbance and system parameters disturbance, an improved stability criterion in the form of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) is derived by novel simple Lyapunov–Krasovskii functionals (LKFs). The delay-dependent matrix in quadratic term, cross terms of variables, and quadratic terms multiplied by 1st, 2nd, and 3rd degrees of scalar functions are included in the new simple LKF. Taking the single-area and two-area LFC system installed with proportional-integral (PI) controller as example, our results surpass the previous maximum allowable size of time delay. Meanwhile, the relationship between time delay varying rate, load disturbance degree, gains of PI controller, and delay margin of the LFC system is researched separately. The results can provide guidance to tune the PI controller for achieving maximum delay margin, in which the LFC system can withstand without losing stability. At last, the simulation results verify the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed stability criterion.
Reusability of launcher vehicles by the method of SpaceX

This work is mainly based on the Master thesis of Sven Stappert and has been extended with results of other works performed simultaneously. It focuses on the investigation of the commercial space company SpaceX and their method of applying reusability to space launch vehicles by landing vertically with the help of their own engines. The impact of the method at technical, economical and logistical levels have been considered in order to gain a deeper understanding of the potential of the reusability method used by SpaceX Falcon 9 and soon Falcon Heavy. For that purpose, several DLR programmes were used to model the launcher vehicles and consider the influence of reusability. In addition, a trajectory computation program tosca was extended to enable the optimisation of powered descent trajectories as performed by Falcon 9. After establishing an aerodynamic and structural model of the launcher and a model of the propellant feed systems, all missions performed by SpaceX between December 2015 and May 2016 have been recalculated to validate the model of Falcon 9 FT (or Falcon 9 v1.2). The performances for these different trajectories have been computed and the loss compared to a fully expendable flight estimated. Based on these results economical aspects have been analysed. Both a model of the development costs and of the launch service costs have been established. The influence of re-usability on a simplified business model has been studied.
Foreign Scholars in a Polish “silicon valley”. Publicly accessible data on Krakow as a higher education and research centre

The aim of this article is to present information available in the public domain on the foreigners employed by institutions of higher education in Krakow, Poland as of 2015. We intend to show the countries of origin, age, academic position, scienti ﬁ c disciplines, career course, migration history, as well as research and educational activity of the scholars in question. The paper is a follow-up to the study presenting an empirical analysis of the of ﬁ cial national database provided by the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education at the end of 2012. The analysis of the 2012 database dealt with the situation across the whole country, while this paper concentrates on Krakow, one of the most important centres of higher education, research and high-tech industry in Poland, one of the Polish “silicon valleys. ”
Time-Resolved Mode Characteristics Of Rotating Instability And Rotating Stall In An Axial Compressor

Rotating Instability (RI) and Rotating Stall (RS) occur as two unstable aerodynamic phenomena in axial compressor, cascades, turbines, etc., and may lead to acoustic noise, nonsynchronous vibration, flutter and other problems. An experimental investigation conducted in a low-speed single-stage axial compressor is presented in this paper, whereby the compressor was brought from stable conditions to RI and further to RS. The casing wall pressure fluctuation at the rotor blade tip were measured. In order to investigate the mode characteristics of RI and RS phenomenon the mode decomposition technique both in the frequency and time domain was applied. Combing with the double-uniform sampling point (DUSP) mode calibration technique, the mode orders of the unsteady flow could be accurately determined. The results showed that the amplitudes of RI mode aggressively fluctuated in the time domain and the phase variations presented a stochastic pattern, whilst the amplitude of RS component fluctuated much slighter and the phase changes in a regular pattern. This reveals the fundamental difference between the mode characteristics of RI and RS. The correlation technique further validated the independence and stochastic distribution of different RI modes.
Building Back Better: Do Post-Earthquake Neighborhoods Promote Active Aging? A Long-Term Audit Analysis in Christchurch, New Zealand

Abstract The design of urban environments often influences neighborhood physical activity and is crucial to supporting the health and mobility of aging urban populations. However, changes to urban infrastructure take time to implement and are rarely evaluated over long periods. In this study, we examined the long-term outcomes of rapid urban change and rebuilding following a sequence of devastating earthquakes in Christchurch, New Zealand. The study drew on a novel mixed-methods approach, including on-site environmental audits, desktop spatial analyses, and subjective auditor observations, to track support for active aging over a decade of post-disaster rebuilding in 10 aging neighborhoods.
Da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man, Golden Ratio and Anthropometrics

Objectives: Divine golden ratio (Phi = 1.618) observed in several human body parts such as, heart, dentition and upper limb tends to present homeostasis in anatomy and physiology. This cross sectional survey study investigates the relationship of golden ratio with BMI, GPA, gender and blood serotypes in Jordan. Methods: Demographic features including GPA, body weight, lengths of some body parts and ABO/Rh blood groups were measured for 380 undergraduate students of matched age (19.14±0.76) and matched sex ratio. Navel-Foot/Height, Forearm-Hand/Armpit-hand and BMI were calculated. Golden ratio fitness was calculated based on phi and standard deviation of collected data. Results showed significant gender differences in the means for all body lengths measured, GPA, BMI, and calculated ratios. Golden ratio fitted bodies students were 40.5% (Females > males). The overall prevalence of overweight and obesity was 15% (females < males), while 80% (females > males) have normal weight. Among the overweight and obese students 77.2% (44/57, females less than males) lies outside the golden ratio. The overall prevalence of GPA grades above good were 51.3% (females > males) and among them 47.7% (93/195, females > males) fit golden ratio while 67.2% of the good or below GPA grades (121/180, females < males) did not fit golden ratio. No significant difference between ABO-Rh system related to gender or golden ratio fitness. Statistically, a significant association was found between golden ratio and the three parameters BMI, GPA and gender. Conclusions: Students who are golden ratio fitted bodies were more likely to have better BMI and GPA especially females.
Risk as opportunity in schools: An economies of worth perspective

IMPACT For policy-makers, this article highlights the need for governmental risk management (RM) policies to embrace leadership attributes at the individual level. A proactive RM culture and practices can only be triggered when senior leaders move beyond a compliance mindset and have the capacity to foster the RM values that are unique to their individual school profile. Given that their conceptions of risk are intricately connected to the values they believe to be at stake in their school, it is essential that school leaders are recognized and rewarded for their innovative contributions to societal value creation. ABSTRACT This article examines the ways in which school leaders shape distinct risk management (RM) control cultures. By drawing on values-based perceptions of risk, the authors found that the values school leaders believe are most at stake influence their individual RM strategies including the use of accounting artefacts, for example control and performance indicators for risk mitigation. Interviews with Australian school leaders reveal the multifaceted perceptions of risks and the different ways they induce innovative RM responses. As such, this article contributes to the emerging economies of worth theory in the accounting literature from the contextual setting of school leaders. In teasing out the detailed ways in which school leaders contemplate the competing world views, insights are provided into the ways they also manage the regulatory requirements with formal RM controls in tandem with their own professional values and judgements.
Effects of Lake Nam Co and Surrounding Terrain on Extreme Precipitation Over Nam Co Basin, Tibetan Plateau: A Case Study

Thousands of lakes and complex topography on Tibetan Plateau (TP) have important impacts on the local weather and climate, especially extreme weather events. In this study, the Weather Research and Forecasting model was adopted to quantify the impacts of Lake Nam Co (LNC) and surrounding topography on the extreme snowfall event over Nam Co basin on 24 October 2006 based on numerical experiments. The accumulated precipitation of 12 hr in this event is characterized by a maximum precipitation center with an intensity exceeding 20 mm over eastern LNC and downwind regions. Results show that the precipitation regionally averaged over eastern LNC and downstream regions can be reduced by 53%, 26%, and 68% when LNC, surrounding terrain, and both of them are absent, respectively, suggesting that LNC plays a dominant role in the formation of this event while the surrounding mountains further amplify the lake effect precipitation/snow over the downwind of LNC. Mechanism analysis indicates that the low‐level convective instability and water vapor convergence induced by LNC are essential for the formation of this extreme snowfall event, while the wind deflection and topographic lifting further strengthen the precipitation over the downwind of LNC and shift the snow belt distribution. This study is not only important to deepen the understanding of the complex interactions between the lake and orography and their combined influences on regional extreme precipitation, but also helpful for further improving the refined forecasting of the extreme precipitation induced by the lake and surrounding terrain in other regions over TP.
Smoking, drinking, and physical activity among Korean adults before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: a special report of the 2020 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

OBJECTIVES This study aimed to describe trends in health behaviours between 2011 and 2020 and compare the changes in these behaviours between the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic and previous periods according to socio-demographic variables. METHODS This study used data from the 2011 to 2020 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Current cigarette smoking, high-risk drinking, and inadequate physical activity levels were used as health behaviour indicators. The age-standardized prevalence, differences in prevalence between the periods, and the annual percentage change (APC) were calculated. RESULTS Current cigarette smoking showed a decreasing trend (APC, -2.6), high-risk drinking remained unchanged, and inadequate physical activity levels increased (APC, 3.5) during 2011-2020. There were significant differences in high-risk drinking (3.1%p; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.3 to 5.9) and inadequate physical activity levels (4.3%p; 95% CI, 0.4 to 8.1) between 2019 and 2020 in men. Among men, increased high-risk drinking was found in those aged 40-49 years, non-single households, urban residents, and the middle and highest income groups between 2019 and 2020. The low educational group and manual workers among men aged 30-59 years also showed an increased proportion of high-risk drinking. Inadequate physical activity levels also increased among men between 2019 and 2020 in those aged 30-39 years, non-single households, urban residents, and the upper-middle-income group. CONCLUSIONS In the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, Korean men’s high-risk drinking and inadequate physical activity levels increased. In addition to social efforts to reduce the spread of infectious diseases, active measures to positively change health behaviour are needed.