Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Particle dynamics and current‐free double layers in an expanding, collisionless, two‐electron‐population plasma

The expansion of a two‐electron‐population, collisionless plasma into vacuum is investigated experimentally. Detailed in situ measurements of plasma density, plasma potential, electric field, and particle distribution functions are performed. At the source, the electron population consists of a high‐density, cold (kTe≂4 eV) Maxwellian, and a sparse, energetic ( (1)/(2) mv2e≂80 eV) tail. During the expansion of plasma, space‐charge effects self‐consistently produce an ambipolar electric field whose amplitude is controlled by the energy of tail electrons. The ambipolar electric field accelerates a small number (∼1%) of ions to streaming energies which exceed and scale linearly with the energy of tail electrons. As the expansion proceeds, the energetic tail electrons electrostatically trap the colder Maxwellian electrons and prevent them from reaching the expansion front. A potential double layer develops at the position of the cold electron front. Upstream of the double layer both electron populations exist.
Extended Higgs-portal dark matter and the Fermi-LAT Galactic Center Excess

In the present work, we show that the Galactic Center Excess (GCE) emission, as recently updated by the Fermi-LAT Collaboration, could be explained by a mixture of Fermi-bubbles-like emission plus dark matter (DM) annihilation, in the context of a scalar-singlet Higgs portal scenario (SHP). In fact, the standard SHP, where the DM particle, S, only has renormalizable interactions with the Higgs, is non-operational due to strong constraints, especially from DM direct detection limits. Thus we consider the most economical extension, called ESHP (for extended SHP), which consists solely in the addition of a second (more massive) scalar singlet in the dark sector. The second scalar can be integrated-out, leaving a standard SHP plus a dimension-6 operator. Mainly, this model has only two relevant parameters (the DM mass and the coupling of the dim-6 operator). DM annihilation occurs mainly into two Higgs bosons, SS→ hh. We demonstrate that, despite its economy, the ESHP model provides an excellent fit to the GCE (with p-value ∼ 0.6−0.7) for very reasonable values of the parameters, in particular, mS ≃ 130 GeV. This agreement of the DM candidate to the GCE properties does not clash with other observables and keep the S−particle relic density at the accepted value for the DM content in the universe.
Spatial, Temporal, and Electrical Characteristics of Lightning in Reported Lightning-Initiated Wildfire Events

Analysis was performed to determine if a lightning flash could be associated with every reported lightning-initiated wildfire that grew to at least 4 km2. In total, 905 lightning-initiated wildfires within CONUS between 2012 and 2015 were analyzed. Fixed and fire radius search methods showed that 81–88% of wildfires had a corresponding lightning flash within a 14 day period prior to the report date. The two methods showed that 52–60% of lightning-initiated wildfire were reported on the same day as the closest lightning flash. The fire radius method indicated the most promising spatial results, where the median distance between the closest lightning and the wildfire start location was 0.83 km, followed by a 75th percentile of 1.6 km, and a 95th percentile of 5.86 km. Ninety percent of the closest lightning flashes to wildfires were negative polarity. Maximum flash densities were less than 0.41 flashes km2 for the 24 hour period at the fire start location. The majority of lightning-initiated holdover events were observed in the Western CONUS, with a peak density in north-central Idaho. A twelve day holdover event from New Mexico was also discussed; outlining the opportunities and limitations of using lightning data to characterize wildfires.
Intelligibility of bone-conducted speech detected on the scalp assessed by mono-syllable articulation and speech transmission index

Bone-conduction microphones (BCMs) can detect speaker’s voices with high signal-to-noise ratio even under extremely noisy environments. However, it is sometimes accompanied by discomfort and esthetic problems because BCMs are ordinarily attached to the front of the neck (larynx). In order to solve such problems, we have been developing a novel BCM systems built in a hard hat [2]. To develop this BCM system, characteristic of bone-conducted speech detected on the scalp need to be clarified. In this study, intelligibilities of bone-conducted speech detected at several locations on the head and neck were assessed by mono-syllable articulation tests and the speech transmission index (STI), objective measure of signal transmission quality. The results obtained indicated that the forehead and the vertex showed better articulation and STI than the mastoid process of the temporal bone, the mandibular condyle and occiput. Additionally, the larynx, commonly used in existing BCM systems, showed lower scores than others. These results suggest that attenuation of high-frequency components are smaller at the forehead and the vertex, and indicate the practicability of these locations as the BCM placement.
OP-LLCJ180012 902..918

Elena Ferrante is a pen name known worldwide, authoring novels such as the bestseller My Brilliant Friend. A recent study indicates that the true author behind these books is probably Domenico Starnone. This study aims to select a set of approved authorship methods and appropriate feature sets to prove, with as much certainty as possible, that this conclusion is correct. To achieve this, a corpus of contemporary Italian novels has been generated, containing 150 books written by forty authors (including seven by Ferrante). Six authorship identification models have been applied to this data set (Delta, Labbé’s distance, nearest shrunken centroids (NSC), naı̈ve Bayes, k-nearest neighbors, and character n-grams). Using either an instanceor profile-based matching technique, the same result (Starnone) appears very often in first place. Modifying the feature set to include between 50 and 2,000 of the most frequent tokens or lemmas does not change this result. When removing Starnone’s novels from the corpus, all approved attribution methods tend to indicate different names as the most probable author. This result confirms not only that the outputs of these methods are independent but also that the true author is certainly Starnone. Finally, a lexical analysis reveals the reasons justifying this conclusion.
Evaluating the Efficacy of a Dedicated Last Planner® System Facilitator to Enhance Construction Productivity

Construction unknowingly plans for poor levels of productivity with substantial waste, inefficiency, and rework stemming from a proliferation of non-value-adding activities embedded within traditional delivery processes. This approach negatively influences construction’s economic and environmental sustainability. Last Planner® System (LPS) is a key tool of Lean Construction (LC) and is lauded as a value-add process that prioritises flow efficiency by addressing workflow variability and waste elimination on construction projects. This research evaluates how the presence of a dedicated knowledgeable and competent LPS Facilitator, enabling a complete LPS implementation, contributes to improved construction flow, efficiency, and productivity. The study adopted a mixed-methods approach utilising case study design and data collected from a literature review, site observation diary, site documentation analysis, and semi-structured interviews. Limitations exist around small survey size, lack of generalisability, and potential bias of researchers. Findings posit considerable productivity increase; more reliable, predictable, and stable workflow; enhanced team collaboration; as well as accrual of safety, quality, cost, and schedule benefits. Embedding a knowledgeable and competent LPS Facilitator appears to assist successful implementation of LPS with sectoral and societal value-add opportunities.
The history of vegetation and climate changes of Yunnan in response to the uplift of Tibetan Plateau during the Neogene

As we all know, during the Neogene the uplift of the Tibetan Plateau caused profound changes in the regional landforms and climate, and influenced the development of the Asian monsoons. The Neogene global cooling is a crucial event of geology history when the aridity in the Asian interior enhanced and the Asian monsoons intensified. In order to understand the Neogene vegetation succession and climate changes of Yunnan, previous investigations have explored the vegetation and climate based on palaeobotanical data. Based on the plant fossil assemblages’ fluctuations from 11 localities, we attempt to quantitatively reconstruct the palaeoenvironmental evolutions of Yunnan, and to explore the terrestrial environmental changes in response to development of the Asian monsoons. By using the palaeobotanical evidence, this research will provide a new attempt at exploring the palaeoclimate changes of Yunnan, revealing regional differences of Neogene climatic changes between Central Europe and Yunnan, and detecting the signals of the Asian monsoons on the southeastern edge of Tibetan Plateau during the Neogene.
AN ASSESSMENT OF OSMOTIC POTENTIAL EFFECT COMPARED WITH WEED ( CHENOPODIUM ALBUM ) ON WHEAT ( TRITICUM AESTIVUM L . ) AND CHICKPEA IRAM

The study was conducted to evaluate the effect of osmotic pressure on germination and radicle growth of two test species wheat and chickpea along with the aqueous extract of different concentration of weed (Chenopodium album L.). In the first experiment two test crops were treated with the weed extract in the concentration of 1%, 3% and 5% while in the second experiment four levels of osmotic pressure (22 kpa, 33 kpa, 44 kpa, 66 kpa) were created artificially using mannitol and treated the seeds of two test crops. This study focus that the responses of seeds or seedling to plant extract is not only or entirely by allelopathy the possibilities also exist that the extract may also exert negative osmotic effect. Results showed that germination percentage was not affected by osmotic pressure as compared to weed extract. However, the radicle elongation of both species was significantly reduced in similar concentration of weed extract. Generally the aqueous extracts were more effective in inhibition of seed germination, radicle growth and percent inhibition in radicle growth as compared to the mannitol solution. Results suggested that aqueous extract of C. album had an allelopathic effect on wheat and chick pea and osmotic pressure play little effect as C. album is concerned.
Mid‐ and low‐latitude prompt‐penetration ionospheric zonal plasma drifts

We have used ion drift observations from the DE‐2 satellite to determine the latitudinal variation and the temporal evolution of mid‐ and low‐latitude prompt penetration zonal plasma drifts driven by magnetospheric electric fields. Our results indicate that sudden increases in convection lead to predominantly westward perturbation drifts which decrease equartorwards and have largest amplitudes in the dusk‐midnight sector. The diurnal perturbation drift patterns shift to later local times with increasing storm time and decay to new quasi‐equilibrium values in about 2 hours, as the ring current readjusts to the new polar cap potential. The daily and latitudinal variations and temporal evolution of the DE‐2 prompt penetration drifts are generally in good agreement with predictions from the Rice Convection Model, although the experimental results show larger amplitudes and longer shielding time constants.
Zooplankton of an urban coastal lagoon: composition and association with environmental factors and summer fish kill

Zooplankton may be regarded as a sensitive tool for monitoring environmental variations in coastal lagoons due to their ability to immediately react to changes in the water column trophic features and salinity levels. As a coastal lagoon with a broad history of anthropic influence, Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) is widely used for water sports and artisanal fishing. The present study aimed to expand the knowledge base about zooplankton in the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon by assessing the composition and time-spatial distribution of the major zooplankton groups. Samples were collected fortnightly from at four distinct sampling points August 2001 to July 2002. At each point, salinity, temperature, dissolved oxygen and water transparency were measured. During the study period, the lagoon behaved as an spatially homogeneous environment in what regards the abiotic variables. However, all these variables showed significant differences along the time, mainly related to seasonality (air temperature and rainy and dry periods). The zooplankton community showed low taxonomic richness, with the predominance of species commonly found in coastal lagoons, especially with mesohaline conditions, as well as those found in estuaries. An interesting fact was the rise in zooplankton abundance at all sampling points right after a fish kill event. Such increase was caused mainly by the Brachionus plicatilis O.F. Muller 1786 species. Thus, the zooplankton community was affected by physical and chemical factors, mainly by the dissolved oxygen decline event and variations in the influx of seawater into the lagoon. In addition, phytoplankton availability and fish predation pressure were suggested as important regulating factors of the zooplankton community.
SULFUR ISOTOPIC COMPOSITIONS OF SUBMICROMETER SiC GRAINS FROM THE MURCHISON METEORITE

We report C, Si, N, S, Mg–Al, and Ca–Ti isotopic compositions of presolar silicon carbide (SiC) grains from the SiC-rich KJE size fraction (0.5–0.8 μm) of the Murchison meteorite. One thousand one hundred thirteen SiC grains were identified based on their C and Si isotopic ratios. Mainstream, AB, C, X, Y, and Z subtypes of SiC, and X-type silicon nitride (Si3N4) account for 81.4%, 5.7%, 0.1%, 1.5%, 5.8%, 4.9%, and 0.4%, respectively. Twenty-five grains with unusual Si isotopic ratios, including one C grain, 16 X grains, 1 Y grain, 5 Z grains, and 2 X-type Si3N4 grains were selected for N, S, Mg–Al, and Ca–Ti isotopic analysis. The C grain is highly enriched in 29Si and 30Si (δ29Si = 1345‰ ± 19‰, δ30Si = 1272‰ ± 19‰). It has a huge 32S excess, larger than any seen before, and larger than that predicted for the Si/S supernova (SN) zone, providing evidence against the elemental fractionation model by Hoppe et al. Two SN models investigated here present a more satisfying explanation in terms of a radiogenic origin of 32S from the decay of short-lived 32Si (τ1/2 = 153 yr). Silicon-32 as well as 29Si and 30Si can be produced in SNe by short neutron bursts; evidence for initial 44Ti (τ1/2 = 60 yr) in the C grain is additional evidence for an SN origin. The X grains have marginal 32S excesses, much smaller than expected from their large 28Si excesses. Similarly, the Y and Z grains do not show the S-isotopic anomalies expected from their large Si isotopic anomalies. Low intrinsic S contents and contamination with isotopically normal S are the most likely explanations.
TaCYP 78 A 5 regulates seed size in wheat ( Triticum aestivum )

Seed size is an important agronomic trait and a major component of seed yield in wheat. However, little is known about the genes and mechanisms that determine the final seed size in wheat. Here, we isolated TaCYP78A5, the orthologous gene of Arabidopsis CYP78A5/KLUH in wheat, from wheat cv. Shaan 512 and demonstrated that the expression of TaCYP78A5 affects seed size. TaCYP78A5 encodes the cytochrome P450 (CYP) 78A5 protein in wheat and rescued the phenotype of the Arabidopsis deletion mutant cyp78a5. By affecting the extent of integument cell proliferation in the developing ovule and seed, TaCYP78A5 influenced the growth of the seed coat, which appears to limit seed growth. TaCYP78A5 silencing caused a 10% reduction in cell numbers in the seed coat, resulting in a 10% reduction in seed size in wheat cv. Shaan 512. By contrast, the overexpression of TaCYP78A5 increased the number of cells in the seed coat, resulting in seed enlargement of ~11–35% in Arabidopsis. TaCYP78A5 activity was positively correlated with the final seed size. However, TaCYP78A5 overexpression significantly reduced seed set in Arabidopsis, possibly due to an ovule development defect. TaCYP78A5 also influenced embryo development by promoting embryo integument cell proliferation during seed development. Accordingly, a working model of the influence of TaCYP7A5 on seed size was proposed. This study provides direct evidence that TaCYP78A5 affects seed size and is a potential target for crop
Antlia Dwarf Galaxy: distance, quantitative morphology and recent formation history via statistical field correction

We apply a statistical field correction technique originally designed to determine membership of high redshift galaxy clusters to Hubble Space Telescope (HST) imaging of the Antlia Dwarf Galaxy; a galaxy at the very edge of the Local Group. Using the tip of the red giant branch standard candle method coupled with a simple Sobel edge detection filter we find a new distance to Antlia of 1.31 ± 0.03 Mpc. For the first time for a Local Group member, we compute the concentration, asymmetry and clumpiness quantitative morphology parameters for Antlia from the distribution of resolved stars in the HST/Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) field, corrected with a new method for contaminants and complement these parameters with the Gini coefficient (G) and the second-order moment of the brightest 20 per cent of the flux (M 20 ). We show that it is a classic dwarf elliptical (C = 2.0, A = 0.063, S = 0.077, G = 0.39 and M 20 = ―1.17 in the F814W band), but has an appreciable blue stellar population at its core, confirming on-going star formation. The values of asymmetry and clumpiness, as well as Gini and M 20 are consistent with an undisturbed galaxy. Although our analysis suggests that Antlia may not be tidally influenced by NGC 3109, it does not necessarily preclude such interaction.
WSAN Architecture for Wildland Fire-Fighting

Wireless sensor and actuator networks for environmental disaster scenarios are considered in this paper. Particularly, a WSAN network being able to detect and extinguish the fire in a burning wildland area is described. While the forest fire detection is a classical application for sensor networks, here this research area is extended, taking into account actuators and their ability to battle the fire. A network architecture is proposed, modelled and discussed. The extensive computer simulations are reported that were necessary to analyse the network performance. First, the model of the forest under fire is illustrated. Then, the sensor network that gathers the temperature readings is described. On their basis, a fire map is created and the network can automatically act: the actuators are sent to the chosen forest locations and they extinguish the fire there. The presented research results show the efficiency of firefighting actions depending on the sensors density and the mobility of the actuators. Keywords-wireless sensor networks; actuators; environmental monitoring; forest fires; epidemics propagation
1 NITRIC ACID “ RENOXIFICATION ” IN THE TROPOSPHERE : FROM A MODELING MYTH TO A LABORATORY REALITY

The partitioning of nitrogen oxides in the atmosphere, in particular the NOx/HNO3 ratio, has not historically been accurately reproduced by models. Although the model under-prediction of the NOx/HNO3 ratio has been improved by the new rate constants for the reactions of OH with NO2 and HNO3, the discrepancy between the field and modeled ratios has not been clearly resolved. Heterogeneous reactions of HNO3 with various atmospheric gaseous species, including NO, CO, CH4, and SO2, have been proposed to reconcile these ratios. We present laboratory studies in which the possibility of heterogeneous reactions between HNO3 adsorbed on silica surfaces and gaseous NO, CO, CH4, and SO2 were investigated. Two different silica surfaces, a porous glass plate and pressed silica (Cab-O-Sil) pellets, were used as substrates for HNO3. Both the gas phase and the surface species were monitored with time using FTIR at 1 atm total pressure in N2 and 298 K. No reaction was observed between HNO3(ads) and CO, CH4 or SO2, from which upper limits for the reaction probabilities (γ) were derived: γ and γ ≤ 10, and γ ≤ 10. The effect of Fe and H2SO4 on the reaction with CO was also investigated, and no enhancement of the reaction was observed under either of these conditions. Nitric oxide does react with the undissociated form of HNO3 adsorbed on the silica pellets, but not the anion NO3, to form NO2 and a waternitric acid complex. A lower limit for the reaction probability of gaseous NO with HNO3 adsorbed on silica pellets was calculated: γ = (6 ± 2) × 10 (2s). The atmospheric implications of HNO3 “renoxification” on common surfaces will be discussed.
Probing star formation across cosmic time with absorption line systems

We present an empirical connection between cold (∼104 K) gas in galactic haloes and star formation. Using a sample of more than 8500 Mg ii absorbers from Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) quasar spectra, we report the detection of a 15σ correlation between the rest equivalent width W0 of Mg ii absorbers and the associated [O ii] luminosity, an estimator of star formation rate. This correlation has interesting implications: using only observable quantities we show that Mg ii absorbers trace a substantial fraction of the global [O ii] luminosity density and recover the overall star formation history of the Universe derived from classical emission estimators up to z∼ 2. We then show that the distribution function of Mg ii rest equivalent widths, dN/dW0, inherits both its shape and amplitude from the [O ii] luminosity function Φ(L). These distributions can be naturally connected, without any free parameter. Our results imply a high covering factor of cold gas around star-forming galaxies: C≳ 0.5, favouring outflows as the mechanism responsible for Mg ii absorption. We then argue that intervening Mg ii absorbers and blueshifted Mg ii absorption seen in the spectra of star-forming galaxies are essentially the same systems, implying that the observed outflowing gas can reach radii of ∼50 kpc. These results not only shed light on the nature of Mg ii absorbers but also provide us with a new probe of star formation, in absorption, i.e. in a way which does not suffer from dust extinction and with a redshift-independent sensitivity. As shown in this analysis, such a tool can be applied in a noise-dominated regime, i.e. using a data set for which emission lines are not detected in individual objects. This is of particular interest for high-redshift studies.