Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Flexibility in Hexapod Robots: Exploring Mobility of the Body

Introducing Myrmex, a hexapod robot designed for autonomous locomotion on unstructured terrains. It was developed a whole-body kinematics model that enables both open-chain and closed-chain control of the robot. This model enhances the flexibility and mobility of the robot. At the moment, Myrmex relies solely on proprioception (encoders and IMU) for adapting its body posture. Despite these sensory limitations, we have successfully applied the model in static and dynamic situations. Static experiments have showcased increased flexibility, allowing the robot to access previously challenging locations. In dynamic scenarios, the hexapod has demonstrated its capability to traverse irregular terrains, effectively exploiting its body mobility. Myrmex adeptly adjusts its posture according to the terrain topology, maintaining the center of gravity projection along the body’s centerline (i.e., same as it in the level walk), thus preserving stability margins during gait. The robot was able to correct its posture on terrain with gradients in any direction relative to the body structure, with only 3 DoF per leg. Importantly, our experiments have underscored the robot’s ability to maintain its posture even in the face of unexpected disturbances in its legs, emphasizing the robustness and reliability of the model.
Cryolite overcoated aluminum reflectors for far-ultraviolet spectroscopy

Aluminum (Al) mirrors are conventionally protected with metal-fluoride coatings (e.g., MgF2, LiF, or AlF3) immediately after deposition to prevent oxidation and preserve its far-ultraviolet (FUV) spectral efficiency. However, the resulting FUV reflectance of the aluminum reflector is limited by the metal-fluoride overcoat film index of refraction, morphology, stoichiometry, and its absorption cut-off in the lower end of the FUV spectra. Cryolite (sodium hexafluoroaluminate, Na3AlF6) emerges as a potential candidate to preserve the aluminum FUV reflectance due to its relatively lower index of refraction in the visible to ultraviolet; therefore, allowing for the thin-film design of highly spectral efficient reflectors over a wide spectral range. We investigate the use of cryolite in aluminum reflector FUV coating design. The deposited aluminum reflector overcoated with cryolite will be examined in terms of spectral efficiency and environmental durability. The deposited cryolite overcoat will be evaluated in terms of optical constants and structural properties. Preliminary results have shown that the use of cryolite as an overcoat to protect aluminum would yield unprecedented results as an optimal Hydrogen Lyman-alpha (HLyα) spectral line reflector, with experimental reflectance values >96%.
Thanatophoric dysplasia in nonadherent to antenatal care in low middle income country: a rare case reports

Introduction and importance: Thanatophoric dysplasia is a rare, fatal, and sporadic form of skeletal dysplasia caused by a mutation in fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3). It is characterized by a conical thorax, platyspondyly (flat vertebral bodies), and macrocephaly. This disorder can be diagnosed antenatally as early as 13 weeks of gestation. Case presentation: The authors reported a case of thanatophoric dysplasia on USG in a 19 year old young consanguineous female in her second trimester of pregnancy. Ultrasound examination showed a clover leaf-shaped skull, a widened anterior fontanel, a coarse and edematous face, a flattened nasal bridge, a short neck, a low set of ears, shortening of both upper and lower limbs with short fingers, bowed thighs and legs, and a relatively narrow thorax. Clinical discussion: Lung hypoplasia, polyhydramnios, and hydrops in affected individuals lead to a poor prognosis. Hence, timely intervention should be done to avoid a poor prognosis. However, a mix of sonographic, genetic, histological, and autopsy studies are applied to make the most accurate diagnosis. Conclusion: The authors reported this case due to the rarity of this condition and the need for a systematic and multidisciplinary approach.
Episodic discharge of coarse sediment in a mountain torrent

Direct observations of coarse sediment transport in mountain streams are rare. This paper describes a unique, high resolution record of coarse sediment flux from a steep, mountain torrent in the English Lake District, UK. A recording raingauge at the head of the torrent and a sediment trap (∼14-day resolution) provide a detailed record which extends from October 2001 to April 2005. Comparison between the sediment flux and rainfall series demonstrates the importance of precipitation extremes in triggering coarse sediment delivery. Typically one major sediment evacuation event occurs each year producing a distinct episodic output of coarse sediment. These events have similar yields and occur with an apparent regularity. Grain-size analysis of trapped sediment suggests a supply and exhaustion signal, and the differential role of processes across the sediment-water flow spectrum.
Is Environmental Management Really More Collaborative? A Comparative Analysis of Putative ‘Paradigm Shifts’ in Europe, Australia, and the United States

It is a truism that environmental management has experienced a significant change in the locus of governing, in which centralised forms of steering have been gradually replaced by more collaborative management approaches organised at the ecosystem scale. Whereas much research capital has been expended on informing their design and promoting their uptake, surprisingly little systematic comparative empirical research exists on the precise nature and extent of what is often described as a ‘paradigm shift’ in governing. We address this gap by examining how one issue often deemed to require deeper ‘collaboration’, namely, catchment management, has been addressed in three comparable federal political systems: the European Union; the USA; and Australia. On the basis of a fresh and more comparable account of the forms and modalities of collaboration, we reveal that, although collaboration has undoubtedly grown in recent decades, its depth and extent remains highly variable both across and within the three cases. We also examine what these subtly different geographical ‘contours of collaboration’ imply for future research and practice.
Determinants Influencing Adoption of Geographical Indication Certification: The Case of Rice Cultivation in Thailand

Geographical indications (GIs) have gained more interest since its protection has been ensured multilaterally under the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement of the World Trade Organization (WTO). Thung Kula Rong-Hai Thai Hom Mali Rice (TKR) is the first officially registered GI Jasmine rice in Thailand. A GI certification is licensed to producers and other business operators of the GI production line through a membership application in a GI club. This paper aims at identifying factors that are likely to predict the behaviour of Thai Jasmine rice households in the Thung Kula Rong-Hai (TKRH) area in adopting a GI certification. A logit model is applied for empirical analyses. The marginal effects of the key factors on the probability of adoption are estimated. All analyses are based on survey data collected through a formal survey in two districts of the TKRH area where 541 Thai Jasmine rice households were selected for interviews using a disproportionate stratified random sampling procedure. The results indicate that institutional and social factors such as information, transportation costs and membership of a cooperative influence the decision to obtain the GI certification of the Thai Jasmine rice households in the TKRH area significantly.
SARS-CoV-2 Infection Dynamics in the Pittsburgh Zoo Wild Felids with Two Viral Variants (Delta and Alpha) during the 2021–2022 Pandemic in the United States

Simple Summary Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of COVID-19 disease, has been reported to infect multiple animal species besides humans. In this study, SARS-CoV-2 infection with two viral variants; alpha and delta in two separate infection waves among the large cats housed in the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium during the 2021–2022 pandemic is described. In March 2021, all but one of the lions exhibited clinical signs consistent with SARS-CoV-2 infection coinciding with the infection of an animal keeper. Viral shedding was detected during the infection phase. In December 2022, during the second phase, SARS-CoV-2 infection occurred in tigers and lynx along with a likely reinfection of lions. In the infected animals exhibiting clinical signs, the signs lasted up to 6 weeks and viral shedding in feces was variable. Virus genome sequencing indicated that the alpha variant and the delta variant were responsible for the first and second waves of infection in the zoo animals, respectively, and the viruses were closely related to variants circulating in human populations at the time of infection. Abstract Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been reported in multiple animal species besides humans. The goal of this study was to report clinical signs, infection progression, virus detection and antibody response in a group of wild felids housed in adjacent but neighboring areas at the Pittsburgh Zoo. Initially, five African lions (Panthera leo krugeri) housed together exhibited respiratory clinical signs with viral shedding in their feces in March of 2021 coinciding with infection of an animal keeper. During the second infection wave in December 2021, four Amur tigers (Panthera tigris altaica) and a Canadian lynx (Lynx canadensis) showed clinical signs and tested positive for viral RNA in feces. In infected animals, viral shedding in feces was variable lasting up to 5 weeks and clinical signs were observed for up to 4 weeks. Despite mounting an antibody response to initial exposure, lions exhibited respiratory clinical signs during the second infection wave, but none shed the virus in their feces. The lions were positive for alpha variant (B.1.1.7 lineage) during the first wave and the tiger and lynx were positive for delta variant (AY.25.1. lineage) during the second wave. The viruses recovered from felids were closely related to variants circulating in human populations at the time of the infection. Cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) in the park did not show either the clinical signs or the antibody response.
Evaluation of Antibacterial Activity against Nosocomial Pathogens of an Enzymatically Derived α-Aminophosphonates Possessing Coumarin Scaffold

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the synergistic effect of two important pharmacophores, coumarin and α-amino dimethyl phosphonate moieties, on antimicrobial activity against selected strains of multidrug-resistant nosocomial pathogenic bacteria. The previously developed enzyme-catalysed Kabachnik–Fields protocol allowed us to obtain the studied compounds with high yields which were free from metal impurities. The structure–activity relationship revealed that inhibitory activity is strongly related to the presence of the trifluoromethyl group (CF3−) in the coumarin scaffold. MIC and MBC studies carried out on six selected pathogenic bacterial strains (Gram-positive pathogenic Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 23235) strain, as well as on Gram-negative Acinetobacter baumannii (ATCC 17978), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 15442), Enterobacter cloacae (ATCC 49141), Porphyromonas gingivalis (ATCC 33277), and Treponema denticola (ATCC 35405)) have shown that tested compounds show a strong bactericidal effect at low concentrations. Among all agents investigated, five exhibit higher antimicrobial activity than those observed for commonly used antibiotics. It should be noted that all the compounds tested showed very high activity against S. aureus, which is the main source of nosocomial infections that cause numerous fatalities. Furthermore, we have shown that the studied coumarin-based α-aminophosphonates, depending on their structural characteristics, are non-selective and act efficiently against various Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens, which is of great importance for hospitalised patients.
Measurements of atmospheric parameters during Indian Space Research Organization Geosphere Biosphere Programme Land Campaign II at a typical location in the Ganga basin: 1. Physical and optical properties

[1] This paper attempts to analyze the chemical compositions of the near surface aerosols at a typical location in the Ganga basin with an emphasis on delineating the source of aerosols in foggy/hazy conditions. Collocated measurements of a number of atmospheric and aerosol parameters along with simultaneous sampling of near surface aerosols of size less than 10 μm (PM10) were made as part of an intense field campaign launched under the Indian Space Research Organization Geosphere Biosphere Program (ISRO-GBP) in December 2004. PM10 and black carbon (BC) mass concentration was found to be significantly higher during the foggy/hazy period. Much of the PM10 mass (∼81%) was due to fine/accumulation mode particles (0.1–0.95 μm). Significant proportions of water soluble ions such as NH4+, K+, Na+, Cl−, NO3− and SO42− were present in the fine mode particles while considerable amounts of Ca2+ and Mg2+ along with NH4+, K+, Na+, Cl−, NO3− and SO42− were found in the coarse mode particles. Also, water soluble ions NH4+ and NO3− were significantly higher; however, Na+, K+, SO42− and Cl− did not show significant difference between foggy/hazy and clear days. In contrast, Ca2+, Mg2+ and acid soluble metals were significantly lower during foggy/hazy days as compared to the clear days. Presence of higher amounts of NH4+, K+, NO3− and SO42− associated with very low values (<5 ppmv) of SO2 despite considerable plausible emissions due to fossil fuel and biomass burning in the region suggests that loading of fine mode aerosols in the region could have been enhanced through reactions of gaseous pollutants on the solid surfaces. These results along with the findings presented in the companion paper indicate that prolonged foggy/hazy conditions in the region may be due to the increased anthropogenic emissions.
“Frankly, My Dear, I Just Might Give a damn:” An Experiment Investigating Preexisting Beliefs and Reasons to Watch Romantic Comedies on Reports of Beliefs, Mood, and Enjoyment

ABSTRACT This multiple message, pretest-posttest control group design experiment investigated whether different motivations to view romantic comedies and preexisting romantic beliefs (e.g. love conquers all, soulmate) influenced mood, enjoyment, and romantic beliefs. Results of 358 undergraduate participants demonstrate that romantic beliefs prior to viewing predicted reduced beliefs after viewing a challenge film, and greater enjoyment after viewing an ideal film. Watching in order to learn or be entertained led to stronger romantic beliefs in the ideal condition, whereas watching for entertainment led to more enjoyment and a more positive mood than did watching for other reasons, regardless of the content. Sheer viewing led to stronger romantic beliefs in the ideal condition.
Transient sediment supply in a high‐altitude Alpine environment evidenced through a 10Be budget of the Etages catchment (French Western Alps)

Although beryllium‐10 (10Be) concentrations in stream sediments provide useful synoptic views of catchment‐wide erosion rates, little is known on the relative contributions of different sediment supply mechanisms to the acquisition of their initial signature in the headwaters. Here we address this issue by conducting a 10Be‐budget of detrital materials that characterize the morphogenetic domains representative of high‐altitude environments of the European Alps. We focus on the Etages catchment, located in the Ecrins‐Pelvoux massif (southeast France), and illustrate how in situ 10Be concentrations can be used for tracing the origin of the sand fraction from the bedload in the trunk stream. The landscape of the Etages catchment is characterized by a geomorphic transient state, high topographic gradients, and a large variety of modern geomorphic domains ranging from glacial environments to scarcely vegetated alluvial plains. Beryllium‐10 concentrations measured in the Etages catchment vary from ~1 × 104 to 4.5 × 105 atoms per gram quartz, while displaying consistent 10Be signatures within each representative morphogenetic unit. We show that the basic requirements for inferring catchment‐wide denudation from 10Be concentration measurements are not satisfied in this small, dynamic catchment. However, the distinct 10Be signature observed for the geomorphic domains can be used as a tracer. We suggest that a terrestrial cosmogenic nuclide (TCN) budget approach provides a valuable tool for the tracing of material origin in basins where the ‘let nature do the averaging’ principles may be violated. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
FOSSIL CONTENT AND STRUCTURAL RELATIONSHIPS OF THE SAN LUIS ZONE and THE CABORCA ZONE OF NW SONORA, MEXICO. SUPPRESSION OF THE PRECAMBRIAN Z OF CABORCA

In the Caborca region of western Sonora a Precambrian Z does not cover a unique Precambrian socle as previously believed. Two tectonic zones occur there instead : the San Luis Zone and the Caborca Zone. The first is comprised of the Precambrian San Luis socle of gneiss and granite, crossed by 1.1 Ga old anorthosites, the San Luis sedimentary cover, and, above it, a Lower Jurassic volcano-sedimentary sequence. The Caborca Zone consists of the Precambrian Bamori socle of parametamorphic rocks crossed by 1.1 Ga old Aibo granite, and of the Gamuza sedimentary cover. 1.1 Ga ago the two zones were far away from each other. They have been brought together by the Nevadian orogeny. Both zones are allochthonous, and the Caborca Zone is a nappe upon the San Luis Zone. The lowermost units of the Gamuza cover furnished psammocorals and a possible Pterophyllum jageri (? ). Accordingly, its geological age is either Palaeozoic or Triassic.The San Luis cover furnished Nematophites [Prototaxites (? ) and Nematothallus] from its lower part; Calcispongiae, Cardaicarpus’ seeds, and Artisia from its upper part. Thus, it is a Devono-Carboniferous unit. The study area belongs in the « Baja-Borderland » block, which underwent, an Eocene northwards drifting of about 900 – 1000 km, and a 30o to 40o clockwise rotation relative to the main part of Sonora.
Audiovisual media effectiveness in post-cataract surgery care education in National Eye Center Cicendo Hospital

Currently, eye surgery is the only viable solution to reserve blindness in cataract patients. Nonetheless, post-cataract surgery care plays an important role in the effectiveness of cataract surgery. To ensure the success of post-cataract surgery, healthcare providers must support patients with adequate knowledge regarding post-cataract surgery care. In this study, we investigate the effectiveness of audiovisual media in post-cataract surgery care education on improving patients’ knowledge. This quasi-experimental study is designed with one group pre-test and post-test approach. We recruited a total of 58 participants aged ≥40 years with senile cataract diagnosis who underwent cataract surgery by phacoemulsification in one eye using local anesthesia or neurolept, with visual acuity in the unoperated eye ≥0.08, and without hearing loss. Participants were given complementary post-surgery education through audiovisual media for 7 minutes and participants were instructed to fill out the questionnaire about post-cataract surgery care prior to and after getting the complementary audiovisual media education. The collected data were analyzed using the frequency distribution analysis and Wilcoxon test. The findings suggest that the application of audiovisual media in post-cataract surgery care education significantly increases patients’ knowledge (p-value<0.001). This study concludes that providing education through audiovisual media is recommended for post-cataract surgery patients.
Variational assimilation of remote sensing data for land surface hydrologic applications

Soil moisture plays a major role in the global hydrologic cycle. Most importantly, soil moisture controls the partitioning of available energy at the land surface into latent and sensible heat fluxes. We investigate the feasibility of estimating large-scale soil moisture profiles and related land surface variables from low-frequency (L-band) passive microwave remote sensing observations using weak-constraint variational data assimilation. We extend the iterated indirect representer method, which is based on the adjoint of the hydrologic model, to suit our application. The four-dimensional (space and time) data assimilation algorithm takes into account model and measurement uncertainties and provides optimal estimates by implicitly propagating the full error covariances. Explicit expressions for the posterior error covariances are also derived. We achieve a dynamically consistent interpolation and extrapolation of the remote sensing data in space and time, or equivalently, a continuous update of the model predictions from the data. Our hydrologic model of water and energy exchange at the land surface is expressly designed for data assimilation. It captures the key physical processes while remaining computationally efficient. The assimilation algorithm is tested with a series of experiments using synthetically generated system and measurement noise. In a realistic environment based on the Southern Great Plains 1997 (SGP97) hydrology experiment, we assess the performance of the algorithm under ideal and nonideal assimilation conditions. Specifically, we address five topics which are crucial to the design of an operational soil moisture assimilation system. (1) We show that soil moisture can be satisfactorily estimated at scales finer than the resolution of the brightness images (downscaling), provided sufficiently accurate fine-scale model inputs are available. (2) The satellite repeat cycle should be shorter than the average interstorm period. (3) The loss of optimality by using shorter assimilation intervals is offset by a substantial gain in computational efficiency. (4) Soil moisture can be satisfactorily estimated even if quantitative precipitation data are not available. (5) The assimilation algorithm is only weakly sensitive to inaccurate specification of the soil hydraulic properties. In summary, we demonstrate the feasibility of large-scale land surface data assimilation from passive microwave observations. Thesis Supervisor: Dennis B. McLaughlin Title: H.M. King Bhumibol Professor of Water Resource Management Thesis Supervisor and Committee Chair: Dara Entekhabi Title: Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering