Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
3D-Modelling of Stratified Reinforced Concrete Slabs

1Professor, Faculty of Engineering, Helwan University, Egypt 2Associate Professor, Faculty of Engineering, Suez University, Egypt 3Assistant Professor, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Nile University, Egypt. 3Assistant Professor, Faculty of Engineering, Helwan University, Egypt 4PhD. Student, Dept. of civil Engineering, The higher institute of engineering at el shorouk city, Egypt. ---------------------------------------------------------------------***---------------------------------------------------------------------Abstract This study aims to present a suitable model for analyzing reinforced concrete slabs fabricated by stratified concrete using finite element method. Stratified Concrete consist of two or more types of concrete; in particular, of composite materials consisting of High Strength Concrete (HSC) (60MPa) and Normal Strength Concrete (NSC) (25MPa). A nonlinear three-dimensional finite element analysis has been used to conduct an analytical investigation on the overall behavior of reinforced concrete stratified slabs. ANSYS computer program version 15 is utilized in the analysis. The two layers of concrete were idealized by using the 8-node iso parametric brick elements in ANSYS assuming good bond between them, while the reinforcement was modeled as link element by assuming perfect bond between the concrete and steel reinforcement. The numerical analysis includes material nonlinearity due to concrete cracking in tension, nonlinear stress strain relations of concrete in compression, crushing of concrete and yielding of steel reinforcement. The validity of the adopted models was verified through comparison with the one experimental slab, and the agreement has proven to be in acceptance range.
NANOVLÁKENNÝ KOMPOZITNÍ MATERIÁL INTEGRUJÍCÍ NANO/MIKROČÁSTICE MEZI VLÁKNA NANOFIBROUS COMPOSITE MATERIALS INTEGRATING NANO/MICRO PARTICLES BETWEEN THE FIBRES

This article deals with the continual incorporation of sorbent particles by the ultrasonic dispersion in situ into a nanofibrous matrix produced by the electrospinning process. The new technology is based on the use of the needleless electrospinning method in combination with the ultrasound-enhanced dispersion of sub-micro or micro particles, which are deposited between nanofibers onto the support material. The main advantage of use these two technologies in time is the independence of particle-incorporation of the electrospinning process. The sorbent particles are held in between the fibers and they remain uncovered by polymer. Thanks to free surface of sorbent particles are maintained all their active properties. Such materials can be simply cut with scissors without the releasing particles. Further the authors present figures from the electron microscopy of the newly-designed nanocomposite material and its morphological analysis, such as the particle distribution. The material was used as a sorbent of bis(2-chlorethyl) sulfide (mustard gas) with a sorption time greater than 240 minutes. This unique material has been developed to be used for protection against chemical warfare agents; yet, it can be employed for several other applications depending on the powder material dispersed onto the nanofibrous layer.
Estimate of genetic variability components via quantitative traits in coffee (coffeaarabica L.) germplasm in Ethiopia

Detail identification and quantification of genetic variability in the base population is an important for a successful conservation and utilization of genetic resources in coffee improvement work. The study was undertaken at Metu Agricultural Research Sub Center to estimate the extent of genetic variability of coffee. Sixty two Coffee germplasms along with two check varieties (74110 and 74112) were used for this study. The experiment was superimposed during 2018 cropping seasons on six years old coffee trees which was laid down in 8x8 simple lattice design. The accessions were established under uniform temporary shade trees of Sesbaniasesban and other managed practices were applied as per the coffee agronomic production practice to the orchard.Data on 25 quantitative traits were recorded from four representative trees per row. Analysis of variance revealed the presence of significant (P<0.05) difference among the tested accessions for most of the traits. The maximum tree yield (0.58kg) was recorded on the accession Y105, while the minimum (0.20kg) was obtained from Y73. The high yielding accession (Y105) exhibited a yield advantage of 107.14% and 61.11% relative to check varieties (74110 and 74112), respectively. High phenotypic (PCV) and moderate genotypic coefficients of variations (GCV) were recorded for yield per tree and number of secondary branches; while high PCV and GCV values were recorded for coffee berry disease and coffee leaf rust reactions. However, the differences between PCV and GCV for these genetic advance as percent of mean was obtained for secondary branches, suggesting that this trait was under the control of additive gene action. Therefore, this trait can be improved through selection easier than other traits. Generally, the present study revealed the existence of immense genetic variability among coffee germplasm for important morphological traits. Hence, there is an opportunity traits were higher except for number of secondary branches. High heritability coupled with high expected to exploit these traits to develop genotypes that perform better than the existing varieties for the future coffee improvement program.
Which Aspects of Corporate Governance Matter? Evidence from Emerging Markets*

(draft March 2018) Bernard Black Northwestern University, Law School and Kellogg School of Management Antonio Gledson de Carvalho Fundacao Getulio Vargas School of Business at Sao Paulo Vikramaditya Khanna University of Michigan Law School Woochan Kim Korea University Business School Burcin Yurtoglu WHU Otto Beisheim School of Management European Corporate Governance Institute Finance Working Paper No. xxx/2017 Northwestern University School of Law Law and Economics Research Paper No. 14-22 University of Michigan Law and Economics Working Paper No. 2017-xxx
Climate change and marine molluscs of the western North Atlantic: future prospects and perils

Numerous studies have examined potential responses of terrestrial biotas to future climate change, but fewer have considered marine realms. We forecast how marine molluscan faunas might respond to environmental change over the remainder of this century. We test the hypotheses that suitable areas will shift northwards for studied species, and that species will show varied responses to future climate change.
Allometry and size structure of trees in two ancient snow forests in coastal British Columbia

Shade-tolerant trees that start in the understory but ultimately reach the canopy persist through different microhabitat conditions during their ontogeny. We evaluate how the height to diameter ratio and the crown ratio (crown length/tree height) change during development and differ among four coniferous species (Abies amabilis (Dougl. ex Loud.) Dougl. ex J. Forbes, Chamaecyparis nootkatensis (D. Don) Spach, Tsuga mertensiana (Bong.) Carriere, and Tsuga heterophylla (Ref.) Sarg. ) in ancient forests. At two sites, we measured diameter, height, and height to the base of live crown for trees ≥4.0 cm diameter at breast height in four 0.25 ha plots. For each species, we constructed models of height based on diameter and crown length using part of the data for model development and part as the test data set. Models predicting tree height were effective for all species, and adding crown length considerably improved the prediction over diameter alone. The height to diameter ratio increased until the subcanopy and.
Biases of Chamber Methods for Measuring Soil CO2 Efflux Demonstrated with a Laboratory Apparatus

Investigators have historically measured soil CO 2 effiux as an indicator of soil microbial and root activity and more recently in calculations of carbon budgets. The most common methods estimate CO 2 effiux by placing a chamber over the soil surface and quantifying the amount of CO 2 entering the chamber per unit area of soil per unit time. Schlesinger (1977), Anderson ( 1982), Rolston ( 1986a), Raich and Nadelhoffer (1989), and Nakayama ( 1990) have reviewed various chamber methods. No single method is established as a standard (Anderson 1982, Nakayama 1990, Norman et al. 1992), partly because methods are not compared to known effiuxes (Nakayama 1990). Past comparisons have only shown a method to be higher or lower than another method. This study compared the responses of two com monly used chamber methods to known effiuxes from the surface of a simulated soil. Our known effiuxes are based on calculations using Fick's law of diffusion. The two methods we tested were a static-chamber method with soda lime as a CO 2 absorbent and a dynamic chamber method consisting of an infrared gas analyzer in a closed air-circulation loop. Because the absorption rate of alkali materials used in static chambers is thought to be a source of bias (Freijer and Bouten 1991, Na kadai 1993), we were also interested in how the soda-lime absorbent affected the headspace CO 2 con centration of the static chambers.
Assessing the vulnerability of riparian vegetation to invasion by Mimulus guttatus: relative importance of biotic and abiotic variables in determining species occurrence and abundance

Riparian habitats are particularly susceptible to invasion by non‐native plants. At present, attempts to build consensus as to what the primary drivers of plant invasion in riparian ecosystems might be is hindered by the absence of common standards for data collected on plant species (e.g. occurrence, or relative abundance). Mimulus guttatus L. , a non‐native riparian plant species, was used as a model to determine how environmental drivers influence two aspects of invasibility: species occurrence and abundance (assessed in relation to three variables number of patches, patch area and number of stems per patch). Mimulus occurrence and abundance, together with 20 environmental variables, were surveyed in almost 700 contiguous 50‐m‐long riverbank segments within a catchment in north‐east Scotland. More than half of the segments had been colonized by Mimulus. Occurrence and number of patches responded to similar environmental gradients, particularly bare sediment, boulders, high soil moisture, short‐statured ruderal communities, and open canopies, and tended to be highest downstream where the river was widest. In contrast to occurrence and patch number, patch area and stem number per patch were higher in the upper reaches of the catchment and were positively associated with low tree canopy and vegetation dominated by light‐demanding species and smaller‐statured species. Patch area and stem number per patch were also positively related to grazing. This study has highlighted the importance of assessing more than one measure of invasion success (occurrence or patch number and either patch area or stem number per patch), as they are each determined by a different suite of environmental variables. Abiotic factors, such as sediment availability and presence of boulders, appeared to be the major determinants of occurrence and patch number, whereas biotic factors, such as interspecific competition and grazing, were more important ecological determinants underlying area and stem number per patch.
Quit Turbulence and Unemployment

Steven Weinberg (2018) says: <br><br>(1) new theories that target new observations should be constrained to agree with observations successfully represented by existing theories; and <br><br>(2) preserving successes of earlier theories helps to discover unanticipated understandings of yet other phenomena. <br><br>Weinberg’s advice helps us to answer the question: how do higher risks of skill losses coinciding both with involuntary layoffs (“layoff turbulence”) and with voluntary quits (“quit turbulence”) affect equilibrium unemployment rates? An earlier analysis that had included only layoff turbulence had established a positive relationship between turbulence and the unemployment rate within generous welfare states, but the absence of that relationship in countries with stingier welfare states. A subsequent influential analysis found that even very small amounts of quit turbulence would lead to a negative relationship between turbulence and unemployment rates. But that finding was based on a peculiar calibration of a productivity distribution that generates returns to labor mobility that make the model miss the positive turbulence-unemployment rate relationship that has been a theoretical basis for explaining the persistent trans-Atlantic unemployment divide that emerged in post-1970s data and also miss observations about labor market churning. Repairing the faulty calibration of that productivity distribution not only brings models with quit turbulence into line with those observations but also puts the spotlight on macro-labor calibration strategies and implied returns to labor mobility.
Electrical nature of recorded signals during stylet penetration by aphids

Electrical penetration graph, EPG, is a term suggested for recorded wave forms during electrically stylet penetration by aphids. The EPG appears to have two components with different electrical origin; i.e., resistance and electromotive force (emf). Fluctuating aphid resistance in series with the amplifier input resistor causes a fluctuating voltage due to dividing of a DC potential in the primary circuit. This circuit potential is composed of a supplied potential and potentials from the preparation such as half cell potentials at the electrode surfaces. The emf component consists of fluctuating potentials generated within the preparation itself. The value of the amplifier input resistance is rather critical; a high value in proportion to the aphid resistance favours the emf component, and a low value emphasizes the resistance component. Although resistance fluctuation forms the largest component of the signal, some parts of EPG patterns stem from emf. The DC method provides a more detailed signal than an AC system. The current through the aphids appears very low and is not likeley to influence feeding, or other biological functions of the aphid.
Korelasi Dukungan Sosial dengan Psychological Well-Being Penderita Kanker Serviks

Abstract . Cervical cancer has a high mortality among women. The diagnosis may leads to different responses: anguish, hopelessness, even frustration. The presence of social supports from loved ones are crucial in relieving the burden felt by patients. Some cervical cancer patients in Dr. Hasan Sadikin Hospital (RSHS) Bandung receive social supports from families and some do not. Nevertheless, in such conditions the patients still show self-sufficiency, fervor, optimism and hope for their life. The aim of this study is to measure the correlation between social supports and psychological well-being of cervical cancer patients in RSHS Bandung. This study utilized correlational method. The sampling technique used was purposive sampling. The subjects were 30 cervical cancer patients whom routinely undergone radiotherapy in polyclinic. The measurement scale for social supports that the author designed was based on Sarafino Theory while for psychological well-being was adapted from Ryff Scale of Psychological Well-Being. The data analysis was performed using Rank Spearman correlation technique. The results show that there was a strong positive correlation between social supports and psychological well-being by 0.800. The results conclude that there was a strong correlation between social supports and the increase of psychological well-being of cervical cancer patients in RSHS Bandung. Keywords: Social supports, psychological well-being, cervical cancer Abstrak . Kanker serviks adalah penyakit yang sangat mematikan bagi perempuan. Diagnosa kanker serviks menimbulkan respon yang berbeda pada pasien; perasaan sedih, putus asa, tidak berdaya bahkan frustasi. Adanya dukungan sosial dari orang terdekat dirasa sangat membantu meringankan beban yang dirasakan. Pasien kanker serviks di RSUP Dr. Hasan Sadikin (RSHS) ada yang mendapatkan dukungan sosial penuh dari orang terdekat, namun ada pula yang tidak. Meskipun, dengan keadaan fisik yang terbatas para pasien tetap menunjukkan kemandirian, semangat, berpikir optimis serta memiliki harapan setelah mereka sembuh nanti . Tujuan penelitian ini untuk mengetahui keeratan hubungan antara dukungan sosial dengan psychological well-being pada penderita kanker serviks di RSHS Bandung. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode korelasional. Teknik pengambilan data yang digunakan purposive sampling, subjek penelitian 30 orang pasien kanker serviks yang aktif berobat ke poliklinik radiotherapy. Alat ukur skala dukungan sosial yang disusun oleh peneliti berdasarkan konsep teori Sarafino dan alat ukur adaptasi kuisioner psychological well- b eing dari alat ukur baku the Ryff scale . Data analisis menggunakan teknik korelasi Rank Spearman. Berdasarkan pengolahan data, diperoleh hasil hubungan positif yang sangat kuat dan signifikan antara dukungan sosial dengan psychological well-being sebesar 0,800. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan bahwa dukungan sosial berkaitan dengan meningkatnya psychological well-being pada penderita kanker serviks di RSHS Bandung. Kata Kunci: Dukungan Sosial, Psychological well-being, Kanker Serviks
Lecithin: a by-product of biodiesel production and a source of choline for dairy cows

The aim of the present study was to compare soy lecithins (L), a by-product of the biodiesel production process, with choline chloride microencapsulated with hydrogenated vegetable oils (C), to verify their effects on dry matter intake, milk yield, milk quality traits, milk choline and haematological profile of dairy cows. A total of 12 mid-lactating Holstein Friesian cows were assigned to one of two experimental groups and fed according to cross-over design (2 diets × 2 periods). Diets were isoenergetic, isofibrous and isonitrogenous and had the same content of choline. Dry matter intake, milk yield and the 3.5% fat-corrected milk (FCM) were not affected by the diet. The milk choline content and the milk quality did not differ between treatments, with the exception of milk fat (P<0.05) and urea (P<0.01), which resulted lower for the L-group. Milk fat, protein and choline yields remained unaffected. With regard to the haematological profile, all of the parameters fell within the physiological range of lactating dairy cows, and the only difference was represented by the lower urea level of the L fed cows (P<0.01), that could be explained by a better N metabolic efficiency. Results indicated that soy lecithins can be used as an available source of choline in midlactating dairy cows.
A state-dependent model of activity patterns in homing limpets: balancing energy returns and mortality risks under constraints on digestion

Summary 1. Different species of limpets, and different populations of the same species, show an impressive variation in temporal organization of foraging activity. Field studies also reveal different patterns of activity among individuals of the same population. 2. Many hypotheses have been proposed to explain the observed behavioural patterns, in terms of effects of several biotic and abiotic factors acting in different tidal phases, yet without taking into account possible interactions among environmental and internal factors. Moreover, the importance of energy reserves and food processing has rarely been considered in this context. 3. The role of different environmental factors and functional traits in shaping the organization of foraging of limpets at different time scales was analysed by using a state-dependent optimal foraging model, based on stochastic dynamic programming. The model includes interaction among mortality risks and energy costs incurred during the different tidal phases, the effect of different levels of energy reserves, gut fullness and changing food availability. 4. The model is able to reproduce a variety of foraging patterns with reference to the tidal cycle when changing combinations of values assigned to the risk of mortality, energy costs and food availability. The model also shows that the level of energy reserves, gut volume and rate of food processing can be of major importance in determining the short-term organization of activity within each foraging phase.
Delay Performance Analysis for Supporting Real-Time Traffic in a Cognitive Radio Sensor Network

Traditional wireless sensor networks (WSNs) working in the license-free spectrum suffer from uncontrolled interference as the license-free spectrum becomes increasingly crowded. Designing a WSN based on cognitive radio can be promising in the near future in order to provide data transmissions with quality of service requirements. In this paper we introduce a cognitive radio sensor network (CRSN) and analyze its performance for supporting real-time traffic. The network opportunistically accesses vacant channels in the licensed spectrum. When the current channel becomes unavailable, the devices can switch to another available channel. Two types of channel switchings are considered, in periodic switching (PS) the devices can switch to a new channel only at the beginning of each channel switching (CS) interval, while in triggered switching (TS) the devices can switch to a new channel as soon as the current channel is lost. We consider two types of real-time traffic, i) a burst of packets are generated periodically and the number of packets in each burst is random, and ii) packet arrivals follow a Poisson process. We derive the average packet transmission delay for each type of the traffic and channel switching mechanisms. Our results indicate that real-time traffic can be effectively supported in the CRSN with small average packet transmission delay. For the network using PS, packets with the Poisson arrivals experience longer average delay than the bursty arrivals; while for the network using TS, packets with the bursty arrivals experience longer average delay.
Marine Macrophytes as Effective Lead Biosorbents

Several species of seagrass and marine macrophytes were investigated for their biosorption performance in the removal of lead from aqueous solution. The effect of pH on the equilibrium of the seagrass Cymodocea nodosa as a biosorbent also was studied. It was found that increasing pH increased lead biosorption, with a maximum uptake of approximately 140 mg/g in the range pH 3.3 to 5. Equilibrium data at different pH levels were successfully fitted to competitive equilibrium models. In addition, the seaweeds belonging to different phyla (i.e., Chlorophyta, Heterokontophyta, and Rhodophyta) were studied for the effect of their structure on equilibrium at a constant pH 5. The brown algae (Heterokontophyta) showed the highest potential for lead sorption, with a maximum uptake of 220 mg/g for C. compressa and 140 mg/g for S. lomentaria. The green algae (Chlorophyta) showed lead uptake in the range 40 to 90 mg/g, and the red algae (Rhodophyta) was least effective, with uptake in the range 10 to 40 mg/g.