Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Solar Radio-Frequency Radiation of Thermal Origin

Observations of solar radiation in the wavelength range from one centimetre to four metres are studied in relation to expected thermal radiation. The data are derived partly from published and partly from unpublished observations. It is found that a relatively constant component can be identified throughout the whole of this wavelength range despite the complication introduced on the longer wavelengths by the presence of highly variable components. This steady component has the properties expected of thermal radiation and it is concluded that it is, in fact, thermal radiation from the ionized gases of the outer atmosphere of the sun. The intensity of radiation is found to increase fairly uniformly from that corresponding to black-body radiation at about 104 °K . at 1.25 cm. to about 106 °K. at 1.5 m. The results yield direct confirmation of the hypothesis that the corona has a kinetic temperature of about a million degrees.
Investigation of the Stability of Bi-Anode Electrochemical Hydride Generator

ABSTRACT The stability of the self-made bi-anode electrochemical hydride generator (BAECHG) with lead and titanium wires as cathode and anode, respectively, was improved by attaching two pieces of porous epoxy resin sheets to both sides of the anode. This improved BAECHG has good generation efficiency and stability and can run continuously for several months. Additionally, it also has the advantages of lower cost and less consumption of chemicals as compared to the chemical hydride generator. Finally, this BAECHG in combination of atomic fluorescence spectrometry (AFS) was applied to the determination of arsenic (As) and antimony (Sb) in certified soil samples. It was found that the results were close to the certified values and the recoveries of As and Sb were in the range of 96.3–107.0% and 96.0–103.0%, respectively.
Ten Laws of Operational Risk

Understanding operational risk is fundamental to its effective management. This paper sets out ten laws that govern the behavior of operational risk relating to the occurrence and detection/duration of events; the rapidity with which firms suffer losses; the lags in crystallization of losses; and internal and external drivers of concentration. The paper also considers the transference and conservation of risk; risk homeostasis (ie, control expenditure will respond to increased risk to return firms to within appetite); and the proactive taking of operational risk by firms in order to obtain fee and commission income. These laws are underpinned by event, causal and impact taxonomies. Each of the laws is illustrated through the analysis of loss and financial data for thirty-one current and former global systemically important banks, before and after the global financial crisis. Finally, the paper briefly considers the impacts of these laws on how firms should undertake stress testing and risk and controls self-assessments, and select predictive key risk indicators, and also the extent to which these laws make predictions as to the outcomes of three emerging threats.
A weighted test-area method for calculating surface tension

In this paper, we propose a weighted test-area method to calculate surface tension by incorporating the weighting factor from the Bennett method into the free energy perturbation scheme of the test-area method. This new method was tested by comparing against the results of the Bennett and test-area methods for simulations of square well (SW), Lennard-Jones and point charge fluid models. It is seen that the new method is accurate for all these simulations, giving the same results as the Bennett method, in contrast to the test-area method which cannot calculate the surface tension of a SW fluid. The new method converges as quickly, on the basis of computational time required, as the test-area method and almost twice as quickly as the Bennett method. This combination of speed and accuracy means that the weighted test-area method should be used in preference to the test-area method and Bennett method for surface tension and other macroscopic thermodynamic quantities that can be calculated through perturbation methods.
A Flexible 4D Printing Service Platform for Smart Manufacturing

With the extensive application of 3D printing (3DP) in smart manufacturing, 4D printing (4DP), which enhances 3D printed objects with shape morphing ability by using smart materials, has shown significant industrial potential and attracted tremendous attention. One key concern of 4DP is how to effectively and quickly meet different production and application requirements considering the complexity of materials and diversity of stimulus methods. In order to provide a general research platform for 4DP researchers, a flexible 4DP service platform is proposed. Components and modules for building 4DP and test systems are modeled and virtualized to form the different resources. These resources are then integrated virtually or physically to provide some basic functions such as a 3D displacement stage or a visual monitoring system. According to different 4DP requirements, these functions are then encapsulated into services to serve different research. The platform enables a variety of 4DP applications in smart manufacturing environments such as 4D printed magnetic medical robots, test platform for studying the 4DP response, etc. A case study on designing a ferromagnetic 4DP platform based on the service platform is performed to prove the feasibility of the method.
A novel truncated nonconvex nonsmooth variational method for SAR image despeckling

ABSTRACT Speckle reduction is a fundamental problem in coherent imaging systems. In this paper, to suppress the speckle in SAR images, we propose a novel truncated nonconvex nonsmooth model. It incorporates a truncated nonconvex regularization term and an I-divergence fidelity term. The truncated ( ) regularization can better recover neat edges and simultaneously prevent contrast reduction artefact. The I-divergence fidelity term is used to suppress the multiplicative noise effectively. We also propose an efficient algorithm based on variable-splitting and alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM) method to solve the model. Compared to state-of-the-art speckle suppression methods, intensive experimental results on a variety of SAR images show the superiority of the proposed method qualitatively and quantitatively.
Application of statistical experimental design and multivariate data analysis for evaluation of mixtures using cytochrome P4501A induction

Cytochrome P4501A (CYP1A) induction was evaluated in the rat hepatoma cell line H4IIE as a biomarker of exposure to organic compounds. The 3‐(4,5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐diphenyl‐tetrazoliumbromide assay was performed to assess the viability of cells exposed to environmentally relevant concentrations of cadmium. Cadmium concentrations greater than approximately 0.7 μM were found to affect cell viability. Cells were exposed to environmentally relevant concentrations of 3,3′,4,4′‐tetrachlorobiphenyl (PCB 77) or benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) and to combinations of PCB 77, BaP, and cadmium based on a statistical experimental design. Quantification of CYP1A proteins using Western blot analysis showed that both BaP and PCB 77 induced CYP1A in a concentration‐dependent manner up to 5 μM. Response surface modeling for evaluation of the combined effect of compounds was conducted using the multivariate regression model projection to latent structures (PLS). Analysis of response surface models for the ternary mixtures indicated antagonistic interactions between BaP and PCB 77 and a possible inhibitory effect of cadmium on PCB 77‐induced CYP1A. Use of CYP1A induction in the H4IIE cell line with immunodetection of CYP1A proteins, combined with the application of response surface design and PLS, is shown to be a suitable strategy for evaluating combined effects in pollutant mixtures.
IMPROVEMENT OF SCREENING FOR MANGANESE EFFICIENCY BY PRODUCING SEED WITH SIMILAR MANGANESE CONTENT IN DIFFERENT GENOTYPES AND GENETIC STOCKS

ABSTRACT Genetic improvement of manganese efficiency of crops demands a precise bioassay that avoids the confounding effect of seed manganese on the bioassay for the trait, for a proper comparison of the genotypes the seed manganese content must be similar. Variation in seed manganese can be minimized by the addition of manganese to individual seeds to be planted providing the effect of seed manganese content on early growth and development for the chosen genotype has been determined. It was hypothesized that growing the plants as mono-culms in very small pots under subclinical manganese deficiency would limit grain yield and yield attribute among genotypes, resulting in seed with less variation in manganese content across genotypes. The effect on yield and components of soil fertility ranging from University of California (UC) potting mix, fortified with Osmocote, to 100% manganese-deficient calcareous sand from Wangary, South Australia (Psamment) was determined for 20 bread wheat genotypes and breeding lines. It was observed that a mix of 70% UC and 30% Calcareous Wangary sand from South Australia in small pots minimized variation in grain yield and its components (number of tillers, number of seeds/head, weight of seed) and also lowered variation in seed manganese content among wheat genotypes. This was confirmed in pots of 70/30 UC-sand mix for five bread wheat cultivars, Worrakatta, Barunga, Schomburg, Excalibur, and Frame. The pot results from three replicates were compared with field results for the same genotypes grown at five randomly selected wheat-growing areas in South Australia: Paskeville, Geranium, Minnipa, Nunji, and Cummins. The variation in seed manganese content across genotypes was much less in pot grown seed. Aneuploid stocks (D-genome diosomic substitution lines) normally have highly variable seed size. Production of seed with similar manganese content was only feasible by growing the seed under multiple levels of soil manganese supply and after analysis selecting seeds with similar manganese content among the various manganese treatments. The effect of aneuploidy on seedling vigor, root growth, seed size and agronomic performance has been reported elsewhere. The effect on seed manganese content and the genetic analysis of micronutrient (manganese) efficiency were determined in the current study.
Disaster Governance in Conflict-Affected Authoritarian Contexts: The Cases of Ethiopia, Myanmar, and Zimbabwe

Disaster governance in conflict areas is of growing academic concern, but most existing research comprises either single case studies or studies of a variety of country contexts that group all types of conflict together. Based on three case studies, this article offers a middle-ground scenario-based approach, focusing on disaster governance in authoritarian contexts experiencing low-intensity conflict. Low-intensity conflict is characterized by intense political tensions and violence that is more readily expressed in ways other than direct physical harm. Inspired by Olson’s (2000) maxim that disasters are intrinsically political, this article explores the politics of disaster response by asking what is at stake and what happened, unpacking these questions for state, civil society, and international humanitarian actors. Using data from a total of one year of qualitative fieldwork, the article analyzes disaster governance in 2016 drought-ridden Ethiopia, marked by protests and a State of Emergency; 2015 flooded Myanmar, characterized by explosive identity politics; and 2016–2019 drought-ridden Zimbabwe, with its intense socioeconomic and political turbulence. The study’s findings show how framing and power processes in disaster governance—comprising state and non-state actors—largely lean toward the state, with the consequence that political interests, rather than needs assessments, steer who and what will be protected from disaster impact.
A theoretical investigation of the low‐lying electronic states of the molecule BeH+

A theoretical study at the multireference singles and doubles configuration‐interaction level is reported for the six lowest electronic states of BeH+. Of the four new states described, the 1Π and 3Π are bound states supporting at least 8 and 12 vibrational levels, respectively. Two 3Σ+ states are repulsive. For the two known 1Σ+ states improved results are also presented. For all these states, dipole moments and transition moments have been computed. For the bound states, besides the vibrational levels, transition probabilities, radiative lifetimes, vibrationally averaged dipole moments, and a set of spectroscopic constants are also reported.
Genetic Diversity of South African Indigenous Goat Population from Four Provinces Using Genome-Wide SNP Data

Genome-wide assessments of the genetic landscape of Farm Animal Genetic Resources (FAnGR) are key to developing sustainable breed improvements. Understanding the FAnGR adaptation to different environments and supporting their conservation programs from community initiative to national policymakers is very important. The objective of the study was to investigate the genetic diversity and population structure of communal indigenous goat populations from four provinces of South Africa. Communal indigenous goat populations from the Free State (FS) (n = 24), Gauteng (GP) (n = 28), Limpopo (LP) (n = 30), and North West (NW) (n = 35) provinces were genotyped using the Illumina Goats SNP50 BeadChip. An Illumina Goats SNP50 BeadChip data from commercial meat-type breeds: Boer (n = 33), Kalahari Red (n = 40), and Savanna (n = 31) was used in this study as reference populations. The Ho revealed that the genetic diversity of a population ranged between 0.39 ± 0.11 Ho in LP to 0.42 ± 0.09 Ho in NW. Analysis of molecular variance revealed variations of 3.39% (p < 0.0001) and 90.64% among and within populations, respectively. The first two Principal Component Analyses (PCAs) revealed a unique Limpopo population separated from GP, FS, and NW communal indigenous goat populations with high levels of admixture with commercial goat populations. There were unique populations of Kalahari and Savanna that were observed and admixed individuals. Marker FST (Limpopo versus commercial goat populations) revealed 442 outlier single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) across all chromosomes, and the SNP with the highest FST value (FST = 0.72; chromosome 8) was located on the UHRF2 gene. Population differentiation tests (PCAdapt) revealed PC2 as optimal and five outlier SNPs were detected on chromosomes 10, 15, 20, and 21. The study revealed that the SNPs identified by the first two principal components show high FST values in LP communal goat populations and allowed us to identify candidate genes which can be used in the development of breed selection programs to improve this unique LP population and other communal goat population of FS, GP, and NW, and find genetic factors contributing to the adaptation to harsh environments. Effective management and utilization of South African communal indigenous goat populations is important, and effort should be made to maintain unique genetic resources for conservation.
Evaluation of a Lower-Resource-Dependent Tutoring Program Designed to Improve Introductory Psychology Performance

Supplemental Instruction (SI) is a peer tutoring system shown to increase course grades and reduce dropout, particularly for courses with significant failure/dropout rates. Unfortunately, such systems can place significant time and resource demands on faculty, SI personnel, and higher education institutions, all of which pose impediments to their adoption. Given this concern, an assessment of a less resource-taxing version of SI is presented. Across three sections of Introductory Psychology, 30%–42% of enrolled students attended at least one lower-resource group tutorial session. These students performed significantly better on course exams than did non-attendees, by as much as a letter grade. Further, those who attended more sessions earned higher final course grades. These performance differences do not appear to be due to selection bias; session attendance predicted grades on four of the five course exams, even after controlling for students’ academic ability and motivation. Students who did not participate cited time constraints as the primary reason. Those who did participate perceived most session activities as highly beneficial, especially completing a pre-session study guide and reviewing the answers in-session. Thus, the present tutoring program appears to represent an effective, efficient method of achieving desirable academic outcomes that students regard as worthwhile.
Demonstration of a Duplex Microwave Photonic Filter and Its Reconfigurability in a Frequency Range of 0–10 GHz

In this paper, we have demonstrated a duplex microwave photonic filter system. The reconfigurability of a microwave passband filter by using a birefringent optical filter has also been demonstrated experimentally. The effect of filtering normally depends on the intermodal separation of a multimode laser diode (MLD), as well as the chromatic dispersion parameter and the length of a Single Mode-Standard Fiber (SM-SF). However, in this work, the intermodal separation of the MLD is altered by an optical filter which consists of a section of birefringent optical fiber (BOF) placed between crossed polarizers. Using this filter, six passbands in the frequency range of 0–10 GHz are obtained. Our duplex Microwave Photonic Filter (MPF) system is driven by only a single optical source. Performance evaluation for the filtered passband is also given in terms of the Signal-to-Noise-Ratio (SNR). On average, an SNR of 13.87 dB is obtained for all the passbands generated by our duplex Microwave Photonic Filter (MPF) system. For potential applications, the generated passbands may be used as radio frequency (RF) carriers to transmit analog or digital data in an optical communications system.
Dynamics of ozone and OH radicals generated by pulsed corona discharge in humid-air flow reactor measured by laser spectroscopy

The dynamics of ozone and OH radicals are studied in pulsed corona discharge plasma in a humid-air environment. Ozone density is measured by the laser absorption method, and OH density is measured by the laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) method. A 100-ns pulsed corona discharge occurs between a series of 25 needle electrodes and a plate electrode. After the pulsed discharge, the time evolutions of ozone and OH densities are measured in humid air or a humid nitrogen-oxygen mixture. Results show that the addition of 2.4% water vapor to dry air reduces ozone production by a factor of about 6, and shortens the ozone formation time constant from 30 to 6 μs. Water vapor may reduce atomic oxygen levels leading to the decreased production of ozone by O+O2 reaction. The LIF measurement for OH radicals shows that OH density is approximately constant for 10 μs after the pulsed discharge, then decays by recombination reaction and reactions with the discharge products of oxygen, such as ozone or atomic oxygen. Absolute.
Amino Acid Replacement at Position 228 Induces Fluctuation in the Ω-Loop of KPC-3 and Reduces the Affinity against Oxyimino Cephalosporins: Kinetic and Molecular Dynamics Studies

KPC enzymes are the most common class A carbapenemases globally diffused. The peculiarity of this family of β-lactamases is represented by their ability to hydrolyse all classes of β-lactams, including carbapenems, posing a serious problem to public health. In the present study, seven laboratory mutants of KPC-3 (D228S, D228W, D228M, D228K, D228L, D228I and D228G) were generated by site-saturation mutagenesis to explore the role of residue 228, a non-active site residue. Compared to KPC-3, the seven mutants showed evident differences in kcat and Km values calculated for some penicillins, cephalosporins and carbapenems. In particular, D228S and D228M showed a significant increase of Km values for cefotaxime and ceftazidime. Circular dichroism (CD) experiments have demonstrated that substitution at position 228 does not affect the secondary structure of the mutants. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were performed on KPC-3, D228S and D228M uncomplexed and complexed with cefotaxime (substrate). Although the residue 228 is located far from the active site, between α11 helix and β7 sheet in the opposite site of the Ω-loop, amino acid substitution at this position generates mechanical effects in the active site resulting in enzyme activity changes.
Profile‐Fitting Treatment of Single‐Crystal Diffraction Data

Profile-fitting methods have received great attention in the area of structure analysis from powder diffraction data. Although the use of profile fitting for the reliable extraction of integrated intensities from single-crystal diffraction data has long been proposed in the literature, a limited number of applications and tests of the method have been performed on single-crystal X-ray or neutron diffraction profiles. The profile-fitting technique is here employed to extract integrated intensifies from two troublesome data sets of single-crystal diffraction profiles, one affected by multiple scattering effects (X-ray) and the other showing scan truncation (neutrons). It is shown that the proposed implementation of the profile-fitting procedure has great advantages in producing reliable integrated intensities compared with conventional integration methods. Furthermore, during the data processing, any anomalous diffraction profile is easily detected and proper analysis of instrumental background and scan-truncation effects is performed. The method thus allows effective evaluation of the quality of the treated data set. It is proposed that the profile-fitting technique for the extraction of single-crystal integrated intensities be used routinely when diffraction data of superior quality are needed for crystal structure analysis.
The Implications of a Dialogical Approach to Language Acquisition: the Example of a Research Study on the Acquisition of Referring Expressions

ABSTRACT This paper aims to illustrate the contribution of dialogism to the field of language acquisition. According to dialogical approaches, children do not experience linguistic units and structures per se; they experience language in socially meaningful contexts. More specifically, speech genres, activities and interactional settings appear as mediators between individual discourse, social uses and a particular language. In order to illustrate the implications of a dialogical approach, this paper presents a research study on the acquisition of referring expressions (the DIAREF Project). Referring expressions are particularly relevant because their mastery involves both formal and functional aspects of language. The results show that children’s uses of nouns, personal pronouns, demonstrative pronouns and dislocations are jointly determined by discourse-pragmatic factors, such as the position in the referential chain and socio-discursive factors, such as speech genres, activities and interactional settings.