Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparison of measured and calculated collision efficiencies at low temperatures

Abstract. Interactions of atmospheric aerosols with clouds influence cloud properties and modify the aerosol life cycle. Aerosol particles act as cloud condensation nuclei and ice nucleating particles or become incorporated into cloud droplets by scavenging. For an accurate description of aerosol scavenging and ice nucleation in contact mode, collision efficiency between droplets and aerosol particles needs to be known. This study derives the collision rate from experimental contact freezing data obtained with the ETH CoLlision Ice Nucleation CHamber (CLINCH). Freely falling 80 μm diameter water droplets are exposed to an aerosol consisting of 200 and 400 nm diameter silver iodide particles of concentrations from 500 to 5000 and 500 to 2000 cm−3, respectively, which act as ice nucleating particles in contact mode. The experimental data used to derive collision efficiency are in a temperature range of 238–245 K, where each collision of silver iodide particles with droplets can be assumed to result in the freezing of the droplet. An upper and lower limit of collision efficiency is also estimated for 800 nm diameter kaolinite particles. The chamber is kept at ice saturation at a temperature range of 236 to 261 K, leading to the slow evaporation of water droplets giving rise to thermophoresis and diffusiophoresis. Droplets and particles bear charges inducing electrophoresis. The experimentally derived collision efficiency values of 0.13, 0.07 and 0.047–0.11 for 200, 400 and 800 nm particles are around 1 order of magnitude higher than theoretical formulations which include Brownian diffusion, impaction, interception, thermophoretic, diffusiophoretic and electric forces. This discrepancy is most probably due to uncertainties and inaccuracies in the description of thermophoretic and diffusiophoretic processes acting together. This is, to the authors' knowledge, the first data set of collision efficiencies acquired below 273 K. More such experiments with different droplet and particle diameters are needed to improve our understanding of collision processes acting together.
Adhesion in the wheel–rail contact

To attract more customers and compete with other modes of transportation, railway transport needs to ensure safety, punctuality, high comfort, and low cost; wheel–rail adhesion, i.e., the transmitted tangential force in the longitudinal direction during driving and braking, plays an important role in all these aspects. Adhesion needs to be kept at a certain level for railway operation and maintenance. However, wheel−rail contact is an open system contact. Different contaminants can present between the wheel and rail surfaces, forming a third-body layer that affects the adhesion. Prediction of wheel–rail adhesion is important for railway operations and research into vehicle dynamics; however, this prediction is difficult because of the presence of contaminants. This thesis deals with wheel–rail adhesion from a tribological perspective. The five appended papers discuss wheel–rail adhesion in terms of dry conditions, lubricated conditions, leaf contamination, iron oxides, and environmental conditions. The research methodologies used are numerical modelling, scaled laboratory experiments, and field tests. The research objective is to understand the mechanisms of the adhesion loss phenomenon. A numerical model was developed to predict wheel–rail adhesion based on real measured 3D surfaces. Computer simulation indicates that surface topography has a larger impact on lubricated than on dry contacts. Plastic deformation in asperities is found to be very important in the model. Ball-on-disc tests indicate that water can give an extremely low adhesion coefficient on smooth surfaces, possibly due to surface oxidation. Investigation of lubricated contacts at low speed indicates that oil reduces the adhesion coefficient by carrying a normal load, while adhesion loss due to water depends on the surface topography, water temperature, and surface oxidation. A field investigation indicates that leaves reduce the friction coefficient because of the chemical reaction between leaves and bulk materials. The thickness of the surface oxide layer was found to be an essential factor determining adhesion reduction. Pin-on-disc experiments found a transition in the friction coefficient with regard to the relative humidity, due to a trade-off between the water molecule film and the hematite on the surface.
IN SILICO PREDICTION OF REGULATORY ELEMENTS AND CORRESPONDING PROTEIN-DNA INTERACTIONS IN PLANT PROMOTERS

The importance of cis or trans acting regulatory elements in gene regulation is quite obvious. Exploring these elements in vivo demands extensive experimentation and is time intensive. In silico methods of predicting these elements have been developed in this regard. In present study around 300 promoters belonging to monocots, dicots and algae were analysed through Consite tool for prediction of regulatory elements. Many putative regulatory elements of diverse functions were found in these promoters. In monocots, TATA-binding proteins (TBP), in dicots, hunchback and in Algae, aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator (ARNT) were abundantly represented with 55, 33 and 86% respectively. It was observed that all three plant groups exhibited different families of transcription factors like basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH), basic helixloop-helix leucine zipper (bHLH-ZIP), Forkhead, RUNT, HOMEO-ZIP, zinc finger (ZN-FINGER), REL, Nuclear receptor, MADS, bZIP and TATA-box. Moreover, selected transcription factors were explored through HADDOCK Webserver to predict possible interactions between their corresponding regulatory elements. It was observed that hydrogen bonds were mostly involved in these interactions. In addition, Lysine and Arginine were mainly found to be associated in establishing these interactions with thymine base.
On the Fit of New Keynesian Models

This article provides new tools for the evaluation of dynamic stochastic general equilibrium (DSGE) models and applies them to a large-scale new Keynesian model. We approximate the DSGE model by a vector autoregression, and then systematically relax the implied cross-equation restrictions and document how the model fit changes. We also compare the DSGE model's impulse responses to structural shocks with those obtained after relaxing its restrictions. We find that the degree of misspecification in this large-scale DSGE model is no longer so large as to prevent its use in day-to-day policy analysis, yet is not small enough to be ignored.
Drying Spirulina with Foam Mat Drying at Medium Temperature

Spirulina is a single cell blue green microalgae (Cyanobacteria) containing many Phytonutrients (Beta-carotene, Chlorophyl, Xanthophyl, Phyocianin) using as anti-carcinogen in food. Producing dry spirulina by quick drying process at medium temperature is very important to retain the Phytonutrient quality. Currently, the work is still challenging due to the gel formation that block the water diffusion from inside to the surface. This research studies the performance of foam-mat drying on production of dry spirulina. In this method the spirulina was mixed with foaming agent (glair/egg albumen, popular as white egg) at 2.5% by weight at air velocity 2.2 m/sec. Here, the effect of spirulina thickness and operational temperature on drying time and quality (Beta-carotene and color) were observed. The drying time was estimated based on the measurement of water content in spirulina versus time. Result showed that the thicker spirulina, the longer drying time. Conversely, the higher operational temperature, faster drying time. At thickness ranging 1-3 mm and operational temperature below 70 o C, the quality of spirulina can fit the market requirement
Introduction of Drug Round Tabard and Checklist to Reduce Interruptions and Error in Medication Administration.

Medication administration errors are common, costly and the cause of adverse events in clinical practice. Interruptions during medication administration rounds are thought to be a prominent causative factor of these errors. The change chosen for this project was the introduction of drug round tabards in a long term care facility for the elderly. The aim was to reduce non-urgent interruptions during drug rounds, reduce the incidents of medication errors, enhance patient safety, safe time and promote compliance with professional and national standards on medication management. Disposable red tabards embroidered front and back with ‘Drug round in progress, do not disturb’ and checklist were introduced. The HSE change model was applied as a framework for the design and implementation of the change project. A total of 66(n=66) drug rounds- 33 pre-implementation and 33 postimplementation were observed for 2 weeks each.
A Qualitative Investigation of Fixed Versus Growth Mindsets of Third and Fourth Grade Students

The purpose of this study was to explore individual mindsets of elementary students and determine the extent to which mindsets reflect fixed or growth perspectives. During this qualitative study, individual interviews were conducted with third and fourth grade students, including ESL (English Second Language) students, middle class students as well poverty stricken students, special education students, and gifted students that attend South Heights Elementary. The findings report the mindsets of fixed or growth perspectives on perseverance through failures and personal grit. Conclusions were drawn based on the findings gathered to determine a correlation between students’ mindsets and their involvement with a consistent, supportive adult as well as their current socioeconomic status.
Factors Affecting the Homing of Fall Chinook Salmon from Columbia River Hatcheries

Abstract Straying results in an exchange of individuals between wild and hatchery salmon populations and is important because it could affect their genetic differences. Understanding what factors affect straying could help in the development of procedures for controlling the influence of specific stocks on nearby populations. We explore the effects of release date and the transportation of juvenile Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha on straying by adults from two Columbia River hatcheries. Early and late releases from Washougal Hatchery produced much higher straying levels than intermediate release dates, and this pattern was consistent among brood years. Fish reared at Grays River Hatchery and released from Washougal Hatchery strayed significantly more than local (i.e., Washougal) fish of the same brood year and release date. Our results and those from previous studies indicate that the sequence of imprinting events is characterized by the combination of the time at which the fish experience given l.
Observational calibration of the projection factor of Cepheids - III. The long-period Galactic Cepheid RS Puppis

The projection factor ( p -factor) is an essential component of the classical Baade-Wesselink (BW) technique, which is commonly used to determine the distances to pulsating stars. It is a multiplicative parameter used to convert radial velocities into pulsational velocities. As the BW distances are linearly proportional to the p -factor, its accurate calibration for Cepheids is of critical importance for the reliability of their distance scale. We focus on the observational determination of the p -factor of the long-period Cepheid RS Pup ( P = 41.5 days). This star is particularly important as this is one of the brightest Cepheids in the Galaxy and an analog of the Cepheids used to determine extragalactic distances. An accurate distance of 1910 ± 80 pc (± 4.2%) has recently been determined for RS Pup using the light echoes propagating in its circumstellar nebula. We combine this distance with new VLTI/PIONIER interferometric angular diameters, photometry, and radial velocities to derive the p -factor of RS Pup using the code Spectro-Photo-Interferometry of Pulsating Stars (SPIPS). We obtain p = 1.250 ± 0.064 ( ± 5.1%), defined for cross-correlation radial velocities. Together with measurements from the literature, the p -factor of RS Pup confirms the good agreement of a constant \hbox{$\overline{p}=\meanp \pm \meanperr\ (\pm \meanprelerr\%)$} model with the observations. We conclude that the p -factor of Cepheids is constant or mildly variable over a broad range of periods (3.7 to 41.5 days).
Structure and magnetic properties of hollandite Ba1.2Mn8O16

The synthesis, crystal structure and magnetic properties of Ba1.2Mn8O16, obtained using a KCl mineralizer, are reported. This material crystallizes in the monoclinic hollandite structure, containing Mn–O double chains (space group: I 2/m, a = 10.052(1) Å, b = 2.8579(2) Å, c = 9.7627(10) Å, β = 89.96(1)°), and undergoes a magnetic transition at 40 K with the magnetization having a small ferromagnetic component. The ordering temperature is nearly 10 times lower than expected from the Weiss temperature of −385 K, evidencing magnetic frustration. Preliminary neutron powder diffraction studies suggest a complex spin arrangement within the ac-plane (perpendicular to the chain axis). The resistivity is consistent with one-dimensional variable range hopping.
Efficient Density Evaluation for Smooth Kernels

Given a kernel function k(.,.) and a dataset P⊂ R^d, the kernel density function of P at a point xε R^d is equal to KDF_P(x):= 1/|P| Σ_yεP k(x, y). Kernel density evaluation has numerous applications, in scientific computing, statistics, computer vision, machine learning and other fields. In all of them it is necessary to evaluate KDF_P(x) quickly, often for many inputs x and large point-sets P. In this paper we present a collection of algorithms for efficient KDF evaluation under the assumptions that the kernel k is "smooth", i.e. the value changes at most polynomially with the distance. This assumption is satisfied by several well-studied kernels, including the (generalized) t-student kernel and rational quadratic kernel. For smooth kernels, we give a data structure that, after O(dn log (Φ n)/ε^2) preprocessing, estimates KDF_P(x) up to a factor of 1 ± ε in O(dlog (Φ n)/ε^2) time, where Phi; is the aspect ratio. The log(Φn) term can be further replaced by log n under an additional decay condition on k, which is satisfied by the aforementioned examples. We further extend the results in two ways. First, we use low-distortion embeddings to extend the results to kernels defined for spaces other than ℓ_2. The key feature of this reduction is that the distortion of the embedding affects only the running time of the algorithm, not the accuracy of the estimation. As a result, we obtain (1+ε)-approximate estimation algorithms for kernels over other ℓ_p norms, Earth-Mover Distance, and other metric spaces. Second, for smooth kernels that are decreasing with distance, we present a general reduction from density estimation to approximate near neighbor in the underlying space. This allows us to construct algorithms for general doubling metrics, as well as alternative algorithms for l_p norms and other spaces.
Developments of Finite-Frequency Seismic Theory and Applications to Regional Tomographic Imaging

Abstract : We use "banana-doughnut" sensitivity kernels of teleseismic body waves to image the crust and mantle beneath eastern Eurasia. We have collected and processed available broadband data from both permanent stations and temporary networks in eastern Eurasia. In southeast Tibet, where a PASSCAL experiment provided a dense station coverage, a detailed study is carried out to obtain high-resolution P- and Svelocity models. A regional P-wave velocity model for eastern Eurasia is also obtained by inverting the finite-frequency traveltimes of teleseismic body waves from available broadband stations in eastern Eurasia. To improve resolution in the crust and uppermost mantle, we have made several contributions to the finite-difference, scattering-integral method (FDSIM), including the finite-frequency sensitivity kernels for head waves and component-dependent sensitivities. We have also developed surface-wave tomography using the ambient seismic noise from 3D sensitivity kernels for finite-frequency Green's functions. We demonstrate that high-resolution tomographic models of the crust and upper mantle can be achieved using finite-frequency teleseismic body waves in places with dense stations, such as southeast Tibet. We show that the continental-scale P velocity model obtained from finite-frequency teleseismic body wave tomography is comparable to that of the high-resolution study in southeast Tibet.
Source apportionment and dynamic changes of carbonaceous aerosols during the haze bloom-decay process in China based on radiocarbon and organic molecular tracers

Abstract. Fine carbonaceous aerosols (CAs) is the key factor influencing the currently filthy air in megacities in China, yet few studies simultaneously focus on the origins of different CAs species using specific and powerful source tracers. Here, we present a detailed source apportionment for various CAs fractions, including organic carbon (OC), water-soluble OC (WSOC), water-insoluble OC (WIOC), elemental carbon (EC) and secondary OC (SOC) in the largest cities of North (Beijing, BJ) and South China (Guangzhou, GZ), using the measurements of radiocarbon and anhydrosugars. Results show that non-fossil fuel sources such as biomass burning and biogenic emission make a significant contribution to the total CAs in Chinese megacities: 56 ± 4 in BJ and 46 ± 5 % in GZ, respectively. The relative contributions of primary fossil carbon from coal and liquid petroleum combustions, primary non-fossil carbon and secondary organic carbon (SOC) to total carbon are 19, 28 and 54 % in BJ, and 40, 15 and 46 % in GZ, respectively. Non-fossil fuel sources account for 52 in BJ and 71 % in GZ of SOC, respectively. These results suggest that biomass burning has a greater influence on regional particulate air pollution in North China than in South China. We observed an unabridged haze bloom-decay process in South China, which illustrates that both primary and secondary matter from fossil sources played a key role in the blooming phase of the pollution episode, while haze phase is predominantly driven by fossil-derived secondary organic matter and nitrate.
Enhancement of Cognitive Abilities of an Agent-Robot on the Basis of Image Recognition and Sound Perception

The objective of this work is to enhance the cognitive abilities of an agent robot (ARb), a model of a human. This article considers a new approach to ARb simulation, consisting of the utilization of a direct analogy between the functions of specific organs of the human brain/head and the "brain/head" of a model, between the life of a human and the "life" of a model. The model of a Homo Sapiens is constructed as an intellectual agent integrated with a humanoid robot. The task set is to construct an ARb that must be able to read and write, to understand its situation in the world, the meaning of its actions, and the semantics of the text it processes. An ARb achieves the high cognitive abilities mentioned above because, like a human, from the moment of its "birth" it learns a natural language, first and foremost such as the names of objects and phenomena it sees and recognises. It is proposed that an ARb will be taught, including language teaching, in a group of both fellow robots and humans, under the tutelage of a teacher. The growth of the cognitive abilities of an ARb is also achieved thanks to the evolution of a "population of reproducing agents" (our article [1]). For "reproduction", it is proposed that we should separate the "private life" of an ARb from its operating functions ("service"), i.e. to separate the "private" and the "service" spheres in the ARb software.
Further attempts to clarify the importance of category variability for categorisation

The issue of how category variability affects classification of novel instances is an important one for assessing theories of categorisation, yet previous research cannot provide a compelling conclusion. In five experiments we reexamine some of the factors thought to affect participant performance. In Experiments 1 and 2, participants almost always classified the test item as belonging to the high variability category. By contrast, in Experiment 3 we employed an alternative experimental paradigm, where the difference in variability of the two categories was less salient. In that case, participants tended to classify a test item as belonging to the low variability category. Two additional experiments (4 and 5) explored in detail the differences between Experiments 1, 2 on the one hand, and 3 on the other. Some insight into the underlying psychological processes can be provided by computational models of categorisation, and we focus on the continuous version of Anderson's (1991) Rational Model, which has not been explored before in this context. The model predicts that test instances exactly halfway between the prototypes of two categories should be classified into the more variable category, consistent with the bulk of empirical findings. We also provided a comparison with a slightly reduced version of the Generalised Context Model (GCM) to show that its predictions are consistent with those from the Rational Model, for our stimulus sets.
Preparation and Evaluation of Inhalable Sustained Release Sildenafil Citrate Solid Lipid Microparticles Dispersions

This is a preliminary study utilizing drug targeting approach for developing sildenafil citrate (SFC) pulmonary delivery system, a first – line for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) treatment and hence reducing the dose and the side effects. The closed melt method was employed for preparing SFC – solid lipid microparticles dispersions (SFC – SLMDs), a non – solvent technique aid in the production of drug – matrix dispersions with sustained release properties. Glyceryl behenate (GB) (Compritol® 888 ATO) was used as the retarding matrix and the results shown that as its ratio increase there was a decrease in the fine particle fraction, an increase in the drug content and a prolong drug release pattern. The best model fit the release data was Higuchi – Matrix model which indicates drug diffusion – controlled releasing mechanism. Thus, inhaled SFC – SLMDs dry powder will improve PAH treatment via drug localization at low doses and reducing the administration frequency.
Greige cotton comber noils for sustainable nonwovens

The aim of this study was to determine feasibility of utilizing greige (non-bleached) cotton comber noils in the development of hydroentangled cotton fabrics for certain end-use products and thereby to promote an economically and environmentally efficient utilization of cotton in sustainable textile products. The data from the feasibility study show that greige comber noils can be efficiently processed into nonwoven fabrics using an air-laid system for preparing a fibrous batt to feed a down-stream hydroentangling system. Furthermore, the study has shown that, for certain specific end-use applications where bleaching is required, the hydroentangled greige cotton fabric can be efficiently bleached without the customary costly and time consuming cotton scouring process. The elimination of the scouring process was made possible by the removal of cotton's natural hydrophobic contaminants (waxes) by optimizing the hydraulic pressure/energy metrics of the hydroentanglement process of producing nonwoven fabrics.