Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Market choice opportunities for gas sweetening technologies

The assessment of the external or macro-environment in which a company is operating plays an important role in its market research, when it is trying to find the most promising country to sell a new product. Nowadays, the increasing competition is forcing the companies to conduct rigorous market researches in multiple and different stages. In this paper, we focused on building an assessment framework, which will include factors affecting the market choice for an oil and gas treatment process. We have chosen as a case study, the Thiopaq O&G technology, which is a gas sweetening process. We conducted a literature review regarding the existing macro-environmental assessment frameworks in order to extract the most interesting factors for our case study and build a new framework upon them. Then we carried out a survey by sending a questionnaire to the employees working in the O&G industry in order to understand how they rank the identified factors, which are the Political, Economic, Environmental Laws and Competition. Moreover, we attached sub-criteria to each factor in order to have a better insight and be able to rate them from the most to least important. For the data analysis, we used the Best Worst Method (BWM) that is a Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) method, so as to have valuable and reliable results. The result of the data analysis gave as the ranking of the sub-criteria according to their significance and then we used a likert-scale to decide which country is the most promising market to sell Thiopaq O&G. According to our respondents the most important factor is Economic while Competition is ranked last, but their sub-criteria showed an interesting variation. The developed framework is a valuable tool that can be used for other products in the O&G industry, while the sub-criteria can change according to the perceptions of the one who is constructing it. Thus, it is an addition to the existing literature related to the evaluation framework of the external environment.
Vision-based schemas for an autonomous robotic soccer player

This article describes two vision-based behaviors designed for an autonomous robot. These behaviors have been designed and implemented using schemas according to an architecture named DSH (Dynamic Schema Hierarchies), which is also briefly described. The reactive behaviors implemented have been tested in our robotic soccer players, running in EyeBot commercial platforms. The developed behaviors provide the robot with the follow ball, and the follow border capabilities, using only the local camera and the robot on-board low processing power. The design of the control schemas, the algorithms used to analyze the images in perceptual schemas and relevant implementation issues are also described in this paper.
Conducting robust ecological analyses with climate data

Although the number of studies discerning the impact of climate change on ecological systems continues to increase, there has been relatively little sharing of the lessons learnt when accumulating this evidence. At a recent workshop entitled ‘Using climate data in ecological research’ held at the UK Met Office, ecologists and climate scientists came together to discuss the robust analysis of climate data in ecology. The discussions identified three common pitfalls encountered by ecologists: 1) selection of inappropriate spatial resolutions for analysis; 2) improper use of publically available data or code; and 3) insufficient representation of the uncertainties behind the adopted approach. Here, we discuss how these pitfalls can be avoided, before suggesting ways that both ecology and climate science can move forward. Our main recommendation is that ecologists and climate scientists collaborate more closely, on grant proposals and scientific publications, and informally through online media and workshops. More sharing of data and code (e.g. via online repositories), lessons and guidance would help to reconcile differing approaches to the robust handling of data. We call on ecologists to think critically about which aspects of the climate are relevant to their study system, and to acknowledge and actively explore uncertainty in all types of climate data. And we call on climate scientists to make simple estimates of uncertainty available to the wider research community. Through steps such as these, we will improve our ability to robustly attribute observed ecological changes to climate or other factors, while providing the sort of influential, comprehensive analyses that efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change so urgently require.
Building reconstruction from Worldview DEM using image information

In this paper an algorithm is proposed for extraction of 3D models corresponding to the buildings from Digital elevation Models (DEM) produced from Worldview–2 stereo satellite images. The edge information extracted from orthorectified images are used as additional information for 3D reconstruction algorithm. Particularly the complex buildings containing several smaller building parts are discussed. For this purpose, a model driven approach based on the analysis of the 3D points of DEM in a 2D projection plane is proposed. Accordingly, a building region is divided into smaller parts according to the direction and the number of ridge lines for parametric building reconstruction. The 3D model is derived for each building part and finally, a complete parametric building model is formed by merging the 3D models of the building parts and adjusting the nodes after the merging process. For remaining areas which do not contain ridge lines, a prismatic model by approximation of the corresponding polygon is derived and merged to the parametric models to shape the final model of the building.
ADVANCED GABOR LENS LATTICE FOR MEDICAL APPLICATIONS

The widespread introduction of Hadron therapy for cancer treatment is inhibited by the large costs for the accelerator and treatment facility and the subsequent maintenance costs which reflect into the cost per treatment. In the long term future hadrons accelerated by laser beams could offer compact treatment devices with significantly reduced treatment costs, but at the moment the particle distributions produced by such accelerators do not fulfil the medical requirements by far. Nevertheless steady progress in the field should change the situation in future. Besides the reliable production of a sufficient number of ions at the required energy the formation of a particle beam suitable for treatment from the burst of ions created in the acceleration process is one of the major challenges. While conventional optical systems will be operating at the technical limits which would be contradictory to the cost argument, space charge lenses of the Gabor type [8] might be a cost effective alternative. In this paper a beam line consisting of such lenses will be presented together with particle transport simulations.
Meta-analytical approach to explain variation in microbial phosphorus uptake rates in aquatic ecosystems

Despite the fact that microbial uptake represents an important transformation of nutrients in aquatic ecosystems, few comprehensive studies have identified key parameters and evaluated their relative importance in explaining variation in uptake rates. Therefore, we per- formed an assessment of peer-reviewed literature that reported aquatic microbial phosphorus (P) uptake rates. The search yielded 36 different papers which presented results of 102 uptake esti- mates. We then constructed a meta-analysis to examine the effects of key parameters on uptake. Microbial group (benthic, planktonic), source (culture, wild), and sample time (long, short) were significant parameters in explaining observed variation in published P uptake rates. Planktonic microbes had higher P uptake rates (65 µg P µg chl a -1 d �1 ), compared with benthic (9 µg P µg chl a -1 d �1 ). Lower affinity for P by benthic microbes could be attributed to adnate growth forms, which can create boundary layers separating cells from ambient P and promoting internal P cycling. Cultured microbes exhibited higher P uptake rates compared with wild samples, although this trend was not significant (F = 2.63, p = 0.108), suggesting that cultured microbes in these studies represented reasonable analogues. Shorter sampling times yielded over 3-fold higher P uptake rates (58 µg P µg chl a -1 d �1 ) and appear to represent more accurate estimates of gross uptake. Microbes subject to longer time regimes may be physiologically altered by experi- mental conditions; estimates might therefore not reflect instantaneous uptake. Our results high- light the influence of ecological variation on P assimilation and provide criteria for developing a general model to predict observed variation in microbial P uptake rates.
Low-Fat Diet Designed for Weight Loss But Not Weight Maintenance Improves Nitric Oxide-Dependent Arteriolar Vasodilation in Obese Adults

Obesity is associated with microvascular dysfunction. While low-fat diet improves cardiovascular risk, its contributions on microvascular function, independent of weight loss, is unknown. We tested the hypothesis that nitric oxide (NO)-dependent vasodilation in microvessels is improved by low-fat diets designed for weight loss (LFWL) compared to low-fat weight maintenance (LFWM) diet. Obese adults were randomly assigned to either a LFWL diet (n = 11) or LFWM diet (n = 10) for six weeks. Microvessels were obtained from gluteal subcutaneous fat biopsies before and after the intervention for vascular reactivity measurements to acetylcholine (Ach) and flow, with and without L-NAME or indomethacin. Vascular and serum NO and C-reactive protein (CRP) were also measured. LFWL diet increased flow-induced (FID) and ACh-induced dilation (AChID); an effect that was inhibited by L-NAME. Conversely, LFWM diet did not affect FID or AChID. Indomethacin improved FID and AChID in the baseline and this effect was minimized in response to both diets. Serum NO or CRP did not change in response to either diet. In conclusion, LFWL diet improves microvascular reactivity compared to LFWM diet and increased vascular NO contribution to the improved microvascular dilation. These data suggest that weight reduction on low fat diet is critical for microvascular health.
Chronic CagA‐positive Helicobacter pylori infection with MNNG stimulation synergistically induces mesenchymal and cancer stem cell‐like properties in gastric mucosal epithelial cells

A CagA‐positive Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection can cause malignant transformation of human gastric mucosal epithelial cells, and N‐methyl‐N’‐nitro‐N‐nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) is a chemical carcinogen that induces gastric carcinogenesis. Whether this environmental chemocarcinogen may synergistically enhance the risk of H. pylori‐infected gastric cancer remains unclear. In this study, we adopted a chronic CagA‐positive H. pylori infection with or without MNNG coinduction to establish a cellular model in GES‐1 cells and an animal model in C57BL/6J mice. The proliferation, cell phenotype, apoptosis, epithelial‐mesenchymal transition (EMT), stemness and tumorigenicity of gastric mucosal epithelial cells were analyzed in vitro and in vivo. The results showed that chronic H. pylori‐infected GES‐1 cells displayed inhibited apoptosis, abnormal proliferation, enhanced invasion, and migration, increased EMT/mesenchymal phenotype, colony formation and stem cell‐like properties, and enhanced tumorsphere‐formatting efficiency as well as CD44 expression, a known gastric cancer stem cell (CSC) marker. MNNG synergistically promoted the above actions of chronic H. pylori infection. Further studies in chronic H. pylori‐infected C57BL/6J mice models showed that an increased incidence of premalignant lesions in the gastric mucosa tissue of the H. pylori‐infected mice had occurred, the mouse gastric mucosa cells exhibited similar mesenchymal and CSC‐like properties in the above GES‐1 cells, and precancerous lesions and EMT/CSC‐like phenotypes were reinforced by the synergistic action of MNNG stimulation. H. pylori infection and/or MNNG induction were capable of causing enhanced expression and activation of Wnt2 and β‐catenin, indicating that the Wnt/β‐catenin pathway is involved in the actions of H. pylori and MNNG. Taken together, these findings suggest that chronic CagA‐positive H. pylori infection with MNNG stimulation synergistically induces mesenchymal and CSC‐like properties of gastric mucosal epithelial cells.
Nutritive and Anti-Nutritive Evaluation of Kleinhovia hospita , Leucaena leucocephala and Gliricidia sepium with Respect to Their Effects on in Vitro Rumen Fermentation and Gas Production

The nutritive and tannin content of tree forages (Kleinhovia hospita, Leucaena leucocephala, and Gliricidia sepium and their effects on in vitro rumen fermentation, digestibility and gas production were examined. Rumen fluid was obtained from three fistulated Boer goats with an average weight range of 31-32 kg fed forages. The fluid was incubated with 0.2 g of each forage at 39 °C for 48 h to determine the in vitro gas production, DM digestibility, metabolizable energy and volatile fatty acid. The proximate composition and the polyphenol composition of the forage were also evaluated. The experimental design was a completely randomized design and the treatments were K. hospita, L. leucocephala and G. sepium. The chemical composition, percentage of total polyphenol, non-tannin polyphenol, condensed tannin and hydrolysable tannin differed (P<0.05) among the forages. The K. hospita had higher (P<0.05) net gas production and in vitro dry matter digestibility compared with other forages. Similarly, K. hospita had higher (P<0.05) concentration of total volatile fatty acid and propionic acid followed by L. leucocephala and G. sepium. The molar proportion of acetic and butyric acid did not differ among the forages. The outcome of this study present K. hospita as a good potential forage to be used in ruminant diet as a result of better nutrient composition, moderate anti-nutritive value and best ivDMD in comparison with L. leucocephala and G. sepium.
A Three-Phase Hierarchical Algorithm for Detecting Community Structure

Social networks, such as Facebook, Twitter, Renren, Sina Weibo, are rising rapidly in the past dozen years and are taking a more and more important role in our daily life. There's a common feature for social networks: they can be divided into subgroups, within which the network connections are dense, but between which they are sparse. The subgroup is known as community, also named group, cluster or module. Community structure detecting can help discover the potential of social networks. This paper will propose a new algorithm based on the fast GN algorithm in pursuit of an improvement in quality. The algorithm consists of three phases. In the first phase, network will be divided based on the prior knowledge of the degree, during which time, the node with the highest degree in the network will group its neighbor according to a threshold; in the second phase, agglomeration will be done just like the fast GN algorithm; in the third phase, we try to achieve a better community structure by individual vertex moving. In the experiment, our algorithm will be compared with the fast improved GN algorithms and results show that our algorithm has a better in terms of the modularity and NMI, which are the index to measure the quality of community structure, and are proposed respectively by Newman and Lancichinetti.
XVI. HST/STIS abundances of heavy elements in the uranium-rich metal-poor star CS 31082-001 ?;??

Context. The origin and site(s) of the r-process nucleosynthesis is(are) still not known with certainty, but complete, detailed r-element abundances o er our best clues. The few extremely metal-poor (EMP) stars with large r-element excesses allow us to study the r-process signatures in great detail, with minimal interference from later stages of Galactic evolution. CS 31082-001 is an outstanding example of the information that can be gathered from these exceptional stars. Aims. Here we aim to complement our previous abundance determinations for third-peak r-process elements with new and improved results for elements of the first and second r-process peaks from near-UV HST/STIS and optical UVES spectra. These results should provide new insight into the nucleosynthesis of the elements beyond iron. Methods. The spectra were analyzed by a consistent approach based on an OSMARCS LTE model atmosphere and the Turbospectrum spectrum synthesis code to derive abundances of heavy elements in CS 31082-001, and using updated oscillator strengths from the recent literature. Synthetic spectra were computed for all lines of the elements of interest to check for proper line intensities and possible blends in these crowded spectra. Our new abundances were combined with the best previous results to provide reliable mean abundances for the first and second-peak r-process elements. Results. We present new abundances for 23 neutron-capture elements, 6 of which ‐ Ge, Mo, Lu, Ta, W, and Re ‐ have not been reported before. This makes CS 31082-001 the most completely studied r-II star, with abundances for a total of 37 neutron-capture elements. We also present the first NLTE+3D abundance of lead in this star, further constraining the nature of the r-process.
Electrodeposition of nickel nanoflowers on screen-printed electrodes and their application to non-enzymatic determination of sugars

In this work, the electrodeposition of nickel on screen-printed carbon electrodes was carried out. As the main novelty, a galvanostatic electrodeposition methodology (application of a constant current for a specific time) was chosen to perform the electrodeposition from a Ni(II) solution. Interestingly, these conditions were able to generate nickel nanoflowers of 160 nm all over the surface. The nickel nanoflowers showed a great electrocatalytic effect towards the oxidation of reducing sugars. After the characterization of the electrode surface and the optimization of the experimental conditions, the non-enzymatic electrochemical device was employed for the determination of reducing sugars. A linear range of 25–1000 μM was obtained, showing good performance for the determination of sugars at low concentrations. The reproducibility was 5.5% (intraelectrode) and 6.9% (interelectrode), indicating a high precision using the same or different devices. After fabrication, the electrode is stable at least for 35 days, even using the same device to carry out measurements on different days. Real food samples such as honey and orange juice were also evaluated with the nickel nanoflower electrochemical device.
SOLID STATE FERMENTATION OF LACCASE FROM NEW PULSE HUSKS: PROCESS OPTIMIZATION AND BIOPROCESS STUDY

A comparative study was done for feasibility of pulse husk waste (Green gram husk (GgH), Black gram husk (BgH), Bengal gram husk (BegH) and Red gram husk (RgH)) as substrates for laccase production by Pleurotus ostreatus 1804 under solid state fermentation. Various process parameters like incubation time, pH of the culture, initial moisture content, particle size, inoculum size, substrate loading, and effect of inducer (2,5-xylidene) on laccase production were investigated. To characterize the solid substrate (pulse husks) before and after fermentation FT-IR, substrate components (cellulose, total carbohydrates, and lignin) and CHNS analysis were done. Inducer enhanced 2-fold of the laccase yield at optimized culture conditions. GgH was proven to be the best source for laccase production with maximum yield of 2200 U compared to all other substrate studied [1350 U (BgH), 1010 U (BegH) and 810U (RgH)].
Development of maize-potato tortilla chips: A nutritious and low fat snack food

The present study was carried out to develop maize potato tortilla chips by substituting maize chips with fresh potato mash and dehydrated potato flour. Three potato cultivars viz. ‘K.Chipsona-1’, ‘K. Chandramukhi (Processing cultivars) and ‘K. Pukhraj’ (table cultivar) were evaluated to find out their suitability for preparation of maize potato tortilla chips. The developed product was analyzed for physico chemical, bioactive and sensory properties. Moisture and ash content of the prepared product ranged 2.20 – 2.85% and 3.10 – 3.34%, respectively. Protein content was significantly (p<0.05) higher in control (without potato) chips compared to potato-supplemented chips. Oil uptake significantly decreased on supplementation with potato. A significant increase in the total phenolic content and total antioxidant activity of potato supplementated chips was found. Within the potato cultivars, tortilla chips prepared form ‘K.Pukhraj’ showed the highest total phenolic content and total antioxidant activity. Significant (p<0.05) difference in bioactive composition was observed in tortilla chips prepared from potato mash and potato flour. Also storage of maize potato tortilla chips for 3 months resulted in significant changes in total phenolic content and total antioxidant activity. Rancidity parameters in terms of free fatty acids and peroxide value showed slight but significant (P<0.05) increase with the progression of storage period. Results on the sensory quality evaluation revealed that tortilla chips prepared from all the three cultivars were highly acceptable for up to 3 months of storage. Also, no significant difference was observed in acceptability of the product prepared from fresh potato mash and potato flour, which indicates that these chips can be successfully prepared from both fresh as well as dehydrated potato.
Hybrid sup-norm bounds for Maass newforms of powerful level

Let f be an L^2-normalized Hecke--Maass cuspidal newform of level N, character \chi and Laplace eigenvalue \lambda. Let N_1 denote the smallest integer such that N|N_1^2 and N_0 denote the largest integer such that N_0^2 |N. Let M denote the conductor of \chi and define M_1= M/\gcd(M,N_1). In this paper, we prove the bound |f|_\infty \ll_{\eps} N_0^{1/6 + \eps} N_1^{1/3+\eps} M_1^{1/2} \lambda^{5/24+\eps}, which generalizes and strengthens previously known upper bounds for |f|_\infty. This is the first time a hybrid bound (i.e., involving both N and \lambda) has been established for |f|_\infty in the case of non-squarefree N. The only previously known bound in the non-squarefree case was in the N-aspect; it had been shown by the author that |f|_\infty \ll_{\lambda, \eps} N^{5/12+\eps} provided M=1. The present result significantly improves the exponent of N in the above case. If N is a squarefree integer, our bound reduces to |f|_\infty \ll_\eps N^{1/3 + \eps}\lambda^{5/24 + \eps}, which was previously proved by Templier. The key new feature of the present work is a systematic use of p-adic representation theoretic techniques and in particular a detailed study of Whittaker newforms and matrix coefficients for GL_2(F) where F is a local field.