Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Modeling and simulation of a continuous biomass hydrothermal carbonization process

Abstract This work evaluates a continuous biomass hydrothermal carbonization process through modeling and steady state simulation using the UniSim Design process simulator. The reactive process was divided into four stages: biomass hydrolysis, intermediate compounds degradation, aromatics formation, and polymerization process, which make it possible to obtain the solid product or hydrochar. Pure biomass types and their mixtures were compared, considering hydrochar and carbon yields, H/C, and O/C ratios, and their deviation from the batch process. The results of hydrochar yield indicated that biomass with high cellulose content can perform satisfactorily in the proposed model. In addition, the possibility of carrying out the process in reactive stages together with the recirculation of liquid product, allowed a greater yield with respect to the batch process. It is concluded that the proposed model improves the characteristics of the obtained hydrochar compared to its crude biomass, achieving lower proportions of hydrogen and oxygen in the solid product.
Quantitative analysis of Pb in soil samples by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy with a simplified standard addition method

In this work, different soil samples were extracted from seven sites in the vicinity of the Northwest China Lead–Zinc Smelter. A simplified standard addition method with LIBS (SAM-LIBS) was proposed to carry out quantitative analysis of Pb in solid soil samples. The method proposed in this work can be used for rapid assessment of the contaminants in soils.
High Tunnel Apricot Production in Frost-prone Northern New Mexico

Late frost is the number one issue challenging fruit production in northern New Mexico. We had apricot (Prunus armeniaca) trees in an open field planting at Alcalde, NM, and not a single fruit was harvested from 2001 through 2014. Apricot trees in surrounding communities produce sporadic crops. In 2012, we planted apricots in two 16 × 40-ft high tunnels (9.5-ft high point). Trees were trained to a spindle system in one high tunnel and an upright fruiting offshoot (UFO) system in the other, and there were identical plantings in the open field for each high tunnel. Supplemental heating was provided starting at blooming time. There were five cultivars planted in each high tunnel at 4 × 8-ft spacing in a randomized complete block design with two replications (rows) and two trees per cultivar in each plot. In 2015, relatively high yields were obtained from all cultivars. The average yields for the spindle system were (lb/tree): ‘Puget Gold’ (29.0), ‘Harcot’ (24.1), ‘Golden Amber’ (19.6), ‘Chinese Apricot’ (18.6), and ‘Katy’ (16.7). Yields for the UFO system were (lb/tree): ‘Golden Amber’ (18.6), ‘Katy’ (14.9), ‘Puget Gold’ (11.3), ‘Chinese Apricot’ (10.2), and ‘Harcot’ (8.6). On average across all cultivars, the UFO system produced 60% of the yield of the spindle system in 2015. A heating device is necessary for high tunnel apricot fruit production in northern New Mexico because trees normally bloom in early to late March, depending on the year, while frosts can continue until mid-May. In years like 2017 and 2018 with temperatures below 10 °F in late February/early March, some of the expanded flower buds were killed before bloom. On those cold nights, one 100-lb tank of propane may or may not be enough for 1 night’s frost protection. Economically, it would not be feasible in those years. Only in years with a cool spring, late-blooming trees, and mild temperatures in April and May can high tunnel apricot production generate positive revenue with high, direct-market prices. High tunnel apricot production with heating devices is still risky and cannot guarantee a reliable crop in northern New Mexico or similar areas.
The Excellence Of Play

When reading the PDF, you can see how the author is very reliable in using the words to create sentences. It will be also the ways how the author creates the diction to influence many people. But, it's not nonsense, it is something. Something that will lead you is thought to be better. Something that will make your feel so better. And something that will give you new things. This is it, the excellence of play.
The functional trait space of tree species is influenced by the species richness of the canopy and the type of forest

Analysing how species modify their trait expression along a diversity gradient brings insight about the role that intraspecific variability plays over species interactions, e.g. competition versus complementarity. Here, we evaluated the functional trait space of nine tree species dominant in three types of European forests (a continental‐Mediterranean, a mountainous mixed temperate and a boreal) growing in communities with different species richness in the canopy, including pure stands. We compiled whole‐plant and leaf traits in 1719 individuals, and used them to quantify species trait hypervolumes in communities with different tree species richness. We investigated changes along the species richness gradient to disentangle species responses to the neighbouring environment, in terms of hypervolume size (trait variance), shape (trait relative importance) and centroid translation (shifts of mean trait values) using null models. Our main results showed differences in trait variance and shifts of mean values along the tree diversity gradient, with shorter trees but with larger crowns in mixed stands. We found constrained functional spaces (trait convergence) in pure stands, suggesting an important intraspecific competition, and expanded functional spaces (trait divergence) in two‐species admixtures, suggesting competition release due to interspecific complementarity. Nevertheless, further responses to increasing species richness were different for each forest type, waning species complementarity in sites with limiting conditions for growth. Our results demonstrate that tree species phenotypes respond to the species richness in the canopy in European forests, boosting species complementarity at low level of canopy diversity and with a site‐specific pattern at greater level of species richness. These outcomes evidence the limitation of functional diversity measures based only on traits from pure stands or general trait database values.
Scenario-based Drama as a Tool for Investigating User Requirements with Application to Home Monitoring for Elderly People

Drama on video is being used as a tool to investigate user requirements for a fall detector within the context of a monitoring system based on visual tracking. The system is being designed to have the ability to provide passive monitoring in the homes of older people so that in the case of a fall being detected, the emergency services are called automatically. As with any such system, it is important that its presence is seen as supportive and not invasive. Drama has been found to be an effective way to focus potential users on discussions about the usage of the system, prior to important design decisions being made. This paper reports on the first stage of an iterative process and the fall detector design decisions made as a result of discussions with potential user groups. Issues to be considered in future work are discussed briefly.
Mesoporous Alumina Affinities for Metals as a Function of pH

One important application for mesoporous alumina is as the adsorbent for retaining Molybdenum-99m in the Molybdenum/Technetium generators used for medical imaging throughout the world. In 2016, Fujimi created a novel mesoporous alumina material that could retain 6x, by weight, the amount of molybdenum than other commercially available mesoporous aluminas. Research has continued with several different mesoporous aluminas to study the affinity for different metal ions and how that affinity is affected by changes in pH. One commercially available mesoporous alumina, Brockmann, and two Fujimi prepared materials, MA2HS-B and MA C were used as the adsorbent materials. The following metal ions were studied: arsenic, calcium, cadmium, chromium, cobalt, copper, lead, lithium, nickel, magnesium, titanium, zinc, and zirconium. The pH range studied started as low as 1.5 and was increased to as high as 5.2 with dilute KOH. At pH values less than 2.5, the stability of each of the aluminas was compromised and as a result retention was generally low for all of the materials. At pH levels of around 2.5, many of the metals showed a moderate affinity for each of the aluminas, with the exception of arsenic, titanium, and zirconium, which showed complete absorption for each of the aluminas tested. At a pH of around 5.0, most metals showed an increased absorption for each alumina. The exceptions are lithium and magnesium which had a fairly low retention for every test condition. Fujimi’s MA C material was shown to be superior at pH levels greater than 2.0 than the other tested materials in this study. None of the tested aluminas are suitable for use in conditions requiring a pH of less than 2.0.
Seasonal characteristics of trace gas transport into the extratropical upper troposphere and lower stratosphere

Abstract. To investigate the seasonal characteristics of trace gas distributions in the extratropical upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (ExUTLS) as well as stratosphere–troposphere exchange processes, origin fractions of air masses originating in the stratosphere, tropical troposphere, midlatitude lower troposphere (LT), and high-latitude LT in the ExUTLS are estimated using 10-year backward trajectories calculated with European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) ERA-Interim data as the meteorological input. Time series of trace gases obtained from ground-based and airborne observations are incorporated into the trajectories, thus reconstructing spatiotemporal distributions of trace gases in the ExUTLS. The reconstructed tracer distributions are analyzed with the origin fractions and the stratospheric age of air (AoA) estimated using the backward trajectories. The reconstructed distributions of SF6 and CO2 in the ExUTLS are linearly correlated with those of AoA because of their chemically passive behavior and quasi-stable increasing trends in the troposphere. Distributions of CH4, N2O, and CO are controlled primarily by chemical decay along the transport path from the source region via the stratosphere and subsequent mixing of such stratospheric air masses with tropospheric air masses in the ExUTLS.
The cell-penetrating FOXM1 N-terminus (M1-138) demonstrates potent inhibitory effects on cancer cells by targeting FOXM1 and FOXM1-interacting factor SMAD3

Transcription factor FOXM1 is involved in stimulating cell proliferation, enhancing DNA damage repair, promoting metastasis of cancer cells, and the inhibition of FOXM1 has been shown to prevent the initiation and progression of multiple cancers and FOXM1 is considered to be an effective target for tumor therapeutic drug development. The N-terminus of FOXM1 has been found to prevent transcriptional activities of FOXM1 and to mediate the interaction between FOXM1 and SMAD3. Methods: A recombinant FOXM1 N-terminal domain (1-138aa) fused with a nine arginine cell-penetrating peptide is produced with an E. coli expression system and named as M1-138. The effects of M1-138 on the proliferation, migration, and tumorigenic ability of cancer cells are analyzed in vitro with cell counting, transwell assays, and colony formation assays. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSAs) and Luciferase activity assays are used to test the DNA binding ability and transcriptional activity of transcription factors. The levels of mRNAs and proteins are measured by quantitative-PCR, Western blotting or Immunohistochemistry. The interactions among proteins are analyzed with Pull-down and Co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) assays. The nude mouse engrafted tumor models are used to test the inhibitory effects of M1-138 in vivo. Results: M1-138 diminishes the proliferation and migration abilities of cancer cells through binding to FOXM1 and FOXM1-interacting factor SMAD3, and consequently attenuating FOXM1 transcriptional activities from both direct and indirect FOXM1-promoter binding mechanisms and interfering with the interaction between FOXM1 and SMAD3. Treatment of M1-138 prevents tumorigenicity of cancer cells and inhibits tumor growth in nude mouse xenograft models with no obvious signs of toxicity. Conclusion: M1-138 is a promising drug candidate for the development of anti-cancer therapeutics targeting FOXM1 and SMAD3.
Extension of floating-point filters to absolute and relative errors for numerical computation

Although numerical computation is very fast, however, the results may not be accurate due to the accumulation of rounding errors. Consequently, much research has focussed on ways to verifying the accuracy of approximate solutions. Floating-point filters are one such technique. These can, for example, be used to guarantee the signs of computed results, such as those of the matrix determinants that are so important in the computational geometry field. In this paper, we extend floating-point filters to guarantee absolute and relative errors.
Efektivitas Dosis dan Aplikasi Pupuk Npk Majemuk Pada Fase Vegetatif Pada Tanaman Strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa Duchesne)

Pengelolaan hara merupakan salah satu faktor penentu hasil dan kualitas buah yang tinggi. Selama ini, rekomendasi pupuk untuk tanaman stroberi menggunakan NPK 16-16-16. Pemupukan NPK 16-16-16 masih kurang mencukupi, sehingga petani masih menambahkan pupuk KNO 3 . Oleh karena itu, perlu dilakukan pengujian terhadap pupuk NPK dengan komposisi berbeda yaitu dengan porsi K lebih tinggi (NPK 12-6-24). Pengujian efektivitas pupuk NPK dan cara aplikasi dilakukan bertujuan untuk mengetahui pola pertumbuhan tanaman strawberry . Penelitian menggunakan RAL (Rancangan Acak Lengkap) Faktorial dengan 3 kali ulangan. Faktor pertama yaitu Dosis pupuk NPK 12-6-24 dengan taraf 0; 1 g (g/L); 2 g (g/L); 3 g (g/L); 4 g (g/L); dan pupuk NPK rekomendasi 16-16-16, 2 g (2 g/L). Faktor kedua yaitu cara aplikasi dengan taraf A1 (ditabur) dan A2 (dikocor). Data tinggi dan jumlah daun yang diperoleh dianalisis menggunakan Analysis of Variance aplikasi SPSS dan dilanjutkan dengan DMRT ( Duncan Multiple Range Test ) taraf α 5%. Hasil pengujian pupuk NPK 12-6-24 terhadap pertumbuhan strawberry yang dibandingkan dengan NPK 16-16-16 sebagai pupuk rekomendasi memperlihatkan bahwa interaksi antara perlakuan dosis dan cara aplikasi tidak berpengaruh nyata, namun perlakuan tunggal dosis berpengaruh nyata terhadap parameter tinggi dan jumlah daun tanaman strawberry . NPK 12-6-24 dosis 4 g aplikasi granul (ditabur) efisien terhadap pertumbuhan tanaman strawberry secara keseluruhan apabila mempertimbangkan tenaga kerja, sedangkan NPK 12-6-24 dosis 2 g aplikasi kocor efisien apabila mempertimbangkan jumlah pupuk yang digunakan dan Perlakuan NPK 12-6-24 lebih efisien dibandingkan pupuk NPK 16-16-16 rekomendasi pada semua parameter Kata Kunci: Strawberry, Pupuk NPK, Dosis, Aplikasi
Unied RAW Path Oblivious RAM

Oblivious RAM (ORAM) is a cryptographic primitive that conceals memory access patterns to untrusted storage. Its applications include oblivious cloud storage, trusted processors, software protection, secure multi-party computation, and so on. This thesis improves the state-of-the-art Path ORAM in several aspects. On the theoretical side, we improve Path ORAM’s memory bandwidth overhead by a factor of O(log logN) when the block size is small. With this improvement, Path ORAM is asymptotically the most efficient ORAM construction with constant or polylogarithmic client storage under any block size. Our technique to achieve this improvement involves using pseudorandom functions to compress the position map, a central component in Path ORAM and other position-based ORAMs. With small block size, managing the position map has huge overhead and is Path ORAM’s performance bottleneck. Our technique reduces this overhead. On the practical side, we propose Unified ORAM with a position map lookaside buffer to utilize locality in real-world applications, while preserving access pattern privacy. We also propose a new variant of Path ORAM named RAW Path ORAM, which achieves a constant factor reduction in memory bandwidth and encryption overhead. It also features a much simpler proof for correctness compared with Path ORAM. Combining our techniques results in a roughly 2× improvement in ORAM bandwidth, and over 1.43× speedup on SPEC benchmarks. We also study how to efficiently verify the integrity of ORAM. Besides some customized optimizations for Path ORAM and RAW Path ORAM, we present a novel integrity verification scheme that works for any position-based ORAM and achieves an asymptotic reduction in hashing overhead over prior solutions. Thesis Supervisor: Srinivas Devadas Title: Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
LANDMARK PAPER REPRISE - ORGAN TRANSPLANTATION POLICY EVALUATION

This paper on the UNOS Liver Allocation Model (uLAM) describes the building of a simulation model that supports policy evaluation for a national medical problem. The modeling and simulation techniques used in building ULAM include: fitting donor and patient arrival processes having trend and cyclic rate components using non-homogeneous Poisson processes (NEIPPs) having exponential rate fimctions which may include both a polynomial and some trigonometric components; fitting distributions to data on transition times between states of medical urgen~, application of variance reduction techniques using common randomnumber streams and prior information, organizing data structures for efficient file searching and ranking capabilities; the use of bootstrapping techniques for attribute sampling; the building of submodels employing biostatistical procedures such as ISaplanMeier and logistic regression; and the characterization of performance measures within a complex political, economic and social environment. ULAM provides a means for producing quantitative information to support the selection of a liver allocation policy.
Dominance and diversity studies of tree species in lesser Himalayan forest of Uttarakhand, India

Bisht AS, Bhatt AB. 2016. Dominance and diversity studies of tree species in lesser Himalayan forest of Uttarakhand, India.Biodiversitas 17: 70-77. For the present investigation single mountain, approach was applied. This is a supplement the basic approachand extends the gradients further downward in to the forest belt. Vegetational analysis of nine stands covering all the four aspects of thestudy site of Pauri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand, India has been undertaken. In seven trees, species were encountered. East aspect ischaracteristics by highest density of Cupressus torulosa while west aspect comprised of Cedrus deodara, Myrica esculenta, Pinus.roxbugrhii, Quercus leucotrichophora and Rhododendron arboreum, i.e.high diversity with low dominance Cupressus torulosa andCedrus deodara dominated the north aspect. In general, influence of higher anthropogenic pressure on Quercus species is an importantfactor for leads to gradual replacement of oak species by Pinus roxburghii in all the aspects.
Hunters and Their Perceptions of Public Access: A View from Afield

Declining hunter participation threatens cultural traditions and public support for conservation, warranting examination of the forces behind the downward trajectory. Access to lands for hunting, an often-cited reason for nonparticipation, may play a critical role in the retention and recruitment of hunters. Meeting the access needs of a diverse hunting constituency requires understanding how hunters use and perceive access opportunities, particularly public-access sites. Given that perceptions of access are entirely place based and degrade with time, traditional postseason survey methods may fail to adequately quantify the value of public access to the hunting constituency. To overcome the potential limitations of postseason surveys, we conducted on-site assessments of hunter perceptions of habitat quality, game abundance, ease of access, and crowding as well as whether the experience met the hunters' expectations and their likelihood to return to hunt. Over 3 y, we interviewed 3,248 parties of which 71.5% were hunting. Most parties (65.9%) reported having no private access within the region of Nebraska where they were interviewed. Parties (67.6%) were largely limited to two or fewer hunters, most of whom were adult males (84.3%) who were, on average, 41.2 y old. The perception of public-access sites was generally positive, but 43.1% of parties indicated that game abundance was below average despite 59.2% of parties seeing game and 37.3% harvesting at least one animal. Similar to other explorations of hunter satisfaction, we found game abundance, and in particular harvest success, had the most consistent relationship with hunter perception of public access. By surveying multiple types of hunters across sites that encompass a range of social and ecological conditions, we gained a broader understanding of how hunters perceive public access in real time, which will help to inform future management decisions to foster and improve public-access programs.
Establishment of a Numerical Model to Design an Electro-Stimulating System for a Porcine Mandibular Critical Size Defect

Electrical stimulation is a promising therapeutic approach for the regeneration of large bone defects. Innovative electrically stimulating implants for critical size defects in the lower jaw are under development and need to be optimized in silico and tested in vivo prior to application. In this context, numerical modelling and simulation are useful tools in the design process. In this study, a numerical model of an electrically stimulated minipig mandible was established to find optimal stimulation parameters that allow for a maximum area of beneficially stimulated tissue. Finite-element simulations were performed to determine the stimulation impact of the proposed implant design and to optimize the electric field distribution resulting from sinusoidal low-frequency ( f = 20 Hz ) electric stimulation. Optimal stimulation parameters of the electrode length h el = 25 m m and the stimulation potential φ stim = 0.5 V were determined. These parameter sets shall be applied in future in vivo validation studies. Furthermore, our results suggest that changing tissue properties during the course of the healing process might make a feedback-controlled stimulation system necessary.
Investigation of the stomata size and frequency of grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) cultivar ‘Kékfrankos’

Grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.) leaves show high morphological diversity alongside the shoot. This variability has been investigated in this study to explore the change in leaf size, leaf thickness, stomata density and stomata size among the 1st, 5th and 10th leaves on the main shoots and leaves on the laterals. Results showed that leaf size altered from the basal abaxial leaves to the middle of the shoot, while the laterals had the smallest leaves. Number of stomata also varied significantly regarding the different levels of the canopy. First leaves on the shoots had the least stomata per unit leaf area while this number increased above. In contrast with this the size, i.e. length and width of the stomata did not differ. Leaf thickness was the lowest on the leaves of the lateral shoots, while the values decreased from the 1st to the 10th nodes. These results raised the question about the ontogeny and heteroblasty of the grapevine foliage.