Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Contributions des techniques de RMN avancées à la déformulation de systèmes fluides complexes

La deformulation d'un produit consiste a determiner sa composition (echelle moleculaire) et sa microstructure (echelle supramoleculaire) pour expliquer son mecanisme de fonctionnement. Elle se distingue d'une simple analyse chimique par deux aspects : (i) La complexite de constitution des produits formules resultant du nombre eleve d'ingredients (5 a 40), qui sont tres souvent eux-memes des melanges de molecules (ii) la presence de systemes microstructures (emulsions, suspensions, cristaux liquides) au sein des produits formules qui sont a l'origine de leurs proprietes d'usage. L'objectif de ces travaux a ete d'examiner comment les methodes de RMN (RMN 1D et 2D, DOSY, 2H, HR-MAS) permettent de fournir des informations sur la nature, la composition et la degradation eventuelle d'ingredients complexes utilises en formulation, comme les tensioactifs et les parfums, et sur les microstructures presentes dans des formules liquides a base aqueuse, utilisees en detergence ou cosmetique par exemple. La premiere partie de ce travail souligne l'interet de la RMN (experiences 1D et 2D et DOSY) pour la caracterisation a l'echelle moleculaire de matieres premieres complexes et de leurs degradations (oxydation et hydrolyse). La RMN s'est en effet revelee tres performante pour la differenciation et la quantification d'homologues de tensioactifs non ioniques polyethoxyles dans des melanges commerciaux, mais egalement pour la separation virtuelle de composes terpeniques dans des huiles essentielles. Elle a egalement permis l'identification des differents produits d'oxydation de molecules parfumees, sans necessiter de separation physique prealable, l'analyse en composante principale (ACP) des spectres ayant finalement permis de mettre en evidence l'existence d'intermediaires reactionnels instables. Enfin, l'etude detaillee de la cinetique d'hydrolyse d'un tensioactif presentant une biodegradabilite elevee a pu etre completement realisee par RMN. Le deuxieme volet de ces travaux concerne l'etude a une echelle supramoleculaire de deux nouveaux composes a biodegradabilite elevee, un tensioactif vrai (C9COE4) et un amphiphile a chaine courte (C3COE1). Cette etude a permis d'evaluer l'apport des experiences de diffusion et de deuterium a la caracterisation de microstructures (Micelles, Cristaux liquides, microemulsions), en systemes binaire (Tensioactif / Eau) et ternaire (Tensioactif / Eau / huile), et de confirmer la difficulte de caracteriser des systemes formules avec des amphiphiles courts. Finalement, les methodologies developpees sur ces systemes simplifies ont ete appliquees a l'etude d'un produit formule fini, un shampooing. Les experiences realisees ont permis de mettre en evidence un effet synergique lors du melange des deux tensioactifs utilises dans la formule (SLES et CAPB). Grâce notamment a l'utilisation d'une sonde HR-MAS, les techniques de RMN developpees ont permis d'acceder a des informations sur la composition et la structuration de ce produit fini, montrant que la RMN peut etre un outil puissant de deformulation.
An analysis of lipid membrane morphology in the presence of coordinate-dependent non-uniformity

A model for the mechanics of lipid membranes with non-uniform (coordinate-dependent) properties is discussed. The coordinate-dependent responses of the membranes are incorporated via the augmented non-uniform energy function and material parameters, which are dependent explicitly on the surface coordinates. We formulate the associated normal and tangential Euler equilibrium equations through which the coordinate-dependent responses of membranes are characterized. The admissible boundary conditions are taken from the existing non-linear model but reformulated and adopted to the present framework. Within the prescription of superposed incremental deformations, a compatible linear model is also formulated, from which a complete analytical solution describing the non-uniform responses of the membrane subjected to substrate–membrane interactions is obtained.
Neural Network Pricing of American Put Options

In this study, we use Neural Networks (NNs) to price American put options. We propose two NN models—a simple one and a more complex one—and we discuss the performance of two NN models with the Least-Squares Monte Carlo (LSM) method. This study relies on American put option market prices, for four large U.S. companies—Procter and Gamble Company (PG), Coca-Cola Company (KO), General Motors (GM), and Bank of America Corp (BAC). Our dataset is composed of all options traded within the period December 2018 until March 2019. Although on average, both NN models perform better than LSM, the simpler model (NN Model 1) performs quite close to LSM. Moreover, the second NN model substantially outperforms the other models, having an RMSE ca. 40% lower than the presented by LSM. The lower RMSE is consistent across all companies, strike levels, and maturities. In summary, all methods present a good accuracy; however, after calibration, NNs produce better results in terms of both execution time and Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE).
Exploring the impact of personality traits on perceived relationship investment, relationship quality, and loyalty in the retail industry

ABSTRACT Marketing scholars recognize the importance of personality traits in predicting consumer behavior; however, to date, no attempt has been made to understand the impacts of personality on consumers’ perceptions of relationship investment and the process of building loyalty in the context of retailing. The present research extends theories of consumer personality traits to explore the effects of personality traits on perceived relationship investment, relationship quality, and customer loyalty. We obtained data using a questionnaire distributed to 220 consumers of retail apparel stores. We used partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to estimate the research model. The results show that product category involvement and relationship proneness impact perceived relationship investment, which, in turn, affects satisfaction. Satisfaction contributes to consumer trust and commitment, which, in turn, affect behavioral loyalty. This research has both theoretical and practical implications since it sheds light on the factors that contribute to loyalty. These findings are expected to help retail marketers develop strategies to increase product involvement and relationship proneness to improve consumers’ perceptions of relationship investment and the quality of the relationship, leading to the development of loyalty. This study provides new insight into the retail literature by introducing a novel role of personality traits in the formation of customer loyalty.
Electrochromism in Nickel-based Oxides : Coloration Mechanisms and Optimization of Sputter-deposited Thin Films

Electrochromic properties of sputter-deposited nickel-based oxide films have been studied with a two-fold goal. From a practical point of view, the optical switching performance has been improved by optimizing the deposition conditions and film stoichiometry with respect to oxygen and hydrogen, and further by adding Mg, Al, Si, Zr, Nb or Ta to the films. From a theoretical point of view, details of the coloration mechanism have been studied by means of electrochemical intercalation (CV, GITT), optical measurements (UV, VIS, NIR and MIR), RBS, XRD, XPS and EXAFS. Optimization of deposition conditions has been illustrated by the example of films made by sputtering of a non-magnetic Ni(93)V(7) % wt. target in an atmosphere of Ar/O2/H2. The optimized films exhibit transmittance modulation between 20% and 75 % at 18 mC/cm2 charge intercalation. The remaining problem with nickel oxide and nickel vanadium oxide films is their residual yellow-brown color tint in the bleached state, which disappears as the short-wavelength transmittance increases upon addition of Mg, Al, Zr or Ta. Optimization of deposition conditions by co-sputtering from two targets and the film composition for mixed oxide films has been illustrated by the example of nickel aluminium oxide. The mechanisms of coloration upon electrochemical charge insertion and ozone exposure have been investigated. In the beginning of the electrochemical cycling, first, a reconstruction and crystallization is observed with the outer most part of the grain surface being transformed from oxygen rich nickel oxide into nickel oxy-hydroxide and hydroxide by transfer of H+ and OH- groups. After the charge capacity has been stabilized, only a transfer of H+ occurs with two reversible reactions involved: the first one from Ni(OH)2 to NiOOH and the second one from NiO and Ni(OH)2 to Ni2O3. Ozone coloration is described by a similar reaction scheme. The ozone molecule is split on the surface and dehydrogenates Ni(OH)2 into NiOOH. Further dehydrogenation produces Ni2O3 as in the electrochemical coloration.
Challenges of Localization Algorithms for Autonomous Driving

One could easily believe that the technology surrounding us is already easily capable of determining the current location of a vehicle. Whilst many devices, technologies, mathematical models and methods are available in the automotive world, the complexity of the localization problem still cannot be underestimated. The expectation is to determine in real time with a high degree of accuracy the location of a vehicle in order to make correct autonomous decisions and avoid dangerous and potentially damaging situations. Various research directions have been undertaken since the birth of autonomous driving from the well-known satellite navigation-based systems that rely on offline maps to the more sophisticated approaches that use odometry and existing sensor data using sensor fusion. The aim of the current work is to review what has been achieved so far in this field and the challenges ahead, e.g. the need for a change in paradigm as today's global positioning systems are not intended for machines but humans and are based on the abstraction of human thinking and human decision-making processes.
Three mitochondrial genomes of Pseudogobio fishes (Cypriniformes: Gobionidae)

Abstract New mitochondrial genomes of Pseudogobio guilinensis, P. giganteus, and P. anderssoni have the length of 16,605, 16,606, and 16,609 bp with A + T bias. Inferred phylogeny shows that P. guilinensis occupies basal position. P. esocinus and P. anderssoni+P. longirostris are sister groups, and they together are a sister taxa of P. giganteus.
A Functional Vegetable Option: An Exploratory Study Testing Kimchi Variation for Acceptance among Consumers

ABSTRACT This pilot study aimed to potentially increase the consumption of cancer-preventative sulforaphane, available in broccoli, by introducing this vegetable in novel kimchi products. A panel of mostly Korean-borne or descendant kimchi consumers assessed four kimchi variations for texture, flavor, and overall acceptance. A mixed-method approach utilized hedonic scoring, FaceReader® software, and interviews. Large-cut broccoli kimchi scored highest (7.74/10) for crispness (95% CI [−2.79, −0.27]) as well as saltiness, bitterness, pungency, and intention to try. Three-global themes emerged from interviews: sensory uniqueness (29%); delicious/good (36%); and interest/novelty (36%). Participants’ favorable acceptance gives impetus for innovative strategies combining functional vegetables with traditional ingredients.
Optimal policies for stochastic clearing systems with time‐dependent delay penalties

We study stochastic clearing systems with a discrete‐time Markovian input process, and an output mechanism that intermittently and instantaneously clears the system partially or completely. The decision to clear the system depends on both quantities and delays of outstanding inputs. Clearing the system incurs a fixed cost, and outstanding inputs are charged a delay penalty, which is a general increasing function of the quantities and delays of individual inputs. By recording the quantities and delays of outstanding inputs in a sequence, we model the clearing system as a tree‐structured Markov decision process over both a finite and infinite horizon. We show that the optimal clearing policies, under realistic conditions, are of the on‐off type or the threshold type. Based on the characterization of the optimal policies, we develop efficient algorithms to compute parameters of the optimal policies for such complex clearing systems for the first time. We conduct a numerical analysis on the impact of the nonlinear delay penalty cost function, the comparison of the optimal policy and the classical hybrid policy (ie, quantity and age thresholds), and the impact of the state of the input process. Our experiments demonstrate that (a) the classical linear approximation of the cost function can lead to significant performance differences; (b) the classical hybrid policy may perform poorly (as compared to the optimal policies); and (c) the consideration of the state of the input process makes significant improvement in system performance.
PELATIHAN PEMANFAATAN POWTOON SEBAGAI MEDIA PEMBELAJARAN BAHASA INDONESIA BAGI GURU DI KOTA SUKABUMI

Kejenuhan peserta didik dalam pembelajaran merupakan persoalan klasik yang dihadapi oleh guru. Demikian pula oleh guru bidang studi bahasa Indonesia (GBSBI) di Kota Sukabumi. Kegiatan pengabdian ini bertujuan untuk melatih GBSBI pada jenjang SLTP dan SLTA di Kota Sukabumi dalam memanfaatkan media pembelajaran Powtoon. Kegiatan ini dilaksanakan dengan metode pemaparan, interaksi, drilling, dan penugasan. Respons positif diberikan oleh peserta dalam pelatihan ini. Pemaparan dilakukan dengan menayangkan salindia (PowerPoint) sekaligus menjelaskan Powtoon, mulai dari yang bersifat ontologis hingga epistemologis. Pada tahap interaksi, GBSBI sebagai peserta diberi kesempatan untuk menanyakan penggunaan media Powtoon secara teknis. Dari interaksi itu, tim instruktur sekaligus menggali permasalahan yang akan dihadapi di sekolah apabila media Powtoon digunakan. Berdasarkan interaksi itu pula terungkap bahwa sebagian peserta belum familiar dengan media pembelajaran berbasis daring (online). Oleh sebab itu, pada tahap selanjutnya, yaitu drilling, tim instruktur berbagi tugas dalam mendampingi para peserta dalam mengerjakan latihan pemanfaatan Powtoon sebagai media pembelajaran bidang studi bahasa Indonesia. Dengan pembagian tugas itu, kendala yang dihadapi oleh para peserta dapat diselesaikan. Diharapkan dapat meningkatkan sumber daya manusia, terutama dari kalangan GBSBI di Kota Sukabumi
Transcriptomic Profiling of Cryptomeria fortunei Hooibrenk Vascular Cambium Identifies Candidate Genes Involved in Phenylpropanoid Metabolism

Cryptomeria fortunei Hooibrenk (Chinese cedar) is a coniferous tree from southern China that has an important function in landscaping and timber production. Lignin is one of the key components of secondary cell walls, which have a crucial role in conducting water and providing mechanical support for the upward growth of plants. It is mainly biosynthesized via the phenylpropanoid metabolic pathway, of which the molecular mechanism remains so far unresolved in C. fortunei. In order to obtain further insight into this pathway, we performed transcriptome sequencing of the C. fortunei cambial zone at 5 successive growth stages. We generated 78,673 unigenes from transcriptome data, of which 45,214 (57.47%) were successfully annotated in the non-redundant protein database (NR). A total of 8975 unigenes were identified to be significantly differentially expressed between Sample_B and Sample_A after analyzing their expression profiles. Of the differentially expressed genes (DEGs), 6817 (75.96%) and 2158 (24.04%) were up- and down-regulated, respectively. 83 DEGs were involved in phenylpropanoid metabolism, 37 DEGs that encoded v-Myb avian myeloblastosis viral oncogene homolog (MYB) transcription factor (TF), and many candidates that encoded lignin synthesizing enzymes. These findings contribute to understanding the expression pattern of C. fortunei cambial zone transcriptome. Furthermore, our results provide additional insight towards understanding the molecular mechanisms of wood formation in C. fortunei.
Printed compact asymmetric dual L‐strip fed split‐ring shaped EBG‐based textile antenna for WBAN applications

This letter presents a design of very compact asymmetric dual L‐strip fed split‐ring shaped electromagnetic bandgap (EBG)‐based textile antenna for wireless body area networks (WBAN) applications, operating at frequency 2.45 GHz. The antenna radiator is composed of 2 × 1 array of EBG cells printed on same side of the substrate with partial ground plane to form a compact EBG surface, excited with a 50 Ω inverted L‐strip feed line. The partial ground plane with EBG cells is used to miniaturize the proposed antenna of size 40 × 20 × 0.3 mm3. The proposed compact asymmetric dual L‐strip fed wearable antenna (DLSWA) with EBG structure is fabricated on denim (jeans) substrate having dielectric constant (ɛr) 1.7 and thickness of 0.3 mm. The design of proposed antenna is optimized for Industrial, Scientific, and Medical (ISM) band (2.4‐2.48 GHz)through various parametric variations with simulated impedance bandwidth (BW) of 12.2% (2.3‐2.6 GHz) for reflection coefficient |S11| ≤ −10 dB and also exhibits stable radiation patterns with simulated peak realized gain of almost 3.5 dBi in the entire operational frequency band. The performance of proposed wearable antenna on human body is also studied and observed low specific absorption rate (SAR) value of 0.6 W/kg over 10 g of human tissues. The proposed compact asymmetric DLSWA is designed, fabricated, and tested. The simulated results of designed antenna are verified and validated with measured results which show good agreement for all radiation characteristics of proposed antenna for WBAN applications.
Lean Construction Principles and Railway Maintenance Planning

Lean construction principles have been successfully adopted in a variety of industries to increase project management quality. This paper addresses maintenance planning in Sweden and analyses its effectiveness in the framework of lean construction principles. To investigate the status and improvement potential of maintenance contractors’ performance, the study focuses on the detailed planning process, which is mainly the responsibility of contractors. A literature review, a data analysis and interviews were used to reveal the possible barriers to the adaptation of lean principles to the maintenance industry. The study presents a developed theoretical framework for the analysing maintenance processes in the perspective of lean construction principles. We found that the application of lean principles has the potential for improvements in the planning process, but there are some barriers to effective implementation, including a lack of knowledge about lean principles at contractors’ sites.
Towards faster feedback in higher education through digitally mediated dialogic loops

How feedback is understood and enacted has shifted from the traditional practice of providing individual feedback on summative tasks at key points to a more ongoing series of dialogues between the teacher and students during the teaching period. This paper reports on the experiences of designing faster feedback through weekly dialogic feedback loops to enhance students’ personal connection to their learning while providing teachers with faster, actionable feedback data to inform learning design. A pragmatic inquiry considered how benefits might potentially be amplified through the use of digital technologies. Data included student reflections collected via the GoingOK web application, interviews and focus groups. The findings identify and theorise four types of digitally mediated feedback loops: students in computer-mediated dialogue with themselves; students and teachers in dialogue with each other; the reflection on how feedback informed learning; and the sociotechnical dialogue informing ongoing technical design. Three design dilemmas that were experienced by teachers as they enacted digitally mediated dialogic feedback loops are articulated, alongside the principles that enabled responsive design. Understanding these design elements is fundamental if automation of some parts of the feedback loop through reflective writing analytics is to be considered both feasible and desirable. Implications for practice or policy: Digitally mediated feedback loops can facilitate faster feedback, enabling students to reflect on their learning and providing teachers with access to new insights about diverse learners. Feedback technology can challenge existing ideas about feedback. Faster feedback can save teachers time, but efficiencies are likely to depend on an increased human workload in the short term as automation technologies can be slower to develop. Sociotechnical innovation requires collective dialogue between educators and digital developers, across asynchronous timelines.
Chromatin Remodeling in Early Embryogenesis

Author: Weldon, Bethany, M. MS Institution: Purdue University Degree Received: August 2018 Title: Chromatin Remodeling in Early Embryogenesis. Committee Chair: Ryan Cabot Epigenetic marks are globally remodeled during mammalian embryo development. Chromatin remodeling mediated by the SWI/SNF (Switch/Sucrose non-fermentable) complexes can participate in epigenetic remodeling during cleavage development. SWI/SNF complexes are multi-subunit complexes that contain a core catalytic subunit (SMARCA4 or SMARCA2) and a collection of additional subunits that guide the complexes to their appropriate loci. It has been reported that discrete SWI/SNF subunits adopt different intracellular localization patterns as porcine embryos proceed through cleavage development. In the work presented here, we investigated how these SWI/SNF subunits are trafficked during embryo development. We hypothesized that the localization patterns of the SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex subunits ARID1A, BRD7, SMARCB1, and ARID2 were transported out of nuclei in a CRM1dependent manner and that they are transported into the nucleus by karyopherin α mediated import. In our first experiment porcine embryos were treated with leptomycin B (LMB), an inhibitor of CRM1-mediated nuclear export to test this hypothesis. BRD7 displayed a significant redistribution upon LMB treatment (as compared to control embryos). This finding suggests that BRD7, unlike other SWI/SNF subunits, actively shuttles between the nuclear and cytoplasm during cleavage development. The shuttling of BRD7 indicates that it may serve a unique role mediating chromatin remodeling during this critical developmental window. Our second experiment we investigated how SWI/SNF complexes are transported by karyopherins through the embryo during development. We hypothesized that the SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling subunits ARID1A, BRD7, SMARCB1 and ARID2 were transported into the nuclei using karyopherin α mediated transport. Porcine embryos were treated with ivermectin (IVER), a karpherin α mediated transport inhibitor to test this hypothesis. While we found no difference in