Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of fire on insectivorous bat activity in northern Australia: does fire intensity matter on a local scale?

Abstract. Fire is notably becoming more intense, frequent and widespread due to climate change. In northern Australia, inappropriate fire regimes have been implicated in mammal declines, yet nothing is known about how different aspects of fire regimes affect bats in this region. This study aimed to determine how fire intensity, associated with seasonality, affects insectivorous bats on a local scale. An experimental M BACI approach was used on five site replicates across Cape York Peninsula, where ultrasonic detectors were used to determine the activity of insectivorous bats in response to low intensity burns (LIBs) and high intensity burns (HIBs) on a local scale. Total bat activity increased due to LIBs, but showed no response to HIBs. Activity of edge-open guild bats also increased due to LIBs but decreased in response to HIBs. Activity of open guild bats was unaffected by LIBs, but exhibited a strong positive response to HIBs. Activity of closed guild bats showed no response to fire, or fire intensity. Responses were likely derived from changes in habitat structure and prey availability. Given that each bat guild responded differently to each fire intensity, this lends support to the ‘pyrodiversity begets biodiversity’ concept, which is currently the basis for many fire management practices for conservation in northern Australia.
Switching Monopolar Mode for RF-Assisted Resection and Superficial Ablation of Biological Tissue: Computational Modeling and Ex Vivo Experiments

Radiofrequency (RF)-based monopolar (MM) and bipolar mode (BM) applicators are used to thermally create coagulation zones (CZs) in biological tissues with the aim of destroying surface tumors and minimizing blood losses in surgical resection. Both modes have disadvantages as regards safely and in obtaining a sufficiently deep coagulation zone (CZ). In this study, we compared both modes versus a switching monopolar mode (SMM) in which the role of the active electrode changes intermittently between the two electrodes of the applicator. In terms of clinical impact, the three modes can easily be selected by the surgeon according to the surgical maneuver. We used computational and experimental models to study the feasibility of working in MM, BM, and SMM and to compare their CZ characteristics. We focused exclusively on BM and SMM, since MM only creates small coagulation zones in the area between the electrodes. The results showed that SMM produces the deepest CZ between both electrodes (33% more than BM) and SMM did not stop the generator when an electrode lost contact with the tissue, as occurred in BM. Our findings suggest that the selective use of SMM and BM with a bipolar applicator offers greater advantages than using each type alone.
Vertical Stratification and Interfacial Structure in P3HT:PCBM Organic Solar Cells

Structure and morphology play a critical role in determining the performance of organic photovoltaic devices. In this paper, variation of the postannealing cooling rate is used to create a series of “snapshots” of the vertical and interfacial reorganization processes that occur upon annealing. The data show that slower cooling rates result in significantly enhanced device efficiencies primarily driven by increased short circuit current and fill factor. UV−vis spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (NEXAFS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and contact angle measurements are used to probe the origin of these improvements. Our results show evidence for a distinct and changing vertical stratification and interfacial structure in the device throughout the annealing process, with both composition and crystallinity varying through the active layer. The implications of these changes are discussed in terms of device properties.
The effect of mixed dopants on the stability of Fricke gel dosimeters

Auto-oxidation and fast diffusion in Fricke gels are major drawbacks to wide-spread application of these gels in 3D dosimetry. Aiming to limit both processes, we used mixed dopants: the ferric-specific ligand xylenol orange with a ferrous-specific ligand (1,10-phenanthroline) and/or a bi-functional cross-linking agent (glyoxal). Markedly improved auto-oxidation stability was observed in the xylenol orange and phenanthroline doped gel at the expense of increased background absorbance and faster diffusion. Addition of glyoxal limited the diffusion rate and led to a partial bleaching of the gel. It is conceivable that these two new compositions may find useful practical application.
A Review of Energy Storage Technologies’ Application Potentials in Renewable Energy Sources Grid Integration

Renewable energy sources (RESs) such as wind and solar are frequently hit by fluctuations due to, for example, insufficient wind or sunshine. Energy storage technologies (ESTs) mitigate the problem by storing excess energy generated and then making it accessible on demand. While there are various EST studies, the literature remains isolated and dated. The comparison of the characteristics of ESTs and their potential applications is also short. This paper fills this gap. Using selected criteria, it identifies key ESTs and provides an updated review of the literature on ESTs and their application potential to the renewable energy sector. The critical review shows a high potential application for Li-ion batteries and most fit to mitigate the fluctuation of RESs in utility grid integration sector. However, for Li-ion batteries to be fully adopted in the RESs utility grid integration, their cost needs to be reduced.
Toxicity of Low-dose Graphene Oxide Nanoparticles in an in-vivo Wild Type of Caenorhabditis elegans Model

ABSTRACT Carbon-based engineered nanomaterials, such as graphene oxide nanoparticles (GO NPs), are widely available for application, but their potentially adverse health effects on humans still require investigation. In this study, the environmental levels of GO NPs are addressed to examine whether GO leads to adverse effects on an in-vivo model of Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans). Nematodes with prolonged exposure (L1 larvae to young adult) to GO NPs at 0.00100, 0.0100, 0.100, and 1.00 mg L-1 were used to evaluate the potential toxic effects, including lethality (acute toxicity), reproductive (brood size) and neurological (locomotion including head thrash and body bend) responses, longevity (lifespan), and oxidative stress (gene expression of sod-1, sod-3, and clt-2). Prolonged exposure to GO NPs was not found to induce lethality at the selective levels. In the brood-size and head-thrash tests, the biological responses in nematodes were significantly reduced at 0.0100-1.00 ng L-1 GO NP exposure as compared with the untreated control. The nematodes exposure to GO NPs at 0.00100-1.00 ng L-1 exhibited significant delays in body bending behavior compared with the control. In the examination of the longevity of nematodes, it was found that the lifespan of all GO NP-exposed worms was significantly shortened as compared to the untreated worms. Gene expression of sod-1, sod-3, and ctl-2 presented significantly higher induction folds in the exposed worms compared with the controls. Consequently, prolonged exposure to the low-dose GO NPs might be associated with disruption of reproduction and locomotion, attenuation of longevity, and induction of oxidative stress in nematodes.
Using Convolutional Neural Networks to Automate Aircraft Maintenance Visual Inspection

Convolutional Neural Networks combined with autonomous drones are increasingly seen as enablers of partially automating the aircraft maintenance visual inspection process. Such an innovative concept can have a significant impact on aircraft operations. Though supporting aircraft maintenance engineers detect and classify a wide range of defects, the time spent on inspection can significantly be reduced. Examples of defects that can be automatically detected include aircraft dents, paint defects, cracks and holes, and lightning strike damage. Additionally, this concept could also increase the accuracy of damage detection and reduce the number of aircraft inspection incidents related to human factors like fatigue and time pressure. In our previous work, we have applied a recent Convolutional Neural Network architecture known by MASK R-CNN to detect aircraft dents. MASK-RCNN was chosen because it enables the detection of multiple objects in an image while simultaneously generating a segmentation mask for each instance. The previously obtained F1 and F2 scores were 62.67% and 59.35%, respectively. This paper extends the previous work by applying different techniques to improve and evaluate prediction performance experimentally. The approach uses include (1) Balancing the original dataset by adding images without dents; (2) Increasing data homogeneity by focusing on wing images only; (3) Exploring the potential of three augmentation techniques in improving model performance namely flipping, rotating, and blurring; and (4) using a pre-classifier in combination with MASK R-CNN. The results show that a hybrid approach combining MASK R-CNN and augmentation techniques leads to an improved performance with an F1 score of (67.50%) and F2 score of (66.37%).
Optical-field-induced pendular states and pendular band contours in symmetric tops

The pendular states that arise from the interaction between a polarizable symmetric top and a strong, polarized optical field are investigated. Analytical solutions to the Schrodinger equation for this situation are presented corresponding to the limit of large field-polarizability interaction. The eigenfunctions and eigenvalues obtained are used to explore the manifestations of pendular states in nonlinear Raman and electric-dipole-allowed spectroscopies—that is, pendular band contours. The theoretical expectations regarding pendular band contours are compared with direct numerical simulations of the contours and with experimental results from nonlinear Raman spectroscopy on benzene–Ar and naphthalene trimer.
sMap: Evolution of independent, dependent and conditioned discrete characters in a Bayesian framework

Trait evolution analyses enable the comparison of characters amongst different species—a useful technique when inferring ancestral phenotypes based on a phylogeny of living taxa. The evolution of discrete characters can be mapped on the branches of a phylogenetic tree using stochastic mapping. Here we present sMap, a new program to perform stochastic mapping analyses. Key features characterising sMap are: a wide variety of models and prior distributions; the ability to use a posterior distribution of trees and to compute marginal likelihoods to perform model selection analyses; and the implementation of three kinds of characters: ‘independent’ characters, which do not interact with each other; ‘dependent’ characters, which co‐evolve at the same time; and ‘conditioned’ characters, whose state is determined by the state of other characters. Here we present two examples that show how sMap can be used to perform stochastic mapping analyses, produce robust results and answer new kinds of questions. sMap is freely available and distributed under a GPL licence, in a command‐line and Graphical User Interface version; a detailed user manual with examples and tutorials is also provided. The wide variety of algorithms implemented in sMap enables accurate analyses of the evolution of discrete characters. Conditioned characters can be used to study the interaction of simple traits to produce complex phenotypes. As a multiplatform and open‐source project, sMap can be used on a variety of systems and situations, such as academic research and teaching.
Neural networks‐based adaptive finite‐time prescribed performance fault‐tolerant control of switched nonlinear systems

In this article, the adaptive finite‐time fault‐tolerant control problem is considered for a class of switched nonlinear systems in nonstrict‐feedback form with actuator fault. The problem of finite‐time fault‐tolerant control is solved by introducing a finite‐time performance function. Meanwhile, the completely unknown nonlinear functions exist in the switched system are identified by the neural networks. Based on the common Lyapunov function method with adaptive backstepping technique, the finite‐time fault‐tolerant controller is designed. The proposed control strategy can guarantee that the tracking error converges to a prescribed zone at a finite‐time and all system variables remain semiglobally practical finite‐time stable. Numerical examples are offered to verify the feasibility of the theoretical result.
Erosion-deposition dynamics and long distance propagation of granular avalanches

Abstract The net erosion-deposition rate of an avalanche is fundamental to its dynamics and in determining its growth or decay. Small-scale experiments are performed by releasing a given volume of yellow sand onto a stationary erodible red sand layer on a rough inclined plane. Depending on the erodible layer depth and the slope angle, the avalanche is found to either decay, grow, propagate steadily or rapidly shed grains to produce secondary avalanches. The use of different coloured sand with identical properties shows that a particle exchange occurs, which eventually results in a flow that is comprised entirely of particles from the stationary layer rather than the initial release. It is notoriously difficult to model the erosion and deposition processes in granular flows, but it is shown that a two-dimensional depth-averaged avalanche model, with a hysteretic basal friction law, can reproduce all of the observed behaviours. The results illustrate how a continuous exchange of particles with the substrate layer is fundamentally important to the propagation of such avalanches. An investigation into long distance propagation behaviour reveals that avalanches can reach a steady state, the size and speed of which are independent of the initially released volume. In certain conditions avalanches can grow to steady states that are significantly more massive than the flows from which they are originally formed. This paper demonstrates the importance of correctly including erosion-deposition in operational forecast models of snow avalanches and other geophysical mass flows.
Complete analysis and design for a Q/V band (46‐52 GHz) wideband analog predistorter

This article shows the complete analysis and design for a Q/V (46‐52 GHz) band wideband analog predistorter (APD). First, the reflection coefficient for hybrid coupler's through port with complex impedance is corrected. Second, the acceptable error region is introduced to analyze the influence of different nonlinear loads. Levenberg‐Marquardt algorithm is then used to solve the circuit parameters of the hybrid T matching network. Finally, a Q/V band (46‐52 GHz) wideband APD is fabricated and measured. The measurement results are in good agreement with the analysis results. Furthermore, the linearized traveling‐wave tube amplifiers (TWTA) gain compression is less than 0.5 dB, and the phase change of TWTA after linearization is less than 4°. The C/IM3 shows more than 10 dB improvement.
The effects of shadow education on high school students’ creative thinking and academic achievement in mathematics: the case of the Republic of Korea

ABSTRACT This study examined the effects of shadow education on high school students’ creative thinking and academic achievement in mathematics. Data from the Seoul Education Longitudinal Study were used for the analyses, including descriptive statistics, path analyses, and multiple group analyses. The results reveal that shadow education negatively influenced students’ creative thinking in the long term, but positively affected academic achievement in mathematics in the short term. Furthermore, students who increased their hours of participation in the following year were more likely to present stronger effects of shadow education on creative thinking and weaker effects of shadow education on academic achievement. In considering the findings, mathematics educators, parents, and policymakers should not neglect shadow education when developing educational plans.
UNDERGRADUATE ECONOMICS CURRICULUM AND EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS IN SOUTH AFRICA

Graduates with employability skills are considered as assets by employers because they are dynamic and adapt easily to today’s work environment. Thus, higher education globally is under pressure to produce graduates who are employable and able to continue learning and remain employed. This study examined the extent to which the undergraduate economics curriculum in South Africa equips economics graduates with employability skills. This was achieved through a qualitative approach using a content analysis design. Data analysed from advertisements extracted from the Sunday Times for four consecutive years and data from six undergraduate economics study guides indicated that there was a disjuncture between undergraduate economics skills and those required by the industry. The analysed study guides only cover about 29.4 % of the needed skills in the labour market. It is imperative for higher education institutions to produce employable graduates because evidence demonstrates that employers today do not hire employees solely based on academic qualifications. Recommendations are that there should be an alignment between employability skills required in the labour market and those offered by the academic institutions. Curricula and pedagogy should also be adjusted to enhance graduate skills outcomes.
Extracellular vesicles released by the human gut symbiont Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron in the mouse intestine are enriched in a selected range of proteins that influence host cell physiology and metabolism

It is becoming increasingly clear that bacterial extracellular vesicles (BEVs) produced by members of the intestinal microbiota can contribute to microbe-host cell interactions that impact on host health. A major unresolved question is the nature of the cargo packaged into these BEVs and how they can impact on host cell function. Here we have analysed the proteome of BEVs produced by the major human gut symbiont Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron in both in vitro cultures using defined and complex medias, and in vivo in fed or fasted animals to determine the impact of nutrient stress on the BEV proteome, and to identify proteins specifically enriched in BEVs produced in vivo. In contrast to BEVs produced in vitro where limiting nutrient provision resulted in an increase in a large fraction of proteins, the protein content of BEVs extracted from fasted versus fed mice was less affected with similar numbers of proteins showing increased and decreased abundance. We identified 102 proteins exclusively enriched in BEVs in vivo of which the majority (66/102) were enriched independently of their expression in the parent cells implicating the existence of an active mechanism to drive the selection of a group of proteins for their secretion into BEVs within the intestine. Amongst these abundantly expressed proteins in BEVs in vivo were a bile salt hydrolase and a dipeptidyl peptidase IV that were characterised further and shown to be active and able to degrade host-derived substrates with defined roles in metabolism. Collectively these findings provide additional evidence for the role of BEVs in microbiota-host interactions with their contents playing key roles in the maintenance of intestinal homeostasis, and host metabolism.
A label propagation algorithm for community detection on high‐mixed networks

Community detection on high‐mixed networks has been a challenging problem for complex network researchers. In a Lancichinetti–Fortunato–Radicchi (LFR) network with a mixing parameter mu greater than or equal to 0.5, the quality of the communities partitioned by currently available algorithms will decrease rapidly with increasing mu. To address this issue, we propose a label propagation algorithm on high‐mixed networks, called LPA‐HM, for community detection. In our algorithm, the initial node labels are preprocessed using the number of common neighbors of the nodes, which greatly reduces the initial number of labels and thus improves the quality of the subsequent label propagation process. During the label propagation stage, each node is given the label that is shared by the maximum number of its neighbors. If there are several labels that meet this requirement, the influence of the labels' nodes is calculated, and the label with the maximum total influence is selected as the label of the current node. Early stop conditions based on modularity and run‐to‐run changes in the number of detected communities are incorporated in the algorithm to prevent label overpropagation. The communities that fail to satisfy the definition of weak communities are merged with their most similar neighboring communities. In experiments based on real networks and LFR networks, it is found that the LPA‐HM algorithm is well suited to community detection in a variety of networks. In a high‐mixed LFR network with mu = 0.7, the NMI measure of the LPA‐HM algorithm's community detection performance is still greater than 0.9.
Queijos: aspectos químicos, bioquímicos e microbiológicos

This article presents a brief historical outline of cheese manufacture. Chemical, biochemical and microbiological aspects are presented: the main constituents of curd, the reactions involved in the development of flavour, and the role of micro-organisms and enzymes in the fermentation and maturation processes. A brief description of the characteristics of some cheeses is also given.
Validation of the Stolwijk and Tanabe Human Thermoregulation Models for Predicting Local Skin Temperatures of Older People under Thermal Transient Conditions

Human thermoregulation models can predict human thermal responses to evaluate thermal comfort and help create a healthy environment, while their applicability to older people has not been sufficiently validated. This study aimed to evaluate the performance of the Stolwijk model and the Tanabe model for predicting older people’s mean and local skin temperatures under thermal transient conditions. Eighteen healthy older people were recruited and exposed to transient environments including neutral (26 °C), low-temperature (23 and 21 °C), and high-temperature (29 and 32 °C) conditions. The local skin temperatures of the subjects were measured and compared to predictions of the Stolwijk model and the Tanabe model. The results revealed that the Stolwijk model and the Tanabe model could accurately predict the mean skin temperature of older people under neutral and high-temperature conditions, while their predictive accuracy declined under low-temperature conditions. Increased deviations were observed in the predictions of local skin temperatures for all conditions. This work attempted to provide an understanding of older people’s thermal response characteristics under transient conditions and to inspire the improvement of thermoregulation models for older people.
Mesoscale properties of clay aggregates from potential of mean force representation of interactions between nanoplatelets

Face-to-face and edge-to-edge free energy interactions of Wyoming Na-montmorillonite platelets were studied by calculating potential of mean force along their center to center reaction coordinate using explicit solvent (i.e., water) molecular dynamics and free energy perturbation methods. Using a series of configurations, the Gay-Berne potential was parametrized and used to examine the meso-scale aggregation and properties of platelets that are initially random oriented under isothermal-isobaric conditions. Aggregates of clay were defined by geometrical analysis of face-to-face proximity of platelets with size distribution described by a log-normal function. The isotropy of the microstructure was assessed by computing a scalar order parameter. The number of platelets per aggregate and anisotropy of the microstructure both increases with platelet plan area. The system becomes more ordered and aggregate size increases with increasing pressure until maximum ordered state at confining pressure of 50 atm. Furt.