Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Characterization of Geosynthetic Load-Strain Behavior After Installation Damage

Installation damage can be expected to modify the mechanical properties of geosynthetics in reinforcement applications. The paper reviews data from controlled installation damage trials reported in the literature and other sources. Geosynthetic properties taken from the results of index tensile tests are reviewed and the peak strength, strain at failure, and modulus of control and damaged specimens compared. The results of this interpretation of test data are grouped according to reinforcement type and constituent polymer. The data reveals that there are critical levels of reinforcement damage described as percent of peak strength retained that identify the onset of degradation in modulus and/or strain at rupture for each reinforcement classification. The interpretation of the test data presented in the paper illustrates that the current interpretation of installation damage based on peak strength retained is conservative for some types of geosynthetic materials. For these materials, the percentage of mod.
Radio-Influence and Corona-Loss Aspects of AEP 765-kV Lines

This paper considers the effects of radio influence (RI) and corona loss in the design of the American Electric Powers' 765-kV lines. Past experience with 345-kV lines and field RI and corona-loss data obtained from the Apple Grove 750-kV test project [1] provided a good basis for establishing a conductor size for satisfactory RI and corona-loss performance at 765-kV. A bundle of four 1.165-inch (29.59-mm) diameter 954-kcmil ACSR conductors were selected for 765-kV lines to provide acceptable fair-weather radio reception at 200 feet (61 meters) from the line in urban or highly populated areas. For this conductor size the average fair- weather corona loss should not exceed 3 kW/mile (1.87 kW/km) three phase, and the mean foul-weather corona loss is expected to be approximately 135 kW/mile (84.3 kW/km) three phase. A special vehicle designed and equipped for 14-kHz to 1000-MHz RI and television influence (TVI) measurements will survey the 765-kV lines, collecting data for verification of performance, and, as necessary, for the correction of any unusual radio or TVI problems.
Modulated lapped transforms in image coding

The class of modulated lapped transforms (MLT) with extended overlap is investigated in image coding. The finite-length-signals implementation using symmetric extensions is introduced and human visual sensitivity arrays are computed. Theoretical comparisons with other popular transforms are carried and simulations are made using intraframe coders. Emphasis is given in transmission over packet networks assuming high rate of data losses. The MLT with overlap factor 2 is shown to be superior in all our tests with bonus features such as greater robustness against block losses.
Effect of Bacillus spp. on the composition of gut microbiota in early life stages of Indian white shrimp, Penaeus indicus

ABSTRACT To study the effects of the probiotics on the gut microbial community of Penaeus indicus larvae, a combination of three probiotics—Bacillus subtilis, B. lichiniformis, and B. pumilus (5 × 1010 cfu/gram)—were added to the rearing environment of shrimp larvae (5,000/500 L). Altered microbial communities due to the application of probiotics were studied using 16S rRNA-based Illumina sequencing. The results suggest that the probiotics-treated group showed higher richness; the control group was even as measured by alpha diversity indices. The abundance of Proteobacteria was higher in the probiotic-treated group (94.85%) compared to the control (58.29%). At the genus level, the probiotics group was dominated by Vibrio (44.17%), Rhodobacteraceae_unclassified (25.22%), Catenococcus (12.89%), Pseudoalteromonas (4.76%), and Kordia (1.53%); Tenacibaculum (24.29%), Catenococcus (19.38%), Vibrio (7%), Gammaproteobacteria_unclassified (6.6%), Fluviicola (5.91%), and Chlamydiales_unclassified (4.61%) dominated in the control group. Results indicate that probiotic application influenced the taxonomic profile of gut microbes. This information helps us to understand the effect of probiotic application especially in penaeid shrimp hatcheries.
Defects and passivation in perovskite solar cells

This organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite materials have attracted great attention by virtue of their high absorption coefficient, low cost and simple film deposition technique. Based on these advantages, perovskite solar cells have reached an impressive power conversion efficiency over 25%. However, the low-temperature process inevitably leads to a large number of defects in the perovskite film. These defects would exacerbate the carrier recombination, induce crystal degradation, phase transformation and seriously affect the performance of devices. Studying the defects in perovskite film is of great significance for the development of high-performance perovskite solar cells. Herein, the authors summarise the causes, distribution and features of defects, as well as their effects on the performance of perovskite solar cells. Furthermore, some defect-passivation strategies on perovskite film or the device, including grain boundary passivation, surface passivation, capping layer modification and charge transport layer passivation, are discussed, respectively. Lastly, some remaining challenges in the commercialisation of perovskite solar cells are proposed.
A general-purpose VME module

A general-purpose Versa Module Europa (VME) module has been developed for trigger and DAQ application. It takes advantage of the flexibility of field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) and the modularity of personality cards. It can perform different functions without hardware modification simply by changing the design of the firmware in the FPGA. Higher gate-count FPGAs can also be used for more complex logic applications. The personality card is mainly used for adapting TTL to various level standards at the front panel. A personality card, featuring a 12-bit DAC and analog switch that generates calibration pulses, has also been designed. An example of FPGA program for a "4-channel 16-bit scaler" is also presented in this paper. The concept of a general-purpose VME module can also be extended to CAMAC, cPCI (compact peripheral component interconnect), or other modular standards. Several logic functions can be combined in one module, which is especially useful for trigger and DAQ control of a small experiment.
A winding function theory based global method for the simulation of faulty induction machines

This paper deals with a global method enabling the simulation of the squirrel cage induction machines under rotor and stator faults. This method is based on the coupled magnetic circuit theory. The system of differential equations describing the induction machine in presence of different rotor and stator faults is given. The machine inductances are calculated by means of the magnetic energy stored in the airgap. This task is performed by the use of the winding function method and a previously developed airgap permeance analytical model. Because of the inductances calculation is highly time consuming, a numerical representation method of the inductances is also proposed avoiding the calculation of the inductances during the differential equations system integration. The proposed model allows a precise study of several machine faults signature in various machine main quantities. Finally, some simulation results illustrate the proposed global method in the case of some common defaults such as stator inter-turn short circuits, broken rotor bars, broken end rings or airgap eccentricity.
Electrical properties of vegetable oil-impregnated paper insulation

This contribution presents results from testing electrical properties of transformer paper-insulation with vegetable oil as paper impregnant. Investigations have been made with two kinds of typically used pressboard materials in power transformers. More precise, pressboards of type T I and T IV manufactured by Weidmann Transformerboard Systems AG were impregnated with an oxidation resistant biodegradable rape-seed oil. Tests included determination of power-frequency voltage strength according to IEC 641 and dielectric dissipation factor according to IEC 250 of the impregnated pressboards. Moreover, in order to shed light on the effect of ageing on electrical properties investigations with thermally stressed boards have been carried out. Therefore, 4 weeks oxidation period at 120/spl deg/C temperature of specimen was used. Obtained results are compared to additional tests of pressboard impregnated with conventional transformer oil Shell Diala D. The investigations establish possibilities of using environmental friendly rape-seed oil for transformer applications.
Acaricidal Effects of Silicon Oxide and Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles against Tetranychus urticae (Acari: Tetranychidae) on Tomato Plants

ABSTRACT The twospotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae), is one of the world's most damaging agricultural pests. Nanoparticles have become one of the most promising new tools for pest management in recent years, but their efficacies against T. urticae are poorly known. We conducted laboratory and greenhouse experiments to evaluate the efficacy of commercially available silicon oxide nanoparticle (SiO-NP) and zinc oxide nanoparticle (ZnO-NP), each applied at 5, 50 and 100 ppm, on the adult and egg stages of T. urticae on tomato, Solanum lycopersicum L. (Solanaceae). In the laboratory experiment, SiO-NP and ZnO-NP at 100 ppm caused 100% mortality among female adult mites at 72 h after treatment and among eggs at 7 d post-treatment. In the greenhouse experiment, SiO-NP and ZnO-NP at 50 and 100 ppm caused withered plants, whereas treatment at 5 ppm did not cause any phytotoxicity and decreased mite densities to 0.25 adult/leaf and 0.4 egg/leaf on SiO-NP-treated plants and 0 adult/leaf and 0.3 egg/leaf on ZnO-NP-treated at 7 d post-treatment. Mite densities at 7 d post-treatment were 1.8 adult/leaf and 1.7 egg/leaf on untreated plants. Average percentage of leaf area damaged was 25% on the untreated plants, and 0.7% and 0.9% on plants treated with SiO-NP and ZnO-NP at 5 ppm, respectively. These results suggest that application of SiO-NP and ZnO-NP at 5 ppm can be used as eco-friendly management strategy of T. urticae.
Synthesis and characterization study of dual phase mixed zinc cobalt ferrite nanoparticles prepared via chemical co-precipitation method

Nanoparticles of Zinc substituted Cobalt ferrite powders having general formula ZnxCo1-xFe2O4 (x = 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1.0) have been produced by using analytical grade nitrates and hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as structure directing reagent via Chemical co-precipitation method. The structure and morphology of prepared polycrystalline ferrite nanoparticles were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Radiation (FTIR) and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) respectively. Thermogravimetric differential analysis (TG/DTA) technique gives information about ferrite phase formation occurs beyond 450 oC. The XRD analysis confirms the establishment of the cubic spinel structure with the presence of minor secondary phase of α-Fe2O3 (hematite) at a calcination temperature of 650 oC. The polycrystalline mixed zinc cobalt ferrite nanoparticles showed a dual phase and crystallite size lies in the range 6-11 nm. FE-SEM microstructure shows the nearly spherical polycrystalline nanoparticles with a particle size in between 0.11-0.20 μm. The FT-IR spectra display two significant strong absorption bands nearby in the range of 400 cm and 600 cm on the tetrahedral and octahedral sites respectively. Copyright © 2018 VBRI Press.
Recent COVID-19 vaccination has minimal effects on the physiological responses to graded exercise in physically active healthy people

Athletes are advised to receive the COVID-19 vaccination to protect them from SARS CoV-2 infection during major competitions. Despite this, many athletes are reluctant to get the COVID-19 vaccine due to concerns that symptoms of vaccinosis may impair athletic performance. OBJECTIVE To determine the effects of COVID-19 vaccination on the physiological responses to graded exercise. METHODS Healthy physically active participants completed a 20-minute bout of graded cycling exercise at intensities corresponding to 50, 60, 70 and 80% of the pre-determined V̇O2max before and ~21 days after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine (2 dose Pfizer mRNA or 1 dose Johnson&Johnson). RESULTS Vaccination had no effect on a large number of physiological responses to exercise measured in blood (e.g. lactate, epinephrine, cortisol) and by respiratory gas exchange (e.g. oxygen uptake, CO2 production, ventilation, respiratory exchange ratio, predicted V̇O2max, ventilatory threshold) (p>0.05). We did, however, find significant elevations in heart rate (~5 bpm) and norepinephrine (p = 0.006 and 0.04, respectively) in response to vigorous (e.g. 70-80% V̇O2max) intensity exercise after vaccination, particularly in those that received the two shot Pfizer mRNA vaccine regimen. These findings held true when compared to demographically matched controls who completed identical bouts of exercise several weeks apart without receiving a vaccine. CONCLUSION Recent COVID-19 vaccination has minimal effects on the physiological responses to graded exercise in physically active healthy people. The small elevations in cardiovascular and neuroendocrine responses to exercise after the Pfizer mRNA vaccine regimen could have implications for athletes at the elite level and warrants investigation.
Contrasting surface velocities between lake- and land-terminating glaciers in the Himalayan region

Abstract. Meltwater from Himalayan glaciers sustains the flow of rivers such as the Ganges and Brahmaputra on which over half a billion people depend for day-to-day needs. Upstream areas are likely to be affected substantially by climate change, and changes in the magnitude and timing of meltwater supply are expected to occur in coming decades. About 10 % of the Himalayan glacier population terminates into proglacial lakes, and such lake-terminating glaciers are known to exhibit higher-than-average total mass losses. However, relatively little is known about the mechanisms driving exacerbated ice loss from lake-terminating glaciers in the Himalaya. Here we examine a composite (2017–2019) glacier surface velocity dataset, derived from Sentinel 2 imagery, covering central and eastern Himalayan glaciers larger than 3 km2. We find that centre flow line velocities of lake-terminating glaciers (N = 70; umedian: 18.83 m yr−1; IQR – interquartile range – uncertainty estimate: 18.55–19.06 m yr−1) are on average more than double those of land-terminating glaciers (N = 249; umedian: 8.24 m yr−1; IQR uncertainty estimate: 8.17–8.35 m yr−1) and show substantially more heterogeneity than land-terminating glaciers around glacier termini. We attribute this large heterogeneity to the varying influence of lakes on glacier dynamics, resulting in differential rates of dynamic thinning, which causes about half of the lake-terminating glacier population to accelerate towards the glacier termini. Numerical ice-flow model experiments show that changes in the force balance at the glacier termini are likely to play a key role in accelerating the glacier flow at the front, with variations in basal friction only being of modest importance. The expansion of current glacial lakes and the formation of new meltwater bodies will influence the dynamics of an increasing number of Himalayan glaciers in the future, and these factors should be carefully considered in regional projections.
International Best Practices for Pre-Processing and Co-Processing Municipal Solid Waste and Sewage Sludge in the Cement Industry

LBNL-XXXX E RNEST O RLANDO L AWRENCE B ERKELEY N ATIONAL L ABORATORY International Best Practices for Pre-Processing and Co-Processing Municipal Solid Waste and Sewage Sludge in the Cement Industry Ali Hasanbeigi, Hongyou Lu, Christopher Williams, Lynn Price China Energy Group Energy Analysis and Environmental Impacts Department Environmental Energy Technologies Division Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory July 2012 This work was supported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Institute for Industrial Productivity through the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract No. DE-AC02-05CH11231.
Drosophila gustatory projections are segregated by taste modality and connectivity

Gustatory sensory neurons detect caloric and harmful compounds in potential food and convey this information to the brain to inform feeding decisions. To examine the signals that gustatory neurons transmit and receive, we reconstructed gustatory axons and their synaptic sites in the adult Drosophila melanogaster brain, utilizing a whole-brain electron microscopy volume. We reconstructed 87 gustatory projections from the proboscis labellum in the right hemisphere and 57 from the left, representing the majority of labellar gustatory axons. Gustatory neurons contain a nearly equal number of interspersed pre-and post-synaptic sites, with extensive synaptic connectivity among gustatory axons. Morphology- and connectivity-based clustering revealed six distinct groups, likely representing neurons recognizing different taste modalities. The vast majority of synaptic connections are between neurons of the same group. This study resolves the anatomy of labellar gustatory projections, reveals that gustatory projections are segregated based on taste modality, and uncovers synaptic connections that may alter the transmission of gustatory signals.
Sterculia tragacantha Lindl Leaf Extract Ameliorates STZ-Induced Diabetes, Oxidative Stress, Inflammation and Neuronal Impairment

Background Sterculia tragacantha is a medicinal plant commonly used in the western part of Nigeria, for managing diabetes mellitus. However, there is a dearth of scientific information on the antidiabetic and neuroprotective properties of the plant. Methods The in silico, in vitro and in vivo models were used to evaluate the antioxidants, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective potential of aqueous extract of Sterculia tragacantha leaf (AESTL) in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. Thirty (30) male albino rats (155.34±6.33 g) were intraperitoneal injected with 40 mg/kg of freshly prepared streptozotocin and were divided into 5 groups (A-E) of 6 animals each. Groups A–D were treated with 0, 150 and 300 mg/kg of AESTL, and 200 mg/kg body weight of metformin respectively, while group E serve as the normal control. Results The results of in vitro analysis revealed dose-dependent antioxidant activities; ABTS (IC50 = 63.03±2.57 μg/mL), DPPH (117.49±2.35 μg/mL), FRAP (15.19±0.98 mmol/100g), TAC (43.38±0.96 mg/100g), hypoglycaemic effect; α-amylase (IC50 = 77.21±4.35 μg/mL) and α-glucosidase (IC50 = 443.25±12.35), and anti-cholinesterase; AChE (IC50 = 113.07±3.42 μg/mL) and BChE (IC50 = 87.50±4.32 μg/mL) activities of AESTL. In vivo study revealed dose-dependent hypoglycemic effect and body weight improvement in rats treated with the AESTL. In addition, AESTL improved the antioxidant status and attenuated STZ-induced dysregulations of Na+-K+-ATPase, cholinesterases and neurotransmitters in the brain tissue of experimental rats. The results also demonstrated that AESTL could regulate anti-inflammatory response via inhibition of COX-2/NO signaling axis in the brain of diabetic rats. Molecular docking analysis revealed that epicatechin and procyanidin B2, the bioactive compounds from AESTL, docked well to the binding cavities of acetylcholinesterase, butyrylcholinesterase, α-amylase and α-glucosidase with binding affinities ranges between –8.0 and –11.4 kcal/mol, suggesting that these compounds are the bioactive component that could be responsible for the antidiabetic and neuroprotective activities of AESTL. Conclusion The results of the present study strongly suggested that the AESTL extract could be very useful for halting diabetes progression and its associated neuroinflammation complications.
Serviceability design of a cold-formed steel portal frame having semi-rigid joints

Details are given of a cold-formed steel portal framing system that uses simple bolted momentconnections for both the eaves and apex joints. However, such joints function as semi-rigid and, as a result, the design of the proposed system will be dominated by serviceability requirements. While serviceability is a mandatory design requirement, actual deflection limits for portal frames are not prescribed in many of the national standards. In this paper, a review of the design constraints that have an effect on deflection limits is discussed, and rational values appropriate for use with cold-formed steel portal frames are recommended. Adopting these deflection limits, it is shown through a design example how a cold-formed steel portal frame having semi-rigid eaves and apex joints can be a feasible alternative to rigid-jointed frames in appropriate circumstances.
Medical image alignment based on landmark- and approximate contour-matching

Abstract. Purpose: Our goal is to propose a landmark- and contour-matching (LCM) registration method that uses both landmark information and approximate point correspondences to boost the similarity between image pairs with sparse landmark information. Approach: A model for registering two-dimensional (2D) medical images with landmark information and contour-approximating landmarks was proposed. The model was also extended to accommodate the registration of three-dimensional (3D) cardiac images. We validated the LCM method on 2D hand x-rays and 3D porcine cardiac magnetic resonance images. The following metrics were used to assess the quality of specific aspects of the registered images: Dice similarity coefficient for the overall image overlap, target registration error for pointwise correspondence, and interior angle for local curvature. Results: Target registrations were reduced from 27.12 to 0.01 mm post-LCM registration. Implementing the proposed algorithm also led to a 112% average improvement in image similarity in terms of Dice coefficients. In addition, interior angle measurements indicate that the proposed method preserved the local curvature at major reference landmarks and mitigated the appearance of deformities in the registered images. Conclusions: The proposed method addressed several issues associated with purely landmark-based techniques, such as iterative closest point registration and thin plate spline interpolation. Furthermore, it provided accurate registration results even in the presence of landmark localization errors.
Modelling and evaluation of hydrogen demonstration systems

This paper describes the system modeling tools and evaluation methods developed in International Energy Agency (IEA) Hydrogen Implementing Agreement (HIA) on Integrated Systems (Annex 18). The general method used is to gather data and evaluate stationary hydrogen energy demonstration projects, verify the models and assumptions used in the modeling tools, and/or to investigate alternative designs. The specific focus presented here is the technical evaluations and simulation models developed for two actual installations: (1) an electrolyzer-based hydrogen refueling station in Reykjavik, Iceland and (2) an integrated electrolyzer/metal hydride/fuel cell system in Takasago, Japan. Comparisons between data and models show that the hydrogen system simulators developed are suitable to evaluate systems with respect to design and operation (e.g. energy efficiency and system availability), but more exact data on hydrogen compressor work is required. Alternative hydrogen compression and storage systems for refueling stations are also proposed. Detailed analyses show how important it is to properly understand the heat exchange mechanisms and characteristics (kinetics) of metal hydrides before designing fully integrated metal hydride systems. Recommendations for future work on how to apply the tools available on similar hydrogen energy systems and refueling stations are provided.