Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of Mica and Hematite (001) Surfaces on the Precipitation of Calcite

The substrate effect of mica and hematite on the nucleation and crystallization of calcite was investigated using scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) methods. On mica, we found, in the absence of Mg2+, the substrates’ (001) surfaces with hexagonal and pseudo-hexagonal two-dimensional (2-D) structure can affect the orientation of calcite nucleation with calcite (001) ~// mica (001) and calcite (010) ~// mica (010) to be the major interfacial relationship. On hematite, we did not observe frequent twinning relationship between adjacent calcite gains, but often saw preferentially nucleation of calcite at surface steps on hematite substrate. We suggest that calcite crystals initially nucleate from the Ca2+ layers adsorbed on the surfaces. The pseudo-hexagonal symmetry on mica (001) surface also leads to the observed calcite (001) twinning. A second and less common orientation between calcite {104} and mica (001) was detected but could be due to local structure damage of the mica surface. Results in the presence of Mg2+ show that the substrate surfaces can weaken Mg toxicity to calcite nucleation and lead to a higher level of Mg incorporation into calcite lattice.
Priming of jasmonate-mediated antiherbivore defense responses in rice by silicon

Significance Silicon (Si) is the second most abundant element in soil, and it can increase plant resistance against many abiotic and biotic stresses. The jasmonate (JA) signaling pathway plays a crucial role in mediating antiherbivore defense responses in plants. Our work shows that Si primes JA-mediated antiherbivore defense responses and increases rice resistance to the leaffolder caterpillar and that Si accumulation in rice leaves is mediated by the JA pathway, suggesting a strong interaction between Si and JA in rice defense against insect herbivores. This interaction may represent a widespread mechanism by which Si enhances plant resistance against biotic stresses in Si-accumulating plants. Although the function of silicon (Si) in plant physiology has long been debated, its beneficial effects on plant resistance against abiotic and biotic stresses, including insect herbivory, have been well documented. In addition, the jasmonate (JA) signaling pathway plays a crucial role in mediating antiherbivore defense responses in plants. However, potential interactions between JA and Si in response to insect attack have not been examined directly. To explore the role JA may play in Si-enhanced resistance, we silenced the expression of allene oxide synthase (OsAOS; active in JA biosynthesis) and CORONATINE INSENSITIVE1 (OsCOI1; active in JA perception) genes in transgenic rice plants via RNAi and examined resulting changes in Si accumulation and defense responses against caterpillar Cnaphalocrocis medinalis (rice leaffolder, LF) infestation. Si pretreatment increased rice resistance against LF larvae in wild-type plants but not in OsAOS and OsCOI1 RNAi lines. Upon LF attack, wild-type plants subjected to Si pretreatment exhibited enhanced defense responses relative to untreated controls, including higher levels of JA accumulation; increased levels of transcripts encoding defense marker genes; and elevated activities of peroxidase, polyphenol oxidase, and trypsin protease inhibitor. Additionally, reduced Si deposition and Si cell expansion were observed in leaves of OsAOS and OsCOI1 RNAi plants in comparison with wild-type plants, and reduced steady-state transcript levels of the Si transporters OsLsi1, OsLsi2, and OsLsi6 were observed in Si-pretreated plants after LF attack. These results suggest a strong interaction between Si and JA in defense against insect herbivores involving priming of JA-mediated defense responses by Si and the promotion of Si accumulation by JA.
An EKF assimilation of AMSR-E soil moisture into the ISBA land surface scheme

[1] An Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) for the assimilation of remotely sensed near-surface soil moisture into the Interactions between Surface, Biosphere, and Atmosphere (ISBA) model is described. ISBA is the land surface scheme in Meteo-France's Aire Limitee Adaptation Dynamique developpement InterNational (ALADIN) Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) model, and this work is directed toward providing initial conditions for NWP. The EKF is used to assimilate near-surface soil moisture observations retrieved from C-band Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer (AMSR-E) brightness temperatures into ISBA. The EKF can translate near-surface soil moisture observations into useful increments to the root-zone soil moisture. If the observation and model soil moisture errors are equal, the Kalman gain for the root-zone soil moisture is typically 20–30%, resulting in a mean net monthly increment for July 2006 of 0.025 m3 m−3 over ALADIN's European domain. To test the benefit of evolving the background error, the EKF is compared to a Simplified EKF (SEKF), in which the background errors at the time of the analysis are constant. While the Kalman gains for the EKF and SEKF are derived from different model processes, they produce similar soil moisture analyses. Despite this similarity, the EKF is recommended for future work where the extra computational expense can be afforded. The method used to rescale the near-surface soil moisture data to the model climatology has a greater influence on the analysis than the error covariance evolution approach, highlighting the importance of developing appropriate methods for rescaling remotely sensed near-surface soil moisture data.
The Relationships among Tourist Novelty, Familiarity, Satisfaction, and Destination Loyalty: Beyond the Novelty-familiarity Continuum

Novelty and familiarity play an important role in tourists’ perceptions, and these have been regarded as contrasting concepts for a long time. However, recent cognitive science literature suggests that novelty and familiarity are separate concepts, independently influencing consumer behavior. Based on this, our study aims to examine the differences between the effects of novelty and familiarity on satisfaction and destination loyalty. These relationships are explored by analyzing the responses of tourists in Takayama City, Japan. The research model was tested using structural equation modeling (SEM) techniques. The results show that both novelty and familiarity contribute to destination loyalty; however, only novelty has an effect on the formation of satisfaction. Theoretical and managerial implications of these are also discussed.
Mapping brain anatomical connectivity using white matter tractography

Integration of the neural processes in the human brain is realized through interconnections that exist between different neural centers. These interconnections take place through white matter pathways. White matter tractography is currently the only available technique for the reconstruction of the anatomical connectivity in the human brain noninvasively and in vivo. The trajectory and terminations of white matter pathways are estimated from local orientations of nerve bundles. These orientations are obtained using measurements of water diffusion in the brain. In this article, the techniques for estimating fiber directions from diffusion measurements in the human brain are reviewed. Methods of white matter tractography are described, together with the current limitations of the technique, including sensitivity to image noise and partial voluming. The applications of white matter tractography to the topographical characterization of the white matter connections and the segmentation of specific white matter pathways, and corresponding functional units of gray matter, are discussed. In this context, the potential impact of white matter tractography in mapping the functional systems and subsystems in the human brain, and their interrelations, is described. Finally, the applications of white matter tractography to the study of brain disorders, including fiber tract localization in brains affected by tumors and the identification of impaired connectivity routes in neurologic and neuropsychiatric diseases, are discussed. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Development of Digital Signal ProcessingPlatform for Digital Hearing Aid

There has been a tremendous growth for the past few years in the field of VLSI and real time signal processing. Number of signal processing algorithms have been developed which allow the user to process real time signals such as speech to accomplish the signal with desired quality. Development of CMOS technology provides wide selection of low power FPGAs to be used in Digital system design. This paper introduces an efficient method to design a Digital Programmable Hearing Aid system working in association with Analog interface module. Real time signal processing algorithms such as Feedback and echo cancellation, Adaptive filtering , Dynamic range compression, Digital filter for decimation along with FFT and IFFT algorithms have been discussed using a 32 bit RISC processor core and hardware digital signal processing block, both residing in a Xilinx FPGA. Hardware configuration and software implementation are discussed in detail. Xilinx Spartan3, FPGA is used in system design. Spartan3 board has inbuilt ADC inside the chip so there is no need to use external CODEC system in design. Finally the challenges and the future work for additional improvement are discussed.
CuIn(Se,S) 2 Absorbers Processed using a Hydrazine-Based Solution Approach

With tunable bandgap and demonstrated high efficiency, the chalcopyrite CuInSe2 and its alloys have shown great potential as absorbers for single and multi-junction solar cells. However, the current deposition techniques mostly rely on expensive vacuum-based processing or involve complicated precursor solution preparation. These higher-cost absorber preparation processes make it difficult to commercialize this technology. In this work, CuInSe2-xSx (CIS) absorbers are deposited using a simple hydrazine-based solution process. Precursor solutions were prepared by dissolving the component metal chalcogenides and chalcogen in hydrazine, forming homogeneous solutions containing adjustable concentrations of desired elements mixed on a molecular level. These precursor solutions are then spin coated on substrates followed by a heat treatment in an inert environment to produce high quality CIS thin films. Significantly, no post deposition selenization process is required using this technique. Laboratory scale devices with conventional glass/Mo/CIS/CdS/i-ZnO/ITO structure have been fabricated using CIS absorbers deposited via this process. For the baseline low-bandgap CIS system with no Ga added (to compare with our previously reported results with Ga incorporated), AM1.5G conversion efficiency of as high as ~9% has been achieved for devices with 0.45 cm 2 effective area.
UWB integrated microstrip patch antenna with unsymmetrical opposite slots

A new ultra wide band (UWB) probe fed microstrip patch antenna (MPA) with two unsymmetrical opposite slots is proposed. In this paper, two opposite slots with dimensions L1×W1 and L2×W2 were entrenched in radiating edges of patch. The dielectric substrate has dimensions 100×100 mm2 and optimized height of 4mm. A parametric study of slots dimensions, dielectric material type and substrate thickness has been carried out to enhance the impedance bandwidth of the proposed antenna. The antenna performance has been characterized in terms of reflection coefficient (S11) and radiation characteristics. Among different dielectric materials, FR4 epoxy with thickness of 4mm resulted in an impedance bandwidth of 4.8 to 10.6 GHz. The peak gain varies from 4.5 dB to 7.5 dB over the operating frequency range. The antenna was simulated using Ansys HFSS v13 based on Finite element method. This antenna is a suitable candidate for variety of UWB wireless and broadband applications.
Inflammatory Bowel Disease Rising Prevalence of Venous Thromboembolism and Its Impact on Mortality Among Hospitalized Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients

RESULTS: After multivariate adjustment, both UC (OR 1.85, 95% CI 1.70–2.01) and CD discharges (OR 1.48, 95% CI 1.35–1.62) had higher rates of VTE compared to non-IBD discharges. Prevalence of VTE was greater among UC compared to CD discharges (OR 1.32, 95% CI 1.17–1.48). Among CD patients, active fistulizing disease was independently associated with greater VTE (OR 1.39, 95% CI 1.13–1.70). There was an annual 17% rise in odds of VTE among IBD admissions over 7 yr. VTE was associated with greater mortality among IBD patients (adjusted OR 2.50, 95% CI 1.83–3.43). This ageand comorbidity-adjusted excess mortality from VTE was 2.1-fold higher for IBD than for non-IBD patients (P < 0.0001). IBD patients with VTE had longer length of stay (11.7 vs 6.1 days, P < 0.0001) and incurred higher hospital charges ($47,515 vs $21,499; P < 0.0001).
Strong topological metal material with multiple Dirac cones

We report a new, cleavable, strong topological metal, Zr2Te2P, which has the same tetradymite-type crystal structure as the topological insulator Bi2Te2Se. Instead of being a semiconductor, however, Zr2Te2P is metallic with a pseudogap between 0.2 and 0.7 eV above the Fermi energy (EF). Inside this pseudogap, two Dirac dispersions are predicted: one is a surface-originated Dirac cone protected by time-reversal symmetry (TRS), while the other is a bulk-originated and slightly gapped Dirac cone with a largely linear dispersion over a 2 eV energy range. A third surface TRS-protected Dirac cone is predicted, and observed using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, making Zr2Te2P the first system, to our knowledge, to realize TRS-protected Dirac cones at M¯ points. The high anisotropy of this Dirac cone is similar to the one in the hypothetical Dirac semimetal BiO2. As a result, we propose that if EF can be tuned into the pseudogap where the Dirac dispersions exist, it may be possible to observe ultrahigh carrier mobility and large magnetoresistance in this material.
Probabilistic Optimal PV Capacity Planning for Wind Farm Expansion Based on NASA Data

Considering the complementary characteristics of wind and solar energy, expanding an existing wind farm with photovoltaic panels can significantly smooth fluctuation of output power and improve operation economy. This paper proposes a two-stage approach to optimize the wind farm expansion. Based on the National Aeronautics and Space Administration data, modified meteorological models are developed considering the correlation between wind speed and solar irradiation. Taking into account fluctuation of output power, utilization of electrical equipment, and losses of renewable energy, a multi-objective optimization model is established. Two scenarios with different transformer ratings are analyzed to determine whether to expand electrical equipment. The Monte Carlo simulation is utilized to generate meteorological data in the first stage. The Pareto optimal solution set is searched by the multi-objective particle swarm optimization algorithm to determine the final solution in the second stage. A case study was conducted to validate the proposed approach.
Activity and migratory flights of individual free‐flying songbirds throughout the annual cycle: method and first case study

We describe a method and device ( 66 (max. 73) nocturnal migratory flights (29 flights in autumn and > 37, max. 44, in spring) adding up to a total of > 434 (max. 495) flight hours. Migratory flights lasted on average 6.6 h with maximum 15.9 h. These flights were aggregated into eight travel episodes (periods of 4-11 nights when flights took place on the majority of nights). Daytime resting levels were much higher during the winter period compared to breeding and final part of spring migration. Daytime resting showed peaks during days between successive nocturnal flights across Sahara, continental Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, indicating that the bird was mostly sleeping between these long migratory flights. Annual activity and flight data for free-living songbirds will open up many new research possibilities. Main topics that can be addressed are e.g. migratory flight performance (total flight investment, numbers and characteristics of flights), timing of stationary periods, activity patterns (resting/sleep, activity level) in different phases of the annual cycle and variability in the annual activity patterns between and within individuals. (Less)
Finding ZERO: When No News is Bad News

The greater frequency of positive relative to negative earnings surprise in the distribution of analysts’ forecast-based earnings surprises is well known. If the market anticipates the propensity of managers to generate positive surprises by biasing earnings or forecasts, then some of the common assumptions made in the information content studies are violated. In this paper I provide a rational framework that predicts and empirical tests that document that zero earnings surprises produce significantly negative stock price reactions, on average, and increasingly negative a firm’s ex ante probability of generating a positive earnings surprise. If the greater frequency of positive than negative earnings surprises in typical earnings surprise distributions is attributable to bias, then a rational market framework also predicts that the slope coefficient and the y-intercept in abnormal return-earnings surprise regressions will be negatively correlated; a result that I also confirm in my empirical tests. These results have important implications for studies that examine the stock price effect of earnings surprises that meet or fail to meet hypothesized “bright lines” when empirical tests involve comparing CARs or ERCs for observations to the left and right of the bright line. Specifically, if such tests do not take into account the ex ante probability of positive earnings surprise inferences can be confounded. I review a selection of studies that conclude that there are asymmetric market responses around hypothesized bright lines and demonstrate how inferences drawn from announcement abnormal returns and earnings response coefficients can be altered by controlling for the propensity for firms to generate positive surprises.  I am thankful for the helpful comments and advice from each of my dissertation committee members: Jeff Abarbanell (Chair), Robert Bushman, Raffi Indjejikian, Wayne Landsman, and Mark Lang. I am also thankful to John Hand, Ashraf Jaffer, Eva Labro, Ed Maydew, Chris Petrovits, and all the professors and students at UNC for additional comments and support. All errors are mine.
The Stellar Populations of the Cetus Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxy

We present Hubble Space Telescope Wide Field Planetary Camera 2 photometry in the V and I passbands of the recently discovered Local Group dwarf spheroidal galaxy in Cetus. Our color-magnitude diagram extends from above the first-ascent red giant branch (RGB) tip to approximately half a magnitude below the horizontal branch (HB). Given a reddening of E(B-V) = 0.03, the magnitude of the RGB tip yields a distance modulus of (m-M)0 = 24.46 ± 0.14. After applying the reddening and distance modulus, we have utilized the color distribution of RGB stars to determine a mean metal abundance of [Fe/H] = -1.7 on the Zinn & West scale, with an intrinsic internal abundance dispersion of ~0.2 dex. An indirect calculation of the HB morphology of Cetus based on the mean dereddened HB color yields (B-R)/(B+V+R) = -0.91 ± 0.09, which represents an HB that is redder than what can be attributed solely to Cetus's metal abundance. Thus, Cetus is affected by the "second-parameter effect," in which another parameter besides metallicity is controlling the HB morphology. If we adopt the conventional "age hypothesis" explanation for the second-parameter effect, then this implies that Cetus is 2-3 Gyr younger than Galactic globular clusters at its metallicity.
Transmission resonance through small apertures in conducting screen

Two kinds of transmission-resonant structure are described: transmission-resonant aperture type and transmission-resonant cavity type. The transmission cross sections at resonance are found to be (2G/4π)λ2 [m2] (G:gain) for both structures. It is also seen that a single transmission-resonant aperture structure, like a ridged circular aperture, can be synthesized with input and output coupling irises when the distance between them forms a transmission-resonant cavity structure.
The Effect of Bolus Consistency and Age on Measurements of Hyolaryngeal Muscular Activity During Swallowing

The objective of this study was to measure the effect of Age and Bolus Consistency on Hyolaryngeal Muscular Activity in older healthy adult males (ages 6090) as compared to younger healthy males (ages 18-25) using Surface Electromyography (sEMG). Ten young healthy adult male participants (ages 18-25) and ten older healthy adult male participants (ages 60-90) were recruited for this study. The dependent variables for this study were Amplitude and Duration measurements that were obtained from sEMG signals. The sEMG signals were acquired using the Swallowing Signals Lab workstation model (Kaypentax, Montvale NJ). Disposable self-adhesive electrode patches containing three electrodes were placed 1 cm below the inferior rim of the mental protuberance of the mandible. This electrode placement ensured that the electrodes were over the laryngeal elevator muscles. Each participant swallowed each bolus consistency (based on the National Dysphagia Diet levels 1 & 3) five times. The study found that bolus consistency significantly influenced measurements. As bolus consistency became more solid, the amplitude and duration in of sEMG increased. Results also indicated that older males exhibited greater durations during swallows as bolus consistency increased as compared to younger males. No significant effect of age group on amplitude was found. The significant effects of Amplitude and Duration based on different bolus consistency likely resulted from the participants using greater muscular contraction force when swallowing solid boluses. This study contributes to the current knowledge and research that helps us understand how Age and Bolus Consistency effect the Amplitude and Duration of hylolaryngeal muscle activity in healthy younger and older males.
Impact of Natural Period and Epicentral Distance on Storey Lateral Displacements

The goal of the paper is to highlight the effect of the building design and epicentral distance on the storey lateral displacements, for several reinforced concrete buildings (6, 9 and 12 stories). These structures are subjected to seismic accelerations from the Boumerdes earthquake (Algeria, May 21, Mw = 6.8). Using the response spectrum method (modal spectral approach), the analysis is performed in both longitudinal and transverse directions. The building design is expressed through the fundamental period and epicentral distance is used to represent the earthquake effect variation on storey lateral displacements and interstory drift for the considered buildings. Keywords—Epicentral distance, interstory drift, lateral displacement, natural period, reinforced concrete buildings.