Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
In Situ X-Ray Computed Tomography (CT) Investigation on Localized Deformation and Crack Damage Evolution in a Bimrock by Tracking Rock Blocks

Instability of rock mass with block-in-matrix-rocks (bimrocks) often poses a threat to the geological and ecological environment; thus, investigation of the localized deformation and crack damage evolution is critical to predict the bimrock hazards. In this work, triaxial compression testing on block-in-matrix-soils (bimsoils) with a rock block percentage of 40% (mass ratio) was performed under tomographic monitoring using an original experimental setup specially designed to match the 450 kV industrial x-ray Computerized Tomography (CT) apparatus. A series of 2D CT images were obtained by carrying out CT scanning at key points throughout the test and from different positions in the sample. The physical strain localization phenomenon was well investigated using the proposed Block Tracking Movement (BTM) method to track the trajectory of rock blocks during deformation. The distribution and morphology of cracks are strongly influenced by the interactions between the rock block and the soil matrix including the repeating contact and separation between them that finally results in the macroscopic pattern of cracking. The displacement vector analysis revealed the spatial kinematics of rock blocks during sample deformation and the associated localized band evolution, which was consistent with the macroscopic crack pattern observation. The cracks corresponding to the low-density regions in the bimrock sample further indicate the inhomogeneous pattern of localized deformation. The meso-structural changes and strain localization of the bimrock under triaxial deformation are discussed first by analyzing the rock block movement using x-ray CT data.
Improving Complex Audit Judgments: A Framework and Evidence*†

We develop a framework for improving auditor judgment in complex audit tasks. The framework recognizes that high-quality judgment in complex tasks requires that auditors (1) possess the knowledge to perform analytical processing, (2) recognize the need for analytical (versus heuristic) processing, and (3) have the cognitive capacity to complete the processing. Based on the framework, we predict that auditors’ need for cognition (NFC), an individual characteristic theoretically linked to recognizing the need for analytical processing, is associated with better judgments in a complex audit task. Analysis across 11 studies shows that NFC is reliably associated with better complex audit judgments. We further predict and find that priming auditors with an accuracy goal will improve judgments, particularly for lower NFC auditors who are less likely to spontaneously recognize the need for analytical processing. The framework facilitates systematic development of interventions to improve auditor judgment by highlighting that interventions should address the specific conditions that cause judgment problems.
Genetic diversity, phylogeography, and evolutionary dynamics of highly pathogenic avian influenza A (H5N6) viruses

Abstract From 2013 onwards, the spread of novel H5N6 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses in China has posed great threats to not only poultry industry but also human health. Since late-2016 in particular, frequent outbreaks of clade 2.3. 4.4 H5N6 HPAI viruses among wild birds have promoted viral dissemination in South Korea, Japan, and European countries. In response to those trends, we conducted molecular genetic analysis of global clade 2.3. 4.4 H5N6 viruses in order to characterize spatio-temporal patterns of viral diffusion and genetic diversity among wild birds and poultry. The clade 2.3. 4.4 H5N6 viruses were classified into three groups (Group B, C, and D). During the cocirculation of Group C/D H5N6 viruses from 2013 to 2017, viral movements occurred between close or adjacent regions of China, Vietnam, South Korea, and Japan. In addition, viral migration rates from Guangdong and Hunan to multiple adjacent provinces seemed to have been highly supported by transmission routes (Bayes factors >100), suggesting that southern China was an epicenter for the spread of H5N6 viruses in poultry during that period. Since the introduction of H5N6 viruses originating in wild birds in late-2016, evolving H5N6 viruses have lost most previous genotypes (e.g. G1, G2, and G1.2), whereas some prevailing genotypes (e.g. G1.1, G1.1.b, and G3) in aquatic birds have been dominated, and in particular, the effective population size of H5N6 originating in wild birds dramatically increased; however, the population size of poultry-origin H5N6 viruses declined during the same period, indicating that wild bird migration might accelerate the genetic diversity of H5N6 viruses. Phylogeographic approaches revealed that two independent paths of H5N6 viruses into South Korea and Japan from 2016 to 2018 and provided evidence of Group B and Group C H5N6 viruses were originated from Europe and China, respectively, as regions located in the East Asia–Australian migration flyway, which accelerated the genetic variability and dissemination. Altogether, our study provides insights to examine time of origin, evolutionary rate, diversification patterns, and phylogeographical approach of global clade 2.3. 4.4 H5N6 HPAI viruses for assessing their evolutionary process and dissemination pathways.
Evaluation of Push-out Bond Strength of a Resin Sealer to Dentin after a Final Flush of Three Irrigants.

AIM To evaluate the push-out bond strength of resin-based sealer to root dentin after a final flush of three different irrigants. MATERIALS AND METHODS Thirty extracted human mandibular premolars were sectioned 4 mm below the cement-enamel junction and 60 horizontal disks of 2 mm from middle one-third of the root were prepared. The disks were immersed in 3% sodium hypochlorite for 1 minute, and after drying the disks, they were finally flushed with the following irrigants: group I-Chitosan solution, group II-Morinda citrifolia juice (MCJ), and group III-ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). The disks were filled with AH Plus sealer, and after 7 days, the disks were subjected to push-out bond strength using a universal testing machine. RESULTS EDTA had the highest push-out bond strength followed by MCJ and then chitosan. CONCLUSION Chitosan and MCJ can be used as alternative irrigants as a final flush during the cleaning and shaping of the root canals. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE EDTA, chitosan solution, and MCJ are efficient in smear layer removal which thereby increases better sealer penetration and prevents the dislocation of obturating materials.
Effects of Chamber Width on H2/Air Rotating Detonations

To get the effects of chamber width on the H2/Air rotating detonations, several models with different widths have been investigated. By using a one-step chemical reaction model, one wave is induced in all models. The chamber width has a significant effect on the flow field. When the chamber width is small, the variation of the flow field with the radius is not obvious. But when the width increases, the curvature of the detonation wave reflecting between the inner and outer walls at the head would become enlarged. The height of the detonation wave both on the inner wall and the outer wall has been presented. When the width reaches a limited value, the detonation wave cannot sustain on the inner wall. The normal velocity is used to characterize the detonation wave. The normal velocities on the outer wall and average diameter are almost the same. The former one is approximately the CJ value.
Physical and Mechanical Characterisation of Al7075/SiC Functionally Graded Materials Fabricated by Powder Metallurgy Route

ABSTRACT In the present research, a stepwise Al7075/SiC functionally graded materials (FGMs) are produced successfully through the powder metallurgy route with various graded layers and different weight percentages of silicon carbide(SiC). Investigated the effect of varying SiC weight percentages and the number of layers on the microstructure and mechanical characteristics of functionally graded materials. The microstructural examination of a two-layered functionally graded material with layer-1(90%Al+10%SiC) and layer-2 (85%Al+15%SiC) exhibited the even dispersion of silicon carbide particles in the aluminium matrix and strong interfacial bonding between the layers. The change in each functionally graded layer’s hardness values confirms the successful fabrication of functionally graded materials using powder metallurgy. The results show that the formation of interfacial bonding between the layers and micro-cracks in the layers plays a significant role in enhancing the mechanical properties of functionally graded materials.
Holographic Micromirror Array with Diffuse Areas for Accurate Calibration of 3D Light-Field Display

Light field 3D displays require a precise alignment between the display source and the micromirror-array screen for error free 3D visualization. Hence, calibrating the system using an external camera becomes necessary, before displaying any 3D contents. The inter-dependency of the intrinsic and extrinsic parameters of display-source, calibration-camera, and micromirror-array screen, makes the calibration process very complex and error-prone. Thus, several assumptions are made with regard to the display setup, in order to simplify the calibration. A fully automatic calibration method based on several such assumptions was reported by us earlier. Here, in this paper, we report a method that uses no such assumptions, but yields a better calibration. The proposed method adapts an optical solution where the micromirror-array screen is fabricated as a computer generated hologram with a tiny diffuser engraved at one corner of each elemental micromirror in the array. The calibration algorithm uses these diffusing areas as markers to determine the relation between the pixels of display source and the mirrors in the micromirror-array screen. Calibration results show that virtually reconstructed 3D scenes align well with the real world contents, and are free from any distortion. This method also eliminates the position dependency of display source, calibration-camera, and mirror-array screen during calibration, which enables easy setup of the display system.
Are you on Mobile or Desktop? On the Impact of End-User Device on Web QoE Inference from Encrypted Traffic

Web browsing is one of the key applications of the Internet, if not the most important one. We address the problem of Web Quality-of-Experience (QoE) monitoring from the ISP perspective, relying on in-network, passive measurements. As a proxy to Web QoE, we focus on the analysis of the well-known SpeedIndex (SI) metric. Given the lack of application-level-data visibility introduced by the wide adoption of end-to-end encryption, we resort to machine-learning models to infer the SI and the QoE level of individual web-page loading sessions, using as input only packet- and flow-level data. In this paper, we study the impact of different end-user device types (e.g., smartphone, desktop, tablet) on the performance of such models. Empirical evaluations on a large, multi-device, heterogeneous corpus of Web-QoE measurements for the most popular websites demonstrate that the proposed solution can infer the SI as well as estimate QoE ranges with high accuracy, using either packet-level or flow-level measurements. In addition, we show that the device type adds a strong bias to the feasibility of these Web-QoE models, putting into question the applicability of previously conceived approaches on single-device measurements. To improve the state of the art, we conceive cross-device generalizable models operating at both packet and flow levels, offering a feasible solution for Web-QoE monitoring in operational, multi-device networks. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study tackling the analysis of Web QoE from encrypted network traffic in multi-device scenarios.
Economic optimisation of cold production: a matheuristic with artificial neural network approach

In this paper, the economic optimisation of cold storage is studied. A modern cold room is mainly composed of compressors, a tank to store heat-transfer fluid and cold rooms. The main cost is incurred by energy consumption and maintenance. The price of electricity, which is known in advance, varies during the day. Production schedules that entail higher risks of compressor wear, and thus high maintenance costs, have to be avoided. The temperature inside the cold rooms must be maintained within the allowed range, and complex thermodynamic processes make it difficult to predict temperature. The tank has a limited capacity. This paper presents the first model optimising the management cost of a cold store with a tank. Maintenance costs are considered for compressors, and Artificial Neural Networks are used to forecast the temperatures in the cold rooms. An optimal Dynamic Programme is designed for the case with one cold room and a matheuristic algorithm is presented for the general case with several cold rooms. A comparison with a classical hysteresis controller shows significant savings. The impact of storage capacity on operating costs is evaluated, after which the influence of the maintenance cost value is discussed.
Teaching a Project-Based Course at a Safe Distance: An Experience Report

IT security is an important aspect of system design and of quality assurance during the software engineering process. Today, there is a big demand for IT security specialists in job markets around the world. Increased automation of security code reviews is one approach for mitigating the current shortage of IT security professionals. We designed the course “Formal Methods for IT Security” to teach undergraduate students the basics of constraint solving and formal modeling techniques suitable for automation of IT security code reviews in a hands-on format. In this paper, we describe the didactic concept of the course along with the required modifications due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Further, we report our experience from remote teaching the class during the summer term affected by the pandemic. The main pandemic-related challenge we tackled during the course is establishing communication and stimulation of the discussions required for learning in projects without any presence meetings.
Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Bioenergy Production from Different Wood Pellet Supply Chains

The EU is one of the largest producers and consumers of wood pellets in the world, covering around 36% of the global wood pellet production and around 50% of the global consumption in 2018. The EU wood pellet consumption is expected to further increase in response to the ambitious energy and climate goals for 2030. Currently, wood pellets are mainly produced from sawdust and other sawmill residues; however, other types of forest feedstock are being investigated in order to meet the increasing wood pellet demand and move toward greater energy independence. The aim of this study is to evaluate and compare the environmental impact of different wood pellet supply chains. A comparative cradle-to-grave life cycle assessment is performed considering the following wood feedstock systems: (i) sawdust from sawmill (S1), (ii) roundwood logs (S2), (iii) whole trees from forest thinning operation (S3), and (iv) logging residues produced during forest tree harvesting (S4). The study focuses on Global Warming Potential (GWP), Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP), Photochemical Ozone Creation Potential (POCP), and Human Toxicity Potential (HTP). Results show that S3 displays the lowest figures on all the environmental impact categories considered in this study. Compared to the reference case S1, S3 shows a GWP reduction of 46%, an ODP reduction of 6.6%, a POCP reduction of 14.8%, and HTP reduction of 13.2%. S3 and S4 have lower GWP than S1 and S2, even when the biogenic CO2 emissions are considered. Overall, the life cycle phases that have the highest GWP, POCP, and HTP are the burning phase and the preparation of the material to be pelletized, particularly the drying process. Nevertheless, the main phases that contribute to the ODP are the forest operations and the pellet preparation.
ACTIVE CHAT HEADS: A NETNOGRAPHY OF PROFESSIONAL TERTIARY TEACHERS

The advancement of technology has brought professional learning into the online community of practice. However, the kind of culture in an online community of practice considered as informal has not been well explored. Hence, this paper described the culture of an informal community of practice of professional tertiary teachers in a private online group. Employing the traditional, personal participant observation techniques of anthropology to the study of culture manifesting through online communication, this study employed online ethnography or netnography. It involved observation and analysis of a small and intact group of five professional tertiary teachers. They share online communication of nine thousand two hundred seventy-two chat messages over a period in a private chat group. The results show that the interaction patterns in the online community are played by central characters and a hierarchy of shared activities constitute the culture of the online community. The members can take advantage of participating in their informal community of practice, and this time, in a more intentional manner. The activities are instructive and can be relevant in a work condition where time is constrained for face-to-face discussions.
Categorical Bifurcation: The Rite of Spring at the Threshold of Modernism

Pursuing a new theoretical link between sociology of culture and ‘categorization’ research, the article articulates the process whereby new categories emerge through bifurcation of pre-existing categories. The contribution is in conceptualizing and documenting the underlying interaction of endogenous and exogeneous factors. The assumption is that bifurcation is likely to occur where and when individual practices of contrast maximization interact with the internal tendency toward dichotomization. This form of interaction is instrumental in identifying and explaining ‘thresholds’ in cultural change. The framework is illustrated with the archetype of ‘modern ballet’ – The Rite of Spring, choreographed by Vaslav Nijinsky, staged in 1913. By reversing the codes of ‘classical’ ballet, centered on elegance, lightness and flow, the Rite redefined movement, codifying a language of tension, interruption and constraint. It marked the key moment when a critical part of the audience interpreted ‘bad’ ballet as ‘new’ ballet. The analysis draws parallels with bifurcation processes in physics and system dynamics.
Mitigation of saturation in satellite pasture measurement via incorporation of a statistical pasture growth model

Measurement of pasture biomass is useful to farmers, as it enables timely and accurate management decisions. Satellite pasture measurement allows this information to be obtained with minimal time and labour on the part of the farmer. However, the accuracy of satellite measurements for high levels of pasture biomass can be impacted by a phenomenon called saturation, in which the response of the satellite estimate to increased biomass is diminished in situations of high biomass. In this investigation, a statistical pasture growth model was combined with satellite pasture measurements, with the aim of mitigating the effect of saturation on estimation accuracy. Data were captured for five farms, across two regions and an 18–21 month measurement period. Where satellite measurements appeared to be saturated, the growth model estimate was substituted. This process resulted in improved accuracy (R2 improved from 0.672 to 0.703; RMSE improved from 334 to 309 kg DM/ha; and average bias improved from -62 to -9 kg DM/ha). The statistical improvements were more pronounced where terrestrial estimates were higher so the impact of saturation would be greatest. These results indicate that the problem of saturation in satellite pasture measurement can be addressed by the incorporation of modelled data. Prior research has predicted that improved accuracy of pasture measurement would be associated with increased profitability, and this work helps achieve that goal for farmers using satellite measurement services.
The analysis of a time delay fractional COVID‐19 model via Caputo type fractional derivative

Novel coronavirus (COVID‐19), a global threat whose source is not correctly yet known, was firstly recognised in the city of Wuhan, China, in December 2019. Now, this disease has been spread out to many countries in all over the world. In this paper, we solved a time delay fractional COVID‐19 SEIR epidemic model via Caputo fractional derivatives using a predictor–corrector method. We provided numerical simulations to show the nature of the diseases for different classes. We derived existence of unique global solutions to the given time delay fractional differential equations (DFDEs) under a mild Lipschitz condition using properties of a weighted norm, Mittag–Leffler functions and the Banach fixed point theorem. For the graphical simulations, we used real numerical data based on a case study of Wuhan, China, to show the nature of the projected model with respect to time variable. We performed various plots for different values of time delay and fractional order. We observed that the proposed scheme is highly emphatic and easy to implementation for the system of DFDEs.
Generalized Expanded-Blaum-Roth Codes and Their Efficient Encoding/Decoding

Expanded-Blaum-Roth (EBR) code encodes a (p – 1) × k information array into a p × p array such that any bit in a column can be recovered within the column and any k out of p columns can retrieve all (p – 1) × k information bits, where p is a prime number. In this paper, we generalize the construction of EBR code with a more flexible parameter, i.e., the number of bits stored in a column in the proposed construction can be not only a prime number but also an even number. In addition, we present an efficient encoding/decoding method for the proposed generalized EBR codes based on the LU factorization of Vandermonde matrix. We show that the proposed encoding/decoding method has less computational complexity than the existing method. Moreover, we show that the minimum symbol distance of generalized EBR codes is the same as that of EBR code for some parameters.
Interpretation and Prediction of Structural and Energetic Factors Controlling ABC Transporters

ATP Binding Cassette (ABC) transporters are trans-membrane proteins that exist in all phyla. Mutations in this family of proteins can cause inherited diseases like Cystic Fibrosis. ABC transporters consist of dimers of nucleotide binding domains (NBDs) and transmembrane domains (TMDs). NBDs regulate ABC transporters by binding to and hydrolyzing ATP. Although NBD-ATP interactions, NBD-TMD interactions and NBDwater interactions are known to be crucial to the function of these proteins, it is still not clear what structural and energetic factors are involved in the NBD-NTP interactions, how NBD and TMD interact with each other, how water is involved in the functions of ABC transporters and what are the structures and energetics of protein bound water. Molecular modeling and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were conducted to interpret and predict the structural and energetic factors in control and action of two ABC