Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
IMPACT OF DIFFERENT LOAD PROFILES ON SIZING AND PERFORMANCE OF A MICRO-HYDROKINETIC-BATTERY BASED HYBRID SYSTEM

Hydrokinetic hybrid systems are gaining more interest since hydrokinetic technology has proved to offer a cost-effective electrification solution. Very few research studies on sizing and optimization of microhydrokinetic-battery (MHK-B) based hybrid systems have been done. However, the authors did not explore the impact of different load profiles on optimal sizing and performance of the MHK-B hybrid system. In this study, the impact brought by different load profiles such as residential, commercial and industrial sectors on sizing and operation of a river based MHK-B hybrid system is investigated using Hybrid Optimization Model for Electric Renewable (HOMER) software. HOMER Pro version 3.6. 1 has been selected since it is equipped with hydrokinetic turbine module. The flowing water resource data obtained from a typical river of South Africa has been used as an input. Sample of load profile curves for residential, commercial, industrial have been used to estimate the daily load demands. The optimum configuration results indicated that for the same daily energy consumption, the type of a load profile affects the battery storage capacity, hydrokinetic turbine size, inverter and rectifier operational hours as well as the annual excess energy for the MHK-B hybrid system.
Predators and the accessibility of herbivore refuges in plants

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Diversity and spatial structure of clones in Vaccinium uliginosum populations

In Belgium, a total of three Vaccinium species with a shrub or dwarf shrub growth form can be found: Vaccinium myrtillus L. , Vaccinium vitis-idaea L. , and Vaccinium uliginosum L. Vaccinium uliginosum is the only one of these for which the extent of clonality is unknown. Therefore, the clonal structure of two V. uliginosum populations was inferred from random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers. Among the 47 sampled patches, 61 clones were identified. The mean values of the number of clones divided by the number of samples (G/N), the Simpson's index (D), and the genotypic evenness (E) were 0.28, 0.95, and 0.96, respectively. Vaccinium uliginosum exhibited a typical phalanx growth strategy that resulted in structured populations at the ramet level, that is, ramets belonging to the same clone were closely associated and formed distinct clumps. However, at the clone level, populations were not structured, that is, genetic distances between pairs of clones were not correlated with the spatial distances between the clones within a population. Genetic diversity was as high as that in nonclonal species (mean value of Shannon's diversity index (H-o) = 0.647). In accord with the life history traits of V. uliginosum (long-lived species with a mixed breeding system and potentially high seed dispersal), most of the genetic variation was found within populations.
Effect of Magnetizing the Fuel on the Performance of an S.I. Engine

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of the magnetized fuel on the performance of spark ignition engine. The engine performance was observed by examining the engine brake power (BP) , thermal efficiency , specific fuel consumption (SFC) and exhaust emissions . The fuel is subjected to a magnetic field which is placed to fuel supply line to magnetize the fuel before admitted to the engine cylinder. Two types of magnetic coils were adopted in this study, the first one with 1000 Gauss and the second with 2000 Gauss. Experimental tests were conducted at a speed of 2000 rpm , compression ratio 8 , wide open throttle (WOT) and ignition timing was set between 5 and 30 BTDC . The results show a significant improvements in engine performance, the thermal efficiency and engine power increased by (4 %) and (3.3 %) respectively when a magnetic coil of 1000 Gauss is used, and a reduction in the specific fuel consumption by (12.8 %) was achieved. However, when the magnetic coil of 2000 Gauss is used the brake power is increased nearly by (16.4 %) , thermal efficiency showed an improvement nearly by (7.6 %) , while the specific fuel consumption is decreased by (21.3 %) with respect with no magnetic field case . The exhaust gas emissions show a reduction nearly by (80 %) of CO and by (44 %) of HC when the magnetic coil of 1000 Gauss is used. A further reduction nearly by (90 %) of CO and by (58 %) of HC is obtained when the magnetic coil of 2000 Gauss is used . ریثأت يف دوقولا ةطنغم ارتحا كرحم ءادأ يلخاد ق ررشلاب لمعی يدومح دیعس نسح لیلخ يلع دعر دمحم وبح نمحرلا دبع . د لصوملا ةعماج ةسدنھلا ةیلك ةیكیناكیملا ةسدنھلا مسق – . لصوملا
THE COSTS OF AN INDUCIBLE DEFENSE IN ANURAN LARVAE

Costs of inducible phenotypes are a central component of theoretical treatments for the evolution of plasticity but have proved difficult to measure empirically. I estimated the costs of responding to predators for 15 species of anuran tadpoles, in artificial pond experiments performed over a period of several years. The experiments included a treatment without predators and another treatment with aeshnid dragonfly larvae confined within cages; experimental protocols and ponds were generally similar. Tadpoles in the caged-predator treatment were not at risk of predation, but they responded as if predators were present. The cost of the predator-induced response was estimated by the difference in growth rate or survival between the two treatments. There was considerable variation among species (experiments) in growth and survival. Across all species there was a highly significant reduction in growth rate in the presence of predators, but no tendency for a survival cost of responding to predators. I tested whether particular components of the anti-predator response are especially costly by comparing, within a phylogenetic context, the magnitude of costs with the magnitude of predator-induced plasticity in behavior and morphology. The absence of significant correlations in this analysis indicated that evolutionary changes in specific phenotypic responses to predators have not been accompanied by changes in the cost. The prevalence of growth costs of responding to predators, but not survival costs, supports models of induced defenses that assume that fitness costs arise from shifts in allocation of time and energy.
BIOVOLUME CALCULATION FOR PELAGIC AND BENTHIC MICROALGAE

Microalgal biovolume is commonly calculated to assess the relative abundance (as biomass or carbon) of co‐occurring algae varying in shape and/or size. However, a standardized set of equations for biovolume calculations from microscopically measured linear dimensions that includes the entire range of microalgal shapes is not available yet. In comparison with automated methods, the use of microscopical measurements allows high taxonomic resolution, up to the species level, and has fewer sources of error. We present a set of geometric shapes and mathematical equations for calculating biovolumes of >850 pelagic and benthic marine and freshwater microalgal genera. The equations are designed to minimize the effort of microscopic measurement. The similarities and differences between our proposal for standardization and previously published proposals are discussed and recommendations for quality standards given.
VEGETATIONAL CHANGE AND THE INFLUENCE OF PREHISTORIC MAN IN THE SOMERSET LEVELS

Summary Pollen analysis and radiocarbon dating of profiles from three sites in the Somerset Levels has allowed the construction of both pollen percentage and influx diagrams. The results are used to discuss the timing of vegetational change within the area of study and to quantify further the effect of man on such changes as are recorded.
Never, Never Together Again: How Postpurchase Affect Drives Consumer Outcomes Within the Context of Online Consumer Support Communities

Online support communities are popular for consumers of information technology products who might need help identifying or resolving a problem. Information technology products, in general, have their own needs and requirements. Prior research has focused on the intermediate benefits of online support communities to companies, such as knowledge contribution and community participation. This study, in contrast, investigates the less explored issue of value creation by online support communities with respect to consumer postpurchase outcomes. To do so, we develop an affect (emotional) process model to understand how customers’ postpurchase outcomes of information technology products are influenced through cognitive and affective processes after a product failure. Special attention is paid to the roles of affect during the recovery process. An empirical assessment of the model uses two online support communities, with a netnography methodology employed for data collection. The results suggest that consumers’ postpurchase outcomes are influenced by affect and regulation, not just cognition. Key influences emerge as the consumers’ own problem appraisals and affective experiences, the consumers’ social group, and regulation provided by company technicians and/or community experts.
Parallel pairwise learning to rank for collaborative filtering

Pairwise learning to rank is known to be suitable for a wide range of collaborative filtering applications. In this work, we show that its efficiency can be greatly improved with parallel stochastic gradient descent schemes. Accordingly, we first propose to extrapolate two such state‐of‐the‐art schemes to the pairwise learning to rank problem setting. We then show the versatility of these proposals by showing the applicability of several important extensions commonly desired in practice. Theoretical as well as extensive empirical analyses of our proposals show remarkable efficiency results for pairwise learning to rank in offline and stream learning settings.
Identification of different Listeria monocytogenes strains by surface enhanced FT Raman spectroscopy

Recently developed genetic methods, compared to the traditional morphological and biochemical tests, have been designated as “gold standard” for bacterial identification. However, these methods are time consuming and require expensive reagents and expendables. In this context Raman spectroscopy is gaining increasing attention. Our study demonstrates FT Raman spectra of thermotolerant and thermoresistant Listeria monocytogenes species, applying silver nanoparticles for enhancement of the Raman signal. The region 600–800 cm -1 of SERS spectra of pathogenic bacteria is best suited for identification and discrimination of these two pathogenic bacteria. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.5755/j01.ct. 61.3. 2712
An interpretative model of carbon and nitrogen transformations applied to a residue incubation experiment

A simple model of 3 equations was devised to simulate the rates through time of gross mineralisation of nitrogen, nitrogen immobilisation, and microbial respiration relating to individual inputs into soil of plant residues of any age or type. Using published data from an incubation experiment carried out in Iowa, we applied the model to a residue newly added to soil, to the original soil organic matter (SOM), and to a mixture of these. Manipulation of the model allowed the derivation from the Iowa data of a net mineralisation index which seemed to summarise the nitrogen release characteristics of the residue in all treatments of the experiment. The equations and parameter values developed for the added residue were applied to SOM using results from unamended soil. The balance between respiration and mineralisation was found not to correspond to that expected for old organic matter near an equilibrium carbon/nitrogen ratio. Rate constants of mineralisation and respiration for SOM were adapted to overcome this apparent anomaly. To model the dynamics SOM and added residue simultaneously, the 2 sets of 3 equations were applied in parallel to 4 extreme treatments in the with-residue series (lowest and highest nitrate levels with low and high residue additions). To achieve the fits presented, only 2 of the 12 parameters required in each set of equations needed to differ between the set for SOM and that for added residue. The model reproduces well most of the primary Iowa data and also some derived results. Use of the model helped to interpret divergences between simulations and data.
ONE OF THE SOUTHERN LIMITS OF GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF SCLEROTIUM FORMING SNOW MOULD FUNGI: FIRST RECORDS OF TYPHULA SPECIES FROM IRAN

Three kinds of sclerotia of Typhula spp. from Ardabil, East Azerbaijan and Qazvin Provinces in the northwest of Iran were collected. Morphology and ITS sequences of rDNA suggested that the collected fungi belonged to Typhula incarnata Lasch, Typhula phacorrhiza (Reichardt) Fr. and Typhula sp. These three taxa are new records in the Middle East and the result of this research suggests that Iran is one of the southern limits of geographical distribution of sclerotium forming snow mould fungi.
Rice weed control: current technology and emerging issues in temperate rice

Among temperate rice areas, the United States and Australia are most similar in climate and in the mechanisation of rice culture. Many weed problems, even weed species invading rice, are common to both countries; and the present technology for weed control as well as concern for the impact of these technologies to environmental quality, herbicide resistance, and other weed-related issues bear many similarities. Application of current, and any new, technologies to emerging issues in US rice weed control will therefore be directly relevant to rice production in Australia and all other temperate areas struggling with the same challenges. Weeds are a significant problem in temperate rice culture. In the United States, rice is mechanically direct-seeded, allowing weeds to germinate and establish with the crop. In the last 15 years weed growth and competition has been increased by the adoption of semi-dwarf cultivars, high N fertilisation, and, in water-seeded rice, shallow flooding. High rates, and often multiple applications, of herbicides have been necessary to maximise the yield potential of these cultural systems. Advances in cultural practices and herbicide technology have maintained, if not improved, weed control; but nearly 30 years of propanil use in the southern USA resulted in propanil-resistant barnyard grass Echinochloa crus-galli (L.) Beauv. , and after 4 years of continuous use, bensulfuron resistance to 4 aquatic weed species was discovered in California. Although herbicides with different mechanisms of action are needed for alternation in resistance management strategies, fewer are likely to be available. Social and environmental concerns have slowed the development and registration of rice herbicides and increased the cost of controlling weeds. Water quality deterioration from ricefield tailwaters, drift to sensitive crops, the cost of renewing registration in aquatic systems, and weed resistance all forecast reduced herbicide use in rice. Neither cultural practices nor herbicides alone can solve weed problems in direct-seeded, mechanised rice culture. With fewer herbicides and a cultural system highly vulnerable to weed losses, integrated management strategies with better information on which to base weed control decisions will be needed to solve weed problems in temperate rice.
Application of a Surplus Production Model to a Swordfish-Like Simulated Stock with Time-Changing Gear Selectivity

Abstract Should a surplus production model be applied to a stock that exhibits pronounced age structure? Should it be applied to a stock that has experienced changing fishing mortality rates on fish of different sizes over time (i.e., changing selectivity)? These questions are of general interest to those engaged in stock assessment and of particular interest in the assessment of North Atlantic swordfish Xiphias gladius. In an attempt to answer them, we simulated an age-structured population, with fishery, similar to that of swordfish in the North Atlantic. The 30-year simulation included biological characteristics from the literature on swordfish and simulated fishing with increasing mortality of young fish over time; simulated catches approximated the actual catches of swordfish from 1962 through 1991. We fit a lumped-biomass, dynamic surplus production model to summary non-age-structured data from the simulated fishery. The resulting parameter estimates were compared to management benchmarks, including.
Polymorphic microsatellite markers for the Florida scrub lizard ( Sceloporus woodi )

The Florida scrub lizard ( Sceloporus woodi ) is one of a suite of species restricted to Florida scrub, a threatened ecosystem. We characterized eight microsatellite loci from scrub lizards based on screening of 75–91 individuals per locus. Polymorphism was high (8–20 alleles per locus). Observed and expected heterozygosities ranged from 0.32–0.83 and 0.77–0.91, respectively. These markers will be useful for population-level analyses and can contribute to a genetic foundation for conservation strategies for this endemic species.
Phylogeny Based on 16S rRNA/DNA

Polyphasic systematics of prokaryotes is guided by the results of comparative analysis of the evolutionary conservative 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid (RNA) genes. Certain genes coding for ‘housekeeping’ proteins support the phylogenetic outline but most of these genes are either not ubiquitous or they are evolving too rapidly to embrace all higher taxa. Dendrograms of phylogenetic relatedness show the order at which organisms evolved in time, thus providing the frame for their classification. The delineation and circumscription of taxa should not be solely based on the topology of dendrograms but it is advised to include a wide range of molecular, chemical and metabolic properties, which need to be assessed and evaluated in the light of novel taxonomic information. Key concepts: The results of comparative 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA) gene sequence analysis shattered the dogma of the bifurcation of higher life form categories, that is prokaryotes versus eukaryotes. The advantage of rRNA genes over genes coding for proteins is a combination of properties: universal presence, easy accessibility and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification, rare lateral gene transfer and broad coverage of taxa between domain and species. The only taxonomic category where the 16S rRNA gene sequence fails to unravel detailed evolutionary insights into the structure of its members is the taxon ‘species’. Taxonomy of a strain is more than the analysis of a few sequences: it is a pragmatic concept that takes into account the results of its evolutionary history leading to changes at the genomic, epigenetic and phenotypic levels. Classification is a process in which the database of a strain is compared to the network of strains already classified. Its place in the system is found when this dataset matches most closely the dataset of an already classified taxon. In this process the 16S rRNA sequence guides the affiliation to the genus level. Keywords: semantides; evolution; phylogeny; taxonomy; systematics; classification
Undergraduate medical curriculum of Universiti Sains Malaysia in terms of Harden’s Ten Questions of Curriculum Development

The School of Medical Sciences (SMS) of Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) has developed its curriculum to produce professional medical practitioners to meet the national requirement besides enhancing the medical services. It makes every effort to be the centre of academic excellence, leader in research and innovation in the field of medical sciences and technology. The medical school of USM is the pioneer to adopt an innovative SPICES strategy which features student centered, problem based, integration, community orientation and a spiral approach in its implementation (Harden & Stamper, 1999). The spiral concept enables the school to implement the horizontal and vertical integration of different disciplines.
Energy Expenditure and Intensity of Interactive Video Dance Games according to Health Recommendations

Backround: The aim of this study was the assessment of energy expenditure (EE) and the intensity of physical activity (PA) of adult women during the interactive dance video game (IDVG) Dance Central on Xbox 360 Kinect in the context of health recommendations. Methods: Twenty eight intentionally selected women (mean ± SD age: 21.8±1.1 years, body height: 167.3±6.1cm, body mass: 59.3±5.9 kg, body mass index: 21.2±1.3) met the inclusion criteria and took part in to the experiment. Heart rate monitor, accelerometer, and pedometer were used as measurement tools. Participants performed the same easy dance routine three times (for a total of 10 min.). Trials consisted of imitating the motions presented by the virtual dancer. Results: The data from accelerometer and heart rate monitor were similar, and indicated the moderate intensity of interactive dance video game (IDVG) Dance Central. However, energy expenditure assessed by pedometer was significantly lower. Conclusion: IDVG Dance Central may be useful in increasing the daily dose of physical activity of adult women and meet the health-related recommendations provided its regular practice.
The energetic costs of egg heating constrain incubation attendance but do not determine daily energy expenditure in the pectoral sandpiper

Heating eggs during incubation may be relatively energetically costly, affecting the outcome or number of breeding attempts. We determined the effect of reduced egg heating costs on nest attendance, change in body mass, and daily energy expenditure (DEE using the doubly labeled water technique) by heating nests of pectoral sandpipers. We also considered ground temperature, which may influence overall incubation costs, and mass reserves and stage of incubation, which may influence an individual's ability to respond to changes in overall incubation cost. The total proportion of time spent in attending the eggs was significantly greater in nests that were experimentally heated (3.6% or 52 min daily), and this effect was significantly greater at low ground temperatures (14.7% or 211.7 min daily). Mass change was independent of experimental heating when controlling for attendance, although mass loss rate was greater for birds that attended more (for every 10% increase in daily proportion of attendance 0.12 extra grams of body mass were lost per hour), and overall daily attendance increased by 0.5% for every extra 1 g of body mass. DEE was greater for birds that had the higher rates of mass gain (for every 0.1 g of mass gained per hour, DEE increased by 20.5 kJ per day) but was independent of experimental heating when controlling for attendance. Overall, the results suggest that females are constrained from attending more by their energy reserve levels being depleted at least partly by the costs of egg heating, but these costs probably do not determine DEE, as costs off the nest may far exceed those incurred while sitting. Breeding in the arctic is clearly energetically demanding: pectoral sandpipers had an average DEE of 361.1 ± 8.9 kjd-super- - 1, a mean power output of 4.1 W, equivalent to 6.1 times basal metabolic rate (n e 24 birds). Copyright 2004.