Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Delft University of Technology Burrowing fauna mediate alternative stable states in the redox cycling of salt marsh sediments

1 The East Anglian salt marsh system (UK) has recently generated intriguing data with respect 2 to sediment biogeochemistry. Neighbouring ponds in these salt marshes show two distinct 3 regimes of redox cycling: the sediments are either iron-rich and bioturbated, or they are 4 sulphide-rich and unbioturbated. No conclusive explanation has yet been given for this 5 remarkable spatial co-occurrence. Here, we quantify the geochemical cycling in both pond 6 types, using pore-water analyses and solid-phase speciation. Our results demonstrate that 7 differences in solid-phase carbon and iron inputs are likely small between pond types, and so 8 these cannot act as the direct driver of the observed redox dichotomy. Instead, our results 9 suggest that the presence of bioturbation plays a key role in the transition from sulphur10 dominated to iron-dominated sediments. The presence of burrowing fauna in marine sediments 11 stimulates the mineralisation of organic matter, increases the iron cycling and limits the build12 up of free sulphide. Overall, we propose that the observed dichotomy in pond geochemistry is 13 due to alternative stable states, which result from non-linear interactions in the sedimentary iron 14 and sulphur cycles that are amplified by bioturbation. This way, small differences in solid phase 15 input can result in very different regimes of redox cycling due to positive feedbacks. This non16 linearity in the iron and sulphur cycling could be an inherent feature of marine sediments, and 17 hence, alternative stable states could be present in other systems. 18
The acquisition of the morphosyntax-pragmatic interface in French L1:

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Assessment of Replication and Virulence of Attenuated Pseudorabies Virus in Swine

1) A nonclinical study was conducted to characterize the replication behavior of a modified live gE-deleted pseudorabies virus (PRV MS+1) in swine and potential for reversion to virulence after animal passages. Two to 3 week-old weaned pigs, negative for PRV, were maintained in isolation and challenged by intranasal instillation. For the first passage, 6 pigs were given 1 m L o f P RV MS +1 (107.3 TCID 50/m L) an d 2 w e re necropsied at 3, 4 and 5 days post-inoculation (PI). Brain and secondary lymphoid tissues w ere collected, homogenized and the supernatants individually pooled for virus isolation, and PRV w as recovered from each sam p le . N o c lin ic al sig n s of P RV in fe ction w e re observed, but each pig had a nasal sw ab suspect or positive for PRV. For the second passage, 5 pigs were given 1 mL of the homogenate of mixed tissues from 1 a n im al in th e p rev iou s p assag e (P RV at 101.9 TCID50/mL). At 5 days PI, all pigs w ere necropsied, an d P RV w as n ot re cov e re d fro m th e ir tissu e homogenates or nasal swabs, and no clinical signs were observed. During a second attempt at a second passage, tissue homogenates from all pigs in the first passage (PRV at approximately 101.7 TCID50/mL) were pooled and used to inoculate 15 pigs w ith 2 mL for 3 consecutive days. Ten pigs were monitored for clinical signs and seroconversion through 21 days PI, and 5 pigs were necropsied at 5 days PI. No clinical signs or PRV antibodies w ere detected in the 10 monitored pigs, and no PRV was recovered from the homogenates or nasal swabs of the 5 necropsied pigs. Thus,
Microsoft Word-29-02-06-Al-Malki

This paper investigates the relationship between financial development, human capital and economic growth in Saudi Arabia over the period 1970-2008. The empirical analysis is based on the newly developed method of co-integration along with the popular time series methodologies such as the Engle and Granger (1987), Johansen and Juselius (1990) and Granger causality. The co-integration tests reveal the presence of long run equilibrium relationship between financial development, human capital and economic growth. The Granger causality tests indicate the existence of bidirectional causality between human capital and economic growth, and between openness and economic growth. It also confirms the unidirectional causality from financial development to economic growth. The policy implication of this study is that the Saudi government should develop the financial sector even more and carry out the necessary procedures to strengthen the relationship between the financial sector and the real economy.
MOOC on a Budget: Development and Implementation of a Low-cost MOOC at a State University

One of the biggest barriers to MOOC development is the large initial cost – sometimes exceeding $100,000 – and the possibility of never recovering that cost through course-related fees. This obstacle prevents many state universities and community colleges from creating their own MOOCs, denying faculty at those institutions the opportunity to develop MOOC-related content and to gain experience with this new teaching style. This paper presents a successful strategy for primarily undergraduate institutions to create their own MOOCs using local resources at relatively low cost. The authors discuss the development and implementation of Cal Poly Pomona’s first MOOC, which was offered for 10 weeks during Spring 2014. The MOOC was an introduction to computer programming course and was open to everyone in the world for free. It was developed in stages over two years at a total cost of approximately $10,000 to the university. Significant savings were achieved by hosting the MOOC on a free platform (Blackboard CourseSites), repurposing existing materials from a hybrid course, hiring student assistants for video production, and utilizing undergraduate student volunteers to help on discussion boards. A total of 2119 participants enrolled in the course with 335 participants (16%) receiving a passing grade. Participants who were still actively engaged in the course by Week 2 had a much higher passing rate of 58%. Discussion boards and surveys provided feedback about the course format, participants’ demographics, and participants’ attitudes of the course. Most participants possessed at least a bachelor’s degree, took the course primarily to enhance job-related skills, and were unaffiliated with the university. Participants’ comments about the MOOC were overwhelmingly positive and the MOOC enhanced their attitudes toward the subject matter. Based on the success of this first offering, an expanded version of the MOOC was offered during Spring 2015.
Effect of Supplemental Prebiotics, Probiotics and Bioactive Proteins on the Microbiome Composition and Gut Physiology in C57BL6/J Mice

Effect of supplemental prebiotics, probiotics and bioactive proteins on the microbiome composition and gut physiology in C57BL6/j mice by Ye Li, Master of Science Utah State University, 2019 Major Professor: Dr. Robert E. Ward Department: Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Sciences The composition and metabolic activity of the microbiome affect many aspects of health, and there is current interest in dietary constituents that may affect this system. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of a mix of probiotics, a mix of prebiotics and a bioactive protein fraction on the microbiome, when fed to mice individually and in combination. Mice were fed the total western diet (TWD) supplemented with prebiotics, probiotics, and Tri-Factor (bioactive proteins) individually and in combination for four weeks. Subsequently, effects on the composition of gut microbiome, gut short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) concentration, gut inflammation and integrity of the mucosal barrier were analyzed. Ruminococcus gnavus was increased in mice gut microbiome after feeding prebiotics. Bifidobacterium longum was increased after feeding probiotics. Probiotic was associated with higher level of Clostridium neonatale. The treatments affected beta-diversity with exception of Tri-Factor, but not alpha diversity of microbiome. All treatments were associated with lower plasma zonulin, compared to the control group, indicating an effect on gut permeability. There were no treatment effects on cecal or fecal SCFAs, and the treatments did not affect gut
Flip-Flop Design in Nanometer CMOS: From High Speed to Low Energy

This book provides a unified treatment of Flip-Flop design and selection in nanometer CMOS VLSI systems. The design aspects related to the energy-delay tradeoff in Flip-Flops are discussed, including their energy-optimal selection according to the targeted application, and the detailed circuit design in nanometer CMOS VLSI systems. Design strategies are derived in a coherent framework that includes explicitly nanometer effects, including leakage, layout parasitics and process/voltage/temperature variations, as main advances over the existing body of work in the field. The related design tradeoffs are explored in a wide range of applications and the related energy-performance targets. A wide range of existing and recently proposed Flip-Flop topologies are discussed. Theoretical foundations are provided to set the stage for the derivation of design guidelines, and emphasis is given on practical aspects and consequences of the presented results. Analytical models and derivations are introduced when needed to gain an insight into the inter-dependence of design parameters under practical constraints. This book serves as a valuable reference for practicing engineers working in the VLSI design area, and as text book for senior undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate students (already familiar with digital circuits and timing).
Experimental and numerical studies on the flow-induced vibration of propeller blades under nonuniform inflow

This article presents the experimental and numerical studies on the flow-induced vibration of propeller blades under periodic inflows. A total of two 7-bladed highly skewed model propellers of identical geometries but different elastic characteristics were operated in four-cycle and six-cycle inflows to study the blade vibratory strain response. A total of two kinds of wire mesh wake screens located 400 mm upstream of the propeller plane were used to generate four-cycle and six-cycle inflows. A laser Doppler velocimetry system located 100 mm downstream of the wake screen plane was used to measure the axial velocity distributions produced by the wake screens. Strain gauges were bonded onto the propeller blades in different positions. Data from strain gauges quantified vibratory strain amplitudes and excitation frequencies induced by the wake screens. The propellers were accelerated through the flexible propeller’s fundamental frequency to investigate the effect of resonance on vibratory strain response. The numerical work was conducted using large eddy simulation and moving mesh technique to predict the unsteady forces acting on the propeller blade when operating in a nonuniform inflow.
AN INDOOR SPACE PARTITION METHOD AND ITS FINGERPRINT POSITIONING OPTIMIZATION CONSIDERING PEDESTRIAN ACCESSIBILITY

Fingerprint positioning method is generally the first choice in indoor navigation system due to its high accuracy and low cost. The accuracy depends on partition density to the indoor space. The accuracy will be higher with higher grid resolution. But the high grid resolution leads to significantly increasing work of the fingerprint data collection, processing and maintenance. This also might decrease the performance, portability and robustness of the navigation system. Meanwhile, traditional fingerprint positioning method use equational grid to partition the indoor space. While used for pedestrian navigation, sometimes a person can be located at the area where he or she cannot access. This paper studied these two issues, proposed a new indoor space partition method considering pedestrian accessibility, which can increase the accuracy of pedestrian position, and decrease the volume of the fingerprint data. Based on this proposed partition method, an optimized algorithm for fingerprint position was also designed. A across linker structure was used for fingerprint point index and matching. Experiment based on the proposed method and algorithm showed that the workload of fingerprint collection and maintenance were effectively decreased, and poisoning efficiency and accuracy was effectively increased
An Overview of the Pipeline Defect Assessment Manual

The integrity of oil and gas transmission pipelines is now the subject of new regulations, codes and standards in the USA and elsewhere. A key element of pipeline integrity and these new initiatives is the evaluation of defects that inevitably occur over the lifetime of a pipeline; therefore, assessment methods are needed to determine the severity of defects when they are detected in pipelines. The past 40 years has seen the development of a number of methods for assessing the significance of defects. Some of these methods have been incorporated into industry guidance, others are to be found in the published literature. However, there is no definitive guidance that compares the assessment methods, or assesses each method against the published test data, or recommends best practice in their application. To address this industry need, a Joint Industry Project has been sponsored by sixteen international oil and gas companies to develop a Pipeline Defect Assessment Manual (PDAM). PDAM documents the best available techniques currently available for the assessment of pipeline defects (corrosion, dents, gouges, weld defects, etc.) in a simple and easy-to-use manual, and gives guidance in their use. PDAM is based on an extensive critical review of pipeline ‘fitness-for-purpose’ methods and published test data. PDAM is now in use, but it is also being updated by the sponsors. This paper presents an overview of PDAM, and describes some of its novel features.
2nd International Conference on Innovative Materials, Structures and Technologies

The 2nd International Conference on Innovative Materials, Structures and Technologies (IMST 2015) took place in Riga, Latvia from 30th September - 2nd October, 2015. The first event of the conference series, dedicated to the 150th anniversary of the Faculty of Civil Engineering of Riga Technical University, was held in 2013. Following the established tradition, the aim of the conference was to promote and discuss the latest results of industrial and academic research carried out in the following engineering fields: analysis and design of advanced structures and buildings; innovative, ecological and energy efficient building materials; maintenance, inspection and monitoring methods; construction technologies; structural management; sustainable and safe transport infrastructure; and geomatics and geotechnics. The conference provided an excellent opportunity for leading researchers, representatives of the industrial community, engineers, managers and students to share the latest achievements, discuss recent advances and highlight the current challenges. IMST 2015 attracted over 120 scientists from 24 countries. After rigorous reviewing, over 80 technical papers were accepted for publication in the conference proceedings. On behalf of the organizing committee I would like to thank all the speakers, authors, session chairs and reviewers for their efficient and timely effort. The 2nd International Conference on Innovative Materials, Structures and Technologies was organized by the Faculty of Civil Engineering of Riga Technical University with the support of the Latvia State Research Programme under the grant agreement "INNOVATIVE MATERIALS AND SMART TECHNOLOGIES FOR ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY, IMATEH". I would like to express sincere gratitude to Juris Smirnovs, Dean of the Faculty of Civil Engineering, and Andris Chate, manager of the Latvia State Research Programme. Finally, I would like to thank all those who helped to make this event happen. Special thanks go to Diana Bajare, Laura Sele, Liga Radina and Jana Galilejeva for their major contribution to organizing the conference and to the literary editor Tatjana Smirnova and technical editor Daira Erdmane for their hard work on the conference proceedings.
Using bottom pressure to quantify tidal form drag on a sloping headland

Using bottom pressure to quantify tidal form drag on a sloping headland Sally J. Warner Chair of the Supervisory Committee: Professor Parker MacCready Oceanography Bottom pressure is used to quantify and understand form drag induced by tidal currents as they flow over and around Three Tree Point (TTP), a sloping headland in Puget Sound, WA that is typical of topography found in high latitude, coastal regions. By dividing the bottom pressure field into parts that are due to different physical processes, it can be determined how inertia, internal waves and eddies all contribute to form drag. In chapter 2, idealized numerical models of vertical-walled headlands are combined with theory to show how the oscillatory nature of the flow can increase the magnitude of the form drag, but cannot increase the magnitude of the tidally averaged work done on the flow. In chapter 3, an array of seafloor pressure sensors is deployed across the topography to directly measure total form drag for the first time in the ocean. It is found that form drag is much larger than frictional drag, and that a linear wave drag law is a better parameterization of form drag than a bluff body drag law. The form drag is estimated to convert 0.2 W m−2 of tidally averaged power away from the barotropic tides. In chapter 4, a numerical model of TTP is used to investigate the tilted eddies and internal lee waves that are generated at this site. It is found that the sea surface and isopycnal perturbations tend to counteract each other within the eddy, but work in tandem in the internal lee wave. Therefore, despite the large sea surface depression in the eddy, the eddies and the internal lee waves remove the same amount of energy from the barotropic tides. Through this thesis, it is shown that form drag — not frictional drag — is the dominant mechanism for removing energy from the tides at TTP. Steps are made toward betters parameterizations of drag that may be implemented into larger scale models that do not resolve the scales important to form drag.
The Evaluation of the Initial Shear Modulus of Selected Cohesive Soils

Abstract The paper concerns the evaluation of the initial stiffness of selected cohesive soils based on laboratory tests. The research materials used in this study were clayey soils taken from the area of the road embankment No. WD-18, on the 464th km of the S2 express-way, Konotopa-Airport route, Warsaw. The initial stiffness is represented here by the shear modulus (Gmax) determined during resonant column tests. In the article, a number of literature empirical formulas for defining initial value of the shear modulus of soils being examined were adopted from the literature in order to analyze the data set. However, a large discrepancy between laboratory test results and the values of Gmax calculated from empirical relationships resulted in the rejection of these proposals. They are inaccurate and do not allow for an exact evaluation of soil stiffness for selected cohesive soils. Hence, the authors proposed their own empirical formula that enables the evaluation of the test soils’ Gmax in an easy and uncomplicated way. This unique formula describes mathematically the effect of certain soil parameters, namely mean effective stress ( p′) and void ratio (e), on the initial soil stiffness.
Impact of pressure and equivalence ratio on the plasma-assisted ignition of methane/air and ethylene/air mixtures

The ignition of CH 4 and C 2 H 4 via nanosecond pulsed discharges (NSPD) is studied in a zero-dimensional isochoric and adiabatic reactor. An eﬃciency metric is deﬁned by considering the time delay between the ﬁrst pulse and ignition of the reactive mixture. Ignition eﬃciency is found to have a strong dependence on the pulse energy deposition rate, with a secondary dependence on peak pulse strength. Ambient pressure, temperature, and mixture composition are varied parametrically over ranges that reﬂect applications of practical interest, namely combustion in scramjets, and gas turbines for energy generation. Pressure is found to have a large eﬀect on the maximum mean electron energy, controlling which excited species are generated, and the amount of energy required to ignite the mixture. Equivalence ratio is shown to have a non-monotonic eﬀect on ignition eﬃciency, with ignition occurring fastest around moderately fuel-rich conditions. The roles of enhanced radical production and mixture heating in promoting faster ignition are separated by repeating ignition simulations with direct heating of the heavy species, thereby bypassing radical production by electron impact and deexcitation of heavy particles. It is found that C 2 H 4 and CH 4 display opposite trends. While radical production promotes faster ignition of ethylene, direct heating of the methane/air mixture is advantageous. A possible explanation rests in the very high activation energy of the ﬁrst hydrogen abstraction from methane, which beneﬁts from heating more than it does from the presence of radicals. Our results point to the fact that the optimal energy deposition strategy may be fuel-dependent. deposition rate. Secondary dependencies of TTI on pulse FWHM (holding W , f , and E constant), and pulse frequency (holding W and FWHM constant) are also observed. It is
Title: Desiccation tolerance in Physcomitrella patens : rate of dehydration and the involvement of endogenous ABA

The moss Physcomitrella patens , a model system for basal land plants, tolerates several abiotic stresses, including dehydration. We previously reported that Physcomitrella patens survives equilibrium dehydration to -13 MPa in a closed system at 91% RH. Tolerance of desiccation to water potentials below -100 MPa was only achieved by pre-treatment with exogenous ABA. We report here that gametophores, but not protonemata, can survive desiccation below -100 MPa after a gradual drying regime in an open system, without exogenous ABA. In contrast, faster equilibrium drying at 90% RH for 3-5 d did not induce desiccation tolerance in either tissue. Endogenous ABA accumulated in protonemata and gametophores under both drying regimes, so did not correlate directly with desiccation tolerance. Gametophores of a Ppabi3a/b/c TKO transgenic line also survived the gradual dehydration regime, despite impaired ABA signaling. Our results suggest that the initial drying rate, and not the amount of endogenous ABA, may be critical in the acquisition of desiccation tolerance. Results from this work will provide insight into ongoing studies to uncover the role of ABA in the dehydration response and the underlying mechanisms of desiccation tolerance in this bryophyte. the speed was too rapid allow the necessary endogenous ABA to trigger the acquisition of desiccation tolerance, and so the moss failed to survive dehydration below -13 MPa. To address this hypothesis, we set up a series of drying experiments and measured endogenous ABA amounts under different drying methodologies. We also assessed the ability of a line with impaired ABA signaling to develop desiccation tolerance during drying regimes that can induce tolerance in wild type Physcomitrella . Results from this work provide insights about the impact of drying rate on endogenous ABA accumulation and the acquisition of desiccation tolerance, as well as informing ongoing studies to uncover the underlying mechanisms of desiccation tolerance in this bryophyte.