Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Flexural Performance of High-strength Prestressed Concrete-encased Concrete-filled Steel Tube Sections

The sections composed of concrete and steel, which include concrete-encased concrete-filled tubes, generally have defects due to the low tensile strength of concrete. Therefore, an appropriate method was used for the combination of concrete-filled tubes (CFT) and prestressing strands which is encased in concrete. The conventional design guidelines are commonly developed for materials with normal strength thus further investigation is required to be conducted for sections with high-strength materials. In order to develop the design process, high-strength concrete and steel have been utilized in this study to examine the effects of steel and concrete strengths on the core concrete confinement, sectional size and flexural behavior of high-strength prestressed concrete-encased CFST (HS-PCE-CFST) beams. Hence, a total of thirteen HS-PCE-CFST beams were modeled via ABAQUS finite element software. The main variables include the steel tube yield strength, compressive cylinder strength of the core and outer concrete and the steel tube diameter to section width ratio. Furthermore, experimental results were employed to verify the finite element model. The bending moment, ductility, flexural stiffness and failure mode of beams are also examined. The results confirm that among the compressive strength of the outer and core concrete and the steel tube yield strength, change in the outer concrete compressive strength has a greater effect on the change of flexural parameters, also increasing the ratio of steel tube diameter to section width causes a minor increase in the ultimate bending moment and serviceability level flexural stiffness, but a major escalation in the initial flexural stiffness.
IN VITRO PROPAGATION METHOD OF Taxodium distichum AND Taxodium mucronatum

The experiments have been achieved to examine a method to produce multiple shoots from piece of stem (needle) to obtain a lot of seedlings of this unique tree Taxodium distichum and Taxodium mucronatum Family Taxodiaceae as well as studying the effect of different culture media composition on shoots formation . The statistical analysis of data revealed the following findings: Sterilized needles from basal sprouts of the trunk were cultured at ½ MS medium supplemented with agar at 8g/L. In the first experiment (The effect of different levels of growth regulators on shoots production), the level of 0.5 mg/L BAP increased the number of T. distichum shoots per explant and the absence of both BAP and NAA significantly increased the shoot length. In the second experiment in these stage, the highest significant number of T. mucronatum shoots value was obtained as a result of modifying MS medium with1.0 mg/L BAP and (1.0 mg/L IAA+1.0 mg/L Kinetin), significantly increased shoot length. In subculturing stage, 0.5 mg/L BAP increased the number of T. distichum shoots per explant and the shoot length also. On the other hand 1.0 mg/L BAP increased the number of T. mucronatum shoots per explant also increased the shoot length compared with the control or (0.5mg/l TDZ). As for shoot elongation stage MS ½ strength medium supplemented with 30g/L sucrose, 8g/L agar, and 20g/L activated charcoal induced the highest significant diameter of plant length and shoots number in T. distichum and T. mucronatum compared with the control. Applying (AC) to the T. distichum culture medium increased plant length compared with T. mucronatum culture medium on contrast T. mucronatum culture medium increased shooting compared with T. distichum. to the results by El- Kafie on Nephrolepis exaltata who that the presence of activated charcoal (AC) significantly gametophyte colonies diameter compared with control (without AC). The
Flashlight: A Novel Monitoring Path Identification Schema for Securing Cloud Services

Cloud monitoring is an essential mechanism for helping secure cloud services. Thus, a plethora of monitoring schemas have been proposed in recent years. Particularly, a newly proposed indirect monitoring mechanism outperforms others with the unique merit of addressing scenarios where the information of the monitoring target is not directly accessible. To conduct indirect cloud security monitoring, a key prerequisite is to obtain a special set of monitoring data termed "monitoring path". However, how to ascertain the monitoring path is still an open issue. In this paper, we propose Flashlight as a novel monitoring path identification mechanism to address the gap where the information of monitoring targets is inaccessible. For this purpose, Flashlight first introduces a novel data reduction technique to filter unnecessary monitoring information. Second, Flashlight develops a data association approach to identify the monitoring path by utilizing data relations and data attributes. Third, Flashlight devises a monitoring property graph to support fine-grain monitoring path identification as well as represent identified monitoring paths. In addition, the efficacy of our proposed approach is demonstrated by the case studies where Flashlight successfully identifies the monitoring paths for underpinning indirect cloud monitoring.
Deep Convolutional NMF Net A Neural Network with Non-negative Matrix Factorization (NMF) Layers

In this paper, we explored the possible buildup of a neural network based on Non-negative Matrix Factorization (NMF). We constructed a neural network with NMF layers that process input data in a convolutional manner. This ensures those novel layers first focus features locally and gradually expand their scope as they stack on each other. After testing we found that NMF preserves the original signal very well and has the potential to accelerate network.
Declining plant species richness of grassland ditch banks—a problem of colonisation or extinction?

Small-scale landscape elements, such as ditch banks are an important remaining source of biodiversity in many agricultural landscapes, including the Western Peat District in the Netherlands. Unfortunately, plant species richness is declining even in these habitats. To understand the factors threatening biodiversity, we studied demographic traits (occupancy, trend, colonisation and extinction) for a large number of plant species, in a 25-year long data set. We developed a method to investigate the relative importance of colonisation and extinction for species increase and decrease in multi-species assemblages. We show that colonisation has been more important for determining species trends than extinction. Decreasing species were small and characterised by low nutrient tolerance and high light requirements, indicating that competitive ability influences species trends. The mechanism by which high nutrient levels reduce plant diversity appears to be closely related to colonisation (germination and seedling establishment). Local management should therefore continue to focus on nutrient reduction and the creation of regeneration sites. Yet, these measures will be insufficient for restoring species richness since isolation also hampers species increase. Therefore, to maximise the effects of local management, additional regional management solutions are required to improve seed dispersal for example, from nature reserves. # 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Kraft cooking of Eucalyptus Urograndis. An investigation of the delignification kinetics of eucalyptus wood

Kraft pulping is the dominating pulping method employed worldwide. Although favoured for its pulp quality and efficient chemical recovery it suffers from low yield. Better knowledge on the process of delignification could be used to improve the Kraft pulping process and reduce the yield losses due to carbohydrate degradation through more efficient cooking. Recent studies on softwood have shown that mass transfer play an important part of the delignification process. Eucalyptus is broadly used as a raw material in the pulp industry. Since it is a hardwood its composition and morphology is different from softwood and it is of interest to investigate whether the impact of mass transfer are applicable for eucalyptus as well. The hypothesis is that the conclusions are transferrable to eucalyptus and the motivation for this thesis is to test whether is true. The main objective of this thesis was to investigate the impact of mass transport on the delignification kinetics on two length scales: cell wall and wood chip. First, wood meal from Eucalyptus Urograndis was cooked in a small flow-through reactor. Secondly, wood chips from E. Urograndis were cooked in an autoclave, which enabled comparison between the two length scales of wood material. The concentration of active cooking chemicals, OH and SH , and cooking temperature were kept constant whereas the ionic strength of the cooking liquor and cooking times were varied. Black liquor and pulp received from all cooks were analysed for carbohydrate and Klason lignin content. Furthermore, the molecular weight distribution and structure of the lignin was investigated with GPC and 2D-NMR. The findings indicate that the delignification rate for eucalyptus wood meal cooked in a flow-through reactor is more rapid than that of wood meal from Scots pine. Moreover, the results imply a possibility that mass transport have a significant impact on the delignification rate of both wood meal and chips. Lastly, findings also indicate that increased ionic strength of the cooking liquor decreases the degree of delignification on both length scales, but the impact is more pronounced on the cell wall scale. However, further investigations are needed to establish these findings.
RAINFALL FORECAST WITH BEST AND FULL MEMBERS OF THE NORTH AMERICAN MULTI-MODEL ENSEMBLE

The North American Multi-Model Ensemble (NMME) is a multi-model seasonal forecasting system consisting of models from combined US modelling centres. The NMME is expected to generate better rainfall prediction than a single model. However, the NMME forecasts are underdispersive or overdispersive, and calibration is needed to produce more accurate forecasting. This research examined the monthly rainfall data in Surabaya generated by nine NMME models and further calibrated them with bayesian model averaging (BMA). The purpose of this research was to assess the performance of the calibration results using the best four models and the full ensemble. The four models are CanCM3, CanCM4, CCSM3, and CCSM4, which were selected based on their skills. Both calibration results were evaluated using the continuous range probability score (CRPS) and the percentage of captured observations. The calibration with four models produced an average CRPS of 6.27 with 88.16% coverage, while with nine models an average CRPS of 5.23 with 92.11% coverage was obtained. This result suggests using the full ensemble to generate more accurate probabilistic forecasts .
MegaParallax: 360° panoramas with motion parallax

Capturing 360° panoramas has become straightforward now that this functionality is implemented on every phone. However, it remains difficult to capture immersive 360° panoramas with motion parallax, which provide different views for different viewpoints. Alternatives such as omnidirectional stereo panoramas provide different views for each eye (binocular disparity), but do not support motion parallax, while Casual 3D Photography [Hedman et al. 2017] reconstructs textured 3D geometry that provides motion parallax but suffers from reconstruction artefacts. We propose a new image-based approach for capturing and rendering high-quality 360° panoramas with motion parallax. We use novel-view synthesis with flow-based blending to turn a standard monoscopic video into an enriched 360° panoramic experience that can be explored in real time. Our approach makes it possible for casual consumers to capture and view high-quality 360° panoramas with motion parallax.
Productivity Growth in Romania: A Firm-Level Analysis

This paper examines productivity growth in Romania using balance sheet data for a census of Romanian firms in 2011-17. Three measures of productivity are estimated: labor productivity, revenue total factor productivity, and revenue total factor productivity adjusted for markups. Drawing from these measures, the paper follows a two-step approach to answer two fundamental questions: (i) who are the firms -- and what are their key characteristics -- driving and dragging productivity growth in Romania? and (ii) what are the drivers behind productivity expansion? A first step of the analysis characterizes productivity leaders and laggards, finding that companies at the domestic productivity frontier are older and larger, have higher capital intensity, and pay higher wages. Domestic market leaders charge higher markups, especially in manufacturing, but are not becoming more efficient. A second step of the analysis decomposes aggregate productivity growth and finds that reallocation of market shares to more efficient players has been the main driver in manufacturing but not in services, which are typically more sheltered from competition. At the same time, individual firms are becoming less productive, suggesting that there is scope to improve firm capabilities, particularly in services. These findings suggest a policy agenda for Romania centered on removing distortions to competition and boosting human capital.
Bioinspired Self-Healing Hydrogel Based on Benzoxaborole-Catechol Dynamic Covalent Chemistry for 3D Cell Encapsulation.

Boronic ester, one typical example of dynamic covalent bonds, has presented great potential to prepare self-healing hydrogels. However, most of currently reported hydrogels based on boronic esters are formed at pH > 8, which impeded their further use in physiological conditions. In this study, we designed two kinds of zwitterionic copolymers with benzoxaborole and catechol pendant groups, respectively. Owing to the lower pKa value of benzoxaborole (7.2), gelation can happen easily at pH 7.4 PBS after mixing these two copolymers due to efficient formation of benzoxaborole-catechol complexations. The resulting hydrogels exhibited excellent self-healing property as well as dual pH/sugar responsiveness due to the dynamic nature of boronic ester. Moreover, benefiting from the cell membrane bioinspired 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC)-based polymeric matrix, the hydrogel was further investigated for 3D cell encapsulation. The combination of biocompatible zwitterionic polymers with dynamic benzoxaborole-catechol complexation makes the hydrogels a promising platform for diverse potential bioapplications like drug delivery and tissue engineering.
The Effect of Growing Season on the Nutrient Composition and in Vitro True Digestibility of Browse and Forb Species Commonly Consumed by Goats in the Southeastern United States

The goal of the study was to determine the nutritive values and in vitro true digestibility (IVTD) of browse and forb species consumed by goats at the Tuskegee University Atkins site. The site can be described as unmanaged long leaf pine plantation site approximately 10 years of age in the east, gulf coast region of Macon County, Alabama. The latitude of the Tuskegee site is 32.4230N and longitude is 85.6910W. The landscape is characterized by gently sloping topography (5–10 percent) and consist of many encroaching browse/forb species. The predominant grass cover is primarily of Andropogon virginicus (broom sedge) and other bunch grasses. These browse/forb species encompass much of the woodland vegetation in the Southeastern United States. Thirty different species were selected for analysis based on previous observations of goat preferences. Samples consisted of the leaves and tender tips collected three different times throughout the duration of the growing season (i.e. April (Spring), July (Summer), and November (Fall)). Samples were analyzed for crude protein (CP), acid detergent fiber (ADF), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), crude fat, and in vitro true digestibility (IVTD). The total digestible nutrients (TDN) values were estimated from ADF values. The average CP values were 19.0, 16.9, and 11.5% for spring, summer and fall collections, respectively. There were significant differences (P<0.001) between the spring values compared with summer and fall values, however, there were no differences (P>0.05) between the summer and the fall values. Similar trends were observed for ADF, NDF, TDN, and IVTD values, except the fat values were similar between the spring and the fall collections while being significantly different from the summer values (P<0.01). The results provided valuable information about the nutritive values and IVTD value of browse and forb species commonly consumed by meat goats in the woodland areas of Alabama. The experiment will be continued for two additional years to overcome the seasonal differences so meaningful results can be obtained.
Evaluation of reproductive and renal toxicity of varenicline in male rats

Objective(s): Varenicline is a selective partial agonist for the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor a4b2 subtype, which is widely used to treat smoking addiction. However, there is still no data about its potential toxic effects on tissues. In this study, we aimed to determine the varenicline-induced toxicity on reproductive and renal tissues in rats. Materials and Methods: Rats were randomly divided into two groups: control (n=10) and varenicline (n=24). Then, rats in each group were sub-divided equally as acute and chronic groups. The control rats were orally given distilled water only. Varenicline was administrated orally as follows: 1st–3rd days 9 µg/kg/day, 4th–7th days 9 µg/kg twice daily, and 8th–90th days 18 µg/kg twice daily. The rats of acute and chronic groups were sacrificed on the 45th and 90th days, respectively. Some tissue markers related to oxidative stress were measured, and sperm characteristics were observed. Results: In the acute group, varenicline led to a significant decrease in SOD activities in both kidney and testis tissues. In the chronic group, varenicline significantly increased MDA and MPO production, and reduced CAT and GPx levels in the kidneys and testes. Also, SOD and GSH levels significantly decreased in the testes. Moreover, sperm characteristics were negatively affected; histopathological deformation was observed in the testes and kidneys in all groups. Conclusion: This study showed that varenicline could detrimentally affect the kidneys and testes in both acute and chronic term usage. Further studies will provide more insights into the molecular dynamics of this damage.
Methanethiol, dimethyl sulfide and acetone over biologically productive waters in the SW Pacific Ocean

Abstract. Atmospheric methanethiol (MeSHa), dimethyl sulfide (DMSa) and acetone (acetonea) were measured over biologically productive frontal waters in the remote South West Pacific Ocean in summertime 2012 during the Surface Ocean Aerosol Production (SOAP) voyage. MeSHa mixing ratios varied from below detection limit (
Correlation of quinolone-resistance, qnr genes and integron carriage in multidrug-resistant community isolates of Klebsiella spp.

Objectives Plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR) determinants and integrons have a considerable contribution to bacterial drug resistance in Gram-negative pathogens. We studied the prevalence of PMQR genes and integron carriage in multidrug-resistant community isolates of Klebsiella spp. Materials and Methods Two hundred and fifty Klebsiella spp. isolates were collected from outpatient specimens between August 2015 and October 2017 in Yazd central Laboratory, Iran. Antibiotic susceptibility was determined against 17 antibiotics and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of ciprofloxacin was measured by E-test. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was employed for detection of qnrA, qnrB, qnrS, aac(6')-Ib-cr, oqxAB and qepA genes. Results Disc diffusion results showed that 17 isolates (6.8%) were multidrug resistant (MDR), two of which were Klebsiella oxytoca and 15 were Klebsiella pneumoniae. MIC measurements revealed 11 ciprofloxacin-resistant isolates (including the two K. oxytoca), three intermediately-resistant and three ciprofloxacin-susceptible isolates. All ciprofloxacin-resistant and intermediately-resistant isolates carried at least one and up to four PMQR genes. The most prevalent PMQR gene was oqxAB (93.75%) followed by aac(6')-ib-cr (50.0%), qnrB (25.0%) and qnrS (18.75%) but qnrA and qepA were not detected. Class 1 integron was observed in 14 (82.3%) isolates including nine ciprofloxacin-resistant, two intermediately-resistant, and three susceptible isolates. Class 2 and 3 integrons were not observed. Conclusion Presence of MDR, multiple PMQR determinants as well as class 1 integron in community isolates of Klebsiella spp. can be an important source of transmission of these opportunistic pathogens.
Price Transmission in the EU Wholesale Petroleum Markets

This article employs nonlinear smooth transition models to analyze the relationship between upstream and midstream prices of petroleum products. We test for the presence of nonlinearities in price linkages using both weekly series constructed using official EU procedures and also daily industry series applied for the first time. Our results show that the estimated shape of the transition function and equilibrium reversion path depend on the frequency of the price dataset. Our analysis of the crude oil to wholesale price transmission provides evidence of nonlinearities when prices are observed with daily frequency. The nature of the nonlinearities provides evidence in support of the existence of menu costs or, more generally, frictions in the markets rather than supply adjustment costs. This result differs from that found for the U.S. petroleum markets.
Depth Estimation from Micro Images of a Plenoptic Camera

—This paper presents a method to calculate the depth values of 3D points by means of a plenoptic camera. Opposed to other approaches which use the totally focused image to detect points, we operate directly on the micro images taking thus advantage of the higher resolution of the plenoptic cameras raw image. Depth estimation takes place only for the points of interest, resulting in a semi-dense approach. The detected points can further be used in a subsequent simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) process.