Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Fluid-structure interaction simulations for a temperature-sensitive functionally graded hydrogel-based micro-channel

The behavior of a temperature-sensitive micro-channel have been investigated in this study which mainly includes a functionally graded (FG) hydrogel as a sensor or an actuator. In order to achieve this goal, both fluid-structure interaction (FSI) and non-FSI simulations are conducted for hydrogel with homogeneous property distribution as well as FG hydrogels with different number of layers (2–16 layers). Moreover, this study investigates the FG hydrogel cross-linking density that obeys a general exponential form. In addition to all mentioned, the FG hydrogels are considered in both ascending and descending states with vertically and horizontally functionally graded property distributions (VFG and HFG hydrogels). Subsequently, the importance of the difference between the FG and homogenous hydrogels has been highlighted in the findings of the study. Besides, the FSI influence has a vital role in these structures especially once an FG material is utilized. According to the findings, the ascending and descending distributions of the hydrogel properties may significantly affect the micro-channel behavior, especially in horizontally graded type. This process can be done in a way that for descending distribution of HFG there exist no closing state for the micro-channel.
The effects of age on the demography of a perennial plant depend on interactions with size and environment

Age‐dependence of the demographic rates survival, fecundity and individual growth is a fundamental aspect of population biological theory. Knowledge about plant ageing can also be important for conservation and agriculture as it will improve the accuracy of population viability assessments and long‐term performance assessments in perennial crops. Recent studies show age effects on demographic rates for several plant species, yet much remains to be learned about the patterns and mechanisms of plant ageing, particularly about how age effects interact with the environment and with plant size. We collected age‐and‐size‐based demographic data, as well as individual‐based environmental data, for the perennial herb Plantago lanceolata in Denmark over three annual transitions (4 years). We combined frequent field monitoring of carefully mapped individuals with the underused technique of root histology to determine age of herbaceous plants. We used generalized linear mixed effects models to assess how age, soil properties and year influenced survival, growth and reproduction. Our results show no strong evidence of consistent age declines, rather, we found mostly positive effects of age on vital rates. For all vital rates, i.e. survival, growth, flowering and reproductive output, age effects also differed significantly among years. Additionally, we detected an interactive effect of age and size in the growth model. Size, and temporal and spatial environmental variation also affected vital rates independently of age. Synthesis. Our study shows that age‐dependence of demographic rates can depend both on individual size and environmental variation. These results suggest that a consideration of potential age‐interactions may improve the accuracy of comparative studies of ageing and population projections. Moreover, this study shows that much is still unknown about how plant ageing can be affected by the environment.
Multilevel non‐volatile memory based on Al2O3/ZnO bilayer device

This Letter reports the multilevel resistive switching characteristics of bipolar bi-layer nanodevice made of Ag/Al2O3(10 nm)/ZnO (5 nm)/fluorine-doped tin oxide for the first time, exhibiting five distinguishable resistive states including both high resistance state (HRS) and low resistance state (LRS). Among five distinct memory states, three resistive states are attained with RESET voltages and two are attained with SET voltages. The distinguishable resistive levels obtained with RESET voltages 2.3, 3.0 and 3.8 V are 1300, 2700 and 4320 Ω, respectively, whereas two stable resistive levels attained with SET voltages 0.8 and 1.70 V are 3000 and 100 Ω, respectively. Moreover, the proposed device excels in its R off/R on ratio of 354 obtained with HRS/LRS at −1.4 V as well as the ratio of intermediate states IRS1, IRS2, IRS3 to HRS becomes 15, 04 and 27, respectively. Further, the conduction mechanism as well as the switching mechanism are demonstrated. Finally, the cycle-to-cycle as well as device-to-device variability in device characteristics and statistical distribution of their resistance levels are also analysed and report that devices in the sample are also exhibiting stable multilevel capability.
The Development and Initial Validation of the Interpersonal Stress Scale-Counselor

Abstract Using a multiphased and mixed method approach to instrument development, the ISS-C was composed of 16 items extracted into four factors, which demonstrated adequate model fit. The ISS-C scores showed good internal consistency, convergent validity, and temporal stability, while some aspects of discriminant validity remain suboptimal.
Low temperature hydrogenation of pyrolytic lignin over Ru/TiO2: 2D HSQC and 13C NMR study of reactants and products

Pyrolytic lignin and hydrogenated pyrolytic lignin were characterized by 2D 1H–13C HSQC and quantitative 13C NMR techniques. The pyrolytic lignin was produced from a mixed maple wood feedstock and separated from the bio-oil by water extraction. p-Hydroxyphenyl (H), guaiacyl (G), and syringyl (S) aromatics were the basic units of pyrolytic lignin. The native lignin β-aryl ether, phenylcoumaran and resinol structures were not present in the pyrolytic lignin. The hydrogenation was conducted with a Ru/TiO2 catalyst at temperatures ranging from 25–150 °C with higher temperatures exhibiting higher levels of hydrogenation. Solid coke formed on the catalyst surface (1% coke yield) even for hydrogenation at 25 °C. The carbon yield of pyrolytic lignin to coke increased from 1% to 5% as the hydrogenation temperature increased from 25 to 150 °C. A single-step hydrogenation at 150 °C resulted in a reduction from 65% to 39% aromatic carbons. A three-step hydrogenation scheme at this same temperature resulted in a reduction of aromatic carbons from 65% to 17%. The decrease in the aromatic carbon corresponded with an increase in the aliphatic carbon. Coke formation reduced from a 5% carbon yield of pyrolytic lignin in the first hydrogenation step to a 1% carbon yield in each of the second and third hydrogenation steps. The pyrolytic lignin could be separated into a high and low molecular weight fraction. The coke yield from the high molecular weight fraction was twice as much as that from the low molecular weight fraction.
Historical legacies and contemporary processes shape beta diversity in Neotropical montane streams

Contemporary dispersal constraints and environmental conditions are broadly recognized as significant drivers of beta diversity patterns. However, beta diversity patterns may also reflect the legacy of past climatic and geological events. In this study, we investigated the relative importance of historical and contemporary factors as drivers of taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic beta diversity in Neotropical stream communities.
Narrative review of lung cancer treatment at the time of COVID-19 pandemia: pitfall and issues

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), responsible for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, has caused disruption in cancer care and research, changing daily management approach of cancer patients, above all for those affected by lung cancer disease. Unfortunately, its length and severity beyond today is still uncertain. This emerged viral pandemic has produced severe illness to overwhelm healthcare infrastructure, with worse impact on public health system and on providers of essential community services, and needing to ration medical equipment and interventions. Several data from across the world highlighted the susceptibility of patients affected by tumors to high severe infection and mortality from COVID-19. Lung cancer patients emerged as “frail” subgroup, mainly attributable to their immunosuppression, co-existing medical conditions and underlying pulmonary compromise. So, the lung cancer care was confounded by urgent need for intervention for most patients and the competing risk of life-threatening COVID-19 infection, and also influenced by competing needs for personnel, beds and equipment for urgent COVID-19 care. Clearly, no one model of care is possible during all pandemic phases or in all medical environments. In this review we will discuss on available data and their impact on prioritizing the individual management for lung cancer patients, with aim to protect them from COVID-19.
Harvester ant seed removal in an invaded sagebrush ecosystem: Implications for restoration

Abstract A better understanding of seed movement in plant community dynamics is needed, especially in light of disturbance‐driven changes and investments into restoring degraded plant communities. A primary agent of change within the sagebrush‐steppe is wildfire and invasion by non‐native forbs and grasses, primarily cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum). Our objectives were to quantify seed removal and evaluate ecological factors influencing seed removal within degraded sagebrush‐steppe by granivorous Owyhee harvester ants (Pogonomyrmex salinus Olsen). In 2014, we sampled 76 harvester ant nests across 11 plots spanning a gradient of cheatgrass invasion (40%–91% cover) in southwestern Idaho, United States. We presented seeds from four plant species commonly used in postfire restoration at 1.5 and 3.0 m from each nest to quantify seed removal. We evaluated seed selection for presented species, monthly removal, and whether biotic and abiotic factors (e.g., distance to nearest nest, temperature) influenced seed removal. Our top model indicated seed removal was positively correlated with nest height, an indicator of colony size. Distance to seeds and cheatgrass canopy cover reduced seed removal, likely due to increased search and handling time. Harvester ants were selective, removing Indian ricegrass (Achnatherum hymenoides) more than any other species presented. We suspect this was due to ease of seed handling and low weight variability. Nest density influenced monthly seed removal, as we estimated monthly removal of 1,890 seeds for 0.25 ha plots with 1 nest and 29,850 seeds for plots with 15 nests. Applying monthly seed removal to historical restoration treatments across the western United States showed harvester ants can greatly reduce seed availability at degraded sagebrush sites; for instance, fourwing saltbush (Atriplex canescens) seeds could be removed in <2 months. Collectively, these results shed light on seed removal by harvester ants and emphasize their potential influence on postfire restoration within invaded sagebrush communities.
Perceived police performance, racial experiences, and trust in local government

ABSTRACT Given the continued revelation of police abuses of racial-ethnic minorities in America, it is of the utmost importance for scholars to focus on questions of how police conduct is related to minority political behavior, in particular their trust in local government. In this paper, we find evidence that both egotropic and sociotropic insecurity and experiences with police have a significant correlation with confidence in local government. The effects of both victimization and negative interactions with police have a substantive association with the ways that communities of color perceive their local government. Combining data from the 2016 Collaborative Multiracial Post-Election Survey (CMPS) and contextual data from the U.S. Census Bureau, FBI crime statistics, and “Mapping Police Violence” project, we use maximum likelihood to examine how police conduct, personal experiences with the police, and neighborhood conditions correlate with individuals' trust in local government.
Critical Factors Influencing the Sustainable Construction Capability in Prefabrication of Chinese Construction Enterprises

Compared with the conventional cast-in-situ method, prefabricated construction (PC) is a sustainable construction method. In China, the sustainable performance qualities of PC—such as its improved quality, lower cost and shorter turnaround—have barely been achieved. This is likely attributable to the weak sustainable construction capability of construction enterprises in undertaking PC projects. This study observed that there is relatively scant research on critical influencing factors relating to this capability, after investigating the most recent literature about PC development obstacles. Without a clear understanding of this knowledge, construction enterprises are unlikely to formulate effective measures to enhance their sustainable construction capability to tackle efficiency, cost, risk, and broader performance issues in PC. Therefore, this study identified 27 factors from the literature and interviews, ranked these factors using the Entropy method and the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP), examined the top five critical factors, and discussed the problem-solving measures. This study drew the conclusion that construction enterprises should focus on PC business scope expansion, project delivery quality improvement, and technology investment and innovation, as well as the return on investments in technology. It is also suggested that incentivised strategies be formulated by the Chinese government in order to improve industry practitioners’ capability of implementing sustainable PC projects. This will eventually expedite the industry’s transformation towards leaner, more efficient and sustainable practice.
Mechanical and Thermal Performance of Cement Mortar Incorporating Super Absorbent Polymer (SAP)

Super Absorbent Polymer (SAP) is a favorable admixture which can influence various properties of cementitious materials. It mainly improves the water retaining properties of cement-based construction materials. In this paper, an experimental program was carried out to determine the mechanical and thermal performance of cement plaster containing SAP. Firstly, the absorption capacity of SAP was determined in different loading conditions and chloride solutions. Thereafter, the optimum dosage of SAP for cement plaster was also determined from five different proportions of SAP (0.05, 0.1, 0.3, 0.5 and 1% of cement mass) based on the compressive strength test results. The mortar incorporating 0.05% SAP of cement mass was selected as the optimum dosage, which yielded the highest compressive strength. Two slabs of 1×1×25 mm with 0.05% SAP and two slabs of 1×1×25 mm without SAP were cast to determine the thermal performance of the cement mortar with and without SAP. For this purpose, a wooden chamber of 2×1×1 m was constructed and the slab was placed in the middle of this chamber to carry out the thermal performance test of cement mortar. The slabs with 0.05% SAP showed promising results for acting as a thermal barrier in buildings compared to slabs without SAP. Doi: 10.28991/cej-2020-03091614 Full Text: PDF
Finite-horizon H ∞ state estimation for time-varying complex networks based on the outputs of partial nodes

In this paper, the partial-nodes-based resilient filtering problem for a class of discrete time-varying complex networks is investigated. In order to reduce the effect of imprecision of filter parameters on estimation performance, a set of resilient filters is proposed. The measurement output from all network nodes may not be available in the actual system, but only from a fraction of nodes. The state estimators are designed for the time-varying complex network based on partial nodes to make the estimation error achieve the performance constraint over a finite horizon. By employing the completing-the-square technique and the backward recursive Riccati difference equations, the sufficient conditions for the existence of the estimator are derived. Then the gain of the estimator is calculated. Finally, a numerical example is provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
On Criticality for a Branched-chain Thermal Reactive-Diffusion in a Cylinder

ABSTRACT The heat distribution and branched-chain thermal criticality for a combustible exothermic reaction is examined in this study. The reactive diffusion occurs in a cylinder with pre-exponential variable factor, and the ambient heat exchange is less than the system heat exchange. With material consumption, the reaction is stimulated by initiation rate, branched-chain steps, generalized Arrhenius reaction rate, and molecular diffusion. The mathematical model of this reaction results in a highly nonlinear ordinary differential equation with boundary conditions at the cylinder surface. An approximate solution to the transformed dimensionless nonlinear equation is provided using Collocation Weighted Residual Method (CWRM) and compared with numerical method. The results for the temperature distribution and criticality for dependent parameters are presented graphically. The results from this study will assist in understanding the correlation between the thermal/ignition branched-chain and traditional theory of thermal explosion.
Variable predator–prey relations in zooplankton overwintering in Subarctic fjords

Zooplankton predator–prey relations in northern Norwegian fjords are highly variable in time and space, and the mechanisms driving this variability are still poorly understood. Replicate Juday net sampling in October and February from 1983 to 2005, which included five repeated tows from bottom to surface, was conducted in Saltfjord and Mistfjord, northern Norway. The time-series provided evidence of in situ variability in species abundance, as well as seasonal and interannual changes in standing stock abundance. The shallow sill of one fjord caused accumulation of coastal water in the fjord’s basin, while the other fjord’s deeper sill selected denser water of Atlantic origin from the same open shelf habitat. The selective advection caused differences in the immigration of species recruiting to the fjords’ specific overwintering communities of zooplankton. Statistical analyses of the cumulated replicate data indicated significant in situ variability in the spatial density of species. Cases with an abundance of carnivores relating positively to other species probably resulted from the carnivores’ attraction to patches with concentrations of prey. Interspecific negative density relations likely indicated either predator avoidance or substantial trophic activity during the sampling. During years of high abundance, some wintering stocks of carnivores evidently reduced the local stocks of overwintering prey. We conclude that predator–prey interactions and stock variability in Subarctic fjords result from complex bio-geophysical interactions that occur on the scales of local habitats and basin-scale population systems.
The Lonely Collegiate: An Examination of the Reasons for Loneliness Among Emerging Adults in College in the Western United States and West-Central Poland

Loneliness among emerging adults in college has been primarily attributed to real and perceived socioemotional deficits. We posit that the cognitive underpinnings of loneliness are more complex. Participants were 520 students at a small liberal arts college in the Western United States (Mage = 19.97; 69.7% women; 54.6% White) and 551 students at a large university in west-central Poland (Mage = 21.72; 74.5% women; 100% White). In both samples, attributing loneliness to deficits in friendships, not feeling connected to peers, and concerns about one’s identity and future were uniquely associated with greater loneliness. Attributing loneliness to romantic deficits was also associated with greater loneliness, but this relation was stronger for men than women. Nationality moderated the relationship between attributing loneliness to social deficits and loneliness. The results underscore that school administrators in the United States and Europe who are concerned about student mental health would benefit from a more nuanced understanding of loneliness.
The Seasonal Variations of Energy Expenditure and Physical Activity in Turkish Older Adults

Objective: Regular physical activities contributes to better health outcomes in all stages of life. Older adults may have altered levels of exercise at different times of the year. Methods: Community-dwelling older adults (≥65 years of age) in Ankara, is the capital city of Turkey were recruited prospectively. Physical activity status and the resting metabolic rate were assessed every three months (May, August, November, and February). Results: Overall, 31 individuals were analyzed (mean age women: 73.9±7.0 years, men: 75.5±5.7 years; women: 65.0%). The level of physical activity was highest in autumn (44.0±41.0 min) and summer (41.0±48.0 min) but lowest in winter (24.0±19.0 min) (p<0.05). The ratio of performing regular daily exercise was highest in summer (25.8%), which decreased significantly in winter (9.7%). No statistically significant changes were noted in the total daily energy expenditure and resting metabolic energy expenditure across four seasons. Conclusion: Although some increases were observed in autumn and summer, the level of physical activity in older adults was low in all seasons. However, daily energy expenditure remained constant. The study suggests that there is a need for improvement in lifestyle behaviors of Turkish older adults to increase health-related quality of life and also to prevent adverse outcomes.
Talking about social change: A socio-psychological thematic analysis of citizens’ interviews in Greece

Η ανάγκη αλλαγών στην Eλλάδα της κρίσης έχeι καταστeί κοινός τόπος στο δημόσιο λόγο τόσο στην Eλλάδα όσο και στην Eυρώπη. Η παρούσα έρeυνα eπικeντρώνeται σe συνeντeύξeις μe Έλληνeς πολίτeς και eπιδιώκeι να διeρeυνήσeι τους τρόπους μe τους οποίους αυτοί συζητούν για α) την eφικτότητα της κοινωνικής αλλαγής και β) κατασκeυάζουν κατηγορίeς φορέων κοινωνικής αλλαγής. Τα δeδομένα προέρχονται από 10 ημιδομημένeς συνeντeύξeις μe Έλληνeς πολίτeς ηλικίας 25-45 eτών, οι οποίeς αναλύθηκαν μe eρμηνeυτική θeματική ανάλυση. Η ανάλυσή μας έδeιξe ότι σe όλeς τις συνeντeύξeις η κοινωνική αλλαγή κατασκeυάστηκe ως απαραίτητη. Ωστόσο, eνώ σe κάποιeς πeριπτώσeις παρουσιαζόταν ως ένας eφικτός στόχος, σe ορισμένeς άλλeς αντιμeτωπιζόταν ως ανέφικτος. Ως προς τις κατηγορίeς των φορέων της αλλαγής, η ανάλυση έδeιξe ότι αυτές οι κατηγορίeς πeριλάμβαναν eίτe τους πολιτικούς αρχηγούς eίτe τους Έλληνeς πολίτeς που δρουν ατομικά ή συλλογικά. Στη συζήτηση των αποτeλeσμάτων υποστηρίζeται ότι η eπικέντρωση στον καθημeρινό λόγο, μπορeί να συμβάλeι στον διάλογο που αναπτύσσeται στο χώρο της κοινωνικής ψυχολογίας για τους φορeίς και τους παράγοντeς της κοινωνικής αλλαγής και της κοινωνικής σταθeρότητας.
HGM: A Novel Monte-Carlo Simulations based Model for Malware Detection

Malware detection is a challenging and non-trivial task due to ever increase in several attacks and their sophistication level. Detection of such attacks demands the exploration of new approaches to generalize the attack patterns. One such approach is the use of Monte-Carlo simulations to train a reinforcement learning model. In this paper, we propose a self-adaptive Monte-Carlo simulation-based reinforcement model called Heuristic-based Generative Model (HGM), which generalizes the attack patterns in such a way that the new unknown attacks can be detected and flagged in real-time. The results show that HGM can detect a variety of malware with high accuracy.