Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Introduction of poly(acrylic acid) branch onto acetate starch for polyester warp sizing

Abstract To investigate the effects of hydrophilic poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) branches grafted onto the backbones of acetate starch on the sizing performance, a series of acetate starch-g-poly(acrylic acid) (AS-g-PAA) with different grafting ratio of 6.71–10.04% were prepared by graft copolymerization in an aqueous medium. The effect of grafting conditions on grafting ratio and efficiency were investigated. The adhesion was evaluated by measuring the bonding force of starch to the fibers and the abrasion resistance of sized polyester yarn, whereas the film properties were investigated in terms of tensile strength, breaking elongation, degree of crystallinity, and swelling capacity. It was confirmed that the PAA branch can effectively improve the adhesion ability of acetate starch to polyester fibers, film mechanical characters, and also enhance the abrasion resistance of polyester yarns to 148.9%. The degree of crystallinity of the acetate starch film was decreased which led to mitigate the brittleness of film. The SEM observations confirm that the fibers in the yarn fit snugly together after sizing. The AS-g-PAA showed great potentiality for the application in polyester warp sizing.
Optical properties of living corals determined with diffuse reflectance spectroscopy

The internal light field and thus light exposure of the photosymbiotic microalgae (Symbiodinium sp.) in corals is strongly modulated by the optical properties of coral tissue and skeleton. While there are numerous studies documenting the light microenvironment in corals, there are only few measurements of the inherent optical properties of corals in the literature, and this has hampered a more quantitative understanding of coral optics. Here we present a study of the optical properties of 26 live coral samples, representative of 11 coral species and spanning a variety of morphotypes. We employed well-established fiber-optic reflectance spectroscopy techniques from biomedical optics using two methods: (1) A source and a detection fiber separated by a variable distance measured the lateral spread of light in corals, dominated by the skeleton; (2) A fiber-optic field radiance probe measured the diffuse reflectance from the coral surface, dominated by the living coral tissue. Analysis based on diffusion theory and Monte Carlo simulation yielded estimates of the bulk scattering and absorption coefficients of the coral tissue and skeleton, in the 750-1030 nm wavelength range. Extrapolating into the spectral region of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR, 400-700 nm) allowed estimation of the optical depth of absorption by the main Symbiodinium photopigment chlorophyll a. Coral tissue scattering was on average ~1.9x stronger than the scattering of the skeleton, consistent with the model that corals trap photons by high scattering to enhance absorption by algal pigments, while the lower scattering of the skeleton allows spread of light to otherwise shaded coral tissue areas.
GEMME: A Simple and Fast Global Epistatic Model Predicting Mutational Effects

The systematic and accurate description of protein mutational landscapes is a question of utmost importance in biology, bioengineering and medicine. Recent progress has been achieved by leveraging on the increasing wealth of genomic data and by modeling inter-site dependencies within biological sequences. However, state-of-the-art methods require numerous highly variable sequences and remain time consuming. Here, we present GEMME (www.lcqb.upmc.fr/GEMME), a method that overcomes these limitations by explicitly modeling the evolutionary history of natural sequences. This allows accounting for all positions in a sequence when estimating the effect of a given mutation. Assessed against 41 experimental high-throughput mutational scans, GEMME overall performs similarly or better than existing methods and runs faster by several orders of magnitude. It greatly improves predictions for viral sequences and, more generally, for very conserved families. It uses only a few biologically meaningful and interpretable parameters, while existing methods work with hundreds of thousands of parameters.
Geographic space, relief, and soils predict plant community patterns of Asteraceae in rupestrian grasslands, Brazil

We investigated the effects of geographic distance and environmental heterogeneity on Asteraceae communities in the rupestrian grasslands of the Espinhaço Range, southeastern Brazil. Asteraceae species composition and relative abundance were sampled in 21–1 ha plots distributed across park conservation units, comprising an environmental gradient in soils and relief (elevation and slope). We found high levels of heterogeneity overall in assemblages of herbaceous and woody Asteraceae species at the intermediate spatial scale of this study (10–100 km). We found that both relief and soil properties (texture and total exchangeable bases) explained significant proportions of variation in community composition, suggesting that definitions or expansions of conservation units should span the highest possible variability in observed relief and soil values. We also found that Asteraceae distribution exhibited strong spatial structure independent of environmental variation, reinforcing the need to consider conservation across larger areas. Considering the dystrophic character of the soils found in the Espinhaço Range and the few differences in the fertility observed between the sampling units, our results also support the hypothesis that plant distributions in the tropics are controlled by a hierarchy of environmental gradients, where variables such as altitude and exchangeable bases and Al texture are important predictors in low‐fertility soils. We suggest that Asteraceae could be a model family for conservation planning in other countries and regions because it is particularly well represented in open and montane areas of the Neotropics in general.
Research, Innovation and Development on Corylus avellana through the Bibliometric Approach

ABSTRACT Among the dried fruits, hazelnut cultivation represents one of the greater world productions. Based on this consideration, it has been decided to verify whether the great commercial importance of this fruit corresponds to an equally dynamic and productive scientific activity. The aim of this study is to analyze the network structure and the conceptual evolution of research on Corylus avellana through time. A scientific mapping approach was used and applied to a set of scientific publications from 1980 to 2019, retrieved from the Scopus database. From this period, the Scopus search provided 861 documents. During the 1980–1999 period, research topics were poorly characterized, but better defined in the 2000–2019 period. From 2000 to 2009, the research focused on three distinct areas of interest: (i) genetic techniques aimed at the study and resolution of phytosanitary problems; (ii) genetic improvement of new cultivars in order to obtain production quality; (iii) open-field cultivation techniques to improve the quantity of hazelnut production and the quality of the product. In the last decade (2010–2019), genetic improvement techniques, both in the laboratory and in the field, have merged into a single cluster using the most innovative molecular biology techniques. At the same time, the cultivation techniques were oriented not only toward production in the field, but also at studying and improving the quality of the products. Through the analysis was possible to trace some future lines of scientific research for this relatively unexplored topic.
Numerical simulations of the lower solar atmosphere heating by two-fluid nonlinear Alfvén waves

Context. We present new insight into the long-standing problem of plasma heating in the lower solar atmosphere in terms of collisional dissipation caused by two-fluid Alfvén waves. Aims. Using numerical simulations, we study Alfvén wave propagation and dissipation in a magnetic flux tube and their heating effect. Methods. We set up 2.5-dimensional numerical simulations with a semi-empirical model of a stratified solar atmosphere and a force-free magnetic field mimicking a magnetic flux tube. We consider a partially ionized plasma consisting of ion + electron and neutral fluids, which are coupled by ion-neutral collisions. Results. We find that Alfvén waves, which are directly generated by a monochromatic driver at the bottom of the photosphere, experience strong damping. Low-amplitude waves do not thermalize sufficient wave energy to heat the solar atmospheric plasma. However, Alfvén waves with amplitudes greater than 0.1 km s−1 drive through ponderomotive force magneto-acoustic waves in higher atmospheric layers. These waves are damped by ion-neutral collisions, and the thermal energy released in this process leads to heating of the upper photosphere and the chromosphere. Conclusions. We infer that, as a result of ion-neutral collisions, the energy carried initially by Alfvén waves is thermalized in the upper photosphere and the chromosphere, and the corresponding heating rate is large enough to compensate radiative and thermal-conduction energy losses therein.
How to improve critical thinking skills and spatial reasoning with augmented reality in mathematics learning?

Critical thinking skills and spatial reasoning are important aspect in human life. On the other hand, currently, implementing augmented reality in many fields be a trend, including in education field. This study aims to explain how to improve critical thinking skills and spatial reasoning with augmented reality in mathematics learning. The method used in this research is literature review. The data obtained from scientific journals, conference proceedings, and other relevant sources. The results show that to improve spatial reasoning can be done by utilizing its features that can develop confidence of learners, facilitate student-centered learning, create problem solving, and create interactive learning. Besides that, spatial reasoning can be improved by designing dynamic objects with AR. Dynamic objects permit learners to view objects from different sides. Therefore, active learning can be promoted.
High‐Performance Zinc Tin Oxide TFTs with Active Layers Deposited by Atomic Layer Deposition

New deposition techniques for amorphous oxide semiconductors compatible with silicon back end of line manufacturing are needed for 3D monolithic integration of thin‐film electronics. Here, three atomic layer deposition (ALD) processes are compared for the fabrication of amorphous zinc tin oxide (ZTO) channels in bottom‐gate, top‐contact n‐channel transistors. As‐deposited ZTO films, made by ALD at 150–200 °C, exhibit semiconducting, enhancement‐mode behavior with electron mobility as high as 13 cm2 V−1 s−1, due to a low density of oxygen‐related defects. ZTO deposited at 200 °C using a hybrid thermal‐plasma ALD process with an optimal tin composition of 21%, post‐annealed at 400 °C, shows excellent performance with a record high mobility of 22.1 cm2 V–1 s–1 and a subthreshold slope of 0.29 V dec–1. Increasing the deposition temperature and performing post‐deposition anneals at 300–500 °C lead to an increased density of the X‐ray amorphous ZTO film, improving its electrical properties. By optimizing the ZTO active layer thickness and using a high‐k gate insulator (ALD Al2O3), the transistor switching voltage is lowered, enabling electrical compatibility with silicon integrated circuits. This work opens the possibility of monolithic integration of ALD ZTO‐based thin‐film electronics with silicon integrated circuits or onto large‐area flexible substrates.
Integrating natural history-derived phenomics with comparative genomics to study the genetic architecture of convergent evolution

Evolutionary convergence has been long considered primary evidence of adaptation driven by natural selection and provides opportunities to explore evolutionary repeatability and predictability. In recent years, there has been increased interest in exploring the genetic mechanisms underlying convergent evolution, in part due to the advent of genomic techniques. However, the current ‘genomics gold rush’ in studies of convergence has overshadowed the reality that most trait classifications are quite broadly defined, resulting in incomplete or potentially biased interpretations of results. Genomic studies of convergence would be greatly improved by integrating deep ‘vertical’, natural history knowledge with ‘horizontal’ knowledge focusing on the breadth of taxonomic diversity. Natural history collections have and continue to be best positioned for increasing our comprehensive understanding of phenotypic diversity, with modern practices of digitization and databasing of morphological traits providing exciting improvements in our ability to evaluate the degree of morphological convergence. Combining more detailed phenotypic data with the well-established field of genomics will enable scientists to make progress on an important goal in biology: to understand the degree to which genetic or molecular convergence is associated with phenotypic convergence. Although the fields of comparative biology or comparative genomics alone can separately reveal important insights into convergent evolution, here we suggest that the synergistic and complementary roles of natural history collection-derived phenomic data and comparative genomics methods can be particularly powerful in together elucidating the genomic basis of convergent evolution among higher taxa.
Establishment of an application for photographs’ quality detection based on sharpness and light intensity

Along with the booming of digital photography, camera users grow significantly, especially the users of digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) camera. There are many new users who apply their DSLR cameras for the first time and have little knowledge how to use them. That’s why an application is needed to guide a novice user so that he/she could get better understanding about photography. We have an idea to create such a guidance application that can provide evaluation and suggestion about the quality of user’s photographs. Thus, users can easily develop the ability of photography. Overall, the level of accuracy of this application in identifying deficiencies in the pictures taken is about 75%. This level of accuracy is calculated from errors that occur in detecting both sharpness of the pictures and light intensity (exposure) of the pictures, or any one of them. The errors in detecting the conditions of pictures, occur in some pictures. Hence, it needs further development of methods to improve the accuracy in all conditions of pictures taken. Best accuracy is necessary so that the proper suggestion is given by the application in accordance with the actual condition of the picture.
Perception of Marital Satisfaction Among Couples in the Asante Akim North Area

The purpose of the study was to investigate the perception couple holds that may knit marriages together in order to avert many crises that are common in marriages in the Asante Akim North Area. Two research questions and two hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. The survey design which involves the qualitative and quantitative approach was employed for the study. The simple random sampling technique was used to select a sample size of 200 respondents (thus 100 males and 100 female couples) for the study. The study sought the views of respondents using questionnaires and focus group interview was the main instrument used for the study. Data were analyzed using various analytical techniques and t-tests. Among the present study‟s findings was that there was no statistically significant sex difference in what constitute marital satisfaction. The findings also suggested that there was no statistically significant age difference in what constitute marital satisfaction. The study concluded that; intimacy in a relationship is very important particularly with reference to how we spend our time. A lot of the frictions that do come into marriages are as a result of lack of spending time together during leisure time. Couples that had fun together during leisure time were found to be more satisfied in their marriages. It was recommended that, there is the need for effective Guidance and Counseling service concerning home management and financial management on the part of couples and also newly married, aspirants and the youth should seek counseling about marriage, concerning joys and problems.
Evaluation of a SYBR Green Real-Time PCR Assay for Specific Detection of Pasteurella multocida in Culture and Tissue Samples from Sheep

Pasteurella multocida is one of the bacterial species involved in cases of ovine respiratory complex that has been implicated to cause significant economic losses in sheep production system worldwide. The present study was undertaken with the aim of evaluating a SYBR Green dye based real time PCR assay targeting KMT1 gene for the detection of P. multocida. The analytical specificity and sensitivity of the PCR primers were evaluated. The test showed ten-fold more sensitivity than conventional PCR and detected down to 275.5 fg/ µl of genomic DNA concentration, equivalent to 100 copies of KMT1 gene of P. multocida. The real-time PCR was found to be specific for KMT1 gene of P. multocida, as no cross reactivity was detected with a variety of known bacterial isolates. A total of 52 ovine lung tissue samples were screened for P. multocida, which showed improved level of detection as compared to conventional PCR. It is concluded that, this assay may be used as a valuable diagnostic tool for the rapid and specific detection of P. multocida. By virtue of its high throughput format and its ability to accurately identify as well as quantify the bacterial DNA, the method may be useful in large scale epidemiological studies and clarification of pathogenesis.
Preschool educators’ self-efficacy beliefs about teaching probabilistic concepts and their change in the course of participating an inquiry-based training program

Which are the self-efficacy beliefs that teachers hold when they are asked to teach concepts on probabilities in preschool education? Is it possible to improve negative self-efficacy beliefs through a training program? Thirty-two preschool educators participated in our study and attended a mathematical training program on probabilities, which were lately introduced in the revised preschool curriculum. The structure of the training program centered on the “inquiry-based” pedagogical approach. The results showed that the mathematical inquiry-based training program could improve participants’ initial negative self-efficacy beliefs on teaching probabilities in preschool students and consequently may have positive effects on their educational abilities.
Detecting and Understanding Online Advertising Fraud in the Wild

SUMMARY While the online advertisement is widely used on the web and on mobile applications, the monetary damages by advertising frauds (ad frauds) have become a severe problem. Countermeasures against ad frauds are evaded since they rely on noticeable features (e.g., burstiness of ad requests) that attackers can easily change. We propose an ad-fraud-detection method that leverages robust features against attacker evasion. We designed novel features on the basis of the statistics observed in an ad network calculated from a large amount of ad requests from legitimate users, such as the popularity of publisher websites and the tendencies of client environments. We assume that attackers cannot know of or manipulate these statistics and that features extracted from fraudulent ad requests tend to be outliers. These features are used to construct a machine-learning model for detecting fraudulent ad requests. We evaluated our proposed method by using ad-request logs observed within an actual ad network. The results revealed that our designed features improved the recall rate by 10% and had about 100,000–160,000 fewer false negatives per day than conventional features based on the burstiness of ad requests. In addition, by evaluating detection performance with long-term dataset, we conﬁrmed that the proposed method is robust against performance degradation over time. Finally, we applied our proposed method to a large dataset constructed on an ad network and found several characteristics of the latest ad frauds in the wild, for example, a large amount of fraudulent ad requests is sent from cloud servers.
Phenological Growth Stages of Chinese Quince (Psyudocydonia Sinensis C.K. Schneid.): Codification and Description According to the BBCH Scale

The aim of the study was the determination of the main phenological growth stages less known species of Chinese quince in the conditions of Slovakia. For the study of the issue we used 6 individuals produced in the Arboretum Mlyňany (Slovak Republic). The age of them will be estimated approximately 30 years. Experimental data gained in years 2016–2017 in phenological studies of Chinese quince (Pseudocydonia sinensis C.K. Schneid.) were utilized to describe phenological growth stages of given species. For the description of phenological growth stages, it was used BBCH Monograph (1997). Phenological observations and time data collection were provided at regular intervals in the text form and photodocumentation. Complex phenological growth stages were processed based on the phenological records. Resulting data will be used for the list of descriptors preparation specified for the given species and oriented on the practical utilization in the research, breeding and genetic resources investigation. A feature of the system is that homologous stages of different crops are presented by the same codes.
GDBApex: A graph‐based system to enable efficient transformation of enterprise infrastructures

Graph‐based database engines have been developed by different researchers and companies. Many optimization methods have been integrated within these engines to enable fast and efficient data processing. However, many small‐ and medium‐size organizations have not changed their database infrastructures and still rely on a relational management modeling approach. This limits their service performance, especially in today's large‐scale data processing requirements. Transformation to the use of graph‐based modeling and design is not a straightforward process. In order to make a successful transformation, correct process semantics as well as the design of vertices, edges, labels, and process relations are required. The goal of this article is to help small‐ and medium‐size organizations make this transformation successful in order to satisfy customers' expectations and meet the requirements of data‐intensive applications. The proposed graph‐based modeling approach uses a graph structure for semantic queries and applies software engineering design principles. Moreover, it provides a case study with many data transactions. The system outperformed relational database management systems by an order of magnitude. Scalability of the system is examined and compared with the regular relational‐based modeling. In addition, a load balancing solution is used to achieve high scalability.