Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Considerations on the model‐free shape retrieval of inorganic nanocrystals from small‐angle scattering data

Some new considerations on the model-free shape retrieval of inorganic nanocrystals based on the evaluation of averaged dummy atom models obtained from small-angle X-ray scattering data are presented. Scattering curves for shapes commonly found in inorganic nanocrystal systems were computed, from which dummy atom models were reconstructed using DAMMIN and DAMAVER. Cross sectional analysis methods were applied to allow a quantitative interpretation of these models, where special focus was directed towards the measurement of discrete model dimensions. By a quantitative comparison of the obtained models with the initial geometries, the limits of the proposed evaluation techniques were tested. Further, the proposed methods were utilized to study the influence of the accessible scattering vector as well as the effect of increasing size distributions on models retrieved by DAMMIN and DAMAVER. The results confirm the usefulness of these ab initio shape-retrieval methods for slightly polydisperse systems. Finally, the practicability of the proposed techniques is demonstrated on an ensemble of chemically synthesized colloidal bismuth nanocrystals.
Differential responses of trailing-edge populations of a foundation alga to thermal stress

ABSTRACT Populations within the same species range edge may experience contrasting local conditions and exhibit diverse levels of environmental tolerance. This heterogeneity within a range boundary has seldom been considered in studies forecasting the impact of anthropogenic habitat alteration and climate change on species distributions. Moreover, any ecological prediction under changing environmental conditions requires a good understanding of the combined responses of organisms to multiple stressors, in particular the effects on key life cycle stages of species. The intertidal seaweed Fucus serratus is a dominant species on northern Atlantic shores and whose southern limit is in the NW Iberian Peninsula. We examined how early developmental stages of southern-edge populations of this foundation alga responded to the combined effects of environmental stressors, including salinity and aerial and seawater temperature. Four populations from two different areas of the NW Iberian coast were considered: two populations from open shores on the northern coast and two populations from the western rias on the Atlantic coast. The study findings revealed inter-population variability in the response to heat stress, with greater survival of germlings from the northern populations than those from western rias. Environmental conditions are still more benign within western rias, under the influence of strong summer upwelling events. The results also suggest the key role of aerial thermal stress in determining the southern limit of distribution of the target species. The future of these heterogeneous edge populations from NW Iberian Peninsula depends on trends in climate change and the ability of populations to cope with these. Environmental changes may already be occurring at rates that exceed the plastic and adaptive potential of edge populations in N Spain, while the future of western rias as climate refugia for this and other foundation alga is also uncertain.
Biased Balance Detection for Fiber Optical Frequency Comb Based Linear Optical Sampling

Linear optical sampling (LOS) is a powerful technique to circumvent the electronic bottleneck arising in optical modulation analyzer (OMA). To extend the range of operation wavelength for the LOS-based OMA, the fiber optical frequency comb (FOFC) is proposed to replace the narrowband mode-locked fiber laser (NMFL) as an optical sampling source. However, this procedure reduces the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), due to the constraints of the unideal response of balanced photodetector (BPD) and the limited power per FOFC tone. Here, we investigate the biased balance detection (BBD) scheme to overcome such issue. Our simulation results show that, the characterization performance of the FOFC-based LOS with the help of the BBD scheme is almost the same as that of the NMFL-based LOS, when the PDM-QPSK/16QAM/64QAM signals are set as the signal under test (SUT). Meanwhile, we find that the dynamic range of SUT input power is determined by the BPD imbalance and the FOFC power. By increasing either the average power of the FOFC from 4 to 10 mW or the imbalance of the BPD from 1.03 to 1.04, we can enhance the dynamic range of SUT input power by 8.8 mW and 6.6 mW, respectively. Finally, we develop the equipment and experimentally verify the BBD scheme by a precise characterization of 32 GBaud PDM-QPSK signal.
Spatial perspectives on niche empowerment: an agent-based model

ABSTRACT This paper aims at increasing our understanding of the role of space dimensions in niche evolution dynamics. To accomplish this goal, an agent-based model is developed, locating agents in geographical space. The model is then used to show how local niches built on geographical proximity perform differently from global niches built on relative proximity, in terms of the timing of niche creation, the velocity of niche maturation, average profit, environmental uncertainty and knowledge exchange. It concludes that the spatial dimension of niches should be considered in the development of policies to promote sustainable transitions.
Long Short‐Term Memory Neural Network for Ionospheric Total Electron Content Forecasting Over China

An increasing number of terrestrial‐ and space‐based radio‐communication systems are influenced by the ionospheric space weather, making the ionospheric state increasingly important to forecast. In this study, a novel extended encoder‐decoder long short‐term memory extended (ED‐LSTME) neural network, which can predict ionospheric total electron content (TEC) is proposed. Useful inherent features were automatically extracted from the historical TEC by LSTM layers, and the performance of the proposed model was enhanced by considering solar flux and geomagnetic activity data. The proposed ED‐LSTME model was validated using 15‐min TEC values from GPS measurements over one solar cycle (from January 2006 to July 2018) collected at 15 GPS stations in China. Different assessment experiments were conducted in different geographical locations and seasons as well as under varying geomagnetic activities, to comprehensively evaluate the model's performance. These comparative experiments were conducted using an ED‐LSTM, a traditional LSTM, a deep neural network, autoregressive integrated moving average, and the 2016 International Reference Ionosphere models. The results indicated that the ED‐LSTME model is superior to the other statistical models, with R2 and root mean square error values of 0.89 and 12.09 TECU, respectively. In addition, TEC was adequately predicted under different ionospheric conditions, and satisfactory results were obtained even under geomagnetically disturbed conditions. These results suggest that the prediction performance could be significantly improved by utilizing auxiliary data. These observations confirm that the proposed model outperforms several state‐of‐the‐art models in making predictions at different times and under diverse conditions.
The Association Between Serum Uric Acid and the Cardiometabolic Phenotype Among Healthcare Workers in Azar Cohort Study

Background: As of now, it is unknown whether hyperuricemia can be considered as an independent risk factor or just as a marker to represent the correlation between uric acid and other metabolic syndrome (MetS) risk factors. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no other work has been reported to study this relationship between serum uric acid (SUA) and cardiometabolic phenotypes. In this work, we intend to study the correlation between SUA and the cardiometabolic phenotype among healthcare workers in Azar cohort study. Method: In this cross-sectional study, anthropometric measurements, serum fasting blood sugar (FBS), triglyceride (TG), cholesterol, high lipoprotein density (HDL), liver enzymes, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), SUA, creatinine (Cr), and blood pressures of 1458 healthcare workers were evaluated. MetS was diagnosed based on ATP III. We classified the participants into four cardiometabolic phenotypes, i.e., metabolically-healthy lean (MHL), metabolically-unhealthy lean (MUHL), metabolically-healthy obese (MHO), and metabolically-unhealthy obese (MUHO). Results: MHL (32.6%) and MHO (66%) have the highest prevalence rate in the first and second SUA tertiles, respectively, which are statistically significant (P-value ≤0.001). We observed an ascending trend in the mean values of WC, TG, cholesterol, low HDL, FBS, BUN, Cr, SBP, DBP, BMI, and liver enzymes from the first SUA tertile to the third SUA tertile (P-value <0.05). Compared to the lowest SUA tertile, the odds of MHO and MUHO increased by 2.29 (95% CI 1.46-3.59) and 5.38 (95%CI 3.45-9.39), respectively. In contrast, no similar trend was observed regarding the association between MUHL and the SUA tertile.Conclusion: We proposed the use of the easily-measured SUA level as a marker for early diagnosis of at-risk MUHL and MHO individuals to administer proper interventions. Further prospective works are needed to identify the effects of SUA on the progression of MetS in various body size subgroups.
Experimental Investigation on Thermal and Transport Properties of Indian Almond – Kenaf Hybrid Composites for Construction Applications

ABSTRACT Construction industries demand a material with high strength to endure severe environmental conditions like high temperature and humid and hence, it is noteworthy to assess the thermal and water transport properties of the material. In this investigation, the natural fibers based composites were fabricated using Indian almond and kenaf fibers by hand layup method. Entirely, two natural fiber composites viz. epoxy/Indian almond & epoxy/kenaf and two hybrid composites viz. kenaf/India almond/kenaf (K/I/K) & Indian almond/kenaf/Indian almond (I/K/I) were prepared. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was carried out to analyze the thermal properties and water absorption study was carried out to analyze the transport properties. TGA study showed that the epoxy/kenaf composite exhibited a maximum onset temperature of 340.49°C owing to good bonding strength and the K/I/K composite displayed a maximum decomposition temperature of 380.21 ° with a minimum mass loss of 1.29 mg/min. Further, the epoxy/Indian almond composite showed a better flame retardancy property due to more char formation. Water absorption study resulted that the epoxy/Indian almond composite absorbed more water (35% at 50°C) compared to other composites due to spongy like structure and the presence of more voids on the surface of the fiber. Further, the epoxy/kenaf composite displayed more resistance to water penetration with maximum activation energy of diffusion of 2.63 kJ/mole. Transport properties such as diffusion coefficient, sorption coefficient and permeability coefficient were varied in line with temperature. The epoxy/kenaf composite showed least diffusion coefficient of 2.48 × 10−5 cm2/s, sorption coefficient of 1.05, and permeability coefficient of 2.61 × 10−5 cm2/s at 30°C among all other composites due to good bonding strength.
Implicit and explicit discrete‐time realizations of homogeneous differentiators

This article presents explicit and implicit discrete‐time realizations for a class of homogeneous sliding mode‐based differentiators. The proposed approach relies on the method of exact discretization for linear systems with a zero‐order holder. The two discrete‐time schemes present the homogeneity property and, after a finite time, the accuracy of its continuous‐time counterpart, even in the presence of bounded noise. In comparison to the explicit realization, which makes it possible to determine the state of the system later from the state at present, for this case, the implicit method requires finding a solution by solving generalized equations that involve the current state of the system and two support variables. Therefore, this document proves that the polynomial's unique positive root defines the required solution as part of the main results. Hence, it is possible to introduce a non‐anticipative method to implement the implicit discrete‐time realization, including an appropriate root‐finding method for the polynomial. Finally, the simulation results include comparisons between the proposed implicit and explicit discrete methods with other existing schemes. Numerical studies clearly show that the implicit method supersedes the explicit one, consistent with the implicit and explicit time discretization of other continuous‐time algorithms.
Framing similar issues differently: a cross-cultural discourse analysis of news images

ABSTRACT Few studies have focused on visual representation of crime-related events in news images across national contexts. In this study, eighty-three news images from two hundred Iranian and Dutch news articles published in national newspapers were qualitatively analyzed. These images were scrutinized for their use of semiotic strategies as well as the overall visual pattern. The findings showed few similarities and notable differences between news images in the two cultural contexts. The Visual Pattern Analysis led to identification of six visual framing patterns. While Iranian images focus on non-identifiable arrested criminals, Dutch images frame crime in terms of identifiable victims and crime location. Remarkably, crime is rarely framed in terms of social causes and solutions in either corpus. The discussion links the findings to the socio-cultural contexts in which images are produced and received. The visual discourse analysis raised questions about the production and reception of crime news images to be investigated in future studies.
Molecular dynamics simulation of monocrystalline copper nano-scratch process under the excitation of ultrasonic vibration

In order to explore the mechanism of unidirectional ultrasonic vibration-assisted machining from a microscopic point of view, the molecular dynamic (MD) simulation method is used to simulate the scratch process of monocrystalline copper under ultrasonic excitation. By comparing the simulation results of traditional scratching and ultrasonic vibration-assisted scratching, the influences of ultrasonic vibration on the surface morphology, the tangential force, and the evolution of the crystal’s internal defects are discussed. The results show that the ultrasonic vibration can improve the surface quality of the workpiece, reduce the tangential force, and reduce the energy consumption. Simultaneously, ultrasonic vibration promotes the interaction between dislocations, accelerates the annihilation of dislocations, effectively reduces work hardening caused by dislocation accumulation, and forms a large number of vacancies and interstitial atoms.
Synthesis and characterisation of biocapsules containing low-cost rejuvenators for asphalt self-healing

This study aimed to characterise polynuclear biocapsules containing low-cost rejuvenating agents for asphalt self-healing. Capsules consisted of a biopolymeric matrix of calcium alginate containing cooking oil and mineral oil as rejuvenating agents, being synthesised using ionic gelation through the pumping dripping technique. The physical-chemical properties of the oil-in-biopolymer emulsions and their stability over time were studied. The morphological and thermophysical properties of the biocapsules, as well as the encapsulation efficiency of the rejuvenating agents, were quantified and characterised by microscopic techniques and laboratory tests. Main results showed that emulsions should be used for encapsulation purposes within a period no longer than 3h, reducing the effect of instability phenomena. Besides, the biopolymer-based polynuclear capsules presented uniform size, internal multicavity microstructure resulting in high encapsulation efficiencies and thermal stability at high temperatures, proving that cooking oil and mineral oil can be potentially used as low-cost rejuvenating agents and thermally stable additives for asphalt self-healing purposes.
Identification of antioxidant bioactive compounds as potential functional food ingredient from kebar grass (Biophytum petersianum) by metabolomic approach

Kebar grass (Biophytum petersianum) is a part of the family Oxalidaceae from the genus Biophytum. This plant is endemic to Kebar District, West Papua, Indonesia. Oxalidaceae family has over 900 species separated into seven genera, Averrhoa, Dapania, Biophytum, Eichleria, Hypseocharis, Oxalis, and Sarcotheca (Muharini et al., 2014). Out of the 80 species, only several species are known to have medicinal properties for their bioactive compounds, which are B. petersianum, B. umbraculum, B. sensitivum (L.) DC (Inngjerdingen et al., 2008), B. veldkampii, and B. reinwardtii.
Properties of Surfactants that Govern their Functions and Applications on Lipid Membranes

This work aims at a better understanding of the parameters and properties of surfactants that govern their specific biological functions and their suitability for applications related to biological membranes. First, the hypothesis is tested that membrane lysis starts when a surfactant has built up a critical level of curvature strain, that is detected as a chain disordering. This could be confirmed for many surfactants but some, mostly biosurfactants act by a locally focused, heterogeneous perturbation, which explains their enhanced antibiotic activity and selectivity. A model and protocol were established to obtain a volumetric characterization of micelles by pressure perturbation calorimetry. For some classic detergents studied so far, their chain packing was found to agree with that of bulk hydrocarbon. Finally, the effective charge and consequent membrane permeability were assessed by zeta potential
A review of approaches investigated for right ventricular segmentation using short-axis cardiac MRI

The right ventricular assessment is crucial to heart disease diagnosis. Unfortunately, its segmentation is quite challenging due to its intricate shape, ill-deﬁned thin edges, large variability among patients, and pathologies. Besides, it is a very laborious and time-consuming task to be done manually. Therefore, automated segmentation techniques are very suitable to reduce the strain on the expert. Here, it is attempted to review the taxonomy of the current RV segmentation approaches adopted to handle the afore-mentioned issues. Enhanced by our expert’s interpretation, the results of over forty research papers were evaluated based on several metrics such as the dice metric and the Hausdorff distance. Synthetic tables and charts were also used to discuss the reviewed approaches. The following study shows that none of the existing methods has proved accurate enough to meet all the RV challenging issues. Many misestimated results were reported for several cases. Eventually, global guidance is outlined, which supports combining different methods to enhance the expected results during the MRI short-axis slice processing.
Social network matters: The influence of online social capital on youth political participation in Pakistan

ABSTRACT There is global concern over the continuing decline in political participation, especially among young people. Social capital or networks of relations among people have been found to be important in the revival of political participation. While research has established the profound effects of online social capital on politics, we know much less about its role in fostering political participation in new democracies. In this study, we tested the influence of online social capital on communication mediation processes to understand political participation in Pakistan. A survey was conducted of 864 respondents, recruited using a multistage cluster sampling, and the survey data were analyzed using PLS-SEM. Our findings suggest that extensive online networks result in less participation in online political activities, whereas no effect was found on youth political behavior in the real setting. We also found that social capital does not motivate people to express their opinions in the online environment. These results suggest that the political consequences of online social capital are different in a less democratic setting from in a Western-democratic context. There may be less political trust in the former, which discourages people from participating in politics. This paper discusses some of the theoretical and managerial implications of the study.
Hydrogeochemical and Hydrodynamic Assessment of Tirnavos Basin, Central Greece

A combined hydrogeochemical and hydrodynamic characterization for the assessment of key aspects related to groundwater resources management was performed in a highly productive agricultural basin of the Thessaly region in central Greece. A complementary suite of tools and methods—including graphical processing, hydrogeochemical modeling, multivariate statistics and environmental isotopes—have been applied to a comprehensive dataset of physicochemical analyses and water level measurements. Results revealed that the initial hydrogeochemistry of groundwater was progressively impacted by secondary phenomena (e.g., ion exchange and redox reactions) which were clearly delineated into distinct zones according to data processing. The progressive evolution of groundwater was further verified by the variation of the saturation indices of critical minerals. In addition, the combined use of water level measurements delineated the major pathways of groundwater flow. Interestingly, the additional joint assessment of environmental isotopes revealed a new pathway from E–NE (which had never before been validated), thus highlighting the importance of the joint tools/methods application in complex scientific tasks. The application of multivariate statistics identified the dominant processes that control hydrogeochemistry and fit well with identified hydrodynamic mechanisms. These included (as dominant factor) the salinization impact due to the combined use of irrigation water return and evaporitic mineral leaching, as well as the impact of the geogenic calcareous substrate (mainly karstic calcareous formations and dolostones). Secondary factors, acting as processes (e.g., redox and ion exchange), were identified and found to be in line with initial assessment, thus validating the overall characterization. Finally, the outcomes may prove to be valuable in the progression toward sustainable groundwater resources management. The results have provided spatial and temporal information for significant parameters, sources, and processes—which, as a methodological approach, could be adopted in similar cases of other catchments.