Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Reproductive and population parameters of Empoasca decipiens Paoli (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) on different host plants

Knowing the reproductive and population parameters (life table parameters) of a particular insect pest is very essential to develop integrated pest management strategy for this insect pest. In this study, life table parameters of the leafhopper, Empoasca decipiens (Paoli) (Hemiptera - Cicadellidae) were calculated on four different host plants viz., potato (Solanum tuberosum L.), common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), cotton (Gossypium barbadense L.) and zucchini squash (Cucurbita pepo L.). The results showed that, the net reproduction rates were 18.77, 38.3, 30.63 and 27.27 offspring/ female / generation on cotton, common bean, potato and zucchini squash, respectively. The intrinsic rates of increase (rm) were 0.15, 0.19, 0.149 and 0.186 female-1 day-1 with finite rates of increase of 1.16, 1.21, 1.16 and 1.21 females / female / day on cotton, common bean, potato and zucchini squash, respectively. The values of both of mean generation time and corrected generation time were highest for leafhopper insect reared on potato plant compared with those which reared on other three host plants. While the require times to duplicate the population (TD) were 4.6041, 3.6597, 4.661 and 3.727 days on cotton, common bean, potato and zucchini squash, respectively. The annual rates of increase of E. decipiens were obtained as 7.28x1023, 1.05x1030, 3.71x1023 and 3.03x1029 and it further reveal that the population would multiply 23, 30, 23 and 29 times in a year on each of on cotton, common bean, potato and zucchini squash, respectively. On another hand, the calculated birth rates were 0.185, 0.225, 0.171 and 0.224 while the intrinsic death rates were 0.0347, 0.035, 0.022 and 0.038 in the four host plants cotton, common bean, potato and zucchini squash, respectively. The mean durations (day) of E. decipiens nymphal instars on the four different hosts were studied. The duration of nymphal instars was significantly different from host plant to another. The nymphal stage of E. decipiens was completed in 11.04, 13.75, 12.28 and 13.37 days on common bean, cotton, squash and potato, respectively.
A new analog MPPT technique: TEODI

A new analog maximum power point tracking (MPPT) technique is presented and discussed. Its main advantages are simplicity of implementation, absence of memory and multiplication operations, and the high MPPT efficiency obtainable under both stationary and time‐varying atmospheric conditions. A numerical analysis, carried out by using the Perturb and Observe MPPT technique as a benchmark reference, confirms the validity of the proposed approach. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Trend analysis of cold extremes in South Africa: 1960–2016

Extreme cold events (“cold waves”) have disastrous impacts on ecosystem and human health. Evidence shows that these events will still occur under current increasing mean temperatures. Little research has been done on extreme cold events, especially in developing countries such as South Africa. These events pose a significant threat due to the low adaptive capacity, urgent development needs and relatively inadequate infrastructure in South Africa. This study presents annual and seasonal, spatial and temporal trend analyses of extreme cold temperature events for the period 1960–2016. We apply the World Meteorological Organisation Commission for Climatology and Indices Expert Team on Sector‐Specific Climate Indices (ET‐SCI) to South Africa for the first time, with comparison to the World Meteorological Organisation Expert Team on Climate Change Detection (ETCCDI) indices previously used in South Africa. The extreme cold indices are calculated using the RClimDex and ClimPACT, respectively. Trends were calculated using the non‐parametric Mann‐Kendall test, Spearman Rank Correlation Coefficient and Sen's slope estimates. A decreasing trend is found for annual cold spell duration and cold wave frequency, at rates of 0.10 days.day−1 and 0.02 events.day−1, respectively. Seasonally, coldest day temperatures increased in autumn, with increases of 0.02°C.day−1 for the period 1960–2016. Regionally, increasing trends in annual cold spell duration days were evident in stations located in the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, North‐West Province, at a rate of 0.03 days.day−1. Increasing trends in cold waves were observed for stations in Northern Cape, Gauteng, KwaZulu‐Natal and the Eastern Cape Province, at a rate of 0.01 events.day−1. These results contribute to the awareness and recognition of the incidence and duration of cold extreme events in South Africa, seeing that studies suggest that anomalously cold events may persist in a warming world.
X‐person asymmetric interaction in virtual and augmented realities

This study proposes simple, highly immersive x‐person asymmetric interactions that account for the experience type characteristics of asymmetric virtual environments, jointly experienced by virtual reality (VR) users and augmented reality (AR) users. The first person interactions for VR users are performed through the use of hand gestures, and they define a manipulation process that maps the gestures and object control scheme to provide intuitive interactions with the virtual environment and objects. The third person interaction for AR users is designed to view the overall virtual scene and recognize and judge situations to allow for intuitive communication and interactions among the virtual environment, objects, and users based on a touch interface. The core goal of this process is to provide all users who participate in asymmetric virtual environments with satisfying experiences and presence through individualized experience modes and roles. To this end, an application that uses the x‐person asymmetric interactions was created. Furthermore, a survey experiment is performed to statistically analyze the interactions and verify that they provided users with a satisfactory experience, that is, a satisfactory sense of presence and social presence in each user's situation.
A fairly simple mechatronic device for training human wrist motion

This article proposes a novel device for wrist motion rehabilitation. The proposed mechatronic architecture is based on a simple user-friendly design, which includes a mobile platform for hand support, which is operated by a single actuator. A dedicated assist-as-needed control is designed to operate the device for the required movements. The proposed control strategy is also integrated into a gaming software for stimulating the exercising by means of various interactions with patients. Experimental tests are carried out with 14 healthy subjects at the Physiotherapy Clinical Hospital of the Federal University of Uberlandia. Also, three patients with stroke have been enrolled in a pilot clinical testing. Each of the patients has been involved in four sessions per month with 15 min of assisted treatment. Results of experimental tests are analyzed in terms of improvements and amplitude gains for the flexion and extension wrist movements. Experimental results are reported as evidence for the feasibility and soundness of the proposed device as a tool to assist professionals in procedures of wrist rehabilitation.
3D Nanotomography of calcium silicate hydrates by transmission electron microscopy

Author(s): Viseshchitra, P; Ercius, P; Monteiro, PJM; Scott, M; Ushizima, D; Li, J; Xu, K; Wenk, HR | Abstract: © 2020 American Ceramic Society (ACERS) Calcium silicate hydrate (C-S-H), is the principal hydration product of Portland cement that mainly contributes to the physical and mechanical properties of concrete. This paper aims to investigate the three-dimensional structure of C-S-H with Ca/Si ratios of 1.0 and 1.6 at the nanoscale using electron tomography. The 3D reconstructions and selected region of interest analysis confirm that the morphology of both C-S-H materials are foil-like structures. The difference between the two materials is the density of elongated structures. C-S-H with Ca/Si ratio 1.6 is clearly composed of denser particles compared to the other C-S-H material due to overlapping of the foil-like structure. Pore analysis shows that C-S-H 1.0 and C-S-H 1.6 have porosities 69.2% and 49.8% respectively. Pore size distribution also reveals that C-S-H 1.0 has pore size range between 0-250nnm and C-S-H 1.6 between 0-100nnm. The pore network's size of C-S-H 1.0 is significantly larger than 1.6. This study illustrates the capability of using electron tomography to determine the 3D nanoscale structure of cementitious products and to distinguish between C-S-H 1.0 and 1.6.
Clouds, radiation, and atmospheric circulation in the present‐day climate and under climate change

By interacting with radiation, clouds modulate the flow of energy through the Earth system, the circulation of the atmosphere, and regional climate. We review the impact of cloud‐radiation interactions for the atmospheric circulation in the present‐day climate, its internal variability and its response to climate change. After summarizing cloud‐controlling factors and cloud‐radiative effects, we clarify the scope and limits of the Clouds On‐Off Klimate Model Intercomparison Experiment (COOKIE) and cloud‐locking modeling methods. COOKIE showed that the presence of cloud‐radiative effects shapes the circulation in the present‐day climate in many important ways, including the width of the tropical rain belts and the position of the extratropical storm tracks. Cloud locking, in contrast, identified how clouds affect internal variability and the circulation response to global warming. This includes strong, but model‐dependent, shortwave and longwave cloud impacts on the El‐Nino Southern Oscillation, and the finding that most of the poleward circulation expansion in response to global warming can be attributed to radiative changes in clouds. We highlight the circulation impact of shortwave changes from low‐level clouds and longwave changes from rising high‐level clouds, and the contribution of these cloud changes to model differences in the circulation response to global warming. The review in particular draws attention to the role of cloud‐radiative heating within the atmosphere. We close by raising some open questions which, among others, concern the need for studying the cloud impact on regional scales and opportunities created by the next generation of global storm‐resolving models.
Raney Nickel for the Desulphurization of FCC Gasoline

This study is being performed as part of a graduate thesis project at the University of Northern British Columbia. We are attempting to develop an alternative method for removing sulphur compounds from the fluid catalytically cracked stream of gasoline (FCC gasoline). As of January 1, 2005, Canada developed new regulations for the amount of total sulphur in fuel, thereby limiting the total sulphur to 30 ppmw. This paper reports on our work using Raney nickel for the removal of sulphur-containing compounds from FCC gasoline. Raney nickel is activated with an alkaline solution, then reacted with the FCC gasoline to form a nickel sulfide precipitate. Simply by varying the reaction time, a maximum reduction of 80% sulphur concentration can be seen at 60 min. Similarly, by varying the temperature, a maximum reduction of 99% sulphur concentration was obtained at a reaction temperature of 50° C. Finally, sequential reaction experiments indicated a maximum reduction in sulphur concentration of 97% in the treated FCC gasoline using two consecutive additions of Raney nickel. These reactions are being performed on a laboratory scale but indicate that Raney nickel is very effective at removing sulphur from FCC gasoline.
THE IMPACT OF SERVANT LEADERSHIP ON THE ORGANIZATIONAL CITIZENSHIP BEHAVIOR: MEDIATING ROLE OF PSYCHOLOGICAL OWNERSHIP

The main purpose of the study is to explore the nexus between the Servant leadership and organizational citizenship. In addition to that the study has examined the mediating role of psychological ownership in the relationship between the servant leadership and organizational citizenship behavior. For present study, 65% response rate was obtained. For analyzing the research hypothesis, we started by performing the validities and reliability tests. For this purpose, we estimated the measurement and the structural models using Smart PLS 3.1. 2 software. The findings of this research have indicated and shown that the physiological ownership mediates the relationship between the recommendation and mediation for analyzing other moderators in the light of OCB which would be further improved significantly. Organizational citizenship behavior could take part in the firm’s success through promoting better use of scarce resources, enhancing co-worker and managerial productivity, reducing variability of performance, strengthening the organization’s capability to attract and retain better workers, enabling better adaptation to environmental changes and improving coordination.
Quantitation of partial structures of aquatic humic substances by one- and two-dimensional solution 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy

One- and two-dimensional solution {sup 13}C NMR spectroscopy has been applied to elucidate partial structures of aquatic humic substances. Conventional {sup 13}C NMR spectra have been taken by the spin echo technique rather than by the one-pulse technique because phase corrections and thus quantitative measurements are more accurate to perform. The pulse sequences DEPT (distortionless enhancement by polarization transfer) and QUAT (quaternary-only carbon spectra) provide the ratio of the fragments CH, CH{sub 2}, CH{sub 3}, and C{sub quat}, the proportion of C{sub quat} being unusually high (78%). Comparing these results with elementary analysis gives the fraction of hydrogen connected to carbon and oxygen. In addition, the DEPT spectra give the ratio of aromatic (olefinic) and aliphatic protons, which is in good agreement with the ratio derived from WEFT (water elimination by Fourier transformation ) {sup 1}H NMR spectra. Two dimensional J-resolved {sup 13}C NMR spectroscopy partly confirms these results and provides some evidence of CH coupling. Spin-spin relaxation rates of {sup 13}C nuclei are determined and reveal complexation of paramagnetic metal ions with carboxylate groups in humic substances.
Financial Stress and Basis in Energy Markets

We investigate the relationship between energy commodities bases, inventory and financial stress from 1994 to 2018. We find that, from the 1998 Asian crisis the effect of financial stress on energy commodities bases gradually increased and from the 2008 crisis became positive, while the effect of inventory showed a gradual decline over time. The reactions of bases to changes in financial stress is nonlinear, as they are higher in the high financial stress periods. This is more profound in crude oil market than heating oil and natural gas. Moreover, the reactions of bases to the changes in inventory is nonlinear, as the reactions are lower when the inventory level is high confirming the theory of storage. We suggest that, in energy market, changes of inventory do not fully explain the variation of energy commodities bases, as the connection between commodity and financial markets increased during the recent years.
Effects of woodland maturity, vegetation cover and season on enzymatic and microbial activity in thermophilic Spanish Juniper woodlands (Juniperus thurifera L.) of southern Spain

There are still considerable uncertainties about soil functioning in semi‐arid Mediterranean ecosystems. Hence, studies that have focused on Juniperus species in thermophilic Mediterranean woodlands are practically non‐existent. This study provides a survey of the effects of (i) woodland maturity (mature and young woodlands), (ii) vegetation cover (Juniperus thurifera L. trees, Rosmarinus officinalis L. shrubs and semi‐wooded grasslands) and (iii) growing season (spring, summer and autumn) on soil enzymatic activity (urease, alkaline phosphatase and β‐glucosidase) and microbiological characteristics (microbial biomass C (MBC), basal respiration (Br), and microbial and metabolic quotients) in thermophilic Spanish Juniper woodlands. The results showed that mature woodland maintained a greater enzymatic and microbiological activity than the more productive young woodland. The advanced communities of Juniperus trees and Rosmarinus shrubs exhibited greater enzymatic and microbial activity than grassland areas. Soil biological characteristics were strongly affected by the season. Significant β‐glucosidase activity and Br were observed in the summer, as a consequence of the greater organic matter availability for microbes, despite the reduced soil moisture availability. Thus, foliar abscission in trees and shrubs and withering in grasslands seem to control soil biological activity. Hence, we hypothesize that microbial communities that are adapted to drought exist. In contrast, the presence of greater N and P content in summer seems to reduce the urease and phosphatase activities. In addition, the more advanced communities (Juniperus and Rosmarinus covers, especially in mature woodland) showed an inherent trend towards efficiency in C utilization throughout the growing seasons, thus increasing the MBC at the end of the growing season.
Experimental Study on Mechanical Properties of Deep Buried Granite under Different Confining Pressures

Brittle failure of hard rock poses a serious threat to the stability of surrounding rock in deep underground engineering. In order to study the deformation and failure characteristics of deep buried granite under high confining pressure cyclic loading and unloading, MTS815 electro-hydraulic servo rock test system was used to conduct cyclic loading and unloading tests under confining pressures of 15 MPa, 35 MPa, 45 MPa, and 55 MPa, and the corresponding stress-strain curves and deformation failure characteristic curves were obtained. The experimental results show the follows: (1) under the same confining pressure, the peak strength, crack initiation stress, crack damage stress, and Poisson’s ratio of the specimens under cyclic loading and unloading are larger than those under conventional triaxial loading and unloading, and the unloading elastic modulus is smaller than that, under conventional triaxial compression; (2) the results show that, under different confining pressures, the granite samples show obvious brittle failure characteristics, the elastic modulus and crack initiation stress increase first and then decrease with the confining pressure, the peak strength and crack damage stress of the samples increase linearly with the confining pressure, and Poisson’s ratio increases first and then remains unchanged with the confining pressure; (3) under the two kinds of stress conditions, the macroscopic failure of the samples is mainly shear failure. The deformation and failure law of granite samples revealed in this study has significant reference value for the selection of rock mass mechanical model of surrounding rock stability of underground engineering, the formulation of surrounding rock support countermeasures, and the evolution law of mechanical parameters with damage variables.
Evaluation of formation mechanism of lakes in terms of morphometric aspect; lakes region and their vicinity, SW of Turkey

The formation mechanism of lakes located on the Lakes Region and their vicinity are assumed to have a tectonic origin but this assumption is still controversial. Because, tectonic movements, volcanic activity, and dissolution of limestone caused the formation of morphologically different type lakes in the region. In this study, Lake Acıgöl, Lake Akşehir, Lake Beyşehir, Lake Burdur, Lake Eğirdir, Lake Çavuşçu, Lake Salda, and Lake Yarışlı, located in the Lakes Region and their vicinity, were taken into consideration to evaluate their formation mechanism in terms of morphometric aspect. In the study, the lake surface areas are extracted from the Sentinel-2 satellite image by applying the Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI) and Otsu Thresholding methods. Then lake morphology was quantified with morphometric metrics (Elongation Ratio, Compactness, Circularity Ratio) and Main Axis Orientation. The relationships between morphometric parameters and tectonic activity were evaluated by using tectonically active fault lines bounding the lake areas. The results reveal that the digital morphometric approach taken here not only allows more accurate measurement of lake morphology but also sheds light to understand the formation mechanisms of lake areas.
Micropillar compression deformation of single crystals of α-Nb5Si3 with the tetragonal D8l structure

ABSTRACT The plastic deformation behavior of single crystals of α-Nb5Si3 with the tetragonal D8 l structure has been investigated by micropillar compression at room temperature as a function of crystal orientation and specimen size. Three slip systems, (001)<010>, {110}<1 0> and {0 1}<111>, are found to be operative in micropillar specimens of α-Nb5Si3 single crystals at room temperature, as in the case of isostructural Mo5SiB2. The CRSS values obtained for the three slip systems are extremely high above 2.0 GPa and exhibit the ‘smaller is stronger’ trend, which can be approximated by the inverse power-law relationship. The fracture toughness evaluated by single-cantilever bend testing of a chevron-notched micro-beam specimen is 1.79 MPa m1/2, which is considerably lower than that (2.43 MPa m1/2) reported for isostructural Mo5SiB2. The selection for the dissociation schemes and possible glide planes for dislocations of the three slip systems is discussed based on generalized stacking fault energy (GSFE) curves theoretically calculated by first-principles calculations. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT
CT-less Direct Correction of Attenuation and Scatter in the Image Space Using Deep Learning for Whole-Body FDG PET: Potential Benefits and Pitfalls.

Purpose To demonstrate the feasibility of CT-less attenuation and scatter correction (ASC) in the image space using deep learning for whole-body PET, with a focus on the potential benefits and pitfalls. Materials and Methods In this retrospective study, 110 whole-body fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET/CT studies acquired in 107 patients (mean age ± standard deviation, 58 years ± 18; age range, 11-92 years; 72 females) from February 2016 through January 2018 were randomly collected. A total of 37.3% (41 of 110) of the studies showed metastases, with diverse FDG PET findings throughout the whole body. A U-Net-based network was developed for directly transforming noncorrected PET (PETNC) into attenuation- and scatter-corrected PET (PETASC). Deep learning-corrected PET (PETDL) images were quantitatively evaluated by using the standardized uptake value (SUV) of the normalized root mean square error, the peak signal-to-noise ratio, and the structural similarity index, in addition to a joint histogram for statistical analysis. Qualitative reviews by radiologists revealed the potential benefits and pitfalls of this correction method. Results The normalized root mean square error (0.21 ± 0.05 [mean SUV ± standard deviation]), mean peak signal-to-noise ratio (36.3 ± 3.0), mean structural similarity index (0.98 ± 0.01), and voxelwise correlation (97.62%) of PETDL demonstrated quantitatively high similarity with PETASC. Radiologist reviews revealed the overall quality of PETDL. The potential benefits of PETDL include a radiation dose reduction on follow-up scans and artifact removal in the regions with attenuation correction- and scatter correction-based artifacts. The pitfalls involve potential false-negative results due to blurring or missing lesions or false-positive results due to pseudo-low-uptake patterns. Conclusion Deep learning-based direct ASC at whole-body PET is feasible and potentially can be used to overcome the current limitations of CT-based approaches, benefiting patients who are sensitive to radiation from CT.Supplemental material is available for this article. © RSNA, 2020.