Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Increased Variability of Biomass Burning Emissions in CMIP6 Amplifies Hydrologic Cycle in the CESM2 Large Ensemble

Historical simulations performed for the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 used biomass burning emissions between 1997 and 2014 containing higher spatial and temporal variability compared to emission inventories specified for earlier years, and compared to emissions used in previous (e.g., CMIP5) simulation intercomparisons. Using the Community Earth System Model version 2 Large Ensemble, we show this increased biomass burning emissions variability leads to amplification of the hydrologic cycle poleward of 40°N. Notably, the high variability of biomass burning emissions leads to increased latent heat fluxes, column‐integrated precipitable water, and precipitation. Greater ocean heat uptake, weaker meridional energy transport from the tropics, greater atmospheric shortwave and longwave absorption, and lower relative humidity act to moderate this hydrologic cycle amplification. Our results suggest it is not only the secular changes (on multidecadal timescales) in biomass burning emissions that impact the hydrologic cycle, but also the shorter timescale variability in emissions.
excluder: An R package that checks for exclusion criteria in online data

Collecting survey data online can result in low-quality data. Survey participants may not complete the survey, may complete the survey too quickly or slowly, may not reside in the country they claim, or may use unacceptable screen types. Also, online surveys are plagued by automated bots attempting to complete the surveys while offering worthless data. Researchers collecting online data may want to check their data for these and other potential criteria to exclude problematic data entries. The excluder package uses three main function types to mark, check, and exclude data based on seven different exclusion criteria.
Study of Smooth and Accurate Position Controls of Pneumatic Artificial Muscle Actuators for Robotic Arms

This paper utilizes position errors, position error rates and payload variations as inner feedback loops for controlling the actuators of joint rotations in a pneumatic artificial muscle (PAM) driven robot. The result is an algorithm that is able to adaptively regulate input signals for the proportional pressure valve that controls the air flow to the PAM, in an attempt to better mimic the point-to-point movement of human arm. Further, the algorithm is able to utilize the angular position information from an outer feedback loop to activate/deactivate a solenoid valve for a rapid damping of the non-oscillatory motion and thereby, able to quickly and accurately bring the joints to a rest at a desired position. The proposed method appears to be effective in overcoming some of the inherent drawbacks that arise from the viscoelastic shell and air compressibility of the PAM element.
Fabrication of Novel Polysilazane MEMS Structures by Microcasting

This paper presents a technique to fabricate MEMS from a novel, optically transparent polysilazane material. Polysilazane is a hybrid organic/inorganic polymeric glass that is highly transparent in the infrared to ultraviolet range and exhibits thermal stability superior to that of organic glasses such as polycarbonate and PMMA at temperatures up to 230 °C without losing optical transparency. In addition, the UV absorption of the polysilazane is closer to that of silicate glass than to pure organic polymeric glasses. This paper is the first reported work on fabricating MEMS out of this novel material, which has many potential applications in optical MEMS. The fabrication process based on casting in micro molds made photolithographically from SU8 photoresist is described, and a fundamental study of the cure depth of the polysilazane is reported. A polysilazane phase transmission grating is fabricated and demonstrated as a proof of concept optical device.
The Effect of Prickly Ash (Zanthoxylum bungeanum Maxim) on the Taste Perception of Stewed Sheep Tail Fat by LC-QTOF-MS/MS and a Chemometrics Analysis

This work aims to explore the contribution of prickly ash (Zanthoxylum bungeanum Maxim) on the taste perception of stewed sheep tail fat. Liquid chromatography-tandem quadrupole time of flight mass spectrometry (LC-QTOF-MS) was applied to analyze the taste-related compounds. A total of 99 compounds in different sheep tail fat samples were identified. The semi-quantitative results showed that there were differences between the samples. The partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) model without overfitting was used to investigate the effect of prickly ash. Eleven marker compounds were predicted with a variable importance for projection > 1, fold change > 2 and p < 0.05. An additional experiment showed that guanosine 5′-monophosphate, malic acid, inosine and adenosine 5′-monophosphate could improve the umami and saltiness taste of stewed sheep tail fat.
Investigation of the Effect of Rail Passenger Transport on Air Passenger Transport in Intermodal Transport: Samsun and Trabzon Example

Passenger transport demand is increasing rapidly with the globalization process. In order to meet the continuous increasing demand for transport services, it is necessary to combine all transport modes and technologies efficiently. In this regard, the integration of air transport, which is the fastest mode of transport, and rail transport, which is the safest mode of transport, is seen as the most ideal way out. In this context, the city of Trabzon was selected and it how the amount of air passenger transport will change if there is rail transport has been investigated. Within the scope of the study, regression analysis was performed to investigate the effect of rail passenger transportation on the air passenger transportation of Samsun, which was selected as a sample. Afterwards, the impact rates obtained from Samsun were included in the regression analysis results for Trabzon air passenger transportation. As a result of the analysis, it was determined that the effect of rail passenger transportation on Samsun airport passenger transportation was 1.44% in 2019, this effect will increase regularly to 21.03% in 2040. Also, it is estimated that there will be an increase of 65,142 passengers at Trabzon Airport in 2019 with the effect of rail transportation.
The influence of infection status and parasitism risk on host dispersal and susceptibility to infection in Drosophila nigrospiracula

Abstract Abstract For many organisms, habitat avoidance provides the first line of defence against parasitic infection. Changes in infection status can shift the cost-benefit ratio of remaining in a given habitat vs dispersing. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that the propensity to disperse in Drosophila nigrospiracula is mediated by current parasite load and the risk of further infection by an ectoparasitic mite (Macrocheles subbadius). An activity monitor was used to assess dispersal propensity among infected and uninfected flies. The activity level of uninfected females increased threefold upon exposure to a mite, whereas the activity among uninfected males increased by 17-fold in the presence of a questing mite. Among infected flies, the risk of further infection also generated a change in activity, but the magnitude of the response was dependent on host sex. Current infection status influenced the probability of acquiring more parasites due to increased susceptibility to infection with mite load. The probability of acquiring additional mites among males increased more rapidly compared to female flies. Current infection status can potentially determine the risk of further infection, the host propensity and ability to disperse, with consequence for hosts and parasites at the individual, population and species level.
Ewe performance in the post-weaning phase and structural characteristics of Brachiaria brizantha cultivars in the dry season

The objective of this study was to examine the performance of ewes in the post-weaning phase and the structural characteristics of Brachiaria brizantha cultivars in the dry season. The treatments were represented by four Brachiaria brizantha cultivars (Piatã, Marandu, Paiaguás, and Xaraés), which were evaluated in a randomized-block design with two replicates for the forage variables and eight replicates for the animal performance variables. Canopy height, masses of forage and morphological components and chemical composition of morphological components were evaluated. Thirty-two ½ Santa Inês and ½ Dorper sheep with an initial body weight (BW) of 22.7 ± 1.2 kg were used. Average daily gain (ADG – kg animal-1 day-1), stocking rate (in animal units [AU] = 30 kg of body weight) and weight gain per area (kg ha-1 day-1) were measured. There was no cultivar effect (p > 0.05) on the structural characteristics of the pasture. The highest crude protein content in the leaf blade (11.8%) were found in cultivar Marandu. Average daily gain was higher in the animals that grazed on cultivar Marandu (0.08 kg animal-1 day-1) as compared with cultivars Xaraés (0.05 kg animal-1 day-1) and Piatã (0.04 kg animal-1 day-1), whereas the ewes that grazed on cultivar Paiaguás showed intermediate ADG values (0.06 kg animal-1 day-1). There was no difference between the cultivars for stocking rate (9.2 AU). Weight gain per area was highest in cultivar Marandu (0.33 kg ha-1 day-1) and lowest in cv. Piatã (0.16 kg ha-1 day-1). Brachiaria brizantha cultivars Piatã, Marandu, Paiaguás and Xaraés proved to be forage options for the post-weaning phase of ewes supplemented with concentrate in the dry season.
Green synthesis: characterization and biological activity of silver nanoparticles using aqueous extracts of plants from the Arecaceae family

This study proposes the preparation, characterization, and evaluation of the antimicrobial activity of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). AgNPs were synthesized from the leaf extracts of plants from the Arecaceae family, which are abundant in the Amazon region. AgNPs were characterized using UV/Vis spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and their minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) against the bacteria Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. AgNPs presented maximum absorbance between 420 and 430 nm, the mean diameter obtained by DLS ranged from 130.43 to 352.93 nm and the polydispersity index (PdI) ranged from 0.523 to 0.689. The surface charge measured by the Zeta potential was negative and ranged from -17.2 to -26.97 mV. FTIR analysis suggests that the phenolic compounds and/or proteins in the chemical composition of the plants studied may have been responsible for the reduction of Ag+ ions and stabilization of AgNPs. The morphology of AgNPs observed was largely spherical and presented some agglomerates. Transmission electron microscopy analyses showed polydispersed AgNPs without the formation of large agglomerates. The synthesized AgNPs presented homogeneity and rapid bioreduction. The concentration of AgNPs required to eliminate microorganisms by up to 90% was lower for Gram-negative bacteria (2.75 μg mL-1) than for Gram-positive bacteria (21.75 μg mL-1). In addition, AgNPs synthesized from plant species that are native to the Amazon proved to be promising, since they showed excellent antimicrobial activity against microorganisms of clinical interest.
Site shielding reduction due to transmission through buildings in a city centre environment

A theoretical model has been presented whereby the field strength in the shadow of parallel screens containing rectangular apertures may be predicted. This has been proposed as a basis for predicting signal levels transmitted through buildings whose surfaces contain rectangular glass windows. Predictions based on this model suggest that for typical building dimensions, high levels of transmission through the building may be expected, particularly at frequencies above 3 GHz. The model does not, however, consider any obstructions to propagation contained within the building. In order to obtain relevant data, a measurement programme was conducted, at a frequency of 11.2 GHz, using real buildings as the obstacle. This revealed that, although high levels were recorded in the shadow of a narrow building without any internal obstructions, all typical office buildings investigated provided protection of at least 20 dB. This suggests that, although buildings may not form a perfectly absorbing obstacle on an interference path, they normally will afford useful amounts of protection.
Long-term fungus–plant co-variation from multi-site sedimentary ancient DNA metabarcoding in Siberia

Climate change has a major impact on arctic and boreal terrestrial ecosystems as warming leads to northward treeline shifts, inducing consequences for heterotrophic organisms associated with the plant taxa. To unravel ecological dependencies, we address how long-term climatic changes have shaped the palaeo-ecosystems at selected sites in Siberia. We investigated sedimentary ancient DNA from five lakes spanning the last 47,000 years, using the ITS1 marker for fungi and the chloroplast P6 loop marker for vegetation metabarcoding. After bioinformatic processing with the OBItools pipeline, we obtained 706 unique fungal operational taxonomic units (OTUs) and 243 amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) for the plants. We show higher OTU numbers in dry forest tundra as well as boreal forests compared to wet southern tundra. The most abundant fungal taxa in our dataset are Pseudeurotiaceae, Mortierella, Sordariomyceta, Exophiala, Oidiodendron, Protoventuria, Candida vartiovaarae, Pseudeurotium, Gryganskiella fimbricystis, and Trichosporiella cerebriformis. The overall fungal composition is explained by the plant composition as revealed by redundancy analysis. The fungal functional groups show antagonistic relationships in their climate susceptibility. The advance of woody taxa in response to past warming led to an increase in the abundance of mycorrhizae, lichens, and parasites, while yeast and saprotroph distribution declined. We also show co-occurrences between Salicaceae, Larix, and Alnus and their associated pathogens and detect higher mycorrhizal fungus diversity with the presence of Pinaceae. Under future warming, we can expect feedbacks between fungus compositional and plant diversity changes which will affect forest advance and stability in arctic regions.
A fuzzy ANP-based approach for prioritising projects: a Six Sigma case study

Six Sigma is a process improving method. It is also a project-based approach. Selection of the right project affects the successfulness of implementing a Six Sigma project. Projects are expensive and require considerable human input, money, and time resources, which are limited. In addition to these, when the number of the projects is increased, projects' prioritising becomes more crucial. In this study, a fuzzy analytic network process (ANP) approach was developed in order to prioritise Six Sigma projects. To explore effectiveness of the approach, an empirical case study of a supplier, which produces electrical components for automobile industries, was demonstrated.
Weapons bay acoustic suppression using a novel rod in crossflow configuration

3A computational fluid dynamic study was performed to analyze the efficacy of a novel acoustic suppression device for high Mach number cavity flow. A clean cavity computational model was first qualitatively validated based upon recorded data and shown to agree well with experimental results for overall sound pressure levels. The proposed configuration, consisting of a rod in crossflow over the leading edge of the cavity with a forty-five degree rod fence placed upstream of the cavity, was then inserted into the model to test for a quantitative reduction in sound pressure level. A reduction of approximately 8 decibels was observed with the proposed configuration. A parametric study of each component of the configuration was also tested in an attempt to isolate the reduction mechanism.
On accelerating the EM-based algorithms for the VAR(1) models with multivariate generalized scaled t-distributed innovations

Abstract A vector autoregressive model of order one with multivariate generalized scaled t-distributed innovations is considered here. The object is to estimate the parameters of the proposed model by using the well-known maximum likelihood estimation method. The maximum likelihood estimation method is performed by using the expectation–conditional maximization algorithms (ECM and ECME) to accelerate the basic EM algorithm. The proposed methods are also compared to a quasi-Newton well-known method, named BHHH in terms of the rate of convergence as well as the precision and validity of the obtained estimates, by implementing some numerical simulations. At last, the outcomes are used to fit the model and predict for a real data set.
Phased Array Imaging Simulation

A computer simulation of a phased array imaging system has been written. The OTF of an imaging system with a specified number of annular apertures can be computed directly by a convolution if there are no phase aberrations. If phase aberrations are to be included (piston, two axis tilt, focus, and uncorrelated aberrations for each subaperture), the OTF is computed via the point spread function. A two-dimensional scene is created from elementary shapes and transformed to the spatial frequency domain by a two-dimensional fast Fourier transform (FFT). The spectrum is multiplied by the optical transfer function (OTF) and by a function which accounts for pixel size and shape. After being properly scaled by a radiometry analysis the scene is transformed back to the spatial domain. Pixel fluxes are then computed and Poisson noise and detector noise are added.
MMP9 Differentially Regulates Proteins Involved in Actin Polymerization and Cell Migration during TGF-β-Induced EMT in the Lens

Fibrotic cataracts have been attributed to transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β)-induced epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Using mouse knockout (KO) models, our laboratory has identified MMP9 as a crucial protein in the TGF-β-induced EMT process. In this study, we further revealed an absence of alpha-smooth muscle actin (αSMA) and filamentous-actin (F-actin) stress fibers in MMP9KO mouse lens epithelial cell explants (LECs). Expression analysis using NanoString revealed no marked differences in αSMA (ACTA2) and beta-actin (β-actin) (ACTB) mRNA between the lenses of TGF-β-overexpressing (TGF-βtg) mice and TGF-βtg mice on a MMP9KO background. We subsequently conducted a protein array that revealed differential regulation of proteins known to be involved in actin polymerization and cell migration in TGF-β-treated MMP9KO mouse LECs when compared to untreated controls. Immunofluorescence analyses using rat LECs and the novel MMP9-specific inhibitor, JNJ0966, revealed similar differential regulation of cortactin, FAK, LIMK1 and MLC2 as observed in the array. Finally, a reduction in the nuclear localization of MRTF-A, a master regulator of cytoskeletal remodeling during EMT, was observed in rat LECs co-treated with JNJ0966 and TGF-β. In conclusion, MMP9 deficiency results in differential regulation of proteins involved in actin polymerization and cell migration, and this in turn prevents TGF-β-induced EMT in the lens.
Improved Non-Piezoelectric Electric Properties Based on La Modulated Ferroelectric-Ergodic Relaxor Transition in (Bi0.5Na0.5)TiO3-Ba(Ti, Zr)O3 Ceramics

The characteristic transition from ferroelectric (FE) to ergodic relaxor (ER) state in (Bi0.5Na0.5)TiO3 (BNT) based lead-free ceramics provides an efficient approach to bring a highly ordered phase back to a disordered one. It would be rational to utilize this transition to improve relevant non-piezoelectric properties based on domain decomposition. In this work, different La contents were introduced to 0.93(Bi0.5Na0.5)TiO3-0.07Ba(Ti0.945Zr0.055)O3 ceramics (BNT-BZT-xLa) to induce evolution of ergodic degree. The results reveal that with increasing La content, both the FE-ER transition temperature TF-R and depolarization temperature Td shift towards room temperature, implying a deepened ergodic degree. By modulation of ergodic degree, thermally stimulated depolarization current experiment shows a higher current density peak, and corresponding pyroelectric coefficient increases from 2.46 to 2.81 μC/(cm2∙°C) at Td. For refrigeration, the indirect measurement demonstrates the ΔT maximum increases from 1.1 K to 1.4 K, indicating an enhanced electrocaloric effect. Moreover, the optimized energy storage effect is observed after La doping. With appearance of “slimmer” P-E loops, both calculated recoverable energy storage density Wrec and storage efficiency η increase to 0.23 J/cm3 and 22.8%, respectively. These results denote La doping conduces to the improvement of non-piezoelectric properties of BNT-based ceramics in a certain range. Therefore, La doping should be an adopted modification strategy for lead-free ceramics used in areas like refrigerator and pulse capacitors.
Conducting Cross-Cultural, Multi-Lingual and Multi-Country Focus Groups: Guidance for Researchers

Conducting cross-cultural, multi-lingual and multi-country focus groups represents unique logistic and analytical challenges. However, there is little guidance for the necessary considerations required for such international focus groups. Based on the author’s experience of conducting such research, this publication documents the different stages of planning, fieldwork, analysis and dissemination, and how to mitigate possible challenges and overcome them. It is essential to set up an adequate research team with the linguist and cultural background required. All researchers should have the necessary training in qualitative methods and follow a standardised approach in the facilitation of focus groups across the different countries and in the analysis of the data, ideally in their original languages.
Insulin Regulation of Escherichia coli Abiotic Biofilm Formation: Effect of Nutrients and Growth Conditions

Escherichia coli plays an important role in biofilm formation across a wide array of disease and ecological settings. Insulin can function as an adjuvant in the regulation of biofilm levels. The modulation of insulin-regulated biofilm formation by environmental conditions has not been previously described. In the present study, the effects that various environmental growth conditions and nutrients have on insulin-modulated levels of biofilm production were measured. Micropipette tips were incubated with E. coli ATCC® 25922™ in a Mueller Hinton broth (MH), or a yeast nitrogen base with 1% peptone (YNBP), which was supplemented with glucose, lactose, galactose and/or insulin (Humulin®-R). The incubation conditions included a shaking or static culture, at 23 °C or 37 °C. After incubation, the biofilm production was calculated per CFU. At 23 °C, the presence of insulin increased biofilm formation. The amount of biofilm formation was highest in glucose > galactose >> lactose, while the biofilm levels decreased in shaking cultures, except for galactose (3-fold increase; 0.1% galactose and 20 μU insulin). At 37 °C, regardless of condition, there was more biofilm formation/CFU under static conditions in YNBP than in MH, except for the MH containing galactose. E. coli biofilm formation is influenced by aeration, temperature, and insulin concentration in combination with the available sugars.