Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A hybrid N-body code incorporating algorithmic regularization and post-Newtonian forces

We describe a novel N-body code designed for simulations of the central regions of galaxies containing massive black holes. The code incorporates Mikkola's 'algorithmic' chain regularization scheme including post-Newtonian terms up to PN2.5 order. Stars moving beyond the chain are advanced using a fourth-order integrator with forces computed on a GRAPE board. Performance tests confirm that the hybrid code achieves better energy conservation, in less elapsed time, than the standard scheme and that it reproduces the orbits of stars tightly bound to the black hole with high precision. The hybrid code is applied to two sample problems: the effect of finite-N gravitational fluctuations on the orbits of the S-stars, and inspiral of an intermediate-mass black hole into the Galactic Centre.
EyeQ: Practical Network Performance Isolation for the Multi-tenant Cloud

The shared multi-tenant nature of the cloud has raised serious concerns about its security and performance for high valued services. Of many shared resources like CPU, memory, etc., the network is pivotal for distributed applications. Benign, or perhaps malicious traffic interference between tenants can cause significant performance degradation that hurts performance of applications, and hence, impacts their revenue. Network performance isolation is particularly hard because of the distributed nature of the problem, and the short (few RTT) timescales at which they manifest themselves. This problem is further exacerbated by the large number of competing entities in the cloud, and their volatile traffic patterns. In this paper, we motivate the design of our system called EyeQ, with the goal of providing predictable network performance to tenants. The enabler for EyeQ is the availability of high bisection bandwidth in data centers. The key insight is that by leaving a headroom of (say) 10% of access link bandwidth, EyeQ simplifies dealing with potentially a global contention problem into one that is mostly local, at the sender and receiver. This allows EyeQ to enforce predictable network sharing completely at the end hosts, with minimum support from the physical network.
Temperature profile of packed-bed non-thermal plasma reactor and its effect on toluene decomposition

This study aims to profile real plasma temperature inside the packed-bed (PB) non-thermal plasma (NTP) reactor using a fiber Bragg gratings (FBG) and its effect on toluene decomposition efficiency. PB reactor was designed and fabricated by packing some dielectric material of barium titanate (BaTiO3) pellets between two stainless steel electrodes. The FBG was embedded inside the reactor to measure the plasma temperature within the plasma stream. Plasma temperatures for four carrier gases, helium (He), argon (Ar), nitrogen (N2), and air were profiled at different applied voltages ranging between 4 and 16 kV based on their breakdown voltage to determine suitable gases for toluene decomposition process that has good temperature stability and no arc formation. For noble gases He and Ar, the plasma temperatures are in the range of 25-80°C and 60-170°C, respectively, while those of N2 and air are in the range of 28-200°C. Air was selected as carrier gas for toluene decomposition process due to higher plasma temperature, no arc formation and higher free oxygen radicals in the plasma stream. The results show that the plasma temperature increases with the increase in applied voltage, and with the decrease in flow rate and toluene input concentration. The average plasma temperature for toluene decomposition in air is in the range of 100-260°C when measured under applied voltage of 14-19 kV, carrier gas flow rate of 1.0-2.0 L/min and toluene input concentration of 500-8400 ppm. Complete toluene decomposition efficiency has been achieved under plasma parameters of 18 kV, 2.0 L/min and 500 ppm. From this finding, plasma temperature profiling using FBG sensor can be used as plasma diagnostic tool to replace Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) instrument and as indicator when toluene decomposition process is complete.
Take a breath and take the turn: how breathing meets turns in spontaneous dialogue

Physiological rhythms are sensitive to social interactions and could contribute to defining social rhythms. Nevertheless, our knowledge of the implications of breathing in conversational turn exchanges remains limited. In this paper, we addressed the idea that breathing may contribute to timing and coordination between dialogue partners. The relationships between turns and breathing were analysed in unconstrained face-to-face conversations involving female speakers. No overall relationship between breathing and turn-taking rates was observed, as breathing rate was specific to the subjects' activity in dialogue (listening versus taking the turn versus holding the turn). A general inter-personal coordination of breathing over the whole conversation was not evident. However, specific coordinative patterns were observed in shorter time-windows when participants engaged in taking turns. The type of turn-taking had an effect on the respective coordination in breathing. Most of the smooth and interrupted turns were taken just after an inhalation, with specific profiles of alignment to partner breathing. Unsuccessful attempts to take the turn were initiated late in the exhalation phase and with no clear inter-personal coordination. Finally, breathing profiles at turn-taking were different than those at turn-holding. The results support the idea that breathing is actively involved in turn-taking and turn-holding.
Strains in Thermally Growing Alumina Films Measured In-Situ Using Synchrotron X-Rays

Strains in thermally grown oxides have been measured in-situ, as the oxides develop and evolve. Extensive data have been acquired from oxides grown in air at elevated temperatures on different model alloys that form Al2O3. Using synchrotron x-rays at the Advanced Photon Source (Beamline 12BM, Argonne National Laboratory), Debye-Scherrer diffraction patterns from the oxidizing specimen were recorded every 5 minutes during oxidation and subsequent cooling. The diffraction patterns were analyzed to determine strains in the oxides, as well as phase changes and the degree of texture. To study a specimen's response to stress perturbation, the oxidizing temperature was quickly cooled from 1100 to 950oC to impose a compressive thermal stress in the scale. This paper describes this new experimental approach and gives examples from oxidized β-NiAl, Fe-20Cr-10Al, Fe-28Al-5Cr and H2- annealed Fe-28Al-5Cr (all at. %) alloys to illustrate some current understanding of the development and relaxation of growth stresses in Al2O3.
Prevalence and factors associated with failure of liver stiffness measurement using FibroScan in a prospective study of 2114 examinations

Liver stiffness measurement using FibroScan is a novel rapid and non-invasive technique that evaluates liver fibrosis. In some cases, however, no elasticity measurement is obtained. The aim of this prospective study was to assess the prevalence and factors associated with failure (no value obtained after 10 measurements) of liver stiffness measurement in patients with chronic liver disease. Two thousand one hundred and fourteen liver stiffness measurements were analyzed. Failure was observed in 96 cases (4.5%). Failure was not associated with operator, gender, or transaminase level. By multivariate analysis, the only factor associated with failure was body mass index greater than 28 (odds ratio, 10.0°; 95% confidence interval, 5.7–17.9, P=0.001). In conclusion, liver stiffness is a good method for the evaluation of liver fibrosis that is feasible in more than 95% of patients. Other non-invasive methods such as biochemical methods or liver biopsy could therefore be used only in patients with failure of FibroScan examination.
A Study of the Surface Structure of Polymorphic Graphene and Other Two-Dimensional Materials for use in Novel Electronics and Organic Photovoltaics

For some time there has been interest in the fundamental physical properties of lowdimensional material systems. The discovery of graphene as a stable two-dimensional form of solid carbon lead to an exponential increase in research in two-dimensional and other reduced dimensional systems. It is now known that there is a wide range of materials which are stable in two-dimensional form. These materials span a large configuration space of structural, mechanical, and electronic properties, which results in the potential to create novel electronic devices from nano-scale heterostructures with exactly tailored device properties. Understanding the material properties at the nanoscale level requires specialized tools to probe materials with atomic precision. Here I present the growth and analysis of a novel graphene-ruthenium system which exhibits unique polymorphism in its surface structure, hereby referred to as polymorphic graphene. Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM) investigations of the polymorphic graphene surface reveal a periodically rippled structure with a vast array of domains, each exhibiting xvia unique moire period. The majority of moire domains found in this polymorphic graphene system are previously unreported in past studies of the structure of graphene on ruthenium. To better understand many of the structural properties of this system, characterization methods beyond those available at the UNH surface science lab are employed. Further investigation using Low Energy Electron Microscopy (LEEM) has been carried out at Sandia National Laboratory’s Center for Integrated Nanotechnology and the Brookhaven National Laboratory Center for Functional Nanomaterials. To aid in analysis of the LEEM data, I have developed an open source software package to automate extraction of electron reflectivity curves from real space and reciprocal space data sets. This software has been used in the study of numerous other two-dimensional materials beyond graphene. When combined with computational modeling, the analysis of electron I(V) curves presents a method to quantify structural parameters in a material with angstrom level precision. While many materials studied in this thesis offer unique electronic properties, my work focuses primarily on their structural aspects, as well as the instrumentation required to characterize the structure with ultra high resolution.
Decoupling Capacitor Selection in DCM Flyback PV Microinverters Considering Harmonic Distortion

Electrolytic capacitors as a decoupling reservoir restrict the lifetime of photovoltaic (PV) microinverters. This has led to the development of several improved decoupling circuits that can reduce the capacitor value to allow the use of nonelectrolytic types. In this paper, the minimum decoupling capacitor value for the proper operation of discontinuous conduction mode flyback PV microinverters is analyzed by taking into account the total harmonic distortion (THD) and PV power utilization ratio. The results presented show that the decoupling capacitor value influences the THD more than PV power utilization. A decoupling capacitor selection method for single-stage and two-stage flyback inverters is proposed. Experimental results obtained on an 80-W test bench are presented.
Virtual Reality Based Rehabilitation and Game Technology

Virtual Reality technology is currently part of advanced physical rehabilitation therapy. However, several questions remain unanswered: Can this technology improve or even substitute the traditional methodologies? Can it really influence the nervous system or does moving within a virtual environment just motivate the individual to perform? In this paper we present the state of the art, the new advanced technology available and the most promising applications in this field. Finally we will introduce our research as a case study in the area.
The Genealogic Tree of Mycobacteria Reveals a Long-Standing Sympatric Life into Free-Living Protozoa

Free-living protozoa allow horizontal gene transfer with and between the microorganisms that they host. They host mycobacteria for which the sources of transferred genes remain unknown. Using BLASTp, we searched within the genomes of 15 mycobacteria for homologous genes with 34 amoeba-resistant bacteria and the free-living protozoa Dictyostelium discoideum. Subsequent phylogenetic analysis of these sequences revealed that eight mycobacterial open-reading frames (ORFs) were probably acquired via horizontal transfer from beta- and gamma-Proteobacteria and from Firmicutes, but the transfer histories could not be reliably established in details. One further ORF encoding a pyridine nucleotide disulfide oxidoreductase (pyr-redox) placed non-tuberculous mycobacteria in a clade with Legionella spp. , Francisella spp. , Coxiella burnetii, the ciliate Tetrahymena thermophila and D. discoideum with a high reliability. Co-culturing Mycobacterium avium and Legionella pneumophila with the amoeba Acanthamoeba polyphaga demonstrated that these two bacteria could live together in amoebae for five days, indicating the biological relevance of intra-amoebal transfer of the pyr-redox gene. In conclusion, the results of this study support the hypothesis that protists can serve as a source and a place for gene transfer in mycobacteria.
Build Your Own Microscope: Step-By-Step Guide for Building a Prism-Based TIRF Microscope

Prism-based total internal reflection fluorescence (pTIRF) microscopy is one of the most widely used techniques for the single molecule analysis of a vast range of samples including biomolecules, nanostructures, and cells, to name a few. It allows for excitation of surface bound molecules/particles/quantum dots via evanescent field of a confined region of space, which is beneficial not only for single molecule detection but also for analysis of single molecule dynamics and for acquiring kinetics data. However, there is neither a commercial microscope available for purchase nor a detailed guide dedicated for building this microscope. Thus far, pTIRF microscopes are custom-built with the use of a commercially available inverted microscope, which requires high level of expertise in selecting and handling sophisticated instrument-parts. To directly address this technology gap, here we describe a step-by-step guide on how to build and characterize a pTIRF microscope for in vitro single-molecule imaging, nanostructure analysis and other life sciences research.
On the implementation of QIM FPGA hardware

In this paper, we propose the FPGA implementation of a watermarking algorithm in the spatial domain. The paper put emphasis on Quantization Index Modulation based watermarking approach using dither sequences. The cost-effective data embedding algorithm can conceal watermark into original cover image coming from a sensor more rapidly than software implementation and the embedded image is effortlessly transmitted to PC by using proper interface. The obtained results for the algorithm and FPGA implementation are presented and discussed.
Climate (change) and conflict: resolving a puzzle of association and causation

There is an ongoing discussion especially among political scientists and economists whether and how climate variability affects civil conflicts and wars in developing countries. Given the predicted climatic changes, several studies argue that increasing temperatures or decreasing precipitation will lead to more conflicts in the future. This paper aims at linking the different strands of the literature by analyzing the causal mechanisms at work. We use short-term weather variability as well as long-term changes in Sub-Saharan Africa and find that climate (change) significantly affects agricultural output, to some extent also GDP, and has no robust direct effects on civil wars. Negative shocks in GDP, however, have the expected fostering effects on civil conflicts.
Levels of Benzoic Acid in Soft Drinks and Fruit Juices in Ghana

Benzoic acid is one of the most commonly used food preservatives in the food and beverage industry in Ghana. The maximum accepted level of benzoic acid in beverages stipulated by national and European legislation is 150 ppm. Thirty four (34) different brands of soft drinks and 16 brands of fruit juices available on the markets and shops in Ghana were analysed for benzoic acid by high performance liquid chromatography with a UV detector. Chromatographic separation was achieved with phenomenex synergi 4μ polar – RP 80A 150×2mm 4 micron column with ammonium acetate buffer (pH = 4.4) and acetonitrile (90:10) as the mobile phase with a flow rate of 0.4 mL/min. The objective of this work was to determine the levels of benzoic acid in soft drinks and fruit juices on the markets of Ghana. The concentration of benzoic acid in the samples was calculated by external standard method and the level of benzoic acid ranged from not detected to 564.00 mg/L for the soft drinks and from not detected to 148 mg/L for the fruit juice respectively. The mean recoveries for both soft and fruit drinks ranged from 107 to 110%. Six (17.60%) of the soft drink samples contained levels of benzoic acid above the 150 mg/L which is the limit set by World Health Organization (WHO). The levels of benzoic acid in the fruit juice samples were within stipulated limit. From the results, the Ghana Food and Drugs Authority needs to monitor and regulate levels of preservatives used by some of the soft drinks manufacturers in Ghana especially those whose products exceeded the set limit.
The importance of psychological factors in the maintenance of oral health: a study of Swedish university students.

PURPOSE The aim of this study was to investigate the predictive value of the traditional multidimensional health locus of control (MHLC) scale, a corresponding dental health locus of control (DHLC) scale and dental health values (DHVs) regarding students' dental health before and after a video programme that presented information about dental diseases and instructions on oral hygiene. MATERIALS AND METHODS A group of 217 university students participated in this study. Before the video programme was presented, assessments were made of MHLC, DHLC and DHVs. Plaque and gingival indices were obtained in a clinical examination conducted before (plaque index [PLI] 1 and gingival index [GI] 1) and 10 weeks after (PLI 2 and GI 2) the presentation of the programme. RESULTS The percentage of tooth surfaces exhibiting plaque and of sites involving gingivitis decreased and was statistically significant between baseline and re-examination for both males and females. The females exhibited statistically significant better PLI 1 and GI 1 values and stronger DHVs than males. Also, better GI 1 values were found to be statistically significant and related to stronger DHVs for females. A stronger trust in the dental health personnel regarding the dental health was related to more gingivitis at the initial examination (GI 1). For males, stronger internal DHLC was related to more plaque at the final examination (PLI 2). CONCLUSION The only psychological scales that showed some relationship to the measures of dental health were DHLC and DHVs. Gender was the strongest related variable to dental health.
Towards Accurate Word Segmentation for Chinese Patents

A patent is a property right for an invention granted by the government to the inventor. An invention is a solution to a specific technological problem. So patents often have a high concentration of scientific and technical terms that are rare in everyday language. The Chinese word segmentation model trained on currently available everyday language data sets performs poorly because it cannot effectively recognize these scientific and technical terms. In this paper we describe a pragmatic approach to Chinese word segmentation on patents where we train a character-based semi-supervised sequence labeling model by extracting features from a manually segmented corpus of 142 patents, enhanced with information extracted from the Chinese TreeBank. Experiments show that the accuracy of our model reached 95.08% (F1 score) on a held-out test set and 96.59% on development set, compared with an F1 score of 91.48% on development set if the model is trained on the Chinese TreeBank. We also experimented with some existing domain adaptation techniques, the results show that the amount of target domain data and the selected features impact the performance of the domain adaptation techniques.
Study of the Influence of the Diode Ideality Factor on the Si Solar Cell

Abstract: This paper studies the influence of the Diode Ideality Factor n values on the characteristics of a Si solar cell. It focuses on the influence of different n values on the output result respectively in a standard and different environments. Based on the I-V and P-V curves obtained from the simulation using MATLAB software, a mathematical model of solar cells is obtained. It is found that n value is linearly related to the maximum output power and the influence of difference n value on maximum output power is significant under the different illumination and temperature.
Reexamination of the Galaxy Formation-regulated Gas Evolution Model in Groups and Clusters

As an alternative explanation of the entropy excess and the steepening of the X-ray luminosity-temperature relation in groups and clusters, the galaxy formation-regulated gas evolution (GG) model proposed recently by Bryan makes an attempt to incorporate the formation of galaxies into the evolution of gas without additional heating by nongravitational processes. This seems to provide a unified scheme for our understanding of the structures and evolution of both galaxies and gas in groups and clusters. In this paper, we present an extensive comparison of the X-ray properties of groups and clusters predicted by the GG model and those revealed by current X-ray observations, using various large data sources in the literature and also taking the observational selection effects into account. These include an independent check of the fundamental working hypothesis of the GG model (i.e., galaxy formation was less efficient in rich clusters than in groups), a new test of the radial gas distributions revealed by both the gas mass fraction and the X-ray surface brightness profiles, and a reexamination of the X-ray luminosity-temperature and entropy-temperature relations. In particular, it shows that the overall X-ray surface brightness profiles predicted by the GG model are very similar in shape and insensitive to the X-ray temperature and that the shallower X-ray surface brightness profiles seen at low-temperature systems may arise from the current observational selection effect. This can be used as the simplest approach to distinguishing between the GG model and the preheating scenario. The latter yields an intrinsically shallower gas distribution in groups than in rich clusters.
Synthesis and Characterization of Fe, Ru and Os Metal Borides

Direct reaction of Fe2O3 at 500, 700 and 1000°C for two, two and 15 h, respectively, with elemental boron in a muffle furnace yielding black beautiful nanorods of FeB crystals with high yield of 72% (as proved by xrd, tem and Magnetic hysteresis). Going down the group of the transition metals RuCl3 and OsCl3 reacted directly with elemental boron in a muffle furnace at 500, 700 and 1000°C for two, two and 15 h, respectively yielding nanorods crystals (as proved by xrd, tem and Magnetic hysteresis) of RuB2, Ru2B3 (yield was 68%) and OsB2 (yield was 56%).