Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Beyond Graphene: Monolayer Transition Metal Dichalcogenides, A New Platform For Science

Following the isolation of graphene in 2004, scientists quickly showed that it possesses remarkable properties. However, as the scientific understanding of graphene matured, it became clear that it also has limitations: for example, graphene does not have a bandgap, making it poorly suited for use in digital logic. This motivated explorations of monolayer materials “beyond graphene”, which could embody functionalities that graphene lacks. Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) are leading candidates in this field. TMDs possess a wide variety of properties accessible through the choice of chalcogen atom, metal atom and atomic configuration (1H, 1T, and 1T’). Similar to graphene, monolayer TMDs may be produced on a small scale through mechanical exfoliation, but useful applications will require development of reliable methods for monolayer growth over large areas. In this thesis, I report our group’s recent progress in the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of high quality, large area, monolayer TMDs under a 1H atomic configuration, which were integrated into high-quality biosensor arrays. These devices were incorporated in a flexible platform and were used for electronic read out of binding events of molecular targets in both vapor and liquid phases. I also report our findings on the CVD growth of monolayer TMDs in the 1T’ atomic configuration and measurements of their physical properties. 1T’ TMDs have been labeled the holy grail of materials due to theoretical predictions that they are 2D topological insulators; however they remain relatively unexplored due to the difficulty of monolayer growth and their lack of stability in air. Through careful passivation techniques, we were able to stabilize the as-grown monolayer 1T’ TMD flakes and perform the first characterizations on the structure. Lastly, in-plane 2D TMD heterostructures are promising material systems that combine the unique properties of each TMD. I discuss our results on the synthesis and study of 1H TMD heterostructures and unique 1H/ 1T’ TMD heterostructures. TMDs, with its many different accessible physical properties, coupled with the large variety of applications, have been classified as the leading nanomaterials in the realm “beyond graphene”. Degree Type Dissertation Degree Name Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Graduate Group Physics & Astronomy First Advisor Alan T. Johnson
Convergence of a generalized Weighted Flow Algorithm for stochastic particle coagulation

We introduce a general family of Weighted Flow Algorithms for simulating particle coagulation, generate a method to optimally tune these methods, and prove their consistency and convergence under general assumptions. These methods are especially effective when the size distribution of the particle population spans many orders of magnitude, or in cases where the concentration of those particles that significantly drive the population evolution is small relative to the background density. We also present a family of simulations demonstrating the efficacy of the method.
Comparison of Simulated Trends of Regional Climate Change in the Carpathian Basin for the 21st Century Using Three Different Emission Scenarios

The present paper discusses the regional climate modeling experiments for the 21st century for the Carpathian Basin using the model PRECIS. The model PRECIS is a hydrostatic regional climate model with 25 km horizontal resolution developed at the UK Met Office, Hadley Centre. Simulated future changes – in mean climatic values, distributions and empirical probabilities – are analyzed for the period 2071–2100 (compared to 1961–1990, as a reference period). Significant warming is projected at 0.05 level for all of the A2, A1B, and B2 scenarios, the largest warming is estimated in summer. Not only the mean value is likely to change, but also the distribution of daily mean temperature. By the end of the century the annual precipitation in the Carpathian Basin is likely to decrease, and the annual distribution of monthly mean precipitation is expected to change. Significant drying is projected in the region in summer, while in winter the precipitation is estimated to increase.
A Between-Storm Indicator of Avalanche Activity

Earlier studies examining relationships between weather factors and avalanche activity showed that the important between-storm factors include an index related to the minimum and maximum daily air temperatures. The index helped explain the differences in avalanche activity with similar storms, but with different circumstances affecting the snow between storms. This study used the results of the previous investigation to guide case studies taking a closer look at the temperature index, which has the name vapor gradient index (VGI). The VGI accumulates each day between storms by adding the current day's value VGI' with the accumulated value from the previous day. During storms the value remains constant, and is reset to zero when the snow stops falling. To calculate the VGI' for the current day, one requires two temperatures, the daily minimum temperature and the value midway between the daily minimum and maximum. For each temperature the one then uses Clausius-Clapeyron equation to calculate the saturation vapor pressure at each temperature. The difference between the two vapor pressures becomes the VGI', the value of the current day. We used the SNTHERM model of snow processes to calculate grain growth during a 17-day period between storms in the early winter,1994, at Mammoth Mountain, California. During this period the VGI showed a high correlation to grain growth.
Efficiency of melon production in Oredo and Egor Local Government Area of Edo State, Nigeria.

Melon production occupies a very important position in vegetable crop production in terms of number of farmers that engaged in its cultivation and its economic value This study examined the efficiency of melon production in Oredo and Egor Local Government Areas of Edo State, Nigeria. It sought to ascertain the socio-economic characteristic of the melon farmers, determined cost and returns and estimation of technical efficiency of melon producers. Data were collected using questionnaire and interview schedule from 120 farmers in the study areas. Data were analyzed using stochastic frontier model of regression, budgetary techniques and descriptive statistics. The results of the study showed the socio economic profile of melon producers in the study area. The cost and return analysis for melon farmers indicated that an average net return of N16, 254.98 was realized per hectare in one planting season. None of the farmers was technically efficient but the most efficient farmer had efficiency estimate of 0.9. Farmers who got efficiency estimates that were below average can increase their output up 40% by adopting the farm practice of the most efficient. Fertilizer, pesticide, labour use, weeding rate and harvesting rate had increasing effect on output while years of experience had a reducing effect on inefficiency.
Biological treatment of perchlorate and nitrate contaminated drinking water: Optimization of system performance using microbial community characterization

The influence of backwashing on biological perchlorate reduction was evaluated in two laboratory scale fixed bed biofilm reactors using 1or 3-mm glass beads as support media. Influent perchlorate concentrations were 50 mg/L and acetate was added as the electron donor at a concentration of 2mg C/L. Perchlorate removal was evaluated at various influent dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations. Complete perchlorate removal was achievedwith an influent DO concentration of 1mg/L resulting in bulk phase DO concentrations below the detection limit of 0.01mg/L. The influence of increasing influent DO concentrations for 12h periods was evaluated before and after individual backwash events. Partial perchlorate removal was achieved with an influent DO concentration of 3.5mg/L before a strong backwash (bulk phase DO concentrations of approximately 0.2mg/L), while no perchlorate removal was observed after the strong backwash at the same influent DO level (bulk phase DO concentrations of approximately 0.8mg/L). The immediate effect of backwashing depended on influent DO concentrations. With influent DO concentrations of 1mg/L, strong backwashing resulted in a brief (o12h) increase of effluent perchlorate concentra- tions up to 20mg/L; more pronounced effects were observed with influent DO concentra- tions of 3mg/L. Daily weak backwashing had a small and, over time, decreasing negative influence on perchlorate reduction, while daily strong backwashing ultimately resulted in the breakdown of perchlorate removal with influent DO concentrations of 3mg/L. & 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
High-Resolution Rotation Curves of Low Surface Brightness Galaxies. I. Data

We present long-slit Hα observations of 50 low surface brightness galaxies. Of these, 36 are of sufficient quality to form rotation curves. These data provide a large increase in the number of low surface brightness galaxies for which accurate rotation curves are available. They also represent an order-of-magnitude improvement in spatial resolution over previous 21 cm studies (1″–2″ instead of 13″–45″). The improved resolution and accuracy of the data extend and strengthen the scientific conclusions previously inferred from 21 cm data.
An Interactive Method for Estimating Hailstone Size and Convectively-Driven Wind Gusts from Forecast Soundings

Abstract : Interactive methods for forecasting potential hailstone size and convectively-driven surface wind gust velocities are applied to forecast soundings which better represent atmospheric conditions prior to the onset of convection. The forecast sounding is based upon the 1200 UTC sounding and is developed interactively by the user considering diurnal changes expected to occur in the lower tropospheric levels over the next 6-12 hours. Changes to the middle and upper levels are estimated by taking a fraction of the mean geostrophic advection of temperature for consecutive layers and adjusting the 1200 UTC sounding accordingly. Interactive capability allows for final adjustment of any or all of the data. Hailstone size and convectively-driven wind gusts are based upon key thermodynamic parameters (e.g., CCL, LFC, CAPE) derived from the forecast sounding. Reprints.
Estimating the Strategic Value of Long-Term Forward Purchase Contracts Using Auction Models

We demonstrate how an auction model can be used in a traditional capital budgeting context to assign a value to the strategic advantage of long-term forward contracts. Research in the field of industrial organization has pointed to the danger of ex post opportunistic bargaining as a motivation for the use of forward contracts in natural resources and manufactured products, but no operational procedure exists for estimating the value secured by these contracts. Arbitrage methods for valuing forward contracts assume a competitive market in which the factors creating the bargaining problem and motivating the use of long-term contracts are not present. Use of the model is illustrated in the case of take-or-pay contracts for natural gas.
Total Mercury, Methylmercury, and Carbon and Nitrogen Stable Isotope Data for Biota from Selected Streams in Oregon, Wisconsin, and Florida, 2002-04

The U.S. Geological Survey National Water-Quality Assessment Program conducted a multidisciplinary study to investigate the bioaccumulation of mercury from 2002 to 2004. Study areas were located in Oregon, Wisconsin, and Florida. Each study area included one urban site, and one or two nonurban sites that had the following attributes: high-percent wetland or low-percent wetland. Periphyton, macroinvertebrates, and forage fish were collected twice per year (during 2003 and 2004) to capture seasonality. Top predators, specifically largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), brown trout (Salmo trutta), and cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii), were collected once per year (Oregon, Wisconsin, and Florida in 2003; Florida only in 2004). All biota were identified to the lowest possible taxonomic category and were analyzed for mercury and stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes. Periphyton and invertebrates were analyzed for total mercury and methylmercury; fish were analyzed for total mercury only. This report presents (1) methodology and data on mercury, methylmercury, stable isotopes, and (2) other ecologically relevant measurements in biological tissues of periphyton, invertebrates, forage fish, and predator fish.
Peligro, vulnerabilidad y riesgo de inundación en ramblas mediterráneas: los llanos de Carraixet y Poyo

This paper proposes a methodology for mapping flood risk in ephemeral streams, based on the estimation of flood hazard and vulnerability, which has been applied to the floodplains of Barranc del Carraixet and Rambla de Poyo catchments. Hazard has been assessed using hydrogeomorphological methods. Vulnerability has been estimated as a combination between the economic value of land use and human exposure, for three models of intensity of use, related to different time periods: working days, nights, and weekends and holidays. The method has proved to be simple, effective and easily comparable. The results show different patterns of risk for each floodplain, even though both of them are part of the metropolitan area of Valencia.
Analytical Framework for Evaluating the Productive Impact of Cash Transfer Programmes on Household Behaviour ? Methodological Guidelines for the From Protection to Production Project

Cash transfer programmes have become an important tool of social protection and poverty reduction strategies in low- and middle-income countries. In the past decade, a growing number of African governments have launched cash transfer programmes as part of their strategies of social protection. Most of these programmes have been accompanied by rigorous impact evaluations. Concern about vulnerable populations in the context of HIV/AIDS has driven the objectives and targeting of many of these programmes, leading to an emphasis on those people who are ultra-poor, labour-constrained, with prevalence of adverse health conditions, elderly and/or caring for orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) (Davis et al., 2012). As a result, the objectives of most of these programmes focus on food security, health, nutritional and educational status, particularly of children, and so, as would be expected, the accompanying impact evaluations concentrate on measuring these dimensions of programme impact. (? )
Readability Assessment of Textbooks in Low Resource Languages

Readability is a fundamental problem in textbooks assessment. For low resources languages (LRL), however, little investigation has been done on the readability of textbook. In this paper, we proposed a readability assessment method for Tibetan textbook (a low resource language). We extract features based on the information that are gotten by Tibetan segmentation and named entity recognition. Then, we calculate the correlation of different features using Pearson Correlation Coefficient and select some feature sets to design the readability formula. Fit detection, F test and T test are applied on these selected features to generate a new readability assessment formula. Experiment shows that this new formula is capable of assessing the readability of Tibetan textbooks.
Deliverable 6.2: Detailed Policy Impact Model

The SEARCH project targets the analysis of the impact of the European Neighborhood Policy (ENP) on the integration of EU neighboring countries with the EU. The research has focused on four areas, such as trade flows, people mobility, human capital, technological activities, innovation diffusion and institutional environment. Work Package 6 is the policy analysis package of SEARCH. This WP synthesizes research results of earlier work packages in order to present an overview of potential EU policy options for strengthening cohesion across the EU-27 and NC16 in the mid to long term. WP 6 employs different research methods ranging from systematic literature analysis via text mining techniques to Delphi methodology and economic modeling. Economic modeling has the advantage that it opens the possibility of ex ante simulating the likely impacts of different kinds of policies. Thus it provides a platform for the comparison of several policy options. This report provides a detailed description of the economic model that has been developed for estimating the likely impacts of certain policy prescriptions arising from research results of earlier work packages. The specific model construct chosen is the GMR (Geographic Macro and Regional) modeling approach that has been applied earlier for Cohesion policy and EU Framework Program impact analyses at the levels of European regions, the European Union and Hungary. The particular country chosen for impact analysis is Turkey. This choice is motivated by practical reasons: availability and reliability of data for modeling. Though data collection for Turkey is not a process without difficulties the situation in this respect is relatively more advantageous there as compared to other ENP countries (with the exception of Israel which cannot be considered as a typical ENP country for other reasons). Turkey is an accession country but in several respects its economic, social and cultural features make this country reasonably comparable to many of the ENP countries. In this report we introduce GMR-Turkey. Its applications in actual policy analyses will be reported in working papers and in another deliveries. This report has the following structure. The second section provides a general overview of GMR-Turkey. Detailed information about modeling structure is given in Section 3. Sensitivity results are reported in Section 4.
Invasion of Eurasian Watermilfoil in Lakes of the Western Upper Peninsula, Michigan

Abstract : Eurasian watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum L.) has the potential to cause major long- term adverse environmental, recreational, and aesthetic impacts to the pristine lakes in the western Upper Peninsula of Michigan. At the request of the U.S. Army Engineer District, Detroit, the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center evaluated 16 lakes in Gogebic County, first to verify if Eurasian watermilfoil was present in the lakes, and then to recommend spot-treatment control options for pioneer infestation of the exotic species. Surveys were conducted using a sampling grid and global positioning system method. Of the lakes surveyed, only two contained small infestations of Eurasian watermilfoil. Occurrences of rare, threatened, or endangered aquatic plants were documented during the lake evaluations.
Causes of recurring drought patterns in Xinjiang, China

2 Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, CAS, Urumqi 830011, China Abstract: Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China, with its unique topography and geographical location receives very less precipitation in summer as compared with other parts of China. The region is a land locked where moisture is supplied only by westerly winds from Atlantic Ocean as the moisture coming from Indian Ocean is mostly blocked by the Himalayas Range and the Tibetan plateau. In such a scenario, Xinjiang faces severe drought conditions offering significant challenges to water management. In this paper, we analyzed the drought periods in Xinjiang and discussed the various factors that might have influenced precipitation over the past forty-four years. For this purpose, we defined three periods of consecutive four years for high and low precipitation intensities. The average observed precipitation was 1.05 mm/day and 0.7 mm/day in summer (June-July-August) for the Tianshan Mountain region and Junggar Basin of Xinjiang, respectively. The drought conditions indicated that high sea level pressure, wind divergence and low con- vection were the prominent features that caused the droughts, which often do not allow the condensation process to coagulate the tiny water droplets into relatively large raindrops reducing the amount of precipi- tation in the region. The period of 1983−1986 is the lowest precipitation interval indicating the severe drought in the western Xinjiang (i.e western Tianshan Mountain region), for which, less moisture availability, strong divergence and less convection could be the most influencing factors.
The earthquake of 1 January 1837 in Southern Lebanon and N orthern Israel

All of our 20th-century information for the Levant Fracture and Dead Sea transform fault systems is for a qui- escent period in the seismicity. This is apparent when we consider earlier events which show that infi.equent earthquakes have occurred in the past along this system, an important consideration for the assessment of haz- ard and tectonics of the Middle East. One of these events was the earthquake of 1837 which caused heavy damage in Northem Israel and Southem Lebanon. This earthquake was a much larger event than earthquake catalogues indicate. We reckon it was a shallow, probably multiple event of magnitude greater than 7.0.
The health sector human resource crisis in Africa: an issues paper.

The human resource (HR) problem in the health sector in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has reached crisis proportions in many countries. Although the gravity of the problem varies across the region the situation in some countries is so grave that urgent action is needed. A complex set of factors has contributed to this problem some exogenous such as the austere fiscal measures introduced by structural adjustment which often result in cutbacks in the number of health workers. But endogenous factors are also to blame including misdirected human resource and training policies weak institutions and inappropriate structures. (excerpt)
IMPACT OF TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS ON MOBILITY OF ELDERLY PERSONS IN GERMANY. IN: AGING INDEPENDENTLY. LIVING ARRANGEMENTS AND MOBILITY

This chapter aims to identify some basic factors that shape mobility in Germany in general, and among elderly people in particular. Findings are presented from 2 studies conducted in urban and rural areas of East and West Germany on the travel behavior of various groups of older people. Lastly, analysis is provided of the most salient problems facing the elderly, and of implications for problem-solving strategies aimed at meeting their mobility needs.
Gender and national identity in twentieth-century Russian culture

Combining concepts and methodologies from anthropology, history, linguistics, literature, music, cultural studies, and film studies, this collection of ten original essays addresses issues crucial to gender and national identity in Russia from the October Revolution of 1917 to the present. Collectively, these interdisciplinary essays explore how traditional gender inequities influenced the social processes of nation building in Russia and how men and women responded to those developments. Available in both clothbound and paperback editions, "Gender and National Identity in Twentieth-Century Russian Culture" offers fresh insights to students and scholars in the fields of gender studies, nationhood studies, and Russian history, literature, and culture.