Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Chain Dynamics of Partially Disentangled UHMWPE around Melting Point Characterized by 1H Low-Field Solid-State NMR

Melts of ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) entangled significantly, suffering processing difficulty. In this work, we prepared partially disentangled UHMWPE by freeze-extracting, exploring the corresponding enchantment of chain mobility. Fully refocused 1H free induction decay (FID) was used to capture the difference in chain segmental mobility during the melting of UHMWPE with different degrees of entanglement by low-field solid-state NMR. The longer the polyethylene (PE) chain is in a less-entangled state, the harder the process of merging into mobile parts after detaching from crystalline lamella during melting. 1H double quantum (DQ) NMR was further used to obtain information caused by residual dipolar interaction. Before melting, the DQ peak appeared earlier in intramolecular-nucleated PE than in intermolecular-nucleated PE because of the strong constraints of crystals in the former one. During melting, less-entangled UHMWPE could keep disentangled while less-entangled high density polyethylene (HDPE) could not. Unfortunately, no noticeable difference was found in DQ experiments between PE melts with different degrees of entanglement after melting. It was ascribed to the small contribution of entanglements compared with total residual dipolar interaction in melts. Overall, less-entangled UHMWPE could reserve its disentangled state around the melting point long enough to achieve a better way of processing.
Fabrication and heat treatment of high strength Al-Cu-Mg alloy processed using selective laser melting

The proposed paper illustrates the fabrication and heat treatment of high strength Al-Cu-Mg alloy produced by selective laser melting (SLM) process. Al-Cu-Mg alloy is one of the heat treatable aluminum alloys regarded as difficult to fusion weld. SLM is an additive manufacturing technique through which components are built by selectively melting powder layers with a focused laser beam. The process is characterized by short laser-powder interaction times and localized high heat input, which leads to steep thermal gradients, rapid solidification and fast cooling. In this research, 3D Al-Cu-Mg parts with relative high density of 99.8% are produced by SLM from gas atomized powders. Room temperature tensile tests reveal a remarkable mechanical behavior: the samples show yield and tensile strengths of about 276 MPa and 402 MPa, respectively, along with fracture strain of 6%. The effect of solution treatment on microstructure and related tensile properties is examined and the results demonstrate that the mechanical behavior of the SLMed Al-Cu-Mg samples can be greatly enhanced through proper heat treatment. After T4 solution treatment at 540°C, under the effect of precipitation strengthening, the tensile strength and the yield strength increase to 532 MPa and 338 MPa, respectively, and the elongation increases to 13%.
Growth and growth curve analysis in Dorper × Tumele crossbred sheep under a smallholder management system

Abstract This study aimed to evaluate the growth performance and Kleiber ratio (KR) and to determine the growth curve of Dorper × Tumele sheep under a smallholder management system. Growth and efficiency-related traits were analyzed by using the general linear model (GLM) procedure of SAS. Gompertz, Logistics, Brody, Monomolecular, and Negative exponential models were used to determine the growth curve, and growth curve parameters were estimated via the nonlinear regression model (NLIN) procedure of SAS. The overall least-squares means of the birth weight, weaning weight, 6-month weight, and yearling weight were 3.29, 13.7, 17.3, and 23.4 kg, respectively. Dorper × Tumele lambs grew faster during the preweaning period (115.3 ± 1.19 g day−1) than during the postweaning periods (44.1 ± 1.26 g day−1 to 33.5 ± 1.13 g day−1). Likewise, a higher KR was observed during the pre-weaning age (16.1 ± 0.08 g/day/kg0.75) than during postweaning periods (5.08 ± 0.13 g/day/kg0.75 to 3.10 ± 0.09 g/day/kg0.75). Brody, a model without an inflection point was the best-fitted growth function for Dorper × Tumele sheep under a smallholder management system. The highest and lowest asymptotic weight was observed for Brody (23.8 ± 0.22 kg) and Logistics (20.7 ± 0.11 kg) models, respectively. The maturation rate ranged between 0.21 (Brody) and 0.66 (Logistics). Based on the Brody model, the correlation between asymptotic weight and maturity rate was −0.92. The growth parameter estimate in this study indicates that Dorper × indigenous sheep had a better speed to achieve mature weight and the early mature crossbred sheep are less likely to exhibit high adult weight. The rapid growth of crossbred sheep during the early period can provide more profit to the farmer by reducing the cost of sheep production inputs. Therefore, crossing Tumele with Dorper sheep and integrating with improved management would be suggested to improve productivity and profit from sheep production.
Multimodel Superensemble Forecasting of Tropical Cyclones in the Pacific

Using currently available operational forecast datasets on the tracks and intensities of tropical cyclones over the Pacific Ocean for the years 1998, 1999, and 2000 a multimodel superensemble has been constructed following the earlier work of the authors on the Atlantic hurricanes. The models included here include forecasts from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), the National Centers for Environmental Prediction/Environmental Modeling Center [NCEP/EMC, the Aviation (AVN) and Medium-Range Forecast (MRF) Models], the U.S. Navy [Naval Operational Global Atmospheric Prediction System, (NOGAPS)], the U.K. Met Office (UKMO), and the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA). The superensemble methodology includes a collective bias estimation from a training phase in which a multiple-regression-based least squares minimization principle for the model forecasts with respect to the observed measures is employed. This is quite different from a simple bias correction, whereby a mean value is simply shifted. These bias estimates are described by separate weights at every 12 h during the forecasts for each of the member models. Superensemble forecasts for track and intensity are then constructed up to 144 h into the future using these weights. Some 100 past forecasts of tropical cyclone days are used to define the training phase for each basin. The findings presented herein show a marked improvement for the tracks and intensities of forecasts from the proposed multimodel superensemble as compared to the forecasts from member models and the ensemble mean. This note includes detailed statistics on the Pacific Ocean tropical cyclone forecasts for the years 1998, 1999, and 2000.
Engagement, Advance Care Planning, and Hospice Use in a Telephonic Nurse-Led Palliative Care Program for Persons Living with Advanced Cancer

Simple Summary Persons living with advanced cancer have significant symptoms and psychosocial needs that often result in visits to the Emergency Department. We enrolled persons living with advanced cancer in a 6-month program to receive telephone calls from nurses to help manage their symptoms, coordinate care, and explore their values and goals for future care (advance care planning). About half of the subjects completed the 6-month program, a quarter died or enrolled in hospice, 19% were lost to follow-up, and 9% withdrew from the program. White patients and those with fewer symptoms were more likely to withdraw. Eighty-three percent of all patients completed some advance care planning, and 80% of patients received hospice care prior to death. Abstract Persons living with advanced cancer have intensive symptoms and psychosocial needs that often result in visits to the Emergency Department (ED). We report on program engagement, advance care planning (ACP), and hospice use for a 6-month longitudinal nurse-led, telephonic palliative care intervention for patients with advanced cancer as part of a larger randomized trial. Patients 50 years and older with metastatic solid tumors were recruited from 18 EDs and randomized to receive nursing calls focused on ACP, symptom management, and care coordination or specialty outpatient palliative care (ClinicialTrials.gov: NCT03325985). One hundred and five (50%) graduated from the 6-month program, 54 (26%) died or enrolled in hospice, 40 (19%) were lost to follow-up, and 19 (9%) withdrew prior to program completion. In a Cox proportional hazard regression, withdrawn subjects were more likely to be white and have a low symptom burden compared to those who did not withdraw. Two hundred eighteen persons living with advanced cancer were enrolled in the nursing arm, and 182 of those (83%) completed some ACP. Of the subjects who died, 43/54 (80%) enrolled in hospice. Our program demonstrated high rates of engagement, ACP, and hospice enrollment. Enrolling subjects with a high symptom burden may result in even greater program engagement.
A broadband x-ray imaging spectroscopy with high-angular resolution: the FORCE mission

We are proposing FORCE (Focusing On Relativistic universe and Cosmic Evolution) as a future Japan-lead Xray observatory to be launched in the mid 2020s. Hitomi (ASTRO-H) possesses a suite of sensitive instruments enabling the highest energy-resolution spectroscopy in soft X-ray band, a broadband X-ray imaging spectroscopy in soft and hard X-ray bands, and further high energy coverage up to soft gamma-ray band. FORCE is the direct successor to the broadband X-ray imaging spectroscopy aspect of Hitomi (ASTRO-H) with significantly higher angular resolution. The current design of FORCE defines energy band pass of 1-80 keV with angular resolution of < 15 in half-power diameter, achieving a 10 times higher sensitivity above 10 keV compared to any previous missions with simultaneous soft X-ray coverage. Our primary scientific objective is to trace the cosmic formation history by searching for "missing black holes" in various mass-scales: "buried supermassive black holes (SMBHs)" (> 104 M☉) residing in the center of galaxies in a cosmological distance, "intermediate-mass black holes" (102–104 M☉) acting as the possible seeds from which SMBHs grow, and "orphan stellar-mass black holes" (< 102 M☉) without companion in our Galaxy. In addition to these missing BHs, hunting for the nature of relativistic particles at various astrophysical shocks is also in our scope, utilizing the broadband X-ray coverage with high angular-resolution. FORCE are going to open a new era in these fields. The satellite is proposed to be launched with the Epsilon vehicle that is a Japanese current solid-fuel rocket. FORCE carries three identical pairs of Super-mirror and wide-band X-ray detector. The focal length is currently planned to be 10 m. The silicon mirror with multi-layer coating is our primary choice to achieve lightweight, good angular optics. The detector is a descendant of hard X-ray imager onboard Hitomi (ASTRO-H) replacing its silicon strip detector with SOI-CMOS silicon pixel detector, allowing an extension of the low energy threshold down to 1 keV or even less.
Sensor Anomaly Detection using Self Features Organizing Maps and Hierarchical-Clustring for Water Quality Assessment

Sensor fault, outlier, and anomaly detection are essential in many fields and applications to identify anomalies, abnormal data, or outliers that are different from the usual sensor data streams, effectively guaranteeing the validity of the measurements obtained by multiple sensors. Water quality assessment applications often frequently depend on multiple sensors that are situated in remote areas. It is necessary to account for apparent sensor failures and insufficient input data to obtain useful and powerful information from evaluating the corresponding measurements. In this paper, self-organizing features maps (SFOM)-based methods and hierarchical clustering (HC) are applied to several physicochemical parameters data anomaly detection in water quality assessment. In this study, the surface water quality from Mostaganem's Cheliff Dam was advanced assessed (Algeria). The performances and the efficacy of the proposed approaches in feature selection using SFOM and sensor anomaly detection process by SFOM and HC techniques were demonstrated successfully involved in water quality assessment. This result has a major impact on our monitoring system's performance both technically (lower learning times and anomaly detection) and economically (some less sensors required).
Digital Community Currency Usability From the User’s Eyes: Cases of Sarafu and Maendeleo Trading Credit (MTCR.)

Day by day, users demand systems that fulfill their expectations. Often, users of a system are dissatisfied because systems do not meet their expectations. Indeed, user expectations vary, including unrealistic expectations –those that are without regard for constraints such as budget, time, manpower and so on. Even so, place of users’ involvement in system development and implementation need to be recognized. Usability is an important aspect in system development and implementation. It is necessary to have an elaborate understanding of usability from the ‘eyes’ of a user. This study adopted the qualitative research design that employed triangulation. Two contemporary DCC cases of interest in this research study are: MTCr. in Kisumu; and the Sarafu in Nairobi. This paper espouses usability definitions and associated attributes. Specifically, this study established the meaning of digital community currency from the lens of the users.
Hypothalamic Reactivity and Connectivity following Intravenous Glucose Administration

Dysfunctional glucose sensing in homeostatic brain regions such as the hypothalamus is interlinked with the pathogenesis of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus. However, the physiology and pathophysiology of glucose sensing and neuronal homeostatic regulation remain insufficiently understood. To provide a better understanding of glucose signaling to the brain, we assessed the responsivity of the hypothalamus (i.e., the core region of homeostatic control) and its interaction with mesocorticolimbic brain regions in 31 normal-weight, healthy participants. We employed a single-blind, randomized, crossover design of the intravenous infusion of glucose and saline during fMRI. This approach allows to investigate glucose signaling independent of digestive processes. Hypothalamic reactivity and connectivity were assessed using a pseudo-pharmacological design and a glycemia-dependent functional connectivity analysis, respectively. In line with previous studies, we observed a hypothalamic response to glucose infusion which was negatively related to fasting insulin levels. The observed effect size was smaller than in previous studies employing oral or intragastric administration of glucose, demonstrating the important role of the digestive process in homeostatic signaling. Finally, we were able to observe hypothalamic connectivity with reward-related brain regions. Given the small amount of glucose employed, this points toward a high responsiveness of these regions to even a small energy stimulus in healthy individuals. Our study highlights the intricate relationship between homeostatic and reward-related systems and their pronounced sensitivity to subtle changes in glycemia.
Vehicle-Trajectory Prediction Method for an Extra-Long Tunnel Based on Section Traffic Data

The driving situation is complicated in an extra-long tunnel. If a traffic collision happens, car evacuation and people rescue in the tunnel will be more challenging. The driving safety and traffic efficiency of an extra-long tunnel will be considerably enhanced if vehicle trajectory can be precisely assessed and the vehicle driving risk can be predicted in advance. However, due to the limitations of the data capture of vehicle-mounted equipment in tunnels, estimating vehicle trajectory with vehicle-side data is difficult. In this research, a vehicle-trajectory prediction model based on section traffic data in an extra-long tunnel is developed using existing roadside traffic-gathering equipment. The model re-optimizes the driver-sensitivity coefficient by calibrating the parameters of the vehicle-following model based on mining the motion laws of cars under different scenarios. The model is validated using observed velocity and position data, and the average accuracy of velocity prediction is 94.14% and 95.45% for trajectory prediction. The results show that using existing roadside collecting equipment, this model can accurately forecast vehicle trajectories in extra-long tunnels.
Inertial flow in porous media: A numerical investigation on model structures

The aim of this work is to study the correction to Darcy's law for inertial flow in porous media. In many situations encountered in industrial applications such as flow in column reactors, gas flow near wells for hydrocarbon recovery and CO2 sequestration, flow in filters. , Reynolds numbers are large enough to lead to a non-linear relationship between the filtration velocity and the pressure gradient. In this work, a numerical analysis of the non linear -inertial- correction to Darcy's law is carried out for the stationary inertial flow of a one-phase Newtonian incompressible fluid on model 2D and 3D structures. Effective properties appearing in the macroscopic model resulting from the volume averaging of the mass and momentum (Navier-Stokes) equations at the pore scale are determined using the microscopic flow fields and solving the closure problems resulting from up-scaling. From the numerical simulations, the dependence of the correction to Darcy's law on the geometrical properties of the 3D structure is studied. These properties are the shape of the solid grains which may be cubic or spherical and the degree of disorder in their arrangement in the domain. Weak disorder corresponds to a random placement of the grains of identical shape and size within each cell of a regular 3D lattice, while for strong disorder, grain size is also randomly distributed.
Structural designs of AlGaN/GaN nanowire-based photoelectrochemical photodetectors: carrier transport regulation in GaN segment as current flow hub

Abstract. The AlGaN/GaN p–n junction has received extensive attention due to its capability of rapid photogenerated carrier separation in photodetection devices. The AlGaN/GaN heterojunction nanowires (NWs) have been especially endowed with new life for distinctive transport characteristics in the photoelectrochemical (PEC) detection field. A self-powered PEC ultraviolet photodetector (PEC UV PD) based on the p-AlGaN/n-GaN heterojunction NW is reported in this work. The n-GaN NW layer plays a crucial role as a current flow hub to regulate carrier transport, which mainly acts as a light absorber under 365 nm and carrier recombination layer under 255 nm illumination, which can effectively modulate photoresponsivity at different wavelengths. Furthermore, by designing the thicknesses of the NW layer, the photocurrent polarity reversal was successfully achieved in the constructed AlGaN/GaN NW PEC UV PD at two different light wavelengths. In addition, by combining with platinum decoration, the photoresponse performance could be further enhanced. Our work provides insight into transport mechanisms in the AlGaN/GaN NW PEC system, and offers a feasible and comprehensive strategy for further exploration of multifunctional optoelectronic devices.
Association Between Comorbid Psychiatric Disorders and Persistent Smoking After a Diagnosis of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Among Patients Seeking Treatment at a Tertiary Care Hospital in India

Introduction Smoking cessation is the most effective approach to slowing down the progression of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Despite this, almost half of COPD patients continue to smoke after diagnosis. COPD patients with current smoking status are more likely to have concurrent psychiatric comorbidities, for instance, depression and anxiety. These psychiatric disorders can contribute to the persistence of smoking in individuals with COPD. This study aimed to investigate predictors of smoking persistence in COPD patients. Materials and methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in the Outpatient Department (OPD) of the Department of Pulmonary Medicine in a tertiary care hospital from August 2018 to July 2019. Patients with COPD were screened for their smoking status. All subjects were then personally assessed for any psychiatric comorbidity using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI), the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and the Anxiety Inventory for Respiratory (AIR) Disease. Logistic regression was performed to compute the odds ratio (OR). Results The study included a total of 87 COPD patients. Of the 87 COPD patients, 50 were current smokers, and 37 were past smokers. COPD patients with psychiatric disorders were four times more likely to continue smoking than those without psychiatric comorbidities (OR: 4.62, 95% CI: 1.46-14.54). The results showed that increasing PHQ-9 scores by one unit in COPD patients increased the likelihood of continuing to smoke by 27 percent. Conclusion In our multivariate analysis, current depression was found as a significant predictor of continued smoking in COPD patients. The present results are consistent with reports from previous research that depressive symptoms are associated with continued smoking in patients with COPD. COPD patients who are currently smoking should be examined for psychiatric disorders and treated concurrently to achieve effective smoking cessation.
Polar Coordinate for Damage Imaging of Adhesively Bonded Plates Using Ultrasonic Guided Waves and Laser Doppler Vibrometer Measurements

Wavefield measurements by a scanning laser Doppler vibrometer (LDV) are generally carried out in a Cartesian coordinate. As a piezoelectric transducer generates Lamb waves following radial paths, the use of a polar coordinate can be a suitable alternative to the use of a Cartesian coordinate. Therefore, in the proposed method, using a single transducer placed on the center of the specimen, the measured wavefields are transformed into polar coordinates, making several identical radial line inspections from the center in the direction of incident waves. By taking advantage of the properties of the polar coordinates, a signal processing technique is proposed through a frequency-wavenumber filtering process in these coordinates. In this technique, by using proper filters, unwanted wave modes of the incident wave, along with all reflected waves, are filtered out. In addition, the conventional features of root-mean-square (RMS) and Euclidean distance (ED) are adapted for the polar coordinate system to image the bonded plate. The proposed signal processing and damage imaging are first introduced through a numerical simulation. Then, the performance of the proposed technique is presented by experimental measurements of two specimens, including adhesively bonded carbon fiber-reinforced plastic composite plates and bonded aluminum plates.