Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of Multiple Methods for the Production of Continuous Evapotranspiration Estimates from TIR Remote Sensing

Continuous daily estimates of evapotranspiration (ET) spatially distributed at plot scale are required to monitor the water loss and manage crop irrigation needs. Remote sensing approaches in the thermal infrared (TIR) domain are relevant to assess actual ET and soil moisture status but due to lengthy return intervals and cloud cover, data acquisition is not continuous over time. This study aims to assess the performances of 6 commonly used as well as two new reference quantities including rainfall as an index of soil moisture availability to reconstruct seasonal ET from sparse estimates and as a function of the revisit frequency. In a first step, instantaneous in situ eddy-covariance flux tower data collected over multiple ecosystems and climatic areas were used as a proxy for perfect retrievals on satellite overpass dates. In a second step, instantaneous estimations at the time of satellite overpass were produced using the Soil Plant Atmosphere and Remote Sensing Evapotranspiration (SPARSE) energy balance model in order to evaluate the errors concurrent to the use of an energy balance model simulating the instantaneous IRT products from the local surface temperature. Significant variability in the performances from site to site was observed particularly for long revisit frequencies over 8 days, suggesting that the revisit frequency necessary to achieve accurate estimates of ET via temporal upscaling needs to be fewer than 8 days whatever the reference quantity used. For shorter return interval, small differences among the interpolation techniques and reference quantities were found. At the seasonal scale, very simple methods using reference quantities such as the global radiation or clear sky radiation appeared relevant and robust against long revisit frequencies. For infra-seasonal studies targeting stress detection and irrigation management, taking the amount of precipitation into account seemed necessary, especially to avoid the underestimation of ET over cloudy days during a long period without data acquisitions.
Soil management in the developing countries.

The present world population of 6 billion will reach 8 billion by 2020 and 9.4 billion by 2050. By then, the population will have increased by another 575 million in India, 300 million in China, 200 million in Nigeria, 200 million in Pakistan, and 140 million in Ethiopia. Of the total world populati
WORKING PAPER – TO APPEAR IN THE JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT Voluntary urban climate governance: Whether and how should city governments be involved? Author

Voluntary urban climate governance has been posed to overcome shortfalls with mandatory, topdown, state-led government interventions to address climate change risks. It seeks a commitment from households and firms to improve their environmental sustainability, but without the force of law. City governments are highly active in voluntary urban climate governance, and particularly in the development and implementation of voluntary programs for urban climate action. There is little evidence, however, on whether their involvement positively affects voluntary program performance, or not. This article presents qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) of 26 voluntary programs from Australia, the Netherlands and the U.S. seeking to understand whether, and if so how, city governments affect the performance of voluntary urban climate programs. Results will help to inform the roles city governments may take in voluntary urban climate governance.
Aqueous solubilization of [60]fullerene via inclusion complex formation and the hydration of C60

Natural and substituted cyclodextrins (CDs), as well as some calixarenes, have been investigated with respect to their solubilization of C60 in water. Underivatized γ-CD is proved to have unique solubilizing power among the possible complexing agents as it produces stable solutions and solids containing real 1∶2 complexes. The differences in the appearance of the solutions (magenta or brown colour) are explained by the hydration of the C60 within the supramolecule. The composition and structure of the complexes are proved by chemical analyses, X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy and solid state NMR.
A research of colloidal silver immobilization in bionanocomposites of natural polymers and montmorillonite

ions Ag+ arise during the slow oxidation of metallic silver. An increase in the specific surface area of metallic silver leads to an increase in the concentration of Ag+ ions released from it. Therefore, Ag+ nanoparticles have the highest antibacterial activity. However, for the gradual release into the environment silver ions must be immobilized on carriers. Therefore, obtaining composites of silver ions with various mineral and organic carriers is an urgent problem of modern bionanotechnology.
Fetal Growth Restriction – Diagnostic Work-up, Management and Delivery

Fetal or intrauterine growth restriction (FGR/IUGR) affects approximately 5 – 8% of all pregnancies and refers to a fetus not exploiting its genetically determined growth potential. Not only a major cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality, it also predisposes these fetuses to the development of chronic disorders in later life. Apart from the timely diagnosis and identification of the causes of FGR, the obstetric challenge primarily entails continued antenatal management with optimum timing of delivery. In order to minimise premature birth morbidity, intensive fetal monitoring aims to prolong the pregnancy and at the same time intervene, i.e. deliver, before the fetus is threatened or harmed. It is important to note that early-onset FGR (< 32 + 0 weeks of gestation [wks]) should be assessed differently than late-onset FGR (≥ 32 + 0 wks). In early-onset FGR progressive deterioration is reflected in abnormal venous Doppler parameters, while in late-onset FGR this manifests primarily in abnormal cerebral Doppler ultrasound. According to our current understanding, the “optimum” approach for monitoring and timing of delivery in early-onset FGR combines computerized CTG with the ductus venosus Doppler, while in late-onset FGR assessment of the cerebral Doppler parameters becomes more important.
HulaMove: Using Commodity IMU for Waist Interaction

We present HulaMove, a novel interaction technique that leverages the movement of the waist as a new eyes-free and hands-free input method for both the physical world and the virtual world. We first conducted a user study (N=12) to understand users’ ability to control their waist. We found that users could easily discriminate eight shifting directions and two rotating orientations, and quickly confirm actions by returning to the original position (quick return). We developed a design space with eight gestures for waist interaction based on the results and implemented an IMU-based real-time system. Using a hierarchical machine learning model, our system could recognize waist gestures at an accuracy of 97.5%. Finally, we conducted a second user study (N=12) for usability testing in both real-world scenarios and virtual reality settings. Our usability study indicated that HulaMove significantly reduced interaction time by 41.8% compared to a touch screen method, and greatly improved users’ sense of presence in the virtual world. This novel technique provides an additional input method when users’ eyes or hands are busy, accelerates users’ daily operations, and augments their immersive experience in the virtual world.
Minimisation and Parameter Estimation in Image Restoration Variational Models with ℓ1-Constraints

Minimisation of the total variation regularisation for linear operators under ℓ 1 -constraints applied to image restoration is considered, and relationships between the Lagrange multiplier for a constrained model and the regularisation parameter in an un-constrained model are established. A constrained ℓ 1 -problem reformulated as a separable convex problem is solved by the alternating direction method of multipliers that includes two sequences, converging to a restored image and the “optimal" regularisation parameter. This allows blurry images to be recovered, with a simultaneous estimation of the regularisation parameter. The noise level parameter is estimated, and numerical experiments illustrate the efﬁciency of the new approach.
Priming with a GnRH Agonist Before Immature Oocyte Retrieval may Improve Maturity of Oocytes and Outcome in In Vitro Maturation (IVM) Cycle: A Case Report

In the last several years the concept of using a gonadotropin releasing hormone agonist (GnRH-a) for triggering ovulation in patients treated by an antagonist protocol for IVF became almost a routine clinical practice. It may promote oocyte nuclear maturation, resumption of meiosis and cumulus expansion. Several studies reported the retrieval of more mature oocytes after GnRH-a, therefore it seems that this attempt could be beneficial in an in vitro maturation (IVM) oocyte cycle performed for fertility preservation in patients with malignancies but possible for other indication as polycystic ovarian syndrome patients. We presented a case of a patient needed fertility preservation that underwent 3 IVM cycles priming ovulation with a GnRH-a. Twelve oocytes were obtained, all of them matured 4.5 hours after incubation in maturation media. Fertilization rate after ICSI was 10/12 (83%). Six good quality embryos were vitrified. It seems that triggering with a GnRH-a instead of hCG in an IVM cycle could be beneficial in terms of obtaining high grade embryos and possible pregnancy.
ARTISTS: A VIRTUAL REALITY CULTURAL EXPERIENCE PERSONALIZED ARTWORKS SYSTEM: THE “CHILDREN CONCERT” PAINTING CASE STUDY

In recent years, there is a constant tendency in integrating modern technologies into mobile guides and applications in Cultural Heritage (CH) domain, aiming in enriching cultural user experience. Amongst them, Virtual Reality (VR) has widely been used in digital reconstruction or restoration of damaged cultural artifacts and monuments, allowing a deeper perception in their characteristics and unique history. This work presents a VR environment that takes into account the diverse needs and characteristics of visitors and digitally immerses them into paintings, giving them the ability to directly interact with their characteristics with the Leap Motion controller. To test our proposed system, a mobile prototype application has been designed, focused on the famous painting “Children Concert” created by Georgios Iakovidis, which also integrates the User Personas and the different scenarios depending on users’ profile.
Observing single-molecule chemical reactions on metal nanoparticles

We report on the study of the photodecomposition of single Rhodamine 6G (R6G) dye molecules adsorbed on silver nanoparticles. The nanoparticles were immobilized and spatially isolated on polylysine-derivatized glass coverslips, and confocal laser microspectroscopy was used to obtain surface-enhanced Raman scatters (SERS) spectra from individual R6G molecules. The photodecomposition of these molecules was observed with 150-ms temporal resolution. The photoproduct was identified as graphitic carbon based on the appearance of bread SERS vibrational bands at 1592 cm-1 and 1340 cm-1 observed in both bulk and averaged single-molecule photoproduct spectra. In contrast, when observed at the single-molecule level, the photoproduct yielded sharp SERS spectra. The inhomogeneous broadening of the bulk SERS spectra is due to a variety of photoproducts in different surface orientations and is a characteristic of ensemble-averaged measurement of disordered systems. These single-molecule studies indicate a photodecomposition pathway by which the R6G molecule desorbs from the metal surface, an excited-state photoreaction occurs, and the R6G photoproduct(s) readsorbs to the surface. A SERS spectrum is obtained when either the intact R6G or the R6G photoproduct(s) are adsorbed on a SERS-active site. This work further illustrates the power of single-molecule spectroscopy (SMS) to reveal unique behaviors of single molecules that are not discernable with bulk measurements.
Solvent effects and multiple aggregate states in high-mobility organic field-effect transistors based on poly(bithiophene-alt-thienothiophene)

Franck–Condon absorption analysis reveals the existence of several aggregate states in poly(2,5-bis(3-tetradecylthiophen-2-yl)thieno[3,2-b]thiophene) (PBTTT) thin films which impact their recrystallization and the attainable field-effect mobility (μFET). Poor solvents (toluene and mixed-xylenes) lock in both disordered and well-ordered states that cannot be annealed away even in the liquid crystalline phase. This reduces μFET and increases mobility activation energies compared with films from good solvents (chlorobenzene and o-dichlorobenzene). Despite its poor solubility characteristics, PBTTT can be ink-jet printed in dilute chlorobenzene, and devices can be operated unencapsulated in ambient, in the dark (>105cycles over several days) with only a moderate mobility loss.
Microstructural Characterization and Phase Diagram Calculation of a Less Known Al–Fe–Mn–Si Phase in a SiCp/2014Al Composite

Abstract A systematic characterization of a less known Al, Fe, Mn, and Si phase in a SiC particulate-reinforced 2014Al composite (SiCp/2014Al) was performed. In addition to the expected CuAl2 phase, the Al, Fe, Mn, and Si phase was formed as either an adhesion (>1 µm) onto SiC in the as-cast composite, or as a precipitate (<100 nm) in the matrix after hot extrusion. The structure of the phase was identified as cubic by both X-ray diffraction and selected area electron diffraction (SAED). The SAED pattern also indicated that the structure belongs to the Pm$\bar{3}$ space group instead of Im$\bar{3}$. The thermodynamic phase diagram was calculated, confirming the presence of an α-AlFeMn or α-AlFeSi phase in the Al–Fe–Mn and Al–Fe–Si ternary systems, respectively, within the Fe, Mn, and Si content range corresponding to 2014Al. Wavelength-dispersive spectroscopy analysis indicated that the composition of the phase is close to Al12(Fe, Mn)3Si2, in which the Mn/Fe ratio is in the range of 0.6–1.4. The determined Mn/Fe ratio corresponds to the nominal composition of Mn and Fe in the alloy.
Best Dioctahedral Smectite for Nitrogen Heterocyclics AdsorptionA Reactivity Index Study

The activity of nitrogen heterocyclics present in biomacromolecules and its suitable sorbent from the dioctahedral smectite family is investigated using a range of reactivity index using density functional theory (DFT). For the first time, a novel function λ has been defined for quantitative description of weak adsorption cases, which was so far qualitative inside the domain of DFT. From the values of the local softness, it is concluded that the local acidities of the inorganic material systems are dependent on several characteristics, which are of importance within the framework of the hard and soft acids and bases (HSAB) principle. We first rationalized an understanding of the electronic structures of a range of nitrogen heterocyclics ranging from indole, imidazole, pyrrole, and pyridine, followed by the local softness calculation to locate its active site. We compared its activity with that of the OH group of isomorphously substituted (Fe3+, Mg2+, Fe2+, and Li+) dioctahedral smectite family. Two types .
Amphiphilic block and statistical siloxane copolymers with antimicrobial activity

Statistical and block all-siloxane copolymers containing quaternary ammonium salt (QAS) groups with biocidal activity as lateral substituents were synthesized as models for the study of the effect of the arrangement of the QAS groups in the copolymer chain on their antimicrobial activity. The bioactive siloxane unit was [3-n-octyldimethylammoniopropyl]methylsiloxane, and the neutral unit was dimethylsiloxane. The copolymers also contained siloxane units with unreacted precursor 3-chloropropyl or 3-bromopropyl groups. A small number of units containing highly hydrophilic 3-(3-hydroxypropyl-dimethylammonio)propyl groups were introduced to increase the solubility of the copolymers in water. The bioactive and bioneutral units were arranged in the polymer chain either in blocks or in statistical order. The block copolymers differed in the number and length of segments. The copolymers were obtained by the quaternization of tertiary amines by chloropropyl or bromopropyl groups attached to polysiloxane chains. The arrangement of the bioactive groups was controlled by the arrangement of the halogenopropyl groups in the bioactive copolymer precursor. All model siloxane copolymers showed high bactericidal activity in a water solution toward the gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli and the gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus. However, no essential differences in the activities of the copolymers with block and statistical arrangements of units were detected. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 2939–2948, 2003
Organic photovoltaic blends consisting of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and PCBM ([6’6]-phenyl C61-butyric acid methyl

The emergence of polymers in consumer electronics stems from their ease of processing, low production cost, ability to flex and their tunable properties at the molecular level. This has led to an increased demand for innovation in materials research that inherently requires small-scale testing due to the micro and nano-scale feature sizes of components. At these dimensions, spatial confinement and interfacial effects can lead to significant deviations in mechanical and thermal properties from the bulk. Additionally, since processing is often performed below the polymer’s glass transition (Tg), the initial morphology developed during manufacturing is unstable as it is kinetically trapped in a non-equilibrium state. This leads to a tendency for crystallization, large scale phase segregation of the nanostructure and subsequent degradation of properties (1).
Pt adsorption on the PbTiO3(110) polar surface: a density functional theory study

The monolayer (ML) and submonolayer Pt on both terminations of PbTiO3(110) polar surface have been studied by using density functional theory (DFT) with projector‐augmented wave(PAW) potential and a supercell approach. The most favored ML Pt arrangements on PbTiO and O2 terminations are the hollow site and the short‐bridge site, respectively. By examining the geometries of different ML arrangements, we know that the dominant impetus for stability of the favored adsorption site for PbTiO termination is the Pt–Ti interaction (mainly from covalent bonding), while that for O2 termination is the Pt–O interaction (mainly from ionic bonding). In addition, the appearance of the gap electronic states in the outermost layers of each termination indicates that a channel for charge transfer between adsorbed layer and substrate is formed. Moreover, the interface hybridization between Pt 5d and O 2p orbitals is also observed, especially for ML Pt on O2 termination. The stability sequences for various arrangements of 1/2 ML Pt adsorption conform well with those of ML Pt adsorption, and the most stable arrangement is energetically more favorable than the corresponding ML coverage in the view of adsorption energy maximization. The behavior, i.e. the increase in adsorption energy with decrease in coverage, indicates that PtPt interactions weaken those between Pt and the substrate. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Quantitative Radioassay of Paper Chromatograms by Liquid Scintillation Counting. Application to Carbon-14-Labeled Salicylic Acid

The possible radioassay of paper-chromatographed C14labeled salicylic acid by immersion of the paper in the liquid scintillator and subsequent counting was investigated. The effect of the paper on the counting rate and the most appropriate solvent system for use were studied. Spurious counts were obtained using a non-acidified solvent, but a linear relationship between applied and observed activities was obtained with an acidified solvent; the observed activities were approximately 1/4 of the theoretical activities. No relationship between the count and size of the paper was observed.
EFFECT OF VERMICOMPOST ON GROWTH YIELD OF SELECTED ORGANIC VEGETABLES

Vermicomposting appears to be the most promising as high value organic fertilizer which not only increases the plant growth and productivity by nutrient supply but is also cost effective and pollution free. Use of vermicompost promotes soil aggregation and stabilizes soil structure. Vermicompost produced from the organic wastes is not only having beneficial effects on soil health and growth, quality and yield of crop but also playing vital role in eradication of pollution hazards. Vermicompost can be used for all crops agricultural, horticultural, ornamental and vegetables at any stage of the crop. It helps to create better environments, thus reduce ecological risk. Thus, the present investigation was aimed at finding the response of vermicompost on the productivity of organic vegetables and the quality of product. The present study results clearly showed that the influence of vermicompost on the growth components of organic vegetables like plant height, number of leaves, leaf area index and shoot length. Moreover, the results significantly showed that treatment using vermicompost as good source compared to normal soil treatment.
Bioelectrochemical systems (BES) for sustainable energy production and product recovery from organic wastes and industrial wastewaters

Bioelectrochemical systems (BESs) are unique systems capable of converting the chemical energy of organic waste including low-strength wastewaters and lignocellulosic biomass into electricity or hydrogen/chemical products in microbial fuel cells (MFCs) or microbial electrolysis cells (MECs) respectively, or other products formed at the cathode by an electrochemical reduction process. As compared to conventional fuel cells, BESs operate under relatively mild conditions, use a wide variety of organic substrates and mostly do not use expensive precious metals as catalysts. The recently discovered use of BES for product synthesis via microbial electrosynthesis have greatly expanded the horizon for these systems. Newer concepts in application as well as development of alternative materials for electrodes, separators, and catalysts, along with innovative designs have made BESs very promising technologies. This article discusses the recent developments that have been made in BESs so far, with an emphasis on their various applications beyond electricity generation, resulting performances and current limitations.
Beam stripping interactions in compact cyclotrons

Beam stripping losses of H− ion beams by interactions with residual gas and electromagnetic fields are evaluated. These processes play an important role in compact cyclotrons with internal ion source and high magnetic fields. The implementation of residual stripping interactions into the beam dynamics code OPAL provides an adequate framework to estimate the stripping losses for compact cyclotrons such as AMIT. The analysis is focused on optimizing the final beam current of the cyclotron, adjusting parameters of the ion source to regulate the vacuum level inside the accelerator, minimizing the beam stripping losses.