Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The role of phase compatibility in martensite

Shape memory alloys inherit their macroscopic properties from their mesoscale microstructure originated from the martensitic phase transformation. In a cubic to orthorhombic transition, a single variant of martensite can have a compatible (exact) interface with the austenite for some special lattice parameters in contrast to conventional austenite/twinned martensite interface with a transition layer. Experimentally, the phase compatibility results in a dramatic drop in thermal hysteresis and gives rise to very stable functional properties over cycling. Here, we investigate the microstructures observed in Ti50 Ni 50− x Pd x alloys that undergo a cubic to orthorhombic martensitic transformation using a three-dimensional phase field approach. We will show that the simulation results are in very good agreement with transmission electron microscopy observations. However, the understanding of the drop in thermal hysteresis requires the coupling of phase transformation with plastic activity. We will discuss this point within the framework of thermoelasticity, which is a generic feature of the martensitic transformation.
Modeling the mechanics of amorphous solids at different length scale and time scale

We review the recent literature on the simulation of the structure and deformation of amorphous solids, including oxide and metallic glasses. We consider simulations at different length scale and time scale. At the nanometer scale, we review studies based on atomistic simulations, with a particular emphasis on the role of the potential energy landscape and of the temperature. At the micrometer scale, we present the different mesoscopic models of amorphous plasticity and show the relation between shear banding and the type of disorder and correlations (e.g. elastic) included in the models. At the macroscopic range, we review the different constitutive laws used in finite-element simulations. We end with a critical discussion on the opportunities and challenges offered by multiscale modeling and information transfer between scales to study amorphous plasticity.
The Effect of Self-Concept on Math Achievement in Fourth Grade Students

The purpose of this study was to determine if there is a correlation between self-concept and math achievement on a standardized test for a heterogeneous group of forty-eight fourth grade students. Also studied were the relationships of self-concept and math achievement on students from single parent homes and students from two~parent households and' the differences between male and female students in the areas of selfconcept and math achievement. Forty-eight fourth grade students from a suburban school district in Rochester, New York were the subjects of this study. Twelve of the fortyeight were from broken homes. The math section of the Stanford Achievement Test was taken by each student. The raw score of overall math ability was used to determine math achievement. The day before the test the students completed the Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory. The Pearson Product Moment Method was used to determine if there was statistically significant correlation between self-concept and math achievement. A . Ltest was used to determine if there was a significant difference between the math scores of males and females and the math scores of students from one-parent homes and students from two-parent homes.
Exploring the Pedagogy of Online Feedback in Supporting Distance Learners

While feedback is recognized as an important part of the pedagogical process in support- ing student learning, it is a relatively a new area of online education research. The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to examine online feedback processes from the vantage points of the course instructor and a cohort of students. Based on data collected from the online forums and student interviews, the researcher/instructor sets out to determine what feedback was given and how it was perceived by students. Evidence suggests that the feedback given was largely aligned with research definitions of “best practice” in terms of being timely, accessible and substantial. In terms feedback type, it was informative, supportive, corrective, and, to a lesser extent, reflective. However, evidence suggests that the scope of students’ perceptions of effective feedback was broader than suggested in the research literature with feedback viewed in relation to specific pedagogical, contextual, and rela - tional dimensions. It is suggested that analysis of feedback from these two vantage points is important for instructors wishing to enhance their online teaching. It is also suggested that a frame for understanding the effect of online feedback on student learning should be broadened to consider its wider pedagogical, contextual, and relational dimensions.
Drug user dynamics: A compartmental model of drug users for scenario analyses

A six-typology compartment model of trends in the use of illicit drugs in Italy is developed to evaluate policies and interventions through scenario analyses. Inside the big compartments of just-cannabis users and multiple drug users, three subpopulations are taken into account: the occasional, regular and intensive user. Moreover, compartments for health care, assisted persons together with a constant source (susceptible) are added; removed people (i.e. those who leave drugs for any reason) are put in a compartment which does not participate in the dynamics. Flows from the susceptible reservoir among the drug-user compartments and to the removed or the health care compartments are studied in a deterministic linear ODE framework, where parameters are estimated using Italian data. This system shows an evolution towards a steady state, the speed of convergence being dependent on parameters in a fairly visible way. This model represents a theoretical development in drug policy analysis, as it shows the relevance of flux parameters, which are in principle subject to modifications due to institutional efforts, together with a quantitative evaluation of their role in the evolution of the whole system.
Designing the next generation of ocean iron fertilization experiments

The first generation of open-ocean iron enrichments (1993 to 2005) have all had broadly the same design. Enrichment of patches of ocean was typically on a 10 km length-scale, and experiments were of a duration of weeks. These scales were dictated by what could conveniently be achieved from research vessels, using tracers to track Lagrangian patches. The extrapolation of experimental findings to the larger scales required for carbon sequestration by ocean iron fertilization (OIF) leaves many uncertainties, to answer which, longer duration (i.e. months) and larger scale observations (100 to 200 km length-scale) are required. However, to extrapolate to a timescale of decades and to the scale of ocean basins, such observations must be conducted in parallel (and where possible assimilated into) detailed models of the physics and biogeochemistry of the fertilized waters. Our present understanding suggests that any carbon sequestration will occur as the net result of changes in the air–sea flux integrated over millions km2 and many years, and can only realistically be assessed by modelling. A central role of the observational studies will be to make such models as accurate as possible in their simulations and predictions. We present a scheme for the design of a second generation of ocean iron-enrichments and discuss the challenges that are evident in linking the modelling and observational components of such studies.
Influence of production system, sex and litter size on growth rates in Turcana lambs.

Lamb meat production has become the main source of income in the Romanian sheep farming industry, representing over 66% of the total returns. Turcana breed represents over 70% of the national flock, and 92% of the sheep bred in western Romania. However, meat production potential and growth rates of the breed are low, and thus strategies to improve performance of the Turcana lambs need to be identified. Aim of the current research was to evaluate the effects that sex and litter size have on the growth rates of lambs from Turcana breed under extensive and semi-intensive production systems. Weaning weight was significantly (p≤0.001) influenced by the production system, with lambs reared extensively registering a average body weights of 18.23±0.094 kg at the age of 90 days, while the semi-intensively reared lambs registered an average weight of 20.19±0.082 kg. It was concluded that all three factors taken into study significantly influence growth rates in Turcana lambs and that weight of the lamb(s) at the age of 28 days should be included as a selection trait within the Turcana breed genetic improvement plan.
Effects of dietary lysine levels on jejunal expression of amino
acids transporters and hindgut microflora in weaned pigs

Amino acids (AAs), important substrates for the synthesis of proteins and other nitrogenous compounds, are also key regulators of major metabolic pathways essential for organism maintenance, growth, immunity and reproduction (Jobgen et al., 2006; Suenaga et al., 2008). It is well known that the intestinal nutrients absorption is mediated by transporter proteins expressed on enterocytes. AAs are transported into the cell by several specific transporters (Verrey et al., 2004) or as diand tripeptides by the peptide transporter (Leibach and Ganapathy, 1996). For example, transporters have been characterized as specific for basic amino acids (e.g., cationic amino acids transporter 1, CAT1), neutral amino acids (e.g., system B0 neutral amino acids transporter, B0AT1) and acidic amino acids (e.g., excitatory amino acids carrier 1, EAAC1) (Kanai and Hediger, 2003). The AAs transporters: B0AT1, CAT1, EAAC1 and peptide transporter T1 (PEPT1) are closely associated with AAs absorption capacity in the small intestinal epithelium (Regnault et al., 2002; Hu et al., 2008). In swine diets, Lys is ABSTRACT. The objective of the study was to evaluate the effects of increasing dietary standardized ileal digestible (SID) lysine (Lys) level on the expression of jejunal amino acids (AAs) transporters and the microflora in the hindgut of weaned pigs. One hundred and twenty weanling pigs weighing 8.10 ± 0.48 kg were randomly assigned according to body weight and sex to 5 treatments with 6 replicates per treatment and 4 pigs per replicate. Pigs were fed diets with 0.98, 1.11, 1.23, 1.35 or 1.48% of SID Lys for 28 days. The mRNA expression of cationic amino acids transporter 1 (CAT1) in jejunum was higher in groups fed with 1.23, 1.35 and 1.48% SID Lys addition (P < 0.05). There was stated a linear increase in the mRNA expressions of CAT1, excitatory amino acids carrier 1 (EAAC1) and peptide transporter T1 (PEPT1) (linear, P < 0.05). In the caecum, the populations of bacteria and the content of butyric acid were significantly influenced (P < 0.05) by dietary SID Lys. In animals fed diet with 1.35% SID Lys a content of butyric acid was the highest (P < 0.05). Moreover, the populations of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium in caecum and colon increased (linear, P < 0.05; quadratic, P < 0.05) as dietary SID Lys level increased. The obtained results showed that dietary SID Lys level may influence AAs absorption and promote the hindgut health. The suggested supplementation of SID Lys to the weaned pigs’ diet is 1.35%. Received: 12 April 2017 Revised: 18 March 2018 Accepted: 1 August 2018
Land Use and Productivity Growth in Thai Agriculture

Growth in agricultural production in Thailand can no longer rely mainly on an extension of land area. New technology inputs such as fertilisers, mechanisation, water and chemicals have been adopted. This change has raised questions about the technical change and productivity growth in Thai agricultural production. A translog variable cost function framework is used to estimate a system of the cost function and the associated cost share equations for Thai agriculture. The system is estimated using the iterative seemingly unrelated regression method applied to a panel of 92 observations, comprising annual data from 1972 to 1994 for four regions in Thailand. This results indicate that the availabilities of new land on agricultural production could has the influence on productivity growth in Thailand.
A qualitative host‐pathogen interaction in the Theobroma cacao‐Moniliophthora perniciosa pathosystem

The aim of this study was to test whether resistance of clones of Theobroma cacao (cocoa) varied between isolates of Moniliophthora (formerly Crinipellis ) perniciosa , the cause of witches’ broom disease. Developing buds of vegetatively propagated T. cacao grown in greenhouses in the UK were inoculated with 16 000 spores of M. perniciosa per meristem in water, under conditions where water condensed on the inoculated shoot for at least 12 h after inoculation. The proportion of successful inoculations varied between clones and was inversely correlated with time to symptom production or broom formation. A specific interaction was demonstrated among three single-spore isolates of M. perniciosa and the clone Scavina 6 (SCA 6) and a variety of susceptible clones. Isolates Castenhal-I and APC3 were equally likely to infect SCA 6 and the other clones, but isolate Gran Couva A9 never infected SCA 6, although it was as virulent on the other clones. The interaction was maintained when the wetness period was extended to 70 h. Offspring of SCA 6 × Amelonado matings were all susceptible to both Castenhal-I and GC-A5, with no evidence of greater variability in susceptibility to GC-A5 than Castanhal-I. This suggests recessive inheritance of a single homozygous factor conferring resistance to GC-A5, from SCA 6. The progenies were slightly more susceptible to Castanhal-I than GC-A5. The implications for managing the disease are discussed.
Field Synthesis in Inhomogeneous Media: Joint Synthesis Control of Polarization, Uniformity and SAR in MRI B1-field

The homogeneity of the amplitude of one of the polarizations of the RF fleld B 1 is a crucial issue in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), and several methods have been proposed for enhancing this uniformity (\Shimming"). The existing approaches aim at controlling the homogeneity of B + 1 and limiting the Speciflc Absorption Rate (SAR) of the RF fleld by independently controlling magnitude and phase of individual excitation currents in MRI scanners, either birdcage or TEM coil system. A novel approach is presented here which allows a joint control of B + 1 uniformity, SAR, and purity of polarization of the total RF B 1 fleld. We propose a convex optimization procedure with convex constraints, and special attention has been devoted to the issue of convexity of the proposed functional. The method is applied to MRI brain imaging; numerical tests have been performed on a realistic head model at low, medium, and high RF fleld in order to assess the efiectiveness of the proposed method. We found that maintaining a speciflc polarization plays an important role also in maintaining the homogeneity of B + 1 amplitude.
Internet of Things: A Review on Technologies, Architecture, Challenges, Applications, Future Trends

World Wide Web (1990‟s) and Mobile Internet (the 2000‟s) had consequential corroborated the way how people communicate. However, with evolution in technology, the cataclysm of Internet has stepped into a new phase-Internet of Things. Internet of Things, a prominent paradigm in the field of IT having a nominal intervention of humans allowing diverse things to communicate with each other, anticipate, sight, and perceive surroundings. IoT exploits RFID tags, NFC, sensors, smart bands, and wired or wireless communication technologies to build smart surroundings, smart Homes, quick-witted intelligence in medical care, ease of Transport, and more. This paper introduces IoT with emphasis on its driver technologies and system architecture. In addition to application layer protocols, we focus on identifying various issues and application areas of IoT as well as future research trends in the field of IoT. We have also highlighted how big data is associated with Internet of Things.
A Diffusion Approximation of a Three Species Fitness-Dependent Population Model

We introduce a continuous time Markov chain to model the ecological competition in the population of 3 species with fitness governed by a modified Moran process based on environmental resources in a limited niche of constant total population N. We run simulations to observe population behavior under different N and initial conditions. We then propose a model approximation which for large N converges to an ODE over most of the population space, with the population following a deterministic trajectory until it reaches an asymptotically stable line. We then prove that the approximation converges to a one dimensional diffusion forced onto the stable line until the first extinction occurs. We use the drift and diffusion coefficients of the diffusion to calculate the expected probability of first extinction for specific species, as well as the expected time until first extinction. Finally, we compare these with data obtained via simulations to show that the approximation is a good fit.
The influence of sea surface temperature on the intensity and associated storm surge of tropical cyclone Yasi: a sensitivity study

Abstract. Tropical cyclones (TCs) result in widespread damage associated with strong winds, heavy rainfall and storm surge. TC Yasi was one of the most powerful TCs to impact the Queensland coast since records began. Prior to Yasi, the SSTs in the Coral Sea were higher than average by 1–2 ∘ C, primarily due to the 2010/2011 La Nina event. In this study, a conceptually simple idealised sensitivity analysis is performed using a high-resolution regional model to gain insight into the influence of SST on the track, size, intensity and associated rainfall of TC Yasi. A set of nine simulations with uniform SST anomalies of between − 4 and 4 ∘ C applied to the observed SSTs are analysed. The resulting surface winds and pressure are used to force a barotropic storm surge model to examine the influence of SST on the associated storm surge of TC Yasi. An increase in SST results in an increase in intensity, precipitation and integrated kinetic energy of the storm; however, there is little influence on track prior to landfall. In addition to an increase in precipitation, there is a change in the spatial distribution of precipitation as the SST increases. Decreases in SSTs result in an increase in the radius of maximum winds due to an increase in the asymmetry of the storm, although the radius of gale-force winds decreases. These changes in the TC characteristics also lead to changes in the associated storm surge. Generally, cooler (warmer) SSTs lead to reduced (enhanced) maximum storm surges. However, the increase in surge reaches a maximum with an increase in SST of 2 ∘ C. Any further increase in SST does not affect the maximum surge but the total area and duration of the simulated surge increases with increasing upper ocean temperatures. A large decrease in maximum storm surge height occurs when a negative SST anomaly is applied, suggesting if TC Yasi had occurred during non-La Nina conditions the associated storm surge may have been greatly diminished, with a decrease in storm surge height of over 3 m when the SST is reduced by 2 ∘ C. In summary, increases in SST lead to an increase in the potential destructiveness of TCs with regard to intensity, precipitation and storm surge, although this relationship is not linear.
AIDS awareness and VCT behaviour : an application of the integrated model of behaviour prediction

In order to limit the expansion of the HIV and AIDS epidemic in South Africa, it is important to develop targeted prevention strategies. The voluntary HIV counselling and testing (VCT) programme appears to be effective for preventing the spread of the HI virus. This study adapted guidelines of the integrated model of behaviour prediction (IMBP) into a questionnaire and examined the extent to which it predicts behaviour. A sample of 92 sports team members from Limpopo ranging from 14 to 30 years of age completed the questionnaire. Results suggested that beliefs about the outcomes of behaviour and beliefs about the expectations of others had a direct influence on the intention to undergo HIV counselling and testing. Efficacy beliefs, namely beliefs that there are factors that can facilitate behaviour, can lead to actual testing behaviour if accompanied by self-efficacy. Knowledge, intention and stigma are not related to VCT behaviour. Findings show that some constructs influence intention and test behaviour, but in ways not predicted by the model. Thus, the adequacy of the IMBP to determine HIV and AIDS-preventative behavioural intentions is questioned. Dit is belangrik om doelgerigte voorkomende strategiee te ontwikkel om die verspreiding van MIV en VIGS in Suid Afrika te bekamp. Die vrywillige MIV-voorligtings- en toetsingsprogram (VVT) blyk effektief te wees om die verspreiding van die MI virus te stuit. In hierdie studie is 'n vraelys ontwikkel wat op die geintegreerde model van gedragsvoorspelling (GMG) gebaseer is. Die studie ondersoek die mate waarin die GMG gedrag kan voorspel. 'n Steekproef van 92 sport spanlede van Limpopo tussen die ouderdomme van 14 tot 30 jaar, het die vraelys voltooi. Resultate toon dat oortuigings oor die uitkoms van gedrag en oortuigings oor die verwagtings van ander 'n direkte invloed uitoefen op die intensie om VVT te ondergaan. Oortuigings dat daar faktore is wat gedrag kan fasiliteer het 'n invloed op die intensie slegs as 'n mens ook die gemak waarmee gedrag uitgevoer kan word insien. Kennis, intensie en stigma is nie verwant aan toetsgedrag nie. Die bevindinge toon dat sommige konstrukte wel intensie en toetsgedrag beinvloed, maar nie op die manier wat die model voorstel nie. Resultate bevraagteken die vermoe van die GMG om MIV en VIGS- voorkomende gedragsintensies te bepaal.
Bounded Rationality and Asset Pricing with Intermediate Consumption

We consider a pure exchange economy with incomplete information. Some agents display learning bias and over- or under-react to the arrival of new information. We show under which conditions biased agents survive over a finite horizon. We also study the distribution of irrational agents consumption shares. Irrational agents have a signiÞcant consumption share in the economy when (i) shocks are less persistent (ii) risk aversion is high (iii) volatility of aggregate consumption is high. We also show that agents impact on prices is increasing in their consumption share and conclude that biased agents can signiÞcantly influence equilibrium quantities. Copyright 2009, Oxford University Press.
Could the unusual optical afterglow of GRB 000301c arise from a non-relativistic shock with energy injection?

Recent observations on the gamma-ray burst (GRB) 000301c afterglow show that one sharp break appears in the global optical/IR light curves, and in particular the decay slope at late times is as steep as about −3.0. This unusual feature is clearly inconsistent with the standard afterglow shock model. Here we propose a non-standard model for the afterglow of GRB 000301c, in which an initial ultra-relativistic shock in a dense medium (“dirty environment”) rapidly evolved to the non-relativistic phase in 1 day after the burst. During such a phase, the shock was refreshed by a strongly magnetized millisecond pulsar through magnetic dipole radiation. This refreshment led to flattening of the light curves. After the energy injection, the afterglow decayed as ∝ t−3.0 if the electron distribution index of the shocked medium, p ≈ 3.4, derived from the optical spectrum. Therefore, our model can provide a plausible explanation for the peculiar optical/IR afterglow light curves of GRB 000301c.