Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Tailoring Plate Thickness of a Helmholtz Resonator for Improved Sound Attenuation

In this work, the transmission loss of a Helmholtz resonator is maximized (optimized) by allowing the resonator end plate thickness to vary for two cases: (1) a nonoptimized baseline resonator and (2) a resonator with a uniform flexible endplate that was previously optimized for transmission loss and resonator size. To accomplish this, receptance coupling techniques were used to couple a finite element model of a varying thickness resonator end plate to a mass-spring-damper model of the vibrating air mass in the resonator. Sequential quadratic programming was employed to complete a gradient-based optimization search. By allowing the end plate thickness to vary, the transmission loss of the nonoptimized baseline resonator was improved significantly, 28%. However, the transmission loss of the previously optimized resonator for transmission loss and resonator size showed minimal improvement.
What Do the Parents Say? Parents of Children with Developmental Disabilities Using Touch-Screen Mobile Devices

Purpose: This study was designed to investigate the experience of parents of children with and without developmental disabilities who use Touch-Screen Mobile Devices (TSMD) and their subjective evaluation of its impact on their children. Procedure: A survey was administered via the internet and via personal connections. Results: Statistically significant differences were found between the parents of children with a disability and those without. In general the study findings show a fairly high degree of satisfaction with the
Oxide Electronics and Vanadium Dioxide Perspective: A Review

Metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFET) have been for a long time the key elements of modern electronics industry. For the purpose of a permanent integration enhancement, the size of MOSFET has been decreasing exponentially for over decades in compliance with Moore's Law, but nowadays, owing to the intrinsic restrictions, the further scaling of MOSFET devices either encounters fundamental limits or demands for more and more sophisticated and expensive engineering solutions. Alternative approaches and device concepts are currently designed both in order to sustain an increase of the integration degree, and to improve the functionality and performance of electronic devices. Oxide electronics is one of such promising approaches which could enable and accelerate the development of information and computing technology. The behavior of delectrons in transition metal oxides is responsible for the unique properties of these materials, causing strong electronelectron correlations, which play an important role in the mechanism of metal-insulator transition. The Mott transition in vanadium dioxide is specifically the phenomenon that researchers consider as a corner stone of oxide electronics, particularly, in its special direction known as a Motttransition field-effect transistor (MTFET). This review focuses on current research, latest results, urgent problems and nearterm outlook of oxide electronics with special emphasis on the state of the art and recent progress in the field of VO2-based MTFETs. Index Terms — Oxide electronics, Mott transition FET, metal-insulator transition, transition metal oxides, vanadium dioxide. 1 Manuscript received November 25, 2013; accepted December 10, 2013. Date of online publication: December 15, 2013. This work was supported by the Strategic Development Program of Petrozavodsk State University (2012 – 2016), Ministry of Education and Science of Russian Federation “Scientific and Educational Community of Innovation Russia (2009-2013)” Program through contracts no. 14.740. 11.0895, no. 14.740. 11.0137, no. 14.740. 11.1157, no. 16.740. 11. 0562, and no. 14.B37. 21.0755, as well as “Development of Scientific Potential of High School” Program, contracts no. 2.3282. 2011 and no. 2.2774. 2011. A. L. Pergament is with the Department of Information Measuring Systems and Physical Electronics, Faculty of Physical Engineering of Petrozavodsk State University, 185910 Petrozavodsk, Russia (e-mail: aperg@psu.karelia.ru). G. B. Stefanovich is with the Department of Information Measuring Systems and Physical Electronics, Faculty of Physical Engineering of Petrozavodsk State University, 185910 Petrozavodsk, Russia (e-mail: gstef@yandex.ru). A. A. Velichko is with the Department of Electronics and Electrical Power Engineering, Faculty of Physical Engineering of Petrozavodsk State University, 185910 Petrozavodsk, Russia (e-mail: velichko@ psu.karelia.ru).
SPITZER SPACE TELESCOPE MEASUREMENTS OF DUST REVERBERATION LAGS IN THE SEYFERT 1 GALAXY NGC 6418

We present results from a 15 month campaign of high-cadence (∼3 days) mid-infrared Spitzer and optical (B and V) monitoring of the Seyfert 1 galaxy NGC 6418, with the objective of determining the characteristic size of the dusty torus in this active galactic nucleus (AGN). We find that the 3.6 and 4.5 μm flux variations lag behind those of the optical continuum by 37.2 − 2.2 + 2.4 ? > days and 47.1 − 3.1 + 3.1 ? > days, respectively. We report a cross-correlation time lag between the 4.5 and 3.6 μm flux of 13.9 − 0.1 + 0.5 ? > days. The lags indicate that the dust emitting at 3.6 and 4.5 μm is located at a distance ≈ 1 ? > light-month ( ≈ 0.03 pc ? > ) from the source of the AGN UV–optical continuum. The reverberation radii are consistent with the inferred lower limit to the sublimation radius for pure graphite grains at 1800 K, but smaller by a factor of ∼2 than the corresponding lower limit for silicate grains; this is similar to what has been found for near-infrared (K-band) lags in other AGNs. The 3.6 and 4.5 μm reverberation radii fall above the K-band τ ∝ L 0.5 ? > size–luminosity relationship by factors ≲ 2.7 ? > and ≲ 3.4 ? > , respectively, while the 4.5 μm reverberation radius is only 27% larger than the 3.6 μm radius. This is broadly consistent with clumpy torus models, in which individual optically thick clouds emit strongly over a broad wavelength range.
Design and simulation of a high performance rail-to-rail CMOS op-amp at /spl plusmn/3V supply

The paper discusses a CMOS operational amplifier at /spl plusmn/ 3 V supply, with rail-to-rail input and output performance. The trade-off between rail-to-rail performance and power consumption, in terms of bias current is observed. Simulation results with SPICE Level 3 models, using cadence tools, are discussed and compared with other op-amps. The proposed circuit exhibits high speed with slew rate of 49.24 V//spl mu/s, better rejection ratios and offset performance, and consumes a power of 25.44 mW for rail-to-rail performance. The paper also discusses the effects of reducing the bias current to reduce power consumption.
Establishment of Simple and Efficient Methods for Plant Material Harvesting and Storage to Allow DNA Extraction from a Myrtaceae Species with Medicinal Potential

Genomic DNA isolation is an essential procedure to allow many genetic applications and analyses like that using molecular markers. Obtaining good quality DNA samples is the first step to succeed in such analysis and it depends on effective procedures for harvesting and preserving the plant material, and also for DNA extraction. The use of fresh material is ideal for DNA isolation, however, in studies that involve the harvesting of wild plants this is not always possible, since in most cases, populations are distant from the research laboratory. An alternative is freezing the plant material in liquid nitrogen in the field, but this practice is not feasible in many cases, given the difficulty and danger of transporting the liquid nitrogen tank on places of difficult access. In this study, we present four simple, efficient and low cost methodologies that have been successfully tested for a Myrtaceae species with medicinal potential collected at different biomes, Atlantic Rainforest and Brazilian Savanna (Cerrado). Among the main advantages observed are the reduced use of liquid nitrogen, the use of inexpensive materials and ease of transport and storage of samples. The methods presented here can potentially be applied to other species of this botanical family.
Crime and Deviance Over the Life Course: The Salience of Adult Social Bonds

Analyzing the natural histories of two samples of boys that differ dramatically in childhood delinquency, we test a model of crime and deviance over the life course. The first hypothesis is that childhood antisocial behavior predicts problems in adult development across a wide variety of dimensions. Second, we argue that social bonds in adulthood--to work and family--explain changes in crime and deviance over the life span. The longitudinal data were reconstructed from the Gluecks' classic study of delinquent and non-delinquent males from childhood to age 32. Childhood delinquency is linked to adult crime, alcohol abuse, general deviance, economic dependency, educational failure, unemployment, divorce, and even charges in the military. Despite this continuity, job stability and strong marital attachment in adulthood inhibit adult criminal and deviant behavior. The results support a model of informal social control that recognizes both stability and change in antisocial behavior over the life course. Language: en
Research on Optimization Algorithm Based on Big Data Calculation Framework in High Speed Optical Fiber Communication System

The efficiency of high speed fiber optic system is improved in the big data era. The computing framework based on big data can provide feasibility analysis for applications, yet the algorithm needs further study. This paper proposed the optimization algorithm of p-DOT model in big data computing framework via analyzing the big data computing model in high speed optical fiber communication system. The optimization algorithm based on big data computing framework is designed taking the machine parameters, execution mode and cost function as reference variables, aiming at providing theoretical reference for big data operation to improve the efficiency of high speed optical fiber communication system.
Automaker-supplier relationships and new product development in the truck industry: the case of Volvo do Brasil

Previous studies have focused on differences between western and Japanese approaches to supply chain network management techniques as regards NPD and relationship-specific ties. Based on in-depth interviews with senior managers at Volvo Trucks Brazil and two Spanish first tier suppliers, the aim of this research is to learn about the types of NPD collaboration ties used between Volvo and suppliers and to examine the supply chain network management techniques and routines used to intensify inter-firm collaboration and promote value-chain optimisation. One main finding of this research is that there is not one best buyer-supplier relationship style for NPD, but that relationships differ significantly depending on the degree to which the buyer relies on the capacity and technology possessed by each provider. Lower NPD frequency than in the car industry and the introduction of the Volvo production system in 2007 also make buyer-supplier relationships focused on NPD stronger in Volvo Trucks than in previously researched big car firms.
On high spots of the fundamental sloshing eigenfunctions in axially symmetric domains

We investigate the classical eigenvalue problem that arises in hydrodynamics and is referred to as the sloshing problem. It describes free liquid oscillations in a liquid container W⊂ℝ3. The Cartesian coordinates (x, y, z) are chosen so that the mean free surface of the liquid F lies in the (x, z)‐plane and the y‐axis is directed upwards. We study the case when W is an axially symmetric, convex, bounded domain such that W⊂F×(−∞, 0). Our first result states that the fundamental eigenvalue has multiplicity 2 and for each fundamental eigenfunction φ, there is a change of x, z‐coordinates by a rotation around the y‐axis so that φ is odd in x‐variable.
Boglione L;Cusato J;De Nicolò A;Cariti G;Di Perri G;D'Avolio A. Role of CYP27B1+2838 promoter polymorphism in the treatment of chronic hepatitis B HBeAg negative with PEG-interferon.. JOURNAL OF VIRAL

Role of CYP27B1+2838 promoter polymorphism in the treatment of chronic hepatitis B HBeAg negative with PEGinterferon. / Boglione L;Cusato J;De Nicolò A;Cariti G;Di Perri G;D'Avolio A. In: JOURNAL OF VIRAL HEPATITIS. ISSN 1352-0504. 22:3(2015), pp. 318-327. Original Citation: Role of CYP27B1+2838 promoter polymorphism in the treatment of chronic hepatitis B HBeAg negative with PEGinterferon.
Modelling temporal variability in the carbon balance of a spruce/moss boreal forest

A model of the daily carbon balance of a black spruce (Picea mariana) feathermoss boreal forest ecosystem was developed and results compared to preliminary data form the 1994 BOREAS field campaign in N Manitoba, Canada. A simulation of the same site for 1968-1989 showed ≃10-20% year-to-year variability in heterotrophic respiration. Moss net primary productivity (NPP) ranged from 19 to 114 g C m-2 y-1; spruce NPP from 81 to 150 g C m-2 y-1; spruce growth (NPP minus litterfall) from 34 to 103 g C m-1 y-1; net ecosystem exchange (NEE) ranged from +37 to -142 g C m-2 y-1. Values for these carbon balance terms in 1994 were slightly smaller than the 1969-89 means. Higher ecosystem productivity years (more negative NEE) generally had early springs and relatively wet summers; lower productivity years had late springs and relatively dry summers.
FAIN: FILTERING AGENT FOR INTERNET

This paper illustrates the design and implementation of FAIN (Filtering Agent for Internet) based on the Gaia methodology and the AUML notation. The proposed system generates and maintains a user profile by learning from examples that are judged and classified by the user during the training stage. A learning algorithm which is based on the Baldwin effect that combines learning with evolution is applied to judge an online stream of documents and filter it according to the learned profile. The illustration of the design and implementation of FAIN has shown the applicability of Gaia complemented with the AUML notation to the modeling of agent-based system.
From paper to electronic dictionaries: Evolving dictionary skills

Successful dictionary use depends on two factors: (1) user-friendliness of dictionaries and (2) good dictionary reference skills of their users. As the world moves from paper to electronic dictionaries, we need to realize that the skills needed to use modern digital dictionaries are not necessarily identical to those for traditional print dictionaries. Some print dictionary skills are transferable to the context of digital products, whereas some other skills are no longer relevant, often because electronic dictionaries may now be able to do part of what used to be the user’s job (such as automatically reducing an inflected form to a citation form). On the other hand, using electronic dictionaries may require new types of reference skills, not known from paper dictionaries. The most salient group of new skills is related to searching for information, and may be subsumed under the more general concept of digital literacy. In the present contribution I consider which paper dictionary skills are still relevant for digital dictionaries, which are obsolete, and what types of skills are new to electronic dictionaries.
Development of Individual Virtual Competences: Practices in Brazilian Companies

The transfer of knowledge can be challenged by various factors, particularly when communication between individuals heavily relies on electronic media, as is the case during the development of virtual work. The literature suggests that the individual competence to communicate effectively in virtual settings (Individual Virtual Competence - IVC) may represent a key element of enabling this process. The mechanisms for the development of this competence, however, are not yet fully comprehended nor delimited. The objective of this study is to investigate formal and informal practices that organizations may adopt to develop IVC in their workforces. It also aims at investigating the dissemination of such practices in companies located in Brazil. To this end, the case study methodological approach was selected. The results suggest that organizations already possess the physical infrastructure and practices needed to support the development of the technical aspects of IVC; however, more effort is still needed with regard to the implementation of practices associated with the development of the non-technical aspects of IVC.
Characterization of Two Orthologs of REVERSION-TO-ETHYLENE SENSITIVITY1 in Apple

The Arabidopsis RTE1 (REVERSION-TO-ETHYLENE SENSITIVITY1) and its tomato ortholog GREEN RIPE (GR) are important in plant ethylene signaling, response and/or fruit ripening. To investigate the potential role of RTE1 -like genes in apple ( M. ×domestica Borkh.) fruit ripening, two orthologs of RTE1 were identified in the apple genome, designated MdRTE1a and MdRTE1b . Using yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) approach, a cDNA prey library was constructed from a pool of maturing/ripening fruit of ‘Golden Delicious’. Screening the library with MdRTE1a identified two putative NAC ( N AM/ A TAF1, 2/ C UC2) proteins, designated MdNAC1 and MdNAC2, that interacted with MdRTE1a in yeast cells. MdRTE1b, a closely related paralog of MdRTE1a, was also confirmed to be interactive with MdNAC1 and MdNAC2 using the Y2H system. The expression of MdRTE1a and MdNAC1 was high in young fruit but low in more developed and ripening fruit. This pattern of low expression remained largely consistent and was not affected by treatment with 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP), an inhibitor of ethylene perception, or ethephon, an ethylene releasing compound. However, the expression of MdRTE1b and MdNAC2 rapidly increased during fruit ripening and was highly inhibited by 1-MCP. These data suggested that MdRTE1a, MdNAC1 and their possible interactions in apple cells may play roles in growth, whereas MdRTE1b, MdNAC2 and their putative interactions are involved in ethylene signaling, response and fruit ripening. The possible interactions between an RTE1-like protein and a NAC protein in plant cells have not been reported thus far. Its implications in ethylene signaling and response are discussed.
SOLAR POWERED SYNCHRONOUS BUCK CONVERTER FOR LOW VOLTAGE APPLICATIONS

The current resurgence of interest in the use of renewable energy is driven by the need to reduce the high environmental impact of fossil based energy systems. Future sustainability depends on use of different renewable energy sources. A photovoltaic generation system is becoming one of the important renewable energy due to absence of fuel cost, low maintenance and environment friendliness. This paper presents synchronous buck converter based PV energy system for portable applications; especially low power device applications such as charging mobile phone batteries are considered. Here, the converter topology used uses soft switching technique to reduce the switching losses which is found prominently in the conventional buck converter, thus efficiency of the system is improved and the heating of MOSFETs due to switching losses reduce and the MOSFETs have a longer life. The DC power extracted from the PV array is directly fed to the synchronous buck converter to suit the load requirements. The whole system is simulated using MATLAB-Simulink environment.
Sulle Possibili Strategie di Uscita dalla Crisi

La struttura dell’Euro sembra essere una delle giustificazioni del prolungamento della crisi europea. In questo scritto, riprendiamo e discutiamo quattro differenti modi di uscita dalla crisi proposti in letteratura o sui riviste e giornali in questi ultimi anni. Proviamo a porre l’accento sia sui costi economici che su quelli politici e, soprattutto, li leghiamo al tempo che deve intercorrere affinche possano essere realizzate.
IX Ophiuchi: A High-Velocity Star Near a Molecular Cloud

The molecular cloud Barnard 59 is probably an outlier of the Upper Sco/ρ Oph complex. B59 contains several T Tauri stars (TTSs), but outside its northwestern edge are three other Hα-emission objects whose nature has been unclear: IX, KK, and V359 Oph. This paper is a discussion of all three and of a nearby Be star (HD 154851), based largely on Keck HIRES spectrograms obtained in 2004. KK Oph is a close (1.″6) double. The brighter component is an HAeBe star, and the fainter is a K-type TTS. The complex BVR variations of the unresolved pair require both components to be variable. V359 Oph is a conventional TTS. Thus, these pre-main-sequence stars continue to be recognizable as such well outside the boundary of their parent cloud. IX Oph is quite different. Its absorption spectrum is about type G, with many peculiarities: all lines are narrow but abnormally weak, with structures that depend on ion and excitation level and that vary in detail from month to month. It could be a spectroscopic binary of small amplitude. Hα and Hβ are the only prominent emission lines. They are broad, with variable central reversals. However, the most unusual characteristic of IX Oph is the very high (heliocentric) radial velocity: about -310 km s-1, common to all spectrograms, and very different from the radial velocity of B59, about -7 km s-1. There is no detectable Li I λ6707 line. There is reason to believe that IX Oph is actually a background object, only aligned with B59. Several conceivable interpretations are discussed: (1) It is unlikely that it is a high-velocity ejectee from the Upper Sco or Upper Cen-Lup associations (the lack of detectable λ6707 shows that it is not the product of a very recent event, and the proper motion points in the wrong direction) or that it was born in or ejected from one of the distant high-velocity CO clouds at this longitude (l = 357°). (2) A stronger possibility is that it is simply a metal-poor high-velocity G- or K-type giant (but such stars are not irregularly variable in light and do not have such strong Balmer emission lines). More likely, (3) IX Oph is a member of the high-velocity, low-metallicity SRd class of semiregular variables found in the field and in some globular clusters. At some phases, those stars show Hα emission like that found in IX Oph and, in one example, emission lines of neutral metals and double absorption lines as in IX Oph.
A review of gastropods from a Callovian (Middle Jurassic) glacial drift at Łuków, Eastern Poland

This paper reviews all available data on gastropods from an abandoned Callovian clay pit in ⁄ Lukow ⁄ Lapiguz located on the large glacial drift. A total of 51 species of gastropods are reported from this locality in contributions by MAKOWSKI (1952), SCHRODER (1995), and KAIM (2004). The fauna of the sideritic concretions is dominated by aporrhaid gastropods while the clay fauna is dominated by the alleged eumetulid Cosmocerithium and maturifusids. The latter association is characteristic for Jurassic sunken-wood assemblages and might originate also in such a setting. The PCA and cluster analyses groups well this distinctive association and clearly delimit from other gastropod associations in that region. A new genus and species Makowskispira lapiguzensis is described and attributed to Ampullinidae. The new genus differs from other members of the family by distinct spiral ornamentation.
Extending the Territory: From Open Educational Resources to Open Educational Practices.

This article examines the findings of the recent OPAL report Beyond OER: Shifting Focus from Resources to Practices. In doing so, it defines current understanding of open educational resources and open educational practices, and highlights the shift from open content to open practice. The article includes a framework for supporting open educational practices. The conclusions emphasise that open access is a necessary but not sufficient condition for the opening of education, and foreshadows ongoing moves toward changes in educational architectures that promote increased uptake of open educational resources and wider application of open education.