Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Dzhungarian fault: Late Quaternary tectonics and slip rate of a major right‐lateral strike‐slip fault in the northern Tien Shan region

The Dzhungarian strike‐slip fault of Central Asia is one of a series of long, NW‐SE right‐lateral strike‐slip faults that are characteristic of the northern Tien Shan region and extends over 300 km from the high mountains into the Kazakh Platform. Our field‐based and satellite observations reveal that the Dzhungarian fault can be characterized by three 100 km long sections based on variation in strike direction. Through morphological analysis of offset streams and alluvial fans, and through optically stimulated luminescence dating, we find that the Dzhungarian fault has a minimum average late Quaternary slip rate of 2.2 ± 0.8 mm/yr and accommodates N‐S shortening related to the India‐Eurasia collision. This shortening may also be partly accommodated by counterclockwise rotation about a vertical axis. Evidence for a possible paleo‐earthquake rupture indicates that earthquakes up to at least Mw 7 can be associated with just the partitioned component of reverse slip on segments of the central section of the fault up to 30 km long. An event rupturing longer sections of the Dzhungarian fault has the potential to generate greater magnitude earthquakes (Mw 8); however, long time periods (e.g., thousands of years) are expected in order to accumulate enough strain to generate such earthquakes.
Modeling Scale Attraction Effects: An Application to Charitable Donations and Optimal Laddering

Charities seeking donations usually employ an "appeals scale," a set of specific suggested amounts presented directly to potential donors. Choosing them well is crucial: if charities select overly high scale points, they risk their being ignored or even alienating donors and receiving nothing, while overly low scale points may encourage donors to give less than they'd have otherwise. Despite their widespread use, little is known about the degree to which the points on such scales affect both whether a donation is made and, if so, its size. Using panel data from a 3.5 year quasiexperiment, we develop a joint model accounting for both donation incidence and amount. The model incorporates heterogeneity across donors in both scale attraction effects and in donation patterns (e.g., seasonality), and allows tests of distinct operationalizations of internal and external reference price theories. Results suggest that scale points do exert substantial attraction effects; that these vary markedly across donors; that donors are more easily persuaded to give less than more; and that there are strong seasonal donation patterns in giving. A significantly negative correlation between error terms in (latent) donation propensity and (observed) donation amount highlights the importance of accounting for selectivity effects. We illustrate the framework with a speculative application to "laddering": how much charities should increase amounts subsequently requested of individual donors, based on their donation histories
Plantago psyllium-Grafted-Polyacrylonitrile— Synthesis, Characterization and Its Use in Suspended and Dissolved Solid Removal from Textile Effluent

Grafted copolymer of Plantago psyllium mucilage and acrylonitrile has been synthesized in the presence of nitrogen using ceric ion-nitric acid redox system. P. psyllium-grafted-polyacrylonitrile (PSY-g-PAN) was characterized by IR spectroscopy and tested for its flocculation efficiency in textile effluent by the standard jar test method. The effects of polymer dose, pH and contact time on the removal of solid waste from textile effluent is reported. The optimum dose was found to be 1.6 mg/L, at which a maximum solid removal of 94% suspended solid (SS) and 80% total dissolved solid (TDS) was seen. The most suitable pH was acidic (pH 4.0) and neutral (pH 7.0), for SS and TDS removal, respectively. The optimum treatment duration was 1 hour. X-ray analysis of PSY-gPAN and solid waste from effluent before and after treatment suggests the interaction of the solid waste with the PSY-g-PAN copolymer.
Evaluation of Thermo-mechanical stress in work rolls of ring rolling mill under thermal and mechanical loading

The defect in work rolls directly influence the forming cost and the final shape of the product. The researchers tend to investigate the thermo-mechanical stress in work roll of rolling machines. These stresses may reduce the roll life. Since the investigation of the thermo-mechanical stress in work roll with real-conditions is complex, comprehensive studies by means of numerical methods are available in numerous literature. However, simulating the thermo-mechanical stress is time-consuming. So, most researchers desire to simplify the geometry and boundary conditions in order to reduce simulation cost. This paper proposes an integrated finite element model to study the thermo-mechanical behavior of work rolls during hot ring rolling process. Various methods were simulated and advantages and disadvantages of each method were discussed. Due to complexities of ring rolling process, the presented model was used in flat rolling in order to verify model integrity. After that work rolls of ring rolling mill subjected to partial boundary conditions are investigated. The results of thermal and thermo-mechanical simulations show stresses in the contact region of work rolls are rather different. However, they expressed the same results in other regions. Based on the obtained results, it is revealed that the effect of mechanical loads in the equivalent stresses should be considered and the location of equivalent maximum stress is below the surface.
Mineral Composition of Bambaranut – Tigernut – Coconut Mil Beverage Blends

Mineral composition of bambaranut-tigernut-coconut milk beverage blends was conducted. This aimed to assess the amount of calcium, potassium, iron, zinc, phosphorus and magnesium in the blends and compare with standards. Four blends of milk beverage were formulated using different ratios of 1:1:1, 3:2:1, 2:3:1 and 1:3:2 from single milk extraction from babaranut, tigernut and coconut respectively. Two control samples were made from 100% bambaranut and tigernut milk respectively. The samples were subjected to mineral (calcium, potassium, iron, zinc, phosphorus and magnesium) analysis using standard assay method. The result showed that the values of mineral element per 100g ranged from 8.34 – 18.20mg calcium, 1.82 – 4.24mg potassium, 0.86 – 2.25mg iron, 1.02 – 3.38mg zinc, 1.15 – 2.97mg phosphorous and 0.87 – 1.24mg magnesium. This study has revealed that the blends are good source of minerals however, it was below the quantity contained in milk. This work can be improved on by as well as subjecting the blends to further research to check the level of antinutrients and to know the bioavailability of the minerals. It is therefore recommended that this study be replicated in different parts of the world. Industries are encouraged to adopt the methodology to produce it in larger quantities for commercialization to help fight hidden hunger that is ravaging the world today.
Who Monitors the Monitor? The Effect of Board Independence on Executive Compensation and Firm Value

Recent corporate governance reforms focus on the board's independence and encourage equity ownership by directors. We analyze the efficacy of these reforms in a model in which both adverse selection and moral hazard exist at the level of the firm's management. Delegating governance to the board improves monitoring but creates another agency problem because directors themselves avoid effort and are dependent on the CEO. We show that as directors become less dependent on the CEO, their monitoring efficiency may decrease even as they improve the incentive efficiency of executive compensation contracts. Therefore, a board composed of directors that are more independent may actually perform worse. Moreover, higher equity incentives for the board may increase equity-based compensation awards to management.
Geographic variation in the upper thermal limits of an intertidal snail: implications for climate envelope models.

ABSTRACT: Although climate envelope models are used increasingly to predict the response of spe-cies to climate change, these models may perform poorly when species are comprised of locallyadapted populations with differing environmental tolerances. Despite this concern, little is knownabout how tolerance traits vary across a species’ geographic range. In this study, we tested whetherthe upper thermal limits of a direct-developing intertidal snail, Nucella canaliculata , varied amongpopulations distributed along the northeastern Pacific coast. Snails from 7 sites in central California,northern California, and Oregon (USA) were reared through 2 generations in a common laboratoryenvironment to minimize the potential influence of field acclimatization and other non-geneticeffects. Laboratory assays of acute lethal temperature tolerance (LT 50 ) indicated that newly hatched N. canaliculata from central California were less heat tolerant than their conspecifics from Oregon.These differences in upper thermal limits likely have a genetic basis and are consistent with a mosaicof potential thermal stress in rocky intertidal habitats along the northeastern Pacific coast. In partic-ular, some northern sites experience longer exposures to stressful midday low tides than southernsites, due to variation among regions in the timing of low tides. Persistent regional differences in tidalregimes, climate, and other environmental factors may act as selective forces that influence the phys-iology of intertidal species with broad latitudinal ranges. The resulting geographic distribution ofthermally tolerant genotypes may be spatially complex, and may thus alter predictions regarding theeffects of climate change on local extinctions and species’ geographic range shifts.KEY WORDS: Thermal tolerance · Thermal stress · Biogeography · Local adaptation · Climatechange ·
Multidimensional Poverty Analysis of Urban and Rural Households in South Africa

The study profiled and compared household multidimensional poverty status and its determinants among urban and rural households in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, using information from a sample population of 3033 households interviewed from the Province during the General Household Survey conducted by the Statistics South Africa in 2014. Analytical techniques utilized include the recent multidimensional poverty index (MPI), descriptive statistics and Tobit regression. Findings reveal that multiple deprivations are found mostly in the rural area of the province; the multidimensional headcount is highest in the rural area, though the intensity of multidimensional poverty is almost similar in both geographical locations. The standard of living dimension is also the largest contribution to MPI in both locations. MPI has significant links with education attainment of household head, access to electricity and asset stock in both geographical locations, but is influenced by the gender of head, agriculture engagement and household monthly income in rural areas only. In order to improve households’ multidimensional poverty status in both urban and rural locations, there is the need to take into account some significant variables such as education of head, increase electricity subsidy coverage during winter period, asset accumulation and increase in households’ participation in agricultural activities, especially those residing in rural areas.
Green-Synthesized Silver Nanoparticles and Their Potential for Antibacterial Applications

The prevalence of infectious diseases is becoming a worldwide problem, and antimicro- bial drugs have long been used for prophylactic and therapeutic purposes, but bacterial resistance has creating serious treatment problems. The development of antibiotic resistance makes scientists around the world to seek new drugs that would be more effective. The use and search for drugs obtained from plants and other natural prod - ucts have increased in recent years. It is well known that silver and its compounds have strong antibacterial activity. Silver, compared to the other metals, shows higher toxicity to microorganisms, while it exhibits lower toxicity to mammalian cells. The progress in the field of nanotechnology has helped scientists to look for new ways in the develop - ment of antibacterial drugs. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are interesting for their wide range of applications, e.g. in pharmaceutical sciences, which include treatment of skin diseases (e.g. acne and dermatitis) and other infectious diseases (e.g. post-surgical infec-tions). Various antibacterial aids, such as antiseptic sprays, have also been developed from AgNPs. In this chapter, we have focused on various synthesis methodologies of AgNPs, antibacterial properties, and the mechanism of action.
Growth of Bacillus pumilus and Halomonas halodurans in sulfates: prospects for life on Europa

Se presentan los resultados correspondientes al crecimiento de Bacillus pumilus y Halomonas halodurans en distintas concentraciones de NaCl, MgCl2 , Na2 SO4 y MgSO4 para demostrar que estas bacterias tienen la capacidad de desarrollarse en medios enriquecidos, no solo con cloruro de sodio, sino tambien con otras sales de interes astrobiologico. La importancia de este estudio radica en evaluar las posibilidades de adecuacion de estas bacterias en un escenario hipotetico cuyo contenido salino y composicion sean parecidos al del oceano de Europa, uno de los satelites de Jupiter. Una manera de evidenciar el mecanismo de adecuacion utilizado por estas bacterias es a traves de la caracterizacion quimica, mediante resonancia magnetica nuclear (RMN), de los solutos compatibles acumulados en distintas condiciones de salinidad. Bacillus pumilus se hizo crecer en medios modificados con 0.23 M y 0.33 M de NaCl (aw = 0.995 y 0.990, respectivamente) mientras que Halomonas halodurans se hizo crecer en medios modificados con 0.44 M y 0.89 M de NaCl (aw = 0.985 y 0.965, respectivamente). La caracterizacion de los solutos compatibles demostro que B. pumilus acumula principalmente betaina mientras que H. halodurans acumula betaina y glutamato, segun sea la concentracion salina de su medio. Se comenta la relevancia de estos resultados en el contexto de la composicion salina del oceano de Europa y bajo la perspectiva de la potencial habitabilidad de este satelite joviano
Research of Jiles-Atherton Dynamic Model in Giant Magnetostrictive Actuator

Due to the existence of multicoupled nonlinear factors in the giant magnetostrictive actuator (GMA), building precise mathematical model is highly important to study GMA’s characteristics and control strategies. Minor hysteresis loops near the bias magnetic field would be often applied because of its relatively good linearity. Load, friction, and disc spring stiffness seriously affect the output characteristics of the GMA in high frequency. Therefore, the current-displacement dynamic minor loops mathematical model coupling of electric-magnetic-machine is established according to Jiles-Atherton (J-A) dynamic model of hysteresis material, GMA structural dynamic equation, Ampere loop circuit law, and nonlinear piezomagnetic equation and demonstrates its correctness and effectiveness in the experiments. Finally, some laws are achieved between key structural parameters and output characteristics of GMA, which provides important theoretical foundation for structural design.
A note on completeness in large financial markets

We study completeness in large financial markets, namely markets containing countably many assets. We investigate the relationship between asymptotic completeness in the global market and completeness in the finite submarkets, under a no-arbitrage assumption. We also suggest a way to approximate a replicating strategy in the large market by finite-dimensional portfolios. Furthermore, we find necessary and sufficient conditions for completeness to hold in a factor model.
Cognitive-Behavioral Stress Management Interventions for Ethnic-Minority HIV-Positive Alcohol/Drug Abusers in Resource Limited and Culturally Diverse Communities

The article reports our intervention work with Alcohol and Other Drug Abusing (AOD) People Living With HIV (PLWH). Present research has involved adapting Cognitive Behavioral Stress Management (CBSM) and other strategies to improve quality of life and health outcomes for PLWH. Historically, CBSM has used relaxation and coping skills training to reduce negative mood and improve coping behaviors. The efficacy of CBSM interventions to improve functioning has been demonstrated in many disease groups and, more recently, in ethnic-minority HIV+ samples in the US CBSM HIV risk reduction interventions are similar to other cognitive-behavioral therapies in emphasizing skills training and stress reduction. Among the most precarious and challenging clinical populations are HIV infected individuals with a history of alcohol and/or drug abuse. Compared to their counterparts with no history of alcohol or drug abuse, not only are they more likely to transmit the virus to others, but they are also at risk for problems in adhering to antiretroviral regimens. A main focus of this article is to report on our intervention work with very resource-limited, ethnic-minority PLWH with substance abuse problems, particularly our NIH funded projects in Miami and Haiti and the opportunities presented by the emerging science of biological vulnerability and genomic factors.
Inhibitory activity of high antioxidant Australian native fruits against the bacterial triggers of selected autoimmune diseases

Introduction: High antioxidant capacities have been linked to the treatment of rheumatic diseases and in the inhibition of microbial growth. Recent reports have identified several native Australian fruits with high antioxidant capacities. Despite this, several of these species are yet to be tested for the ability to inhibit the growth of the bacterial triggers of autoimmune inflammatory diseases. Methods: Solvent extracts prepared from selectedAustralian native fruits were analysed for antioxidant capacity by the DPPH free radical scavenging assay.Growth inhibitory activities against bacterial species associated with initiating rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitiswere determined bydisc diffusion assay and quantified by MIC determination. Toxicity was determined by Artemia franciscana bioassay. Results: Methanolic extracts of all plant species displayed high antioxidant contents (equivalent to approximately 7-16 mg of vitamin C per gram of fruit extracted). Most aqueous extracts also contained relatively high antioxidant capacities. In contrast, the ethyl acetate, chloroform and hexane extracts for most species (except lemon aspen and bush tomato) had lower antioxidant contents (below 1.5 mg of vitamin C equivalents per gram of plant material extracted). Interestingly, the bacterial growth inhibitory activity of the extracts did not correlate with their antioxidant capacities. The fruit extracts with the highest antioxidant capacities (lemon aspen and desert lime methanolic extracts) had only low antibacterial activity, with MIC values generally >10,000 µg/ml against all bacterial species. In contrast, the Illawarra plum and desert lime ethyl acetate extracts, which had mid-range antioxidant capacities (1-6.5 mg ascorbic acid equivalents/g extracted), had potent bacterial growth inhibitory activity (200-400 µg/ml). The native tamarind ethyl acetate extract displayed low-moderate toxicity in the Artemia franciscana bioassay (LC50valuesbelow 1000 µg/mL). All other extracts were nontoxic. Conclusion: The lack of toxicity and inhibitory activity against microbial triggers of rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis by the fruit extracts indicates their potential in the treatment and prevention of these diseases.
The “shallow-waterness” of the wave climate in European coastal regions

Abstract. In contrast to deep water waves, shallow water waves are influenced by bottom topography, which has consequences for the propagation of wave energy as well as for the energy and momentum exchange between the waves and the mean flow. The ERA-Interim reanalysis is used to assess the fraction of wave energy associated with shallow water waves in coastal regions in Europe. We show maps of the distribution of this fraction as well as time series statistics from eight selected stations. There is a strong seasonal dependence and high values are typically associated with winter storms, indicating that shallow water wave effects can occasionally be important even in the deeper parts of the shelf seas otherwise dominated by deep water waves.
The contribution of leisure and entertainment to the evolving polycentric urban network on regional scale - towards a new research agenda

The urban landscape in advanced economies transforms from monocentric cities to polycentric urban networks on regional scale. The growing amount of research that is being devoted to this transformation sticks to classic activity systems like residential development, economic production and employment and commuting. Synchronous to this transformation, a 'new' activity system, outdoor leisure and entertainment, increasingly leaves its stamp on the economic performance and spatial organisation of urban areas in general. Due to tremendous dynamics of consumption, production, and urban politics with regard to this activity system, it is subject of a composite of spatial pressures for centralisation in inner-cites, de-concentration away form central cities and (re-)concentration in suburbs and exurban places. Notwithstanding this composite spatial dynamics, leisure and entertainment are not part of the research agenda on regional polycentric urban networks. Based on brief overviews of literature on both polycentric urban development and the dynamics of leisure and entertainment in urban areas, this paper presents a few basic research questions in order to initiate the research agenda on the contribution of the leisure activity system to the development of polycentric urban networks on regional scale.
KALMAN FILTER BASED RAILWAY TRACKING FROM MOBILE LIDAR DATA

This study introduces a new method to reconstruct 3D model of railway tracks from a railway corridor scene captured by mobile LiDAR data. The proposed approach starts to approximate the orientation of railway track trajectory from LiDAR point clouds and extract a strip, which direction is orthogonal to the trajectory of railway track. Within the strip, a track region and its track points are detected based on the Bayesian decision process. Once the main track region is localized, rail head points are segmented based on the region growing approach from the detected track points and then initial track models are reconstructed using a third-degree polynomial function. Based on the initial modelling result, a potential track region with varying lengths is dynamically predicted and the model parameters are updated in the Kalman Filter framework. The key aspect is that the proposed approach is able to enhance the efficiency of the railway tracking process by reducing the complexity for detecting track points and reconstructing track models based on the use of the track model previously reconstructed. An evaluation of the proposed method is performed over an urban railway corridor area containing multiple railway track pairs.