Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Levels and Sources of PM2.5-associated PAHs during and after the Wheat Harvest in a Central Rural Area of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) Region

ABSTRACT Wheat harvesting and the subsequent straw burning for the planting of maize cause severe PM2.5 and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) pollution. This study collected PM2.5 samples from the central area of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region on the North China Plain between 18 June and 7 July 2019, during and after the wheat harvest (DWH and AWH, respectively) and analyzed them for 18 PAHs. The average PM2.5 concentration DWH, 156 ± 42.5 µg m–3, was twice of that AWH (75.6 ± 31.9 µg m–3), which was attributed to fugitive dust generated by the wheat harvesters. However, the opposite trend, AWH > DWH, was observed for the total concentration of the 18 PM2.5-associated PAHs due to the open burning of wheat straw for maize planting. Four PAH sources, namely, biomass burning (BB), coal combustion (CC), vehicle emission (VE), and industry (IN), were identified by positive matrix factorization (PMF), and the elevated contribution from BB AWH demonstrated the effect of open wheat straw burning. CC accounted for the highest proportion DWH, indicating that residential coal combustion for cooking, due to its low economic cost, has remained a common practice despite the implementation of the Coal Removal Campaign in 2013. The 11.6% contribution of BB DWH also confirmed the use of biomass fuel for indoor cooking in rural areas of China. VE was the largest contributor of PAHs during the whole sampling period, reflecting the operation of wheat harvesters and rotary cultivators, but BB was the main source during three peaks in the PAH concentration, which occurred on 22 June, 28 June, and 2 July. Open BB, which also possessed a second source in air masses transported from northeastern China, was responsible for the high levels of benzo[e]pyrene (BeP) and 5-ring PAHs. Backward trajectory clustering revealed that the adjacent cities of Shijiazhuang and Baoding were the primary IN source.
Energy-shaping control of soft continuum manipulators with in-plane disturbances

Soft continuum manipulators offer levels of compliance and inherent safety that can render them a superior alternative to conventional rigid robots for a variety of tasks, such as medical interventions or human–robot interaction. However, the ability of soft continuum manipulators to compensate for external disturbances needs to be further enhanced to meet the stringent requirements of many practical applications. In this paper, we investigate the control problem for soft continuum manipulators that consist of one inextensible segment of constant section, which bends under the effect of the internal pressure and is subject to unknown disturbances acting in the plane of bending. A rigid-link model of the manipulator with a single input pressure is employed for control purposes and an energy-shaping approach is proposed to derive the control law. A method for the adaptive estimation of disturbances is detailed and a disturbance compensation strategy is proposed. Finally, the effectiveness of the controller is demonstrated with simulations and with experiments on an inextensible soft continuum manipulator that employs pneumatic actuation.
Sub-Grid Scale Modelling at Scale with Deep Learning and up to 60 Billion Degrees of Freedom

This work presents fully resolved direct numerical simulations (DNSs) of a turbulent reactive planar temporally non-premixed jet conﬁguration with up to 60 billion degrees of freedom. As scalar mixing is of utmost importance for this kind of conﬁguration, a novel deep learning (DL) approach in the context of large-eddy simulation is presented which results in predictive mixing statistics on underresolved grids. The usability of the mixing model is approved by applying it to the DNS data. Furthermore, node performance measurements for the training of the DL networks are shown for different computing clusters.
A Survey of Enhanced Device Discovery Schemes in Bluetooth Low Energy Networks

Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) is a popular low power wireless technology, used for short-range communication. In BLE networks, discovery process enables fast and energy-efficient communication, since all communications must involve it at the first step. For this reason, some studies have proposed novel discovery schemes to improve the performance of device discovery process. Nevertheless, literature report that provides a consolidated view are limited and insufficient. In this paper, we survey different device discovery schemes in BLE networks and discuss their advantages and limitations. The enhanced schemes are categorized into two approaches: parameter adjustment and collision avoidance approach. The first approach improves the performance by adjusting the discovery parameters according to a network situation. In the second approach, the BLE devices try to avoid the interference to reduce collisions in crowded networks.
The avian maternal environment: exploring the physiological mechanisms driving progeny performance

SUMMARY Environmental factors, both positive and negative, experienced by breeder hens during their reproductive life, can have significant influence on the productive efficiency and health of their progeny. This is particularly important considering that commercial chicken meat birds spend a significant proportion of their life in ovo, and alteration to the in ovo environment can permanently ‘program’ progeny endocrine pathways. The maternal environment is greatly influenced by factors such as nutrition and stress, both of which play a significant role in the chicken meat breeder industry due to feed restriction practices, ranging from 25% to 80% ad libitum intake. The effects of nutrition and stress and their influence on the maternal environment have been extensively investigated in mammalian literature, primarily focusing on the development and function of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) in offspring including the exposure of the stress hormone cortisol. Disruption of the HPA axis can inadvertently disrupt other important endocrine pathways, involved in growth and metabolism, including the growth hormone-insulin-like growth factor I axis (GH/IGF-I) and the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis (HPT). The disruption or ‘reprogramming’ of metabolic endocrine axes through maternal influences has been linked to variations in progeny performance, including growth rate and body composition; however, the underlying physiological mechanisms responsible for these phenotypic differences still remain unclear, especially in poultry. The aim of this review is to assess current industry practices that may influence the maternal (breeder hen) environment, whilst reviewing the concept of developmental programming, and its application to chicken meat production.
Investigating the Emergence and Performance of Shopping Malls from Design Review and Users’ Perspectives in Karachi, Pakistan

This paper is based on a study that investigates emergence and performance of shopping malls from design review and users’ experience. It examines users’ expectancy of services and their level of satisfaction, thus, influences overall performance evaluation of a shopping mall. This research paper also explores emergence of shopping malls in Karachi and a concise account of identifying challenges and exploring opportunities. The research methodology employs qualitative mode of research design for data collection through multiple methods such as on-site investigation by observations, and acquiring user perception by questionnaires and interviews. The data analysis comprises of calculation of customer satisfaction index (CSI) and SPSS statistics tests. Firstly, an overall trend in performance was evaluated. Secondly, it was found if there is statistically significant difference in performance between 5 selected shopping malls of Karachi based on incorporation of design considerations and attributes of a) location and accessibility b) parking and circulation c) site planning and landscape d) design features and services. A proposal of recommendations, as guiding ethos, to minimize impacts of identified challenges in malls of Pakistan concludes this paper.
Isolation and Characterization of the Marine Bacterium, Alteromonas sp. SR-14 Inhibiting the Growth of Diatom, Chaetoceros Species

Marine bacteria inhibiting the growth of the diatom, Chaetoceros calcitrans were screened from seawater samples collected at south coast of Korea in 1996. Six strains were isolated from those samples. Among them, a bacterium SR-14 strain had the strongest inhibition activity against the alga. The selected SR-14 strain was identified as an Alteromonas sp. (supposed to be Alteromonas colwelliana) according to its biochemical results. Alteromonas sp. SR-14 was able to grow in raw seawater, aged seawater, Conwy medium for culture of microalgae and C. calcitrans culture filtrate. The host ranges of Alteromonas sp. SR-14 were C. calcitrans, C. muclleri and C. negracile among 10 species of diatom. All of the Chaetoceros spp. tested were inhibited by the Alteromonas sp. SR-14, However, the growth of the other genera in Bacillariophyceae was not inhibited.
Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi Associated with Rice (Oryza sativa L.) in Ghana: Effect of Regional Locations and Soil Factors on Diversity and Community Assembly

Understanding the community composition and diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in an agricultural ecosystem is important for exploiting their potential in sustainable crop production. In this study, we described the genetic diversity and community structure of indigenous AMF in rain-fed rice cultivars across six different regions in Ghana. The morphological and molecular analyses revealed a total of 15 different AMF genera isolated from rice roots. Rhizophagus and Glomus were observed to be predominant in all regions except the Ashanti region, which was dominated by the genera Scutellospora and Acaulospora. A comparison of AMF diversity among the agroecological zones revealed that Guinea Savannah had the highest diversity. Permutational Multivariate Analysis of Variance (PERMANOVA) analysis indicated that the available phosphorus (AP) in the soil was the principal determining factor for shaping the AMF community structure (p < 0.05). We report, for the first time, AMF diversity and community structure in rice roots and how communities are affected by the chemical properties of soil from different locations in Ghana.
Mediators and modulators of immunity to helminths

5 Lay Summary 7 Abbreviations 8 Thesis Introduction 15 1. HELMINTH INFECTIONS 15 1.1 Models of helminth infection 16 Fig. 1 – The lifecycle of H. polygyrus 19 Fig. 2 – Preparation of HES and H. polygyrus larvae for infections 20 Fig. 3 – The lifecycle of N. brasiliensis 21 1.2 Immunomodulation and Co-infection 22 2. ANTI-HELMINTH IMMUNITY 24 2.1 Cytokine responses 25 2.2 T cell responses 29 2.3 Dendritic cells 32 2.4 Alternatively-activated macrophages and their products 35 2.5 Classically-activated macrophages 41 2.6 Mast cells 41 2.7 Basophils 43 2.8 Eosinophils 45 2.9 Neutrophils 47 2.10 Myeloid-derived suppressor cells 48 2.11 Innate lymphoid cells, IL-25, IL-33 and TSLP 50 2.12 Intestinal smooth muscle and epithelial cells 54 2.13 Goblet cells and their products 55 2.14 Type-2 granulomas 57 2.15 Antibodies and B cells 58 2.16 Immunoregulatory cells and cytokines 62 2.17 The host microbiome 65 3. HELMINTH EXCRETORY-SECRETORY PRODUCTS 67 3.1 Identification of secreted products 67 3.2 H. polygyrus ES (HES) 69 3.3 Vaccination and helminth therapy 72 4. THESIS OBJECTIVES 74 Materials and Methods 76 Results 1 B cell and antibody responses to H. polygyrus Chapter introduction 93 Table 1.1 – H. polygyrus in B celland antibody-deficient mice 96
Vortex moment map for unsteady incompressible viscous flows

In this paper, a vortex moment map (VMM) method is proposed to predict the pitching moment on a body from the vorticity field. VMM is designed to identify the moment contribution of each given vortex in the flow field. Implementing this VMM approach in starting flows of a NACA0012 airfoil, it is found that, due to the rolling up of leading-edge vortices (LEVs) and trailing-edge vortices (TEVs), the unsteady nose-down moment about the quarter chord is higher than the steady-state value. The time variation of the unsteady moment is closely related to the LEVs and TEVs near the body and the VMM gives an intuitive understanding of how each part of the vorticity field contributes to the pitching moment on the body.
Collective dynamics and pattern formation in systems of communicating cells: Theory and Simulations

How a system of genetically identical biological cells organizes into spatially heterogeneous tissues is a central question in biology. Even when the molecular and genetic underpinnings of cell-cell interactions are known, how these lead to multicellular patterns is often poorly understood. Of particular interest are dynamic patterns such as traveling waves, which confer spatiotemporal control over key developmental processes such as differentiation, segmentation and cell division. Theoretical approaches based on mathematical descriptions of underlying physical and chemical processes provide a promising avenue to explore biological pattern formation. In particular, theoretical models connect processes on the molecular scale to biological function on the tissue level and may provide mechanistic descriptions of how patterns are generated and maintained.
Fine Afferent Nerve Fibers and Pain

Morphology of Fine Afferents and Their Peripheral and Central Terminals Receptive Properties of Fine Afferents in Normal and Injured Tissue Properties of Dorsal Root Ganglion Cells Synaptic Transmission and Modulation in the Dorsal Horn Spinal and Supraspinal Processing of Fine Afferent Activity Clinical and Therapeutic Aspects of Fine Afferent Activity.
The Mediating Effect of Eveningness on the Indirect Relationships between Shorter Sleep Duration, Inattention, Depression with Smartphone Addiction Tendency

Smartphones influence our personal lives, and smartphone users have increased explosively over the past decade. The proportion of adult smartphone users in 2015 was 88% in South Korea, 72% in United States, 77% in Australia, 68% in the UK, and 60% in Italy [1]. Smartphones have features that are easily accessible and versatile. In addition to calling and texting, smartphones can also be used for document work, web browsing, health status checks, The Mediating Effect of Eveningness on the Indirect Relationships between Shorter Sleep Duration, Inattention, Depression with Smartphone Addiction Tendency
Optimum dose of ginger root oil to treat sterile Mediterranean fruit fly males (Diptera: Tephritidae)

The sterile insect technique (SIT) is widely used as part of an integrated approach to reduce field populations of the Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata, Diptera: Tephritidae). Aromatherapy based on exposure to ginger root oil (GRO) volatiles is known as a method to significantly improve the sexual performance of sterile medfly males, and is being used in many mass‐rearing facilities around the world. However, the optimum dose of GRO is not well defined. This work evaluated in laboratory cages four different doses of GRO and a control (0, 0.1, 0.25, 0.5 and 0.75 ml/m3), and two different methods to hold flies prior to release (paper bags and plastic cages). The objective was to find the lowest dose that provides optimal improvement in mating performance of sterile males when competing with wild males for wild females and optimal reduction in fertility of wild females. Egg hatch, copula duration, the Relative Sterility Index (RSI), and a Competitiveness (C) value (based on RSI) were calculated for each treatment to assess male sexual performance and induction of sterility. The method used to hold flies did not influence the aromatherapy effect. The mean time spent by wild females in copula with wild males was significantly longer than with sterile males for all treatments, except when sterile males were treated with 0.1 ml of GRO/m3. Amongst all doses studied, it is recommended to apply the lowest dose, 0.1 ml of GRO/m3, since at this dose both the RSI and induced sterility reached the highest levels, and were not statistically different from the 0.25 and 0.5 GRO/m3 doses. Indeed, this dose showed a very significant improvement in the mating competitiveness of sterile males aromatically treated with GRO.
Complete mitogenomes of two orb-weaver spiders, Argiope bruennichi and Araneus ventricosus

Abstract We performed high-throughput sequencing on the complete mitogenomes of two Araneidae species, a wasp spider (Argiope bruennichi) and a large nocturnal spider (Araneus ventricosus). The two mitogenomes contain 14,060 bp and 14,607 bp, and GC content of 26.6% and 26.5%, respectively. The two mitogenomes contain 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNAs, 2 ribosomal RNAs, and 1 control region. We performed a phylogenetic analysis with the concatenated 13 PCGs, which showed that Argiope and Araneus are clearly classified and clustered within Araneidae clade. Our study serves to enrich evolutionary and ecological studies.
Real time political deliberation on social media: can televised debates lead to rational and civil discussions on broadcasters’ Facebook pages?

ABSTRACT As broadcast news organizations partner with social media to generate real time reactions to live political debates, this article explores how this trend impacts discussions among their Facebook page users. Data from the 2016 U.S. elections suggest that real-time conversations on broadcasters’ Facebook pages in response to televised political debates might have important democratic value, as viewer comments expressed a considerable degree of interactivity, rationality and civility. Discussions prompted by brodcasters' posts that quoted candidate acclaims and their policy positions resulted in more deliberate conversations than discussions prompted by opponent attacks and candidate character.
Mean Free Path–Thermal Conductivity Accumulation Calculations for Wurtzite Gallium Nitride: Two Approaches

ABSTRACT Understanding the mean free path distribution of the dominant heat carriers is very important in determining the ballistic to diffusive heat transport transition in nanoscale devices. This is true for the high electron mobility transistors made from GaN where both the thickness of the buffer layer and localized heating causing ballistic-diffusive heat transfer may complicate the transport properties needed to describe the device thermal response. In this work, we obtain the mean free path–thermal conductivity relation of phonons in bulk wurtzite GaN crystals using two different, ab-initio-based calculations. While the Vienna Ab-initio Simulation Package (VASP) is used in both approaches at the initial stage, the first method does not calculate the third-order force constants (FCs) and approximates the anharmonicity with a single fitting parameter in determination of discrete phonon properties thermal conductivity and relaxation time, while the second method uses third-order force constants directly. Results show that the third-order FCs are important in modeling the contribution of high-frequency optical phonons with relatively short MFPs, to the thermal conductivity of the material. Yet these effects are more significant at high temperatures and at samples without crystallographic disorders, and they can be omitted while modeling the real samples at low temperatures.
Shared musical creativity: teaching composer-performer collaboration

This paper focuses on teaching composer- performer collaboration as a path to new paradigms of 21st century art-making. First, we discuss the interplay between theory and practice in creative musical processes, with special attention to the performative modality of composition. Then, we approach collaboration itself, considering how the term has been both overused and misunderstood for decades. Finally, we present a case study of teaching composer- performer collaboration at the graduate level, in the “Atelier for Composition and Performance” (Atelie de Composicao e Performance Contemporanea), at the Federal University of Bahia.
Bonding and Stability of Ternary Structures in the CeT2Al20 (T=Ta, W, Re) and YRe2Al20 Alloys

A-T-Al aluminides, where A = actinide, lanthanide or rare earth elements and T=transition metals, have attracted considerable attention as potential materials where heavy fermions may be formed. This led to the discovery of superconducting properties in cubic AT2Al20 compounds with CeCr2Al20-type crystal structure. Other Al-rich aluminides, belonging to these A-T-Al systems, exhibited different physical properties as a function of their crystal structure. Thus, predicting the stable structure of the Al-richest phase that will form in the A-T-Al systems is highly valuable. Stability of the crystal structures, forming in the CeT2Al20 and YRe2Al20 systems, was studied in current research using density functional theory (DFT) calculations. It is demonstrated that the total spin magnetic moment of the transition metal can be used as a descriptor for phase stability assessment in the AT2Al20 systems, where T is a 5d transition metal. Basing on crystallographic considerations, degree of distortion of the coordination polyhedrons, formed around T atoms, can be directly connected to the specific type of structure crystallizing in these systems.
Speciation rate and the diversity of fishes in freshwaters and the oceans

The number of fish taxa that occur exclusively in marine biomes is approximately equal to the number that occur in freshwater biomes. Both the geographic area and habitable volume of the marine realm are vastly greater than for Earth's freshwater ecosystems, suggesting that the density of marine species is proportionately much lower in the oceans. Because freshwater lineages are relatively recently derived from older marine lineages, this difference in species density suggests that speciation rates might be elevated in freshwater systems. I tested whether speciation rates differ systematically between freshwater and marine habitats.
Behaviorally-induced periodic cooling of avian embryos

For many bird embryos, periodic cooling occurs when the incubating adult leaves the nest to forage, but the effects of periodic cooling on embryo growth, yolk use and metabolism are poorly known. To address this question I conducted incubation experiments on eggs of zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) that were frequently cooled and then rewarmed or were allowed to develop at a constant temperature. After 12 days of incubation, embryo mass and yolk reserves were less in eggs that experienced periodic cooling, compared to controls incubated constantly at 37.5°C. Embryos that regularly cooled to 20°C had higher mass-specific metabolic rates than embryos incubated constantly at 37.5°C. Periodic cooling delayed development and increased metabolic costs, reducing the efficiency with which egg nutrients were converted into embryo tissue. Avian embryos can tolerate periodic cooling possibly by adjusting their physiology to variable thermal conditions, but at a cost to growth efficiency as well as a decrease in the rate of development. This reduction in 1 Running Head: Periodic Cooling Affects Growth Efficiency in Finch Eggs 2 Reprinted with permission of Physiological and Biochemical Zoology, 2006, 79(5): 927-936. 3 Graduate student, major professor and committee member, respectively, Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University. 4 Primary researcher, main author and corresponding author.