Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Electron-hole pair contributions to scattering, sticking, and surface diffusion: CO on Cu(100)

To assess the importance of coupling to electron-hole pair (ehp) excitations for molecular sticking, scattering, and diffusion dynamics at metal surfaces, simulations of the CO/Cu(100) system were performed using the “molecular dynamics with electronic frictions” method. Over a range of incident translational energies, energy losses to ehp excitations produce a moderate increase in sticking probability and account for 5%–10% of initial translational energy in scattered molecules, significantly less than phonon losses. Vibrational excitation and deexcitation of scattered molecules, while remaining a minor pathway for energy flow, is strongly affected by the inclusion of ehp excitations. Finally, although equilibrium diffusion constants are unaffected by the inclusion of coupling to ehp, it causes a significant quenching of transient mobility following adsorption of translationally hot molecules.
Interferometric measurement of depletion layer structure and voltammetric data in concentrated organic redox solutions

Phase-measurement interferometric microscopy (PMIM) of the depletion layer surrounding 15-μm-radius Pt disk electrodes is described. PMIM images record spatial variations in the optical height (Δh) resulting from reactive index gradients generated by an electrochemical reaction. Images obtained during the voltammetric reduction of 0.1-1.5 M nitrobenzene in benzonitrile solutions containing 0.2 M tetra-n-butylammonium hexafluorophosphate are compared to predictions based on the Lorentz-Lorenz formula and Saito's analysis of transport to a disk-shaped electrode. Good agreement between theory and experiment is obtained at distances within ±10 radii of the electrode; at larger distances, density-driven fluid convection reduces the reactive index (and concentration) gradients to negligible values. Optical voltammograms, i.e., plots of Δh vs electrode potential (E), are shown to faithfully mimic the true i-E response, allowing a purely optical measurement of the electrochemical response of a microdisk electrode
Interfacial reactions between nickel thin films and GaN

Thin Ni films on GaN were annealed at temperatures between 400 and 900 °C in N2, Ar, and forming gas and were analyzed using glancing angle x-ray diffraction and Auger depth profiling. The first indication of an interfacial reaction was found after an anneal at 600 °C for 1 h, after which Ga was observed to be dissolved in the face-centered cubic Ni film. The extent of dissolution increased with continued annealing. After annealing at 750 °C for 1 hr in either N2 or Ar, greater intermixing occurred. The reaction product was either Ni3Ga or face-centered cubic Ni with dissolved Ga. Annealing at 900 °C resulted in the formation of the B2 phase NiGa. It was clear from Auger depth profiles that the reacted film contained significantly more Ga than N and that N2 gas was released to the annealing environment, even when the samples were annealed in N2 gas at 1 atm. Thus, a trend of increasing Ga content in the reacted films was observed with increasing temperature. The observed reactions are consistent with the .
A novel method for crystal control: synthesis and design of strontium carbonate with different morphologies by supported liquid membrane

A biomimetic supported liquid membrane (SLM) system was employed to control the morphology of strontium carbonate. Some interesting morphologies, including rods, shuttles and spheres, can be readily generated by using citric acid, nitrilotriacetic acid and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid as cooperative modifiers in the mineralization process, under the conditions of pH 10, 0.01% of crystal modifier and ambient temperature. Seeking the cooperative balance of the SLM, the modifier agent and its concentration is the key factor in this system. In addition, this method was successfully applied to the morphology control of other alkaline earth metal carbonates, indicating its general applicability in materials preparation.
Rate type equations for the diffusion in polymers: Thermodynamic constraints

Conditions imposed by the second law of thermodynamics on viscoelastic rate type constitutive equations for the diffusive mass flux are considered. The analysis of three different rate type models proposed in the literature points out that presently physically unrealistic predictions are possible in desorption processes. The thermodynamic analysis of such models, based on the entropy inequality and on the stability requirement of the equilibrium states, leads to precise relationships among relaxation times, diffusion coefficients, and entropy equations of state. In particular, the analysis shows that relaxation times and diffusion coefficients cannot be simply constant numbers. When the thermodynamic constraints imposed on the constitutive equations are introduced, the models do not show physically unrealistic behaviors any more; Fickian diffusion close to the pure penetrant or pure polymer regions is also recovered. Finally, it is shown that the stability requirement for the equilibrium states may introduce very rigid requirements for the model feasibility, well beyond what appears explicitly from the kinetic equations alone.
Spatial and temporal dependencies of the motion bridging effect: Investigations of an illusory motion

The Motion Bridging Effect (MBE) is a visual illusion in which a motion that is not consciously visible creates a visible illusionary movement in a preceding or succeeding stationary ring of points. In the initial MBE study (Mattler & Fendrich, 2010), a ring of 16 points (the inducing ring) was rotated at an angular velocity of up to 2250°/s which entails that the point positions on the circumference of the ring were refreshed at temporal frequencies of up to 100 Hz. The observers only saw an uninterrupted outline circle and were unableto judge the rotation direction of the inducing ring. However, when the inducing ring was replaced by a ring of 16 stationary points (the test ring), the stationary ring seemed to visibly rotate to a standstill, mainly in the same direction as the inducing ring was rotating. This demonstrates that although the inducing ring rotation was not consciously perceived, its motion was processed by the visual system. Similar results were found when the test ring preceded the inducing ring: The test ring seemed to accelerate in this case. In this thesis the contributions of temporal frequency, retinal eccentricity, the separation between the points of the test ring, and the inducing ring start and stop position are discussed as mediators of the effect. Furthermore, it is considered that the illusionary movement in the MBE is caused by a new kind of apparent motion, the ring rotation illusion (RRI), whose spatialand temporal dependencies and differences to the MBE are demonstrated. Finally, it is shown that the MBE, which in all previous studies was only demonstrated on an analog oscilloscope, can also be reliably found with an LCD monitor.
INACTIVATION of E. COLI FOR FOOD PASTEURIZATION BY HIGH‐STRENGTH PULSED ELECTRIC FIELDS

Pulsed electric fields of very high field strength and short duration are effective in the inactivation of E. coli. Nine log reduction in E. coli viability was achieved using a stepwise pulsed electric field treatment where E. coli suspensions were treated repeatedly in batches. It was demonstrated that high-strength pulsed electric field treatment is adequate for pasteurization of liquid foods. A 40,000 volt pulse generator was constructed to supply high voltage electric pulses to a treatment chamber with two parallel plate stainless steel electrodes where fluid food was contained. the gap between electrodes was 0.51 cm and the chamber volume was 14 ml. Pulse electric field strength ranged from 35 to 70 kV/cm. Pulse width was selected at 2 μs. Number of pulses per treatment varied from 1 to 80. E. coli were suspended in a simulated milk ultra-filtrate (SMUF) and treated with pulsed electric fields in a batch mode. the suspension fluid was maintained at constant temperatures of 7, 20, or 33C. Maximum temperature change occurring during each pulse was 0.3C measured by a fiber optics temperature probe. E. coli viability before and after treatment were assayed by counting colony forming units (cfu).
Opportunities to Enhance the Pyrolysis of Biomass in The Production of Hydroxyapatite and Chemicals

Pyrolysis Abstract The pyrolysis of calcium orthophosphates produces hydroxyapatite and chemicals. Additionally, pyrolysis proposes paths to manage animal-derived waste streams. As it happens in the pyrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass, operating variables like reactor temperature, reaction atmosphere, feedstock, and particle size affect the final product from animal-biomass. This review summarizes the characteristics of multiple pyrolysis methods to produce hydroxyapatite and chemicals. Finally, this short paper recommends opportunities to enhance the results by changing pyrolysis process variables, learning from lignocellulosic and animal-derived biomass experiences alike.
Real-Time Step Detection Using Unconstrained Smartphone

Nowadays smartphones are carrying more and more sensors among which are inertial sensors. These devices provide information about the movement and forces acting on the device, but they can also provide information about the movement of the user. Step detection is at the core of many smartphone applications such as indoor location, virtual reality, health and activity monitoring, and some of these require high levels of precision. Current state of the art step detection methods rely heavily in the prediction of the movements performed by the user and the smartphone or on methods of activity recognition for parameter tuning. These methods are limited by the number of situations the researchers can predict and do not consider false positive situations which occur in daily living such as jumps or stationary movements, which in turn will contribute to lower performances. In this thesis, a novel unconstrained smartphone step detection method is proposed using Convolutional Neural Networks. The model utilizes the data from the accelerometer and gyroscope of the smartphone for step detection. For the training of the model, a data set containing step and false step situations was built with a total of 4 smartphone placements, 5 step activities and 2 false step activities. The model was tested using the data from a volunteer which it has not previously seen. The proposed model achieved an overall recall of 89.87% and an overall precision of 87.90%, while being able to distinguish step and non-step situations. The model also revealed little difference between the performance in different smartphone placements, indicating a strong capability towards unconstrained use. The proposed solution demonstrates more versatility than state of the art alternatives, by presenting comparable results without the need of parameter tuning or adjustments for the smartphone use case, potentially allowing for better performances in free living scenarios.
Influence des régularités graphotactiques et morphologiques sur l’apprentissage orthographique à l’école élémentaire

Cette etude examine l’integration des contraintes graphotactiques et morphologiques dans l’acquisition de l’orthographe lexicale. Elle compare l’apprentissage implicite de l’orthographe de nouveaux mots (pseudo-mots) se terminant par une lettre muette inseres dans des textes que lisent des eleves francais de CE2 et CM2 dans trois conditions experimentales. Dans chaque condition, six pseudo-mots se terminent par un patron graphotactique frequent (e.g., -ot), et six par un patron graphotactique plus rare (e.g., -os). Dans la condition « tout opaque », aucune information morphologique ne justifie la presence de la lettre finale muette (e.g., courot ou couros). La presence de cette lettre muette est justifiee par des formes morphologiquement complexes pour les items se terminant par un patron graphotactique frequent (e.g., courot - courotage) dans la condition « morphologique frequent » et pour les items se terminant par un patron graphotactique rare (e.g., couros - courosage) dans la condition « morphologique rare ». A la suite de la lecture des textes, l’apprentissage de l’orthographe des pseudo-mots est evalue avec une tâche de dictee. Les resultats montrent un meilleur apprentissage orthographique pour les pseudo-mots incluant des patrons graphotactiques frequents en CE2 et en CM2 et une modulation de cet effet graphotactique par la presence d’informations morphologiques seulement en CM2. En CM2, parmi les orthographes incluant des patrons graphotactiques frequents, celles morphologiquement justifiees sont les mieux restituees. En CE2 et CM2, parmi les orthographes incluant des patrons graphotactiques rares, celles morphologiquement justifiees ne sont pas mieux restituees que celles sans justification morphologique.
Surface and electrical properties of plasma processed RF sputtered GaN thin films

Plasma processing is an approach to modify the surface structure for improved performance of nitride semiconductor using in light emitting diodes. In this work, RF sputtered GaN thin films were synthesized on Si (1 0 0) substrates and processed at two different plasmas (N 2 and O 2 ) at various flow rates. The surface nature of plasma processed thin films was characterized using atomic force microscope (AFM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). Energy dispersive spectrum (EDS) of all samples was recorded to do elemental analysis. Noticeable changes on surface morphology were recorded for the plasma processed GaN thin films at high flow rate (>20 sccm). The roughness and particle size of thin film got decreased as the flow rate of gases increased. Low value in surface roughness (0.26 nm) and particles size (14 nm) was observed at 30 sccm flow rate of O 2 . SEM images also revealed the surface modification at high gas flow rates during plasma process. Nitrogen deficient GaN thin film was confirmed by EDS spectra and improved N 2 concentration was achieved for N 2 and O 2 plasma processing upto 20 sccm flow rates. I-V characteristics showed the Schottky-contact behavior for all thin films and revealed the improved surface quality to make good ohmic contact for the film processed at high gas flow rate (>30 sccm).
Heterogeneity in Canadian Consumer’s Willingness to Pay for Chicken Raised with Varying Levels of Antibiotic Use

HETEROGENEITY IN CANADIAN CONSUMER’S WILLINGNESS TO PAY FOR CHICKEN RAISED WITH VARYING LEVELS OF ANTIBIOTIC USE Mitchell King Advisors: University of Guelph, 2020 Professor Michael Von Mossow Professor John Cranfield This research examines the heterogeneity in consumer preference and willingness to pay (WTP) for chicken raised with reduced levels of antibiotic use. Stated choice data was collected through discrete choice experiments that were distributed to 1073 respondents across Canada. Conditional logit results revealed a positive and significant WTP for chicken raised without antibiotics and with responsible antibiotic use. Information given to respondents had an effect on WTP, with more informed consumers increasing their valuation of a responsible antibiotic use protocol. The venue, whether it was retail or restaurant had a small impact on consumer choice. There was significant heterogeneity observed in consumers’ preferences for antibiotic use. Respondents’ attitudes towards antibiotics proved to be a significant factor of heterogeneity and a clear relationship between the attitudes and WTP estimates was found.
Preparation of Graphene Nano-Layer by Chemical Graphitization of Graphite Oxide from Exfoliation and Preliminary Reduction

This study is a development method of exfoliation and preliminary reduction of graphite oxide (GO) by polyethylene glycol (PEG). The results of modified GO (MGOPEG) had not shown the crystalline peak d002 on X-ray diffraction patterns and took the form of a single layer graphene oxide on the images of atomic force microscopy. Also, MGOPEG had a higher heat resistance than GO because of preliminary reduction. Finally, the exfoliated GO (graphene oxide) was reduced to graphene by the reducing agent system of hydrogen iodide in acetic acid to form graphene (RGOHI-AcOH). The results showed the disappearing of exothermic peak on the Differential Scanning Calorimetry curve of RGOHI-AcOH and graphite while a wide exothermic peak was found around 245°C with ΔH = −1505.86 J/g and 198°C with ΔH = −482.09 J/g of GO and MGOPEG respectively. The same results were shown with thermogravimetric analysis. In addition, Fourier transform infrared, ultraviolet-visible, and Raman spectra showed more clearly the characteristics of GO, MGOPEG, and RGOHI-AcOH. The sheet resistance of RGOHI-AcOH is about 120 Ω/□ (with 1.66 × 103 S m−1 of conductivity) in the thin film formed on cellulose acetate substrate.
Fundamental Behaviors in Combustion of Raw Sewage Sludge

In this paper, combustion behaviors of two kinds of raw sewage sludge were investigated under air and pure-oxygen atmospheres, and in the case of nitrogen atmosphere, reaction behavior was also investigated as a reference. The overall combustion process can be described as follows: dehydration and devolatilization simultaneously take place from the surface to the interior, then the produced steam and volatiles flow out from the interior, passing though hot layers and react with the char produced from devolatilization. Consequently, volatiles and syn-gas burn around the pellet surface and increase the surface temperature. When the temperature is high enough to melt the ash layers, some small molten droplets were formed and covered the pellet surface. Finally, the remained char combustion facilitates ash droplet agglomeration. Shrinkage and ash agglomeration are the main contributions for volume reduction of raw sludge. The rate-limiting steps in overall reactions were suggested as mass diffusion of water .
The Regulation of Adipose Tissue and Skeletal Muscle Substrate Metabolism by Ghrelin

THE REGULATION OF ADIPOSE TISSUE AND SKELETAL MUSCLE SUBSTRATE METABOLISM BY GHRELIN Daniel Thomas Cervone Advisor: University of Guelph, 2020 Dr. David J. Dyck Research examining a potential role for ghrelin, the “hunger hormone”, in regulating substrate metabolism beyond its classical role in regulating appetite is relatively sparse. This is surprising given that ghrelin reaches its peak circulating concentration just prior to the consumption of macronutrients. Here, we demonstrate a role for ghrelin in the direct regulation of glucose and fatty acid metabolism in isolated skeletal muscle and adipose tissue. Experiments were primarily ex vivo to eliminate confounding factors, such as growth hormone release following ghrelin administration in vivo. Metabolic measurements were coupled with cellular signalling analyses to give insight into ghrelin’s cellular action. In study one, we investigated whether ghrelin could influence the mobilization of fatty acids from adipose tissue. We speculated, in theory, that the pre-prandial rise in ghrelin would downregulate adipose tissue lipolysis in preparation for a meal. We indeed found that ghrelin inhibited the adrenergic stimulation of lipolysis, although it remains uncertain whether this has physiological mealtime implications, in vivo. In the second study of this thesis, the purported role in the literature for ghrelin as a regulator of glucose uptake in skeletal muscle is challenged. Ghrelin was unable to alter skeletal muscle insulin signalling or glucose uptake either independently, or in combination with insulin in isolated muscle. Finally, the third study expanded on previous work from our lab demonstrating that ghrelin stimulates skeletal muscle fatty acid oxidation. We sought to determine whether ghrelin could protect muscle against reductions to insulin-stimulated glucose uptake and insulin signalling activation acutely caused by saturated fatty acids. While both isoforms of ghrelin appeared to protect insulin signalling, only UnAG was able to preserve insulin-stimulated glucose uptake. UnAG also stimulated palmitate oxidation more effectively than AG. To that end, the preservation of insulin action by UnAG was abolished when fatty acid oxidation was pharmacologically inhibited. Finally, ghrelin’s effects on glucose uptake and palmitate oxidation were no longer evident in muscle isolated from high-fat fed rats, implying a resistance to ghrelin. Taken together, the findings in this thesis highlight important new roles for ghrelin in regulating substrate metabolism in adipose tissue and skeletal muscle.
How Users Perceive Authentication of Choice on Mobile Devices

—When interacting with an application, users expect to complete the desired tasks securely with minimal interference from the actions required to ensure security and privacy. Previous research confirmed that there is a tradeoff between the security and usability of an application. Although numerous user studies examined various authentication methods, such as alphanumeric password, graphical password, and biometrics, very limited research investigated users’ performance and perception when they were allowed to choose the authentication method(s) for a specific application. This study investigates how users interact with and perceive the ‘authentication of choice’ method when using a mobile device. 75 participants completed an online study that compared three different authentication designs: alphanumeric username and password, one-factor authentication of choice, and two-factor authentication of choice. The result of the study confirms the tradeoff between security and usability in the design of authentication mechanisms. The result also indicates that the ‘authentication of choice’ approach has the potential to offer a solution that provides the desired balance between usability and security.
Marital Satisfaction and Social Desirability Bias

Kepuasan pernikahan adalah variabel kunci dalam penelitian tentang pernikahan namun belum ada penelitian tentang pengaruh bias harapan sosial terhadap respon responden saat mengisi skala kepuasan pernikahan di konteks Indonesia. Penelitian ini hendak mengkaji alat ukur kepuasan pernikahan yang bebas dari bias harapan sosial. Responden penelitian adalah 250 pasang suami-istri yang mengisi tiga skala kepuasan pernikahan yang berbeda (Satisfaction with Married Life, Relationship Assessment Scale, and Perceived Relationship Quality Component). Analisis regresi menentukan kontribusi bias harapan sosial terhadap kepuasan pernikahan. Hasil penelitian menemukan bahwa skala Satisfaction with Married Life bebas dari bias harapan sosial. Sementara itu, skala Relationship Assessment Scale dan Perceived Relationship Quality Component dipengaruhi oleh harapan sosial. Penelitian ini diharapkan memberi kontribusi bagi penelitian pernikahan di Indonesia untuk menggunakan alat ukur yang bebas dari bias harapan sosial atau melakukan kendali terhadap variabel tersebut.
Microgel Colloidal Crystals

Colloidal crystals assembled from stimuli-sensitive hydrogel particles composed largely of the thermoresponsive polymer poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) display unusual phase behavior because of the inherent “softness” of their interaction potentials as well as the particle thermoresponsivity. In this contribution, we review results from our group that illustrate the use of such soft-sphere building blocks in the construction of colloidal crystals. First, we describe the utility of temperature-induced volume phase transitions in controlling the crystallization and melting of the colloidal crystals. These methods then enable the study of the complex phase behavior of certain types of microgels. For example, it is proposed that multiple weak attractive interactions between particles can drive crystallization at particle concentrations well below the hard-sphere freezing point. Finally, the utility of soft-sphere crystals in the development of new photonic materials is presented in examples of laser direct writin.