Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
CERTIFICATION OF APPROVAL The investigation ofdifferent extraction techniques to extract gaharu oil

Gaharu or agarwood, scientifically known as aquilaria malaccensis, is one of the most expensive woods in the world. Analysts have differentiated the quality of gaharu based on its commercial grade, at which it ranges from A Super, A, B and C. Due to it rarity and high demand, agarwood extract (gaharu oil) brings high prices. The price is around RM 30 000 per litre for lower grade and superior grades could be priced up to RM 60 000 per litre. It is anticipated that the prices of gaharu will remain high in the future because of the high demand for gaharu material in Arabic countries, introduction of new applications for gaharu materials in the cosmetic industry and the traditional users ofgaharu in China, Japan and India for manufacturing joss-sticks and other. Traditionally, gaharu oil is extracted by distilling the grinded gaharu sample in a copper still. However, the process is less effective as the yield of oil is relatively small and it acquires high temperature. This project is mainly about investigating the alternatives to traditional hydro distillation to extract gaharu oil. Experiments are to be conducted to study the effectiveness of ultrasonic technology, microwave technology, solvent extraction and supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) in terms of oil yield and other related parameters. Proposed methodology is carried out to accomplish the aims ofthe project. Three extraction methods were selected, namely as solvent extraction and ultrasonic extraction, and steam distillation as control. The gaharu chips were initially grinded into small particles and mixed with different type of solvent for extraction. For solvent extraction, petroleum ether is not suitable used as solvent at specified temperature (35°C) due to its dissimilarity in polarity as the chemical compounds for the raw material obtained were mainly sesquiterpenes. For ultrasonic extraction, the highest oil yield recovery is 0.1% at 100% power output of ultrasonic bath with temperature of 50±2°C. Several modifications on the parameters experimented need to be done to produce higher oil yield recovery.
Mise en œuvre de liaisons réversibles covalentes et non-covalentes pour de nouveaux matériaux polymères recyclables et retransformables

L'incorporation de liaisons reversibles dans des materiaux polymeres constitue une methode attrayante pour obtenir des reseaux reticules, qui peuvent cependant etre retransformes ou recycles apres utilisation. Au cours de cette these, nous avons synthetise et etudie des reseaux polymeres maintenus par deux types distincts de liaisons reversibles : les liaisons hydrogene (non-covalentes) et les liaisons ester (covalentes, mais susceptibles de s’echanger par trans-esterification). Dans une premiere partie sont synthetises differents types de polymeres supramoleculaires a base de derives d’acides gras d’origine vegetale, de resines epoxydes et de polyethers. Ces polymeres sont modifies avec un groupement fonctionnel (imidazolidone) capable de s’associer fortement par des liaisons hydrogene multiples. Certains de ces polymeres presentent l’etonnante capacite de pouvoir s’auto-reparer par simple mise en contact une fois casses. Une etude rheologique des differents systemes est realisee afin de caracteriser l’effet des groupes supramoleculaires sur les proprietes mecaniques. Dans une seconde partie, des materiaux a base de resine epoxyde, reputee pour durcir irreversiblement, sont modifies afin de permettre des echanges de liaisons ester. En consequence, les materiaux obtenus apres reticulation peuvent encore etre remis en forme par broyage, puis injection ou par thermoformage.
Boundary layer combustion for viscous drag reduction in practical scramjet configurations

A key issue that can affect the implementation of boundary layer combustion for viscous drag reduction in scramjet combustors is the potential of non-uniform flow entering the combustor from the inlet. Experiments were conducted in the T4 Stalker tube to study the effects of these flow nonuniformities on boundary layer combustion in a circular constant-area combustor. A Rectangularto- Elliptical-Shape-Transition (REST) inlet, typical of the type of inlets proposed for self-starting scramjet inlets, was attached upstream of the combustor in the current experiments. A numerical simulation of the flow through the REST inlet showed that the inlet generated a non-uniform outflow that had shock and expansion waves. The skin friction drag measured on the inner surface of the combustor indicated a reduction in skin friction drag of 30% when hydrogen burns in the boundary layer. More importantly, these experiments showed that a significant level of skin friction reduction due to boundary layer combustion was still achievable even in the presence of flow non-uniformities from the REST inlet.
Project Development in an Entrepreneurship Setting

Project based learning contributes to instil a wider view of the professional activities in the students, in contrast to classroom lecturing. For a practicing Engineer in the workplace today, expected skills go beyond the technical skills and working in a team. A mandatory requirement is the ability to interface with a customer: how to understand the client needs and how to deliver a suitable result. This paper describes the results of an experiment on Project based activities in a course unit of an Engineering degree, that aims at creating an environment that promotes the acquisition of entrepreneurial skills. In this course unit, groups of 4 to 6 students develop a project to solve a problem proposed by a company. Each team acts as an engineering company, providing a service to their customer. During project development, a member of the University staff and a representative of the company, which acts as a customer, supervise each team. To create an environment similar to a business environment, student teams participate in a bid for the projects they want to develop, competing with other groups. All groups start by preparing project proposals that the companies assess, similarly to what they would do with proposals from subcontracted companies. At the end of this process, the proposing companies rank the proposals received and a match is made between companies and students’ preferences. The choice for this approach results from the perception that it fosters students’ autonomy and responsibility and, thus, better prepares students for the transition into professional life. The success of the project will depend on the level of commitment in preparing their proposal, which requires, among other things, clearly understanding the client needs, developing an adequate solution and being able to communicate their ideas in the proposal. A survey, conducted at the end of the academic year, assessed the results obtained with this process. The responses show generalized approval of this model by both parties involved (students and supervisors) showing that, at least from their perspective, the proposed assignment process attended the expected results.
Rational Inattention and the Business Cycle Effects of Productivity and News Shocks

In the standard neoclassical model, anticipated (cid:135)uctuations in productivity fail to cause business cycle comovement. In response to news about higher future productivity, consumption rises but employment and investment fall. Suppose that (cid:133)rms are subject to rational inattention. They choose an optimal signal about the state of the economy. The optimal signal turns out to confound current with expected future productivity. Labor and investment demand rise after a news shock, causing an output expansion. Rational inattention also improves the propagation of a standard productivity shock, by inducing persistence.
Films multicouches à base de polyelectrolytes biodégradables : caractérisation physico-chimique et interaction avec des cellules

Dans le domaine des biomateriaux, les films de multicouches de polyelectrolytes representent une nouvelle voie possible de modification de surface : Ces films sont edifies par adsorption successive de polyanions et de polycations. Dans le cadre de cette etude, nous avons travaille sur differents types de films pour d'une part caracteriser leurs proprietes physico-chimiques par spectroscopie optique par guide d'onde, par microbalance a cristal de quartz, par microscopie confocale et par la microscopie a force atomique et d'autres part pour etudier les interactions des cellules avec les films. Une premiere partie de mon travail a consiste a caracteriser les films elabores a base de poly(L-Lysine) et d'acide poly(L-Glutamique). Plusieurs parametres de constructions ont ete testes (pH, taux de sels, nombres de couches deposees). L'adsorption de proteines seriques sur les films a egalement ete evaluee, de meme que l'adhesion cellulaire a court terme par des experiences de micromanipulation. Dans une deuxieme partie, nous nous sommes focalises sur des films a base de polysaccharides, notamment le chitosan et le hyaluronan. Apres avoir caracterise la croissance et la structure de ces films, nous avons ensuite etudie la propriete d'adhesion vis a vis des cellules et des bacteries. Nous avons notamment mis en evidence qu'une rigidification chimique des films change considerablement les proprietes d'adhesion cellulaire: la reticulation des films augmentant l'adhesion cellulaire.
The numerical calculation of extreme wet and dry periods in hydrological t ime series

A numerical method for evaluating the possibilities of the extreme wet and the extreme dry periods of a hydrological sequence is presented on the basis of stationary independent and Markovian processes that are currently employed in the planning and operation of water resources systems. The validity of the formula has been checked against the Monte Carlo simulation results obtained on a digital computer. Recurrence relationships for the probability distribution functions of the longest wet and dry periods have been derived by direct enumeration and the statistical properties of these extremes are presented. Méthode numérique d'évaluer les périodes extrêmes de dessèchement et de sécheresse dans une série de temps hydrologique Résumé. Une méthode numérique d'évaluer les potentiels des extrêmes durées de sécheresse et de dessèchement dans une série hydrologique est développée au base des processus Markovian qui sont généralement utilisés dans l'aménagement des ressources d'eau. La validité de des formules est contrôlée par les simulations obtenues en ordinateur digital. Une relation de récurrence est dérivée pour décrire la fonction de probabilité des durées extrêmes de sécheresse et de dessèchement par une application d'énumeration. Par conséquence, les caractéristiques statistiques de ces variables sont présentées.
A SHOCK TUBE STUDY OF THE IGNITION DELAY OF HYDROGEN-AIR MIXTURES NEAR THE SECOND EXPLOSION LIMIT

Abstract : An investigation of the ignition delay of hydrogen-air mixtures near the second explosion limit at pressures of 15 and 30 psia was made in a shock tube. The shock tube calculations are discussed along with the problems encountered during the investigation. Attempts to correlate the data were satisfactorily accomplished when the HO2 recombination rate was assumed to be proportional to T-0.4.
Numerical Investigation of the Flow Past 6:1 Prolate Spheroid

The main objective of the present work is to simulate numerically the three-dimensional flow past a 6 :1 prolate spheroid at Re = 4.2 × 10 for which extensive measurement data are available. The computations have been carried out using the in-house multi-block structured incompressible flow solution code 3D-PURLES and the effect of turbulence is simulated using Spalart Allmaras(SA) model and vorticity based Shear Stress Transport model (SST-V) model. The relative performance of these turbulence models have been assessed by comparing against the measurement data. The computations could capture the primary and secondary lines which matches fairly well with the measurements. The SST-V turbulence model predictions of the primary and secondary separation lines as well as the aerodynamic coefficients were better than that of SA turbulence model.
K-Means++ Clustering Using MapReduce Framework for Large Datasets

— Clustering techniques are important to analyze the data due to the heavy increase of data in modern investigation. In real world these techniques are mostly used in many domains, some of them are financial analysis, social networks, digital marketing, etc. To support clustering over large scale datasets, public cloud infrastructure will play the major role for presentation of the data and financial trades. In our work, MapReduce based K-means++ clustering technique is proposed to allow the better grouping of data into appropriate clusters. The results of the paper denote that the present algorithm can efficiently process large amount of data.
Effect of feeding urea-molases treated teff straw on milk yield and composition of cross bred dairy cows. Online J. Anim. Feed Res., 8(6): 175-179, 2018. www.ojafr.ir;

An experimental work was conducted on crossbred lactating dairy cows in University of Gondar dairy farm with the objective of investigating the effect of urea-molasses treated teff straw feeds on milk yield and its composition. Six Holstein-Friesian crossbred experimental animals with the blood level of 75%, the first stage of lactation and all on fourth parity were purposively selected. Experimental animals were assigned to the three treatments by lottery system using completely randomized design. Treatments were prepared with the protocol of low protein concentrates mix + untreated straw (T1) as a control group, low protein concentrates mix + urea molasses treated straw (T2) and high protein concentrates mix + untreated straw (T3). The straw was sprayed with 5kg of urea, 50 liters of water and 5 kg of molasses solution per 100 kg of Teff straw incubated for 14 days in a pit silo. About 250 ml of milk was taken every week for milk composition analysis during the study. The result of this study indicated that statistically significant (P<0.05) difference on daily milk yield between cows fed on low protein concentrates mix plus urea molasses treated straw (T2) and cows fed on low protein concentrates mix (LPCM) + untreated straw (US) (T1). Similarly, there was statistically significant (P<0.05) difference on daily milk yield between cows fed on low protein concentrates mix plus urea molasses treated straw (T2) and cows fed on high protein concentrates mix (HPCM) + untreated straw (US) (T3). But there was no statistically significant (P>0.05) difference among treatments for fat, protein, lactose and ash contents of milk. The result also showed no statistically significant (P>0.05) difference among treatments for dry matter intake. From this result, it can be concluded that treating crop residues like straw with urea and molasses can improve milk yield of dairy cows but has less impact on milk composition. The statistically non significant differences of milk yield between cows fed on low protein concentrate and high protein concentrate invites researchers to investigate the nutritional qualities of ingredients used in the high protein concentrate mixture.
Estimating Programming Exercise Difficulty using Performance Factors Analysis

This Work in Progress Paper studies student and exercise modelling based on pass/fail log data gathered from an introductory programming course. Contemporary education capitalizes on the communications technology and remote study. This can create distance between the teacher and students and the resulting lack of awareness of the difficulties students encounter can lead to low student satisfaction, dropout and poor grades. In many cases, various technological solutions are used to collect individual exercise submissions, but there are little resources for indexing or modelling the exercises in depth. Exercise specific feedback from students may not be easily obtainable either. In the present study, we attempt to create student-exercises models solely on pass/fail log data by using statistical techniques. We conclude that such data is insufficient for student modelling, but that it can be used to credibly estimate the difficulty of programming exercises.
An Analysis of Variation in a South American Snake , Catesby ' s Snail-Sucker ( Dipsas catesbyi Sentzen ) BY

There can be little question that the collection made in Peru by the late Dr. Harvey Bassler represent one of the most significant sources of information concerning South American snakes currently available to herpetologists. The large series from restricted localities provide the first real basis for thorough statistical analysis and permit direct comparison with similar studies on North American species for the first time. Oliver (1948) used Bassler's material to good advantage in his review of the genus Thalerophis, and Schmidt (1952, p. 25) has found the series of Micrurus to be "about as extensive as the collections in all the museums of the world combined. " Included in the Bassler collections is a series of 277 specimens of Dipsas catesbyi Sentzen, a number that doubled the total available material of that species used by myself in a revision of the subfamily Dipsadinae. I have utilized this material to gain some knowledge of the extent of variation possible within a single species of the genus Dipsas, which is notorious for its extremely variable species, a fact attested to by the multiplicity of synonyms of each species name. The information so gained has been extrapolated for use in the study of the variation of other species of the genus, on the assumption that the extent of variation demonstrably true in one species is theoretically true, at least in part, of other species that are closely related.
Analysing the Learning by Developing Action Model in HE Computing

This Research to Practice Working Process presents the first phase of the study, in which background information was sought from the literature and by interviews pedagogical experts from Laurea University of Applied Sciences (Laurea). The background study sought to gain an understanding of what factors influenced the introduction of the Learning by Developing (LbD) approach at Laurea. Background information is important for the study because the LbD Action Model will also be piloted at another institution during this study. The LbD model is piloted at Robert Gordon University (RGU), in the UK, where background research is also carried out, as cultural factors and pedagogical models tend to vary widely around the world and therefore it is essential to understand them.The main aim of this research is to find out whether the Learning by Developing (LbD) Action Model is a suitable teaching approach to be used within a computing science curriculum. The study will be carried out in two higher education institutions: Laurea in Finland and RGU in the UK. The subjects of the study are computing students, lecturers and other staff members at both of these higher education institutions, as well as clients participating in the chosen study modules.
Genomic and transcriptomic comparisons of closely related malaria parasites differing in virulence and sequestration pattern [version 1; peer review: 2 approved]

Background: Malaria parasite species differ greatly in the harm they do to humans. While P. falciparum kills hundreds of thousands per year, P. vivax kills much less often and P. malariae is relatively benign. Strains of the rodent malaria parasite Plasmodium chabaudi show phenotypic variation in virulence during infections of laboratory mice. This make it an excellent species to study genes which may be responsible for this trait. By understanding the mechanisms which underlie differences in virulence we can learn how parasites adapt to their hosts and how we might prevent disease. Methods: Here we present a complete reference genome sequence for a more virulent P. chabaudi strain, PcCB, and perform a detailed comparison with the genome of the less virulent PcAS strain. Results: We found the greatest variation in the subtelomeric regions, in particular amongst the sequences of the pir gene family, which has been associated with virulence and establishment of chronic infection. However, despite substantial variation at the sequence level, the repertoire of these genes has been largely maintained, highlighting the requirement for functional conservation as well as diversification in host-parasite interactions. However, a subset of pir genes, previously associated with increased virulence, were more highly expressed in PcCB, suggesting a role for this gene family in virulence differences between strains. We found that core genes involved in red blood cell invasion have been under positive selection and that the more virulent strain has a greater preference for reticulocytes, which has elsewhere been associated with increased virulence. Conclusions: These results provide the basis for a mechanistic Open Peer Review
An Auditory Interface to Workspace Awareness Elements Accessible for the Blind in Diagrams’ Collaborative Modeling

This Research Full Paper presents the design and evaluation of an auditory interface that allows blind people to perceive workspace awareness elements in a shared environment for modeling diagrams. Approximately 36 million Brazilians are visually impaired, where half a million are blind, and the enrollment of the blind at Brazilian higher public education institutions has been increasing. However, accessible tools for diagram authoring are scarce, despite their necessity on STEM courses. There are studies and new developments regarding the perception and authoring of diagrammatic information, but they do not consider collaborative features. Therefore, this study proposes the sonification of workspace awareness elements as a solution to enable accessible groupware features for the blind. It was designed auditory cues for three awareness categories (who, what, and where) using abstract sounds and favoring suitable metaphors for an intuitive mapping. The designed auditory cues were implemented in a prototype application for collaborative diagram modeling and evaluated through an objective usability test. The results demonstrated that participants could reasonably distinguish who made what and where. Besides, it was possible to identify the awareness categories which need more work.