Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Assessing institutional capacities to adapt to climate change: integrating psychological dimensions in the Adaptive Capacity Wheel

Abstract. Several case studies show that social factors like institutions, perceptions and social capital strongly affect social capacities to adapt to climate change. Together with economic and technological development they are important for building social capacities. However, there are almost no methodologies for the systematic assessment of social factors. After reviewing existing methodologies we identify the Adaptive Capacity Wheel (ACW) by Gupta et al. (2010), developed for assessing the adaptive capacity of institutions, as the most comprehensive and operationalised framework to assess social factors. The ACW differentiates 22 criteria to assess 6 dimensions: variety, learning capacity, room for autonomous change, leadership, availability of resources, fair governance. To include important psychological factors we extended the ACW by two dimensions: "adaptation motivation" refers to actors' motivation to realise, support and/or promote adaptation to climate; "adaptation belief" refers to actors' perceptions of realisability and effectiveness of adaptation measures. We applied the extended ACW to assess adaptive capacities of four sectors – water management, flood/coastal protection, civil protection and regional planning – in northwestern Germany. The assessments of adaptation motivation and belief provided a clear added value. The results also revealed some methodological problems in applying the ACW (e.g. overlap of dimensions), for which we propose methodological solutions.
LONG-TERM CONTINUOUS MONITORING OF RUMINAL PH AND TEMPERATURE FOR DAIRY COWS WITH INDWELLING AND WIRELESS DATA TRANSMITTING UNIT

Abstract. The ruminal pH and the temperature are important parameters to estimate the nutritional and metabolic status of dairy cows. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diurnal variation of the ruminal pH and temperature by using special boluses, antennae, a wireless data transmitting system an analogue to digital convertor and a memory chip produced by SmaXtec Animal Care technology®, GmbH, Graz, Austria. The research was performed over 80 days’ period in the spring-summer season, in a dairy farm with 600 cows. The specific boluses were given to 4 cows orally. Measurements were acquired diurnally every 600 sec. Over the study period, the average ruminal pH varied from 5.32 to 7.14, while the rumen temperature varied from 24.28 to 42.30 oC. The level of ruminal pH weakly correlated with the rumen temperature (r = 0.12). A low rumen pH can cause metabolic acidosis, lameness, formation of hepatic abscesses, pneumonia, other diseases and even death. Further research needs to address the issue of how accurately it is possible to predict the mean ruminal pH for other cows in a herd with similar feeding.
Nonparabolic coupled Poisson-Schrodinger solutions for quantized electron accumulation layers : Band bending, charge profile, and subbands at InN surfaces

The one-electron potential, carrier concentration profile, quantized subband state energies, and parallel dispersion relations are calculated for an accumulation layer at a semiconductor surface by solving Poisson's equation within a modified Thomas-Fermi approximation and numerically solving the Schrodinger equation for the resulting potential well. A nonparabolic conduction band, described within the Kane k.p approximation, is incorporated in the model. Example calculations are performed for a typical clean InN surface and for a variety of surface state densities and bulk carrier concentrations. Agreement is found between the model calculations and experimental measurements of the subband energies and dispersions at c-plane InN surfaces from electron tunneling spectroscopy and angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy.
Smart Condition Monitoring Using Machine Learning

Condition Monitoring usually analyzes each measurement separately using static limit information. This results in false alarms and unhealthy conditions that are not alarmed. Using machine learning techniques, the big data gathered around large equipment or an entire plant can be analyzed as a single coherent whole to draw conclusions about its current state of health. First, a mathematical model of the relevant measurement is created using the other measurements available. This model represents the equipment or plant as a unit when it is operating as it should. Second, this expected value is compared to the measured value. If they agree, the current state is healthy. If they do not, an alarm is released and a maintenance activity must follow. This method is seen to be far more successful than standard condition monitoring thus preventing false alarms and always alarming unhealthy states.
A Survey on Personalized Recommendation Techniques

: Recommendation systems are software agents that identify preferences of individual users and make recommendations accordingly. Personalized recommendation systems need to provide appropriate recommendations based on requirements and preferences. This article presents an overview of the personalized recommendation techniques and identifies the problems and describes different approaches for customization. The main techniques used for the survey are: 1) Circle-based recommendation, 2) Recommendation on Social Context and 3) Personalized Recommendation Model. The objective of this survey is to present a study on the main concepts, approaches and practices in the field of personalized recommendation systems. Accordingly, this document presents a number of possible directions of research.
Systematic Design of Automated Driving Functions Considering Functional Safety Aspects

Structuring the early design phase of automotive systems is an important part of efficient and successful development processes. Reference models have to define stages to organize the collaboration of different engineering domains, whereas individual tasks often strongly influence each other. Early functional safety considerations, as required by ISO 26262, have significant impact on the structure of the development process. This contribution presents a procedure model which is based on a tried and proven design model for driver assistance systems. Multiple adaptions of the prior model are established, especially to reflect the functional safety life cycle. An additional layer is displayed adjoining the reference process to include supporting methods of modeling and model analysis. The proposed reference process strongly aligns with the flexible procedure model of VDI 2206, allowing for easier implementation in current automotive development processes.
The Use of Cellulose Nanofillers in Obtaining Polymer Nanocomposites: Properties, Processing, and Applications

In recent years, several studies have been performed using nanocellulose as a component in polymeric nanocomposites. The interest in studying cellulose-based nanocomposite is due to the abundance, renewable nature, and outstanding mechanical properties of this nanoparticle. However, obtaining nanocomposites based on nanocellulose, with optimal properties, requires good nanoparticle dispersion in the polymeric matrix. The chemical compatibility between nanofiller and polymer plays a major role in both the dispersion of particles in the matrix and the adhesion between these phases. The aim of this review is to present the fundamental concepts about nanocellulose, such as its structural aspects, production methods and current trends in classification, and the main aspects about cellulose-based nanocomposites, including the progress that has been reached in relation to their compatibilization, production, final properties and potential applications.
The effect of psychrotrophic bacteria isolated from the root zone of winter wheat on selected biotic and abiotic factors

The roots of winter wheat plants, cv. Mikon, grown in 45-year monoculture, were analysed in the study. Twenty-two bacte- rial isolates obtained from the rhizosphere, rhizoplane, and endorhizosphere that were capable of growth at 8°C and at 28°C, were se- lected for further analysis. The isolated psychrotrophs accounted for 25% of all bacteria present in the wheat rhizosphere and capable of growth at 8°C. Psychrotrophic bacteria were analysed at a temperature of 10°C and 28°C to determine their ability to inhibit the growth of pathogenic fungi, solubilise mineral phosphates, and to determine their ability to degrade chitin and cellulose. Similarity between the isolates was determined by Enterobacterial Repetitive Intergenic Consensus - Polymerase Chain Reaction (ERIC-PCR) and Random Amplification of Polymorphic DNA - Polymerase Chain Reaction (RAPD-PCR). The majority of isolated psychrotrophs inhibited the growth of pathogenic fungi and solubilised mineral phosphates at both incubation temperatures. Psychrotrophic bac- teria exerted a two-fold stronger inhibitory effect on mycelial growth at 10°C than at 28°C. The growth of Fusarium culmorum and F. oxysporum was inhibited to the highest extent at 10°C and at 28°C, respectively. Phosphate solubilisation rates were higher at 28°C, particularly in the rhizosphere. Regardless of temperature, the bacteria exhibited low chitin-degrading potential, and none of the iso- lates was capable of degrading cellulose. A high similarity between the selected psychrotrophs was revealed by ERIC-PCR and RAPD- -PCR analyses. Based on RAPD-PCR, the analysed population was divided into a group of isolates obtained from the rhizosphere, and two groups comprising representatives of both the rhizoplane and the endorhizosphere. Due to their ability to grow over a wide temperature range and increase phosphorus availability to plants, and their antagonism against pathogens, psychrotrophic bacteria can be used to improve the growth and yield of cereal crops.
Configuration of 3U CubeSat Structures for Gain Improvement of S-band Antennas

Nanoand pico-satellites in low earth orbit (LEO), unlike their larger counterparts, have more stringent limitations on antenna design due to power constraints that govern the operational frequency and size that defines the mass and volume constraints. High bandwidth applications use higher frequencies and require higher transmission power. High gain antennas can reduce the transmission power requirements. CubeSat’s with body-mounted solar cells are limited in power generation due to limited surface area. Deployable solar panels offer a solution to the limited power by maximizing the surface area of solar cells exposed to solar radiation. The metallic deployable solar panel support structure can be exploited to behave as an electrical ground and microwave signal reflector for a high gain antenna in several configurations. This paper presents multiple novel high-gain S-band antennas that exploit the structure of a 3U CubeSat equipped with deployable solar panels for gain improvement. The configuration of the satellite is designed to operate in a low drag configuration by operating outside of the passive gravity gradient stabilized attitude by using passive or active attitude control. Gain improvements of more than 3 dB are obtained through careful packaging. The antenna configurations have a gain of more than 7dBi and bandwidth of more than 10MHz. Analysis is provided with considerations of power, satellite coverage, as well as attitude stability. This technique of improving antenna gain can be extended to higher as well as lower frequency of operation.
Optimizing the trajectory of a wheel loader working in short loading cycles

A study into alternative trajectories for wheel loaders working in short loading cycles has been conducted, examining other patterns than the traditional Vor Y-cycle. Depending on workplace setup and target function of the optimisation other trajectories can indeed prove beneficial. The results of this study can be used in operator models for offline simulations as well as for operator assistance or even in controllers for autonomous machines or energy management systems for non-conventional machines like hybrids.
Characterization of Wound-Inducible Genes Encoding Enzymes for Terpenoid Biosynthesis in Medicago Truncatula

In addition to having numerous applications as food flavorings and pharmaceuticals, terpenoids are an important class of defensive compounds that can accumulate in plants after pathogen infection or injury by insects. Sequences of DNA encoding putative terpene synthases and an oxidosqualene synthase, isolated from insect-damaged Medicago truncatula leaves, were selected from an expressed sequence tag (EST) database. The eDNA clones were used as radiolabeled probes to analyze gene expression in leaves treated with factors known to trigger a defense response in plants. Transcript levels for all of the genes examined increased in response to artificial wounding, insect herbivory, and methyl jasmonate (meJA) treatments, whereas salicylic acid (SA) and glucose oxidase (GOX) had no measurable effects on transcript levels. Furthermore, the genome ofM. truncatula was analyzed via DNA blots for an estimation of the number of copies of enzyme isoforms and indicate that each of the enzymes examined is encoded by a single-copy gene or a small gene family. The results show that M. truncatula can serve as a valuable source for novel terpene synthase clones and potentially for strong wound-inducible regulatory elements.
Model Predictive Trajectory Tracking and Collision Avoidance for Reliable Outdoor Deployment of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

We propose a novel approach for optimal trajectory tracking for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), using a linear model predictive controller (MPC) in combination with non-linear state feedback. The solution relies on fast onboard simulation of the translational dynamics of the UAV, which is guided by a linear MPC. By sampling the states of the virtual UAV, we create a control command for fast non-linear feedback, which is capable of performing agile maneuvers with high precision. In addition, the proposed pipeline provides an interface for a decentralized collision avoidance system for multi-UAY scenarios. Our solution makes use of the long prediction horizon of the linear MPC and allows safe outdoors execution of multi-UAV experiments without the need for in-advance collision-free planning. The practicality of the tracking mechanism is shown in combination with priority-based collision resolution strategy, which performs sufficiently in experiments with up to 5 UAVs. We present a statistical and experimental evaluation of the platform in both simulation and real-world examples, demonstrating the usability of the approach.
HYSTERESIS EFFECTS ON THE WATER RETENTION CURVE : A COMPARISON BETWEEN LABORATORY RESULTS AND PREDICTIVE MODELS

Description and prediction of water flow through unsaturated soils imply an understanding of their hydraulic properties. One of these unsaturated soil properties is the water retention curve (WRC), which relates the water content to suction, exhibits hysteresis effects. An experimental study of hysteresis phenomenon was undertaken to characterize the hydraulic behaviour of sandy soils used in engineered covers and to assess the performance of three predictive hysteresis models available in the literature. For the studied sands (fine, coarse and silty sand), hysteresis effect is clearly seen, and should not be ignored. The comparison between experimental and predicted results with the three different models indicates that Universal Mualem model did not predict adequately the WRC. However, the two versions of the Parlange model allow good predictions of the main drying curves. Moreover, because of their relatively simple formulation, these can easily be incorporated into numerical models for a better prediction of water flow and/or contaminant transport through unsaturated soils. RÉSUMÉ : La description et la prédiction du mouvement de l’eau à travers les sols non saturés impliquent une bonne connaissance de leurs propriétés hydriques. Une de ces propriétés de base est la courbe de rétention d’eau (CRE), qui relie la teneur en eau et la succion, montre des effets d'hystérésis. Une étude expérimentale de ce phénomène d'hystérésis a été entreprise avec l'objectif de caractériser le comportement hydrique de trois sols sableux typiquement utilisés dans la construction de recouvrements et d’évaluer la performance de trois modèles de prédiction d'hystérésis tirés de la littérature. Pour les sables étudiés (fin, grossier et sable silteux), l'effet d'hystérésis est bien présent et ne devrait pas être ignoré. Les résultats pour la prédiction des courbes principales de drainage permettent de conclure que le modèle Universel de Mualem n’est pas adapté pour obtenir de bonne prédiction de la CRE. Cependant, les deux versions du modèle de Parlange permettent d’obtenir de bonnes prédictions des courbes principales de drainage. De plus, leur formulation simple fait que les deux versions pourraient être facilement incorporées dans les modèles numériques pour une meilleure prédiction de l’écoulement d'eau et/ou du transport de contaminants à travers les sols non saturés.
Expression of monocarboxylate transporters in gallbladder cancer and their prognostic clinical significance

Objective: Gallbladder cancer (GBC), one of the most common and aggressive malignancies of the biliary duct, is associated with a dismal prognosis. Monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs) have been reported to play critical roles in the development and progression of cancer. The present study investigated the expression of the MCT isoforms 1, 2 and 4 and explored their roles in GBC. Methods: We evaluated the protein expression levels of MCT1, 2 and 4 in 80 samples of histologically confirmed GBC tissues and analysed the relationships between their expression levels and clinicopathological parameters and their prognostic significance. Results: The results from IHC analysis showed that expression of MCT1, MCT2 and MCT4 was significantly higher in GBC tissues than in adjacent normal tissues. Interestingly, overexpression of MCT1 and MCT4 was associated with lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis and poor survival. Moreover, high levels of MCT1 may be an independent predictor of unfavorable survival in patients with GBC. Conclusion: Overexpressed MCTs may play critical roles in GBC. MCT1 and MCT4 expression may be associated with GBC regional and distant metastases. MCT1 and MCT4 may be potential targets for improving treatments for GBC.
Tense morphology and verb-second in Swedish L1 children, L2 children and children with SLI

This paper compares the development of tense morphology and verb-second in different learner populations. Three groups of Swedish pre-school children are investigated longitudinally; ten L1 children, ten L2 children and ten children diagnosed with Specific Language Impairment (SLI). Data was collected twice, with an interval of six months. The results at Time I reveal a significant difference between normally developing L1 children on the one hand and L2 children and children with SLI on the other. The L1 children use verb-second correctly in topicalized declaratives, whereas both L2 children and children with SLI use structures with the verb in third position (XSV structures) as an intermediate step towards verb-second. There is a clear development between the two data collection sessions for the L2 children and the children with SLI, diminishing the difference between them and the unimpaired L1 children. The similarity that is found between L2 children and children with SLI in this study bears important implications for the discussion of the role of transfer in L2 research and for the question of a defective linguistic representation in SLI research.
UvA-DARE ( Digital Academic Repository ) Riches of the Poor : Using Crummy Entity Linkers for Interactive Search in Digital

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Cardiac damage by intra-abdominal hypertension in a canine model

To explore the mechanism of myocardial injury by intra-abdominal hypertension. A total of 54 healthy hybrid dogs were randomized into three groups, Group I: sham group (n = 6), the abdomen puncture was applied without gas injection; Group II: IAH group (n = 24), with subgroups of 6 animals each that were subjected to an IAP of 15, 20, 25, or 30 mmHg for 4 h; Group III: IAH decompression group (n = 24), decompressed for 2 h on the basis of Group II. Blood samples were obtained to detect markers of myocardial damage before IAH, at 0.5, 2, and 4 h post-IAH and at 1 and 2 h after decompression. The hearts were isolated, and myocardium was sectioned for pathological examination, ICAM-1 immunohistochemistry and for the detection of NO/NOS content. During the early stage of IAH, the markers of myocardial injury were not significantly different. Visible pathological damage was difficult to observe, but myocardial edema, exudation, Z line breakage, dissolution of myonemes and endothelial cell swelling were observed under both the light microscope and the electron microscope. IAH caused a decrease in the concentrations of cardiac NO and TNOS, and an increase in the content of iNOS. The expression of ICAM-1 increased after IAH. The mechanism of IAH-induced myocardial injury may involve the damage of myocardial microvascular endothelial cells caused by IAH.
Release from soil pathogens plays an important role in the success of invasive Carpobrotus in the Mediterranean

Introduced plant species can become locally dominant and threaten native flora and fauna. This dominance is often thought to be a result of release from specialist enemies in the invaded range, or the evolution of increased competitive ability. Soil borne microorganisms have often been overlooked as enemies in this context, but a less deleterious plant soil interaction in the invaded range could explain local dominance. Two plant species, Carpobrotus edulis and the hybrid Carpobrotus X cf. acinaciformis, are considered major pests in the Mediterranean basin. We tested if release from soil-borne enemies and/or evolution of increased competitive ability could explain this dominance. Comparing biomass production in non-sterile soil with that in sterilized soil, we found that inoculation with rhizosphere soil from the native range reduced biomass production by 32% while inoculation with rhizosphere soil from the invaded range did not have a significant effect on plant biomass. Genotypes from the invaded range, including a hybrid, did not perform better than plants from the native range in sterile soil. Hence evolution of increased competitive ability and hybridization do not seem to play a major role. We conclude that the reduced negative net impact of the soil community in the invaded range may contribute to the success of Carpobrotus species in the Mediterranean basin. © 2008 SAAB. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.