Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mechanical Properties and Failure Modes of Thick-Walled Cylinder Granites with Different Apertures under Triaxial Compression

Roadway excavation changes the original equilibrium stress state of the rock mass, resulting in the loading and unloading of the surrounding rock near the free surface. After the excavation, the tangential stress increases and the radial stress decreases, which mainly cause deformation and collapse of the roadway. In order to study the strength characteristics of the surrounding rock after the excavation, one effective way is to carry out triaxial compression tests on small surrounding rock samples. Therefore, this paper focuses on the triaxial compression mechanical propertiesof thick-walled cylinder granites with an electrohydraulic, servo-controlled rock mechanics testing system (MTS-815). It studies how different pore sizes and confining pressures affect the triaxial compressive strength (TCS), deformation, and failure modes of granite samples. The results are as follows: (1) Under triaxial compression, the stress-strain curves have no obvious yield stage, and the peak TCS increases with the confining pressure (σ3). When σ3 is low, there is little difference in the TCS between the complete specimen and the thick-walled cylinders. When σ3 reaches 30 MPa∼40 MPa, the TCS of samples with apertures of 15 mm and 20 mm are obviously lower. The σ3 has an obvious influence on the elastic modulus of thick-walled cylinder granites. (2) Shearing and splitting are the main failure modes under triaxial compression. When σ3 is low, shear failure appears. As σ3 reaches 30 MPa∼40 MPa, split failure occurs. The area of the fracture surface increases with σ3. (3) As σ3 grows, the influence parameter (m) of the three-dimensional Hoek-Brown criterion increases. Under the same σ3, the value of m presents a decreasing trend from the outer wall to the inner wall, which means the bearing capacity keeps getting lower and lower. As a result, the inner wall is most likely to be damaged. The theoretical analysis results agree well with the tests.
Structure–Property Relation of SrTiO3/LaAlO3 Interfaces

A large variety of transport properties have been observed at the interface between the insulating oxides SrTiO3 and LaAlO3 such as insulation, 2D interface metallicity, 3D bulk metallicity, magnetic scattering, and superconductivity. The relation between the structure and the properties of the SrTiO3/LaAlO3 interface can be explained in a meaningful way by taking into account the relative contribution of three structural aspects: oxygen vacancies, structural deformations (including cation disorder), and electronic interface reconstruction. The emerging phase diagram is much richer than for related bulk oxides due to the occurrence of interface electronic reconstruction. The observation of this interface phenomenon is a display of recent advances in thin film deposition and characterization techniques, and provides an extension to the range of exceptional electronic properties of complex oxides.
Sorption of Co2+ Ions on the Biogenic Mn Oxide Produced by a Mn-Oxidizing Fungus, Paraconiothyrium sp. WL-2

A Paraconiothyrium sp. WL-2 of Mn-oxidizing fungus is highly tolerant to Mn2+ ions, and capable of oxidizing more than 380 mg dm−3 of Mn2+ ions, leading to the formation of a large amount of insoluble Mn(III, IV) oxides. The biogenic Mn oxides were characterized by X-ray diffraction, FT-Infrared spectroscopy, elemental analysis, measurement of specific surface area, scanning electron microscopy, and measurement of zeta potential, in comparison with the synthetic Mn oxides. It was found that the biogenic Mn oxide is poorly crystalized birnessite, with higher porosity and much more weakly bounded Mn(II) on the surface than the synthetic Mn oxide. Cobalt(II) ions were sorbed and incorporated as Co(III) into the structure of the biogenic Mn oxide. Sorption efficiency in the biogenic Mn oxide was 5.6 times as high as that in the synthetic ones. Relation of the relased Mn2+ ions to the immobilized Co suggested that Mn(IV) is preferentially used as oxidants over Mn(III) in the biogenic Mn oxide, and emphasized that the existence of Mn(III) in the biogenic Mn oxide activates the geochemical cycles of Mn and the other involved elements in environments.
Writing in L2: Norwegian Students’ Use of Translanguaging at the Draft Stage

This study explores Norwegian students’ use of translanguaging at the draft stage of writing in English (L2). 78 drafts were written under a translanguaging writing condition, that is when the students were prompted to alternate languages during the draft stage of writing as a scaffolding technique before producing a final product in English. Thirty-seven drafts containing language alternation were analyzed using the proposed integrated framework of translanguaging and written code-switching. The analysis showed that the students’ uses of translanguaging range from a strategic juxtaposition of linguistic elements fulfilling certain socio-pragmatic functions, to highly flexible language alternation with the aim of generating content or experimenting with one’s linguistic repertoire. The findings reported in this paper point to the fact that the integrated framework of translanguaging, pragmatic code-switching, and language mixing may be necessary to account for the students’ diverse and complex use of translanguaging in writing as it allows for a more differentiated approach to study the written form(s) of translanguaging. The present study aims to further translanguaging as an alternative pedagogy to contest the English-only approach to writing instruction in Norway because it provides the students with an opportunity to demonstrate a unique set of skills that remains obscured in the traditional monoglossic writing context.
Gaming practices and technologies in education: their educational potential, limitations and problems in the world-of-work and world-of-play context

This article highlights and discusses potential opportunities, limitations and problems related to using games and game technologies (such as gamification) in education. For the purpose of the study, games are seen ontologically as conditional realities. The world-of-work and world-ofplay concept, which stems from the ideas of social phenomenology about lifeworld and multiple realities, forms a methodological basis for the analysis and differentiation between game and nongame activities, thus underlying the scientific novelty of our study. The following conclusions were inferred: By turning learning into a game we may prompt students to perceive the world-of-work (duties, responsibilities) as the world-of-play (desires, freedom); then, either the school will lose its socializing role in preparing students for life, which is a world of work and commitments rather than a world of game, or students will become bored with the game that will lose its appeal (or suggest manipulations). Thus, despite all its advantages, game-based and gamified education should not be seen as a panacea.
Expressway Guardrail Extraction and Classification Based on Slice Method

Guardrails are an important ancillary facility of expressways. Accurate and effective identification of guardrails from road scenes plays an important role in high-precision map construction, automatic driving, road maintenance, and so on. At present, there are few research methods on guardrail recognition in highway scenes, and the existing methods have some defects such as low recognition accuracy and inability to distinguish guardrail types. In this paper, a point cloud of an expressway scene obtained by mobile laser scanning is taken as the research object. On the basis of the binary coding voxelization segmentation method, the clustering slicing method is used to recognize the guardrail target in the expressway scene according to the characteristics of the guardrail. In addition, a method for distinguishing the type of guardrail based on its cross-section characteristics is proposed to distinguish steel and concrete guardrails in a highway. The experimental results show that the proposed method can effectively identify the guardrail target in the point cloud of an expressway scene, and has high efficiency and accuracy.
Effect of physical aging of poly(1-trimethylsilyl-1-propyne) films synthesized with TaCl5 and NbCl5 on gas permeability, fractional free volume, and positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy parameters

The effect of physical aging on the gas permeability, fractional free volume (FFV), and positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS) parameters of dense, isotropic poly(1-trimethylsilyl-1-propyne) (PTMSP) films synthesized with TaCl5 and NbCl5 was characterized. As-cast films were soaked in methanol until an equilibrium amount of methanol was absorbed by the polymer. When the films were removed from methanol, film thickness initially decreased rapidly and was almost constant after 70 h in air for both catalysts. This timescale was much longer than the timescale for complete methanol desorption (ca. 5 h). From the film-thickness data, the reduction in FFV with time was estimated. For samples prepared with either catalyst, the kinetics of FFV reduction were well-described by a simple model based on the notion either that free-volume elements diffuse to the surface of the polymer film and are subsequently eliminated from the sample or that lattice contraction controls polymer densification. Methane permeability decreased rapidly during the first 70 h, which was the same timescale for the thickness change. The decrease in methane permeability was smaller in films prepared with NbCl5 than with TaCl5. The logarithm of methane permeability decreased linearly as reciprocal FFV increased, in accordance with free-volume theory. The PALS results indicate that the concentration of larger free-volume elements (as indicated by the intensity I4) decreased with aging time and that the other PALS parameters were not strongly influenced by aging. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 38: 1222–1239, 2000
Recyclization of 2-iminocoumarin-3-carbonitriles with 2-aminothiobenzamide: a new synthetic route to substituted 2-(2-iminocoumarin-3-yl)quinazoline-4(3H)-thiones

The reaction of 2-aminothiobenzamide with either 2-iminocoumarin-3-carbonitrile or 2-iminocoumarin-3-thiocarboxamides has been studied. It has been established that in both cases, 2-(2-iminocoumarin-3-yl)quinazoline-4(3H)-thiones are formed as the result of a two-step procedure. The reactions of 2-(2-iminocoumarin-3-yl)quinazoline-4(3H)-thiones with arylamines and alkylating agents have been studied.
The effect of intellectual capital on competitive advantage: The mediating role of innovation

The aim of this study is to explore the impact of intellectual capital on the achievement of competitive advantage in organizations. It also aims to explore the mediating impact of innovation on the relationship between intellectual capital and the achievement of competitive advantage. To meet the study’s goals, the researchers reviewed the relevant literature. The researchers also provide definitions for intellectual capital and innovation. They also identified the dimensions of intellectual capital (i.e. structural, human and relational capital). The study identified the types of innovation (incremental and radical innovation) and found that intellectual capital significantly influences on the achievement of competitive advantage. Moreover, the study found that innovation has a mediating influence on the relationship between intellectual capital and the achievement of a competitive advantage.
Generating Optimal Designs for Discrete Choice Experiments in R: The idefix Package

Discrete choice experiments are widely used in a broad area of research fields to capture the preference structure of respondents. The design of such experiments will determine to a large extent the accuracy with which the preference parameters can be estimated. This paper presents a new R package, called idefix, which enables users to generate optimal designs for discrete choice experiments. Besides Bayesian D-efficient designs for the multinomial logit model, the package includes functions to generate Bayesian adaptive designs which can be used to gather data for the mixed logit model. In addition, the package provides the necessary tools to set up actual surveys and collect empirical data. After data collection, idefix can be used to transform the data into the necessary format in order to use existing estimation software in R.
A mind stretched: The psychology of repeat consumption

The highest grossing movie to date, Avengers: Endgame, yielded $2.8 billion in ticket sales during its theatrical run from April to July 2019. It turns out, a surprising number of those tickets were purchased by one person: superfan Augustin Alanis. Alanis, age 30 of Riverview, Florida, saw the movie in theaters a record-setting 202 times. “I started going every day, posting my rounds because I really love the film,” Alanis told a CNN reporter. “I go twice on weekdays; Saturday and Sunday, four to five times—which is the most I can because of the movie being 3 hr and 2 min long” (Jackson, 2019). Alanis's enthusiasm strikes us as bizarre not just because of the extremity of his behavior, but because his behavior seems to violate the long-standing psychological principle of hedonic adaptation. Hedonic adaptation is the tendency for pleasurable stimuli (like an enjoyable movie) to elicit less intense pleasure the more we experience them, and it pervades nearly everything we consume (Campbell et al., 2014; Frederick & Loewenstein, 1999; Galak & Redden, 2018; Lyubomirsky, 2010). As Myers (1992) decidedly put: “This point cannot be overstated: Every desirable experience is transitory” (p. 53). If our goal is to maximize happiness and hedonic outcomes, the prevailing recommendation is to pursue novelty rather than to repeatedly consume the same old things (“variety is the spice of life”: Lyubomirsky et al., 2005; Sheldon et al., 2012). What is Augustin Alanis doing? The current article reviews an emerging line of research on the psychology of repeat consumption. Though few us of would head Received: 24 September 2020 | Revised: 21 October 2020 | Accepted: 22 October 2020 DOI: 10.1002/arcp.1062
Practice of Breast Self-Examination and Knowledge of Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening

The burden of breast and cervical cancer is increasing exponentially, especially among women in low- and mid-income countries. Early detection, hinged on screening uptake is a key to higher survival rate and managing cancer outcome. The present study assessed Nigerians and Egyptians’ knowledge of breast self-examination (BSE) and breast and cervical cancer screening. A cross-sectional questionnaire was utilized to obtain 1,006 respondents via a convenient sampling method. The mean age of respondents was 30.43 ± 6.69. About one-third of participants had good knowledge (> 66%) of breast cancer screening (42%), cervical cancer screening (44%) and BSE practice (36%). Age range (26–40 years), educational level (tertiary), and marital status were demographic data that influenced knowledge level. The screening uptake among the studied population is very poor as only (11%) had ever been screened and only (2.2%) ever vaccinated. The major reasons for poor screening uptake were “no awareness of where to be screened” and “no symptoms”. Assessing the knowledge and uptake level of African women through studies like this is crucial in identifying the loopholes in the fight against cancer. More efforts are required for promoting the utilization of cancer screening services, HPV vaccination, and BSE practice among African women. Doi: 10.28991/SciMedJ-2021-0303-3 Full Text: PDF
Intelligent Health Services Based on Biomedical Smart Sensors

Health services can be improved by means of intelligent techniques that handle efficiently massive volumes of data collected from biomedical variables. Nowadays, these services are not only oriented to disease diagnosis and prevention, but wellness too. Advanced technologies and last trends in computing, internet of things, sensors, and data science are driving the development of new systems and applications in the area of intelligent health services based on biomedical smart sensors that deserve to be known. Through five research articles and a review, this Special Issue provides the opportunity to obtain a representative view of the potential of these technologies when applied to such a human welfare-oriented area.
Impact of Effluent from the Leachate Treatment Plant of Taman Beringin Solid Waste Transfer Station on the Quality of Jinjang River

Rapid population growth has contributed to increased solid waste generated in Malaysia. Most landfills that have reached the design capacity are now facing closure. Taman Beringin Landfill was officially closed, so the Taman Beringin Solid Waste Transfer Station was built to manage the relocation, consolidation, and transportation of solid waste to Bukit Tagar Sanitary Landfill. Leachates are generated as a consequence of rainwater percolation through waste and biochemical processes in waste cells. Leachate treatment is needed, as leachates cause environmental pollution and harm human health. This study investigates the impact of treated leachate discharge from a Leachate Treatment Plant (LTP) on the Jinjang River water quality. The performance of the LTP in Taman Beringin Solid Waste Transfer Station was also assessed. Leachate samples were taken at the LTP’s anoxic tank, aeration tank, secondary clarifier tank, and final discharge point, whereas river water samples were taken upstream and downstream of Jinjang River. The untreated leachate returned the following readings: biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) (697.50 ± 127.94 mg/L), chemical oxygen demand (COD) (2419.75 ± 1155.22 mg/L), total suspended solid (TSS) (2710.00 ± 334.79 mg/L), and ammonia (317.08 ± 35.45 mg/L). The LTP’s overall performance was satisfactory, as the final treated leachates were able to meet the standard requirements of the Environmental Quality (Control of Pollution from Solid Waste Transfer Station and Landfill) Regulation 2009. However, the LTP’s activated sludge system performance was not satisfactory, and the parameters did not meet the standard limits. The result shows a low functioning biological treatment method that could not efficiently treat the leachate. However, a subsequent step of combining the biological and chemical process (coagulation, flocculation, activated sludge system, and activated carbon adsorption) helped the treated leachate to meet the standard B requirement stipulated by the Department of Environment (DOE), i.e., to flow safely into the river. This study categorized Jinjang River as polluted, with the discharge of the LTP’s treated leachates, possibly contributing to the river pollution. However, other factors, such as the upstream sewage treatment plant and the ex-landfill downstream, may have also affected the river water quality. The LTP’s activated sludge system performance at the transfer station still requires improvement to reduce the cost of the chemical treatment.
Development of magnetic moments in Fe1 − xNix-alloys

We have investigated the magnetic properties of Fe1 − xNix-alloys for 13 different compositions ranging from pure Fe to pure Ni. The alloy series was prepared as thin films by co-deposition of Fe and Ni via ultra-high vacuum magnetron sputtering and the concentrations were determined by energy dispersive x-ray fluorescence analysis (EDX). The averaged magnetization and magnetic moment were measured at room temperature using a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometer and a vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). Making use of x-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD), the individual magnetic moments of Fe and Ni across the alloy concentration range were analyzed; thus their spin and orbital contributions were extracted. The weighted sum of the individual moments agrees very well with the average moments determined via SQUID and VSM. The Ni moment steadily increases from the pure Ni towards to the pure Fe range, while the Fe moment scatters around a value of about 2.4 µB. Close to the invar composition of x = 0.35 we do not observe an anomaly of the magnetic moments, either of the individual moments or of the average moment. We also discuss different assumptions for the analysis of the XMCD spectra and assess the results in the light of recent theoretical predictions and literature values.
Decomposition of Municipal Sludge by Supercritical Water Oxidation.

Supercritical water oxidation was used to break down municipal excess sludge. The reaction was carried out in a batch reactor with hydrogen peroxide as an oxidant in the temperature range of 473 K–873 K. The reaction products were analyzed in terms of total organic carbon (TOC), organic acids and ammonium ion. TOC decreases with temperature and oxidant amount. Acetic acid and ammonia are detected as major refractory intermediates in the product. When more than the stoichiometric demand of oxidant is used, organic carbon in liquid phase is almost completely destroyed. Complete destruction of ammonia produced during the reaction requires higher temperatures than that of acetic acid.
Comparing Classical and Modern Machine Learning Techniques for Monitoring Pedestrian Workers in Top-View Construction Site Video Sequences

Keeping an overview of all ongoing processes on construction sites is almost unfeasible, especially for the construction workers executing their tasks. It is difficult for workers to concentrate on their work while paying attention to other processes. If their workflows in hazardous areas do not run properly, this can lead to dangerous accidents. Tracking pedestrian workers could improve the productivity and safety management on construction sites. For this, vision-based tracking approaches are suitable, but the training and evaluation of such a system requires a large amount of data originating from construction sites. These are rarely available, which complicates deep learning approaches. Thus, we use a small generic dataset and juxtapose a deep learning detector with an approach based on classical machine learning techniques. We identify workers using a YOLOv3 detector and compare its performance with an approach based on a soft cascaded classifier. Afterwards, tracking is done by a Kalman filter. In our experiments, the classical approach outperforms YOLOv3 on the detection task given a small training dataset. However, the Kalman filter is sufficiently robust to compensate for the drawbacks of YOLOv3. We found that both approaches generally yield a satisfying tracking performances but feature different characteristics.
Spatial Distribution and Biomonitoring of Atmospheric Mercury Concentrations over a Contaminated Coastal Lagoon (Northern Adriatic, Italy)

The Marano and Grado Lagoon (Northern Adriatic Sea) has been affected by mercury (Hg) contamination coming from two sources, mining activity and discharges from a chlor-alkali plant (CAP). Sediments and water contamination have been previously well characterised, but little is known about the atmospheric compartment, where Hg is easily emitted and can persist for a long time as gaseous elemental mercury (GEM). In this work, atmospheric GEM levels and its spatial distribution over the lagoon were monitored at several sites by means of both continuous discrete instrumental measurements over several months and the determination of Hg bioaccumulated in lichens (Xanthoria parietina L.). Average GEM levels varied from 1.80 ± 0.74 to 3.04 ± 0.66 ng m−3, whereas Hg in lichens ranged between 0.06 to 0.40 mg kg−1. In both cases, the highest values were found downwind of the CAP, but excluding this point, spatial patterns of Hg in the atmosphere and lichens reflected the concentration of this metal in the sediments of the lagoon, showing a decrease moving westward. These results could indicate that the lagoon acts as a secondary source of Hg into the atmosphere: future work is needed to characterise the quantity of releases and depositions at different environments inside the lagoon.