Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Advanced Ethylene-Propylene-Diene (EPDM) Rubber Composites Filled with Raw Silicon Carbide or Hybrid Systems with Different Conventional Fillers

We studied the effects of silicon carbide (SiC) and SiC hybrid systems with different conventional fillers (silica, carbon black, graphene, hydrotalcite, halloysite) on the rheometric measurements, crosslink density, mechanical performance, aging stability, morphology, thermal behaviour, and flammability of ethylene-propylene-diene (EPDM) rubber composites. The hybrid filler systems showed technically promising synergetic effects on the performance of the EPDM composites. A pronounced reinforcing effect in EPDM composites filled with hybrid SiC filler systems was noted. Tensile strength increased in the systems with carbon black, silica, and graphene nanoplatelets, by 21%, 37%, and 68%, respectively, compared to the neat EPDM. Dynamic-mechanical analysis (DMA) revealed a shift of the glass transition temperature (Tg) of EPDM composites towards higher values following the incorporation of hybrid SiC fillers, indicating that the mobility of the macromolecule chains was restricted by the presence of filler particles. Importantly, the application of SiC as a filler in EPDM rubber composites contributed to a considerable reduction in flammability, as demonstrated by microscale combustion calorimetry (MCC). The most promising results were obtained for HAL/SiC and LDH/SiC hybrid systems, which produced final composites with high flame retardancy and good mechanical performance. The study highlights the significant potential of SiC and SiC hybrid systems as effective fillers improving the properties of elastomer composites.
The Influence of Shoe and Cleat Type on Lower Extremity Muscle Activation in Youth Baseball Pitchers

Background: Baseball pitching is a dynamic movement where the lower extremities generate and sequentially transfer energy to the upper extremities to maximize ball velocity. The need for lower body muscular strength to produce adequate push-off and landing forces has been documented; however, the influence footwear and surface inclination has on muscle activation remains unknown. Objectives: Determine how pitching in molded cleats and turf shoes from a pitching mound and flat ground affects stride-leg muscle activation in youth baseball pitchers while determining percent activation during each pitching phase. Methods: Cross – sectional study analyzing mean muscle activity and percent activation of the vastus medialis, semitendinosus, tibialis anterior, and medial gastrocnemius on the stride-leg of 11 youth baseball pitchers when pitching fastballs. Results: Footwear did not significantly alter vastus medialis or semitendinosus muscle activation (P 0.05). The turf shoe x pitching mound interaction elicited significantly (P 0.05) greater mean muscle activity in the medial gastrocnemius and tibialis anterior from stride foot contact to maximum glenohumeral internal rotation. Molded cleats produced greater activation levels in the tibialis anterior on flat ground from stride foot contact (0.374 ± 0.176 mV) to ball release (0.469 ± 0.150 mV). Conclusion: Findings suggest footwear significantly alters the activity level of the ankle stabilizing musculature. Youth baseball pitchers and coaches should be cognizant of what footwear is worn on a pitching surface. Maximal activation of the tibialis anterior and medial gastrocnemius can ensure the stride leg is adequately stabilized to absorb the momentum generated by trail leg.
Exploring choice set generation approaches for public transport connection choice

This technical working paper documents the choice set generation algorithms for public transport connection choice in their state of development in August 2014. The choice set generation methods have been developed to generate the non-chosen alternatives for public transport trips that have been observed through GPS traces recorded either by dedicated GPS devices or by smart-phones. The choice set generation approaches that we have developed build on the idea of generating a routing network that contains the entire schedule and modifying that Dijkstra algorithm so that takes into account multiple start and end stops in the public transport network and the corresponding access and egress segments. The basic version is then combined with other least cost path based choice set generation procedures: First, with a procedure to randomly vary the link cost and cost function parameters to obtain a doubly stochastic choice set generation and, second, with a new approach of selecting potential transfer opportunities in the network enforcing a routing via these selected points. A first evaluation of the generated choice sets was done with public transport trips found in GPS traces originating from a person-based GPS diary survey with participants living in and around Zurich. It shows that all three approaches generally work. However, it also reveals several areas for improvement that are discussed within in this working paper.
Resource Allocation Optimization for Secure Multi-device Wirelessly Powered Backscatter Communication with Artificial Noise

Wirelessly powered backscatter communications (WPBC) is an emerging technology for providing continuous energy and ultra-low power communications. Despite some progress in WPBC systems, resource allocation for multiple devices towards secure backscatter communications (BC) and efficient-energy harvesting (EH) requests a deep-insight investigation. In this paper, we consider a WPBC system in which a full-duplex access point (AP) transmits multi-sinewave signals to power backscatter devices (BDs) and injects artificial noise (AN) to secure their backscatter transmissions. To maximize the minimum harvested energy and ensure fairness and security of all BDs, we formulate an optimization problem by jointly considering the backscatter time, power splitting ratio between multi-sinewave and AN, and signal power allocation. For a single-BD system, we characterize the achievable secrecy rate-energy region with a non-linear energy harvester and propose two algorithms to solve an energy maximization problem. We then analyze the effect of multi-sinewave and AN signals on BD’s secrecy rate and harvested energy through simulations and proof-of-concept experiments. For a multi-BD system, we propose an iterative algorithm by leveraging block successive upper-bound minimization (BSUM) techniques to solve the non-convex problem of fair resource allocation and show its convergence and complexity. Numerical results show the proposed algorithm achieves optimal and equitable harvested energy for all BDs with satisfying the security constraint.
Toxicogenetic effects are involved in the occurrence of imbibitional damage in soybean seeds

Soybean represents a valuable source of food for humans and animals and the quality of the seeds has great importance for the establishment and high productivity of this crop. Soybean seeds require continuous improvement, which is dependent on a better understanding of the regulatory mechanisms that coordinate seed germination. To investigate whether the method of water absorption into soybean seeds could lead to abnormal seedlings, and if this could be associated with cytogenetical consequences, we premoistened the seeds of three cultivars; M 6410 IPRO, M6210 IPRO, and BMX Potência RR by direct immersion (fast method), use of a wet substrate (intermediate method), and by moist atmosphere (slow method) with distilled water at 25ºC for 24 hours. We investigated the normal and abnormal seedlings, electrical conductivity, mitosis, cell death, and the chromosomal abnormalities index. The comet assay was applied to investigate DNA fragmentation. Direct immersion in water induced seedling growth inhibition and caused cytological alterations associated with genotoxicity effects in the studied soybean genotypes. Slow premoistening of the seeds increased seedling performance as a result of higher final germination percentage (above 85%), reduced abnormal seedlings (below 5%, on average), and reduced the electrical conductivity of seeds. All three genotypes of soybean seeds lost their ability to withstand the imbibitional damage induced by direct immersion as abnormal seedlings increased. We concluded that the fast water absorption by seeds poses a threat to genomic integrity owing to its potential for genotoxicity to DNA, manifesting as breaks or loss of whole chromosomes. Slow premoistening of the seeds resulted in a longer time period to deal with damage. Stabilized seedling growth was provided by altering cytogenetic responses during uptake of water by soybean seeds through the maintenance of cell viability.
Teaching Puberty for LGBTQIA + Diversity, Inclusion, and Beyond: A New Model of Expansive Pubertal Understanding

Abstract The following article presents a paradigm shift in order to engage in more expansive pedagogy in the teaching of puberty; specifically, to create a more inclusive and affirming space for LGBTIQA + youth. Attention to LGBTQIA + populations has slowly been integrated into many areas of research, theory, and teaching in psychology and related disciplines. While positive strides have been made, lessons on adolescent psychology, and puberty specifically, remain stuck in older binary models. The following is an examination of the dominant approach utilized for teaching puberty in senior-level high school and early undergraduate adolescent psychology courses, a critique of that model, as well as a presentation of a new model for teaching pubertal development. A proposed Model of Expansive Pubertal Understanding is shared here, and allows for a fuller, more accurate, and more positive, approach to pubertal development. It is further proposed that the information shared in this model be infused much earlier in youth education, and through a breadth of disciplines, to effectively promote psychological and physical wellbeing among children and youth of diverse genders, sexes, and sexualities.
The Internal Labour Dynamics of the Great Eastern Railway Company, 1870-1913

it has been estimated that by the mid-1980s approximately half of all workers in Great Britain were operating in an ILM. Its origins can be found in the nineteenth century, particularly in the large service companies such as banks and the railway companies. The received wisdom is that before 1914 most workers were paid piece rates or spot wages; that is, they were paid according to their level of individual productivity, which in turn reflected their abilities and previous experience and training, given the prevailing market conditions. However, for some workers in some large firms this was not the case; their wages were determined by conditions in the ILM of the firm. Some important characteristics of an ILM are that recruitment from the external labour market tends to be restricted to a limited number of job entry points, that positions higher up the job ladder are filled by internal promotion, and that there exists a structured career. Furthermore, within firms operating an ILM, the link between the external labour market and current worker productivity on the one hand and the remuneration of the worker on the other is broken. Wages tend to reflect more complex implicit contracts, which in turn are influenced by the long-term nature of the relationship between employer and employee.3 The primary aim of this article is to examine the internal labour dynamics of a large sample of long-term employees within one railway company, the Great Eastern Railway Company (GER), in the period 1870-1914 and to consider the consequences for these workers of operating within an ILM. In the late nineteenth century the large railway companies in Britain embraced ILMs, and Fitzgerald has argued that in this they were pioneers for other large modern corporate organizations.4 Their adoption of ILMs was also significant because of the size of the railway industry and its 1 I thank Howard Gospel, Terry Gourvish, Mary McKinnon, Mary Morgan, and the referees of this journal for their helpful suggestions and comments on previous versions of this article. I also thank Roy Edwards for his invaluable research assistance at the genesis of this project. 2 Siebert and Addison, 'Internal labour markets', p. 77. 3 The classic work on ILMs remains Doeringer and Piore, Internal labour markets. 4 Fitzgerald, British labour management. The implications of the rise of large scale organizations in the nineteenth century for the management and organization of their labour markets have been the subject of the work both of Weber, Economy, and of Chandler, Visible hand.
Comparison of the sensitivity and cross-reactivity between heat-killed and formalin-killed cells during the development of indirect competitive ELISA for the detection of Salmonella Typhimurium

Newer discovery of Salmonella strains warranted the development of newer ELISA system. Theaim of this works is to develop a sensitive and simple indirect ELISA for the detection ofSalmonella Typhimurium using formalin- and heat-killed cells as immunogens. The parameters ofthe resultant calibration curve for the formalin-killed cells (FKC) were minimum absorbance of0. 101Â± 0.011, maximum absorbance of 2. 804Â± 0.020, slope parameter of 1.197, while c, theconcentration that results in 50% response was 4.22 x 106 CFU/ml. The LOD and LOQ were19,300 and 52,700 CFU/mL, respectively. The parameters of the typical calibration curve forheat-killed cells (HKC) were minimum absorbance of 0. 115Â± 0.013, maximum absorbance of2. 810Â± 0.021, slope parameter was 1.441, while c, the concentration that results in 50% responsewas 2.15 x 106 CFU/ml. The LOD and LOQ were 47,100 and 123,000 CFU/mL, respectively.Antibody raised to FKC was twice the sensitivity and approximately ten times the linear rangecompared to antibody raised to HKC. Antibody produced from formalin-killed cells exhibitedlower cross reactivity than heat-killed cells. The results of this work could open new avenues onoptimization of antigen preparation for maximal sensitivity of the developed polyclonal antibody.
Affecting Factors of Lightning Shielding Simulation Test of Transmission Lines

To investigate the factors influencing the shielding performance of lightning protection measures for power transmission lions, taking a 500 kV AC transmission line as the object, we experimentally studied the impacts from factors such as electrode placement along the direction of span, incident angle of lightning leader, line protection angle, ground tilt angle, type of impulse voltage, and model scale. The experiment included nearly a hundred thousand times of discharg. The results show that, the shielding failure probability increases with increasing electrode tilt angle and line protection angle, and it increases and then decreases with increasing ground tilt angle. In the tests, we also simultaneously observed the phenomena that main discharge hit conductor and residue upward streamer failed to hit ground wire, and vice versa. Furthermore, the shielding spatial distributions with three scale models, which had scales of 1:80, 1:40 and 1:25, were drawn according to a great number of standard lightning(-1.2 μs/50 μs) and switching impulse(-250 μs/2 500 μs) tests. Finally, based on tests and some calculations, it is suggested that in shielding tests with small-scaled transmission line models, electrodes should be placed in the regions that can reflect standard lightning surges, and the standard lightning impulse wave should be employed. The results could be referred in future studies on lightning protection of ultra-high voltage(UHV) transmission lines.
POLYPROPYLENE-MODIFIED KAOLINITE COMPOSITES: EFFECT OF CHEMICAL MODIFICATION ON MECHANICAL, THERMAL AND MORPHOLOGICAL PROPERTIES

The intercalation of kaolinite with an ammonium salt was performed. Untreated and treated kaolinite samples were examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD). PP/kaolinite compounds were prepared by the melt intercalation method. The effects of modified clay on properties of the prepared composites were studied. The XRD results showed that the treatment with the ammonium salt caused the return to the initial state of the clay. The thermogravimetric analysis thermograms (TGA) marked an increase in thermal degradation of the composites, while the differential scanning calorimetric (DSC) results showed the decrease of the crystallization temperature and the melting point in presence of clay in the matrix owing to the fact that the filler acts as reinforcing effect. The mechanical properties of the composites exhibited important variations, the morphology of the composites was further studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and showed poor dispersion of used nanoclay in PP matrix. Keywords: polypropylene; composites; kaolinite; surface treatment; melt intercalation
PLA2A gene from Arabidopsis thaliana in response to infection by Ustilago maydis

In this work, U. maydis-Arabidopsis pathosystem was used to evaluate the PLP2A Arabidopsis gene roll in response to U. maydis infection. For this, both wild-type and pla2a mutant plants were inoculated with a haploid strain of U. maydis, and the progress of the infection was followed, results show that transcript plays an important role in the establishment of the infection being evident in the mutant plant compared to wild-type plants. On the other hand, the orthologous gene was found in corn, the natural host of U. maydis, with 69% identity to the AtPLA2A gene. The PLP2A gene expression was analyzed by RT-PCR assays and the results showed that this gene is induced from the first day after inoculation, the transcript increases as the infection progresses; this supports the theory that the transcript AtPLA2A is involved in the mechanisms of resistance and susceptibility to the pathogen. The use of Arabidopsis has made it possible to understand the defense responses in the plant and the pathogenic process of U. maydis, therefore, the results obtained can clarify the role of PLA2A in a comparative and integrative way in host and non-host plants of U. maydis.
Tapping into Futuristic Imagination: Are We Ready for Digital Medical Education in Malaysia?

In recent years, the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) has been the new buzzword in Malaysia following governmental policies for integrating digital technologies into the administrative and socioeconomic aspects of life. With the enrolment of new generations of digitally endowed students, the waves of the digital revolution will soon hit the shore of medical education. This commentary proposes the concept of a medical education system that fully adopts the 4IR agenda in teaching and learning basic medical and clinical sciences. The deliberation in this article offers novel avenues for medical teachers to reflect on their roles and preparedness in steering Malaysian medical education towards the foreseeable digitalised future.
Phenotypical Variation of Ruminal Volatile Fatty Acids and pH during the Peri-Weaning Period in Holstein Calves and Factors Affecting Them

Simple Summary The evolutionary course of rumen volatile fatty acids and their association with management factors during the peri-weaning period under field conditions have not been sufficiently investigated. There is a large phenotypical variability among calves in rumen parameters. There are several management factors affecting them, associated with a smooth rumen adaptation peri-weaning. The results enhance our knowledge about management practices that optimize ruminal adaptation during the weaning process. Abstract Two hundred and forty-three clinically healthy Holstein calves from eight commercial dairy farms were used to: (a) describe the evolutionary course of ruminal VFA concentration and pH during the peri-weaning period and (b) assess management factors affecting their phenotypical variation of these parameters. Management practices were recorded individually for each calf as these were not fixed within farms. Samples of ruminal fluid were collected at −7 d, 0 d, and 7 d relative to weaning. Gas chromatography was used to measure ruminal VFAs, and pH was measured on site. Linear mixed models for repeated measurements were used to assess the effects of management factors and their interactions. A large among-calves phenotypical variability was observed. Estimated marginal means showed that concentrations of acetate, butyrate, and total VFAs (but not of propionate) significantly decreased, while acetate propionate increased, from −7 d to 7 d. Age at weaning and body weight at −7 d were positively associated with total and several individual VFA concentrations. Group housing and late forage feeding pre-weaning were associated with higher VFA concentrations; the same factors, as well as step-weaning, were associated with pH values around 6. Feeding 7–8 L of milk replacer daily did not preclude a smooth transition, irrespective of weaning method.
SOFTWARE PROCESSES: OLD PETUNIAS IN NEW BOWLS?

lobalization and turbulent business environments are two factors that create significant challenges for software organizations today. In the wake of the IT downturn, many organizations have turned toward globally distributed software development (GSD) in their quest for the silver bullet of high-quality software delivered cheaply and quickly. At the same time, the increasingly volatile requirements in the business environment and the general trend toward leanness have led to a focus on more flexible, agile approaches as a potential solution. Despite 50 years of software development experience, the perception of the so-called “software crisis” persists in many quarters, with continued instances of software projects exceeding budgets, and development schedules, and exhibiting poor levels of quality when completed—if completed at all. In recent years, agile methods have been proposed as a new, practice-led, paradigm that potentially addresses these problems by promoting communication, flexibility, innovation, and teamwork. Such methods differ significantly from the traditional plan-based approaches emphasizing development productivity rather than
A Boosting Multi Flyback Converter for Electric Vehicle Application

The Flyback converter belongs to the primary switched converter family, which means there is isolation between input and output. Flyback converters have low number of components compared to other Switched Mode Power Supplies (SMPSs), they also have the advantage that several isolated output voltages can be regulated by one control circuit. This study proposes an efficient and cost effective Multi Flyback topology, an isolated DC-DC converter suitable for electric vehicle applications especially driven with induction motor. The converter topology forms a power interface between the battery and the motor and also capable of boosting the voltage from low voltage battery side to high voltage DC link. A Multi Flyback Converter topology implemented by paralleling three individual flyback converters at the battery input side and DC link output side. The topology will share the current across each individual converter and the individual power will be added up at the output side. The scheme incorporates a transformer winding technique which can reduce the leakage inductance of the coupled inductor to a satisfactory limit.