Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of Plasma Treatment on Ice Plant Germination and Physicochemical Surface Using Dielectric Barrier Discharge

Atmospheric pressure plasma treatment on seeds has recently become a valuable technique to improve germination. This work treated Mesembryanthemum crystallinum (ice plant) seeds by the dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) atmospheric pressure plasma at room temperature. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) indicate that after plasma treatment, the N–H stretching vibration of proteins (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\sim 3340$ </tex-math></inline-formula> cm<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$^{-1}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>) is introduced into the seed surface, increasing the nitrogen content on the surface of the ice plant. Therefore, the seed germination rate increased significantly by 15.2%. However, prolonged plasma treatment reduces seed germination. Because the operating surrounding temperature increases with the treatment time, the wax on the surface of the seed is evaporated, resulting in a significant increase water uptake of seeds. Excess water uptake hinders oxygen diffusion to the embryo, affecting germination. A feasible mechanism and effects of plasma treatment on ice plants are proposed in this study. DBD plasma-treated ice plants significantly increase germination rates, showing excellent potential in the agricultural field.
Fraunhofer diffraction patterns of microparticles

An experiment for undergraduate optics laboratories is described based on the interaction of light with opaque particles of 10 to 100 μm size. The experiment demonstrates the phenomena of diffraction and interference in low‐angle Fraunhofer patterns and shows how several structural parameters of microparticles can be determined from such patterns.
A Single Central Pattern Generator for the Control of a Locomotor Rolling Wave in Mollusc Aplysia

Locomotion in mollusc Aplysia is implemented by a pedal rolling wave, a type of axial locomotion. Well-studied examples of axial locomotion (pedal waves in Drosophila larvae and body waves in leech, lamprey, and fish) are generated in a segmented nervous system via activation of multiple coupled central pattern generators (CPGs). Pedal waves in molluscs, however, are generated by a single pedal ganglion, and it is unknown whether there are single or multiple CPGs that generate rhythmic activity and phase shifts between different body parts. During locomotion in intact Aplysia, bursting activity in the parapedal commissural nerve (PPCN) was found to occur during tail contraction. A cluster of 20 to 30 P1 root neurons (P1Ns) on the ventral surface of the pedal ganglion, active during the pedal wave, were identified. Computational cluster analysis revealed that there are 2 phases to the motor program: phase I (centered around 168°) and phase II (centered around 357°). PPCN activity occurs during phase II. The majority of P1Ns are motoneurons. Coactive P1Ns tend to be electrically coupled. Two classes of pedal interneurons (PIs) were characterized. Class 1 (PI1 and PI2) is active during phase I. Their axons make a loop within the pedal ganglion and contribute to locomotor pattern generation. They are electrically coupled to P1Ns that fire during phase I. Class 2 (PI3) is active during phase II and innervates the contralateral pedal ganglion. PI3 may contribute to bilateral coordination. Overall, our findings support the idea that Aplysia pedal waves are generated by a single CPG.
How Can We Improve Running Events? The IPA4RE Questionnaire and Its Potential Impact on the Experience of Runners

The benefits that a positive running experience provides to individuals have been broadly studied by the scientific community, with the finding that running sport events are a facilitating tool to attract more individuals into physical activity. This study focuses on a sport management approach to improve the quality and organizational efficiency of running sports events so that a better experience for runners can be provided. The methods of this research consist of the validation of a new questionnaire called ‘The IPA4RE questionnaire’. Furthermore, an IPA analysis for a specific event was carried out. As our main findings, the most valued aspects perceived by consumers are the event atmosphere, security, event route, and convenience of bib collection and event day information. In conclusion, the IPA4RE can be used as a management tool by running event organizers to make more efficient use of their resources and provide a better experience to participants.
Choice of sampling to ensure minimum-phase behaviour

Sufficient conditions for ensuring that a continuous stable, proper, minimum-phase plant remains minimum phase when sampled have been derived. As a corollary, the critical sampling frequency (the fastest sampling frequency ensuring minimum-phase behaviour) is shown to satisfy a simple equation. An engineering method to obtain the critical sampling by use of a relay is proposed. This method requires no prior knowledge of the plant. >
Differences in Mechanical and Physicochemical Properties of Several PTFE Membranes Used in Guided Bone Regeneration

Non-resorbable PTFE membranes are frequently used in dental-guided bone regeneration (GBR). However, there is a lack of detailed comparative studies that define variations among commonly used PTFE membranes in daily dental clinical practice. The aim of this study was to examine differences in physicochemical and mechanical properties of several recent commercial PTFE membranes for dental GBR (CytoplastTM TXT-200, permamem®, NeoGen®, Surgitime, OsseoGuard®-TXT, OsseoGuard®-NTXT). Such differences have been rarely recorded so far, which might be a reason for the varied clinical results. For that reason, we analyzed their surface architecture, chemical composition, tensile strength, Young’s modulus, wettability, roughness, density, thickness and porosity. SEM revealed different microarchitectures among the non-textured membranes; the textured ones had hexagonal indentations and XPS indicated an identical spectral portfolio in all membranes. NeoGen® was determined to be the strongest and OsseoGuard®-TXT was the most elastic. Wettability and roughness were highest for Surgitime but lowest for OsseoGuard®-NTXT. Furthermore, permamem® was the thinnest and NeoGen® was identified as the thickest investigated GBR membrane. The defect volumes and defect volume ratio (%) varied significantly, indicating that permamem® had the least imperfect structure, followed by NeoGen® and then Cytoplast TM TXT-200. These differences may potentially affect the clinical outcomes of dental GBR procedures.
A Framework for the Quantitative Study of Evolutionary Trees

A direct method for calculating expected data from an evolutionary model for two state characters is described. The method uses four vectors p, q, r and s. p and q are the probabilities of a character change on the 2n - 3 edges of a tree T (n is the number of taxa). r and s are properties of the data, are independent of any tree and have 2n-1 entries. For a given tree T, and with specified probabilities (p or q), we determine r, then s, the expected probabilities of each of the 2n-1 possible partitions of taxa. For any tree T the relationship can be inverted. This allows the probabilities of change on the tree, p and q, to be estimated directly from observed data (r or s). These relationships have been used to analyse the behaviour of tree building algorithms under conditions when there are sufficient data. (This is when the tree does not change as more data are collected, i.e., convergence to a single tree.) With equal rates of evolution (i.e., with a molecular clock), we show that for n = 4 taxa, parsimony will always converge to the correct tree, but we give examples with n = 5 where parsimony will converge on an incorrect tree, even for equal rates of evolution. A further example with n = 6 shows convergence to an incorrect tree with equal but arbitrarily small rates of change. We interpret a basic difficulty with parsimony as 'long edges attract. ' If there are additional taxa that intersect long edges on the tree, then this effect can be reduced. Some distance methods may also converge to an incorrect tree. (Evolu- tionary trees, evolution, parsimony.) Reconstructing evolutionary trees from events that occurred many millions of years ago is a major intellectual challenge. Two recurring problems have been: the choice of optimality criteria and the estimation of
The Impact of Oil Prices on State Budget Income and Expenses: Case of Azerbaijan

Since Azerbaijan is one of the oil exporting countries, its macroeconomic indicators, especially the exchange rate, the state budget are highly dependent on the oil factor. This study assessed the role of oil in the economy and the impact of the oil factor on the revenues and expenditures of the state budget of Azerbaijan in manat and dollar terms. The study covers the period 2005m03 − 2022m05. Unit root (Augmented Dickey−Fuller (ADF), Phillips−Perron (PP) and Kwiatkowski−Phillips−Schmidt−Shin (KPSS)) tests were applied to check the stationarity of variables (time series). ARDL was applied as a research method. In terms of the reliability of the obtained results, the error correction model (ECM) was used, standard tests were carried out, and the joint integration methods of FMOLS, DOLS and CCR were also applied in the evaluation. Engel−Granger and Phillips−Ouliaris tests have been used to test for cointegration interactions between variables. Short−term, long−term, and strong associations between variables were also calculated. The results of the study showed that the state budget depends on the oil and gas sector, and fluctuations in world oil prices functionally and along the chain affect oil revenues and the state budget. A different impact of oil prices (oil revenues) on the state budget in terms of manat and dollar was the devaluation of the manat, which was carried out to reduce the impact of the global financial and economic crisis on Azerbaijan. The general conclusion of the study was a recommendation to further accelerate work on the diversification of the economy and the development of the non−oil sector. The results of the conducted research can serve as a scientific basis for the economic policy of the state aimed at reducing the impact of external oil price shocks on the economy of Azerbaijan and other similar oil−exporting countries, including on the state budget, and diversifying the economy. The functional dependencies of the income and expenses of the state budget in terms of manat and dollar on world oil prices are given below.
ROSAT observations of stellar flares

X-ray observations of stellar flares obtained during the ROSA Tall-sky survey as well as in the ROSA ! T pointing program are discussed. The ROSAT all-sky survey allowed—for the first time—an unbiased search for stellar flares among all types of stars. A fundamentally new result obtained is that flares can occur on all types of late-type stars, thus supporting the view that the X-ray emission from these stars is controlled by magnetic processes. Long-duration flares can be studied with the all-sky survey data particularly well, and an especially well-observed long-duration flare event on the flare star EV Lacertae is presented and discussed in detail. Finally, the issue of time variability on the shortest detectable timescales and the question of microflaring is discussed using ROSAT data from a pointed observation of UV Ceti.
Differences in Mortality of Pre-Weaned and Post-Weaned Juvenile European Hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus) at Wildlife Rehabilitation Centres in the Czech Republic

Simple Summary Wildlife rehabilitation centres contribute to the conservation of wildlife by caring for sick, injured and orphaned animals that would not survive in the wild without human help, and releasing healthy animals back into the wild in appropriate habitats. A total of 4388 European hedgehogs, identified as pre-weaned from normally timed litters (NL PRE), post-weaned from normally timed litters (NL POST), pre-weaned from late litters (LL PRE) and post-weaned from late litters (LL POST) were admitted to 27 wildlife rehabilitation centres in the Czech Republic in the period from 2011 to 2020. Where the outcome of rehabilitation care was known, young admitted before natural weaning were associated with a high mortality rate, especially in those from late litters. Among the four groups, the juveniles of the NL POST category experienced the lowest mortality (14%) with the highest release rate (86%). In contrast, LL PRE experienced the highest mortality (46%) with the lowest release rate (54%). Abstract Previous research from several European countries has indicated that the European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) is in decline. Wildlife rehabilitation centres contribute toward the protection of debilitated hedgehogs, including the young. Based on data from 27 wildlife rehabilitation centres, the mortality rate and the release rate of juvenile hedgehogs were evaluated depending on whether they were from normally timed litters (admitted from April to September) or from late litters (admitted from October to March). A total of 4388 juvenile European hedgehogs were admitted to wildlife rehabilitation centres in the Czech Republic from 2011 to 2020. The number of post-weaned young from late litters admitted (28%) did not differ from the number of pre-weaned young from late litters (29%). Where the outcome was known, young from late litters had the highest mortality rate (46%) in the year of admission. The release rate was the highest in post-weaned young from normally timed litters (86%). Further research should focus on the definition of optimal care and treatment of the underlying causes for admission of juvenile hedgehogs. The reproductive strategy (the timing of litters) of European hedgehogs under the climatic conditions of the Czech Republic affects the chance of survival of young at wildlife rehabilitation centres and likely also in the wild.
Improvement of ozone yielding rate in atmospheric pressure barrier discharges using a time-modulated power supply

The ozone (O/sub 3/) yielding rate of a high-pressure thin-gap barrier discharge was improved using a time-modulated power supply. The maximum improvement reached more than 20% compared with a continuous-wave power supply. The rate was strongly dependent on the discharge-off time, with the optimum one corresponding to the O/sub 2/ removal time from the discharge space. Dependence of the yielding rate on the off-time was numerically calculated using O and O/sub 3/ rate equations.
Spatial and Temporal Structure of the Urban Heat Island in Seoul

Abstract The spatial and temporal structure of the urban heat island in Seoul, Korea, is investigated using near-surface temperature data measured at 31 automatic weather stations (AWSs) in the Seoul metropolitan area for the 1-yr period from March 2001 to February 2002. The urban heat island in Seoul deviates considerably from an idealized, concentric heat island structure, mainly because of the location of the main commercial and industrial sectors and the local topography. Relatively warm regions extend in the east–west direction and relatively cold regions are located near the northern and southern mountains. Several warm cores are observed whose intensity, size, and location are found to vary seasonally and diurnally. Similar to previous studies, the urban heat island in Seoul is stronger in the nighttime than in the daytime and decreases with increasing wind speed and cloud cover, but it is least developed in summer. The average maximum urban heat island intensity is 2.2°C over the 1-yr period and i.
Cyclic group actions on elliptic surfaces E(2n)

In this paper, we study the action of cyclic group $\mathbf{Z}_3$ on elliptic surfaces $E(2n), (n\geq1)$. For convenience, we suppose the fixed point set of $\mathbf{Z}_3$ is composed of 2-spheres. We give a classification of this action. At the same time, we obtain the representation induced by $\mathbf{Z}_3$ on the second cohomology of $E(2n)$
Stable phase-locking of an external-cavity diode laser subjected to external optical injection

We analyse the locking phenomena arising when an external-cavity diode laser is subjected to optical injection from another uncontrolled diode laser. The system stability is investigated as a function of coupled cavity time delay and the optical injection strength. Different regimes, spanning from ‘in-phase locking’ to ‘out-of-phase locking’ with ultimate amplitude death of low-frequency fluctuations/pulsations, are described experimentally as well as numerically for weak to moderate injection. Qualitative agreements between numerically and experimentally observed results for amplitude quenching are shown. Numerical studies describe the shifting of phase-flip bifurcation as the optical injection strength is varied for a particular time delay. Stable phase-locking behaviours, which are desired from the point of view of practical applications, are observed numerically in a wide range of control parameter space.
Gallium oxide (Ga2O3) metal-semiconductor field-effect transistors on single-crystal β-Ga2O3 (010) substrates

We report a demonstration of single-crystal gallium oxide (Ga2O3) metal-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MESFETs). A Sn-doped Ga2O3 layer was grown on a semi-insulating β-Ga2O3 (010) substrate by molecular-beam epitaxy. We fabricated a circular MESFET with a gate length of 4 μm and a source–drain spacing of 20 μm. The device showed an ideal transistor action represented by the drain current modulation due to the gate voltage (VGS) swing. A complete drain current pinch-off characteristic was also obtained for VGS < −20 V, and the three-terminal off-state breakdown voltage was over 250 V. A low drain leakage current of 3 μA at the off-state led to a high on/off drain current ratio of about 10 000. These device characteristics obtained at the early stage indicate the great potential of Ga2O3-based electrical devices for future power device applications.
Influence of the group V element on the chemical potential and crystal structure of Au-catalyzed III-V nanowires

We present a kinetic growth model having a particular emphasis on the influence of the group V element on the preferred crystal structure of Au-catalyzed III-V nanowires. The model circumvents the uncertainty in the group V contribution into the overall liquid chemical potential. We show why the nanowire elongation rate is limited by the group III transport, while the crystal structure depends on the effective group V to III imbalance. Within the model, we are able to explain some important structural trends in Au-catalyzed III-V nanowires. In particular, we show that high group V flux always favors wurtzite structure in molecular-beam epitaxy. This tendency could be inverted in vapor deposition techniques due to suppression of the group III diffusion at high group V flux.
One‐Sided Coverage Intervals for a Proportion Estimated from a Stratified Simple Random Sample

Using an Edgeworth expansion to speed up the asymptotics, we develop one‐sided coverage intervals for a proportion based on a stratified simple random sample. To this end, we assume the values of the population units are generated from independent random variables with a common mean within each stratum. These stratum means, in turn, may either be free to vary or are assumed to be equal. The more general assumption is equivalent to a model‐free randomization‐based framework when finite population correction is ignored. Unlike when an Edgeworth expansion is used to construct one‐sided intervals under simple random sampling, it is necessary to estimate the variance of the estimator for the population proportion when the stratum means are allowed to differ. As a result, there may be accuracy gains from replacing the normal z‐score in the Edgeworth expansion with a t‐score.
Dynamique collective de particules auto-propulsées : ondes, vortex, essaim, tressage

L'emergence de mouvements coherents a grande echelle a ete abondamment observee dans les populations animales (nuees d'oiseaux, bancs de poissons, essaims de bacteries.) et plus recemment au sein de systemes artificiels. De tels ensembles d'individus auto-propulses, susceptibles d'aligner leurs vitesses, presentent des proprietes physiques singulieres. Cette these theorique etudie divers aspects de ces systemes actifs polaires.Dans un premier temps, nous avons modelise une population de colloides auto-propulses. En etroite association avec les travaux experimentaux, nous avons decrit la dynamique du niveau individuel a l'echelle macroscopique. Les resultats theoriques expliquent l'emergence et la structure de motifs coherents : (i) transition vers le mouvement collectif, (ii) propagation de structures spatiales polarisees, (iii) amortissement des fluctuations de densite dans un liquide polaire, (iv) vortex heterogene dans des geometries confinees.D'un point de vue plus fondamental, nous avons ensuite etudie les excitations non lineaires qui se propagent dans les systemes actifs polaires. L'analyse des theories hydrodynamiques de la matiere active, a l'aide d'outils issus des systemes dynamiques, a permis de rationaliser les observations experimentales et numeriques reportees jusqu'ici.Enfin, nous avons propose une approche complementaire pour caracteriser les populations actives. Associant etude numerique et resultats analytiques, nous avons etudie les proprietes geometriques des trajectoires individuelles, ainsi que leur enchevetrement au sein de groupes tridimensionnels. Ces observables pourraient permettre de sonder efficacement la dynamique de populations animales.
Geometrical study of Middle Kingdom funerary complexes in Qubbet el-Hawa (Aswan, Egypt) based on 3D models

Highlights: A new methodology is presented to develop geometrical analysis of burial structures based on 3D models. The methodology has been applied to three contiguous burial structures (hypogea), allowing the researchers to analyse some constructive aspects such as dimensions, proportions, orientations, flatness and inclinations. Results have demonstrated the advanced skills achieved by ancient Egyptians in construction techniques. Abstract: This study describes the methodology developed and the main results obtained when analysing the geometrical behavior of three adjacent burial structures located in southern Egypt. The rock-cut tombs are composed of complex geometries such as halls, corridors, chambers and vertical shafts. Among other determining aspects, this complexity greatly conditioned the data acquisition and processing work. In this context, the main objective of this study was to develop a new methodology for obtaining geomatic products that support a complete geometrical analysis of the tombs. The researchers have used photogrammetric and laser scanning surveys to obtain accurate 3D models on a common reference system. The procedure used included obtaining several secondary products, such as several geometries (planes and cylinders) fitted from point clouds or plans and sections obtained from the 3D models. The geometric analysis has included several aspects: dimensions, proportions, orientations, wall flatness, inclinations, etc., and it is based on these products. The results obtained suggest and confirm several hypotheses about the constructive aspects of these hypogea based on a large amount of data, including the determination of a proportional canon used by the ancient Egyptians to plan and perform the excavation works of each funerary structure. The application of this methodology has demonstrated that this type of analysis is viable to unveil some important aspects of these structures and the constructive procedures carried out almost four millennia ago.