Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Shear bands in dense fault gouge

Earthquakes happen with frictional sliding, by releasing all the stresses accumulated in the prestressed surrounding medium. The geological fault gouge, coming from the wear of previous slips, acts on friction stability and plays a key role in this sudden energy release. A large part of slip mechanisms are influenced, if not controlled, by the characteristics and environment of this tribological “third body”. A 2D granular fault (mm scale) is implemented with Discrete Element Modelling (DEM). A displacement-driven model with dry contact is studied to observe kinematics and properties of the slipping zone. Increasing the length of the granular media increases the slip needed to weaken the friction from friction peak to steadystate. Low-angle Riedel shear bands are mostly observed. Their number increases with the inter-particle friction coefficient, which also influences shear bands formation in their orientation angle (higher friction leads to higher angle with the main slip direction).
Violent Youth Mortality (15-24) in 21st Century- Suicides, Assaults, Transport Deaths in USA and other Western Countries.

Introduction: Adolescence is characterized by impetuosity, which can lead to fatalities- suicide, assault, and transport deaths, the key being access to lethal means. This population- based study examines violent deaths in the 21st Century by comparing America with nineteen Other Western Countries’ (OWC). Method: All mortality data is drawn from WHO latest report, comparing bases- line years 2000-02 to index years 2013-15 for Youth (15-24years) of both sexes. Changes in Youth rates per million (pm) of these three types of violent deaths are calculated and for Total mortality the Age-Standardized-Deaths-Rates (ASDR). Chi square test are used to compare each OWC with the USA outcomes. Based upon the world- small- arms survey national gun ownership per thousand persons (ptp) are examined and rank order correlations used to determine any possible association. Results: Over the period USA Suicide rates increased for Youth by 16%, the average in OWC was a 22% fall. American Youth Assault rate was almost double the Total ASDR (99pm to 55pm respectively) and Youth and ASDR rates were more than fight times the OWC average. USA Youth Transport deaths at 158pm were double the average of other countries. USA gun ownership far exceeded OWC, correlating with Youth suicide. Conclusions: USA Youth Violent death rates are worse compared with most OWCs, especially increased suicide, which correlated with gun ownership. Youth Assaults and Suicide this century numbered 142,784 or 8,924pa. There is a specific need for specific public health focus on American Youth violent deaths which are even higher than recent US military losses.
Early COVID-19 Symptoms Identification Using Hybrid Unsupervised Machine Learning Techniques

The COVID-19 virus exhibits pneumonia-like symptoms, including fever, cough, and shortness of breath, and may be fatal. Many COVID-19 contraction experiments require comprehensive clinical procedures at medical facilities. Clinical studies help to make a correct diagnosis of COVID-19, where the disease has already spread to the organs in most cases. Prompt and early diagnosis is indispensable for providing patients with the possibility of early clinical diagnosis and slowing down the disease spread. Therefore, clinical investigations in patients with COVID-19 have revealed distinct patterns of breathing relative to other diseases such as flu and cold, which are worth investigating. Current supervised Machine Learning (ML) based techniques mostly investigate clinical reports such as X-Rays and Computerized Tomography (CT) for disease detection. This strategy relies on a larger clinical dataset and does not focus on early symptom identification. Towards this end, an innovative hybrid unsupervised ML technique is introduced to uncover the probability of COVID-19 occurrence based on the breathing patterns and commonly reported symptoms, fever, and cough. Specifically, various metrics, including body temperature, breathing and cough patterns, and physical activity, were considered in this study. Finally, a lightweight ML algorithm based on the K-Means and Isolation Forest technique was implemented on relatively small data including 40 individuals. The proposed technique shows an outlier detection with an accuracy of 89%, on average. © 2021 Tech Science Press. All rights reserved.
Measuring Interoception: The CARdiac Elevation Detection Task

Interoception has increasingly been the focus of psychiatric research, due to its hypothesized role in mental health. Existing interoceptive tasks either suffer from important methodological limitations, impacting their validity, or are burdensome and require specialized equipment, which limits their usage in vulnerable populations. We report on the development of the CARdiac Elevation Detection (CARED) task. Participants’ heart rate is recorded by a wearable device connected to a mobile application. Notifications are sent to participants’ mobile throughout the day over a period of 4 weeks. Participants are asked to state whether their heart rate is higher than usual, rate their confidence and describe the activity they were involved in when the notification occurred. Data (N = 30) revealed that 1/3 of the sample was classified as interoceptive and that participants presented overall good insight into their interoceptive abilities. Given its ease of administration and accessibility, the CARED task has the potential to be a significant asset for psychiatric and developmental research.
Experimental monitoring system using Arduino microcontroller in studying the effect of temperature and light intensity of solar cell output power in Ma’an development area

Photovoltaic or solar energy systems have become one of the most promising fields in the engineering industry, and one of the most available green energy sources able to substitute the traditional and fossil fuel sources in power production. In order to maintain this system working properly, the solar cell monitoring system is needed, however, it is costly and not efficient sometimes. In this paper we designed and built a simple monitoring system using Arduino microcontroller and multiple sensors for data acquisition. The overall system is able to monitor the solar cell parameters such as produced current, voltage, cell temperature, light intensity which are display on an LCD screen. The system was mounted on top of the Engineering Faculty building at Al-Hussein Bin Talal University in the southern part of Jordan, and 180 data points were collected over a period of one month. The obtained results of this study show the effectiveness of the proposed monitoring system in measuring the different aforementioned parameters. Furthermore, based on experimental data a direct relationship between the light intensity and produced power was noticed. Conversely, a reverse relationship between cell temperature and the produced power is observed. The maximum power measured is 30W.
POTENT INHIBITION OF Peperomia pellucida EXTRACTS TOWARDS RANKL-INDUCED OSTEOCLAST FORMATION THROUGH M1 MACROPHAGE POLARIZATION

Osteoporosis is one of the major health problems, especially considering geriatric populations. Nowadays, the finding of an effective and cost-efficient drug from natural medicines has been conducting. One of the strong candidates is Peperomia pellucida. Aqueous and ethanol extracts of this plant have been shown to accelerate bone healing events in vivo. However, there is no data regarding the comparison of effect from its various extracts directly on bone-related cells. The aims of this study are to observe the effect of four types of extracts with different polarity from P. pellucida on the culture of bone-related cells. Effect of the extracts on the proliferation of osteoblast cells and inhibition to osteoclastogenesis were performed in UMR-106 and RAW 264.7 cells respectively, which is induced by receptor activator of NF-kappaB ligand then analyses with TRAP Staining Assay. The determination of phytochemical compounds was performed using HPLC. The extracts can decrease the viability of both cells at a concentration 100 μg/mL. Water extract caused the morphology change of RAW 264.7 cells into M1 macrophage. No increase in osteoblast proliferation was observed. Meanwhile, each extract showed a different effect on osteoclastogenesis. Water extract successfully inhibits osteoclast formation. The activity was 92.45 ± 1.82% at a concentration of 10 μg/mL. The induction of macrophage M1 polarization was suggested as a mechanism of action. Apigenin was detected present in the extract by HPLC analysis. This study suggested the potential usage of water extract of P. pellucida as an alternative source of antiosteoporosis agents.
Time of Flight in Perspective: Instrumental and Computational Aspects of Time Resolution in Positron Emission Tomography

The first time-of-flight positron emission tomography (TOF-PET) scanners were developed as early as in the 1980s. However, the poor light output and low detection efficiency of TOF-capable detectors available at the time limited any gain in image quality achieved with these TOF-PET scanners over the traditional non-TOF PET scanners. The discovery of LSO and other Lu-based scintillators revived interest in TOF-PET and led to the development of a second generation of scanners with high sensitivity and spatial resolution in the mid-2000s. The introduction of the silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) has recently yielded a third generation of TOF-PET systems with unprecedented imaging performance. Parallel to these instrumentation developments, much progress has been made in the development of image reconstruction algorithms that better utilize the additional information provided by TOF. Overall, the benefits range from a reduction in image variance (SNR increase), through allowing joint estimation of activity and attenuation, to better reconstructing data from limited angle systems. In this work, we review these developments, focusing on three broad areas: 1) timing theory and factors affecting the time resolution of a TOF-PET system; 2) utilization of TOF information for improved image reconstruction; and 3) quantification of the benefits of TOF compared to non-TOF PET. Finally, we offer a brief outlook on the TOF-PET developments anticipated in the short and longer term. Throughout this work, we aim to maintain a clinically driven perspective, treating TOF as one of multiple (and sometimes competitive) factors that can aid in the optimization of PET imaging performance.
A Survey on Long-Range Wide-Area Network Technology Optimizations

Long-Range Wide-Area Network (LoRaWAN) enables flexible long-range service communications with low power consumption which is suitable for many IoT applications. The densification of LoRaWAN, which is needed to meet a wide range of IoT networking requirements, poses further challenges. For instance, the deployment of gateways and IoT devices are widely deployed in urban areas, which leads to interference caused by concurrent transmissions on the same channel. In this context, it is crucial to understand aspects such as the coexistence of IoT devices and applications, resource allocation, Media Access Control (MAC) layer, network planning, and mobility support, that directly affect LoRaWAN’s performance. We present a systematic review of state-of-the-art works for LoRaWAN optimization solutions for IoT networking operations. We focus on five aspects that directly affect the performance of LoRaWAN. These specific aspects are directly associated with the challenges of densification of LoRaWAN. Based on the literature analysis, we present a taxonomy covering five aspects related to LoRaWAN optimizations for efficient IoT networks. Finally, we identify key research challenges and open issues in LoRaWAN optimizations for IoT networking operations that must be further studied in the future.
Effects of Thermo-Vibro-Mechanic® densification on the density and swelling of pre-treated Uludağ fir and black poplar wood

The radial and tangential swelling as well as the fully dried density of low-density wood materials densified via the Thermo-Vibro-Mechanic® method were evaluated in response to applying wood stain and preservative. The samples obtained from Uludag fir (Abies bornmuelleriana Mattf.) and black poplar (Populus nigra L.) in the radial and tangential direction were pre-treated with wood stain and preservative before undergoing Thermo-Vibro-Mechanic® densification. Thermo-Vibro-Mechanic® densification was performed at three different temperatures (100 °C ± 3 °C, 120 °C ± 3 °C, and 140 °C ± 3 °C), three different vibration pressures (0.60 MPa, 1.00 MPa, and 1.40 MPa), and three different vibration times (20 s, 60 s, and 100 s). Afterwards, changes in the fully dried density and swelling amounts in the radial and tangential directions of the samples were determined. The fully dried density increased by 15.4% to 38% and the radial and tangential swelling amounts increased by 73.2% to 242.6%, when the densified samples were compared to the control samples. In general, the fully dried density and swelling values increased depending on the Thermo-Vibro-Mechanic® densification parameters; higher values were found as the compression ratio and total application time increased.
The effect of organizational culture on quality of accounting information: Mediating the role of accounting information system

Organizational culture has been documented as a driving force of the acceptance of accounting information systems in business and accounting information quality; whereas accounting information quality as a causation of the acceptance of accounting information systems in business. The acceptance of accounting information systems in business could mediate the causal connection from organizational culture to accounting information quality. Nonetheless, nearly none of the projects has assessed the mediating role of the acceptance of accounting information systems in business, especially in Vietnam as a developing country. The current research tries to investigate the mediation of the acceptance of accounting information systems in business in the research model. The findings indicate that the acceptance of accounting information systems in business transmits part of the influence of organizational culture on accounting information quality. The current research could make some contributions to how executives ought to decide on organizational culture as well as on the acceptance of accounting information systems in business so that their organizational performance could be improved.
3D Hierarchically Porous Graphitic Carbon Nitride Modified Graphene‐Pt Hybrid as Efficient Methanol Oxidation Catalysts

A 3D hierarchically porous carbon nanocomposite constituting of graphitic carbon nitride (g‐C3N4) chemically integrated with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) via covalent CN bonds is reported. This porous nanocomposite has high nitrogen content, large surface area, interconnected porous networks, and good electrical conductivity, and is used to load Pt nanoparticles to form 3D Pt‐g‐C3N4‐rGO catalyst for direct methanol fuel cell anode. The catalyst shows an unusual electrocatalytic ability toward methanol electrooxidation, such as high activity, intriguing poison tolerance, and reliable long‐term stability, especially, impressively high electrochemically active specific surface area value of 80.3 m2 g−1, which is much higher than those of other catalysts studied in this work and recent state‐of‐the‐art Pt‐based nanostructures. The outstanding electrochemical performance may originate from the distinctive advantages of the unique 3D hierarchically porous carbon nanostructure of Pt‐g‐C3N4‐rGO and the synergetic effects of the individual components, for instance, superlative structural stability owing to the covalent interactions between g‐C3N4 and rGO, good conductivity and high specific surface area of g‐C3N4‐rGO, and the large triple‐phase boundaries caused by the highly dispersed Pt nanoparticles.
Photoelectric recorder for measuring deformations of buildings and hydraulic facilities

The article discusses the issue of improving the accuracy and efficiency of geodetic measurements by scanning a laser beam into a plane and a photoelectric recorder of deviations from a given plane, in which a cZ-shaped photo recorder with three photosensors is used as a photosensor, combined at the output with three fiber-optic nodes and connected to an electronic circuit with three counters. A variant of using solar photovoltaic cells installed on the surface of a photoelectric recorder is proposed.
A Systematic Review of Questionnaire-Based Quantitative Research on MOOCs

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) have attracted much interest from educational researchers and practitioners around the world. There has been an increase in empirical studies about MOOCs in recent years, most of which used questionnaire surveys and quantitative methods to collect and analyze data. This study explored the research topics and paradigms of questionnaire-based quantitative research on MOOCs by reviewing 126 articles available in the Science Citation Index (SCI) and Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI) databases from January 2015 to August 2020. This comprehensive overview showed that: (a) the top three MOOC research topics were the factors influencing learners’ performance, dropout rates and continuance intention to use MOOCs, and assessing MOOCs; (b) for these three topics, many studies designed questionnaires by adding new factors or adjustments to extant theoretical models or survey instruments; and (c) most researchers used descriptive statistics to analyze data, followed by the structural equation model, and reliability and validity analysis. This study elaborated on the relationship of research topics and key factors in the research models by building factors-goals (F-G) graphs. Finally, we proposed some directions and recommendations for future research on MOOCs.
Early-Warning Signals For Cenozoic Climate Transitions

<p>Paleoclimatic records document large-scale shifts in the Earth&#8217;s climate history. Among other possibilities, these transitions might have been caused by bifurcations in the leading dynamical modes. Such bifurcation-induced critical transitions are typically preceded by characteristic early-warning signals (EWS), for example in terms of rising standard deviation and lag-one autocorrelation. These EWS are caused by the phenomenon of critical slowing down (CSD) in response to a widening of the underlying basin of attraction as the bifurcation is approached. The presence of EWS prior to an observed transition therefore provides evidence that the transition is caused by a bifurcation. We reveal significant EWS prior to several critical transitions within a paleoclimate record spanning the Cenozoic Era, i.e., the last 67M years. We employed the CENOzoic Global Reference benthic foraminifer carbon and oxygen Isotope Dataset (CENOGRID), comprising two time series of isotope variations of &#948;<sup>18</sup>O and &#948;<sup>13</sup>C. The standard deviation and lag-one autocorrelation are estimated in sliding windows for both records, to reveal whether CSD occurs ahead of the major abrupt transitions in these records. Specifically, we detect significant EWS for five out of nine previously identified transitions in at least one of the two available records. EWS are recognized for significant increases in both CSD indicators prior to the transition. Our results hence suggest that at least five major climate transitions of the last 67 Ma were triggered by bifurcations in leading modes of variability, indicating bifurcations have likely played a key role in the deep-time evolution of the Earth's climate system. </p>
A First-Principles Method for Predicting Redox Potentials of Nucleobases and the Metabolites in Aqueous Solution

Redox potentials are of importance in understanding the charge/electron transfer processes involved in nucleic acids. In this study, the protocol of the B3LYP/6-311++G(2df, 2p)//B3LYP/6-31+G(d) in gas phase and the HF-COSMORS/UAHF for the solvation energy calculations at the HF-CPCM/UAHF re-optimized solution geometries in aqueous solution, as implemented in the Gaussian 03 programs, has been established to predict the redox potentials of the aromatic compounds in aqueous solution. In comparison with the 82 experimental redox potentials, the root mean square deviation (RMSD) is only 0.124 V. This scheme has been employed successfully to calculate the redox potentials of various nucleobases and the metabolites. The structural and charge/electron transfer impact on the redox potentials was discussed. The implications to the design of new redox-active nucleobase derivatives were suggested.
Applications of MRI Connectomics

Structural and functional brain connectomics are considered a basis for an individual's behavior and cognition. Therefore, deviations from typical connectivity patterns may indicate disease processes, and can potentially serve as disease biomarkers. To date, the direct clinical application of brain connectivity measures for diagnostics or treatment is limited. Nonetheless, the extant literature on fundamental and clinical research applications reveals important advances in our understanding of typical and atypical brain structure and function. In this chapter we discuss the current status of the field regarding: (1) the impact of the connectome on cognitive processes and behavior, (2) the connectome across the lifespan, and (3) clinical research applications of connectomics. In addition, we highlight some limitations of connectomics for research and clinical translation.
Development of microsatellite markers for horse-chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum), their polymorphism in natural Greek populations, and cross-amplification in related species

New nuclear microsatellite markers (SSRs) were developed for Aesculus hippocastanum, a relict tree species from the Balkan Peninsula. The development of microsatellites was done using the Illumina MiSeq PE300 platform. Out of a set of 500 SSRs designed, a subset of 13 loci was tested using 290 individ­uals from seven natural populations. Twelve species-specific loci were polymorphic. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 2 to 17 and expected heterozygosity from 0.089 to 0.800 with a mean value of 0.484. The population of Kalampaka had the lowest value of allelic richness (2.63) and gene diversity in compari­son to the remaining populations. STRUCTURE analysis confirmed isolation of population Mariolata from the southern edge of the species range and genetic similarity among populations from the Pindos Mts. Ad­ditionally, the utility of new SSRs in 29 individuals from nine other Aesculus taxa was tested. Eleven markers gave polymorphic products for all tested species. For 24 individuals, a high-quality product was obtained for each marker. Results confirmed the utility of specific markers for future population genetics studies.
ANALYSIS OF CONSISTENCY OF SIMILARITY PREDICATES TO MEASURES OF SIMILARITY AND ADVANTAGES OF THEIR APPLICATION IN DIGITAL SYSTEMS FOR SOLVING INTELLECTUAL PROBLEMS

: The results of the analysis of the correspondence of similarity predicates to similarity measures used in various metric methods used for signal classification and the feasibility of using similarity predicates in the construction of digital systems for solving intellectual problems, for which the simplification of computational operations is of no small importance, are presented. Some general and distinctive features of the similarity predicate are considered in comparison with the euclidean metric in relation to one-dimensional and two-dimensional spaces, and generalized to the case of n-dimensional metric spaces. The expediency of using methods based on the calculation of similarity predicates, which are more suitable for classification systems than the well-known metric methods designed for recognizing objects and signals, represented by quantitative features, has been substantiated