Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
On Dark Chemistry: What’s Dark Matter and How Mind Influences Brain Through Proactive Spin

“Dark chemistry” is a hypothetical chemistry based on the hypothetical axion dark matter. Benjamin is commendable for boldly going where no one has gone before but may find himself still in the “bright” territory instead of the “dark” side, if he is willing to use Occam’s razor to cut out “dark” things and replace them with non-local effects. Based on our recent experimental findings, our contentions are two-fold: (1) dark matter is likely the cosmological manifestation of quantum entanglement; and (2) the hypothetical axion dark matter is, therefore, replaceable by non-local effects mediated by the primordial spin processes. We also discuss the cause of apparent dark energy. In particular, we explore the issue how mind influences the brain through said spin processes. Our thoughts are that the manifestation of free will is intrinsically associated with the nuclear and/or electron spin processes inside the varying high electric voltage environment of the neural membranes and proteins which likely enable the said spin processes to be “proactive,” that is, being able to utilize non-local energy (potential) and quantum information to influence brain activities through spin chemistry and possibly other chemical/physical processes in defiance of the second law of thermodynamics.
Evaluation of the OMI cloud pressures derived from rotational Raman scattering by comparisons with other satellite data and radiative transfer simulations

[1] In this paper we examine differences between cloud pressures retrieved from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) using the ultraviolet rotational Raman scattering (RRS) algorithm and those from the thermal infrared (IR) Aqua/MODIS. Several cloud data sets are currently being used in OMI trace gas retrieval algorithms including climatologies based on IR measurements and simultaneous cloud parameters derived from OMI. From a validation perspective, it is important to understand the OMI retrieved cloud parameters and how they differ with those derived from the IR. To this end, we perform radiative transfer calculations to simulate the effects of different geophysical conditions on the OMI RRS cloud pressure retrievals. We also quantify errors related to the use of the Mixed Lambert-Equivalent Reflectivity (MLER) concept as currently implemented of the OMI algorithms. Using properties from the Cloudsat radar and MODIS, we show that radiative transfer calculations support the following: (1) The MLER model is adequate for single-layer optically thick, geometrically thin clouds, but can produce significant errors in estimated cloud pressure for optically thin clouds. (2) In a two-layer cloud, the RRS algorithm may retrieve a cloud pressure that is either between the two cloud decks or even beneath the top of the lower cloud deck because of scattering between the cloud layers; the retrieved pressure depends upon the viewing geometry and the optical depth of the upper cloud deck. (3) Absorbing aerosol in and above a cloud can produce significant errors in the retrieved cloud pressure. (4) The retrieved RRS effective pressure for a deep convective cloud will be significantly higher than the physical cloud top pressure derived with thermal IR.
An empirical study on the influence of IFRS and regulations on the quality of financial reporting of listed companies in a developing country

This research sought to establish if International Accounting Standards (IAS), International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and regulations in Zimbabwe have been associated with increased financial reporting quality for listed companies. The study adopted mixed research approach. Questionnaires and unstructured interviews were used as research instruments to collect primary data. Content analysis was also adopted to triangulate the results. Target population was the listed companies in Zimbabwe. The study found a significant negative relationship between voluntary adoption of IFRS and earnings management of listed companies in Zimbabwe. The negative relationship may indicate that IFRS does not promote earnings management for voluntary adopters, thereby implying an increased financial reporting quality. It is recommended that top management, external auditors and regulators being the key players in standards, should work together and tighten compliance so that impact of IFRS could be felt more.
A Low Noise and Power Efficient 45 nm GPDK Technology based Highly Stable Current Balancing Logic ( HCBL ) and Dynamic Logic Circuits for Mixed Signal Systems

Noise is an important factor in the analog and digital circuits which determine the characteristics of the system. There are many sources of noises. Power supply noise caused by circuit switching, crosstalk noise due to capacitive coupling between neighboring interconnects, fluctuations in device parameters due to process variations, noise due to charge sharing and charge leakage in high speed dynamic logic circuits. The work aims at developing a noise robust circuit with high frequency response. The same circuit can be implemented in a dynamic logic system with reduced number of transistor. Also, the dynamic logic will have the probability of signal switching activity to be low which will subsequently reduce the power of the system. The circuits have been constructed using cadence ADE and the same has been simulated with Spectra using 45nm GPDK technology. The simulation results show that the power consumption has been reduced multi-fold and the bandwidth has been increased by 10 Hz and the delay is reduced by 50%
A spatially resolved stochastic model reveals the role of supercoiling in transcription regulation

In Escherichia coli, translocation of RNA polymerase (RNAP) during transcription introduces supercoiling to DNA, which influences the initiation and elongation behaviors of RNAP. To quantify the role of supercoiling in transcription regulation, we develop a spatially resolved supercoiling model of transcription, describing RNAP-supercoiling interactions, topoisomerase activities, stochastic topological domain formation, and supercoiling diffusion in all transcription stages. This model establishes that transcription-induced supercoiling mediates the cooperation of co-transcribing RNAP molecules in highly expressed genes. It reveals that supercoiling transmits RNAP-accessible information through DNA and enables different RNAP molecules to communicate within and between genes. It thus predicts that a topological domain could serve as a transcription regulator, generating substantial transcription bursting and coordinating communications between adjacent genes in the domain. The model provides a quantitative platform for further theoretical and experimental investigations of how genome organization impacts transcription. Author Summary DNA mechanics and transcription dynamics are intimately coupled. During transcription, the translocation of RNA polymerase overwinds the DNA ahead and underwinds the DNA behind, rendering the DNA supercoiled. The supercoiled DNA could, in return, influences the behavior of the RNA polymerase, and consequently the amount of mRNA product it makes. Furthermore, supercoils could propagate on the DNA over thousands of base pairs, impacting RNA polymerase molecules at faraway sites. These complicated interplays between supercoiling and RNA polymerase makes supercoiling an important transcription regulator. To quantitatively investigate the role of supercoiling in transcription, we build a spatially resolved model that links transcription with the generation, propagation, and dissipation of supercoiling. Our model reveals that supercoiling mediates transcription at multiple length scales. At a single-gene scale, we show that supercoiling gives rise to the collective motion of co-transcribing RNA polymerase molecules, supporting recent experimental observations. Additionally, large variations in mRNA production of a gene can arise from the constraints of supercoiling diffusion in a topological domain. At a multi-gene scale, we show that supercoiling dynamics allow two adjacent genes influence each other’s transcription kinetics, thus serving as a transcription regulator.
Superrotation and Nonlinear Hadley Circulation Response to Zonally Asymmetric Sea Surface Temperature in an Aquaplanet GCM

The responses of the equatorial zonal wind and the Hadley circulation to the equatorial zonal wavenumber one sea surface temperature (SST) anomaly, T ∗ s , are examined in an atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM) with an aquaplanet condition. The Hadley cell is weakened as the magnitude of T ∗ s increases, balancing with a decrease in the zonal-mean diabatic heating over the tropics. The decrease of heating reflects a nonlinear relationship between precipitation and SST; deep convection, such as a super cloud cluster, is significantly suppressed over cold T ∗ s , whereas is slightly enhanced over warm T ∗ s . The effective suppression of deep convection is accomplished by the stable boundary layer and the dry subsidence anomaly associated with the Walker cell which is excited by the SST anomaly. And the decreased convection acts to further reinforce the subsidence via thermodynamic balance. Therefore, this positive feedback between large-scale circulation and deep convection determines the nonlinear relationship and controls the strength of the Hadley cell. In terms of the energetics of the tropical circulation, the Hadley cell has to be weakened to compensate for the lack of energy supply caused by an increase of tropical radiative cooling due to the effective suppression of deep convection over cold T ∗ s . We compared the results of our AGCM with that of other 15 aquaplanet AGCMs integrated with the same SST distribution. While the Hadley cell is weakened in all AGCMs when T ∗ s is added to the zonal uniform SST,
THE ISSUE OF STYLISTIC CONSISTENCIES IN COGNITION

Spearman's notions of mental energy and mental span presage modern conceptions of attentional resources and working memory as fundamental to intelligence. Viewing attention as the conative directing of the intellect, as "the application of intellectual energy," Spearman's quantitative law of mental span deals with limits on the allocation of attention. Because attentional resources are salient in both historical and current conceptions of intelligence, the occurrence of multiple and alternative modes of attention complicates these theories. Moreover, such consistent individual differences in attentional mode have important implications for the theory and measurement of cognitive processing more generally. Specifically, two broad bipolar factors have been identified that contrast sharp-focus versus broad-focus scanning and signal versus information scanning. These stylistic factors are linked to personality and reflect not only the enhancement of information processing in the focus of attention, but also the possibility of parallel processing in the fringe invoking the potential need for active inhibition of distracting or competing processes--points that were also anticipated by Spearman. (Contains 63 references.) (Author) ********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. *********************************************************************** R E S E A R C H R E 0 R T U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) Trus document has been reproduced as recenred from the person or orgamsation ongmahng a 0 'Amor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality Points of new opmmns stated in tens docuwent do not necessarily represent OthCIal OE RI position or policy -PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN GRANTED BY -1. /9 one TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) RR-93-43 HUMAN ABILITIES AND MODES OF ATTENTION: THE ISSUE OF STYLISTIC CONSISTENCIES IN COGNITION
Aggregative adherence fi mbriae I ( AAF / I ) mediate colonization of fresh produce and abiotic surface by Shiga toxigenic enteroaggregative Escherichia coli O 104 : H 4

Article history: Received 30 September 2015 Received in revised form 22 March 2016 Accepted 3 April 2016 Available online 12 April 2016 The Shiga toxigenic Escherichia coli O104:H4 isolated during the 2011 European outbreak expresses Shiga toxin 2a and possess virulence genes associated with the enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC) pathotype. It produces plasmid encoded aggregative adherence fimbriae I (AAF/I) whichmediate cell aggregation and biofilm formation in human intestine and promote Shiga-toxin adsorption, but it is not clear whether the AAF/I fimbriae are involved in the colonization and biofilm formation on food and environmental matrices such as the surface of fresh produce. We deleted the gene encoding for the AAF/I fimbriae main subunit (AggA) from an outbreak associated E. coli O104:H4 strain, and evaluated the role of AAF/I fimbriae in the adherence and colonization of E. coli O104:H4 to spinach and abiotic surfaces. The deletion of aggA did not affect the adherence of E. coli O104:H4 to these surfaces. However, it severely diminished the colonization and biofilm formation of E. coli O104:H4 on these surfaces. Strong aggregation and biofilm formation on spinach and abiotic surfaces were observed with the wild type strain but not the isogenic aggA deletion mutant, suggesting that AAF/I fimbriae play a crucial role in persistence of O104:H4 cells outside of the intestines of host species, such as on the surface of fresh produce. Published by Elsevier B.V.
Exploratory Use of Microaerosol Decontamination Technology (PAEROSOL) in Enclosed, Unoccupied Hospital Setting

The goal of this study was to validate the previously observed high biological kill performance of PAEROSOL, a semi-dry, micro-aerosol decontamination technology, against common HAI in a non-human subject trial within a hospital setting of Madigan Army Medical Center (MAMC) on Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Tacoma, Washington. In addition to validating the disinfecting efficacy of PAEROSOL, the objectives of the trial included a demonstration of PAEROSOL environmental safety, (i.e., impact to hospital interior materials and electronic equipment exposed during testing) and PAEROSOL parameters optimization for future deployment.
Associations of udder biometry with subclinical mastitis in Gir crossbred cows

: The investigation was undertaken on 110 Gir crossbred cows of different order of lactation and stage of lactation maintained at Research cum Development Project on Cattle, MPKV, Rahuri. The overall least squares means of udder length, udder width, udder depth and udder circumference were 65.23 ± 1.45, 63.24 ± 1.45, 19.03 ± 0.51 and 86.49 ± 1.50 cm respectively. The least squares analysis of variance showed significant (P<0.05) effect due to order of lactation on udder length in crossbred cows. Also, order of lactation had significant (P<0.01) effect on udder width and udder circumference. However, stage of lactation exerted non-significant influence on all udder measurement traits. In crossbred cows, udder length had positive and significant (P<0.01) correlation with udder width, udder circumference and udder depth. The correlation of udder width with udder circumference and udder depth was positive and highly significant (P<0.01). There was positive and significant (P<0.01) correlation of udder circumference with udder depth. The frequencies of trough, round, goaty and pendulous type udder in crossbred cows were 63.64%, 8.18%, 11.82% and 16.36% respectively. Among 110 cows, 48 (43.64%) cows were found positive for subclinical mastitis. The higher occurrence of subclinical mastitis was observed in cows having pendulous udder (66.66%) followed by goaty (53.84%), round (44.44%) and trough (35.71%) shape udder. Maximum number of positive subclinical mastitis cases were found in larger udder length (>75 cm), udder width (>75 cm), udder depth (>25 cm) and udder circumference (>95 cm). Highest occurrence (78.26%) of subclinical mastitis was found in cows of sixth and above lactation. Maximum occurrence of subclinical mastitis was noted in cows which were in late (46.15%) stage of lactation followed by early (40%) and mid (37%) stage of lactation. The traits udder shape, udder length and udder depth had positive and significant association with incidence of subclinical mastitis in crossbred cows.
Learnersourcing : Improving video learning with collective learner activity

Millions of learners today use educational videos to master skills and take classes from online platforms such as YouTube, Coursera, or edX. However, when watching a video, learners face difficulty in accessing parts they want, understanding the overall structure, and seeing how other students learn. To address these issues, this thesis investigates data-driven video learning interfaces: interfaces that embed collective learner activity to improve video learning. We introduce learnersourcing, a general framework for motivating video learning activity and feeding the collected data back into the video interface. We present two learnersourcing methods. In passive learnersourcing, learners’ natural interactions with learning material are automatically captured and analyzed to identify interaction patterns. In active learnersourcing, learners are prompted to provide input that is both pedagogically meaningful to learners and useful to the system. We are building prototype video learning systems to explore the design space of learnersourcing applications. For example, learners’ secondby-second video interaction data from lecture videos improve video navigation, paid crowd workers extract step-by-step structure from how-to videos, and learners summarize individual steps from how-to videos into higher-level subgoals. With this conceptual framework for incorporating collective learning data into the learning experience, we are addressing technical and motivational challenges in building large-scale, video-based online education platforms.
Microbial evolution of sulphate reduction when lateral gene transfer is geographically restricted

Lateral gene transfer (LGT) is an important mechanism by which micro-organisms acquire new functions. This process has been suggested to be central to prokaryotic evolution in various environments. However, the influence of geographical constraints on the evolution of laterally acquired genes in microbial metabolic evolution is not yet well understood. In this study, the influence of geographical isolation on the evolution of laterally acquired dissimilatory sulphite reductase (dsr) gene sequences in the sulphate-reducing micro-organisms (SRM) was investigated. Sequences on four continental blocks related to SRM known to have received dsr by LGT were analysed using standard phylogenetic and multidimensional statistical methods. Sequences related to lineages with large genetic diversity correlated positively with habitat divergence. Those affiliated to Thermodesulfobacterium indicated strong biogeographical delineation; hydrothermal-vent sequences clustered independently from hot-spring sequences. Some of the hydrothermal-vent and hot-spring sequences suggested to have been acquired from a common ancestral source may have diverged upon isolation within distinct habitats. In contrast, analysis of some Desulfotomaculum sequences indicated they could have been transferred from different ancestral sources but converged upon isolation within the same niche. These results hint that, after lateral acquisition of dsr genes, barriers to gene flow probably play a strong role in their subsequent evolution.
Im proved resum m ation ofpost-N ew tonian m ultipolar waveform s from circularized com pact binaries.

We improve and generalize a resummation method of post-Newtonian multipolar waveforms from circular (nonspinning) compact binaries introduced in Refs. 1,2. One of the characteristic features of this resummation method is to replace the usual additive decomposition of the standard post-Newtonian approach by a multiplicative decomposition of the complex multipolar waveform h{sub lm} into several (physically motivated) factors: (i) the Newtonian waveform, (ii) a relativistic correction coming from an 'effective source', (iii) leading-order tail effects linked to propagation on a Schwarzschild background, (iv) a residual tail dephasing, and (v) residual relativistic amplitude corrections f{sub lm}. We explore here a new route for resumming f{sub lm} based on replacing it by its l-th root: {rho}{sub lm}=f{sub lm}{sup 1/l}. In the extreme-mass-ratio case, this resummation procedure results in a much better agreement between analytical and numerical waveforms than when using standard post-Newtonian approximants. We then show that our best approximants behave in a robust and continuous manner as we deform them by increasing the symmetric mass ratio {nu}{identical_to}m{sub 1}m{sub 2}/(m{sub 1}+m{sub 2}){sup 2} from 0 (extreme-mass-ratio case) to 1/4 (equal-mass case). The present paper also completes our knowledge of the first post-Newtonian corrections to multipole moments by computing ready-to-use explicit expressions for themore » first post-Newtonian contributions to the odd-parity (current) multipoles. « less
Heavy-duty truck platooning on hilly terrain highways: Methods for assessment and improvement

Platooning heavy-duty trucks is a proven method to reduce fuel consumption on flat ground, but a significant portion of the U.S. highway system covers hilly terrain. The effort described in this paper uses experimentally gathered single truck data from a route with hilly terrain and an experimentally-validated two-truck platoon simulation framework to analyze control methods for effective platooning on hilly terrain. Specifically, this effort investigates two platoon control aspects: (1) the lead truck’s vehicle speed control and (2) the platoon’s transmission shifting algorithm. Three different types of lead truck speed control strategies are analyzed using the validated platoon model. Two are commercially available cruise control strategies – conventional constant set speed cruise control (CCC) and flexible set speed cruise control (FCC). The third lead truck speed control strategy was developed by the authors in this paper. It uses look-ahead grade information for an entire route to create an energy-optimal speed profile for the lead truck which is called long-horizon predictive cruise control (LHPCC). Then, a two-truck platoon transmission shifting strategy that coordinates the shift events – Simultaneous Shifting (SS) – is introduced and compared to a commercially available shifting strategy using the validated platoon model. This shifting strategy demonstrates further improvements in the platoon performance by improving the platoon gap control. A summary of these simulations demonstrates that the performance of the platoon can be improved by three methods: adding speed flexibility to the lead truck speed control method, using look-ahead road grade information to generate energy-optimal speed targets for the lead truck, and coordinating the timing of the transmission shifts for each truck in the platoon.