Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Piezoelectric Polymer Nanocomposite Materials: Device Design and Fabrication Methods

Author(s): Kim, Kanguk | Advisor(s): Sirbuly, Donald J | Abstract: Piezoelectric materials are one of the most important components in various applications including energy harvesting platforms, sensors, and actuators due to their ability to directly convert mechanical energy to electrical energy or vice versa. The typical requirements for piezoelectric materials are low processing costs, high piezoelectric coefficients for sensitivity, mechanical resilience, as well as simple processing strategies. Over the past decade, nanostructured piezoelectric materials have been rigorously studied and energy conversion efficiencies and power outputs of piezoelectric materials have steadily increased. In spite of recent advancements there are still serious limitations for these materials including inefficient means of harnessing non-mechanical energy sources, extreme difficulties in fabricating complex piezoelectric structures, poor mechanical flexibility for integration into non-planar configurations, and an incomplete understanding on the underlying factors that influence piezoelectric performance.To address some of the aforementioned limitations of piezoelectric materials, this dissertation is divided into two parts. In the first part, a novel piezoelectric energy conversion platform will be presented that can harness mechanical and/or non-mechanical energy sources (e.g., heat) The device geometry leverages an array of vertically aligned ZnO nanowires embedded in an environment-responsive polymer matrix to generate direct current outputs. It is found that the interface between the polymer matrix and piezoelectric element is a key parameter to tune the performance of the device and funnel stress more efficiently to the piezoelectric crystal. This stress management concept within the composite material is supported both by experimentation and simulations. In the second part, a new optical fabrication tool is described that allows exceptional control over size and shape of piezoelectric materials. The technique relies on a colloidal solution that contains piezoelectric nanoparticles suspended in a photoliable polymer and exposing to user-defined digital optical masks. Initial experiments were carried out on barium titanate (BaTiO3 – BTO) nanoparticles in a polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGDA) polymer, but the process is general for other piezoelectric nanomaterials and photoactive polymers. By dynamically altering the digital optical masks and controlling the focal plane of the masks, 3D microstructures can be fabricated in mere seconds. To enhance the piezoelectric properties of the printed nanocomposites, the piezoelectric nanoparticles can be chemically modified with linker molecules that cross-link with the polymer chains under light exposure. This nanoparticle-polymer interface is critical for boosting the efficiency of stress transfer from the polymer matrix to the piezoelectric crystal and is a key parameter in understanding the limits of piezoelectric performance.
A fast-locking wide-range all-digital delay-locked loop with a starting SAR-bit prediction mechanism

This paper presents an 11-bit all-digital delay-locked loop (ADDLL) with a starting SAR-bit prediction (SSARBP) mechanism. The proposed circuit possesses a wide-operating range such that it can serve as a de-skew buffer for the clock signal. With the proposed SSARBP mechanism, the ADDLL can achieve fast lock and can eliminate the harmonic lock. In the beginning of a SSARBP cycle, the circuit estimates the current delay of the digital-controlled delay line (DCDL). We then predict a suitable SAR starting bit to shorten the lock time. The ADDLL chip is designed using TSMC's 0.18 μm CMOS cell library. The post-simulation results show that the proposed circuit can operate from 66 MHz to 1 GHz. In the low frequency band, the lock time is within 17-23 clock cycles. In the high frequency band, the lock time is within 17-32 clock cycles. The power consumption of the chip is estimated to be 22 mW at 1.8-V supply voltage and 1-GHz clock frequency.
Cigarette smoking significantly alters sperm DNA methylation patterns

Numerous health consequences of tobacco smoke exposure have been characterized, and the effects of smoking on traditional measures of male fertility are well described. However, a growing body of data indicates that pre‐conception paternal smoking also confers increased risk for a number of morbidities on offspring. The mechanism for this increased risk has not been elucidated, but it is likely mediated, at least in part, through epigenetic modifications transmitted through spermatozoa. In this study, we investigated the impact of cigarette smoke exposure on sperm DNA methylation patterns in 78 men who smoke and 78 never‐smokers using the Infinium Human Methylation 450 beadchip. We investigated two models of DNA methylation alterations: (i) consistently altered methylation at specific CpGs or within specific genomic regions and (ii) stochastic DNA methylation alterations manifest as increased variability in genome‐wide methylation patterns in men who smoke. We identified 141 significantly differentially methylated CpGs associated with smoking. In addition, we identified a trend toward increased variance in methylation patterns genome‐wide in sperm DNA from men who smoke compared with never‐smokers. These findings of widespread DNA methylation alterations are consistent with the broad range of offspring heath disparities associated with pre‐conception paternal smoke exposure and warrant further investigation to identify the specific mechanism by which sperm DNA methylation perturbation confers risk to offspring health and whether these changes can be transmitted to offspring and transgenerationally.
Precursor dynamics, incipient ferroelectricity and huge anharmonicity in antiferroelectric lead zirconate PbZrO3

To better understand the phase transition mechanism of PbZrO3 (PZO), the lattice dynamics of this antiferroelectric compound are investigated within the polarizability model, with emphasis on the cubic to orthorhombic phase transition. Similarly to ferroelectric phase transitions in ABO3 perovskites, polar dynamical clusters develop and grow in size upon approaching TC from the high temperature side and never form a homogeneous state. Simultaneously, elastic anomalies set in and compete with polar cluster dynamics. These unusual dynamics are responsible for precursor effects that drive the PZO lattice towards an incipient ferroelectric state. Comparison of the model calculations with the temperature dependences of elastic coefficients measured on PZO single crystals reveals a striking similarity.
Anti‐atherogenic effect of chromium picolinate in streptozotocin‐induced experimental diabetes (在链脲霉素诱导的实验性糖尿病中吡啶甲酸铬的抗动脉粥样硬化作用)

Background: Several studies have implicated changes in the levels of trace elements in diabetes. Chromium is one such element that seems to potentiate insulin action, thereby regulating carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of chromium supplementation as chromium picolinate on the lipid profile of streptozotocin (STZ)‐induced diabetic rats.
Evaluating the Differences in Modeling Biophysical Attributes between Deciduous Broadleaved and Evergreen Conifer Forests Using Low-Density Small-Footprint LiDAR Data

Airborne light detection and ranging (LiDAR) has been used for forest biomass estimation for the past three decades. The performance of estimation, in particular, has been of great interest. However, the difference in the performance of estimation between stem volume (SV) and total dry biomass (TDB) estimations has been a priority topic. We compared the performances between SV and TDB estimations for evergreen conifer and deciduous broadleaved forests by correlation and regression analyses and by combining height and no-height variables to identify statistically useful variables. Thirty-eight canopy variables, such as average and standard deviation of the canopy height, as well as the mid-canopy height of the stands, were computed using LiDAR point data. For the case of conifer forests, TDB showed greater correlation than SV; however, the opposite was the case for deciduous broadleaved forests. The average- and mid-canopy height showed the greatest correlation with TDB and SV for conifer and deciduous broadleaved forests, respectively. Setting the best variable as the first and no-height variables as the second variable, a stepwise multiple regression analysis was performed. Predictions by selected equations slightly underestimated the field data used for validation, and their correlation was very high, exceeding 0.9 for coniferous forests. The coefficient of determination of the two-variable equations was smaller than that of the one-variable equation for broadleaved forests. It is suggested that canopy structure variables were not effective for broadleaved forests. The SV and TDB maps showed quite different frequency distributions. The ratio of the stem part of the broadleaved forest is smaller than that of the coniferous forest. This suggests that SV was relatively smaller than TDB for the case of broadleaved forests compared with coniferous forests, resulting in a more even spatial distribution of TDB than that of SV.
Altered temporal variance and neural synchronization of spontaneous brain activity in anesthesia

Recent studies at the cellular and regional levels have pointed out the multifaceted importance of neural synchronization and temporal variance of neural activity. For example, neural synchronization and temporal variance has been shown by us to be altered in patients in the vegetative state (VS). This finding nonetheless leaves open the question of whether these abnormalities are specific to VS or rather more generally related to the absence of consciousness. The aim of our study was to investigate the changes of inter‐ and intra‐regional neural synchronization and temporal variance of resting state activity in anesthetic‐induced unconsciousness state. Applying an intra‐subject design, we compared resting state activity in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) between awake versus anesthetized states in the same subjects. Replicating previous studies, we observed reduced functional connectivity within the default mode network (DMN) and thalamocortical network in the anesthetized state. Importantly, intra‐regional synchronization as measured by regional homogeneity (ReHo) and temporal variance as measured by standard deviation (SD) of the BOLD signal were significantly reduced in especially the cortical midline regions, while increased in the lateral cortical areas in the anesthetized state. We further found significant frequency‐dependent effects of SD in the thalamus, which showed abnormally high SD in Slow‐5 (0.01–0.027 Hz) in the anesthetized state. Our results show for the first time of altered temporal variance of resting state activity in anesthesia. Combined with our findings in the vegetative state, these findings suggest a close relationship between temporal variance, neural synchronization and consciousness. Hum Brain Mapp 35:5368–5378, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Success Rate of Incorporating Corneal Refractive Therapy into 3 Different Ophthalmology Practices

Objective: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of orthokeratology in correcting myopia. Methods: The study took place over three ophthalmology practices, which were trained in fitting corneal reshaping therapy lenses. The patients' age ranged from 9 to 59 years. The patients were split into 5 groups: 9 to 13, 14 to 21, 22 to 37, 38 to 42, 43 to 48, and 49 to 59 years. There were a total of 260 eyes being tested and the manifest refraction ranged from −0.25 diopters (D) to −7.75 D with astigmatism up to 1.50 D. Patients were fit using a calculator slide rule program and also by a diagnostic lens set. Results: The patient's uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA) was improved with 99% achieving visual acuities better than 20/40 and 85% achieved 20/20. There were no significant differences between UCVA of left and right eyes in patients who received bilateral correction (P>0.05). The study showed that women respond to the therapy better than men. The average difference from the target UCVA for women was 0.24, whereas men were off by an average of 0.34 (P<0.05). Only 2 patients, 1 in the 9 to 13 age group and 1 in the 37 to 43 age group did not respond to the therapy. Conclusion: Orthokeratology is an effective method to correct myopia. Only 1.4% of patients were unresponsive to the correction. There is no difference in the effectiveness of orthokeratology in the right and left eyes, but it does seem to be more effective in women compared with men.
EXTENSIONS OF THE MULTIPLICITY CONJECTURE

The Multiplicity conjecture of Herzog, Huneke, and Srinivasan states an upper bound for the multiplicity of any graded k-algebra as well as a lower bound for Cohen-Macaulay algebras. In this note we extend this conjecture in several directions. We discuss when these bounds are sharp, find a sharp lower bound in the case of not necessarily arithmetically Cohen-Macaulay one-dimensional schemes of 3-space, and propose an upper bound for finitely generated graded torsion modules. We establish this bound for torsion modules whose codimension is at most two.
Borrelia hispanica Relapsing Fever, Morocco

We found that 20.5% of patients with an unexplained fever in northwestern Morocco had tick-borne relapsing fever. Molecular detection specific for the 16S rRNA gene identified Borrelia hispanica. The noncoding intergenic spacer sequence domain showed high sensitivity and good resolution for this species.
Validation of a structured questionnaire for COPD and prevalence of COPD in rural area of Mysore: A pilot study

Background: The prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is increasing in India and there is a need to study the prevalence of COPD, particularly in the rural areas, which may be most affected due to their lifestyle. Materials and Methods: First stage: Validation of the questionnaire–105 consecutive patients underwent administration of the structured questionnaire and spirometry was used as a gold standard for the diagnosis of COPD. Second stage: Adults above 40 years (n = 900) in two villages of Mysore district were administered with the validated questionnaire, Knowledge and Attitude questionnaire and Fagerstorm questionnaire, to assess nicotine dependency. Results: The questionnaire was found to have a sensitivity of 62.5% and specificity of 87.6% to diagnose COPD. Of the total 900 adults surveyed (Males: 453, Females: 447), the total prevalence of COPD was 7.1%. Males had a higher prevalence (11.1%) compared to females (4.5%). The prevalence of smoking was very high among men at 71.9% and all the women were nonsmokers. The prevalence of COPD was 14.7% in smokers, 19.3% had mild to moderate nicotine dependency and 12.8% were highly dependent. Of the women exposed to regular biomass fuels, the prevalence of COPD was 3.9%, which increased to 4.8% on addition of regular passive smoking. In smoking, male gender and age were significantly associated with COPD (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The structured questionnaire is a useful tool for the screening of COPD in field studies. Smoking and biomass fuel exposure are important risk factors for COPD.
Recovering from Erroneous Inferences

Many models of natural language understanding make inference decisions as they process a text, but few models can correct their interpretation when later text reveals that earlier inference decisions are wrong. This paper describes how ATLAST, a markerpassing model of text understanding, addresses this problem. The keys to ATLAST's error recovery capability are a means for remembering the choices it could have made but did not, and a means for initiating the re-evaluation of those previously rejected choices at the appropriate times. This paper also discusses some of the arguments for and against the psychological validity of a theory of inference retention in human text understanding.
Propagation of viruses infecting waterfowl on continuous cell lines of Muscovy duck (Cairina moschata) origin

Duck circovirus, duck hepatitis A virus 1, goose parvovirus and goose haemorrhagic polyomavirus are economically damaging pathogens of waterfowl, and replicate poorly or not at all in established cell lines. AGE1.CR, AGE1.CR. pIX and AGE1.CS cell lines, originating from the Muscovy duck, were tested for their suitability to isolate and identify these viruses. Immunofluorescence (IF) and quantitative polymerase chain reaction investigations verified that all cell lines are permissive for all four viruses; however, AGE1.CR. pIX proved to be the most productive and most sensitive for viral infection. IF experiments revealed that the time of one infectious cycle is approximately 12 to 14 h in the AGE1.CR. pIX cells in the case of the three DNA viruses, while it is 10 to 12 h for DHAV-1. Specific viral infectivity and the limit of detection by IF varied between 55 and 1484 copies, depending on the viruses and cell lines. Despite the high sensitivity of the cell lines for viruses, their viral productivity remained relatively low for the investigated field isolates. However, optimization of virus infection and/or the adaptation of the viruses to the cells can raise viral productivity and can make these cell lines suitable for vaccine development and production.
Contact Stress Analysis of Spur Gear Under the Different Rotational Speed by Theoretical and Finite Element Method

In this study that spur gears are chosen, contact stress of spur gear is presented under the effect of rotational speed. Three-dimensional simulation of dynamic analysis of gears designed and modeled using ANSYS software. The dynamic analysis included in the determination of dynamic stresses analysis. Contact stress is theoretically calculated and analyzed and numerically estimated using both Hertzian mathematical model and finite element method respectively. Different values of rotational speed used to study its effect on contact stress. Both methods compared by evaluating the percentage error of contact stress, and the modeling of the spur gear and stress analysis of spur gear carried out using SOLID WORK and ANSYS V14, respectively. The most significant note in this study concludes that increasing speed causes vibration and pitting failure due to repetitions.
The Effect of Static and Dynamic Strength Training on Absolute Muscle Strength

The purpose of this study was to observe the difference of training effect on the absolute muscle strength between static and dynamic strength training. The subjects were 14 adult rnales of whom 7 were exposed to $tatic training and others to dynamic training. All subjects were trained every day for 12 weeks except Sundays. Training intensity was two-thirds of maximum isometric strength in static tra{ning group (S-group) and two-thirds of one repetition maximum (IRM) in dynamic training group (D-group). In S-group muscle strength was exerted statically for 10 seconds on the right angle of the elbow joint. In D-group the elbow joint was flexed between 75 and 105 degrees of the angle of elbow joint with the rhythm of one repetition in two seconds using audiovisual metronome, and it was repeated five times in a set, All training exercises for both groups were given three sets in a day. The cross-sectional area of elbow flexor muscle was measured at the extended pasition of the elbow joint before and after training by means of ultrasonic method,and the absolute muscle strength was calculated. The results were as follows: 1) Maximurn isometric strength significantly increased (p<O.eOl) by 25,9 ± 4.2% (mean ± standard error) in S-group and 30.7 ± 3.8% in D-group. No significant difference of strength increase was observed between dynamic and static training group. 2) The dynamic strength, measured as IRM significantly increased (p<O.oo1) by 22.7± 1.1% in S-group and by 33.1± 4.0% in D-group. The increase of IRM in D-group was significantly higher than that in S-group, 3) IRM was about 70% of isometric maximum strength, which value was not affected by both training programs. 4) Cross-sectional rea of muscle increased significantly by 5. 4± 1,4% (p<O. Ol) in S-group and 3. 2± 1, 3% (p<O. 05) in D-group. No significant difference in increase of muscle area was observed between *mm)(\diasves**Lrt nt Jk\te e, N\ ss
A purely nonlinear route to transition approaching the edge of chaos in a boundary layer

The understanding of transition in shear flows has recently progressed along new paradigms based on the central role of coherent flow structures and their nonlinear interactions. We follow such paradigms to identify, by means of a nonlinear optimization of the energy growth at short time, the initial perturbation which most easily induces transition in a boundary layer. Moreover, a bisection procedure has been used to identify localized flow structures living on the edge of chaos, found to be populated by hairpin vortices and streaks. Such an edge structure appears to act as a relative attractor for the trajectory of the laminar base state perturbed by the initial finite-amplitude disturbances, mediating the route to turbulence of the flow, via the triggering of a regeneration cycle of Λ and hairpin structures at different space and time scales. These findings introduce a new, purely nonlinear scenario of transition in a boundary-layer flow.
Urinary fumonisin B1 and estimated fumonisin intake in women from high- and low-exposure communities in Guatemala.

SCOPE Fumonisin (FB) intake can be high when maize is a dietary staple. We determined (i) urinary FB (UFB) in women consuming maize in high- and low-exposure communities in Guatemala, (ii) the FB levels in maize, (iii) the relationship between UFB and FB intake, and (iv) the relative excretion of UFB1 , UFB2 , and UFB3 . METHODS AND RESULTS Urine and maize were analyzed for FB for 1 year in three departments. Maize consumption was estimated by an interview questionnaire. Fumonisin B1 , B2 , and B3 (FB1 , FB2 and FB3 ), were detected in 100% of maize samples. FB1 in maize and urine was significantly higher in Jutiapa compared to Chimaltenango or Escuintla. The FB intake paralleled UFB1 in a dose-dependent manner but UFB1 was present in much higher levels than UFB2 or UFB3 compared to maize. CONCLUSION In Jutiapa, agroecological conditions favored FB production. UFB1 mirrored the estimated FB intake. UFB1 > 0.1 ng/mL resulted in a dose-dependent increase in the risk of exceeding FB intake of 2 μg/kg b.w. /day compared to women with no detectable UFB1 . More than 50% exceeded 2 μg/kg b.w. /day when UFB1 was >0.5 ng/mL. UFB2 and UFB3 were rarely detected confirming that FB1 is either absorbed better or preferentially excreted in urine.