Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Uplink Transmission Policies for LoRa-Based Direct-to-Satellite IoT

Direct-to-Satellite IoT (DtS-IoT) is a promising approach to deliver data transfer services to IoT devices in remote areas where deploying terrestrial infrastructure is not appealing or feasible. In this context, low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites can serve as passing-by IoT gateways to which devices can offload buffered data to. However, transmission distances and channel dynamics, combined with highly constrained devices on the ground makes of DtS-IoT a very challenging problem. Here, we present LoRa-based approaches to realize scalable and energy-efficient DtS-IoT. Our study includes the Long Range-Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (LR-FHSS) physical layer, currently on the roadmap of future space IoT projects. Specifically, we propose uplink transmission policies that exploit satellite trajectory information. These schemes are framed with a theoretical Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) model providing an upper bound on performance as well as inspiration for scheduled DtS-IoT solutions. Simulation results provide compelling evidence that trajectory based policies can duplicate the amount of IoT nodes, while specific variants can further boost the scalability by 30% without incurring energy penalties. We also quantify that LR-FHSS can improve the deployment scalability by a factor of 75x at the expenses of 30% higher device’s power consumption compared to the legacy LoRa modulation.
Critical Role of Neuronal Vps35 in Blood Vessel Branching and Maturation in Developing Mouse Brain

Vps35 (vacuolar protein sorting 35), a key component of retromer, plays a crucial role in selective retrieval of transmembrane proteins from endosomes to trans-Golgi networks. Dysfunctional Vps35/retromer is a risk factor for the development of neurodegenerative diseases. Vps35 is highly expressed in developing pyramidal neurons, both in the mouse neocortex and hippocampus, Although embryonic neuronal Vps35’s function in promoting neuronal terminal differentiation and survival is evident, it remains unclear whether and how neuronal Vps35 communicates with other types of brain cells, such as blood vessels (BVs), which are essential for supplying nutrients to neurons. Dysfunctional BVs contribute to the pathogenesis of various neurodegenerative disorders. Here, we provide evidence for embryonic neuronal Vps35 as critical for BV branching and maturation in the developing mouse brain. Selectively knocking out (KO) Vps35 in mouse embryonic, not postnatal, neurons results in reductions in BV branching and density, arteriole diameter, and BV-associated pericytes and microglia but an increase in BV-associated reactive astrocytes. Deletion of microglia by PLX3397 enhances these BV deficits in mutant mice. These results reveal the function of neuronal Vps35 in neurovascular coupling in the developing mouse brain and implicate BV-associated microglia as underlying this event.
High-level design of a novel PUF based on RTN

Physically Unclonable Functions (PUFs) have emerged as an alternative to traditional Non-Volatile Memories in the field of lightweight hardware security. Recently, a novel PUF has been presented that uses the Random Telegraph Noise (RTN) phenomenon as the underlying source of entropy. While, in general, the nature of that entropy source largely dictates the quality of a PUF, little attention is often paid, however, to how the PUF architecture and its building blocks impact the PUF quality. This paper addresses the high-level design of the novel PUF to ascertain the extent of that impact and refine the building blocks specifications to mitigate it. Using high-level numerical and mixed-signal electrical simulations, the results demonstrate that it is very important to account for non-idealities in the PUF’s building blocks to prevent PUF quality degradation.
Controlling electron quantum dot qubits by spin-orbit interactions

Single electron confined in a quantum dot is studied. A special emphasis is laid on the spin properties and the influence of spin-orbit interactions on the system. The study is motivated by a perspective exploitation of the spin of the confined electron as a qubit, a basic building block of in a foreseen quantum computer. The electron is described using the single band effective mass approximation, with parameters typical for a lateral electrostatically defined quantum dot in a GaAs/AlGaAs heterostructure. The stemming data for the analysis are obtained by numerical methods of exact diagonalization, however, all important conclusions are explained analytically. The work focuses on three main areas -- electron spectrum, phonon induced relaxation and electrically and magnetically induced Rabi oscillations. It is shown, how spin-orbit interactions influence the energy spectrum, cause finite spin relaxation and allow for all-electrical manipulation of the spin qubit. Among the main results is the discovery of easy passages, where the spin relaxation is unusually slow and the qubit is protected against parasitic electrical fields connected with manipulation by resonant electromagnetic fields. The results provide direct guide for manufacturing quantum dots with much improved properties, suitable for realizing single electron spin qubits.
A Study on the Influence of Stage Load on Health Monitoring of Axial Concrete Members Using Piezoelectric Based Smart Aggregate

Piezoceramic based smart aggregate (SA) has been employed to monitor the strength development of early age concrete. The validity of SA-based active sensing method was tested and verified with loading and unloading conditions. However, the early age concrete in buildings is subjected to many load increments during the construction process. The influence of incremental load on the properties of the propagating waves is still unclear. This study aims to investigate the effects of axial stage loads on the signal response of the SA. The concrete specimens that are embedded with SA’s were loaded step by step, and the amplitude and wave velocity of the sensing signals were measured at each stress state. The experimental results indicated that the amplitude of the received signal decrease with the increase of the stress level. As for the velocity of the propagated stress wave, however, the velocity shows an increasing trend before a sharp decline at high stress level.
An investigation of lexical bundles in Electrical Engineering introductory textbooks and ESP textbooks

This corpus-based research examines whether there is a gap in language use between ESP textbooks and Electrical Engineering introductory textbooks. Two corpora were set up, the Electrical Engineering introductory textbook corpus (EEITC) and the English for Specific Purposes textbook corpus (ESPTC). Lexical bundles and their pragmatic functions were identified in the EEITC; the majority are referential and stance bundles, which construct the body of knowledge and indicate the reader/author relationships in introductory EE textbooks. The comparison of lexical bundles in the two corpora suggests that there is a gap: compared with the EEITC, the ESPTC lacks five subcategories of lexical bundles and misrepresents target language use. The two main implications of this research are: 1) lexical bundles with their pragmatic functions should be incorporated into the EAP/ESP pedagogies, and 2) lexical bundles can become one way to judge the authenticity of EAP/ESP pedagogical materials.
Light-Sensitive PVDF-TrFE:PDI Hybrid Nanofibers-Based Flexible Bimodal Piezoelectric Nanogenerator

The progress in smart wearable electronic devices and systems demands portable and environment-friendly power sources. Recently, piezoelectric polymers have shown huge potential in the development of feasible energy sources for smart wearable, implantable biomedical devices and autonomous applications to replace hefty batteries, owing to their inherent polarization emanating from crystal structures or molecular rearrangements of materials. Herein, we fabricated a flexible and light-sensitive piezoelectric nanogenerator (PENG) based on electrospun hybrid nanofibers of polyvinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene and N,<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\text{N}^\prime $ </tex-math></inline-formula>-bis(1-ethylpropyl)-perylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxylic diimide (PVDF-TrFE:PDI) that can efficiently convert mechanical energy into the electrical domain. The incorporation of PDI molecules significantly improved the crystallinity and <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\beta $ </tex-math></inline-formula>-phase content in PVDF-TrFE:PDI hybrid nanofibers and induced a higher piezoelectric response. Moreover, the optoelectronic investigations confirm that PVDF-TrFE:PDI hybrid nanofibers can absorb/emit light in the visible regime. The effect of doping dye in PVDF-TrFE was thoroughly investigated both in dark and white light illumination. Piezoelectric properties of nanofibers were evaluated by using a piezoresponse force microscope (PFM) and a piezometer. Hybrid nanofibers exhibited <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\sim 41$ </tex-math></inline-formula>% improvement in the piezoelectric coefficient (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$d_{33}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>) and a significant rise of ~9.75% in the current (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\sim 4$ </tex-math></inline-formula> nA) and voltage (~1.14 V) for an optimum concentration of PDI (0.2 wt%). The experimental results of this study might have significant ramifications for various applications in biomedical and self-powered wearable sensor devices and systems.
The Mutual Relationship Between Regional Income And Deforestation: A Study On Turkey

ABSTRACT This paper addresses the bilateral relationship between growth and environment. It aims to show how regional economic growth causes environmental deterioration (deforestation), while at the same time the environmental resources function in turn as a supply factor for economic development. A simultaneous-equations model must develop and apply to test this two-way relationship statistically. In the empirical application economic growth is measured by regional income and environmental deterioration by deforestation. We use data from 26 NUTS 2 regions in Turkey between the years 2004 and 2011. The results of the two-stage least squares (2SLS) regression analysis reveal strong evidence on the presence of a mutual relationship between deforestation and regional income, while lagged deforestation is a statistically significant positive determinant of income growth, and vice versa.
Carbon emissions and banking stability: Global evidence

This paper examines the impact of per capita CO2 emissions on banking stability. To identify the causal eﬀect of carbon emissions on the stability of banking system, we use plausibly exogenous source of variations in energy use as an instrumental variable (IV) for CO2 emissions. Using data for a panel of 122 countries over the period 2000-2013, our IV regression results indicate that there is an inverted U-shaped relationship between per capita CO2 emissions and banking stability. Our ﬁndings reveal that CO2 emissions have a positive eﬀect on banking stability at a low level of emissions and an adverse eﬀect at a higher emissions level. We also ﬁnd that industrialization as proxied by the ratio of manufacturing value added to GDP can be a potential channel through which per capita CO2 emissions aﬀect banking stability. Our results are robust to alternative speciﬁcations and have important implications for policy on banking stability.
Reciprocating sliding wear behavior of the heat-treated WC-12Co coatings

WC-Co coatings were produced on SS 410 plates and subjected to heat treatment at different temperatures (from 300 to 900 °C). The microstructural studies and structural analysis of the coatings before and after heat treatment were carried out by electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis. From the Vickers indentation method, hardness values were measured, and higher microhardness was observed for the coatings after heat treatment. The sample that was heat-treated at 750 °C exhibited the highest hardness. From the sliding wear test results, the wear resistance of the coatings was observed as increased after the heat treatment. However, it was found that the heat-treated coatings at 600 °C exhibited higher wear resistance. Cracking and fracture were the dominant wear mechanisms observed for the heat-treated coatings, along with coating delamination and oxidation.
Detrital zircon geochronology of the Permian Lower Shihezi Formation, northern Ordos Basin, China: time constraints for closing of the Palaeo-Asian Ocean

Abstract Temporal constraints on the closure of the eastern segment of the Palaeo-Asian Ocean along the northern margin of the North China Craton (NCC) remain unclear. As a part of the NCC, the sedimentation and tectonic evolution of the Late Palaeozoic Ordos Basin were closely related to the opening and closing of the Palaeo-Asian Ocean. We use petrology, quantitative mineralogical analysis, U–Pb geochronology and trace element signatures of detrital zircons of the Lower Shihezi Formation from two sections in the eastern north Ordos Basin and two sections in the western north Ordos Basin to reconstruct the sedimentary provenance and tectonic background of the northern Ordos Basin. The results show that the sediments of the western sections were mainly derived from the Yinshan orogenic belt and Alxa block, and that those in the eastern sections only came from the Yinshan orogenic belt. The trace element ratios in detrital zircons from the Late Palaeozoic sandstones indicate that the source areas were mainly subduction-related continental arcs, closely related to the continued subduction of the Palaeo-Asian Ocean in the Late Palaeozoic. Since the main Late Palaeozoic magmatic periods vary on the east and west sides of the northern margin of the Ordos Basin, two main collisions related to Palaeo-Asian Ocean closure are recorded. The collision on the west side occurred significantly earlier than that in the east. This study implies that the Palaeo-Asian Ocean began to subduct beneath the NCC in the Carboniferous and gradually closed from west to east thereafter.
Willingness to Pay for Improved Urban Domestic Water Supply System: The Case of Hanoi, Vietnam

Access to a reliable and safe domestic water supply is a serious challenge for many developing countries worldwide. In the capital of Vietnam, Hanoi, the municipal government is facing a number of difficulties in providing sufficient water in a sustainable manner due to the increasing urban population and the serious pollution of both surface and groundwater resources, but this is also due to a lack of resources to invest in the supply system. This study aimed to investigate water users’ willingness to pay for the improvement of Hanoi’s domestic water supply system. A contingent valuation process based on a survey of 402 respondents was used to explore citizens’ willingness to pay (WTP) for the improvement of their urban water supply. The results show that Hanoi’s urban communities (more than 90%) were generally satisfied with the quantity of their water supply, but tended to be dissatisfied with its quality, with 80% of the respondents using advanced water purifiers before drinking and cooking. Respondents were also concerned about the overall reliability of the service, with 40% of respondents indicating that they received no check and maintenance service. A WTP regression model was developed based on the survey findings. The average WTP is 281,000 dong/household/month (approximately 12.2 USD at the exchange rate of 1 USD to about 23,000 VND), equivalent to 1.4% of the average household income at the end of 2019, indicating the level of affordability of monthly water payments among Hanoi citizens.
Prothrombinase-Induced Clotting Time to Measure Drug Concentrations of Rivaroxaban, Apixaban, and Edoxaban in Clinical Practice: A Cross-Sectional Study

Prothrombinase-induced clotting time (PiCT) is proposed as a rapid and inexpensive laboratory test to measure direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC) drug levels. In a prospective, multicenter cross-sectional study, including 851 patients, we aimed to study the accuracy of PiCT in determining rivaroxaban, apixaban, and edoxaban drug concentrations and assessed whether clinically relevant drug levels could be predicted correctly. Citrated plasma samples were collected, and the Pefakit® PiCT was utilized. Ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was performed to measure drug concentrations. Cut-off levels were established using receiver-operating characteristics curves. We calculated sensitivities and specificities with respect to clinically relevant drug concentrations. Spearman’s correlation coefficient between PiCT and drug concentrations was 0.85 in the case of rivaroxaban (95% CI 0.82, 0.88), 0.66 for apixaban (95% CI 0.60, 0.71), and 0.78 for edoxaban (95% CI 0.65, 0.86). The sensitivity to detect clinically relevant drug concentrations was 85.1% in the case of 30 µg L−1 (95% CI 82.0, 87.7; specificity 77.9; 72.1, 82.7), 85.7% in the case of 50 µg L−1 (82.4, 88.4; specificity 77.3; 72.5, 81.5), and 85.1% in the case of 100 µg L−1 (80.9, 88.4; specificity 73.2%; 69.1, 76.9). In conclusion, the association of PiCT with DOAC concentrations was fair, and the majority of clinically relevant drug concentrations were correctly predicted.
Propagation Model Analysis for 7- and 13-GHz Spectrum Sharing in Urban Environments

This letter investigates propagation at 7 and 13 GHz in urban locations motivated by coexistence studies in the recently opened 6 GHz band (5925-7125 MHz) and in the similar 13 GHz band (12700-13250 MHz). Path loss measurements were collected in four urban areas in both line-of-sight (LOS) and non-LOS (NLOS) conditions. We derive floating-intercept (FI) and close-in free space reference distance (CI) path loss models and achieve RMS errors between 5.6 and 9.0 dB. We investigate the applicability of WINNER II and 3GPP models at these frequencies and find that the LOS case provides a conservative estimate of propagation loss.
Comparison of the Effectiveness of Drag Reduction Devices on a Simplified Truck Model through Numerical Simulation

The aerodynamic efficiency of trucks is very low because of their non-streamlined box shape, which is subject to practical constraints, leaving little room for improvement in terms of aerodynamic efficiency. Hence, other means of improving the aerodynamic efficiency of trucks are needed, and one practical yet relatively simple method to reduce aerodynamic drag is deploying drag reduction devices on trucks. This paper describes a numerical study of flow over a simplified truck with drag reduction devices. The numerical approach employed was Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS). Four test cases with different drag reduction devices deployed around the tractor–trailer gap region were studied. The effectiveness of those drag reduction devices was assessed, and it was demonstrated that in all four cases, the aerodynamic drag was reduced compared with the baseline case without any drag reduction devices. The most effective device was case 4 (about 24% reduction), with a roof deflector, side extenders, and five cross-flow vortex trap devices (CVTDs). Flow field analysis was performed to shed light on drag reduction mechanisms, which confirmed our previous findings that the main reason for the drag reduction was the reduced pressure on the front face of the trailer, while the reduction in the turbulence level in the tractor–trailer gap region contributed much less to the overall drag reduction.
The Construction and Embodiment of Dis/Ability for North Korean Refugees living in South Korea

Background/Context: Every year, an unknown number of North Koreans flee their homeland. As of 2020, 33,752 North Koreans had arrived in South Korea. The political positioning of North Korean refugees in South Korean society is unique from other immigrants, in that they receive immediate South Korean citizenship and are considered members of the same ethnic group as South Koreans. However, North Korean refugees face discrimination in South Korea, including in schools. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study: This paper extends the use of the intersectional analytical framework, disability critical race theory (DisCrit), outside of western settings to the Korean context. The purpose is to analyze the schooling experiences of North Korean refugees in South Korea. We provide a background about the divide between the nations of North and South Korea and discuss how this divide contributes to North Korean refugees’ position as outsiders. We also situate discrimination faced by North Korean refugees within South Korea as a broader response to changing demographics, by highlighting the experiences of immigrants and South Korean multicultural education policy. Drawing upon the voices of North Korean refugees, we analyze how the discrimination they experience constructs them as less capable and valued than their South Korean peers. Research Design: This paper reports the findings of a qualitative study that analyzes data from semi-structured interviews of North Korean refugees in South Korea. The interviews focus on participants’ schooling experiences in mainstream schools, at an alternative school, and in their transition to postsecondary education. Conclusions/Recommendations: Our analysis demonstrates how North Korean refugee students are positioned as dis/abled and come to embody disabling conditions as a result of discrimination based on their ethnicized North Korean identity in South Korea. The construction of North Korean refugees as dis/abled reflects the dominance of the ideals of South Korean ethnicity and an educational ideology that promotes assimilation for economic growth. We conclude by discussing the impact of normalizing processes of ethnocentrism, racism, and ableism, and the potential future development of multicultural education in South Korea.