Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dislocations by partition of unity

A new finite element method for accurately modelling the displacement and stress fields produced by a dislocation is proposed. The methodology is based on a local enrichment of the finite element space by closed form solutions for dislocations in infinite media via local partitions of unity. This allows the treatment of both arbitrary boundary conditions and interfaces between materials. The method can readily be extended to arrays of dislocations, 3D problems, large strains and non‐linear constitutive models. Results are given for an edge dislocation in a hollow cylinder and in an infinite medium, for the cases of a glide plane intersecting a rigid obstacle and an interface between two materials. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Nonsingular Models with a Variable Cosmological Term

The weight of observational evidence is now converging on a nonzero value for the cosmological term Λ. At the same time, theorists are increasingly exploring the possibility that this parameter is a dynamical one whose effective value in the early universe may have been quite different from the one we measure today. We discuss two phenomenological Λ-decay scenarios that have appeared in the literature, focusing on the evolution of the cosmological scale factor. In both cases, observational data are compatible with nonsingular as well as big bang models. Requiring that the "big bounce" be deep enough to generate phenomena such as the cosmic microwave background and primordial light-element abundances, one can predict the present value of ΩΛ if the matter density Ω0 is known. The acceptable windows are small and overlap the latest observations in several cases of interest.
Joint Resource Management and Trajectory Optimization for UAV-Enabled Maritime Network

Due to the lack of places to employ communication infrastructures, there are many coverage blind zones in maritime communication networks. Benefiting from the high flexibility and maneuverability, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have been proposed as a promising method to provide broadband maritime coverage for these blind zones. In this paper, a multi-UAV-enabled maritime communication model is proposed, where UAVs are deployed to provide the transmission service for maritime users. To improve the performance of the maritime communication systems, an optimization problem is formulated to maximize the minimum average throughput among all users by jointly optimizing the user association, power allocation, and UAV trajectory. To derive the solutions with a low computational complexity, we decompose this problem into three subproblems, namely user association optimization, power allocation optimization, and UAV trajectory optimization. Then, a joint iterative algorithm is developed to achieve the solutions based on the successive convex approximation and interior-point methods. Extensive simulation results validate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm and demonstrate that UAVs can be used to enhance the maritime coverage.
Improvement of Mechanical Characteristics on Ultra-High Molecular Weight Polyethylene Surface through Zinc Oxide Atomic Layer Deposition Film

Wear failures in ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) compartments are known to limit the life of a joint implant. In this study, we applied atomic layer deposition (ALD) technique to produce wear-resistant zinc oxide (ZnO) films to improve mechanical and wear characteristics on the surface of UHMWPE. Organic material layers in molecular units were mixed with ALD ZnO films to minimize surface cracks through a molecular layer deposition (MLD) technique. We aimed to examine (1) the effect of organic layers on minimizing surface cracks and (2) the mechanical properties of ZnO and inorganic/organic hybrid films. We prepared UHMWPE samples with pure ZnO and five different hybrid films with ZnO to organic layer ratios of 1 : 1, 2 : 1, 3 : 1, 4 : 1, and 5 : 1. Surface cracks were observed by using a field-emission scanning electron microscope. Hardness and elastic modulus of an ALD-coated UHMWPE were measured by nano-indentation examinations. Severe cracks were found in the samples with pure ZnO films. However, no cracks were found in the samples with all hybrid films except the samples with a ZnO to organic layer ratio of 5 : 1. The hardness and elastic modulus of the samples with pure ZnO and hybrid films significantly increased compared to those of the native UHMWPE. The hardness to elastic modulus ratios, indicating the wear resistance, increased over 50% for all films compared to the values of native UHMWPE. These results suggested that ALD ceramic coatings with organic layers may become a potential solution for realizing a wear-resistant protection coating for the polymer compartment of joint prostheses.
Identification of linear parameter varying input-output models with noisy measurements of the scheduling variable

This thesis focuses on the identification of Linear Parameter-Varying (LPV) inputoutput models. Three problems are considered: the approximation of the nonlinear scheduling function of LPV systems, the unbiased identification of LPV systems, and the state-space realization of LPV input-output models. The approximation of the nonlinear scheduling function of LPV systems is conducted by using cubic spline basis functions which are more easily tunable and less oscillatory than polynomial functions. A Separable Least-Squares (SLS) algorithm is proposed to reduce the number of parameters by separating them into linear and nonlinear parameters. Moreover for unstable systems, models are identified in closed-loop by using a two-step method with a neural network as a noise filter. Simulation and experimental results are given; they demonstrate the efficiency of the presented approach. Concerning the unbiased identification of LPV systems, the bias error is reduced by using the “instrumental variable with auxiliary model” method. To improve the performance while still maintaining simplicity, an auxiliary model with output error structure, which is estimated by the output error method, is used. The proposed approach gives a significant improvement in terms of bias error and variance. A comparison with an existing method is illustrated with several simulation examples. A state-space realization of LPV input-output models using a Linear Time-Invariant (LTI) framework introduces undesired dynamic dependence on the parameters. To solve this problem, the identification of LPV systems in a Left Polynomial Representation (LPR) is proposed. By using skew polynomials, a systematic realization procedure for LPV systems is presented. The resulting state-space models involve only static dependence on the scheduling parameters and are in observable form and minimal. Therefore standard LPV controller synthesis techniques can be used without loosing closed-loop performance. The efficiency of the proposed method is demonstrated by applying it to a laboratory scale magnetic levitation plant and an arm-driven inverted pendulum.
The Role of rs713041 Glutathione Peroxidase 4 (GPX4) Single Nucleotide Polymorphism on Disease Susceptibility in Humans: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Aim: The single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs713041, located in the regulatory region, is required to incorporate selenium into the selenoprotein glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) and has been found to have functional consequences. This systematic review aimed to conduct a meta-analysis to determine whether there is an association between GPX4 (rs713041) SNP and the risk of diseases in humans and its correlation with selenium status. Material and methods: A systematic search for English-language manuscripts published between January 1990 and November 2022 was carried out using six databases: CINAHL, Cochrane, Medline, PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were applied to assess a relationship between GPX4 (rs713041) SNP and the risk of different diseases based on three genetic models. Review Manager 5.4 and Comprehensive Meta-Analysis 4 software were used to perform the meta-analysis and carry out Egger’s test for publication bias. Results: Data from 21 articles were included in the systematic review. Diseases were clustered according to the physiological system affected to understand better the role of GPX4 (rs713041) SNP in developing different diseases. Carriers of the GPX4 (rs173041) T allele were associated with an increased risk of developing colorectal cancer in additive and dominant models (p = 0.02 and p = 0.004, respectively). In addition, carriers of the T allele were associated with an increased risk of developing stroke and hypertension in the additive, dominant and recessive models (p = 0.002, p = 0.004 and p = 0.01, respectively). On the other hand, the GPX4 (rs713041) T allele was associated with a decreased risk of developing pre-eclampsia in the additive, dominant and recessive models (p < 0.0001, p = 0.002 and p = 0.0005, respectively). Moreover, selenium levels presented lower mean values in cancer patients relative to control groups (SMD = −0.39 µg/L; 95% CI: −0.64, −0.14; p = 0.002, I2 = 85%). Conclusion: GPX4 (rs713041) T allele may influence colorectal cancer risk, stroke, hypertension and pre-eclampsia. In addition, low selenium levels may play a role in the increased risk of cancer.
The Relationship Between Negative Life Events and Nonsuicidal Self-Injury Among Chinese Adolescents: A Moderated-Mediation Model

Objective This study aimed to investigate whether anxiety mediates the relationship between negative life events and nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) in adolescents and whether this mediating role is moderated through social support. Methods The model consisted of an anonymous questionnaire survey of 506 Chinese adolescents (253 boys and 253 girls, mean age 15.11 years (SD = 1.83, range 11–18 years)). Self-designed questionnaires were used to collect demographic data. The frequency of NSSI, state anxiety, and social support degree of adolescents was assessed by the Adolescent Life Events Scale, the Chinese version of the Beck Anxiety Inventory, and the social support scale, respectively. Results Negative life events were significantly and positively correlated with anxiety and the frequency of NSSI, and anxiety was significantly and positively correlated with the frequency of NSSI. The positive association between negative life events and the frequency of NSSI among adolescents was mediated by anxiety after controlling for demographic variables. Furthermore, this mediated relationship was moderated by social support. Conclusion Anxiety was a potential mechanism linking negative life events to NSSI in adolescents and low social support important risk factor for amplifying this indirect effect. Our findings provide an empirical basis for reducing NSSI in adolescents.
Comparative Study of the Developed Peanut Shelling Machines

The comparative study in the development of peanut shelling machines is presented. Peanut shelling constitutes a significant part of peanut processing. Researchers had developed different type of peanut shelling machines, addressing the problem of shelling groundnut. Some authors modified past machines to improve efficiency and get the best possible output. This study presents the trends of these shelling machines, performance evaluation, merits, and demerits. A look at the factors affecting the performance of the shelling operation is also considered. These factors include the groundnut size, moisture content, shelling speed, sieve, concave clearance. These factors were observed based on the operational parameters, including the shelling and cleaning efficiencies, mechanical damage, and throughput capacity. The operating speed of the machines ranged from 150-300 rpm; the range of the shelling efficiency, cleaning efficiency and terminal velocity were 78-98.32%, 50.63-91.67% and 7.7-12.9 m s-1 respectively, while the mechanical damage ranged between 5.3-17.4%; the variation in the performance evaluation parameters is caused by the moisture content, variety, concave clearance, shelling speed, shelling blades, type of concave sieve. It was revealed that as shelling speed increases, the mechanical damage and shelling efficiency increase whereas as the moisture content increases (5-15% wet base), the shelling efficiency decreases, and the mechanical damage and the terminal velocity increases respectively. These factors, in different ways, influence the revenue generated by farmers.
A fellow-following-principle based group model and its application to fish school analysis

Group models based on simple rules are viewed as a bridge to clarifying animal group movements. The more similar a model to real-world observations, the closer it is to the essence of such movements. Inspired by the fish school, this study suggests a principle called fellow-following for group movements. More specifically, a simple-rules-based model was proposed and extended into a set of concrete rules, and two- and three-dimensional group models were established. The model results are intuitively similar to the fish school, and when the group size increases, the milling phase of both the model and fish school tends from unstable to stable. Further, we proposed a novel order parameter and a similarity measurement framework for group structures. The proposed model indicates the intuition similarity, consistency of dynamic characteristics, and static structure similarity with fish schools, which suggests that the principle of fellow-following may reveal the essence of fish school movements. Our work suggests a different approach for the self-organized formation of a swarm robotic system based on local information.
Nyinglar Sasalad Ceremony as a Local Wisdom of Cireundeu Indigenous Group in Dealing with Covid-19

Cireundeu village, a traditional village in South Cimahi West Java Indonesia has its own unique way of coping with Covid-19 pandemic. Despite being a traditional village, the residents of Cirendeu are in high mobility as workers in the nearby city, hence the exposure to Covid-19 was quite present. This article explores how the Cireundeu indigenous group dealt with the Covid-19 pandemic. This study employed a qualitative approach, particularly descriptive method. The data was conducted mainly by interviews with community figures. ‘Governing the common’ by Ostrom (2000) was used as a theoretical lens in analysing the data. This study found that the traditional group in Cireundeu were able to manage their local resources (from the nearby forests) for the benefit of their community members. They performed Nyinglar Sasalad ceremony as a symbol of communal attitude towards the plague, complemented with herb and Rasi (cassava-made rice) consumption to strengthen the immune defence. This study is expected to be a reference for a mitigative action in dealing with pandemic through the use of local tradition and ways of living.
Separable estimation of discrete and continuous spectra of signal with mixed spectrum

The authors investigate a method for estimating the mixed spectra of a signal composed of multiple sinusoids and an autoregressive (AR) process. An inverse filtering approach is taken in which they apply the high-resolution Toeplitz approximation method to the filtered signal to estimate the frequencies of the sinusoids. The optimum inverse filter is adjusted in a data-adaptive way, using only received signals, so as to minimize a specified criterion. Thus the coefficients of the inverse filter give the estimate of the AR parameter. Two kinds of criterion are proposed. The first one utilizes the received signal itself. The other one consists of the differences between the autocorrelation function of the filtered signal and that of the reconstructed sinusoids with the estimated frequencies and amplitudes. The number of sinusoids and the order of the AR part are estimated on the basis of the minimum of the criterion. The authors show that even when the additive noise is white, the inverse filtering approach can improve the resolution of the frequency estimate by compensating the errors in the calculated autocorrelation function. <<ETX>>
Investigasi Behavioral Intention pada Sistem Pembayaran QRIS di Merchant UMKM

Di era digitalisasi ini, perkembangan teknologi berkembang dengan pesat. Salah satu bentuk perkembangannya munculnya kemudahan bertransaksi secara non-tunai seperti pembayaran menggunakan kartu dan mobile payment pada merchant UMKM atau usaha mikro, kecil, dan menengah. Bank Indonesia sebagai regulator sistem pembayaran di Indonesia bekerja sama dengan lembaga lain meluncurkan QRIS sebagai sistem pembayaran baru. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk meningkatkan jumlah transaksi pembayaran dan bersamaan dengan meningkatkan profitabilitas PJSP melalui identifikasi perubahan Behavioral Intention atas beberapa variabel independen diantaranya Social Influence, Perceived Usefulnes), Perceived Ease of Use, dan Attitude Toward terhadap Behavior Intention. Kemudian Perceived Usefulness terhadap Behavior Intention dengan Attitude Toward sebagai mediasi terhadap Behavior Intention. Adapun hasil penelitian yang dilakukan yaitu terdapat variable-variabel penelitian yang berpengaruh dan tidak berpengaruh. Perceived usefulness berpengaruh terhadap attitude towards to use QRIS Payment System, attitude towards to use QRIS (full mediating) namun tidak berpengaruh terhadap behavioral intention. Perceived ease of use berpengaruh terhadap attitude towards to use QRIS Payment System, attitude towards to use QRIS (full mediating) namun tidak berpengaruh terhadap behavioral intention. Attitude towards to use QRIS Payment System berpengaruh terhadap behavioral intention. Serta Social influence dipengaruhi oleh behavioral intention dan tidak dipengaruhi oleh attitude towards to use QRIS Payment System.
On the In Vitro and In Vivo Hazard Assessment of a Novel Nanomaterial to Reduce the Use of Zinc Oxide in the Rubber Vulcanization Process

Zinc oxide (ZnO) is the most efficient curing activator employed in the industrial rubber production. However, ZnO and Zn(II) ions are largely recognized as an environmental hazard being toxic to aquatic organisms, especially considering Zn(II) release during tire lifecycle. In this context, aiming at reducing the amount of microcrystalline ZnO, a novel activator was recently synthetized, constituted by ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) anchored to silica NPs (ZnO-NP@SiO2-NP). The objective of this work is to define the possible hazards deriving from the use of ZnO-NP@SiO2-NP compared to ZnO and SiO2 NPs traditionally used in the tire industry. The safety of the novel activators was assessed by in vitro testing, using human lung epithelial (A549) and immune (THP-1) cells, and by the in vivo model zebrafish (Danio rerio). The novel manufactured nanomaterial was characterized morphologically and structurally, and its effects evaluated in vitro by the measurement of the cell viability and the release of inflammatory mediators, while in vivo by the Fish Embryo Acute Toxicity (FET) test. Resulting data demonstrated that ZnO-NP@SiO2-NP, despite presenting some subtoxic events, exhibits the lack of acute effects both in vitro and in vivo, supporting the safe-by-design development of this novel material for the rubber industry.
Persistence of Bacillus thuringiensis and Bacillus pumilus potential biological control agents of the coffee berry borer under field conditions of Puerto Rico

Field trials were conducted in two years to evaluate persistence of B. thuringiensis and Bacillus pumilus under field conditions. Strains of B. thuringiensis (3971) and B. pumilus (4185) were isolated from coffee agro-ecosystem in Puerto Rico. Field trials consisted in plots of nine coffee trees arranged in a randomized complete block design, sprayed with Bt-3971 and Bp-4185 at 108, 109, or 1010 colony forming units CFU ml-1 or non-inoculated. In year 1, B. thuringiensis and B. pumilus survived up to six months after inoculation. Monitoring carried out during year 2, re-confirmed the survival of Bt-3971 and Bp-4185 inoculated in coffee trees under field conditions. Overall, Bt-3971 had significantly more recovery rates than Bp-4185. However, the higher bacterial recoveries were 1.24x1013 CFU ml-1 in coffee trees treated with Bt-3971 and 2.48x1013 CFU ml-1 in coffee trees treated with Bp-4185 in year 1 and year 2, respectively, both sprayed with 1010 spores ml-1. B. thuringiensis (3971) and B. pumilus (4185) isolated from coffee fields of Puerto Rico are well adapted to the environmental conditions of the island, and are valuable biological control agents against coffee berry borer.
The Language Profile of Preschool Children With 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome and the Relationship With Speech Intelligibility.

PURPOSE Young children with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS) often have impaired language development and poor speech intelligibility. Here, we report a comprehensive overview of standardized language assessment in a relatively large sample of preschool-aged children with 22q11DS. We furthermore explored whether speech ability explained variability in language skills. METHOD Forty-four monolingual Dutch preschoolers (3-6 years) with a confirmed genetic 22q11DS diagnosis participated in this prospective cohort study. Standardized tests (Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals Preschool-2-NL and Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-III-NL) were administered. Speech intelligibility was rated by two expert speech and language therapists using a standardized procedure. RESULTS Most children had impaired language skills across all tested domains. The composite score for expressive language was significantly lower than that for receptive language, but the two were strongly correlated. Only small differences between the mean scores on the various subtests were observed, with the lowest scores for expressive morphosyntactic skills. Language scores showed a moderate positive relation with speech intelligibility, but language abilities varied greatly among the children with intelligible speech. CONCLUSIONS We show that the majority of preschool children with 22q11DS have a broad range of language problems. Other than the relatively larger impairment in expressive than in receptive language skills, our results do not show a clearly delineated language profile. As many of the children with intelligible speech still had below-average language scores, we highlight that language problems require a broad assessment and care in all young children with 22q11DS. Future research using spontaneous language and detailed speech analysis is recommended, to provide more in-depth understanding of children's language profile and the relationship between speech and language in 22q11DS.