Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Chemorheological characterization of thermoset cure

Thermosetting resin/glass cloth composites find extensive use in the packaging of electrical circuits into multi-layered circuit boards. To determine optimum processing conditions, it is necessary to understand the rheology of the resin as it cures. In this study, a squeezing flow geometry was used to determine the shear viscosity of a high performance epoxy resin during cure; Viscosity profiles were obtained during rising temperature cure. The results were compared with the complex viscosities obtained using the dynamic oscillatory parallel plate geometry. A numerical optimization algorithm was used to obtain the dual Arrhenius viscosity model parameters from the experimental viscosity data. The sensitivities of the model parameters and their effects on the predicted viscosity profiles were also determined.
Effects of Open Marsh Water Management on Numbers of Larval Salt Marsh Mosquitoes

ABSTRACT Open marsh water management (OMWM) is a commonly used approach to manage salt marsh mosquitoes than can obviate the need for pesticide application and at the same time, partially restore natural functions of grid-ditched marshes. OMWM includes a variety of hydrologic manipulations, often tailored to the specific conditions on individual marshes, so the overall effectiveness of this approach is difficult to assess. Here, we report the results of controlled field trials to assess the effects of two approaches to OMWM on larval mosquito production at National Wildlife Refuges (NWR). A traditional OMWM approach, using pond construction and radial ditches was used at Edwin B. Forsythe NWR in New Jersey, and a ditch-plugging approach was used at Parker River NWR in Massachusetts. Mosquito larvae were sampled from randomly placed stations on paired treatment and control marshes at each refuge. The proportion of sampling stations that were wet declined after OMWM at the Forsythe site, but not at the Parker River site. The proportion of samples with larvae present and mean larval densities, declined significantly at the treatment sites on both refuges relative to the control marshes. Percentage of control for the 2 yr posttreatment, compared with the 2 yr pretreatment, was >90% at both treatment sites.
Platelet calmodulin correlates with platelet turnover

Abstract: We measured the calmodulin content in platelets in 13 normal persons and in 62 patients with hematological diseases. The level of platelet calmodulin was higher in patients with idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), systemic lupus erythematosus, myeloproliferative disorders, acute leukemia in a recovery phase, aplastic anemia, thrombosis and hyper‐splenism as compared to the controls. Among the patients with ITP, calmodulin was lower in responders than in nonresponders and those at the initial diagnosis. We also measured the volume, life‐span and aggregation of the platelets and demonstrated a significant relationship between the calmodulin level and the platelet volume, and a negative relationship between the calmodulin level and platelet life‐span, there was no correlation between the calmodulin level and platelet aggregation. We thus conclude that platelet calmodulin is inversely correlated with platelet turnover.
Guidelines of Assistive Courseware (AC) for Hearing-Impaired Students

The increasing number of Person With Disabilities (PWD) in Malaysia is very worrying especially to Ministry of Education because this population, eg: hearing impaired people remain disproportionately uneducated, untrained, unemployed, and poor. Accordingly many researchers work together with Information Technology (IT) experts to design and develop varieties of Assistive Technology (AT). So, AT is one of the technologies used to help this population in gaining knowledge and fortunately bridge the gap between PWD with normal people. This study defines the disabilities and technologies suitable for the disabled which is called assistive technology (AT). Two types of AT are hardware-based and software-based. In this study, the software-based is focused, specifically in the form of courseware which is referred to as assistive courseware (AC). With concerns to develop an AC for hearing-impaired people, proper guidelines should be followed. The aim of this study is to propose guidelines for developing AC for hearing-impaired people. Adapted model, Jakob Nielson Usability Guidelines, and User Agent Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 were based on as guidance in proposing the guidelines. In accomplishing this study waterfall methodology was adapted. IntView methodology was also adapted in developing the prototype of AC and proposed guidelines were followed. Focus groups and experts tested the prototype of AC and Heuristic Evaluation was adapted. The results of this study concluded that guidelines proposed must be followed and were important in developing AC for hearing-impaired people.
Comparison and Analysis of Membrane Fouling between Flocculent Sludge Membrane Bioreactor and Granular Sludge Membrane Bioreactor

The goal of this study is to investigate the effect of inoculating granules on reducing membrane fouling. In order to evaluate the differences in performance between flocculent sludge and aerobic granular sludge in membrane reactors (MBRs), two reactors were run in parallel and various parameters related to membrane fouling were measured. The results indicated that specific resistance to the fouling layer was five times greater than that of mixed liquor sludge in the granular MBR. The floc sludge more easily formed a compact layer on the membrane surface, and increased membrane resistance. Specifically, the floc sludge had a higher moisture content, extracellular polymeric substances concentration, and negative surface charge. In contrast, aerobic granules could improve structural integrity and strength, which contributed to the preferable permeate performance. Therefore, inoculating aerobic granules in a MBR presents an effective method of reducing the membrane fouling associated with floc sludge the perspective of from the morphological characteristics of microbial aggregates.
3D Face recognition using distinctiveness enhanced facial representations and local feature hybrid matching

This paper presents a simple yet effective approach for 3D face recognition. A novel 3D facial surface representation, namely Multi-Scale Local Binary Pattern (MS-LBP) Depth Map, is proposed, which is used along with the Shape Index (SI) Map to increase the distinctiveness of smooth range faces. Scale Invariant Feature Transform (SIFT) is introduced to extract local features to enhance the robustness to pose variations. Moreover, a hybrid matching is designed for a further improved accuracy. The matching scheme combines local and holistic analysis. The former is achieved by comparing the SIFT-based features extracted from both 3D facial surface representations; while the latter performs a global constraint using facial component and configuration. Compared with the state-of-the-art, the proposed method does not require time-consuming accurate registration or any additional data in a bootstrap for training special thresholds. The rank-one recognition rate achieved on the complete FRGC v2.0 database is 96.1%. As a result of using local facial features, the approach proves to be competent for dealing with partially occluded face probes as highlighted by supplementary experiments using face masks.
Diagnostic Utility of Laser-Doppler Vibrometry in Conductive Hearing Loss with Normal Tympanic Membrane

Hypothesis It was hypothesized that laser-Doppler vibrometry measurements of umbo velocity in aerated middle ears with conductive loss can differentiate ossicular interruptions, stapes fixations, and mallear fixations. More generally, we hypothesize that laser-Doppler vibrometry measurements of umbo velocity can give information about how differences in the impedance that the ossicles work against affect middle-ear function. Background Laser-Doppler vibrometry is a well-established research tool for exploring middle-ear function. The authors wished to investigate its potential as a clinical tool for differential diagnosis of the cause of conductive hearing loss. Methods Laser-Doppler vibrometry was used to investigate the relationship between the sound-induced velocity of the tympanic membrane at the umbo and the cause of conductive hearing loss when the tympanic membrane was normal and the middle ear was aerated. The results of measurements in 17 adult ears before exploratory tympanotomy were compared with the surgically determined cause of the hearing loss. The authors also measured the motion of the umbo in 10 patients who had undergone successful small-fenestra stapedectomy procedures. In all the studied ears, pure-tone audiograms were measured at the time of laser-Doppler vibrometry testing. Results There were clear statistical differences between the umbo velocity in normal ears and in ears with different ossicular pathologic conditions. There was also a clear separation of the results between ears with ossicular interruptions and ossicular fixation. The pattern of laser-Doppler vibrometry measurements in poststapedectomy ears approximated the pattern in ears with ossicular interruptions. Conclusion Comparison of laser-Doppler vibrometry results and audiometry may be a sensitive and selective indicator of ossicular pathologic conditions as well as a useful tool for investigating middle ear function.
Modulation of human corticospinal excitability by paired associative stimulation

Paired Associative Stimulation (PAS) has come to prominence as a potential therapeutic intervention for the treatment of brain injury/disease, and as an experimental method with which to investigate Hebbian principles of neural plasticity in humans. Prototypically, a single electrical stimulus is directed to a peripheral nerve in advance of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) delivered to the contralateral primary motor cortex (M1). Repeated pairing of the stimuli (i.e., association) over an extended period may increase or decrease the excitability of corticospinal projections from M1, in manner that depends on the interstimulus interval (ISI). It has been suggested that these effects represent a form of associative long-term potentiation (LTP) and depression (LTD) that bears resemblance to spike-timing dependent plasticity (STDP) as it has been elaborated in animal models. With a large body of empirical evidence having emerged since the cardinal features of PAS were first described, and in light of the variations from the original protocols that have been implemented, it is opportune to consider whether the phenomenology of PAS remains consistent with the characteristic features that were initially disclosed. This assessment necessarily has bearing upon interpretation of the effects of PAS in relation to the specific cellular pathways that are putatively engaged, including those that adhere to the rules of STDP. The balance of evidence suggests that the mechanisms that contribute to the LTP- and LTD-type responses to PAS differ depending on the precise nature of the induction protocol that is used. In addition to emphasizing the requirement for additional explanatory models, in the present analysis we highlight the key features of the PAS phenomenology that require interpretation.
Increased aortic stiffness in women with type 1 diabetes mellitus is associated with diabetes duration and autonomic nerve function.

AIMS The increase in risk for cardiovascular complications in diabetic women is even greater than that in diabetic men. We found arterial stiffness to be increased in women, but not in men, with Type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM). The aims of the present study were to evaluate whether the changes in arterial distensibility are influenced by diabetes duration and to evaluate any association between autonomic neuropathy and decreased arterial distensibility. METHODS Stiffness of the abdominal aorta was measured noninvasively using echo-tracking sonography and parasympathetic function by heart rate variation during deep breathing (E/I ratio) in 40 women (mean age 33 years, range 20-61) and 38 men (mean age 36 years, range 22-56) with Type 1 DM. RESULTS There was a significant correlation between aortic stiffness and duration of diabetes in women (r = 0.41, P = 0.008), but not in men (r = 0.15, P = 0.35). There was also a significant correlation between aortic stiffness and the E/I ratio in women (r = -0.49, P = 0.002), but not in men (r = -0.14, P = 0.41). When adjusted for diabetes duration, the significant association between the E/I ratio and aortic stiffness remained in diabetic women (r = -0.44, P = 0.008) and was stronger than the association between diabetes duration and aortic stiffness. There were no significant correlations between aortic stiffness and triglycerides or total cholesterol, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Increased aortic wall stiffness found in women with Type 1 DM is related to diabetes duration. Further, in women with Type 1 DM there is a correlation between increased aortic stiffness and parasympathetic dysfunction. This may be of importance for the increased susceptibility to cardiovascular complications in diabetic women.
Is the Postpacing Interval of Any Value During Ablation of Postinfarction Ventricular Tachycardia?

Catheter ablation of reentrant ventricular tachycardia late after myocardial infarction can be a daunting undertaking. The regions of scar that provide the anatomic substrate for this arrhythmia are large and complex, sometimes involving epicardium and intramural regions as well as the endocardium. Often such scars are capable of supporting more than one reentry circuit, giving rise to multiple morphologies of tachycardia. Since radiofrequency (RF) ablation lesions resulting from conventional ablation catheters are, typically, only 1 cm or less in diameter and a few millimeters deep,'-2 it is not surprising that one's ability to "cure" postinfarction ventricular tachycardia with this technology is substantially less than for other more focal tachycardias, like ventricular tachycardia arising from the right ventricular outflow tract or supraventricular tachycardia due to reentry within the AV node.
Performance Evaluation for Energy-Harvesting Machine-Type Communication in LTE-A System

To explore the energy efficient Machine-Type Communication (MTC) for 5G cellular systems, we developed a simulation platform to investigate the complete uplink procedures of energy-harvesting MTC devices in LTE-A (Long Term Evolution Advanced) system. Though the 3rd Generation Partnership (3GPP) has worked on LTE-A cellular standards in support of MTC transmission, the standards have not taken energy-harvesting MTC devices into their scope. Energy-harvesting technology can be the candidate to support the MTC features by allowing the devices to harvest ambient energy and support their own power usage without manual upgrade. The proposed Energy-Aware LTE-A scheme, serving as power control and admission control, prevents the devices from building the network connections greedily but ending up with energy shortage and packet loss. This scheme not only can reduce the contention level of control channels but also can decrease energy wastage on network entry procedures, thereby improving the overall energy efficiency.
Electrochemical corrosion rate probes for high temperature energy applications

Electrochemical corrosion rate (ECR) probes were constructed and exposed along with mass loss coupons in a N2/O2/CO2/H2O environment to determine ECR probe operating characteristics. Temperatures ranged from 450 to 800 C and both ECR probes and mass loss coupons were coated with ash. Results are presented in terms of the probe response to temperature, the measured zero baseline, and the quantitative nature of the probes. The effect of Stern-Geary constant and the choice of electrochemical technique used to measure the corrosion rate are also discussed. ECR probe corrosion rates were a function of time, temperature, and process environment and were found to be quantitative for some test conditions. Measured Stern-Geary constants averaged 0.0141 V/decade and the linear polarization technique was found to be more quantitative than the electrochemical noise technique.
Biotic and Abiotic Properties Mediating Plant Diversity Effects on Soil Microbial Communities in an Experimental Grassland

Plant diversity drives changes in the soil microbial community which may result in alterations in ecosystem functions. However, the governing factors between the composition of soil microbial communities and plant diversity are not well understood. We investigated the impact of plant diversity (plant species richness and functional group richness) and plant functional group identity on soil microbial biomass and soil microbial community structure in experimental grassland ecosystems. Total microbial biomass and community structure were determined by phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis. The diversity gradient covered 1, 2, 4, 8, 16 and 60 plant species and 1, 2, 3 and 4 plant functional groups (grasses, legumes, small herbs and tall herbs). In May 2007, soil samples were taken from experimental plots and from nearby fields and meadows. Beside soil texture, plant species richness was the main driver of soil microbial biomass. Structural equation modeling revealed that the positive plant diversity effect was mainly mediated by higher leaf area index resulting in higher soil moisture in the top soil layer. The fungal-to-bacterial biomass ratio was positively affected by plant functional group richness and negatively by the presence of legumes. Bacteria were more closely related to abiotic differences caused by plant diversity, while fungi were more affected by plant-derived organic matter inputs. We found diverse plant communities promoted faster transition of soil microbial communities typical for arable land towards grassland communities. Although some mechanisms underlying the plant diversity effect on soil microorganisms could be identified, future studies have to determine plant traits shaping soil microbial community structure. We suspect differences in root traits among different plant communities, such as root turnover rates and chemical composition of root exudates, to structure soil microbial communities.
Preparative Isolation and Purification of Four Compounds from Cistanches deserticola Y.C. Ma by High-Speed Counter-Current Chromatography

Following a constituent enrichment step on a silica gel column, four phenyl-ethanoid glycosides were successfully isolated from Cistanches deserticola and purified by preparative high-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC) with a two-phase solvent system composed of ethyl acetate-n-butanol-ethanol-water (40:6:6:50, v/v/v/v). A total of 30.9 mg acteoside, 13.0 mg isoacteoside, 12.5 mg syringalide A 3'-α-L-rhamnopyranoside and 7.2 mg 2'-acetylacteoside with purity of higher than 95%, as determined by HPLC-ELSD, were obtained in one-step separation from 297 mg of Cistanche deserticola extract, respectively. Their structures were identified by HR-MS, 1H-NMR and 13C-NMR.
Fractured 3D object restoration and completion

The problem of object restoration from eroded fragments where large parts could be missing is of high relevance in archaeology. Manual restoration is possible and common in practice but it is a tedious and error-prone process, which does not scale well. Solutions for specific parts of the problem have been proposed but a complete reassembly and repair pipeline is absent from the bibliography. We propose a shape restoration pipeline consisting of appropriate methods for automatic fragment reassembly and shape completion. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach using real-world fractured objects.
Simulation of Magnetic Flux Distribution for Magnetically Impelled Arc Butt Welding of Steel Tubes

This paper proposes a 3‐Dimensional Finite Element Model (FEM) for the simulation of magnetic flux distribution in a Magnetically Impelled Arc Butt (MIAB) welding process. The electromagnetic force responsible for the arc rotation in MIAB welding process is governed by the magnetic flux density in the gap, the arc current and the arc length (gap size). To be precise the radial magnetic flux density is a critical factor in arc rotation and weld quality. The aim of this study is to explore the interdependence of the magnetic flux density and the existing current in the coils using finite element code ANSYS. The results of this analysis are verified with the available experimental data for steel pipes (outer dia 50mm and 2mm thickness). The results of the numerical simulation emphasize that the magnetic flux density in the gap between the pipes is proportional to the exciting current.
Optimal Rebuilding of Multiple Erasures in MDS Codes

Maximum distance separable (MDS) array codes are widely used in storage systems due to their computationally efficient encoding and decoding procedures. An MDS code with <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$r$ </tex-math></inline-formula> redundancy nodes can correct any <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$r$ </tex-math></inline-formula> node erasures by accessing (reading) all the remaining information in the surviving nodes. However, in practice, <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$e$ </tex-math></inline-formula> erasures are a more likely failure event, for some <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$1 \le e < r$ </tex-math></inline-formula>. Hence, a natural question is how much information do we need to access in order to rebuild <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$e$ </tex-math></inline-formula> storage nodes. We define the <italic>rebuilding ratio</italic> as the fraction of remaining information accessed during the rebuilding of <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$e$ </tex-math></inline-formula> erasures. In our previous work, we constructed MDS codes, called zigzag codes, that achieve the optimal rebuilding ratio of <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$1/r$ </tex-math></inline-formula> for the rebuilding of any systematic node when <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$e=1$ </tex-math></inline-formula>; however, all the information needs to be accessed for the rebuilding of the parity node erasure. The (normalized) <italic>repair bandwidth</italic> is defined as the fraction of information transmitted from the remaining nodes during the rebuilding process. For codes that are not necessarily MDS, Dimakis <italic>et al.</italic> proposed the regenerating codes framework where any <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$r$ </tex-math></inline-formula> erasures can be corrected by accessing some of the remaining information, and any <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$e=1$ </tex-math></inline-formula> erasure can be rebuilt from some subsets of surviving nodes with optimal repair bandwidth. In this paper, we present three results on rebuilding of codes: 1) we show a fundamental outer bound on the storage size of the node and the repair bandwidth similar to the regenerating codes framework, and show that zigzag codes achieve the optimal rebuilding ratio of <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$e/r$ </tex-math></inline-formula> for systematic nodes of MDS codes, for any <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$1 \le e \le r$ </tex-math></inline-formula>; 2) we construct systematic codes that achieve optimal rebuilding ratio of <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$1/r$ </tex-math></inline-formula>, for any systematic or parity node erasure; and 3) we present error correction algorithms for zigzag codes, and in particular demonstrate how these codes can be corrected beyond their minimum Hamming distances.