Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Using Inertial Sensors to Determine Head Motion—A Review

Human activity recognition and classification are some of the most interesting research fields, especially due to the rising popularity of wearable devices, such as mobile phones and smartwatches, which are present in our daily lives. Determining head motion and activities through wearable devices has applications in different domains, such as medicine, entertainment, health monitoring, and sports training. In addition, understanding head motion is important for modern-day topics, such as metaverse systems, virtual reality, and touchless systems. The wearability and usability of head motion systems are more technologically advanced than those which use information from a sensor connected to other parts of the human body. The current paper presents an overview of the technical literature from the last decade on state-of-the-art head motion monitoring systems based on inertial sensors. This study provides an overview of the existing solutions used to monitor head motion using inertial sensors. The focus of this study was on determining the acquisition methods, prototype structures, preprocessing steps, computational methods, and techniques used to validate these systems. From a preliminary inspection of the technical literature, we observed that this was the first work which looks specifically at head motion systems based on inertial sensors and their techniques. The research was conducted using four internet databases—IEEE Xplore, Elsevier, MDPI, and Springer. According to this survey, most of the studies focused on analyzing general human activity, and less on a specific activity. In addition, this paper provides a thorough overview of the last decade of approaches and machine learning algorithms used to monitor head motion using inertial sensors. For each method, concept, and final solution, this study provides a comprehensive number of references which help prove the advantages and disadvantages of the inertial sensors used to read head motion. The results of this study help to contextualize emerging inertial sensor technology in relation to broader goals to help people suffering from partial or total paralysis of the body.
Nonlinear Vibration Characteristics of Damaged Concrete Beams

The work presented here investigates the possibility of using changes in the nonlinear vibration characteristics to detect damage in reinforced concrete elements. The nonlinear vibration characteristics were studied by conducting impact excitation vibration tests on reinforced concrete beams. The nonlinearities were detected by examining the changes in the fundamental frequency during the decay of an impulse response with time (and hence, with amplitude of vibration). The tests demonstrated that there is a change in nonlinear vibration behavior with damage. The change is greatest at low levels of damage. After the beam has been loaded to 27% of the failure load in three-point bending there is a reversal in the trend and a slight reduction in nonlinearity with further damage. These results indicate that the method is unlikely to be useful in detecting high levels of damage in reinforced concrete bridges, however, it is capable of detecting low levels of damage not visible to the naked eye, and so has potential for assessment of special structures where very high levels of structural integrity are required.
Prevalence and Risk Factors of Diabetes, Hypertension and Other Non-Communicable Diseases in a Tribal Population in South India

Introduction: The prevalence of non-communicable diseases is increasing in tribal areas of India owing to the development and adoption of modern lifestyle. This study was done to assess the prevalence and risk factors of obesity, diabetes and hypertension in a tribal area in South India. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among all men and women 40 years and above in ten randomly selected villages in three village panchayats located in a hilly area in Vellore district, Tamil Nadu. Minimum sample size calculated was 370. Data collection was done using a pretested questionnaire, clinical examination, and capillary blood glucose measurement. Prevalence and 95% confidence interval were estimated for diabetes and hypertension. By univariate and multivariate logistic regression, the Odds Ratio was calculated to identify the risk factors. SPSS version 16.0 was used. A value of P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The study included 502 subjects, 212 (42.2%) males and 290 (57.8%) females. The proportion of generalized and abdominal obesity was 21% and 36.5%. The prevalence of diabetes and hypertension among the tribal population was 7.4% and 36.5%. Approximately 62% of diabetes and 68% of hypertension were newly diagnosed during this study. Higher age, female sex, generalized and abdominal obesity, and diabetes were risk factors for hypertension and abdominal obesity and hypertension were risk factors for diabetes. Conclusion: The prevalence of diabetes and hypertension is high with two-thirds being newly diagnosed during study in this tribal population mandating early screening, awareness campaigns for early health-seeking and improvement in health access.
Are Credit-Based Internet Consumer Finance Platforms Sustainable? A Study on Continuous Use Intention of Chinese Users

Internet consumer finance platforms (ICFPs), as a new Internet financial model, have emerged and been widely adopted by Chinese as well as global online shoppers following the rapid growth of e-commerce. This emerging financial tool is, however, luring younger generations deep into debt. It jeopardizes the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 1—No poverty, bringing the sustainability of this consumer financial model into question. To aid the sustainable development of ICFP industry, this paper distinguishes two antecedents of continuous use intention for ICFP users: (1) satisfaction, as a sustainable determinant; and (2) impulsive buying, as a non-sustainable determinant. We found satisfaction (b = 0.452) has a larger positive effect on continuous use intention compared to impulsive buying (b = 0.229). Therefore, ICFPs should weigh heavier on technology innovation instead of seducing consumers’ impulsive buying behavior. We also found that credit limit misconception poses the largest impact (b = 0.483) on impulsive buying. In the near term, governments and ICFPs may initiate public programs to improve ICFP users’ financial literacy in order to restrain their unsustainable impulsive buying behavior and cultivate their sustainable satisfaction on ICFP technology and service. Market regulators may build up institutional frameworks to tighten the abuse of financial platforms on credit issuing power and better foster sustainable entrepreneurship in this new financial platform business.
Effect of transplant age and fruit pruning on earliness and total yield of greenhouse cucumber (Cucumis sativus L. cv. Sultan)

Greenhouse cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) is a warm season vegetable which is more useful than other greenhouse vegetables. To determine the effects of five transplant ages and three fruit pruning methods on early harvest of greenhouse cucumber cv. Sultan, two independent experiments were conducted based on randomized complete block design with three replications. The treatments in the first experiment included transplant age at four levels [transplants with two cotyledonous leaves (A0), one (A1), two (A2), three (A3) and four true leaves (A4)] and the treatments in the second experiment included fruit pruning with three levels [fruit un-pruning (P0) and fruit pruning up to the height of 30 cm (P1) and 60 cm (P2)]. The results of the first experiment showed that during the first ten days of harvest, the number of fruits produced by transplants with two cotyledonous leaves and one, two, three and four true leaves was 0, 4, 28, 31 and 63, respectively. The early harvest of the transplants with four true leaves was 15 times as much as that of transplants with one true leaf. Total yield of transplants with four true leaves was 1.8 times as much as that of transplants with two cotyledonous leaves. Total yield of transplants with two cotyledonous leaves and one, two, three and four true leaves was 0.716, 0.988, 1.712, 1.228 and 1.308 kg/ha, respectively. The results of the second experiment showed that during the first ten days of the harvest, the yield of the un-pruned plants was 1.7 and 74 times as high as that of plants pruned up to the heights of 30 and 60 cm, respectively. Total yield of un-pruned plants and plants pruned up to the heights of 30 and 60 cm was 1.47, 1.22 and 1.16 kg/plant, respectively. To have early-maturing cucumber cv. Sultan, it is recommended to use transplants with four true leaves and not to prune the fruits of the main stem and just to cut the axillary branches.
Coexistence of Bipolar and Unipolar Resistive Switching Behaviors in a Pt ∕ TiO2 ∕ Pt Stack

Bipolar resistive switching (BRS) as well as unipolar resistive switching (URS) behaviors in Pt/27 nm thick TiO 2 /Pt stacks were investigated. Depending on the current compliance during the electroforming process, either BRS or URS was observed. With a lower current compliance (<0.1 mA) during electroforming, asymmetric current-voltage curves showing BRS were observed in the voltage range -1.6 to +1.1 V, while with a higher current compliance (1-10 mA) URS behavior was observed. Furthermore, the permanent transition from BRS to URS was investigated by applying a voltage with a higher current compliance (∼3 mA).
Exciton Binding Energy in CdSe Nanoplatelets Measured by One- and Two-Photon Absorption

Colloidal semiconductor nanoplatelets exhibit strong quantum confinement for electrons and holes as well as excitons in one dimension, while their in-plane motion is free. Because of the large dielectric contrast between the semiconductor and its ligand environment, the Coulomb interaction between electrons and holes is strongly enhanced. By means of one- and two-photon photoluminescence excitation spectroscopy, we measure the energies of the 1S and 1P exciton states in CdSe nanoplatelets with thicknesses varied from 3 up to 7 monolayers. By comparison with calculations, performed in the effective mass approximation with account of the dielectric enhancement, we evaluate exciton binding energies of 195–315 meV, which is about 20 times greater than that in bulk CdSe. Our calculations of the effective Coulomb potential for very thin nanoplatelets are close to the Rytova-Keldysh model, and the exciton binding energies are comparable with the values reported for monolayer-thick transition metal dichalcogenides.
Physics-based minority charge and transit time modeling for bipolar transistors

It has been well known for many years that the transit time model used in the SPICE Gummel-Poon model (SGPM) is not adequate for reliable design of circuits operating either at high current densities (including quasi-saturation), which is often the case in high-speed integrated circuits, or at low voltages, which is important for low-power applications. In addition, extraction of the SGPM's transit time model parameters is often very difficult and time consuming. Although various proposals for modeling the transit time were published in the past, most of them are not suited for compact transistor models required in circuit simulation from a numerical, parameter extraction and lateral scaling point of view. In this paper, a set of minority charge and transit time equations is derived which are physics-based and laterally scaleable as well as suitable for incorporation into compact models. Experimental results of the new model are presented in terms of transit time and transit frequency versus bias (I/sub C/, V/sub CE/), geometry, and temperature, showing excellent agreement for different types of silicon homojunction bipolar transistors.
Safety Impacts of Access Management Techniques in Utah

Traffic volumes and congestion across Utah have continued to increase in recent years, particularly on arterial streets. This increased traffic volume has amplified the emphasis on implementing access management techniques (i.e., raised medians or driveway consolidation) to alleviate some of the safety concerns associated with access on arterial streets. To determine the safety benefits provided by access management techniques in Utah, an evaluation of the safety performance of arterials in which access management techniques have been implemented within the state was performed. To complete the evaluation, a unique, yet proven, tool available through the Utah Department of Transportation was used. This tool is a geographic information system–enabled, web-delivered data almanac that allows researchers to establish specific filters that can be used to sort crash data, identifying high crash locations and establishing crash trends. Several locations where access management techniques have been implemented in Utah were selected for the safety analysis. Although crash rates were not reduced in every case as a result of the access management techniques, other safety improvements were observed. For example, the access management techniques generally reduced the more serious collision types; this resulted in a decrease in the crash severity. Because the overall severity of crashes decreased, the overall economic cost of crashes was reduced. The cost of installing the access management techniques was more than offset by this reduction in the cost of crashes.
PRODUCTION OF CONGENITAL DEFECTS IN THE OFFSPRING OF PREGNANT MICE TREATED WITH CORTISONE

It has been shown that cortisone, injected into pregnant female mice, will produce cleft palate and other congenital malformations in the resulting young. The incidence of cleft palate varies according to the genetic constitution of the treated mice, the dosage of cortisone used and the gestational stage at which treatment is begun.
Fried’s coherence length measurement of dynamic Kolmogorov type turbulence using the autocorrelation function

A new method to find the Fried’s coherence length of a dynamic Kolmogorov type turbulence in a laboratory environment is reported in this paper. This method utilises the autocorrelation function obtained from the quantitative characteristics of a rotating pseudo random phase plate in one of the arms of a Mach–Zehnder interferometer. Theoretical formalism and experimental verification are presented.
An evaluation of prognostic factors, oncologic outcomes, and management for primary and recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva

Objective To evaluate prognostic factors, outcomes, and management patterns of patients treated for squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva. Methods One hundred sixty-four women were retrospectively identified with primary squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva treated at our institution between 1/1996–12/2018. Descriptive statistics were performed on patient, tumor, and treatment characteristics. The χ2 tests and t-tests were used to compare categorical variables and continuous variables, respectively. Recurrence free survival (RFS), overall survival (OS), and disease-specific survival (DSS) were analyzed with Kaplan-Meier estimates, the log-rank test, and Cox proportional hazards. Results Median follow-up was 52.5 months. Five-year RFS was 67.9%, 60.0%, 42.1%, and 20.0% for stage I–IV, respectively. Five-year DSS was 86.2%, 81.6%, 65.0%, and 42.9% for stage I–IV, respectively. On multivariate analysis, positive margins predicted overall RFS (hazard ratio [HR]=3.55; 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.18–10.73; p=0.025), while presence of lichen sclerosus on pathology (HR=2.78; 95% CI=1.30–5.91; p=0.008) predicted local RFS. OS was predicted by nodal involvement (HR=2.51; 95% CI=1.02–6.13; p=0.043) and positive margins (HR=5.19; 95% CI=2.03–13.26; p=0.001). Adjuvant radiotherapy significantly improved RFS (p=0.016) and DSS (p=0.012) in node-positive patients. Median survival after treatment of local, groin, and pelvic/distant recurrence was 52, 8, and 5 months, respectively. Conclusion For primary treatment, more conservative surgical approaches can be considered with escalation of treatment in patients with concurrent precursor lesions, positive margins, and/or nodal involvement. Further studies are warranted to improve risk stratification in order to optimize treatment paradigms for vulvar cancer patients.
Flexible Model for Time'Cost Tradeoff Problem

This paper presents a flexible mixed integer-programming model for the solution of the time/cost tradeoff problem encountered in project management. Whereas it is commonly assumed that the time/cost function is linear, the model presented in this paper makes minimal assumptions and accommodates any type of cost function that is linear, piecewise linear or discrete. The model can be used for answering various “what if” questions that may be very helpful to a project manager in making rational decisions. The basic model minimizes the total cost which is the sum of direct and indirect costs, subject to a project deadline constraint. A simple modification in the model changes the focus from minimizing total cost to minimizing project completion time subject to a resource constraint. The models of this paper can be set up and run very easily on commercially available optimization packages with an integer-programming module. These models provide a viable alternative to more specialized algorithms developed for the time/cost tradeoff problem simply because a typical project manager may not have the necessary skills or resources to implement specialized algorithms.
Nonthermal plasma processing for dilute VOCs decomposition

Cooperative effect of catalysts with nonthermal plasma processing for dilute (100 ppm or 1000 ppm) TCE decomposition in air was investigated. As catalysts, titania, TiO/sub 2/, was tested. One sample was 2-3 mm sphere pellets coated with vanadium oxide, V/sub 2/O/sub 5/. Hand-made titania pellets with various sizes were also tested. GCMS analysis suggested that the catalyst assisted to decompose TCE with small energy but generated some byproducts. The results suggested the size and surface states of catalyst particulates were very important to determine discharge mode and energy efficiency was strongly dependent on the discharge mode.
Drought-induced Forest Dieback Increases Taxonomic and Functional Diversity But Not Phylogenetic Diversity of Saproxylic Beetles at Both Local and Landscape Scales

Context: Forest ecosystems worldwide are facing increasing drought-induced dieback, causing mortality patches across the landscape at multiple scales. This increases the supply of biological legacies and differentially affects forest insect communities.Objectives: We analysed the relative effects of local- and landscape-level dieback on local saproxylic beetle assemblages. We assessed how classic concepts in spatial ecology (e.g. habitat-amount and habitat-patch hypotheses) are involved in relationships between multi-scale spatial patterns of available resources and local communities.Methods: We sampled saproxylic beetle assemblages in commercial fir forests in the French highlands. Through automatic aerial mapping, we used dead tree crowns to assess dieback levels at several nested spatial scales. We analysed beetle taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional diversity related to differing levels of multi-scale dieback.Results: In line with the habitat-amount hypothesis, taxonomic and functional diversity, but not phylogenetic diversity, of beetle assemblages significantly benefitted from forest dieback, at both local and landscape scales. Very few single or interaction effects were detected in the multiplicative models combining local and landscape variables, though a significant positive effect of landscape-scale dieback on the abundance of cavity- and fungus-dwelling species was consistent with a spill-over effect. Increased landscape-scale dieback also caused a functional specialisation of beetle assemblages, favouring those related to large-diameter, well-decayed deadwood.Conclusions: Increasing tree mortality under benign neglect provides conservation benefits by heterogenising the forest landscape and enhancing deadwood habitats. Legacy retention practices could take advantage of unharvested, declining forest stands to promote species richness and functional diversity within conventionally managed forest landscapes.
Work Engagement: A meta-Analysis Using the Job Demands-Resources Model

Although the construct of work engagement has been extensively explored, a systematic meta-analysis based on a consistent categorization of engagement antecedents, outcomes, and well-being correlates is still lacking. The results of prior research reporting 533 correlations from 113 independent samples (k = 94, n = 119,420) were coded using a meta-analytic approach. The effect size for development resources (r = .45) and personal resources (r = .48) was higher than for social resources (r = .36) and for job resources (r = .37). Among the outcomes and well-being correlates explored, the effect size was highest for job satisfaction (r = .60) and commitment (r = .63). Furthermore, moderation analysis showed that (a) concerning the occupational role, work engagement finds a low association with turnover intention among civil servants, volunteer workers, and educators; (b) collectivist cultural environments reported a greater association of feedback with engagement than individualistic environments; (c) the relationship between personal resources and engagement was stronger among workers with university degrees than workers with high school diplomas. Furthermore, the absorption dimension showed a lower effect with all variables under investigation than vigor and dedication.
Nonlinear seismic response predictions of walls coupled with steel and concrete beams

The design and nonlinear dynamic analyses of four coupled wall prototype structures are presented. Two ductile partially coupled and two ductile coupled wall structures are considered, each having reinforced concrete and steel coupling beams. The design of each of the prototype structures was based on the provisions of the 1995 National Building Code of Canada. Nonlinear dynamic analyses of each structure, using four different scaled earthquake ground motions are presented and the results discussed. Comparisons of the responses of the structures with concrete and steel coupling beams are made, demonstrating the advantages of using steel beams to couple reinforced concrete walls.Key words: composite construction, coupled wall, diagonally reinforced concrete coupling beam, "flexure critical" steel coupling beam, seismic design, "shear critical" steel coupling beam.
Cold tests and modeling of low-Q quasi-optical resonators

Measurements are reported on low-Q open resonators at 85 GHz with a large centered coupling hole in each mirror. This is the first study of open resonators with large diffraction losses and efficient input coupling at millimeter wavelengths. The input resonator for a quasi-optical gyroklystron is described with quality factor Q=2000 and 13% round-trip losses where approximately 65% of the incident power in the waveguide is coupled to the fundamental TEM/sub 00/ mode. Two models have been developed to calculate the coupling from the rectangular waveguide through a circular aperture into the open resonator. Both models properly account for the increased diffraction loss of the resonator when coupling apertures are present. Measured results are in reasonably good agreement with values calculated using both scalar diffraction theory and an equivalent-circuit model.