Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Thermal Expansion Coefficient Study of Several Magnetic Spin Materials via Capacitive Dilatometry

The work presented in this thesis detail the measurement of the thermal expansion coefficient of three magnetic spin materials. Thermal expansion coefficient values were measured by capacitive dilatometry in several key low (T < 250 K) temperature regions specific to each material. This thesis is separated into several key parts. The first part establishes the theory behind observing phase transitions through the thermal expansion coefficient. Beginning with the classical definitions of the specific heat, compressibility and thermal expansion coefficient, the three properties are related using a property known as the Grüneisen parameter. To first order, the parameter allows phase transitions to be observed by the thermal expansion coefficient. The second part introduces capacitive dilatometry; a technique used to measure the thermal expansion coefficient. Three capacitive dilatometer devices are presented in this section. The silver compact dilatometer, the fused quartz dilatometer and the copper dilatometer. Each device discusses merits and weaknesses to their designs. Particular focus is made on the fused quartz dilatometer which was built during the duration of this thesis. The third part presents research on three magnetic spin materials; LiHoF4, Tb2Ti2O7 and Ba3NbFe3Si2O14. These materials are studied individually focusing on specific aspects. LiHoF4, a candidate material for the transverse field Ising model, provides insight to quantum phase transitions. Thermal expansion coefficient and magnetostriction along the c-axis for T ≈ 1.3−1.8 K and transverse field Ht ≈ 0−4 T were measured extracting critical points for a Ht − T phase diagram. Existing thermal expansion coefficient measurements had evidence of possible re-entrant behaviour. With a high density of low transverse field critical points it was established that LiHoF4 showed no evidence of re-entrant behaviour. The highly debated material Tb2Ti2O7 has a rich, controversial low temperature behaviour. Originally believed to be a spin liquid, specific heat results propose a scenario involving a sample composition dependent ordered state. Still under considerably attention, thermal expansion coefficient measurements were performed for T < 1 K. The results are interpreted to either fit into the proposed scenario or provide evidence for an alternate scenario. The material Ba3NbFe3Si2O14 exhibits a magnetoelectric multiferroic phase below TN ≈ 27 K; a phase where magnetic and electric order simultaneously exist. The formation of this phase is believed to have a similar structural shift observed in hexagonal perovskite multiferroic materials. The ferroelectric ordering in those materials are brought about through a centrosymmetric to non-centrosymmetric structural shift. The thermal expaniii sion and thermal expansion coefficient coefficient along the a and c axis are measured for T > TN searching for a displacive structural phase transition.
A Motion Blur Resilient Fiducial for Quadcopter Imaging

Fiducials are commonly placed in environments to provide a uniquely identifiable object in the scene. In quad copter applications, these fiducials are often used to evaluate planning algorithms given that ground truth positions can be detected from the quad copter's camera. Low cost quad copters, however, are subject to quick and unstable motions that can cause significant motion blur that severely affects the detection rate of existing fiducials. This problem motivated us to design a fiducial that is robust to motion blur. Our proposed design uses concentric circles with the observation that the direction perpendicular to the motion blur direction will be relatively unaffected by the blur. As a result, an appropriate fiducial code orthogonal to the blur direction can be recognized. Since the direction of motion blur is unknown, the circular design is good for all motion blur directions. We describe the design of binary fiducials, and also a detection algorithm. We show that our marker can significantly outperform existing fiducials in scenes captured with a quad copter.
Neuropeptide Receptors in Pain Circuitries: Useful Targets for CNS Imaging with Non-Peptide Ligands Suitable for PET?

Neuropeptide receptors of the brain and spinal cord are parts of the pain circuits targeted by analgesic drugs. Some of these receptors have been found in the central nervous system as well as in intracranial vascular structures and achieved revival of attention because of their role in acute and chronic pain syndromes. A number of them are of high clinical relevance for e.g. migraine. Others participate in symptoms of rare diseases like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Here we will focus on five of the neuropeptide receptors and their non-peptide ligands potentially or already successfully used as PET probes. Opioid receptors and neurotensin receptors are known to mediate analgesic actions. Bradykinin and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptors are known to be involved in the regulation of vascular tone and inflammatory responses, and neurokinin receptors play a role in the occurrence of pain perception in a rather indirect manner. Most experiences as PET tracers have been gathered with opioid receptor ligands and neurokinin receptor ligands. The most innovative fields revealed by the studies summarized in this report are the ligands of κ opioid receptors and CGRP receptors for which a first PET tracer was presented recently.
A Novel Methodology for Optimisation of Product Properties and Production Costs in Fabrication of Aluminium Alloys

The present paper describes a novel methodology for optimization of product properties and production costs in fabrication of aluminium alloys. The main idea is to represent each operation along the process chain by predictive tools, which include material-, mechanical-, cost-and logistics models. An optimisation tool is used to collect the simulation models into a common software environment, which allows fully automatic simulations to be carried out. When this coupling is established, the models are run in sequence using different types of optimisation strategies. The methodology has been applied for optimisation of strength, grain structure and costs of 6xxx series aluminium extrusions. The results indicate that the present methodology is sufficiently relevant and comprehensive to be used as a tool in fabrication of various aluminium products, for instance in optimisation of end-user properties and production costs of extruded, rolled or foundry based alloys.
Trade Productivity Upgrading, Trade Fragmentation, and FDI in Manufacturing: The Asian Development Experience

Purpose – This paper aims to examine the experience of ten Asian countries with respect to growth, trade and FDI. It seeks to explore relationships between the nature of exports and imports and growth, as well as the relevance of FDI as a channel for these relationships.Design/methodology/approach – The paper opted for an empirical approach. It included collecting standardize data on international trade, GDP per capita, and FDI inflows. The trade data and GDP data were used in creating the productivity level for exports and imports for all of the relevant countries. The paper analyses how these productivity levels compare to GDP per capita, change over time, and relate to FDI inflows.Findings – The authors find that FDI is positively correlated with higher productivity levels in exports and imports for many of the countries in their sample. The effect for imports is particularly apparent for imported intermediate goods, reflecting the emergence of greater trade fragmentation. In turn, both imported interm.
Human Joint Angle Estimation with Inertial Sensors and Validation with A Robot Arm

Traditionally, human movement has been captured primarily by motion capture systems. These systems are costly, require fixed cameras in a controlled environment, and suffer from occlusion. Recently, the availability of low-cost wearable inertial sensors containing accelerometers, gyroscopes, and magnetometers have provided an alternative means to overcome the limitations of motion capture systems. Wearable inertial sensors can be used anywhere, cannot be occluded, and are low cost. Several groups have described algorithms for tracking human joint angles. We previously described a novel approach based on a kinematic arm model and the Unscented Kalman Filter (UKF). Our proposed method used a minimal sensor configuration with one sensor on each segment. This paper reports significant improvements in both the algorithm and the assessment. The new model incorporates gyroscope and accelerometer random drift models, imposes physical constraints on the range of motion for each joint, and uses zero-velocity updates to mitigate the effect of sensor drift. A highprecision industrial robot arm precisely quantifies the performance of the tracker during slow, normal, and fast movements over continuous 15-min recording durations. The agreement between the estimated angles from our algorithm and the high-precision robot arm reference was excellent. On average, the tracker attained an RMS angle error of about 3° for all six angles. The UKF performed slightly better than the more common Extended Kalman Filter.
Red Wine Polyphenol Compounds Favor Neovascularisation through Estrogen Receptor α-Independent Mechanism in Mice

Red wine polyphenol compounds (RWPC) exert paradoxical effects depending on the dose on post-ischemic neovascularisation. Low dose RWPC (0.2 mg/kg/day) is pro-angiogenic, whereas high dose (20 mg/kg/day) is anti-angiogenic. We recently reported that the endothelial effect of RWPC is mediated through the activation of a redox-sensitive pathway, mitochondrial biogenesis and the activation of α isoform of the estrogen receptor (ERα). Here, we investigated the implication of ERα on angiogenic properties of RWPC. Using ovariectomized mice lacking ERα treated with high dose of RWPC after hindlimb ischemia, we examined blood flow reperfusion, vascular density, nitric oxide (NO) production, expression and activation of proteins involved in angiogenic process and muscle energy sensing network. As expected, high dose of RWPC treatment reduced both blood flow and vascular density in muscles of mice expressing ERα. These effects were associated with reduced NO production resulting from diminished activity of eNOS. In the absence of RWPC, ERα deficient mice showed a reduced neo-vascularisation associated with a decreased NO production. Surprisingly in mice lacking ERα, high dose of RWPC increased blood flow and capillary density in conjunction with increased NO pathway and production as well as VEGF expression. Of particular interest is the activation of Sirt-1, AMPKα and PGC-1α/β axis in ischemic hindlimb from both strains. Altogether, the results highlight a pro-angiogenic property of RWPC via an ERα-independent mechanism that is associated with an up-regulation of energy sensing network. This study brings a corner stone of a novel pathway for RWPC to correct cardiovascular diseases associated with failed neovascularisation.
The European Large-Area Infrared Space Observatory Survey V: A BeppoSAX Hard X-Ray Survey of the S1 Region

We present BeppoSAX observations of the southern S1 region in the European Large-Area Infrared Space Observatory (ISO) Survey (ELAIS). These observations cover an area of ~1.7 deg2 and reach an on-axis (~0.7 deg2) 2-10 keV (hard X-ray, or HX) sensitivity of ~10-13 ergs s-1 cm-2. This is the first HX analysis of an ISOCAM survey. We detect nine sources with a signal-to-noise ratio SNRHX > 3, four additional sources with a 1.3-10 keV (total X-ray, or T) SNRT > 3, and two additional sources that seem to be associated with QSOs having SNRT > 2.9. The number densities of the SNRHX > 3 sources are consistent with the ASCA and BeppoSAX log N-log S functions. Six BeppoSAX sources have reliable ISOCAM 15 μm counterparts within ~60''. All these ISOCAM sources have optical counterparts of R < 20 mag. Five of these sources have been previously optically classified, four as QSOs and one as a broad absorption line (BAL) QSO at z = 2.2. The remaining unclassified source has X-ray and photometric properties consistent with those of a nearby Seyfert galaxy. One further HX source has a 2.6 σ ISOCAM counterpart associated with a galaxy at z = 0.325. If this ISOCAM source is real, the HX/MIR properties suggest either an unusual QSO or a cD cluster galaxy. We have constructed MIR and HX spectral energy distributions to compute the expected HX/MIR ratios for these classes of objects up to z = 3.2 and assess the HX/MIR survey depth. The BAL QSO has an observed X-ray softness ratio and HX/MIR flux ratio similar to those of QSOs but different from those found for low-redshift BAL QSOs. This difference can be explained in terms of absorption, and it suggests that high-redshift BAL QSOs should be comparatively easy to detect in the HX band, allowing their true fraction in the high-redshift QSO population to be determined. The QSOs cover a wide redshift range (0.4 < z < 2.6) and have HX/MIR flux ratios consistent with those found for nearby IRAS and optically selected Palomar-Green QSOs. This suggests that MIR-selected QSOs of R < 20 mag come from the same population as optically selected QSOs. We confirm this with a comparison of the B/MIR flux ratios of MIR and blue-band-selected QSOs.
Cannulation of the lateral saphenous vein-a rapid method to gain access to the venous circulation in anaesthetized guineapigs

Previously published methods of venous puncture in guineapigs did not provide reliable venous access for more than a few minutes, and therefore surgical intervention was necessary to cannulate the femoral or external jugular vein or the vena cava. In the present report cannulation of the Vena saphena lateralis via the Vena plantaris lateralis or of the Vena saphena medialis is described by inserting a 22 gauge teflon catheter. These catheters are commercial products. The method is timesaving and inexpensive. Successful cannulation was accomplished in 34 of 35 guineapigs. No lethal incidents occurred.
Towards rich query interpretation: walking back and forth for mining query templates

We propose to mine structured query templates from search logs, for enabling rich query interpretation that recognizes both query intents and associated attributes. We formalize the notion of template as a sequence of keywords and domain attributes, and our objective is to discover templates with high precision and recall for matching queries in a domain of interest. Our solution bootstraps from small seed input knowledge to discover relevant query templates, by harnessing the wealth of information available in search logs. We model this information in a tri-partite QueST network of queries, sites, and templates. We propose a probabilistic inferencing framework based on the dual metrics of precision and recall- and we show that the dual inferencing correspond respectively to the random walks in backward and forward directions. We deployed and tested our algorithm over a real-world search log of 15 million queries. The algorithm achieved accuracy of as high as 90% (on F-measure), with little seed knowledge and even with incomplete domain schema.
A Discovery Algorithm for Directed Cyclic Graphs

Directed acyclic graphs have been used fruitfully to represent causal structures (Pearl 1988). However, in the social sciences and elsewhere models are often used which correspond both causally and statistically to directed graphs with directed cycles (Spirtes 1995). Pearl (1993) discussed predicting the effects of intervention in models of this kind, so-called linear nonrecursive structural equation models. This raises the question of whether it is possible to make inferences about causal structure with cycles, from sample data. In particular do there exist general, informative, feasible and reliable procedures for inferring causal structure from conditional independence relations among variables in a sample generated by an unknown causal structure? In this paper I present a discovery algorithm that is correct in the large sample limit, given commonly (but often implicitly) made plausible assumptions, and which provides information about the existence or non-existence of causal pathways from one variable to another. The algorithm is polynomial on sparse graphs.
Automatic Parallel Parking Assistance System User Interface Design – Easier Said Than Done ?

Design of an in-car user interface requires knowledge from the field of Human Factors as well as from usability theory. In this project, a user interface for an automatic parallel parking system has been developed. The main research question has been which display modality to choose, as current literature does not give a clear-cut answer to whether to use auditory or visual displays for in-car information systems. We also wanted to investigate how much information is needed in order to complete an automatic parallel parking. Results from three user evaluations with different prototypes indicate that audiovisual presentation is best suited for the task, and that feedback messages could be kept short. However, further research is needed since a real-life traffic situation differs from that in a sealed-off environment as the one used in this project.
A Facial Aging Simulation Method Using flaccidity deformation criteria

Due to the fact that the aging human face encompasses skull bones, facial muscles, and tissues, we render it using the effects of flaccidity through the observation of family groups categorized by sex, race and age. Considering that patterns of aging are consistent, facial ptosis becomes manifest toward the end of the fourth decade. In order to simulate facial aging according to these patterns, we used surfaces with control points so that it was possible to represent the effect of aging through flaccidity. The main use of these surfaces is to simulate flaccidity and aging consequently
Nanofibrillar Poly(vinylidene fluoride): Preparation and Functional Properties

Poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) forming β-phase polymorphic modification shows strong ferro- and piezoelectric property as a crucial electroactive polymer and can be obtained by subjecting the highly oriented PVDF fibers to strong electric fields. Two different nanofibrillar materials: PVDF nanofibrillar single polymer composite (NF-SPC) and electrospun PVDF nanofibers were produced for this research. PVDF NF-SPC was prepared by hot compaction of PVDF nanofibrils separated from a PVDF nanofibrillar composite and a high electric field was used to drive out electrospun PVDF fibrils. Polymorphic change and morphology of constituents of the two samples were investigated and measurement of ferro- and piezoelectric behavior was performed after poling treatment. As a result, highly oriented nanofibrils were observed from the two samples and the formation of the β-phase was clearly detected compared to undrawn isotropic PVDF. Higher remnant polarization values and piezoelectric resonance behavior were detected from the samples, in which the β-phase polymorphic modification dominates.
Evolving small-board Go players using coevolutionary temporal difference learning with archives

Evolving small-board Go players using coevolutionary temporal difference learning with archives We apply Coevolutionary Temporal Difference Learning (CTDL) to learn small-board Go strategies represented as weighted piece counters. CTDL is a randomized learning technique which interweaves two search processes that operate in the intra-game and inter-game mode. Intra-game learning is driven by gradient-descent Temporal Difference Learning (TDL), a reinforcement learning method that updates the board evaluation function according to differences observed between its values for consecutively visited game states. For the inter-game learning component, we provide a coevolutionary algorithm that maintains a sample of strategies and uses the outcomes of games played between them to iteratively modify the probability distribution, according to which new strategies are generated and added to the sample. We analyze CTDL's sensitivity to all important parameters, including the trace decay constant that controls the lookahead horizon of TDL, and the relative intensity of intra-game and inter-game learning. We also investigate how the presence of memory (an archive) affects the search performance, and find out that the archived approach is superior to other techniques considered here and produces strategies that outperform a handcrafted weighted piece counter strategy and simple liberty-based heuristics. This encouraging result can be potentially generalized not only to other strategy representations used for small-board Go, but also to various games and a broader class of problems, because CTDL is generic and does not rely on any problem-specific knowledge.
Standardized comparison of processing capacity and efficiency of five new-generation immunoassay analyzers.

BACKGROUND With the trend toward laboratory and workstation consolidation, more studies are necessary to evaluate instrumentation, solutions for coping with workflow and test diversity, and opportunities for increasing the overall efficiency of laboratory testing. We assessed the processing capacity and efficiency of new-generation immunoassay analyzers by determining productivity parameters of five commercially available systems. METHODS A workload protocol was developed and used to assess processing capacity and efficiency parameters of five immunoassay analyzers under standardized conditions in a real-life routine situation. We studied the ACS:Centaur((R)) (analyzer A), Architect(TM) i2000 (analyzer B), Elecsys((R)) 2010 tandem (analyzer C), Immulite((R)) 2000 (analyzer D), and Vitros ECi (analyzer E) on the basis of a standardized workload protocol that reflected a routine laboratory situation. This workload encompassed reflex and STAT testing, dilutions, and in-run calibration of a new reagent lot number. The analyzers were compared for hands-on labor time, unattended time (UT), throughput, and differentiated relative productivity indexes [RPI((UT)); number of reportable results/(processing time - sum of unattended time)]. The RPI data for analyzers linked to an automated (aut) sample-handling system [RPI((aut))] were also calculated. RESULTS The evaluation produced a set of parameters for the productivity of the instruments. An overview of the most important parameters revealed the following: the throughput was 193, 123, 97, 109, and 46 tests/hour for instruments A, B, C, D and E, respectively; the RPI((10)) was 425, 238, 161, 445, and 151 tests/operator-hour; the RPI((30)) was 229, 136, 118, 264, and 86 tests/operator-hour; the RPI((10,aut)) was 1701, 637, 235, 964, and 223 tests/operator-hour; and the RPI((30, aut)) was 298, 150, 174, 400, and 114 tests/operator-hour. CONCLUSIONS The combination of a standardized workload protocol and determination of parameters for productivity and labor efficiency, especially the differentiated RPIs, made it possible to make an objective comparison of the organizational consequences of the use of these instruments. The described parameters allow for a scientifically based choice, given a certain workflow and a particular laboratory organization.