Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of waste foundry sand addition on strength, permeability and microstructure of ambient cured geopolymer concrete

Increasing urbanization and industrialization is raising burden on existing natural resources used in construction industry which is leading to severe environmental issues. Using industrial waste materials in construction can be one alternative to curb this problem. Geopolymer concrete (GPC), known as the next generation of concrete, is more durable and environment friendly as compared to conventional concrete. The current investigation presents the effect of waste foundry sand (WFS), a by-product of foundry industries; on low-calcium fly ash based GPC. The WFS was replaced by natural sand in the range of 0% to 100%. Tests on hardened concretes, such as, compressive strength, split tensile strength and sorptivity were conducted to evaluate the strength as well as permeability of ambient cured geopolymer concrete. Results indicate consistent decrease in workability of concrete with increase in WFS content but its inclusion improved the strength as well as decreased the sorptivity of concrete upto 60% replacement level of WFS. Maximum enhancement of approximate 43% in compressive strength was achieved in the GPC with 60% replacement by WFS. The results are validated by conducting SEM study.
Texturing 3D Models of Real World Objects from Multiple Unregistered Photographic Views

As the efficiency of computer graphic rendering methods is increasing, generating realistic models is now becoming a limiting factor. In this paper we present a new technique to enhance already existing geometry models of real world objects with textures reconstructed from a sparse set of unregistered still photographs. The aim of the proposed technique is the generation of nearly photo‐realistic models of arbitrarily shaped objects with minimal effort. In our approach, we require neither a prior calibration of the camera nor a high precision of the user's interaction. Two main problems have to be addressed of which the first is the recovery of the unknown positions and parameters of the camera. An initial estimate of the orientation is calculated from interactively selected point correspondences. Subsequently, the unknown parameters are accurately calculated by minimising a blend of objective functions in a 3D‐2D projective registration approach. The key point of the proposed method of registration is a novel filtering approach which utilises the spatial information provided by the geometry model. Second, the individual images have to be combined yielding a set of consistent texture maps. We present a robust method to recover the texture from the photographs thereby preserving high spatial frequencies and eliminating artifacts, particularly specular highlights. Parts of the object not seen in any of the photographs are interpolated in the textured model. Results are shown for three complex example objects with different materials and numerous self‐occlusions.
Demographic Trends of Adults in New York City Opioid Treatment Programs—An Aging Population

Background: The population of adults accessing opioid treatment is growing older, but exact estimates vary widely, and little is known about the characteristics of the aging treatment population. Further, there has been little research regarding the epidemiology, healt h status, and functional impairments in this population. Objectives: To determine the utilization of opioid treatment services by older adults in New York City. Methods: This study used administrative data from New York State licensed drug treatment programs to examine overall age trends and characteristics of older adults in opioid treatment programs in New York City from 1996 to 2012. Results: We found significant increases in utilization of opioid treatment programs by older adults in New York City. By 2012, those aged 50–59 made up the largest age group in opioid treatment programs. Among older adults there were notable shifts in demographic background including gender and ethnicity, and an increase in self-reported impairments. Conclusions/Importance: More research is needed to fully understand the specific characteristics and needs of older adults with opioid dependence.
Robust tracking of unknown objects through adaptive size estimation and appearance learning

This work employs an adaptive learning mechanism to perform tracking of an unknown object through RGBD cameras. We extend our previous framework to robustly track a wider range of arbitrarily shaped objects by adapting the model to the measured object size. The size is estimated as the object undergoes motion, which is done by fitting an inscribed cuboid to the measurements. The region spanned by this cuboid is used during tracking, to determine whether or not new measurements should be added to the object model. In our experiments we test our tracker with a set of objects of arbitrary shape and we show the benefit of the proposed model due to its ability to adapt to the object shape which leads to more robust tracking results.
Numerical Model for the Analysis of Thermal Transients in District Heating Networks

As District Heating (DH) networks are experiencing an evolution towards the so-called 4th generation, there is a need to update the currently used models to take into account the ever-increasing complexity of this technology. Indeed, to further improve the reduction in energy consumption and carbon-dioxide emissions, a wide range of technologies and management strategies are being introduced within district heating, such as a large exploitation of Renewable Energy Sources (RES). As a consequence, thermal transients assume a major importance, posing the need to redefine the relevant physical parameters and to develop a model which accurately describes their behaviour. In this framework, this paper proposes a quantitative analysis of the influence of the pipe heat-capacity on the model. Moreover, an equivalent-model, which is able to take into account the two heat capacities of steel and water in just one equation, is proposed and compared with two commonly used approaches. One of the features of the proposed model is the suitability for application to large networks. To prove its capabilities, an application to the Turin district heating network, which is among the largest systems in Europe, is proposed. Results show significant improvements in terms of accuracy over computational time ratio.
Elastic task model for adaptive rate control

An increasing number of real time applications, related to multimedia and adaptive control systems, require greater flexibility than classical real time theory usually permits. We present a novel periodic task model, in which tasks' periods are treated as springs, with given elastic coefficients. Under this framework, periodic tasks can intentionally change their execution rate to provide different quality of service, and the other tasks can automatically adapt their periods to keep the system underloaded. The proposed model can also be used to handle overload conditions in a more flexible way, and provide a simple and efficient mechanism for controlling the quality of service of the system as a function of the current load.
Remedial Field-Oriented Control of Five-Phase Fault-Tolerant Permanent-Magnet Motor by Using Reduced-Order Transformation Matrices

A five-phase fault-tolerant permanent-magnet (FTPM) motor can offer high torque density, low torque ripple, and good fault-tolerant capability. In order to improve operation performance under an open-circuit fault condition, this paper proposes a new remedial field-oriented control (RFOC) strategy for a five-phase FTPM motor. The novelty of the proposed RFOC strategy lies in the orthogonal reduced-order transformation matrix, which is derived from the fault-tolerant current references, and a new zero-sequence current related to torque ripple. The pulsation of the neutral voltage can be neglected in the RFOC strategy, having no effect on the control action. Also, the effect of the open-circuit fault on the motor drive model under the transformation matrix is discussed. A five-phase FTPM motor drive is prototyped and the proposed RFOC strategy is evaluated in terms of the steady-state and dynamic performances. The simulated and experimental results are given to verify the proposed strategy.
Multi-stage beamforming for interference coordination in massive MIMO networks

Recently we showed that the joint space division and multiplexing (JSDM) framework for massive MIMO can applied to hybrid beamforming for interference coordination between multiple base station sites. JSDM explicitly distinguishes between pre-beamforming based on long-term channel (covariance) statistics and precoding based on instantaneous channel state information. In this work provide we extend the JSDM framework to multiple base stations and demonstrate that already with a suboptimal solution using a limited set of predefined first-stage precoding vectors a huge portion of the gap between the uncoordinated and single-node case can be closed.
Agricultural Growth, Rural Poverty and Hunger In Africa

The long-term reduction of hunger and poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa remains one of the great challenges for the International development community. Poverty in Africa is predominately rural, majority of the poor people live in rural areas and are dependent on food production through farming or livestock keeping for most of their livelihood. It is estimated that over two hundred million people in Sub-Saharan Africa live in extreme poverty and among these are the rural poor in Eastern and Southern Africa where the worlds highest concentration of poor people are found. Given Agriculture’s central role in the region’s economies, can agriculture play a major role in poverty alleviation? How can Africa’s role in poverty reduction be enhanced? What could be done to boost agricultural production, economic growth and the incomes of the rural poor to help achieve the Millennium Development Goals especially that of cutting poverty in half by 2015. These are some of the questions the author addresses in the paper - A roadmap that is considered extremely useful and timely.
Simulation study of a successive interference cancellation receiver for signal monitoring on a CDMA downlink

A successive interference cancellation (SIC) algorithm is developed for the interception of signals transmitted on a CDMA forward link. The system is modelled after the IS-95 standard but the results are also applicable to other CDMA systems such as the wideband CDMA (W-CDMA) and IS-2000 standards. In realistic systems, the different forward link channels are de-orthogonalised, leading to performance degradation in conventional matched filter (CMF)-type receivers. Simulation results indicate that the proposed SIC receiver ameliorates the detrimental effects of de-orthogonalisation, interference and multipath, exhibiting significant gains in traffic capacity over the capacity of a CMF. The numerical simulations also show that the proposed receiver is relatively insensitive to system imperfections. The techniques developed in this paper can be used for interception, surveillance, reconnaissance or monitoring of CDMA signals; to relax the strict requirements on power control; and to improve the capacity of CDMA systems. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Translating affine nested-loop programs to process networks

New heterogeneous multiprocessor platforms are emerging that are typically composed of loosely coupled components that exchange data using programmable interconnections. The components can be CPUs or DSPs, specialized IP cores, reconfigurable units, or memories. To program such platform, we use the Process Network (PN) model of computation. The localized control and distributed memory are the two key ingredients of a PN allowing us to program the platforms. The localized control matches the loosely coupled components and the distributed memory matches the style of interaction between the components. To obtain applications in a PN format, we have built the Compaan compiler that translates affine nested-loop programs into functionally equivalent PNs. In this paper, we describe a novel analytical translation procedure we use in our compiler that is based on integer linear programming. The translation procedure consists of four main steps and we will present each step by describing the main idea involved, followed by a representative example.
Distributed Vision System: A Perceptual Information Infrastructure for Robot Navigation

This paper proposes a Distributed Vision System as a Perceptual Information Infrastructure for robot navigation in a dynamically changing world. The distributed vision system, consisting of vision agents connected with a computer network, monitors the environment, maintains the environment models, and actively provides various information for the robots by organizing communication between the vision agents. In addition to conceptual discussions and fundamental issues, this paper provides a prototype of the distributed vision system for navigating mobile robots.
Force Transmission Mechanisms in Fibrous Biological Structures

Understanding the mechanism of the load bearing and force transmission throughout fibrous biological structures can help decode complex physiological and pathological phenomena and provide insight into possible therapeutic solutions. Fibrous structures are characterized by one-dimensional fibers stabilized by cross-linking proteins and molecules. Preferentially aligned fibers form well-organized parallel bundles, whereas randomly distributed fibers create isotropic three-dimensional networks. Tendons, composed of staggered arrangements of collagen fibrils, and axonal cytoskeleton in neurons, composed of alternate rows of microtubules, are two instances of structures with aligned fibers. Collagen fibrous networks which make up the extracellular matrix (ECM) of connective tissues are an example of fibrous structures with random orientation of the fibers. As fibrous structures respond to external stresses, cross-linking elements transfer the loads between the fibers and transmit the bulk deformations from one end of the structure to the other end. This mechanical machinery allows these structures to sustain large deformations and transfer tissue scale forces to the subcellular level. In this thesis, we quantify the influence of this mechanism on several physiological and pathological processes related to tendons, axons, and ECMs. First, we employ the shear-lag model (SLM) to quantitatively identify the key parameters affecting the mechanical behavior of fibrous materials. Next, by extending the SLM and including poroelastic effects, we study the movement of the interstitial fluid throughout fibrous tissues. Notably, our model explains the exudation of fluid from tendon structures in response to tensile stretching, in agreement with previous observations. By incorporating the dynamics of the engagement of the cross-links in the load transfer pathway, we elucidate the underlying mechanism of viscoelastic behavior of fibrous tissues. In particular, the rate-dependent vulnerability of axons to dynamic loadings during brain injury is modeled and validated with previous in vitro studies. Finally, we study the nonlinear elasticity induced by the realignment and reorganization of the collagen fibers in the ECM and examine its impact on regulating cell-matrix interactions. Notably, our model shows that mechanical principles mediated by the ECM nonlinearity and the contractility of the cells play a crucial role in determining the phenotype of the tumor cells. Degree Type Dissertation Degree Name Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Graduate Group Materials Science & Engineering First Advisor Vivek B. Shenoy
ULTRA NANOINDENATION TEST OF INJECTION POLYBUTYLENE TEREPHTHALATE (PBT) IRRADIATED BY LOW DOSES BETA IRRADIATION

The influence of high doses of beta radiation on the changes in the structure and selected properties (mechanical and thermal) polymers were proved. Using high doses of beta radiation for polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) and its influence on the changes of mechanical properties of ultra nanohardness has not been studied in detail so far. The specimens of polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) were made by injection moulding technology and irradiated by high doses of beta radiation (0, 33, 66 and 99 kGy). The changes in the microstructure and micromechanical properties of surface layer were evaluated using FTIR, WAXS and instrumented ultra nanohardness test. The results of the measurements showed considerable increase in mechanical properties (indentation hardness, indentation elastic modulus) when the high doses of beta radiation are used.
Micropatterning of Nonplanar Surfaces on 3D Devices Using Conformal Template Vacuum Bagging

Micropatterning provides a powerful means for engineering surface properties, such as friction, adhesion, and biocompatibility, with promise for medical device applications. While soft lithography allows for micropatterning on curved surfaces, there are limitations to the level of curvature and object complexity achievable. A cost effective and simple method is realized for micropatterning complex 3D objects and is demonstrated for a variety of micropatterns, materials, and devices. The technique integrates the simple principles of soft lithography for fabrication of flexible templates, and vacuum bagging, for transfer of the patterns on arbitrary shaped nonplanar objects. The technique is demonstrated with silicones, polyurethanes, and nitinol materials ubiquitous in medical devices, due to their mechanics, biocompatibility, and hemocompatibility. Micropatterns inspired by shark skin riblets and tree frogs are demonstrated. The flexibility of this method is demonstrated by transferring patterns to various objects/devices, including 3D printed objects, soft robotic grippers, guidewires, and balloon catheters.
Playful Hacking within Research-through-Design

Research-through-design has gained popularity in recent years within HCI communities. This has followed with attempts to methodize and formalize design practices within research contexts. These attempts have been criticized as being poorly suited for design. As an exemplification of unstructured methods benefiting design research, we present playful hacking within research-through-design. In this paper we share findings from two years of using this approach as part of research-through-design. In our approach, hacking is inspired by play and conducted within an office as a hacker's playground environment. We have found playful hacking to generate outcomes such as improved collaboration, exploration, and discussion while also generating unanticipated outcomes such as reusable design work and pre-study findings. Above all, we found that hacking provided motivation and invigoration to do more making and research in general.
Cooperation, Fast and Slow

Does cooperating require the inhibition of selfish urges? Or does “rational” self-interest constrain cooperative impulses? I investigated the role of intuition and deliberation in cooperation by meta-analyzing 67 studies in which cognitive-processing manipulations were applied to economic cooperation games (total N = 17,647; no indication of publication bias using Egger’s test, Begg’s test, or p-curve). My meta-analysis was guided by the social heuristics hypothesis, which proposes that intuition favors behavior that typically maximizes payoffs, whereas deliberation favors behavior that maximizes one’s payoff in the current situation. Therefore, this theory predicts that deliberation will undermine pure cooperation (i.e., cooperation in settings where there are few future consequences for one’s actions, such that cooperating is not in one’s self-interest) but not strategic cooperation (i.e., cooperation in settings where cooperating can maximize one’s payoff). As predicted, the meta-analysis revealed 17.3% more pure cooperation when intuition was promoted over deliberation, but no significant difference in strategic cooperation between more intuitive and more deliberative conditions.
Characterization of Mycobacterium tuberculosis EsxA Membrane Insertion

Background: Mycobacterium tuberculosis EsxA exhibits a pH-dependent membrane-interacting activity. Results: Both the N- and C-terminal flexible arms are required for membrane disruption, and the central helix-turn-helix motif of EsxA inserts into the membrane. Conclusion: EsxA forms a membrane-spanning pore at low pH. Significance: An understanding of EsxA membrane insertion facilitates development of novel therapeutics against tuberculosis. EsxA (ESAT-6), an important virulence factor of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, plays an essential role in phagosome rupture and bacterial cytosolic translocation within host macrophages. Our previous study showed that EsxA exhibits a unique membrane-interacting activity that is not found in its ortholog from nonpathogenic Mycobacterium smegmatis. However, the molecular mechanism of EsxA membrane insertion remains unknown. In this study, we generated truncated EsxA proteins with deletions of the N- and/or C-terminal flexible arm. Using a fluorescence-based liposome leakage assay, we found that both the N- and C-terminal arms were required for membrane disruption. Moreover, we found that, upon acidification, EsxA converted into a more organized structure with increased α-helical content, which was evidenced by CD analysis and intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence. Finally, using an environmentally sensitive fluorescent dye, we obtained direct evidence that the central helix-turn-helix motif of EsxA inserted into the membranes and formed a membrane-spanning pore. A model of EsxA membrane insertion is proposed and discussed.
Revision of Strombidium paracalkinsi (Ciliophora: Oligotrichea: Oligotrichia), with Comparison of Strombidiids Bearing Thigmotactic Membranelles

This study analyses the morphological characters of Strombidium paracalkinsi, a species bearing thigmotactic membranelles, collected from Jangmok Bay at the southern coast of Korea. The small subunit ribosomal RNA gene of S. paracalkinsi was sequenced for the first time. By a combination of characters, the thigmotactic membranelles of S. paracalkinsi differ from the thigmotactic membranelles of other strombidiids. They are (1) positioned on dorsal side, (2) contiguous with three membranelles of the adoral zone, but separated by nonciliated portions of the polykinetids, and (3) composed of two rows of kinetids. Except for the thigmotactic membranelles, the morphology of S. paracalkinsi conforms to the diagnosis of the genus Strombidium. Our phylogenetic tree confirms the nonmonophyly of the genus Strombidium. The thigmotactic membranelles are a promising feature for a future split of the genus Strombidium, but require further studies, especially on Strombidium calkinsi Fauré‐Fremiet 1932.