Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of Processing Route on Microstructure and Texture Development in ECAP of Al-Ti Alloy

Microstructure and texture evolution during equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) of Al-5 mass%Ti alloy are investigated for up to 8 passes via routes A and BC. Platelet-shaped Al3Ti particles in the Al-5mass%Ti alloy are cracked severely with repetitive ECAP passes, and the mean size of the Al3Ti particles is decreased with increasing the number of ECAP passes. Microstructural observation showed that an Al–Ti supersaturated solid solution is formed during the ECAP process. It is also found that the Al-Ti alloy after ECAP by route A and route Bc methods have very different microstructures. Namely, after ECAP by route Bc, the fine Al3Ti particles are homogeneously dispersed in Al matrix, while the microstructure has highly anisotropic distribution after ECAP by route A.
The feature of laser ablation of fused and crystal silica and natural silicates induced by pulsed CO2 laser irradiation

The laser ablation of fused and crystal silica and natural silicates induced by pulsed CO2 laser irradiation (total pulse time of 35 μs, pulse increase time of 0,1 μs, pulse energy of 10 J) has been studied. By action of focused laser radiation at the surface of samples the appearance of erosion plume at the irradiated surface take place. For study of ablation regimes the frame image of laser induced plume by use of high speed photography method with 2 microsecond expose of each frame have been made. It has been observed the formation of two different type of laser plume during laser pulse action. First type plume represents a long narrow plume with the onset close to start of laser pulse. The maximal length of this plume is about of 20 millimeter. The second type of plume represents a conical plume with the onset, which is late from laser pulse start for a few microsecond. The first type plume expands in to laser beam direction. The second type plume expands normal to the surface. The velocity of laser plume particles by means of measurements of moment transferred into samples during laser pulse action has been measured. It has been obtained, that value of this velocity varies in region of 1-3•103 m/s in dependence of laser fluency value. The appearance of first time plume have a threshold which equal to 0,15 kJ/cm2 whereas the appearance of second type plume have not a such threshold and may take place at low laser fluency. We believe, that the first type plume connects with the selective ablation of SimOn complexes whereas second type plume connects with the thermal heating caused by dissipation of laser energy in to system of low frequency acoustics phonons.
Non-Thermal Plasma Treatment of Contaminated Surfaces: Remote Exposure to Atmospheric Pressure Dielectric Barrier Discharge Effluent

Iatrogenic infections due to contaminated medical devices are significant problem in the field of medicine, and have motivated the search for alternative surface disinfection/sterilization methods and technologies. During the last decade, a strong effort has been made in the field of non-thermal plasmas, including fundamental work from a physical, but also biological point of view. Non-thermal plasmas are used in industry for the modification of surface properties such as to improve wettability and adherence, and also for the deposition of thin films. The present work considers the treatment of surfaces contaminated by either bacteria or proteins with the effluent gas exiting from an atmospheric pressure dielectric barrier discharge. The discharge reactor consisted of a coaxial cylindrical geometry DBD reactor energized by a 30 kHz applied voltage. The effluent gas was used to treat surfaces contaminated with Escherichia coli (strain DH10B) or RNAse A (124 amino acids, 13.7kDa, known to be thermal-resistant). Results show that the decontamination of surfaces by the effluent gas from a humid argon DBD is effective, and that the effectiveness is greater the closer the biological samples are placed to the DBD source. The results also indicate that the mechanism of bacterial inactivation is based on a combination of stable oxidative species such as ozone and hydrogen peroxide as well as shorter lived species such as hydroxyl radical.
Central catadioptric visual servoing from 3D straight lines

In this paper we consider the problem of controlling a robotic system using the projection of 3D lines in the image plane of central catadioptric systems. Most of the efforts in visual servoing are devoted to points, only few works have investigated the use of lines in visual servoing with traditional cameras and none has explored the case of omnidirectional cameras. First a generic central catadioptric interaction matrix for the projection of 3D straight lines is derived from the projection model of an entire class of camera. Then an image-based control law is designed and validated through simulation results.
Modeling Mobile Code Acceleration in the Cloud

The quality of service of a mobile application is critical to ensure user satisfaction. Techniques have been proposed to accomplish adaptation of quality of service dynamically. However, there is still a limited understanding about how to provide a utility model for code execution. One key challenge is modeling the level of quality in the code execution that can be provisioned by the cloud. Since the allocation of cloud resources has a cost, it is important to optimize cloud usage. We propose a software-defined networking approach that allows modeling and controlling code acceleration of a mobile application deployed across multiple type of devices. By segregating the computational requirements of the mobile application into groups, we were able to define the acceleration needed by each group of devices. As the computational requirements of a device can change across time, a mobile device can be re-assigned to another group based on demand. Our SDN approach implements a model that allows the system to predict workload based on acceleration groups. Evaluating our system in a real testbed showed that it is possible to predict workload and allocate optimal resources to handle that workload with 87.5% accuracy.
Pheromone produced by the myxobacterium Stigmatella aurantiaca

An extracellular, diffusible signaling molecule (pheromone) was produced by Stigmatella aurantiaca during fruiting body formation. The pheromone decreased the aggregation period in both the light and the dark and substituted for light in stimulating the maturation of aggregates into fruiting bodies. The cells were more sensitive to lower concentrations of pheromone in the light than in the dark, possibly explaining the stimulation of aggregation and fruiting body formation by light. The pheromone also interacted cooperatively with GMP to shorten the aggregation period. The pheromone behaved chemically as a low-molecular-weight lipid.
Measuring Network One-way Transit Time

Network one-way transit time is one of the principal factors affecting network QoS. It is therefore important to measure it with sufficient accuracy. The measurements of network one-way transit time should not include host effects (time spent of the measurement hosts themselves) but be entirely attributable to delays incurred on the network. Furthermore, the measurements of network oneway transit time should not be affected by the relative offset and skew of the clocks of the measurement hosts. This paper proposes a methodology for such measurements. The accuracy achieved by the proposed method is sufficient to detect deteriorating network conditions.
Rigid Body Collisions of Planar Kinematic Chains With Multiple Contact Points

This article deals with the rigid body collisions of planar kine matic chains with an external surface while in contact with other surfaces. Two solution procedures that cast the impact equations in differential and algebraic forms are developed to solve the general problem. The differential formulation can be used to obtain three sets of solutions based on the kinematic, kinetic, and energetic definitions of the coefficient of restitution, whereas the algebraic formulation can be used to obtain solu tions based on the approaches presented in Whittaker (1904) and Brach (1991). A specific example of a planar three-link chain with two contact points is studied to compare the out comes predicted by each approach. A particular emphasis is placed on the energy loss that results from the application of each solution scheme. The circumstances in which various methods lead to identical or distinct outcomes are investigated. Most importantly, the study elaborates on the rebounds at the noncolliding ends, a phenomenon that is observed only in multicontact collisions. The interaction of the chain with the contact surfaces at the noncolliding contact points is examined, and the differences in the prediction of rebounds that arise from using various methods are investigated.
From extractable collision resistance to succinct non-interactive arguments of knowledge, and back again

The existence of succinct non-interactive arguments for NP (i.e., non-interactive computationally-sound proofs where the verifier's work is essentially independent of the complexity of the NP nondeterministic verifier) has been an intriguing question for the past two decades. Other than CS proofs in the random oracle model [Micali, FOCS '94], the only existing candidate construction is based on an elaborate assumption that is tailored to a specific protocol [Di Crescenzo and Lipmaa, CiE '08]. We formulate a general and relatively natural notion of an extractable collision-resistant hash function (ECRH) and show that, if ECRHs exist, then a modified version of Di Crescenzo and Lipmaa's protocol is a succinct non-interactive argument for NP. Furthermore, the modified protocol is actually a succinct non-interactive adaptive argument of knowledge (SNARK). We then propose several candidate constructions for ECRHs and relaxations thereof. We demonstrate the applicability of SNARKs to various forms of delegation of computation, to succinct non-interactive zero knowledge arguments, and to succinct two-party secure computation. Finally, we show that SNARKs essentially imply the existence of ECRHs, thus demonstrating the necessity of the assumption.
Incomplete Recrystallization and Subsequent Microstructural Evolution during Intercritical Annealing in Cold-rolled Low Carbon Steels

Microstructural evolution during intercritical annealing after rapid heating of cold rolled low carbon steels was investigated by EBSD and TEM. When the specimens were heated to above the Ac1 temperature before the completion of the primary recrystallization of α and then annealed, remarkable retardation of the primary recrystallization was observed, resulting in non-uniform grain size distribution of α. Because of the retardation, subgrains formed in non-recrystallized α are not consumed by recrystallized α and are thus able to gradually grow with annealing, and finally the grain size distribution of α becomes uniform. The analysis based on the rn−r0n=kt equation has shown that the subgrain growth in non-recrystallized α from the holding period of 100 to 1000 s follows n=3, indicating that the subgrain growth is controlled by the volume diffusion of Mn at α and γ interfaces. The transition of n from 3 to 2, observed at the holding time of longer than 1000 s, may be due to the gradual disappearance of the smaller γ phase at subgrain boundaries.
Near-wall nanoparticles perpendicular distribution measured using evanescent illumination

Nanoparticle imaging using evanescent illumination is a very useful technique for elucidating physical phenomena near the walls of microchannels in microfluidic systems. Since the intensity of evanescent illumination decays exponentially with distance from the wall surface, particles closer to the wall appear brighter than those further from the wall. This enables the three-dimensional positions of nanoparticles in near-wall regions to be measured. In this study, the behavior of nanoparticles in a microfluid was observed experimentally. 20-nm-diameter fluorescent nanoparticles were employed rather than biological molecules for single-particle imaging. To overcome the poor measurement accuracy due to the small diameter of the nanoparticles used for imaging and the low fluorescence intensity of a single nanoparticle far from the wall, the image settings were optimized and a novel image processing algorithm was proposed. The experimental results reveal that the nanoparticle concentration varies in the direction normal to the wall. The nanoparticle concentration decreased with proximity to the wall surface; in particular, the concentration in the region from 0 to 170 nm, was much lower than that in more distant regions from the wall. Moreover, the nanoparticle concentration in the near-wall region decreased as the diffusion coefficient of the nanoparticles decreased.
A Rapid Prototyping Methodology for Algorithm Development in Wireless Communications

: Rapid prototyping has become an important means to verify the performance and feasibility of algorithms and concepts for wireless communications. This paper presents an FPGA/DSP based rapid prototyping methodology and platform that requires only minimal IC/FPGA design skills and merely a very basic knowledge of hardware description languages such as VHDL. It allows algorithm designers to implement their ideas quickly and to test them in real-time under real world conditions. The design and implementation of a WCDMA downlink is used as an example to describe our initial experience with the proposed flow.
Release kinetics and in vitro bioactivity of basic fibroblast growth factor: effect of the thickness of fibrous matrices.

In this study, we fabricated non-woven matrices using blends of polycaprolactone and gelatin with various spinning volumes to control the immobilized heparin content, which was ultimately intended to increase the immobilization efficiency of bFGF. The amount of bFGF on the heparin conjugated fibrous matrices depended on the thicknesses of the swollen matrices ranging from 35.4 ± 6.5 to 162.3 ± 14.0 ng and ≈90% of the bFGF was gradually released over a period of up to 56 d. The released bFGF enhanced the proliferation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells and human mesenchymal stem cells. In conclusion, our heparin-conjugated fibrous matrices have the potential to be used as a growth factor delivery system in tissue engineering applications.
Co-registration and bias corrections of satellite elevation data sets for quantifying glacier thickness change

Abstract. There are an increasing number of digital elevation models (DEMs) available worldwide for deriving elevation differences over time, including vertical changes on glaciers. Most of these DEMs are heavily post-processed or merged, so that physical error modelling becomes difficult and statistical error modelling is required instead. We propose a three-step methodological framework for assessing and correcting DEMs to quantify glacier elevation changes: (i) remove DEM shifts, (ii) check for elevation-dependent biases, and (iii) check for higher-order, sensor-specific biases. A simple, analytic and robust method to co-register elevation data is presented in regions where stable terrain is either plentiful (case study New Zealand) or limited (case study Svalbard). The method is demonstrated using the three global elevation data sets available to date, SRTM, ICESat and the ASTER GDEM, and with automatically generated DEMs from satellite stereo instruments of ASTER and SPOT5-HRS. After 3-D co-registration, significant biases related to elevation were found in some of the stereoscopic DEMs. Biases related to the satellite acquisition geometry (along/cross track) were detected at two frequencies in the automatically generated ASTER DEMs. The higher frequency bias seems to be related to satellite jitter, most apparent in the back-looking pass of the satellite. The origins of the more significant lower frequency bias is uncertain. ICESat-derived elevations are found to be the most consistent globally available elevation data set available so far. Before performing regional-scale glacier elevation change studies or mosaicking DEMs from multiple individual tiles (e.g. ASTER GDEM), we recommend to co-register all elevation data to ICESat as a global vertical reference system.
Exploring the pattern of multi-scale directional second-order gradients for facial recognition

One of the major challenges in facial recognition is to find an efficient method to extract the necessary features from face images under various lighting conditions. To deal with this problem, a great deal of existing algorithms have focused on analyzing the first-order gradients of a face image. This method has proven to be mildly resistant to lighting variations. However, these algorithms fail to make adequate use of potential information obtained from high-order gradients. In this paper, we propose to explore such high-order gradients along with an algorithm framework that performs the following: (1)utilize not only the information obtained from a first-order derivative, but also make use of the information provided by a second-order derivative; (2)a directional second-order gradient operator that captures a face image's edges and orientations; (3)an image-processing technique developed to suppress the noise in computed gradients using a structure tensor to obtain the second-order gradient. Four operators; First-order Gradient Operator(FGO), Second-order Gradient Operator(SGO), Directional Second-order Gradient Operator( DSGO), and Multi-scale Directional Second-order Gradient Operator(Mul-DSGO) are taken into consideration. Extensive experimental results using Yale B and Extended Yale B databases show that SGO performs better than FGO, DSGO performs better than SGO, and Mul-DSGO performs better than DSGO for facial recognition under various lighting conditions.
Synthesis and electromagnetic interference shielding properties of iron oxide/polypyrrole nanocomposites

Magnetic nanocomposites were prepared by an in situ oxidative polymerization method to encapsulate different loadings of iron oxide nanoparticles (MNP) by a conductive polymer, polypyrrole (PPy), and were blended into an epoxy resin matrix. The morphology, DC conductivity, magnetic, and electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding behaviors of samples dispersed in the resin were characterized, the latter by use of a vector network analyzer in a frequency range of 0.1–18 GHz. Nanocomposites based on the use of MNP/PPy composite nanoparticles in which the magnetic and conducting phases coexist in intimate contact showed a marked increase in the absorption 10.10 dB at the maximum frequency limit (17–18 GHz) of the instrument, in comparison with the absorption bands for PPy particles only (7.5 dB) or MNP only (2.6 dB) or physical blends of MNP and PPy particles (3.6 dB) in the resin. The mechanism of this enhancement is discussed based on electromagnetic theory. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2011. © 2010 Society of Plastics Engineers
Isolation of Mouse Peritoneal Cavity Cells

The peritoneal cavity is a membrane-bound and fluid-filled abdominal cavity of mammals, which contains the liver, spleen, most of the gastro-intestinal tract and other viscera. It harbors a number of immune cells including macrophages, B cells and T cells. The presence of a high number of naïve macrophages in the peritoneal cavity makes it a preferred site for the collection of naïve tissue resident macrophages (1). The peritoneal cavity is also important to the study of B cells because of the presence of a unique peritoneal cavity-resident B cell subset known as B1 cells in addition to conventional B2 cells. B1 cells are subdivided into B1a and B1b cells, which can be distinguished by the surface expression of CD11b and CD5. B1 cells are an important source of natural IgM providing early protection from a variety of pathogens (2-4). These cells are autoreactive in nature (5), but how they are controlled to prevent autoimmunity is still not understood completely. On the contrary, CD5+ B1a cells possess some regulatory properties by virtue of their IL-10 producing capacity (6). Therefore, peritoneal cavity B1 cells are an interesting cell population to study because of their diverse function and many unaddressed questions associated with their development and regulation. The isolation of peritoneal cavity resident immune cells is tricky because of the lack of a defined structure inside the peritoneal cavity. Our protocol will describe a procedure for obtaining viable immune cells from the peritoneal cavity of mice, which then can be used for phenotypic analysis by flow cytometry and for different biochemical and immunological assays.
Problem of auto-calibration in image mosaicing

The paper investigates the auto-calibration problem for mobile device cameras. We extend existing algorithms to get a robust method that computes internal camera parameters given a series of distant objects images. The algorithm is tested on real images generated by several different cameras. We estimate the impact of errors in camera calibration parameters on the image mosaicing problem.
Fusion of Building Information and Range Imaging for Autonomous Location Estimation in Indoor Environments

We present a novel approach for autonomous location estimation and navigation in indoor environments using range images and prior scene knowledge from a GIS database (CityGML). What makes this task challenging is the arbitrary relative spatial relation between GIS and Time-of-Flight (ToF) range camera further complicated by a markerless configuration. We propose to estimate the camera's pose solely based on matching of GIS objects and their detected location in image sequences. We develop a coarse-to-fine matching strategy that is able to match point clouds without any initial parameters. Experiments with a state-of-the-art ToF point cloud show that our proposed method delivers an absolute camera position with decimeter accuracy, which is sufficient for many real-world applications (e.g., collision avoidance).
Flexible Desktop Application Management and Its Influence on Green Computing

Environmentally sustainable computing and green computing have been studied addressing the need of reducing power consumption mainly in area of high performance computing systems(HPC), mostly on the server side. However, desktop applications in wide-spread use of large organizations and companies are given relatively less focus. In this paper, we study the application fast deployment and fast crash restore through lightweight application virtualization, which can actually conserve energy by significantly reducing application installation/start up time and application crash restore time. We demonstrate that the proposed lightweight application virtualization method has little performance degradation with a noticeable energy saving by carrying out experiments on lots of commonly used real-world work applications. In addition, we implement the prototype system to help users to continue normal work quickly without losing data after crashing. Several novel mechanisms are utilized to make the process fast. We evaluate the system from aspects of start up time, runtime performance and application compatibility, and using a power evaluation model to measure the effectiveness of the system.