Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Empirical model for estimating Fourier amplitude spectra of ground acceleration in Taiwan region

SUMMARY A collection of ground-motion recordings (1070 acceleration records) of moderate (5.1)M L )6.5) earthquakes obtained during the execution of the Taiwan Strong Motion Instrumentation Program (TSMIP) since 1991 was used to study source scaling model and attenuation relations for a wide range of earthquake magnitudes and distances and to verify the models developed recently for the Taiwan region. The results of the analysis reveal that the acceleration spectra of the most signi"cant part of the records, starting from S-wave arrival, can be modelled accurately using the Brune’s u-squared source model with magnitudedependent stress parameter *p, that should be determined using the recently proposed regional relationships between magnitude (M L ) and seismic moment (M 0 ) and between M 0 and *p. The anelastic attenuation Q of spectral amplitudes with distance may be described as Q"225 f 1.1 both for deep (depth more than 35 km) and shallow earthquakes. The source scaling and attenuation models allow a satisfactory prediction of the peak ground acceleration for magnitudes 5.1)M)6.5 and distances up to about 200 km in the Taiwan region, and may be useful for seismic hazard assessment. Copyright ( 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Some design criteria for UWB planar monopole antennas: Application to a slotted rectangular monopole

A method to increase the bandwidth of planar monopoles is presented. Following the provided design criteria, a simple rectangular‐shaped monopole is fit to operate at ultra‐wide‐band (UWB) frequency. The process involves two steps: (i) optimizing the perimeter and feeding dimensions and (ii) conducting a suitable slot. This causes the difference between the upper and lower frequency limits to nearly double. The exhibited bandwidth ratio is 1:3.75. The measured radiation patterns are presented and observed to be stable. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 46: 6–11, 2005; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.20885
Settlement of Foundations Located on Compacted Soil for TMM Projects

Among the policies accepted in housing development is forming a large number of cooperative construction companies named Taavoni Maskane Mehr (TMM). Due to lowland type of the grounds some few meters, up to 4m, of compacted backfills are proposed in order to raise the elevation of such areas of such areas. In this research a set of data of compaction and consolidation tests are used for studying the situation in one of these projects named Haftkel project. In this regard the consolidation and settlements due to inundation of area are calculated. The results show that the condition of the project is well enough.
Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation as a Treatment for Veterans with Cognitive Impairment and Multiple Comorbidities.

BACKGROUND Despite decades of research efforts, current treatments for Alzheimer's disease (AD) are of limited effectiveness and do not halt the progression of the disease and associated cognitive decline. Studies have shown that repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) may improve cognition. OBJECTIVE We conducted a pilot study to investigate the effect of rTMS on cognitive function in Veterans with numerous medical comorbidities. METHODS Participants underwent 20 sessions, over the course of approximately 4 weeks, of 10 Hz rTMS at the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex with intensity of 120% resting motor threshold. Outcome measures including memory, language, verbal fluency, and executive functions were acquired at baseline, end of treatment, and 4 months after the last rTMS session. Twenty-six Veterans completed the study (13 in the active rTMS group, 13 in the sham rTMS group). RESULTS The study protocol was well-tolerated. Active, compared to sham, rTMS showed improved auditory-verbal memory at the end of treatment and at 4-month follow-up. However, the active rTMS group demonstrated a trend in decreased semantic verbal fluency at the end of treatment and at 4-month follow up. CONCLUSION These preliminary results show rTMS is safe in general in this elderly Veteran population with multiple co-morbidities. Patients in the sham group showed an expected, slight decline in the California Verbal Learning Test scores over the course of the study, whereas the active treatment group showed a slight improvement at the 4-month post-treatment follow up. These effects need to be confirmed by studies of larger sample sizes.
Adding Interpretability to Neural Knowledge DNA

Abstract This paper proposes a novel approach that adds the interpretability to Neural Knowledge DNA (NK-DNA) via generating a decision tree. The NK-DNA is a promising knowledge representation approach for acquiring, storing, sharing, and reusing knowledge among machines and computing systems. We introduce the decision tree-based generative method for knowledge extraction and representation to make the NK-DNA more explainable. We examine our approach through an initial case study. The experiment results show that the proposed method can transform the implicit knowledge stored in the NK-DNA into explicitly represented decision trees bringing fair interpretability to neural network-based intelligent systems.
Online UV-VIS Measurements - The Basis for Future Pollution Based Sewer Real Time Control in Linz

Strictly hydraulic sewer real time control does not consider the real storm pollution load behaviour in the sewer system. The overflow pollution load – not only the combined sewer overflow volume – is of high importance for the receiving water and its resulting effects in the receiving water. Due to a local problem of overflows from a combined sewer overflow detention tank to an extremely sensitive stream sewer real time control strategies have been carried out for the sewer system of Linz to solve this problem. Online measurements (UV-VIS spectroscopy, flow measurement) gain the data which are needed for an in-depth first flush analysis. Continuous online monitoring is influenced by a large number of practical problems which are displayed in a brief description in this paper. For a main sewer sub-catchment especially for short heavy storms first flushes have been classified. The knowledge of the local first flush behaviour of the sewer system is the basis of future pollution based real time control in Linz.
Electrospun Methacrylated Gelatin/Poly(L-Lactic Acid) Nanofibrous Hydrogel Scaffolds for Potential Wound Dressing Application

Electrospun nanofiber mats have attracted intense attention as advanced wound dressing materials. The objective of this study was to fabricate methacrylated gelatin (MeGel)/poly(L-lactic acid) (PLLA) hybrid nanofiber mats with an extracellular matrix (ECM) mimicking nanofibrous structure and hydrogel-like properties for potential use as wound dressing materials. MeGel was first synthesized via the methacryloyl substitution of gelatin (Gel), a series of MeGel and PLLA blends with various mass ratios were electrospun into nanofiber mats, and a UV crosslinking process was subsequently utilized to stabilize the MeGel components in the nanofibers. All the as-crosslinked nanofiber mats exhibited smooth and bead-free fiber morphologies. The MeGel-containing and crosslinked nanofiber mats presented significantly improved hydrophilic properties (water contact angle = 0°; 100% wettability) compared to the pure PLLA nanofiber mats (~127°). The swelling ratio of crosslinked nanofiber mats notably increased with the increase of MeGel (143.6 ± 7.4% for PLLA mats vs. 875.0 ± 17.1% for crosslinked 1:1 MeGel/PLLA mats vs. 1135.2 ± 16.0% for crosslinked MeGel mats). The UV crosslinking process was demonstrated to significantly improve the structural stability and mechanical properties of MeGel/PLLA nanofiber mats. The Young’s modulus and ultimate strength of the crosslinked nanofiber mats were demonstrated to obviously decrease when more MeGel was introduced in both dry and wet conditions. The biological tests showed that all the crosslinked nanofiber mats presented great biocompatibility, but the crosslinked nanofiber mats with more MeGel were able to notably promote the attachment, growth, and proliferation of human dermal fibroblasts. Overall, this study demonstrates that our MeGel/PLLA blend nanofiber mats are attractive candidates for wound dressing material research and application.
Phylogeny, biogeography and diversification of the mining bee family Andrenidae

The mining bees (Andrenidae) are a major bee family of over 3000 described species with a nearly global distribution. They are a particularly significant component of northern temperate ecosystems and are critical pollinators in natural and agricultural settings. Despite their ecological and evolutionary significance, our knowledge of the evolutionary history of Andrenidae is sparse and insufficient to characterize their spatiotemporal origin and phylogenetic relationships. This limits our ability to understand the diversification dynamics that led to the second most species‐rich genus of all bees, Andrena Fabricius, and the most species‐rich North American genus, Perdita Smith. Here, we develop a comprehensive genomic dataset of 195 species of Andrenidae, including all major lineages, to illuminate the evolutionary history of the family. Using fossil‐informed divergence time estimates, we characterize macroevolutionary dynamics, incorporate paleoclimatic information, and present our findings in the context of diversification rate estimates for all other bee tribes. We found that diversification rates of Andrenidae steeply increased over the past 15 million years, particularly in the genera Andrena and Perdita. This suggests that these two groups and the brood parasites of the genus Nomada Scopoli (Apidae), which are the primary cleptoparasitic counterparts of Andrena, are similar in age and represent the fastest diversifying lineages of all bees. Using our newly developed time frame of andrenid evolution, we estimate a late Cretaceous origin in South America for the family and reconstruct the past dispersal events that led to its present‐day distribution.
Securing Human Life By Fatigue Detection During Driving

Traffic accidents are mainly caused by driver inattention. Physiologica and bahavioral elements need to be measured in order to detect the drivers inattention. Different approaches have been made, and among them Computer Vision has the potential of monitoring the person behind the wheel without interfering with his driving. A computer vision system for driving monitoring uses face location and tracking as the first processing stage. On the next stage the different facial features are extracted and tracked for monitoring the driver’s vigilance. In this thesis I have developed a system that can monitor the alertness of drivers in order to prevent people from falling asleep at the wheel. The other main aim of this algorithm is to have efficient performance on low quality webcam and without the use of infrared light which is harmful for the human eye. Motor vehicle accidents cause injury and death, and this system will help to decrease the amount of crashes due to fatigued drivers. The proposed algorithm will work in three main stages. In first stage the face of the driver is detected and tracked. In the second stage the facial features are extracted for further processing. In last stage the most crucial parameter is monitored which is eye’s status. In this last stage it is determined that whether the eyes are closed or open. On the basis of this result the warning is issued to the driver to take a break.
Characteristics of VOCs and their Potentials for O3 and SOA Formation in a Medium-sized City in Eastern China

To understand the characteristics and environmental effects of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in a typical medium-sized city in China, manual measurements including 56 species of the nonmethane hydrocarbons (NMHCs) were taken at three urban and suburban sites in Huai’an from April to September 2019, and automatic measurements including 106 species of VOCs were taken at the urban center in May and August 2019. Spatial and temporal characteristics of the VOC concentrations were analyzed. Positive matrix factorization (PMF) model was applied to apportion VOC sources. Ozone (O3) formation potentials (OFPs) and secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation potentials (SOAFPs) were calculated. The results show that the mean VOC concentration was much lower in the urban center than in the suburbs. Generally, proportions of both alkenes and aromatic hydrocarbons were higher and proportion of alkanes was lower in Huai’an than that in big cities, indicating emissions from solvent usage and industrial process play a more important role in the medium-sized city. The results of source apportionment show that solvent usage and industrial process together contributed 53%, and vehicle emission contributed 27% to the ambient VOCs. The dependence of VOC concentrations on temperature indicates that a considerable part of VOCs may come from fugitive emissions. The two-peak pattern of diurnal variation suggests near-surface emissions contributed a lot to the VOCs. Aromatic hydrocarbons were identified as the key component to the formation of O3 and SOA. Furthermore, biogenic emission could contribute greatly (> 20%) to the ambient VOCs during daytime in summer, which may have significant effects on O3 formation. Aromatic hydrocarbons were identified as the key component to the formation of O3 and SOA, which should be given more attention in developing air pollution control strategies.
Structural evolution of anisotropic SmCo6.8Hf0.2 nanocrystalline magnet prepared by hot deformation

SmCo7-based permanent magnets with a TbCu7-type structure have excellent high-temperature performance. However, most of the previously reported SmCo7 nanocrystalline magnets were isotropic, which limited their application. So the preparation of anisotropic SmCo7 magnets with preferred texture is still a challenge. In this work, we prepared anisotropic SmCo6.8Hf0. 2 nanocrystalline magnets by hot pressing and hot deformation method. EBSD results indicated that the {0001} orientation texture of the hot deformed magnet was remarkably preferred, which further improved the remanence. Subsequently, the structural evolution process was systematically characterized by TEM. It provides crucial insight for developing high-performance SmCo7-based magnets. Impact Statement: Up to now, most of the previously reported SmCo7 nanocrystalline magnets were isotropic, which limited their application. This work opens up new opportunities to create high-performance SmCo7-based nanostructured magnets. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT
Interface state generation due to electron tunneling into thin oxides

An investigation of interface state generation due to tunneling current injection into gate oxides for various oxide thicknesses is discussed. The experimental results provide strong evidence that interface state generation is triggered by holes passing through the Si/SiO/sub 2/ interface, even in electron injection. Another degradation mode also exists in ultrathin oxides (about 5 nm) where the voltage applied across the oxide is lower than 6.8 V. <<ETX>>
Virtual Reality, Combat, and Communication

A brief examination of the evolution of virtual reality devices illustrates how the development of this new medium is influenced not only by emerging technologies but also by marketing pressures. In a situation parallel to that of the earliest computers, both military and game applications seem to be the driving forces in virtual reality development. Understanding these influences may help us prepare for the role of technical communica-tors in building virtual reality applications for education and industry and aid us in pre-dicting and influencing both the technology and the ways we prepare communicators for the future.
Load and supply interactions in VMC-buck converter operating in CCM and DCM

The paper investigates the dynamical differences of load and supply interactions in direct-duty-ratio or voltage-mode-controlled buck converters in continuous and discontinuous conduction modes. The origin of the interactions is the system impedances such as EMI-filters, cabling inductances, additional capacitors and input and output impedances of regulated converters. The dynamical parameters i.e. phase margin and control bandwidth of the CCM and DCM converters are designed to be the same. It is shown that the sensitivity for interactions can be concluded from the measured frequency responses. The investigations show that a converter operating in CCM is more sensitive to capacitive loads than a converter in DCM, while the DCM converter is more prone to instability caused by the load. The supply interactions caused e.g. by an EMI filter are shown to be smaller in CCM converter except near the converter output filter resonant frequency, where the forward-voltage transfer function has an amplifying effect to supply interactions.
From Both Near and Far: Examining the Diverse Regions of Origin for Immigration and Its Relationship with Crime Across United States Communities, 2015

Abstract Despite a robust literature examining how immigration impacts community rates of crime, only a handful of studies have explored the heterogeneity of the foreign-born population. Using data for the year 2015 for over 1,000 incorporated census places in the United States, we examine how the diverse regional origins of immigrants from Latin America, Asia, Europe, and Africa are associated with community rates of crime. Findings reveal that (1) immigration is negatively associated with violent and property crime and (2) these negative associations are stronger – more protective – in places with more diverse immigrant populations. Moreover, (3) region-specific immigration is either not associated or negatively associated with crime, but (4) varies in magnitude in important ways, suggesting that immigration differs in its relationship with crime depending on sending region.
Dextran-based matrix functionalization to promote WJ-MSCs amplification: synthesis and characterization

Abstract Several clinical studies have reported the benefit of the administration of Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) in cell therapies. However, their routine applications need new substrates to amplify MSCs in vitro according to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) conditions and microcarriers are particularly suited for these purposes. In order to optimize the surface properties of Cytodex I microcarriers (Cyt), poly N-isopropylacrylamide (pNIPAM) has been grafted on their surface to promote MSCs adhesion, proliferation, but also to control their detachment by a decrease in temperature. The polymer coating generated on the microcarriers was analyzed using Time-of-Flight, Nanoscale Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry, and Atomic Force Microscopy. We have confirmed the success of the pNIPAM grafting on Cyt with a two-steps reaction and correlated the influence on matrix functionalization in the function of the organic solvent used to disperse the microcarriers. The effects of pNIPAM functionalization have been explored on Wharton’s jelly-MSCs (WJ-MSCs) culture and cell thermal detachment was monitored with fluorescent microscopy. The in vitro results have indicated that WJ-MSCs have a better growth on Cyt-pNIPAM. However, pNIPAM thermal cell detachment was lower than trypsinization, implying that the minimum effective molecular weight and surface density of polymer chains have still to be future optimized. Graphical Abstract
Experimental development and control of magnetorheological damper towards smart energy absorption of composite structures

Experimental investigation and efficient control of magnetorheological (MR) damper towards smart energy absorption of composite structures are presented in this paper. The evaluation of an existing MR damper based on the damping force presented in our earlier work is limited by the experiment configuration setup. Using two arms configuration, an experimental test rig is designed to overcome this limitation and enabled the MR damper to be investigated throughout its full velocity range capability. A controller is then developed based on the MR damper investigation to provide automated variable control of induced current with a set crushing force and available data of composite tube crushing force. The controller is assessed numerically and shows that MR damper is controlled to provide consistent crushing force despite oscillation from the composite tube crushing force. This, thus, shows promise of MR damper integration towards smart energy absorption of composite structures.
A High Step-Up Transformerless DC–DC Converter With New Voltage Multiplier Cell Topology and Coupled Inductor

In this article, a new high step-up transformerless dc–dc converter based on a voltage multiplier and a coupled inductor topology is presented. The proposed converter has two stages. In the first stage, a modified boost converter is designed by the coupled inductor, and in the second stage, a new voltage multiplier by using a coupled inductor is illustrated. In this converter, high voltage gain can be achieved by adjusting the turn ratio of two coupled inductors and the duty cycle, which result in three degrees of design freedom. Using a single power switch with low on-resistance in the converter structure leads to simple control and low conduction loss. In addition, total voltage stresses of active elements are decreased, which increases efficiency. Steady-state performance and theoretical achievements are confirmed by experimental test results on a test setup with one 200-W dc–dc prototype.
Privacy Data Propagation and Preservation in Social Media: A Real-World Case Study

Social media has become a ubiquitous tool for spreading news, messages, and generally allowing for communication between individuals. Hence, studying how our privacy information might also spread across social media is important research. To date, many studies have used information diffusion models to simulate and then examine how information flows through social networks. But these models are theoretical, and newsworthy information may not behave in the same way as privacy information, raising the question: Are the observed phenomena indicative of real privacy propagation? To explore this question, we assembled a dataset from Twitter comprising propagated information flows for both private and normal information. We then built a graph convolutional network to trace and classify differences in the way each type of information spreads throughout the platform. The results reveal that there are indeed key differences in the diffusion processes of the two types of information. More importantly, we design privacy-preserving methods to reduce the privacy propagation in social media.
Effect of PV Output and Load Power Forecast Error on Operation Design of PV System with Storage Battery

In the past, we have proposed battery operations in a photovoltaic (PV) system using PV output and load power forecasts. In the proposed method, we utilized multiobjective optimization for a residential area model that includes a large number of PV systems with storage batteries. To practically demonstrate that the proposed operation effectively improves economic and environmental efficiency, it is indispensable to evaluate the effects of forecast error on the operation design of a PV system with storage battery. In this paper, we propose a method for evaluating the robustness of battery operation taking account of the statistical characteristics of forecast errors. Some numerical examples, which show the validity of the proposed method, are also presented.