Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
V oxel - based 3d GIs: modellInG and analysIs of arChaeoloGICal stratIGraphy

The raison d’être of archaeology is the interpretation of past human cultural remains, and the reconstruction of 3D objects is frequently part and parcel of archaeological interpretation. The notion of 3D modelling as a means to represent the real world is not new; physical models or maquettes have been the traditional means of gaining a better understanding of the interrelationship of objects in their 3D environment. Geographic Information Systems (GIS), however, offer a more advantageous approach to archaeological modelling. A GIS can handle and access a vast amount of data, but also analyze them in their spatial context on any scale. The broad recognition of GIS as a science, not a mere tool, has created a potential far beyond its originally designated purpose as a cartographic instrument. GIS can be a platform for data retrieval, spatial analysis, the creation of new data through calculation, theory development and hypothesis-testing. Moreover, modelbuilding technology through GIS is advanced enough to enable the reconstruction of excavation data with x, y, z coordinates, as recorded in the field, and the creation of more accurate 3D solid models approximating the real world1 and suitable for post-excavation spatial analysis. Not only can GIS modelling enable the understanding of the comprehensive structure of archaeological
THE USE OF BOUNDARY LUBRICANTS FOR THE REDUCTION OF PARTICLE JAMMING IN ABRASIVE PARTICLE SLURRIES FOR JET CUTTING

THE USE OF BOUNDARY LUBRICANTS FOR THE REDUCTION OF PARTICLE JAMMING IN ABRASIVE PARTICLE SLURRIES FOR JET CUTTING Aditya Ashok Salunkhe Chair of the Supervisory Committee: Dr. John C. Berg Rehnberg Professor of Chemical Engineering Department of Chemical Engineering The development of an abrasive slurry jet (ASJ) is an important area of research in the abrasive water jet cutting industry. Direct pumping of abrasive slurries allows for more efficient use of the available energy of the high-pressure water, leading to faster cutting speeds, reduced cut kerf, and the potential to cut thicker materials. The development of ASJ technology requires the use of additives to create stable suspensions (against sedimentation) that are easily mixed, transported, stored, and pumped, and in particular that alleviate the problem of particle jamming in flow constrictions. This work investigates the effectiveness of surfactant boundary lubricants to increase lubricity and relieve jamming in model aqueous slurries of 50-μm diameter garnet abrasive particles. Lateral force microscopy (LFM) is used to characterize the lubricity of garnet surfaces pre-treated with cationic or neutral surfactants or functionalized with an octadecylsilane. All three treatments are found to produce significant increases in lubricity. The increases in particle surface lubricity are found to correlate with the results of macroscopic jamming tests in which garnet particle slurries are made to flow through the constriction provided by a syringe. Reductions of approximately 50% in jamming were achieved even under high particle loading conditions using the silane surface functionalization.
2-toroids and their 3-triangulation

It is known that we can always 3-triangulate (i.e. divide into tetrahedra) convex polyhedra but not always non-convex polyhedra. Here we discuss possibilities and properties of 3-triangulation of 2-toroids, i.e. polyhedra topologically equivalent to sphere with 2 handles, and develop the concepts of piecewise convex polyhedra and graph of connection.
Upgrading and Extending PON by Using In- Band WDM Overlay

This paper presents a new approach to upgrade and extend the reach of the current passive optical network (PON) by using wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) in the standardized optical grid of gigabit PON (In-band WDM PON overlay). The aim is to increase the number of optical distribution networks (ODNs) fed by a single fiber while preserving the users bandwidth. In this approach four downstream (DS) wavelength signals are transmitted from an optical line terminal (OLT) to four different ODNs using the standard DS PON spectrum ranging from 1480 to 1500 nm. The upstream (US) signals from the four different ODNs are also wavelength multiplexed within the standardized US PON spectrum ranging from 1270 to 1330 nm. Experimental proofs of concept are presented in a 20 km PON serving 32 ONTs and in a 58 km extended PON in order to demonstrate the feasibility of this proposal.
Microcracks-induced damage modelling for transversely isotropic rock

In the present study a new micromechanical damage model is proposed for transversely isotropic rocks. The originality of this model lies in the fact that it accounts not only for the coupling between material structural anisotropy and damage-induced one, but also for the opening/closure status (the so-called unilateral effects) of evolving microcracks. Taking advantage of a recent study by Goidescu et al. (2013), a closed-form expression of the overall free energy of the microcracked medium is presented. This expression is implemented in an appropriate thermodynamics framework which allows formulating a complete constitutive damage model. The salient features of the model such as the coupling between anisotropies and its effect on the damage yield function and on the tangent operator of the model are illustrated and validated on the identification of a transversely isotropic argillite. It is shown that under direct tensile loadings (including off-axis tests), the theoretical mechanical responses predicted by the proposed model well capture experimental data. Owing to the above results, the response of the material is studied along a tension loading followed by an unloading and a reloading in compression in order to illustrate the so-called unilateral damage effects due to microcracks closure.
Equivalence of Testing Instruments in Canada: Studying Item Bias in a Cross-Cultural Assessment for Preschoolers

Item bias, which occurs when items function differently for different groups of respondents, is of particular concern to cross-cultural assessments. It threatens measurement equivalence and causes intergroup comparisons to be invalid. This study assessed item bias among francophone, anglophone, and Aboriginal preschoolers in New Brunswick, Canada. We used data from the Early Years Evaluation-Direct Assessment (EYE-DA), an assessment tool that measures children’s early educational development. The analytical approach used to investigate item bias is called differential item functioning (DIF). This study offers an application of DIF analysis that combines statistical testing and graphical representation of DIF. Analyses yielded consistent results revealing that linguistic and cultural differences between francophone and anglophone children are more challenging to achieve transferability than cultural differences between Aboriginal and anglophone examinees.
Aalborg Universitet Current Harmonics from Single-Phase Grid-Connected Inverters

Environmental conditions and operational modes may significantly impact the distortion level of the injected current from single-phase grid-connected inverter systems, such as photovoltaic (PV) inverters, which may operate in cloudy days with a maximum power point tracking, in a non-unity power factor, or in the low voltage ride through mode with reactive current injection. In this paper, the mechanism of the harmonic current injection from grid-connected single-phase inverter systems is thus explored, and the analysis is conducted on single-phase PV systems. In particular, the analysis is focused on the impacts of the power factor and the feed-in grid current level on the quality of the feed-in grid current from single-phase inverters. As a consequence, an internal model principle based high performance current control solution is tailor-made and developed for single-phase grid-connected systems to produce high quality currents in different operation conditions, where a design procedure is also provided. The developed current controller in this paper can achieve a minimum steady-state error while maintaining a relatively fast transient response, and also being feasible in other single-phase applications as a promising harmonic mitigation solution. Experiments on single-phase gridconnected systems have verified the correctness of the relevant analysis and also the effectiveness of the tailor-made control solution in terms of good harmonic mitigation.
In vitro and in vivo antimalarial activity of Nigella sativa L. extracts

The Arabs, Asians and, Traditional Health Practitioners in Mombasa county found in Kenya have been using Nigella sativa L. seeds to traditionally manage malaria associated symptoms that is, headache, fever, chills, loss of appetite among others. The present study investigated in vitro antiplasmodial, in vivo antimalarial activities and safety of different extracts of N. sativa. Five extracts obtained via aqueous extraction and sequential extraction using hexane, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate and methanol were tested against in vitro cultures of Plasmodium falciparum. The most active extracts (methanolic and ethyl acetate) were assessed for cytotoxicity and toxicity. The two active extracts were evaluated in vivo against Plasmodium berghei ANKA strain at 500, 250 and 125 mg/kg/day. On in vitro assay, methanolic and ethyl acetate extracts showed good activity with IC50 of 80.48±12.29 and 69.81±5.24 µg/ml against W2 strain and 31.93±4.31 and 53.79±6.02 µg/ml against D6 strain, respectively. The extracts exhibited weak cytotoxicity on Vero cells and high parasitemia suppression of 75.52 and 75.30% at 500 mg/kg dose of methanolic and ethyl acetate extracts respectively. Notably, there was significant decrease (p<0.001) in activity with lower doses of the extracts. The results explain the traditional use of this plant in the Middle East and Mombasa County. Key words: Nigella sativa L. seeds extracts, Plasmodium, antimalarial activity.
Spatial and Temporal Variations of Potential Evapotranspiration in the Loess Plateau of China During 1960–2017

Potential evapotranspiration (ET0) is an integral component of the hydrological cycle and the global energy balance, and its long-term variation is of much concern in climate change studies. The Loess Plateau is an important area of agricultural civilization and water resources research. This study analyzed the spatial and temporal evolution processes and influential parameters of ET0 at 70 stations in different topographical areas of the Chinese Loess Plateau (CLP). Using the Mann–Kendall trend, Cross wavelet transform, and the ArcGIS platform, the ET0 of each station was quantified using the Penman–Monteith equation, and the effects of climatic factors on ET0 were assessed by analyzing the correlation coefficients and contribution rates of the climatic factors. The results showed that: (1) the overall trend of the ET0 in different terrains of the Loess Plateau is consistent, however, the ET0 values differ; the hill region (HR) has the highest ET0, followed by the valley region (VR), and the mountain region (MR) has the lowest, and ET0 changes differ between seasons. (2) Spatial distribution characteristics of multiyear mean ET0 in the study are as follows: the ET0 values in mountain and hilly areas are decreasing from west to east, and the higher mean annual ET0 value in the VR is mainly concentrated in the eastern CLP. (3) In the past 58 years, the annual mean and the seasonal ET0 of the region showed increasing trends, however, differences in different terrains were obvious. (4) ET0 has significant correlations with El Nino–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), Pacific–North American teleconnection (PNA), and Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO). The resonance period of ET0 and ENSO was 3–6 a, mainly in 1976–1985. The mean coherence phase angle was close to 360°, indicating that ET0 lags behind PNA by approximately 2–6 a; ET0 has a very strong positive correlation with AMO. (5) Relative humidity (RH) is the main influencing factor of ET0 change in the Loess Plateau. Temperature (T) variation has the highest contribution rate (42%) to the regional ET0 variation in the entire CLP. We should pay more attention to the variation of evaporation under future climate change, especially temperature change.
DUX4 Signalling in the Pathogenesis of Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy

Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) is a disabling inherited muscular disorder characterized by asymmetric, progressive muscle weakness and degeneration. Patients display widely variable disease onset and severity, and sometimes present with extra-muscular symptoms. There is a consensus that FSHD is caused by the aberrant production of the double homeobox protein 4 (DUX4) transcription factor in skeletal muscle. DUX4 is normally expressed during early embryonic development, and is then effectively silenced in all tissues except the testis and thymus. Its reactivation in skeletal muscle disrupts numerous signalling pathways that mostly converge on cell death. Here, we review studies on DUX4-affected pathways in skeletal muscle and provide insights into how understanding these could help explain the unique pathogenesis of FSHD.
Applications of PEEK in Implant Retained Finger Prosthesis

This article presents and describes the use of polyether ether ketone (PEEK) to fabricate an abutment in implant retained finger prosthesis using computer-aided design and manufacturing (CAD/CAM) technology. The titanium implant was scanned by conventional implant impression coping and a model was fabricated from computer software and the height of the abutment was increased to 15 mm in length. The custom designed implant abutment for the finger prosthesis was milled with PEEK and it was tried on the patient. After its use, tissue reactions were absent. The thumb prosthesis was fabricated by silicone connected with abutment by polyvinyl siloxane which had good retention and function. PEEK abutment was fabricated for the implant retained finger prosthesis using 3D technology. PEEK abutment had better biocompatible with peri-implant tissue than metal alloy abutment and improved the retention. Case report (J Int Dent Med Res 2019; 12(4): 1606-1609)
An optimized method for purification and functional evaluation of neutrophils from living mouse

Neutrophil is a group of innate immune cell that represents the first lines of defense during infection and injury. Recent studies indicate that neutrophils in the microenvironment of tumors can modulate tumor growth, even antitumor or protumor by various manners. However, neutrophils have a very short half-life, undergoing rapid death by apoptosis, thus there isn’t a neutrophilic cell line used in laboratory so far. Most of isolating methods gained whatever peritoneal or circulating neutrophils via executing los of mice. Researchers encounter more problems not only in material waste, but also in technical terms including purification, viability, and recovery etc. In this study, we systematically established a method to isolate and identify highly enriched and purified neutrophils (the quantity can reach to 5×107 in 5 ml peritoneal lavages; the purity is more than 95%) from living mice. The results indicated that mouse strain greatly affected the inducing ability of neutrophils by peritoneal irritation. Neutrophils from four mouse strains: NOD/SCID, SCID, KM, and Balb/c strains, were compared, the highest purity of neutrophils were gained from NOD/SCID strain (more than 98%). These induced cells expressing more cytokine transcrips including IL-6, CCL3, TNF-α, Fas and Mcl-1 than circulating neutrophils. When co-cultured with tumor cells, induced neutrophils showed cytotoxic activities (the rate of inhibition was about 30%). The optimized purification of neutrophils from living mouse and cell functional characteristics provide a technical method for correlative investigations.
Towards a Realistic Estimation of the Powering Performance of a Ship with a Gate Rudder System

This paper presents an investigation on the scale effects associated with the powering performance of a Gate Rudder System (GRS) which was recently introduced as a novel energy-saving propulsion and maneuvring device. This new system was applied for the first time on a 2400 GT domestic container ship, and full-scale sea trials were conducted successfully in Japan, in 2017. The trials confirmed the superior powering and maneuvring performance of this novel system. However, a significant discrepancy was also noticed between the model test-based performance predictions and the full-scale measurements. The discrepancy was in the power-speed data and also in the maneuvring test data when these data were compared with the data of her sister container ship which was equipped with a conventional flap rudder. Twelve months after the delivery of the vessel with the gate rudder system, the voyage data revealed a surprisingly more significant difference in the powering performance based on the voyage data. The aim of this paper, therefore, is to take a further step towards an improved estimation of the powering performance of ships with a GRS with a specific emphasis on the scale effect issues associated with a GRS. More specifically, this study investigated the scale effects on the powering performance of a gate rudder system based on the analyses of the data from two tank tests and full-scale trials with the above-mentioned sister ships. The study focused on the corrections for the scale effects, which were believed to be associated with the drag and lift characteristics of the gate rudder blades due to the low Reynolds number experienced in model tests combined with the unique arrangement of this rudder and propulsion system. Based on the appropriate semi-empirical approaches that support model test and full-scale data, this study verified the scale effect phenomenon and presented the associated correction procedure. Also, this study presented an enhanced methodology for the powering performance prediction of a ship driven by a GRS implementing the proposed scale effect correction. The predicted powering performance of the subject container vessel with the GRS presented an excellent agreement with the full-scale trials data justifying the claimed scale effect and associated correction procedure, as well as the proposed enhanced methodology for the practical way of predicting the powering performance of a ship with the GRS.
Impact as driving force of journalistic and social change

In this article, we explore how entrepreneurial journalists from a wide variety of national contexts present ‘impact’ as one of the aims in their work. By exploring the variety, incongruences, and strategic considerations in the discourse on impact of those at the forefront of journalistic innovation, we provide a much-needed empirical account of the changing conceptualisation of what journalism is and what it is for. Our data show how impact becomes an ideologically as well as strategically driven endeavour as the entrepreneurs try to carve out their niche and position themselves both in relation to traditional counterparts and other startups. Ultimately, we provide empirical insight into a number of tensions that remain underlying in the discourse on constructive journalism, an increasingly popular conceptualisation that refers to a future-oriented, solution-driven, active form of journalism. We show how our interviewees marry different, commonly-deemed incompatible practices and values, thus challenging binary distinctions at the heart of conceptualisations of journalism, also perpetuated in the discourse on constructive journalism. As pioneers in the field, startups can be argued to inspire journalistic as well as social innovation, and furthermore push for a more inclusive understanding of the divergent conceptualisations and practices that together make up the amalgam that we call ‘journalism’.
Colony-forming unit
assay as a potency test for hematopoietic stem/progenitor cell products

Colony-forming unit (CFU) assay is a short-term culture assay used for the detection of functionally active hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs) in the in vitro setting. This potency assay enables the identification of colony-producing HPCs in any type of hematopoietic stem cell/progenitor product (HSC/P) including bone marrow (BM), cord blood (CB) and mobilized peripheral blood (MPB). It has been shown that the frequency of HPCs in BM, MPB and CB cellular products directly correlates with the engraftment of both neutrophils and platelets as well as with the overall survival of recipients following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation which makes the CFU assay a good quality parameter for the prediction of engraftment success. The aim of this article is to provide an overview of different approaches to setting up the CFU assay with an emphasis on different sample preparation techniques, cell plating density and colony identification and enumeration used by different laboratories.
PCA-BASED DESIRABILTY INDEX FOR MULTI-OBJECTIVE OPTIMIZATION

The desirability index (DI) is a method for multi-objective optimization accepted widely in industrial quality management. However desirability functions (DFs) of the quality criteria are assumed to be independent, which not hold in general for practical applications and may cause biased optimization results. In this study, principal component analysis (PCA) is used to eliminate correlation among DFs. Then the uncorrelated quality indices are aggregated into overall DI. The effectiveness of the proposed procedure is demonstrated with an application in turning operation.
Curvelet-based palm vein biometric recognition

A novel personal recognition system utilizing palm vein patterns and a novel technique to analyze these vein patterns is presented. The technique utilizes the curvelet transform to extract features from vein patterns to facilitate recognition. This technique provides optimally sparse representations of objects along the edges. Principal component analysis (PCA) is applied on curvelet-decomposed images for dimensionality reduction. A simple distance-based classifier, such as the nearest-neighbor (NN) classifier, is employed. The experiments are performed using our palm vein database. Experimental results show that the algorithm reaches a recognition accuracy of 99.6% on the database of 500 distinct subjects.
Piezoelectric Transducers for Structural Health Monitoring of Joint Structures in Cylinders: A Wave-Based Design Approach

Joint structures, such as riveting, hinges, and flanges, are widely used in complex mechanical systems. A small unexpected change of a joint can lead to complicated wave-scattering in its connected waveguides. The conversion between wave modes can be used to quantify the variation of the connection status of joints. This gives rise to the challenge of exciting and sensing only one specific wave mode in practice. In this paper, transmitted wave amplitudes of a flange joint are first calculated by the wave finite element method (WFEM) to study the quantitative relationship between the local stiffness changes of the damaged site and the wave-mode conversion. Wave-mode piezoelectric transducers are subsequently designed for torsional, longitudinal, and flexural waves in cylindrical waveguides. The idea is to use the distribution and interconnection of the piezoelectric materials to cancel the charge contributed from the non-targeting waves. We conducted numerical simulations to demonstrate the selective coupling features of the designed wave transducers and found difference of several orders of magnitude in voltages between targeting wave mode and other wave modes. Four selected wave transducers were then extended to monitor the connection status of the flange. The wave-scattering features in the simulation and WFEM were verified to be in good agreement.