Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Development of Embedded Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors using 3D Printing Technique

This thesis explores the development and characterization of optical fiber sensors based on Fiber Bragg Gratings (FBG) embedded on 3D printed polymer. The main goal is to develop and design a new sensor’s housing, by implementing the 3D printing technique, thus improving the optical sensor protection without compromising its response. With this, it is possible to implement the sensors and profit from its sensitivity in harsh environments. In order to prove this innovative concept, an optical fiber pressure sensor and an optical fiber accelerometer were assembled and characterized. Both based on FBGs embedded in 3-Dimensions (3D) printed polymer. This dissertation starts with a brief introduction presenting the motivation, explaining how the work is organized and some outputs achieved. Followed by an introduction on 3D printing technique, Fiber Bragg Gratings and some applications. The developed optical sensors are presented in two chapters: optical fiber pressure sensor and optical fiber accelerometer. In these two chapters, the fabrication process is described and the characterization results are presented for both sensors. The optical fiber pressure sensor was developed in a cantilever structure where the FBG was embedded. A pressure and a vibration characterization were performed, to assess the optical sensor’s response and the influence of the printed polymer. The optical fiber accelerometer was developed in three configurations: 1D, 2D and 3D. The sensor head was also a cantilever structure implemented in a cubic design. A displacement and a vibration characterization were performed for all configurations, and the concept of acceleration variation was proved by assembling the cubic structure, for the three configurations presented. In the end, the main conclusions are presented, some results are discussed and new possibilities are explored along with the suggested future work.
A New Seal Verification For Chinese Color Seal

Automatic seal imprint identification system is highly demanded in oriental countries. Even though several seal identification techniques have been proposed, it is seldom to find the papers on the recovery of lost seal imprint strokes caused by superimposition. In this paper, a new seal verification for Chinese color seal is proposed. This approach segments the seal imprint from the input image in terms of the adaptive thresholds. The lost seal imprint strokes are recovered based on the text stroke width that can be detected automatically. In addition, the moment-based seal verification is to compare the reference seal imprint and the recovered one. Experimental results show that the proposed method is able to correctly and efficiently verify the genuine and forgery seal imprint.
BeppoSAX view of the NS-LMXB GS 1826-238

Context. The spectroscopic characteristics of GS 1826−238, a neutron star in a low-mass X-ray binary system, have already been studied by sensitive, wide band X-ray telescopes (e.g. BeppoSAX, RXTE, INTEGRAL). Up to now, the source has always been observed in a low-hard spectral state, with two spectral components typically detected. The persistent high-energy (>10keV) emission is effectively explained by thermal Comptonisation by a hot electron cloud (kTe ∼ 20keV); a further low energy component, modelled either by pure blackbody emission or by Compton-modified blackbody radiation by a few keV electron plasma, is generally needed to yield acceptable fits in the soft X-ray band. Aims. The aimof the present work is to investigate the originand the nature of the low energy emission of GS 1826−238 further, along with its contribution to the bolometric output of the source, dominated by the high-temperature thermally Comptonised radiation. Methods. This kind of investigation needs sensitive data in the widest available energy band. Simultaneous covering of both the soft X-rays (below 1keV) and the hard X-rays (up to hundreds of keV) is crucial for an unbiased characterisation of the two spectral components, so we searched the whole BeppoSAX-NFI archive for all the available GS 1826−238observations. We analysed a total of six data sets, collected from 1997 to 2000; data analysis of two of them was still unpublished. In this study we applied both a wellestablished (comptt) and a more recent, updated Comptonisation model (comptb), in order to get the widest quantitative information about the physical parameters at work. Results. Our results confirmthat the0.1‐200keV emission of GS 1826−238 needs twocomponents tobe explained. In particular, two populations of soft seed photons, with different colour temperatures, are observed. One population is Comptonised to high energies by a hot electron cloud (temperatures in the range 19‐24keV, anticorrelated with the source luminosity), while the other is directly observed and can be modelled by a pure blackbody. We also propose an alternative model in which both the seed photon populations are Compton-modified by the electron plasma. This model explains the observed emission of GS 1826−238 as accurately as the traditional one and, moreover, fits well in a wider evolutionary scenario able to describe the state transitions observed in neutron-star low-mass X-ray binaries. The use of comptb also indicates that, in the case of GS 1826−238, the seed photons populations are not distributed as a pure blackbody.
Influence of Oxygen Isotope Ratio on Classification

Isotopic fingerprinting is a task of paramount importance for region description and origin prediction. In this work, we use isotopic data, namely oxygen, strontium and lead, from animal remains in the Alps region. Our current samples are not cremated, however the majority of the data to be analysed in the project would be cremated. It is known that oxygen isotopes are not stable under high temperatures, making their application in the analysis of cremated material problematic. We study through Data Mining techniques the effect of oxygen on isotopic fingerprinting (treated as a supervised learning task) and on origin prediction (treated as a supervised task) and explore whether including oxygen in these analyses makes a significant difference to the results.
Integration of Kinect and Low-Cost Gnss for Outdoor Navigation

Since its launch on the market, Microsoft Kinect sensor has represented a great revolution in the field of low cost navigation, especially for indoor robotic applications. In fact, this system is endowed with a depth camera, as well as a visual RGB camera, at a cost of about 200$. The characteristics and the potentiality of the Kinect sensor have been widely studied for indoor applications. The second generation of this sensor has been announced to be capable of acquiring data even outdoors, under direct sunlight. The task of navigating passing from an indoor to an outdoor environment (and vice versa) is very demanding because the sensors that work properly in one environment are typically unsuitable in the other one. In this sense the Kinect could represent an interesting device allowing bridging the navigation solution between outdoor and indoor. In this work the accuracy and the field of application of the new generation of Kinect sensor have been tested outdoor, considering different lighting conditions and the reflective properties of the emitted ray on different materials. Moreover, an integrated system with a low cost GNSS receiver has been studied, with the aim of taking advantage of the GNSS positioning when the satellite visibility conditions are good enough. A kinematic test has been performed outdoor by using a Kinect sensor and a GNSS receiver and it is here presented.
Software Tool for Testing the Packet Analyzer of Network Attack Detection Systems

The paper is devoted to a model, technique and software tool for testing network attack detection systems (ADSs) from the point of view of the correct functioning of their internal packet analyzer. A client-server architecture of the software tool for generating the low-level network attacks is described. The paper outlines the experimental results of testing several ADSs by using the implemented software tool. The results of experiments, aimed at testing the ADSs on the ability to detect evasion and insertion attacks, are presented. We analyze the reaction of ADSs in response to various network packets subjected to various transformations at the levels both of IP and TCP protocols. Recommendations aimed at detecting and preventing such situations in computer networks are proposed.
CONSTRUCTION OF DOUBLE CHAMBERED MICROBIAL FUEL CELL (MFC) USING HOUSEHOLD MATERIALS AND BACILLUS MEGATERIUM ISOLATE FROM TEA GARDEN SOIL

2 Abstract: The current study was carried out for the isolation and screening of potential bioelectricity generating bacteria from tea garden soil samples and also to construct an indigenous microbial fuel cell (MFC) using house hold wastes. Bacillus megaterium was found to the best isolate for the production of bioelectricity, out of a total of 25 bacterial isolates from soil samples collected from Lepetkata Tea Estate of Dibrugarh district of Assam. The isolate was identified on the basis of staining techniques and biochemical characteristics. Two chambered MFC was constructed using two poly acrylic containers of 500 ml volume each. The two chambers were connected using an agar salt bridge and carbon rods were used as electrodes. The electricity generated by the isolate was compared using glucose and fructose as sole carbon source in minimal media. The maximum voltage was found to be 440 mV in presence of glucose as sole carbon source after 84 hrs of incubation at room temperature. The voltage was further increased up to 698 mV after the media was supplemented with 1.5% (w/v) yeast extract, which would have served as additional source of vitamin to the bacteria to proliferate. During the entire study, the experimental set up was allowed to incubate at room temperature and occasional shaking was done manually, hence no external electricity was required. With all the above features the isolate Bacillus megaterium was found to be a good source of bioelectricity.
Determinants of management accounting Controlsystem in Malaysian manufacturing companies

This study examines the level of changes in management accounting practices (MAP)in Malaysian manufacturing companies and investigates the factors determining the change in management accounting and control systems (MACS). The data are collected using a mailed questionnaire survey to manufacturing companies in Klang Valley. Results of this study showed that, the level of management accounting practices in Malaysian manufacturing companies were consistent with the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) frameworks on the management accounting evolution. The results also identified technological advancement and strategic change as important predictors of change in MACS. Taken together, these research outcomes make an incremental contribution to the existing management accounting change literature by providing useful insights into our knowledge of management accounting innovation specifically for developing economies
Low-Power 45 nm 1 Mb SRAM

A solution methodology of designing a 1MB low-power SRAM is developed to meet Portable Instruments Company’s specifications. The primary goal is to minimize the total power with reasonable sizing and delay, which means focusing on the optimization of dimensions of array blocks of the entire memory array and the structure of its periphery circuits to access the bitcells as well as source voltage. Our design is well functioning at all process corners, and a range of supply voltages and temperatures. The final metric of our SRAM is 4.96*10^-36 J^2*s *mm*W
Chapter 8 Electromagnetic Nanowire Resonances for Field-Enhanced Spectroscopy

Electromagnetic resonances of metal nanowires lead to strong enhancement of the near field of the particle. Antenna-like resonances that give the biggest enhancement are explained theoretically. The preparation of high-quality wires is introduced. Spectroscopic results for resonance curves are shown and discussed with respect to field enhancement. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering and surfaceenhanced infrared absorption are introduced focusing on nanowire-assisted configurations, and examples of these enhanced spectroscopies for molecules on resonant nanowires are shown.
Lipase Immobilized on Magnetic Nanoparticles: A New Tool for Synthesis of Disulphide Compounds

The study describes chemo-enzymatic synthesis of organic disulphide compounds. The reaction was initiated by hydrolysis of thiol acetates using hydrolytic enzyme lipase (PPL) immobilized on to magnetic nanoparticles and subsequent formation of organic disulphide compounds. Lipase was immobilized on to the magnetic nanoparticles by co-precipitation method via epichlorohydrin chitosan cross-linking, under mild and eco-friendly conditions. The immobilized lipase enzyme exhibited broad range of substrate specificity in synthesizing disulphide compounds, which involves both intra and inter-molecular disulphide bond formation under anaerobic conditions. The disulphide compounds synthesized also show a promising antimicrobial activity.
A Survey Paper on Scene Text Detection Methods

: In recent years, with increasing popularity of portable devices for capturing images, visual processing, text extraction, etc. become key problems which gain the attention of many researchers. Extraction of text information from images or scene involves detection, localization, tracking, segmentation, enhancement and character recognition. But because of variations involved in text such as font style, size, orientation, alignment, reflections and illumination effect, as well as low image contrast and complex background details make text extraction process more challenging. A large number of methods have been proposed to address this problem but still none of them are perfect. This paper presents a short survey on various scene text detection methods suggested and implemented recently. General challenges for performing scene text detection are also discussed.
Dynamic Service Migration in Mobile Edge Computing Based on Markov Decision Process

In mobile edge computing, local edge servers can host cloud-based services, which reduces network overhead and latency but requires service migrations as users move to new locations. It is challenging to make migration decisions optimally because of the uncertainty in such a dynamic cloud environment. In this paper, we formulate the service migration problem as a Markov decision process (MDP). Our formulation captures general cost models and provides a mathematical framework to design optimal service migration policies. In order to overcome the complexity associated with computing the optimal policy, we approximate the underlying state space by the distance between the user and service locations. We show that the resulting MDP is exact for the uniform 1-D user mobility, while it provides a close approximation for uniform 2-D mobility with a constant additive error. We also propose a new algorithm and a numerical technique for computing the optimal solution, which is significantly faster than traditional methods based on the standard value or policy iteration. We illustrate the application of our solution in practical scenarios where many theoretical assumptions are relaxed. Our evaluations based on real-world mobility traces of San Francisco taxis show the superior performance of the proposed solution compared to baseline solutions.
Wider Impacts of Microcredit: Evidence from Labor and Human Capital in Urban Mexico

This paper presents an estimation of the impacts of microcredit on labor and human capital following a quasi-experiment specifically designed to control for endogeneity and selection bias in the context of urban Mexico. We find important indirect trickle-down effects of credit through labor expenditure that benefit poor laborers; however, these effects were only observed when loan-supported enterprising households reached a level of income well above the poverty line. We also find significant, although small impacts of credit on children´s schooling that could be potentially reinforced by improvements in lending technology, school grants and additional ex-ante preventive and ex-post protective riskcoping products.
Predicting the Probability of Exceeding Critical System Thresholds

In this paper we show how regression modelling can be combined with a special kind of data transformation technique that improves model precision and produces several “preliminary” estimates of the target value. These preliminary estimates can be used for interval estimates of the target value as well as for predicting the probability that it has or will exceed arbitrary predefined thresholds. Our approach can be combined with various regression models and applied in many domains that need to estimate the probability of system malfunctions or other hazardous states brought about by system variables exceeding critical safety thresholds. We rigorously derive the formulas for the probability of crossing an upper bound and a lower bound both separately (one-sided intervals) and together (a two-sided interval), and verify the approach experimentally on a real dataset from the electric power industry. Problems in programming 2018; 2-3: 189-196
Augmenting Humans Learning From Our Mistakes – Identifying Opportunities for Technology Intervention to Address Everyday Cognitive Failure

There is growing opportunity for technologies to augment human memory and other cognitive processes – widespread pervasive sensing enables fine-grained traces of human activity, and advances in display technologies enable systems to provide input to user cognition in a wide array of settings. However, systems to date typically either address known cognitive impairment (e.g. autism, Alzheimer’s disease), or look to enhance ones’ general capacity for a specific task. In contrast to these approaches, we argue that a focus on recognition and quantification of human error is key to the design of future systems for augmenting the human mind. By focusing on the errors made in cognition, we can first identify frequent, persistent or severe failures as targets for future pervasive computing systems, and then go on to measure the success of any interventions developed, i.e. by asking have the augmentation systems delivered actually reduced the prevalence, persistence or impact of a specific cognitive error? In this article, we make the general case for the study of human error in order to support the design and evaluation of technology interventions intended to extend cognitive capabilities, before focusing on a case study in the augmentation of human memory. ________________________________
On the Integration of Quantitative and Qualitative Methodological Paradigms (Based on the Example of Content Analysis)

Empfohlene Zitierung / Suggested Citation: Groeben, Norbert ; Rustemeyer, Ruth: On the integration of quantitative and qualitative methodological paradigms (based on the example of content analysis). In: Borg, Ingwer (Ed.) ; Mohler, Peter Ph. (Ed.): Trends and perspectives in empirical social research. Berlin : de Gruyter, 1994. ISBN 3-11-014311-9, 308-326. http://nbn-resolving.de/ urn:nbn:de:0168-ssoar-6113
Evaluation of Castor Ecotypes of Selected Regions of the Western Ghats of Karnataka, India through Bio-Chemical Assay

An investigation has been conducted to estimate the nutritional value (leaf moisture, chlorophyll, total protein, total sugars, total phenols and mineral constituents) in leaves of identified castor (Ricinus communis L.) ecotypes found in the natural habitat of the selected regions [Heggada Devana Kote, Madikeri, Sakaleshpur, Shimoga, Sirsi and Mysore (control for comparison)] of the Western Ghats of Karnataka. The essence of the study is to select a best castor ecotype(s) for rearing of the domesticated vanya silkworm, Samia cynthia ricini Boisduval, as castor has been adjudged as the better food plant for production of valuable eri cocoons. The castor ecotypes existed in the Western Ghats of Karnataka were identified based on molecular characterization and were authenticated through National Centre for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) by awarding accession numbers viz., KJ000402, KJ000403, KJ000404, KJ000405, KJ000406, KJ000407, KJ130043, KJ130044, KJ130045, KJ130046, KJ130047 and KJ130048. The leaves collected at different heights of the plant in each of the identified castor ecotypes were pooled and processed for estimation of bio-molecules adopting standard protocols. The results of the investigation revealed that, the castor ecotype bearing accession number KJ000406 showed superiority in respect of leaf moisture, chlorophyll, total protein, total sugars, total phenols and major (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium), secondary (calcium, magnesium and sulphur) and micro (manganese, zinc, iron and copper) nutrients. However, ecotypes bearing accession numbers KJ000404, KJ130043 and KJ130045 stood next best in their superiority for all the biochemical components. Interestingly, KJ130048 ecotype found least in respect of all the bio-molecules analyzed in the leaf samples.
Translation in Qualitative Studies: Evaluation Criteria and Equivalence

Qualitative research is being increasingly conducted in more than one language. Translation becomes an integral part of cross-language qualitative research. Equivalence needs to be maintained in translation of texts. Different theories of equivalence in translation are described. Common translation procedures, mainly bilingual, followed in qualitative studies are discussed. The discussion analyzes how different translation procedures try to achieve equivalence. Criteria set for evaluation of translation in qualitative research and their appropriateness in achieving transparency and trustworthiness are discussed. The paper tries to sensitize researchers regarding issues of translation in qualitative research and how those issues may be resolved within the boundary of limitations.
In-Season Side-Dressing of Urea and Ammonium Nitrate to Cotton on No-Till Soils with High Residual Nitrogen and Pre-Plant Nitrogen Application

It is essential to develop innovative approaches that can apply N more efficiently. The objective of this study was to examine in-season side-dress urea and ammonium nitrate (UAN) applications to cotton on no-till soils with high residual N fertility. A field trial was conducted near Milan, TN in 2011 and 2012 with strip plots in a RCB design with three replicates. The following six in-season side-dress fluid UAN treatments were compared: 1) zero N; 2) low uniform-rate N application of 56 kg·N·haǃ 3) high uniform-rate N application of 78.4 kg·N·haǃ 4) ordinary variable-rate N application algorithm for each sub plot based on the average Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) value in that sub plot; 5) reversed variable-rate N application algorithm for each sub plot based on average NDVI of that sub plot; and 6) N application rate based on the average NDVI value in each strip plot. All plots received 26 kg·N·haǃ as diammonium phosphate before cotton planting each year. Leaf N concentrations were mostly enhanced with all side-dress N applications ranging from 56 to 78 kg·N·haǃ relative to zero N during early to late bloom although this upland field had high initial soil N fertility and received pre-plant application of 26 kg·N·haǃ across the treatments each year. However, NDVI, plant height, and lint yield were rarely improved with side-dress N application. The three variable-rate N application algorithms consumed 7.8 to 12.3 kg·haǃ more N than the low uniform-rate application of 56 kg·N·haǃ, but 10.1 to 14.6 kg·haǃ less N than the high uniform rate of 78.4 kg·N·haǃ. Our results indicate that the current N recommendations for cotton in Tennessee may be too high on upland soils with high initial N fertility.