Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Controlling phonons and photons at the wavelength scale: integrated photonics meets integrated phononics

Radio-frequency communication systems have long used bulk- and surface-acoustic-wave devices supporting ultrasonic mechanical waves to manipulate and sense signals. These devices have greatly improved our ability to process microwaves by interfacing them to orders-of-magnitude slower and lower-loss mechanical fields. In parallel, long-distance communications have been dominated by low-loss infrared optical photons. As electrical signal processing and transmission approach physical limits imposed by energy dissipation, optical links are now being actively considered for mobile and cloud technologies. Thus there is a strong driver for wavelength-scale mechanical wave or “phononic” circuitry fabricated by scalable semiconductor processes. With the advent of these circuits, new micro- and nanostructures that combine electrical, optical, and mechanical elements have emerged. In these devices, such as optomechanical waveguides and resonators, optical photons and gigahertz phonons are ideally matched to one another, as both have wavelengths on the order of micrometers. The development of phononic circuits has thus emerged as a vibrant field of research pursued for optical signal processing and sensing applications as well as emerging quantum technologies. In this review, we discuss the key physics and figures of merit underpinning this field. We also summarize the state of the art in nanoscale electro- and optomechanical systems with a focus on scalable platforms such as silicon. Finally, we give perspectives on what these new systems may bring and what challenges they face in the coming years. In particular, we believe hybrid electro- and optomechanical devices incorporating highly coherent and compact mechanical elements on a chip have significant untapped potential for electro-optic modulation, quantum microwave-to-optical photon conversion, sensing, and microwave signal processing.
Solid Dispersion of Resveratrol Supported on Magnesium DiHydroxide (Resv@MDH) Microparticles Improves Oral Bioavailability

Resveratrol, because of its low solubility in water and its high membrane permeability, is collocated in the second class of the biopharmaceutical classification system, with limited bioavailability due to its dissolution rate. Solid dispersion of resveratrol supported on Magnesium DiHydroxide (Resv@MDH) was evaluated to improve solubility and increase bioavailability of resveratrol. Fluorimetric microscopy analysis displays three types of microparticles with similar size: Type 1 that emitted preferably fluorescence at 445 nm with bandwidth of 50 nm, type 2 that emitted preferably fluorescence at 605 nm with bandwidth of 70 nm and type 3 that is non-fluorescent. Micronized pure resveratrol displays only microparticles type 1 whereas type 3 are associated to pure magnesium dihydroxide. Dissolution test in simulated gastric environment resveratrol derived from Resv@MDH in comparison to resveratrol alone displayed better solubility. A 3-fold increase of resveratrol bioavailability was observed after oral administration of 50 mg/kg of resveratrol from Resv@MDH in rabbits. We hypothesize that type 2 microparticles represent magnesium dihydroxide microparticles with a resveratrol shell and that they are responsible for the improved resveratrol solubility and bioavailability of Resv@MDH.
Determination of Labetalol Hydrochloride by Kinetic Spectrophotometry Using Potassium Permanganate as Oxidant

A simple and sensitive kinetic spectrophotometric method was developed for the determination of labetalol (LBT) hydrochloride. The method was based on the kinetic investigation of the oxidation of the drug with alkaline potassium permanganate at room temperature (25 ± 1°C). The increase in absorbance of coloured manganate ions was measured at 605 nm. All experimental variables affecting the de- velopment of the colour were investigated and optimized. The initial rate and fixed time (at 6 minute) methods were adopted for determin- ing the drug concentration. The calibration graphs were linear in the concentration ranges of 2-14 µg mL -1 and 1-10 µg mL -1 , using the initial rate and fixed time methods, respectively. The method was suc- cessfully applied to the determination of labetalol in laboratory made tablets and commercial tablets. The results were validated statistically and through recovery studies.
Computer-Aided Reconfiguration Planning: An Artificial Intelligence-Based Approach

The manufacturing industry today faces a highly volatile market in which manufacturing systems must be capable of responding rapidly to market changes while fully exploiting existing resources. Reconfigurable manufacturing systems (RMS) are designed for this purpose and are gradually being deployed by many mid-to-large volume manufacturers. The advent of RMS has given rise to a challenging problem, namely, how to economically and efficiently reconfigure a manufacturing system and the reconfigurable hardware within it so that the system can meet new requirements. This paper presents a solution to this problem that models the reconfigurability of a RMS as a network of potential activities and configurations to which a shortest path graph-searching strategy is applied. Two approaches using the A* algorithm and a genetic algorithm are employed to perform this search for the reconfiguration plan and reconfigured system that best satisfies the new performance goals. This search engine is implemented within an AI-based computer-aided reconfiguration planning (CARP) framework, which is designed to assist manufacturing engineers in making reconfiguration planning decisions. Two planning problems serve as examples to prove the effectiveness of the CARP framework.
Solving underdetermined nonlinear equations by Newton-like method

Newton method is one of the most powerful methods for finding solution of nonlinear equations. In its classical form it is applied for systems of $n$ equations with $n$ variables. However it can be modified for underdetermined equations (with $m<n$, $m$ being the number of equations). Theorems on solvability of such equations as well as conditions for convergence and rate of convergence of Newton-like methods are addressed in the paper. The results are applied to systems of quadratic equations, one-dimensional equations and inequalities.
Anderson, Gillian Hopkins and Walls, Lesley and Revie, Matthew and Fenelon, Euan and Storie, Calum (2015) Quantifying intra-organisational risks : an analysis of practice-theory tensions in probability elicitation to improve technical risk management

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Individual s religiosity enhances trust: Latin American evidence for the puzzle

This paper explores the effect of religious observance and affiliation to the dominant religion (Catholicism) on trust in institutions, towards others and market attitudes. The analysis is performed using a Latin American database of twenty thousand respondents from 2004 by means of ordered probit models. The most interesting results are: i) Trust toward others is positively correlated with religious observance and with Catholic affiliation. ii) There is a positive correlation between trust in the government, in the police, in the armed forces, in the judiciary and in the banking system and religious practice in general. Identical positive results are obtained for Catholic affiliation. iii) Correlations with attitudes toward the market, in general, are heterogeneous but never negative. In sum, individual s level of religiosity crucially affects trust in institutions and toward peers. We also found that Catholicism encourages both trust in institutions and towards others. Thus, we found a positive effect of religiosity on social capital. In fact, we never found any negative (and significant) effect on the variables considered.
Probing the LMC age gap at intermediate cluster masses

The LMC has a rich star cluster system spanning a wide range of ages and masses. One striking feature of the LMC cluster system is the existence of an age gap between 3-10 Gyrs. But this feature is not as clearly seen among field stars. Three LMC fields containing relatively poor and sparse clusters whose integrated colours are consistent with those of intermediate age simple stellar populations have been imaged in BVI with the Optical Imager (SOI) at the Southern Telescope for Astrophysical Research (SOAR). A total of 6 clusters, 5 of them with estimated initial masses M < 10^4M_sun, were studied in these fields. Photometry was performed and Colour-Magnitude Diagrams (CMD) were built using standard point spread function fitting methods. The faintest stars measured reach V ~ 23. The CMD was cleaned from field contamination by making use of the three-dimensional colour and magnitude space available in order to select stars in excess relative to the field. A statistical CMD comparison method was developed for this purpose. The subtraction method has proven to be successful, yielding cleaned CMDs consistent with a simple stellar population. The intermediate age candidates were found to be the oldest in our sample, with ages between 1-2 Gyrs. The remaining clusters found in the SOAR/SOI have ages ranging from 100 to 200 Myrs. Our analysis has conclusively shown that none of the relatively low-mass clusters studied by us belongs to the LMC age-gap.
Robust Estimations for the Tail Index of Weibull-Type Distribution

Based on suitable left-truncated or censored data, two flexible classes of M-estimations of Weibull tail coefficient are proposed with two additional parameters bounding the impact of extreme contamination. Asymptotic normality with n -rate of convergence is obtained. Its robustness is discussed via its asymptotic relative efficiency and influence function. It is further demonstrated by a small scale of simulations and an empirical study on CRIX.
Composable Building Blocks to Open up Processor Design

We present a framework called Composable Modular Design (CMD) to facilitate the design of out-of-order (OOO) processors. In CMD, (1) The interface methods of modules provide instantaneous access and perform atomic updates to the state elements inside the module; (2) Every interface method is guarded, i.e., it cannot be applied unless it is ready; and (3) Modules are composed together by atomic rules which call interface methods of different modules. A rule either successfully updates the state of all the called modules or it does nothing. CMD designs are compiled into RTL which can be run on FPGAs or synthesized using standard ASIC design flows. The atomicity properties of interfaces in CMD ensures composability when selected modules are refined selectively. We show the efficacy of CMD by building a parameterized out-of-order RISC-V processor which boots Linux and runs on FPGAs at 25 MHz to 40 MHz. We also synthesized several variants of it in a 32 nm technology to run at 1 GHz to 1.1 GHz. Performance evaluation shows that our processor beats in-order processors in terms of IPC but will require more architectural work to compete with wider superscalar commercial ARM processors. Modules designed under the CMD framework (e.g., ROB, reservation stations, load store unit) can be used and refined by other implementations. We believe that this realistic framework can revolutionize architectural research and practice as the library of reusable components grows.
A Search-Matching Model of the Buyer--Seller Platforms

Based on the frictional matching framework, the article provides a theoretical model for a specific type of two-sided platform: the buyer--seller transaction platform. In the model, the number of participants and the source of network externalities are endogeneously determined. The platform is shown to exhibit both positive cross-group and negative within-group network externalities. The optimal pricing of the platform depends not only on the cost of providing service and the benefits of the participants, but also on how the marginal entrant (either a buyer or a seller) affects the matching probability. Since the sellers can shift the burden of entry fee to the buyers, the platform never subsidizes the sellers. (JEL codes: L11, D83) Copyright The Author 2012. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Ifo Institute, Munich. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com, Oxford University Press.
Surface polariton excitation in ZnO films deposited using ALD

The conductive ZnO films deposited using atomic layer deposition (ALD) on the optical glass substrates were studied using the modified method of the disturbed total internal reflection within the range 400…1400 cm -1 for the first time. The frequency "windows" with the obtained excited surface phonon and plasmon-phonon polaritons have been found in the measured infrared reflectance spectra. The dispersion response of high and low frequency branches of the IR spectra have been presented.
Biochip Development for Biological Cells Manipulation Using DEP

Biochip is a technology platform that has become the medium of researchers in carrying out the analysis of biological cells such as sorting, trapping and screening of biological within a few seconds. To conduct analysis on biological cells, appropriate manipulation techniques are required. In this research, a Dielectrophoresis force (DEP) manipulation technique was used by applying non-uniform AC electric fields generated by the microeletrodes designed. For carrying out on one of the main objectives of this study, COMSOL Multiphysics 4.4 software was used in this study in which the ring planar microarray microelectrodes pattern was designed to investigate the distribution of the electric field resulting from the microelectrodes designed. Results show the highest electric field strength occurs at the end of the microelectrode tip at the same time the lowest electric field region can be seen at the microcavity centre. Cell trapping may also occur in the central part of the micro-cavities with negative dielectrophoresis (nDEP) in which cells will become interested in the low electric field.
‘Reemergence’ areas of winter sea surface temperature anomalies in the world's oceans

Using datasets of sea surface temperature (SST), surface heat flux, upper ocean thermal data, and climatological temperature and salinity profiles, we try to detect ‘reemergence’ areas of winter SST anomalies in the world's oceans, and describe characteristics of these areas in terms of mixed layer depth (MLD), annual mean heat flux and properties of waters formed in winter mixed layer. Eventually, seven reemergence areas are found: four in the Northern Hemisphere and three in the southern Hemisphere. All areas have a large seasonal variation of MLD, and are the regions where annual mean heat fluxes are relatively small except for two regions in the Northern Hemisphere. In the viewpoint of water properties, it is found that these areas correspond to the mode water formation regions: subtropical mode waters of the Indian Ocean, South Pacific, South Atlantic, North Pacific and North Atlantic, and North Pacific central and North Atlantic subpolar mode waters.
Effects of Guanidinoacetic Acid Supplementation to Broiler Diets With Varying Energy Content

HEGER JAROSLAV, ZELENKA JIŘI, MACHANDER VLASTISLAV, DE LA CRUZ CARLOS, LESTAK MARTIN, HAMPEL DAVID. 2014. Eff ects of Guanidinoacetic Acid Supplementation to Broiler Diets With Varying Energy Content. Acta Universitatis Agriculturae et Silviculturae Mendelianae Brunensis, 62(3): 477–485. An experiment was conducted to determine the response of broiler chickens to guanidinoacetic acid (GAA) added to diets with diff erent energy levels during fattening to 35 days of age. Ross 308 male chicks were allotted to 10 treatments, each consisting of six replicates of 140 birds/pen. Five maize-soyabean meal isonitrogenous diets with decreasing AMEn levels (100, 99, 98, 97 and 96% of requirement) with or without supplements of 0.6 g/kg CreAMINO® containing a minimum of 96% GAA were formulated. The criteria of response were feed intake, body weight gains, feed conversion ratio and carcass, breast meat, leg meat and abdominal fat yields. Supplementation of broiler diets with 0.06% GAA resulted in a signifi cant (P < 0.05) decrease in voluntary feed intake. With decreasing AMEn level, voluntary feed intake and consequently protein and amino acid intakes increased which was manifested by improved growth performance (P < 0.01). GAA supplements signifi cantly (P < 0.001) improved feed conversion ratio and effi ciency of AMEn utilization and signifi cantly (P < 0.01) increased breast meat yield. With decreasing AMEn level, the eff ects of GAA supplementation tended to diminish.
We Take Care of Our Own: The Origins of Oligarchic Politics in St. Maarten

This paper investigates the origins, development, and consolidation of political oligarchy in the Caribbean island nation of St. Maarten. It investigates why oligarchies develop in small settings despite the democracy-stimulating tendencies of smallness posited by the academic literature. It offers an historical analysis of St. Maarten politics, and investigates how the smallness of St. Maarten has contributed to oligarchies on the island. The article analyses the political dynamics that buttress and sustain oligarchic rule in small island societies. St. Maarten is an interesting case study because it is typical of the islands of the Eastern Caribbean, including historically high levels of migration, and is understudied. Additionally, the island has experienced oligarchic politics for centuries, which makes St. Maarten a perfect case to study the link between smallness and oligarchy. Finally, because St. Maarten is non-sovereign, our analysis could yield insights into the effects of non-sovereignty on the formation of oligarchies. Resumen: ‘Nos ocupamos de lo nuestro’: Los origenes de la politica oligarquica en Sint Maarten Este articulo investiga los origenes, el desarrollo y la consolidacion de la oligarquia politica en la nacion insular caribena de Sint Maarten. Analiza por que las oligarquias se desarrollan en escenarios pequenos a pesar de que la tendencia, segun la bibliografia academica, es que el tamano pequeno de una jurisdiccion estimule la democracia. Ofrece un analisis historico de la politica de Sint Maarten e investiga hasta que punto las dimensiones pequenas de Sint Maarten han contribuido a las oligarquias en la isla. El articulo profundiza en la dinamica politica que refuerza y mantiene la oligarquia en sociedades insulares pequenas. Sint Maarten es un estudio de caso interesante porque es caracteristico de las islas del Caribe oriental, incluidos los niveles historicamente altos de migracion, y porque es un tema que se ha estudiado poco. Ademas, la isla ha experimentado una politica oligarquica durante siglos, debido a lo cual Sint Maarten es un caso perfecto para estudiar el vinculo entre el tamano pequeno de la isla y la oligarquia. Por ultimo, puesto que Sint Maarten no es una isla soberana, nuestro analisis podria ofrecer una vision de los efectos de la no soberania en la formacion de las oligarquias.
ON FOAMING PROCESS OF VULCANIZED RUBBER USING PHYSICAL BLOWING AGENT

Copyright © 2004 by ICAD2004 Page: 1/6 ABSTRACT In this paper, foaming process used supercritical carbon dioxide as a physical blowing agent and the characteristics of the foamed silicone rubber, which is vulcanized rubber, were investigated. First, the degree of vulcanization of silicone rubber was evaluated by the plasticity. And the relationship between plasticity and foaming conditions was investigated using samples changed variously degrees of vulcanization. Foaming process of vulcanized rubber was designed based on plasticity of rubber and discussed. And besides, the characteristics of foamed rubber were also measured. As results, foamed rubbers having fine cell size were produced using carbon dioxide as a physical blowing agent.
Organic Farming and Social-Ecological Resilience: the Alpine Valleys of Sölktäler, Austria

Farming in the Austrian Alps is small in scale and involves a high degree of manual labor. In the face of structural changes in agriculture, alpine farms are finding it increasingly difficult to remain economically viable. Organic farming presents a promising alternative for alpine farmers because it receives considerable financial support under the Common Agricultural Policy of the European Union. Recent years have seen an increase in the number of organic farms in Austria in general, and in alpine areas in particular. Using data from an empirical study carried out in the alpine area of Solktaler, Austria, this paper examines the issues of how closely the regulations and principles of organic farming match farmers' perspectives on sustainable agriculture and whether or not organic farming is capable of building social-ecological resilience for local farms. Qualitative interviews and a series of workshops were used to learn about farmers' "desired system state" with regard to their region, disturbances to this system, and their perspectives on organic farming. The desired system in Solktaler as formulated by the farmers depicts a vivid farming community that manages a diverse traditional agricultural landscape and performs a number of ecological services. The desired system and the principles of organic farming have several aspects in common, and many management practices and features of the social system support social-ecological resilience. The vulnerability of farms increases, however, when farmers must deal with structural changes in agriculture, the erosion of traditional ecological knowledge, and societal transformation. In conclusion, organic farming is a tool that can be used to build social-ecological resilience for Solktaler farms, because it secures economic funding for the area and makes it possible to sustain environmentally benign practices. What remains is the question of whether the farming community is capable of reorganizing the social system under the pressures of modernization so that the desired system state can be reached.
Averaged electron collision cross sections for thermal mixtures of α -alanine conformers in the gas phase

A theoretical study of elastic electron collisions with 9 conformers of the gas-phase amino acid α-alanine (CH3CH(NH2)COOH) is performed. The eigenphase sums, resonance features, differential and integral cross sections are computed for each individual conformer. Resonance positions for the low-energy π * shape resonance are found to vary from 2.6 to 3.1 eV and the resonance widths from 0.3 to 0.5 eV. Averaged cross sections for thermal mixtures of the 9 conformers are presented. Both theoretical and experimental population ratios are considered. Thermally averaged cross sections obtained using the best theoretical estimates give reasonable agreement with the observed thermal cross sections. Excited conformers IIA and IIB make a large contribution to this average due to their large permanent dipole moments.