Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Angle-dependent effects in DLS measurements of polydisperse particles

Dynamic light scattering (DLS) is widely used for analyzing biological polymers and colloids. Its application to nanoparticles in medicine is becoming increasingly important with the recent emergence of prominent lipid nanoparticle (LNP)-based products, such as the SARS-CoV-2 vaccines from Pfizer, Inc.-BioNTech (BNT162b2) and Moderna, Inc. (mRNA-1273). DLS plays an important role in the characterization and quality control of nanoparticle-based therapeutics and vaccines. However, most DLS instruments have a single detection angle θ, and the amplitude of the scattering vector, q, varies among them according to the relationship q = (4πn/λ 0) sin(θ/2), where λ 0 is the laser wavelength. Results for identical, polydisperse samples among instruments of varying q yield different hydrodynamic diameters, because, as particles become larger they scatter less light at higher q, so that higher-q instruments will under-sample large particles in polydisperse populations, and report higher z-average diffusion coefficients, and hence smaller effective hydrodynamic diameters than lower-q instruments. As particle size reaches the Mie regime the scattering envelope manifests angular maxima and minima, and the monotonic decrease of average size versus q is lost. The discrepancy among instruments of different q is hence fundamental, and not merely technical. This work examines results for different q-value instruments, using mixtures of monodisperse latex sphere standards, for which experimental measurements agree well with computations, and also polydisperse solutions of physically-degraded LNPs, for which results follow expected trends. Mie effects on broad unimodal populations are also considered. There is no way to predict results between two instruments with different q for samples of unknown particle size distributions. Initial analysis of the polydispersity index among different instruments shows a technical difference due to method of autocorrelation analysis, in addition to the fundamental q-effect.
Lattice-based Monte Carlo simulation of the effects of nutrient concentration and magnetic field exposure on yeast colony growth and morphology

Yeasts exist in communities that expand over space and time to form complex structures and patterns. We developed a lattice-based framework to perform spatial-temporal Monte Carlo simulations of budding yeast colonies exposed to different nutrient and magnetic field conditions. The budding patterns of haploid and diploid yeast cells were incorporated into the framework, as well as the filamentous growth that occurs in yeast colonies under nutrient limiting conditions. Simulation of the framework predicted that magnetic fields decrease colony growth rate, solidity, and roundness. Magnetic field simulations further predicted that colony elongation and boundary fluctuations increase in a nutrient- and ploidy-dependent manner. These in-silico predictions are an important step towards understanding the effects of the physico-chemical environment on microbial colonies and for informing bioelectromagnetic experiments on yeast colony biofilms and fungal pathogens.
Wind Energy Simulation Toolkit (WEST): A Wind Mapping System for Use by the Wind-Energy Industry

A state-of-art wind mapping system, the Wind Energy Simulation Toolkit (WEST), was developed in the Meteorological Service of Canada (MSC) for use by the wind energy industry. WEST is based on a statistical-dynamical downscaling approach, i.e. (i) a statistical analysis of climate data to determine the basic atmospheric states, and (ii) a dynamic adaptation of each basic state to high-resolution terrain and surface roughness by using mesoscale and microscale models. The approach has already been used by Frank and Landberg (1997), in their KAMM/WAsP method, to create a numerical wind atlas. The novel part of WEST is the fixed wind-speed interval in classification scheme and the integration of different modules (meso-/micro-scale models and statistical module) into a single toolkit in a more portable form. WEST was built for use by industries not having sophisticated computer facilities. WEST is applied to the Gaspé region of Canada. The mesoscale model MC2 (operated within WEST) is run at 5 km resolution, while the microscale model within WEST is at 200 m resolution. The simulation results are evaluated in comparison with tower observations at a height of 40 m above ground level. The mean of the 29 observed sets of wind data is 6.6 m/s. The mean absolute difference between the observed and simulated sets of wind data is 0.83 m/s with MC2 (meso-component of WEST) and 0.69 with ‘full WEST’ (with both meso- and micro- components). The correlation coefficient of the mean wind-speeds between the simulations and observations for the 29 stations is improved from 0.5 with MC2 to 0.7 with WEST.
The application of matched filters to PD detection and localization

In practice, partial discharge (PD) signals are corrupted mainly by narrowband noise caused by radio communications. Matched filters are very well suited for PD detection in the presence of such noise, since they exploit spectral regions with high SNR to maximize the SNR of a measured PD signal. In addition to its noise suppressing capabilities, a matched filter provides a means to estimate accurately PD pulse magnitude and arrival time. Consequently, PD detection can benefit greatly from the application of matched filters. However, good knowledge of the signal waveform is required. In many cases, such information can be obtained by measurement or modeling of the PD pulse propagation.
Particle swarm optimisation clustering for cement kilning system fault recognition

Cement kilning system is the most important issue in the cement production process. Its fault recognition is the key issue which influences the quality of cement and the safety of the production process. In traditional ways, the efficiency in fault recognition is low, and the lag time of recognition is long. To improve the efficiency of the fault recognition, we propose a hybrid method based on both kernel principle component analysis (KPCA) and modified particle swarm optimisation (MPSO). First, KPCA extracts the non-linear features from the high-dimensional samples, which can eliminate the redundant information. Second, through the method of taking the features extracted by KPCA as the input of MPSO clustering, the MPSO clustering can obtain the optimal results of the recognition for cement kilning system. The simulation results show the efficiency and precision of the proposed algorithm for the practical cement kilning system.
The Association between Family Relationship, Deviant Peer Socialization, Self-Concept and Aggressive Behavior among At-Risk Student in Selangor

A total of 400 student with disciplinary problem aged 13 to 18 years old from eight secondary schools in the state of Selangor were chosen using multi-stage cluster sampling. A set of questionnaires which are consists of social demographic background, family Relationship Characteristics scale, Peer Deviancy Scale, Self-concept scale and Aggression Scale were used to collect the data. Findings revealed that majority of respondents show the moderate level of self-concept, family relationship, and aggressive behavior and low level of deviant peer socialization. The results of t-test showed that there were significant differences in family beliefs, family structure and deviant peers socialization based on gender and age. There were significant differences in aggressive behavior based on gender, while self-concept has significant differences based on age. Findings also indicated that family relationship, selfconcept, deviant peer socialization have a significant relationship with the aggressive behavior. The multiple regression analysis showed that sex, deviant peer socialization, family structure and self-concept have significantly predicted aggressive behavior and socialization of deviant peers was the most important predictor, followed by family structure, self-concept, and sex. The results of this study have important implications for those involved in school and adolescents’ systems.
Stator Winding Systems with Reduced Vibratory Forces for Large Turbine-Generators

It is shown that electromagnetically induced vibratory forces on the stator windings of large turbine? generators can be substantially reduced by using winding arrangements that permit an increased number of stator slots. Three methods for doing this without increasing the generator voltage are described: delta-connected windings, a new three-phase winding system using variable-pitch coils, and a " multi-three-phase" system using a six-phase generator, six buses, and a six-phase-three-phase power conversion in the generator stepup transformers. Generator voltages may be equal to, or slightly lower than, present levels. In some cases bus and transformer costs may be slightly higher, but this will be more than offset if the generator availability (over the life of the equipment) is increased by even a few days because of the reduced duty. Additional benefits in the generator design, in operating characteristics, and in the ability to build larger kVA ratings are described.
Research on FPGA-Based Three-Level Power Amplifier for Active Magnetic Bearings

Three-level power amplifier with the characteristics of a small ripple, Aimed at existing situations of the three-level power amplifier without ASIC chips, a new three-level power amplifier circuit based on FPGA(Field Programmable Gate Array) is presented. Detailed analysis the principle of the three-level power amplifier, According to the principle, the FPGA internal composition and function of each module is designed, programmed using VHDL Language, functional simulated and validated by Modelsim which is specialized simulation software. The actual production of the three-level power amplifier is experimental testing for a step signal and sinusoidal signal. Test results show that the current response of AMB coil is fast and the current track is good. Finally, industrial successful applications in the Active magnetic bearing spindle.
Harmonising public sector accounting laws and regulations of the European Union member states: powers and competences

This paper analyses the powers and competences of the EU to standardise public sector accounting of the member states and to take other EU action in the field of public sector accounting. We argue that public sector accounting forms part of the administrative organisation of the member states that is not a core EU competence. EU initiatives such as the European Public Sector Accounting Standards project, which aim to increase transparency and comparability, therefore need to follow the rules set out for administrative matters in general. The study reveals on the one hand that EU actions are essentially limited to voluntary cooperation and influences of other policy areas. But on the other hand, it shows that they do not need to be limited to the initiatives currently driven by Eurostat. Points for practitioners The future of the European Public Sector Accounting Standards project is uncertain. However, it is very unlikely that it will take the shape of a top-down set of readymade EU accounting standards that will force public administrations to adjust their inner workings. Public sector accounting is not (yet) a (typical) European policy, but simply a national one that the EU can support. The EU initiative can be considered as an opportunity for collaboration and knowledge sharing on how to increase transparency of public sector accounting.
Individual and Combined Associations of Glucose Metabolic Components With Cognitive Function Modified by Obesity

Aim We aimed to detect the individual and combined effect of glucose metabolic components on cognitive function in particular domains among older adults. Methods Data of 2,925 adults aged over 60 years from the 2011 to 2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were analyzed. Individuals’ cognitive function was evaluated using the Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST), the Animal Fluency Test (AF), the Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer’s Disease Immediate Recall (CERAD-IR), and CERAD Delayed Recall (CERAD-DR). Participants’ glucose metabolic health status was determined based on fasting plasma glucose, insulin, homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), and 2-h postload glucose. Linear regression models were used to delineate the associations of cognitive function with individual glucose metabolic component and with metformin use. Logistic regression models were performed to evaluate the associations of cognition with the number of glucose metabolic risk components. Results CERAD-IR was significantly associated with HOMA-IR and insulin. HbA1c was related to all the cognitive tests except AF. Among participants without obesity, HOMA-IR and insulin were both negatively associated with CERAD-IR and CERAD-DR. Odds of scoring low in DSST increased with the number of glucose metabolic risk components (odds ratio 1.94, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.26 to 2.98). Metformin use was associated with better performance in DSST among diabetes patients (β = 4.184, 95% CI 1.655 to 6.713). Conclusions Our findings support the associations of insulin resistance and glycemic level with cognitive function in key domains, especially among adults without obesity. There is a positive association between metformin use and cognition.
Nonlinear vibroacoustic wave modulations for structural damage detection: an overview

Abstract. We present an overview of research developments related to the nonlinear vibroacoustic modulation technique used for structural damage detection. The method of interest is based on nonlinear interactions of a low-frequency pumping wave and a high-frequency probing wave. These two waves are introduced to monitored structures simultaneously. Then the presence of damage is exhibited by additional frequency components that result from nonlinear damage-wave interactions. A vast amount of research has been performed in this area over the last two decades. We aim to present the state-of-the-art of these developments. The major focus is on monitoring approaches, modeling aspects, actuation/sensing, signal processing, and application examples.
The Origin of Operations: Interactions Between the Product and the Manufacturing Automation Control System

This paper investigates the interaction and relationship between the product design and the control logic design for manufacturing automation system. One important challenge during the development of a manufacturing automation system, is to handle the information related to the manufacturing control system (i.e PLC), since it influences almost every part of the manufacturing design and process. Therefore it is crucial to know when and how this information is created, to be able to increase the development quality and efficiency. This is especially true for the product related information that impacts the design of the control system. This paper studies the liaisons, the interfaces among parts and features in the product design, and its relationship with operations and resources in the manufacturing system. These liaisons must be considered in both product and manufacturing development since the inter-relation between liaisons and operations establishes the direct mapping of constraints and demands between the two domains. This paper further proposes how the manufacturing operations can be described during the development and how they are realized by resources in the manufacturing system. An example from automotive industry is included in this paper, to demonstrate the proposed concept.
The Influence of Base Layer Thickness in Flexible Pavements

Flexible pavement design and analysis were carried out in the past with semi-experimental methods, using elastic characteristics of pavement layers. Due to the complex interferences between various layers and their time consumption, the traditional pavement analysis, and design methods were replaced with fast and powerful methods including the Finite Element Method (FEM) and the Discrete Element Method (DEM). FEM requires less computational power and is more appropriate for continuous environments. In this study, flexible pavement consisting of 5 layers (surface, binder, base, subbase, and subgrade) had been analyzed using FEM. The ABAQUS (6.14-2) software had been utilized to investigate the influence of the base layer depth on vertical stresses and displacements. Three different thicknesses were adopted (10, 20, and 30cm) with constant other pavement layer thicknesses. The results of this study showed that the stress levels at the top of the base layer increased by about 37% when the thickness of this layer increased from 10cm to 30cm, while the stress levels at the top of the subbase layer decreased by about 64%. When the base layer increased from 10 to 20, from 20 to 30, and from 10 to 30cm the vertical displacement decreased by 18%, 24%, and 37% respectively.
CMOS Op-Amp with Positive Feedback

This paper presents a 0.8 V fully differential CMOS op-amp. The input stage of the circuit is designed using quasi­ floating-gate (QFG) transistors with positive feedback, while QFG transistors in the output stage are connected in the class AB configuration. QFG transistors are employed, enabling the circuit to operate under low supply voltage. The proposed amplifier is designed using 0.18 Ilm CMOS technology, and simulation results show rail-to-rail input and output swings. The open-loop gain is 80.4 dB with the gain-bandwidth product of 8.66 MHz. Phase margin is 45° (CL= 20 pF). The CMRR is 107 dB (at 1 kHz) and the power consumption is 54.9 IlW.
Managing negative electronic word of mouth: a study of British hotels

Previous research has shown that electronic word of mouth (eWOM) has a great impact on customers’ behaviour and consequently businesses’s success (Vermeulen and Seegers, 2009, Kandampully, 2008). Negative eWOM is particularly critical, as information seekers give it more attention (Lee et al., 2008). This in turn has led to an increasing interest in this phenomenon aiming to understand the problem and offer the solutions (Chen and Xie, 2008, Chen and Xie, 2005). Nonetheless, most of the studies have focused on customers’ perspective in particular forgetting that what negative eWOM is, how it affects businesses and how it should be handled are parts of the sellers’ reality. Therefore, using hospitality industry as a context and customer reviews (CR) as a terminal of eWOM, this research aims to shed some light on the practitioners’ perspective. It mainly aims to explore what strategies managers/owners follow to respond to nCR and explain why. Netnography combined with multi-cases were used to build an input-process-output model that shows how managers/owners respond to negative customer reviews (nCR). The inputs include managers/owners perception of nCR. Perception in turn has three dimensions: opportunity, threat, and indication of service quality. The process includes the factors that might affect managers/owners' strategies adoption decision: market strategy, overall strategy, and operation strategy. Finally, the outputs refer to the online and offline strategies that managers/owners follow to respond to nCR. Online response strategies have three dimensions: distributive, interactional and responsibility. Based on these dimensions, four response strategies were developed as follows: responsive, defensive, diplomatic and no response strategy. In terms of offline response strategies, this study has found that there are two strategies based on the time dimension which are proactive and reactive strategy.
Improving Police-Public Conflict Resolution to Improve Sustainability Decision Strategy

Negative police-public interactions in the United States and around the world raise legitimate concerns about human rights, public safety, and negative ex-ternalities that directly impact on UN Sustainable Development Goals 1 (No Poverty), 10 (Reduced Inequalities), and 16 (Peace, Justice, and Stronger In-stitutions). These interactions can be in the form of unnecessary or avoidable arrests, unpleasant vocal exchanges, physical violence, and even lethal force. Such events have happened in the United States and in other countries to a level that has caused concern both in government and in the public. These negative interactions can both exacerbate and stem from inequalities and act against both true justice and local peace, as well as easily weaken valuable institutions. In order to gain insight for the purpose of improving these aspects of social sustainability, such negative police-public interactions can be conceptualised by mechanisms of strategic interaction and subconscious games. That conceptual framework can provide underlying justification for a pathway to improvement. This study applies a multipoint gravitational model as a model of influence, and considers the presence of subconscious games in the style of Eric Berne and their impact on strategic interaction. The study then subdivides the police, government, and public into several logical categories regarding attitudes and opinions and associated decision strategy regarding negative police-public interaction, and models them according to Choice Waves within the framework of the Theory of Economic Parallel Rationality. That is then used to propose a mechanism for reducing and potentially eliminating negative police-public interactions and provide mathematical, sta-tistical, and logical justification for improvement pathways. The current apparent misalignment of incentives identified in the study will continue to provide a significant challenge to overcome. The tween the police and the public.
Coordinated Controller Design of Grid-connected Variable-speed Wind Energy Conversion System with Model-based Predictive Control Using Response Surface Methodology

Abstract This paper presents an optimum design procedure for the coordinated tuning of machine side converter (MSC) and grid side converter (GSC) controllers of grid connected permanent magnet synchronous generator (PMSG). Model based predictive controller (MBPC) is used to control the MSC. MBPC based speed control design consists of two steps. A linearized state space model is employed to predict the future output (rotor speed). An optimal control law is derived by minimizing a quadratic performance index that considers the control effort and the difference between the predicted rotor speed and the reference rotor speed. A proportional-integral (PI) controller is used to control the GSC. The MSC and GSC controller parameters are determined by simultaneously optimizing the controller performance indices. The coordinated controller design is carried out in two steps. The analytical expression that relates the performance indices and the controller parameters is arrived using response surface methodology (RSM). The determination of controller parameters is posed as a constrained multi-objective optimization problem and solved employing NSGA-II (non-dominated sorted genetic algorithm II). The proposed methodology is tested on a sample power system with PMSG based WECS (Wind Energy Conversion System). Simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed methodology.