Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Increased expression of genes involved in biofilm formation in a multidrug-resistant environmental Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolate

Introduction: Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an important opportunistic pathogen associated with majority of the hospital-acquired infections in immunocompromised patients, worldwide. Biofilms formed by this bacterium increase its resistance toward antibiotics, which in turn increase morbidity and mortality. As environmental isolates of P. aeruginosa are also capable of producing virulence-associated traits, they can be considered as potential pathogens. Materials and Methods: This study was undertaken to compare the expression of some of the biofilm genes such as algD, pslA, pslB, pelA, and pelD in environmental and clinical isolates of P. aeruginosa isolated from Coastal Karnataka. The expression of biofilm-forming genes in strong biofilm-forming P. aeruginosa isolated from sputum (HS26), wound swab (HW20), and environment (EN4) were quantified at different time points of incubation (18, 25, 48, and 72 h). In addition, the sensitivity of the selected isolates to commonly used antibiotics (amikacin, aztreonam, carbenicillin, ciprofloxacin, cefotaxime, imipenem, and gentamicin) was investigated. Results: The current investigation revealed the presence of a multidrug-resistant environmental isolate with higher expression of the biofilm genes as compared to the clinical ones. In the environmental isolate, the relative expression of pslA, pslB, pelD, and pelA gene was increased by 11, 10, 10, and 9 folds, respectively, at 48 h. Conclusion: The study suggests the possibility of such multidrug-resistant biofilm-forming environmental isolates of P. aeruginosa getting transferred to the hospital setting and causing life-threatening biofilm-associated infections.
REPOPSI: The open repository of psychological instruments in Serbian

: The Repository of Psychological Instruments in Serbian (REPOPSI; https://osf.io/5zb8p/), run by the Laboratory for Research of Individual Differences at the University of Belgrade and hosted on the Open Science Framework, is an open-access repository of psychological instruments. REPOPSI is a collection of over 130 instruments (e.g., scales, tests) commonly used in social and behavioral science research. Documented are Serbian, English and multilingual instruments, which can be used free of charge for non-commercial purposes (e.g., academic research or education). We argue that REPOPSI enables scientists to increase the efficiency of their research and the visibility of their output. We analyze REPOPSI’s commitment to ensure that its (meta)data is findable, accessible, interoperable, and reusable (the FAIR Data Principles) and its trustworthiness with respect to transparency, responsibility, user focus, sustainability, and technology (the TRUST principles). Finally, we describe how the FAIR and the TRUST principles will support the process of continuous improvement of REPOPSI.
A more accurate permanent magnet synchronous motor model by taking parameter variations and loss components into account for sensorless control applications

Development of sensorless control schemes for permanent magnet synchronous machines and related topics of machine parameter estimation have received much attention during the last few years. Most of the sensorless schemes are based on the measurements of motor currents, voltages, and motor parameters. Subsequently the accuracy of such methods greatly depends on the availability of an accurate circuit model for the motor. This paper presents a detailed analytical method to obtain an accurate synchronous reference frame motor model by taking loss components and parameter variations into account. Also, a method for on-line parameter identification to improve the model, test schemes to measure the equivalent circuit parameters and to calculate constants that govern the parameter variations, are discussed.
MEMS pressure belt with sensor interface and communication architecture

Boeing utilizes many different sensor types and their associated electronic systems for aircraft testing. An array of sensors are being used to determine the load on the wings of an aircraft. We have developed a MEMS sensor network, which takes advantage of this technology. In this paper, we report the development of a 'pressure belt' containing a electronic packaging configuration incorporating MEMS pressure sensors and multi-chip modules. A thin profile of less than 0.070 inch was required for aerodynamic reasons. The MCM substrate was fabricated on oxidized silicon using copper as the conductor and photo-sensitive polyimide as the dielectric material. Direct-chip-attachment (flip chip) process was used to bond the MEMS device to the module and the bus connection was conducted through embedded copper on a flex PCB to the host computer. An encapsulation material for the protection of the bare electronic components was selected for improving the reliability of the module. Improvements in the signal conditioning and processing are being incorporated into the pressure belt. The design includes a signal conditioning unit that includes analog to digital conversion, a digital filter, temperature compensation and conversion to engineering units.
Design of freeform illumination sources with arbitrary polarization for immersion lithography

Polarized illumination and source mask optimization (SMO) are two prominent resolution enhancement technologies (RETs) in immersion lithography. Recently, source-mask-polarization optimization (SMPO) has been developed to support photolithographic process shrinks, which shows that the illumination system with arbitrary intensity and polarization distribution of light in the pupil is emergency. In this paper, we propose a unique illumination system design to match the target SMPO source and meet the requirement of immersion lithography at 45-16 nm node. In our designed illumination system, the adjustable λ/2 wave plates and mirror array are introduced to produce arbitrary intensity and polarization distribution of light in the pupil. The three λ/2 wave plates are designed to that can move freely in certain planes perpendicular to the optical path. To produce target SMPO sources, the positions of thousands spots reflected by adjustable mirrors array are firstly designed and optimized to approximate the target intensity distribution in the pupil corresponding to unpolarized light. Then the target polarization states in all the spots are obtained in the pupil by designing and optimizing the relative positions of the three wave plates. Compared with prior design method, our design results show that the intensity distribution and polarization state of all spots in the pupil match the target SMPO source accurately and efficiently with lower intensity lost.
PTC Effect of Physical Factors on Micropropagation of Anthurium andreanum

Anthurium shoot tips were successfully micropropagated on either agar- or rockwool-based substrates in either conventional glass bottles with (Milliseal ® added) or without aeration, or within a Neoflon® PFA film Culture Pack®, with modified half strength of MS as the medium of choice. Rockwool proved to be a far better substrate than agar, while aeration, provided either by the presence of a Milliseal® on the cap or by the use of Neoflon® PFA film, enhanced the growth, rooting and subsequent acclimatization (100%) of this popular ornamental plant. A scaled-up model was then applied for the mass production (96 plants per vessel) of Anthurium with similar positive growth results.
Aggregating and Modeling Automated Pavement Condition Survey Data for Flexible Pavements for Use in Pavement Management

The paper documents part of the initial engineering configuration of the new California pavement management system, known as PaveM. This paper examines the aggregation of flexible pavement cracking data from the automated pavement condition survey to network management sections and the combination of these measurements into condition variables, along with the decision tree that is used to determine treatments. The performance models used to predict condition are detailed, along with the statistical methodology used to develop them. The paper discusses some of the pitfalls of using highly detailed survey data, along with the benefits, and the lessons learned in the process.
Six Years Experience With The Brega Single Anchor Leg Mooring

The first SALM (Single Anchor Leg Mooring) was installed at Brega, Libya, in October, 1969. During the next six years over 229 million barrels of crude oil were loaded through the facility. In October, 1975 all components of the SALM, with the exception of the base, were removed and brought ashore for inspection, maintenance, and reinstallation. This was the first detailed inspection and maintenance of most of the components. This paper discusses pertinent experience gained during the first six years of operation of the Brega SALM. Several modifications were made to improve performance during previous partial inspection and maintenance actions and during the major inspection and maintenance of October 1975. The eye-to-eye connection between the anchor chain and the buoy was replaced in 1972 because of excessive wear. Changes have been made in the underwater hose system to improve reliability. The overall performance of the Brega SALM has been remarkably good considering its prototype nature. This paper also describes the findings of the first major inspection and maintenance of a SALM. The buoy and riser only required repainting. Some hose which had been in service for six years was in need of replacement. Although most underwater swivels were still serviceable, two swivels had developed minor leaks during the last year of operation. The universal joints were found to be in good condition.
Modelling complex pipeline network leak detection systems

A novel model for detecting leaks in complex pipeline network systems has been developed. The model derives from the theory of Liapunov stability criteria. A leak is detected if the resulting eigenvalues from the deviation flow matrix have values less than a predetermined value. An advanced mesh network algorithm was used to decompose the complex pipeline network system into sub-networks. The flow model (equations of motion and continuity) which incorporates a leaking factor, kL, is solved by a numerical technique that uses the method of characteristics and an implicit finite function. The unsteady state flow matrix of the complex pipeline network system was analysed using a modified Hardy Cross algorithm, where the velocity and pressure were computed for each node and pipeline loop in the complex network. The plots for the characteristic pressure and velocity eigenvalues show that pressure measurements are faster parameters for leak detection than volume measurements. Volume measurements appear to be suitable for larger leak systems and longer response time.
Integrated Assessment of Surface Water Quality in Danube River Chilia Branch

The Chilia branch is the north branch of the Danube River at the Romania-Ukraine border in the Danube Delta; it is a complex system with economic and ecological values. The surface water quality is a major concern and monitoring programs have been developed at the national and international level. The objective of this study was to evaluate the water quality of the Chilia branch in different sampling points from the mouth to the discharge in the Black Sea. The assessment of water quality was done at the individual level taking into account the nutrient concentrations and the standard limits for good ecological status and at integrative levels, using CCME WQI. The longitudinal distribution of Chilia branch water quality was done using GIS method. A total of 106 water samples were collected between 2013 and 2019 from five sampling points. At the individual level, the Chilia branch has a good ecological status except for its levels of total nitrogen, due to the organic nitrogen contribution in 2015. In 90% of nutrient concentrations, low values predominate and high values are considered extreme; only in 10% do high values predominate and low values are considered extreme concentrations. In equal percentages, 50% of the nutrient concentrations have a high degree of heterogeneity and the other 50% of concentration values are very close to the average values, with a high degree of homogeneity. CCME WQI method indicated that 39.93% of surface waters from the Chilia branch had an excellent quality, 45.45% a good quality, and only 14.62% a fair quality.
Review of time-domain polarization measurements for assessing insulation condition in aged transformers

This paper presents a review of the time-domain polarization measurement techniques for the condition assessment of aged transformer insulation. The polarization process is first described with appropriate dielectric response theories and then commonly used polarization methods are described with special emphasis on the most widely used "return voltage" (RV) measurement. Most recent emphasis has been directed to techniques of determining moisture content of insulation indirectly by measuring RV parameters. The major difficulty still lies with the accurate interpretation of return voltage results. This paper investigates different thoughts regarding the interpretation of RV results for different moisture and ageing conditions. Other time domain polarization measurement techniques and their results are also presented in this paper.
Short-term variation of plankton spatial distribution at a subtropical mixed estuarine system.

The horizontal distribution of plankton communities in a subtropical mixed estuarine system over one tidal cycle was investigated. Hydrological and planktonic samples were obtained twice on 17 July 2007 in a transect with ten stations in the Babitonga Bay estuary, south Brazil (~26°S). Hydrological variables did not vary spatially or tidally during samplings. However, in the cluster analyses both phyto and zooplankton were structured according to their estuarine position and in the inner stations also by the tidal condition. Phytoplankton abundances were higher during flood tide in the inner estuary (max. 122,583 ind.L-1), where diatoms dominated, particularly Diploneis bombus. However, the density at ebb tide increased towards outer estuary (max. >100,000 ind.L-1) and flagellates, mostly Gymnodinium spp. , became abundant. Zooplankton abundances were higher at intermediate stations during both tides (max. 13,691 ind.m-3). The innermost stations were dominated by the copepod Acartia tonsa, while in the outermost stations Temora turbinata and the polychaete larvae Loimia sp. dominated. The results demonstrate how variable the estuarine plankton horizontal structure can be over short time-scales even in mixed estuarine systems under relatively homogeneous conditions, highlighting the importance to consider such temporal scales for a more accurate understanding of the dynamics of these communities.
Objective Evaluation Of Seam Pucker On Textiles By Using Self-organizing Map

Evaluation of seam puckers is one of the most important aspects for quality control in garments manufacturing industry. Seam puckers lead to garments aesthetically unacceptable and may also cause inconvenience in wear. At present, seam pucker evaluation is mainly carried out by human inspectors, which is subjective, unreliable and time-consuming. Instead of manual evaluation, this paper presents an objective method by using image analysis and pattern recognition technologies. The evaluation system consists of image acquisition, image normalization, feature extraction and self organizing map classifier. Textural features of seam puckers are studied with a widely used statistical method, the co-occurrence matrix approach. After training, the self organizing map classifier can grade unidentified seam puckers and the experiments results demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed approach.
Fatigue life estimation of non‐penetrated butt weldments in ligth metals by artificial neural network approach

This study presents a model for estimating the fatigue life of magnesium and aluminium non‐penetrated butt‐welded joints using Artificial Neural Network (ANN). The input parameters for the network are stress concentration factor Kt and nominal stress amplitude sa,n. The output parameter is the endurable number of load cycles N. Fatigue data were collected from the literature from three different sources. The experimental tests, on which the fatigue data are based, were carried out at the Fraunhofer Institute for Structural Durability and System Reliability (LBF), Darmstadt – Germany. The results determined with use of artificial neural network for welded magnesium and aluminium joints are displayed in the same scatter bands of SN‐lines. It is observed that the trained results are in good agreement with the tested data and artificial neural network is applicable for estimating the SN‐lines for non‐penetrated welded magnesium and aluminium joints under cyclic loading.
Ethical Decision Making during Automated Vehicle Crashes

Automated vehicles have received much attention recently, particularly the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Urban Challenge vehicles, Google's self-driving cars, and various others from auto manufacturers. These vehicles have the potential to reduce crashes and improve roadway efficiency significantly by automating the responsibilities of the driver. Still, automated vehicles are expected to crash occasionally, even when all sensors, vehicle control components, and algorithms function perfectly. If a human driver is unable to take control in time, a computer will be responsible for precrash behavior. Unlike other automated vehicles, such as aircraft, in which every collision is catastrophic, and unlike guided track systems, which can avoid collisions only in one dimension, automated roadway vehicles can predict various crash trajectory alternatives and select a path with the lowest damage or likelihood of collision. In some situations, the preferred path may be ambiguous. The study reported here investigated automated vehicle crashing and concluded the following: (a) automated vehicles would almost certainly crash, (b) an automated vehicle's decisions that preceded certain crashes had a moral component, and (c) there was no obvious way to encode complex human morals effectively in software. The paper presents a three-phase approach to develop ethical crashing algorithms; the approach consists of a rational approach, an artificial intelligence approach, and a natural language requirement. The phases are theoretical and should be implemented as the technology becomes available.
On-line mechanical unbalance estimation for permanent magnet synchronous machine drives

An on-line mechanical unbalance estimation for permanent magnet synchronous machine (PMSM) drives is presented. At high speeds, either rotor or mechanical load unbalance generates vibration that can cause mechanical failure such as a defect of a bearing or shaft. To prevent failure and minimise mechanical vibration, the amount of the rotating unbalance should be detected in real time. The information of the estimated unbalance can be utilised to manage an operation to achieve the durability of mechanical parts. The dynamic nature of a mechanical system with a PMSM with regard to unbalance is investigated. From this examination, the models of the stator current in time and frequency domains for PMSMs are presented to develop a robust real-time unbalance estimation scheme. Based on the modelling and analysis of a rotating mechanical system using a PMSM drive, a compact unbalance estimation algorithm is proposed. The algorithm is combined with an open-loop torque observer and an unbalance estimator using a filter. Experimental results show the validation of the developed model and the proposed on-line unbalance estimation scheme.
Review of Continuously Variable Transmission Powertrain System for Hybrid Electric Vehicles

In this paper, a review of the state-of-the-art of various CVT powertrain systems now used or being planned for future use in HEVs is presented. These CVT powertrain systems are classified into three main categories: mechanical CVT, electromechanical CVT (ECVT) and pure electrical CVT (EVT). The research development, system architecture, operation characteristics and the merits and drawbacks of each type are discussed.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Resilience: the concept, a literature review and future directions

In an ever-more interconnected world (social, technological and environmental), no organisation can retain a competitive position and survive disruptions as an independent entity. This article provides a review of resilience literature in its widest context and later its application at an organisational level context. The origins of the concept are reported and consequently, the various fields of research are analysed. The concept is shown to remain essentially constant regardless of its field of enquiry and has much to inform the fields of organisation theory, strategy and operations management. This article identifies a number of areas for advancing resilience research, in particular: the relationship between human and organisational resilience; understanding interfaces between organisational and infrastructural resilience.
Closing the Gap: Tighter Analysis of Alternating Stochastic Gradient Methods for Bilevel Problems

Stochastic nested optimization, including stochastic bilevel, min-max, and compositional optimization, is gaining popularity in many machine learning applications. While the three problems share a nested structure, existing works often treat them separately, thus developing problem-specific algorithms and analyses. Among various exciting developments, simple SGD-type updates (potentially on multiple variables) are still prevalent in solving this class of nested problems, but they are believed to have a slower convergence rate than non-nested problems. This paper unifies several SGD-type updates for stochastic nested problems into a single SGD approach that we term ALternating Stochastic gradient dEscenT (ALSET) method. By leveraging the hidden smoothness of the problem, this paper presents a tighter analysis of ALSET for stochastic nested problems. Under the new analysis, to achieve an -stationary point of the nested problem, it requires O( −2) samples in total. Under certain regularity conditions, applying our results to stochastic compositional, min-max, and reinforcement learning problems either improves or matches the best-known sample complexity in the respective cases. Our results explain why simple SGD-type algorithms in stochastic nested problems all work very well in practice without the need for further modifications.