Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Improving Performance of CIGS Solar Cells by Annealing ITO Thin Films Electrodes

Indium tin oxide (ITO) thin films were grown on glass substrates by direct current (DC) reactive magnetron sputtering at room temperature. Annealing at the optimal temperature can considerably improve the composition, structure, optical properties, and electrical properties of the ITO film. An ITO sample with a favorable crystalline structure was obtained by annealing in fixed oxygen/argon ratio of 0.03 at 400°C for 30 min. The carrier concentration, mobility, resistivity, band gap, transmission in the visible-light region, and transmission in the near-IR regions of the ITO sample were cm−3, cm2/Vs, Ohm-cm, 3.2 eV, 89.1%, and 94.7%, respectively. Thus, annealing improved the average transmissions (400–1200 nm) of the ITO film by 16.36%. Moreover, annealing a copper-indium-gallium-diselenide (CIGS) solar cell at 400°C for 30 min in air improved its efficiency by 18.75%. The characteristics of annealing ITO films importantly affect the structural, morphological, electrical, and optical properties of ITO films that are used in solar cells.
A HIGH SELECTIVITY QUADRUPLE-MODE BPF WITH TWO SHORT-CIRCUITED STUB-LOADED SIRS

In this paper, a high selectivity quadruple-mode bandpass fllter (BPF) with source-load coupling is proposed. This fllter uses two short-circuited stub-loaded stepped-impedance resonators (SIRs) which have the same type but difierent size. Two SIRs can generate four operating modes, which can be approximately adjusted individually. Owing to the special design of the fllter, the coupling of two resonators is weak. In each resonator, the even-mode frequency can be ∞exibly controlled by changing the length of the short stub, whereas the odd-mode one remains stationary. Due to the source-load coupling, two transmission zeros are close to the cut-ofi frequencies of the passband, which leads to high selectivity. Simulated results show that central frequency is 2.27GHz with 3-dB fractional bandwidth of 22.9%. The measured and simulated results are well complied with each other.
INVESTIGATING THE INTERACTION BETWEEN A HUMAN HEAD AND A SMART HANDSET FOR 4G MOBILE COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS

In this paper we evaluate the potential of a 5-element monopole array incorporated into a handheld device for beamforming in the 5.0-GHz band. The geometry of the handset consists of a 5-element array: four elements located at the handset corners and the fifth-element located at the center. Also, the interaction of the antenna array, mounted on a mobile handset, with a human head phantom is investigated. Firstly, the spatial peak specific absorption rate (SAR) values of 5-element array antennas for mobile handsets in the vicinity of a spherical phantom of a human head are evaluated numerically as a function of the distance between the handset and the head phantom for two different scenarios. Next, the effect of the human head on the handset radiation pattern is studied. The effect of different handset positions on the radiation pattern is also considered. The particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm is used to optimize the complex excitations of the adaptive arrays elements in a mutual coupling environment for beamforming synthesis. All numerical simulations are performed using the FEKO Suite 5.3
Existence of a Short-Run Equilibrium of the Dixit-Stiglitz-Krugman Model

Each short-run equilibrium of the Dixit-Stiglitz-Krugman model is defined as a solution to the wage equation when the distributions of workers and farmers are given functions. We extend the discrete nonlinear operator contained in the wage equation as a set-valued operator. Applying the Kakutani fixed-point theorem to the set-valued operator, under the most general assumptions, we prove that the model has a short-run equilibrium.
Analytic sampling-circuit model

We develop analytic expressions for the impulse response and kickout pulses of a simple sampling circuit that incorporate the nonlinear junction capacitance of the sampling diode. We examine the effects of both the time-varying junction capacitance and conductance on the impulse response and kickout pulses, and discuss their impact on the accuracy of the nose-to-nose calibration technique.
A methodology for appraising and selecting strategies to mitigate desertification based on stakeholder participation and global best practices

The main aim of the methodology presented in this paper is to provide a framework for a participatory process for the appraisal and selection of options to mitigate desertification and land degradation. This methodology is being developed within the EU project DESIRE (www.desire-project.eu/) in collaboration with WOCAT (www.wocat.org). It is used to select promising conservation strategies for test-implementation in each of the 16 degradation and desertification hotspot sites in the Mediterranean and around the world. The methodology consists of three main parts: In a first step, prevention and mitigation strategies already applied at the respective DESIRE study site are identified and listed during a workshop with representatives of different stakeholders groups (land users, policy makers, researchers). The participatory and process-oriented approach initiates a mutual learning process among the different stakeholders by sharing knowledge and jointly reflecting on current problems and solutions related to land degradation and desertification. In the second step these identified, locally applied solutions (technologies and approaches) are assessed with the help of the WOCAT methodology. Comprehensive questionnaires and a database system have been developed to document and evaluate all relevant aspects of technical measures as well as implementation approaches by teams of researchers and specialists, together with land users. This research process ensures systematic assessing and piecing together of local information, together with specific details about the environmental and socio-economic setting. The third part consists of another stakeholder workshop where promising strategies for sustainable land management in the given context are selected, based on the best practices database of WOCAT, including the evaluated locally applied strategies at the DESIRE sites. These promising strategies will be assessed with the help of a selection and decision support tool and adapted for test-implementation at the study site.
Microscopic view on Landau level broadening mechanisms in graphene

Placing a two-dimensional sheet of graphene in an external magnetic field the continuous electronic band structure is discretized due to Landau quantization. The resulting optical transitions are subject to a broadening, which can lead to a significant overlap of Landau levels. We investigate the possible microscopic processes that could cause a broadening of the corresponding peaks in the absorption spectrum of Landau-quantized graphene: (i) radiative decay, (ii) Coulomb interaction, (iii) optical phonons, (iv) acoustic phonons, and (v) impurities. Since recent experiments have shown that independent of the magnetic field the resolvable number of Landau levels is constant, we put a special focus on the dependence of the broadening on the external magnetic field B and the Landau level index n. Our calculations reveal the impurities to be the crucial broadening mechanism, where different regimes of well separated and densely spaced Landau levels need to be taken into account. Furthermore, carrier-carrier and carrier-phonon scattering give rise to a very specific dependence on the Landau level index n that has not been observed yet.
Two Lightweight DSLs for Rich UI Programming

User interfaces are evolving beyond bitmaps to include animation and special effects that utilize powerful graphics hardware. Unfortunately, the APIs used to implement these features are often not programmer friendly and can result in verbose code that is written in multiple languages. This paper describes our experience in improving UI library usability through lightweight domain speciﬁc languages (DSL) that are limited in scope to ease the use of library features rather than whole libraries. Lightweight DSL code is evaluated without meta-programming by using a hosting language’s conventional extensibility mechanisms such as operating overloading and automatic conversions. As a result, lightweight DSLs are easy to implement while their code can easily be modularized and manipulated by host language abstractions. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our technique through two C# lightweight DSLs for expressing databinding and pixel shading in Microsoft’s WPF UI library.
A Step-by-Step Chemical Recipe to Dye Commercial Cotton with Natural Indigo Dyes in an Open Bath for the Beginners and Artisans

With the emergence of the need for natural bio-based chemical dyed wearable substrates, such as apparel or textiles, the demand for value-added craftsmanship induced on apparel or textiles is also on the rise. Local artisans are also exporting their value-added apparel products by diversifying their product range creating more local employment. Nowadays global retail fashion houses are also introducing naturally dyed wearable substrates for the increasing consumer demand for eco-friendly green products and concerns with global climate change. Small and medium entrepreneurs (SMEs) or artisans are also keeping pace with this new trend of offering such natural dyed products to the consumers. Therefore, this has created a new space for local artisans to produce various designs using natural dyes. The natural indigo dyed product is in great demand in the high-end fashion retail houses as well as in boutiques. However, little knowledge is available for the artisans to apply indigo vat dyes naturally extracted from the leaves of Indigofera tinctoria plants, because of the lack of technical knowledge, complications of chemical recipe parameters, zero access to expensive heavy industrial machinery. Therefore, an attempt was taken to formulate an easy chemical recipe to dye cellulosic cotton fabric with natural indigo dyes without the need of any industrial dyeing machinery as well as conforming proper fastness to rubbing and washing, which are basically the major concerns for any vat dyed commercial products to meet the export demand. The chemicals used for this recipe formulation are also commercially available and cheap, making it an appropriate choice for local artisans to use and sell their finished end-product to exportable markets. The most important finding was the effect of vatting temperature to act as a major player to form water-soluble leucoindigo vat dyes from their insoluble solid dye state. Azo test was also conducted to confirm the absence of any carcinogenic amine containing any azo functional group that is harmful to the skin. Additionally, two different temperatures, such as 23oC and 30oC was used to produce the vatting recipe required for successful dyeing within 5 minutes at a lower temperature of 40°C, which will not cost any additional expenditure for the local artisans as they can produce this fermented vat on normal atmospheric conditions.
Probabilistic optimization of fatigue maintenance for welded components in steel bridges based on LEFM and LCCM

In this paper a probabilistic-based method for fatigue maintenance optimization of steel bridge’s welded joints, combined with linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM), the structure reliability, and life cycle cost method(LCCM) is proposed. The probabilistic analysis method can be used with the fatigue maintenance of steel bridges. Weld cracks are classified by its size and maintenance decisions, and are made according to its size classification. Maintenance cost is divided into inspection, repair and failure costs, according to the life cycle cost method. The maintenance optimization strategy is transformed to minimize the expected lifetime total costs with the constraints of the minimum acceptable reliability index to attain the most cost-optimal inspection and repair for the balanced costs between risk and safety. An example concerning the transverse stiffeners of welded components in the main girder of suspension bridge is investigated through the research of some parameters sensitivity. Among all the parameters, the inspection cost is the most remarkable. The optimal time interval of repair will delay based on the increase of the inspection cost. The optimal time interval of repair will advance based on the increase of repair cost. A discount rate can drastically change the value of the total cost, but when the probability of failure is very small, the increase of failure cost has little effect on the optimal time interval of repair. The method presented in this paper can be conducted using the similar maintenance of steel structures.
Observations of I 2 at a remote marine site

Abstract. Inorganic iodine plays a significant role in the photochemistry of the marine boundary layer, but the sources and cycling of iodine are not well understood. We report the first I2 observations in marine air that is not impacted by coastal macroalgal emissions or sea ice chemistry. The data clearly demonstrate that the very high I2 levels previously reported for coastal air are not representative of open ocean conditions. In this study, gas phase I2 was measured at the Cape Verde Atmospheric Observatory, a semi-remote site in the eastern tropical Atlantic, using atmospheric pressure chemical ionization tandem mass spectrometry. Atmospheric I2 levels typically increased beginning at sunset, leveled off after midnight, and then rapidly decreased at sunrise. There was also a smaller midday maximum in I2 that was probably caused by a measurement artifact. Ambient I2 mixing ratios ranged from
Formal Specification of the NoSQL Document-Oriented Data Model

We built formal definition of the NoSQL document-oriented data model. Two formal data models were built. The first data model is based on sets and second one is based on multisets (bags). The special relations called subdocument and subrecord were introduced. It is proven that those relations are preorder. Also general results about the cofinal relation on the sets are given.
Interactive comment on “The sensitivity of Secondary Organic Aerosol component partitioning to the predictions of component properties: part 2; determination of particle hygroscopicity and its dependence on “apparent” volatility” by D. O. Topping et al

closely examine the consequences of their claims for previous laboratory and field studies of hygroscopicity. The limit of discussion by the authors is on page 9030 when they state: “However, discrepancies in measurements of SOA particle hygroscopicity with multiple instruments have been reported in chamber experiments that could be attributable to effects such as those described here (Good et al., 2010;Duplissy et al., 2009), as has failure to achieve closure under nitrate rich conditions attributed to HTDMA evaporation of semi-volatiles”. Specifically, I think it is important that the authors expand on the phrase “that could be attributable to effects such as those described here”. Based on their description of the effect, it may be important to classify techniques according to how likely the equilibrium partitioning is to be maintained throughout the experiment. For example, measurements using a HTDMA approach might be expected to be susceptible to repartitioning to a different degree to EDB measurements. In the latter, the partitioning into a gas phase of continually flushed wet/dry nitrogen will be irreversible whereas measurements made using the former approach may, to some extent, allow the repartitioning to be reversible. In this case, the reported GFs could, presumably, just include an inherent correction factor for the greater partitioning by mass into the condensed phase at higher RH.
Extending Time Until Failure During Leaking in Inflatable, Pneumatically Actuated Soft Robots

Extending Time Until Failure During Leaking in Inflatable, Pneumatically Actuated Soft Robots Joshua Parker Wilson Department of Mechanical Engineering, BYU Master of Science Soft robots and particularly inflatable robots are of interest because they are lightweight, compact, robust to impact, and can interact with humans and their environment relatively safely compared to rigid and heavy traditional robots. Improved safety is due to their low mass that results in low-energy collisions and their compliant, soft construction. Inflatable robots (which are a type of soft robot) are also robust to impact and have a high torque to weight ratio. As a result inflatable robots may be used for many applications such as space exploration, search and rescue, and human-robot interaction. One of the potential problems with inflatable or pneumatically actuated robots is air leaking from the structural or actuation chambers. In this thesis methods are demonstrated to detect leaks in the structural and actuation chambers of inflatable and pneumatically actuated robots. It is then demonstrated that leaks can be slowed by lowering a target pressure which affects joint stiffness to prolong the life of the system. To demonstrate the effects of lowering the target pressure it is first shown that there exists a trade-off between the commanded target pressures at steady-state and the steady-state error at the robot end effector under normal operation. It is then shown that lowering the target pressure (which is related to stiffness) can extend the operational life of the system when compressed air is a limited resource. For actuator leaks a lower target pressure for the leaking joint is used to demonstrate the trade-off between slowing the leak rate and system performance. For structural leaks a novel control algorithm is demonstrated to lower target pressure as much as possible to slow the leak while maintaining a user specified level of accuracy. The method developed for structural leaks extends the operational life of the robot. Longterm error during operation is decreased by as much as 50% of the steady-state error at the end effector when compared to performance during a leak without the control algorithm. For actuation leaks in a joint with a high-torque load the possibility of a 30% increase in operation time while only increasing steady-state error by 2 cm on average is demonstrated. For a joint with a low-torque load it is shown that up to a 300% increase in operation time with less than 1 cm increased steady-state error is possible. The work presented in this thesis demonstrates that varying stiffness may be used to extend the operational life of a robot when a leak has occurred. The work discussed here could be used to extend the available operation time of pneumatic robots. The methods and principles presented here could also be adapted for use on other types of robots to preserve limited system resources (e.g., electrical power) and extend their operation time.
Efficient Nonlinear Precoding for Massive MU-MIMO Downlink Systems with 1-Bit DACs

The power consumption of digital-to-analog converters (DACs) constitutes a significant proportion of the total power consumption in a massive multiuser multiple-input multiple-output (MU-MIMO) base station (BS). Using 1-bit DACs can significantly reduce the power consumption. This paper addresses the precoding problem for the massive narrow-band MU-MIMO downlink system equipped with 1-bit DACs at each BS. In such a system, the precoding problem plays a central role as the precoded symbols are affected by extra distortion introduced by 1-bit DACs. In this paper, we develop a highly-efficient nonlinear precoding algorithm based on the alternative direction method framework. Unlike the classic algorithms, such as the semidefinite relaxation (SDR) and squared-infinity norm Douglas-Rachford splitting (SQUID) algorithms, which solve convex relaxed versions of the original precoding problem, the new algorithm solves the original nonconvex problem directly. The new algorithm is guaranteed to globally converge under some mild conditions. A sufficient condition for its convergence has been derived. Experimental results in various conditions demonstrated that, the new algorithm can achieve Lily Li and Dr. Qiu is with the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville, TN 38505 USA. Dr. Qiu is also with Department of Electrical Engineering, Research Center for Big Data and Artificial Intelligence Engineering and Technologies, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai 200240, China. (e-mail: rqiu@ieee.org). Lei Chu is with Department of Electrical Engineering, Research Center for Big Data Engineering Technology, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai 200240, China. (leochu@sjtu.edu.cn) Fei Wen (Corresponding author) is with the Department of Electronic Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China. (wenfei@sjtu.edu.cn) Dr. Qiu’s work is partially supported by N.S. F. of China under Grant No.61571296 and N.S. F. of US under Grant No. CNS-1619250. Dr. Wen’s work is supported by N.S. F. of China under Grant No.61871265.
Quality attributes and socio-demographic factors affecting channel choices

Potato is an important staple food and horticultural crop for Argentina and it is included in almost every meal prepared by households. The annual average per capita consumption of potatoes is 40 kg. Despite the rapid rise of supermarkets, small fruit and vegetable shops still dominate horticultural retail in Argentina. The fresh potato quality is a wide and subjective notion that deals with different kinds of attributes e.g., colour, flavor, nutritional contents, added substances during the productive processes and risks perceptions. Commercial channel preferences, knowledge about varieties, and opinions regarding bad quality attributes are important factors affecting fresh potatoes consumers choices. The aim of this research is to examine how consumers perceive quality characteristics of fresh potatoes and to identify quality attributes and socio-demographics factors affecting channels choices for buying potatoes. A representative sample of the population in this city included 500 randomly selected households. The urban households survey was carry out in the city of Mar del Plata, in June 2009 using a questionnaire - based on face to face interviews. The principal place of respondents choosing to purchase fresh potatoes is the fruits and vegetables stores (72 %), followed in importance with much lower percentages by supermarkets / hypermarkets (15 %) and other channels, such as community fairs, wholesaler market, self-production and direct vegetable delivery by producer (12 %). In order to examine the relationship between preferences for certain quality attributes of fresh potato and socio-economic variables of households about their choice of purchase channel, we applied a multinomial logit regression (MNL). According to the econometric results, we can conclude that fruits and vegetables stores are preferred by decision maker buying fresh potatoes with brown skin colour, with knowledge about potato carbohydrate contribution, and having age under 55 years old. Also this channel is chosen, compared with the supermarkets / hypermarkets, by those consumers that consider price as an important factor when buying unpacked fresh potatoes.