Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Value of Information for Sewer Replacement Decisions

Decision-making for sewer asset management is partially based on intuition and often lacks explicit argumentation, hampering decision transparency and reproducibility. It is unknown to what extent each information source is appreciated by decision makers. Further insight into this relative importance and into implicit factors, improves understanding of decision-making of sewer system managers. As such, a digital questionnaire (response ratio 43%), containing pairwise comparisons between ten relevant information sources, was sent to every municipality in the Netherlands to analyse the relative importance and assess whether a shared frame of reasoning is present. Thurstone’s law of comparative judgment was used for analysis, combined with several consistency tests. Results show that camera inspections were valued highest, while pipe age was considered least important. The respondents were pretty consistent per individual and also showed consistency as a group. This indicated a common framework of reasoning among the group. The feedback of the group showed, however, the respondents found it difficult to make general comparisons without having a context. This indicates decision-making in practice is more likely to be steered by other mechanisms than purely combining information sources.
Battery Test Manual For Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles

This battery test procedure manual was prepared for the United States Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Vehicle Technologies Program. It is based on technical targets established for energy storage development projects aimed at meeting system level DOE goals for Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV). The specific procedures defined in this manual support the performance and life characterization of advanced battery devices under development for PHEV’s. However, it does share some methods described in the previously published battery test manual for power-assist hybrid electric vehicles. Due to the complexity of some of the procedures and supporting analysis, a revision including some modifications and clarifications of these procedures is expected. As in previous battery and capacitor test manuals, this version of the manual defines testing methods for full-size battery systems, along with provisions for scaling these tests for modules, cells or other subscale level devices.
Toggle magnetic random access memory cells scalable to a capacity of over 100 megabits

We investigated the toggle-writing characteristics of magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) with minimum bit widths as narrow as 90 nm. The MTJs were fabricated using electron-beam lithography and a 0.24 μm complementary metal-oxide semiconductor process. Here, we discuss the scalability in bit writing of toggle magnetic random access memories (MRAMs) with toggle cells consisting of two soft magnetic layers ferromagnetically coupled with synthetic antiferromagnets (2SL-FC-SAFs). The effect of the structures of 2SL-FC-SAFs on toggle writing against a reduction in bit width was examined. Taking account of the distributions of seven standard deviations, 2SL-FC-SAFs were shown to decrease the writing current to around 3 mA when a Cu yoke wire was used for writing lines, while maintaining the writing margin in both 110 and 170 nm wide MTJs. The thermal activation robustness of these cells, which was measured by the direct switching probability versus the pulse field duration, ensures 10-year retentions. These writi.
Origins of strain localization in a silver-based flexible ink under tensile load

Flexible electronics often employ composite inks consisting of conductive flakes embedded in a polymer matrix to transmit electrical signal. Recently, localized necking was identified as a cause of a substantial increase in normalized resistance with applied strain thereby adversely impacting electrical performance. The current study explores two possible contributing factors for the formation of such localization—ink surface roughness and local variations in silver flake volume fraction. Uniaxial tension experiments of a DuPont 5025 type ink are used to inform a constitutive model implemented using finite element method on different substrates. Surface roughness was modeled by sinusoidal variation in ink height, whose amplitude and wavelength are informed by experimental laser profilometry scan data. Local flake fraction variations obtained from experimental measurements before applying any strain, were modeled as local variations in the elastic modulus according to an inverse rule of mixtures between the silver flake and acrylic binder material properties. The study identified that the ink height roughness is the most impactful contributor to the subsequent strain localization. The substrate elastic properties impact the number and magnitude of localization bands, with the stiffer substrate delocalizing strain and averting catastrophic crack formation seen with a more compliant substrate. The model incorporating surface roughness closely matches experimental measurements of local strain across different substrates. The study can inform designers of the adverse impact of ink surface roughness on localization and subsequent detrimental increase of the resistance.
Planar millimeter-wave antennas using SiN/sub x/-membranes on GaAs

Planar aperture coupled microstrip antennas for 77 GHz are demonstrated for the first time. As far as possible standard GaAs monolithic microwave/millimeter-wave integrated circuit (MMIC) technology is used to realize the antennas. The antenna patches are suspended on a thin dielectric SiN/sub x/ membrane on GaAs substrate. Therefore a novel plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) process step for the fabrication of the membranes is developed and described. The single antenna patches are coupled to a microstrip line through an aperture in the ground metallization. The method of moments in spectral domain is applied to design the patches. The feed network of a 3/spl times/1 antenna array for homogeneous excitation is simulated and optimized with a microwave design system (MDS). From reflection measurements the operation frequency of this triple patch antenna is determined to be 77.6 GHz. The farfield antenna characteristics are measured in an anechoic chamber, showing good agreement between simulated and measured results and a co- to cross-polarization isolation better than 30 dB.
Linear-Chain Nanostructured Carbon with a Silver Film Plated on Metal Components Has a Promising Effect for the Treatment of Periprosthetic Joint Infection

Background: Due to the aging of the world population, the number of joint diseases, along with the number of arthroplasties, has increased, simultaneously increasing the amount of complications, including periprosthetic joint infection (PPI). In this study, to combat a PPI, we investigated the antimicrobial properties of the new composite cover for titanium implants, silver-doped carbyne-like carbon (S-CLC) film. Methods: The first assay investigated the antimicrobial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and releasing of silver ions from S-CLC films into growth media covered with S-CLC with a thickness of 1, 2, and 4 mm. The second assay determined the direct antibacterial properties of the S-CLC film’s surface against Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, or P. aeruginosa. The third assay studied the formation of microbial biofilms of S. aureus or P. aeruginosa on the S-CLC coating. Silver-doped carbyne-like carbon (S-CLC)-covered or titanium plates alone were used as controls. Results: S-CLC films, compared to controls, prevented P. aeruginosa growth on 1 mm thickness agar; had direct antimicrobial properties against S. aureus, E. faecalis, and P. aeruginosa; and could prevent P. aeruginosa biofilm formation. Conclusions: S-CLC films on the Ti surface could successfully fight the most common infectious agent in PPI, and prevented biofilm formation.
Optimal Returns in Indian Stock Market during Global Pandemic: A Comparative Study

This research is an extension of our previous work [Debnath and Srivastava (2021)]. In that paper, we designed a portfolio based on data taken from National Stock Exchange (NSE), India, during 1 January 2020 to 31 December 2020 and performance of that portfolio in real-life situation was examined during 1 January 2021 to 21 May 2021 assuming investments were made according to the proposed model. We observed that our proposed portfolio was efficient enough in that period to beat the performance of most of the in-demand mutual funds. It was also conjectured that this portfolio would be sustainable post the second wave of COVID-19 in India. In the present paper, our aim is to validate this conjecture. Here, we examine the performance of this portfolio during the period 1 January 2021 to 18 October 2021 using the same previous data set. We also investigate the performance of this portfolio if it was blindly adopted without applying the stock selection methodology during 1 January 2019 to 31 December 2019. Using paired t-test between the difference of means of the performances in the year 2019 and the year 2021, we show that the performance in 2021 was significantly enhanced because of selecting the stocks applying our proposed model.
Phase-shifterless beam-steering micro-slotline antenna

A novel beam-steering leaky-wave antenna that uses reactive loading capacitors along the leaky line is presented. The reactive loading varies the phase constant of the leaky line, altering the direction of the main beam. A prototype was constructed and tested, demonstrating that a beam scanning angle of 23/spl deg/ is obtained by periodically loading the 0.06527 pF capacitors along the leaky line at 4 GHz. An electronic beam-steering antenna of scanning angle 13/spl deg/ was established by replacing the metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitors with varactors.
Organic micropollutants in raw and treated greywater: a preliminary investigation

Effluent and influent of a constructed wetland treating separately collected greywater were subjected to liquid/liquid extraction with dichloromethane as well as to solid phase extraction. Extracts were analysed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. More than 80 organics were tentatively identified or roughly characterised in the raw greywater by their mass spectra. A lower number (26) of organic compounds was tentatively identified in the constructed wetland's effluent. Major compounds found in at least one extract of the effluent were an alkane, a squalene isomer, hexadecanoic acid, two not exactly identified phthalates, tris-chloropropyl phosphate, an acephylline derivative and an unidentified nitrogenous heterocycle. The persistent flame retardant tris-chloropropyl phosphate and a couple of phthalates found in the biologically treated greywater are of concern when biologically treated greywater will be reused for high quality demand. Most of the trace organics found in the greywater samples were related to household chemicals, personal care products and foodstuffs.
Advances in fusion of high resolution underwater optical and acoustic data

We report efforts to merge data from the complementary modalities of optical and acoustic sensing for obtaining more accurate representations of the seafloor. We show that the principal obstacles to merging the acoustic and optical imaging modalities are the distortions inherent to each modality. The construction of geometrically accurate photomosaics is dominated by incremental errors arising as individual images are scaled and warped to form the photomosaic. For microbathymetric mapping, principal errors arise from sensor position and orientation calibration parameters that affect our ability to construct maps from sonar data that are commensurate with sensor and navigation resolution. We show that photomosaics can be combined with microbathymetry through simple, locally defined, finite element warps. An error analysis quantitatively evaluating photomosaic geometric distortions is reported. This technique is shown to be successful in providing opto-acoustic high resolution three dimensional perspectives of large areas of unstructured seafloor features. These issues are evaluated with a combined optical and acoustic survey data set obtained from a 675 kHz pencil-beam sonar and electronic still camera survey of a 4th century B.C. Roman shipwreck. This survey was conducted by the authors with the Jason ROV in the Mediterranean Sea in 800 meters of water depth.
Design and Development of a High-Voltage Transformer-less Power Supply for Ozone Generators Based on a Voltage-fed Full Bridge Resonant Inverter

It is known that transformer based power supplies for ozone generators have low efficiency, high cost and exhibits a limited frequency range of operation. To overcome these disadvantages, this paper proposes a high frequency ozone generator with the absence of a transformer. The voltage step-up is achieved only by utilizing the resonant tank. This is made possible by a novel combination of ozone chamber materials that allow ozone to be generated at only 1.5 3.5 kVp-p. The input to the resonant tank is driven by a PWM full bridge resonant inverter. Furthermore, zero-current zero-voltage switching (ZCZVS) operation is achieved by employing a duty factor of 25% between the switches of the full bridge. The advantages of the proposed system include high efficiency, low cost and the ability to control ozone production by varying the input voltage to the inverter. The prototype is verified by both simulation and experimental results.
Understanding tourists’ urban images from big data using convolutional neural networks

The Internet and social media have become important carriers of destination image dissemination, and the photos on social platforms reflect to a certain extent tourists’ perception preferences in tourist destinations. This paper uses the photos actively uploaded by Xi’an tourists on the Liangbulu website as the research data source, and uses the convolutional neural network model to identify the photo scene, then analyzes the tourism image of Xi’an and its spatial distribution characteristics from the perspective of tourists’ perception. The study shows that the spatial distribution of Xi’an’s building, urban landscape, place/region, transportation, interpretation, night scenery, and water tourism image is generally “concentrated in the city center, sparse and isolated in the periphery”; the people and nature tourism images generally show the characteristics of “sparse and scattered” spatial distribution.
Link recommendation algorithms and dynamics of polarization in online social networks

Significance Polarization is rising while political debates are moving to online social platforms. In such settings, algorithms are used to recommend new connections to users, through so-called link recommendation algorithms. Users are often recommended based on structural similarity (e.g., nodes sharing many neighbors are similar). We show that preferentially establishing links with structurally similar nodes potentiates opinion polarization by stimulating network topologies with well-defined communities (even in the absence of opinion-based rewiring). When networks are composed of nodes that react differently to out-group contacts—either converging or polarizing—connecting structurally dissimilar nodes enhances moderate opinions. Our study sheds light on the impacts of social-network algorithms in opinion dynamics and unveils avenues to steer polarization in online social networks. The level of antagonism between political groups has risen in the past years. Supporters of a given party increasingly dislike members of the opposing group and avoid intergroup interactions, leading to homophilic social networks. While new connections offline are driven largely by human decisions, new connections on online social platforms are intermediated by link recommendation algorithms, e.g., “People you may know” or “Whom to follow” suggestions. The long-term impacts of link recommendation in polarization are unclear, particularly as exposure to opposing viewpoints has a dual effect: Connections with out-group members can lead to opinion convergence and prevent group polarization or further separate opinions. Here, we provide a complex adaptive–systems perspective on the effects of link recommendation algorithms. While several models justify polarization through rewiring based on opinion similarity, here we explain it through rewiring grounded in structural similarity—defined as similarity based on network properties. We observe that preferentially establishing links with structurally similar nodes (i.e., sharing many neighbors) results in network topologies that are amenable to opinion polarization. Hence, polarization occurs not because of a desire to shield oneself from disagreeable attitudes but, instead, due to the creation of inadvertent echo chambers. When networks are composed of nodes that react differently to out-group contacts, either converging or polarizing, we find that connecting structurally dissimilar nodes moderates opinions. Overall, our study sheds light on the impacts of social-network algorithms and unveils avenues to steer dynamics of radicalization and polarization in online social networks.
MPC Trajectory Feasibility Constraints for Self-Powered Control Systems

A self-powered control system derives the energy to power its operation entirely from the dynamics of the plant in which it is embedded. Each actuator is a transducer capable of injecting energy into, as well as removing energy from, the plant. Removed energy is stored for reuse in rechargeable energy storage subsystems. Control inputs are physically constrained by the requirement that the system does not exhaust these energy storage subsystems. This article analyzes model-predictive control (MPC) trajectory feasibility for self-powered control systems. Specifically, we examine the case in which the MPC algorithm formulates a discrete-time zero-order-hold control trajectory, for which the energy constraints are approximately enforced by using response information only at discrete sample times. It is shown that continuous-time control feasibility can be ensured by conservatively overbounding the transmission loss model. The analysis is conducted both for the case in which future disturbances are known deterministically and the case in which they are uncertain but bounded. The methodology is demonstrated on an example pertaining to vibration control.
EVALUATION OF THE ACCURACY OF A LASER SCANNER-BASED ROLL MAPPING SYSTEM

In industries where material must pass over one or more machine rolls, determining the shape and orientation of the rolls is an important element in quality control and failure prevention. This paper presents the results of research evaluating the accuracy a precise (sub-millimetre), non-contract method of roll mapping based on the use of a threedimensional, autosynchronous laser scanner. The system produced obtains image data of a machine roll using a three-dimensional, auto-synchronous laser scanner developed by the National Research Council of Canada. This device can scan over almost any surface at speeds of 18 kHz and produce three-dimensional coordinates of surface elements within a 45 o field of view. These elements are then input into a least-squares adjustment to determine a best-fitting cylinder. The elements are then further projected onto the cylinder and their deviations output as a digital elevation map. Initial testing of the laser-scanner itself indicates that the scanner can measure 5 mm deformations in the depth direction to an accuracy of 0.3 mm on a 15m stand-off distance. This accuracy degrades linearly to the 0.9 mm level for moves of 40 mm. Relative accuracy in the vertical direction is decreased by a factor of approximately two, due to systematic errors in the laser scanner. Further experiments conducted show that the entire system is capable of detecting surface distortions at the 0.1 mm level. However, the accuracy of the system in determining the radius, location and orientation of the roll is much less (cm-level for radius and position, 10"-level for orientation) due to the scanner’s poorer absolute accuracy at ranges greater than 2 m and limited arc observed.
Study of SILC and interface trap generation due to high field stressing and its operating temperature dependence in 2.2 nm gate dielectrics

Reports study of metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) capacitors with 2.2 nm dry and N/sub 2/O grown gate dielectrics. Interface trap generation during constant voltage stressing at different operating temperatures (from 22/spl deg/C to 90/spl deg/C) has been investigated. The effect of nitrogen annealing (20 min) at 400/spl deg/C on high temperature stress-induced interface traps was also studied.
Regression-Based Normative Data for Independent and Cognitively Active Spanish Older Adults: Free and Cued Selective Reminding Test, Rey–Osterrieth Complex Figure Test and Judgement of Line Orientation

The aim of this work was to develop normative data for neuropsychological tests for the assessment of independent and cognitively active Spanish older adults over 55 years of age. Methods: regression-based normative data were calculated from a sample of 103 nondepressed independent community-dwelling adults aged 55 or older (66% women). The raw data for the Free and Cued Selective Reminding Test (FCSRT), the Rey–Osterrieth Complex Figure Test (ROCF) and the Judgement of Line Orientation Test (JLO) were regressed on age, sex and education. The model predicting the FCSRT delayed-recall (FCSRT-Del) scores also included the FCSRT immediate-recall (FCSRT-Imm) scores. The model predicting the ROCF immediate-recall (ROCF-Imm) scores included the ROCF copy-trial (ROCF-C) scores, and the model predicting the ROCF delayed-recall (ROCF-Del) scores included both the ROCF-C and the ROCF-Imm scores. In order to identify low scores, z-scores were used to determine the discrepancy between the observed and the predicted scores. The base rates of the low scores for both the SABIEX normative data and the published normative data obtained from the general population were compared. Results: the effects of the different sociodemographic variables (age, sex and education) varied throughout the neuropsychological measures. Despite finding similar proportions of low scores between the normative data sets, the agreement was irrelevant or only fair-to-good. Conclusions: the normative data obtained from the general population might not be sensitive enough to identify low scores in cognitively active older adults, incorrectly classifying them as cognitively normal compared to the less active population.