Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dextran grafted nickel-doped superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles: Electrochemical synthesis and characterization

In this paper, polymer grafted nickel-doped iron oxide nanoparticles are fabricated via an easy, one-step and fast electrochemical procedure. In the deposition experiments, iron(II) chloride hexahydrate, iron(III) nitrate nonahydrate, nickel chloride hexahydrate, and dextran were used as the bath composition. Dextran grafted nickel-doped iron oxides (DEX/Ni-SPIOs) were synthesized with applying direct current (dc) of 10 mA cm–2. The magnetite crystal phase, nano-size, Ni doped content, and dextran grafting onto SPIOs were verified through X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and thermogravimetric (TG) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analyses. Magnetic evaluation through vibrating-sample magnetometer (VSM) proved that the DEX/Ni-SPIOs product have superparamagnetic behavior with exhibiting the high saturation magnetization and negligible Ms and Hci values. Based on the obtained results, it was confirmed that the prepared dextran grafted Ni-SPIOs have suitable physico-chemical and magnetic properties for both therapeutic and diagnostic aims.
Investigation of tribological properties and engine performance of polyol ester–based bio-lubricant: Commercial motorbike engine oil blends

This article explores the influence of blending polyol ester–based bio-lubricant with commercial lubricant on engine performance. Polyol esters trimethylolpropane ester and pentaerythritol ester were prepared from Calophyllum inophyllum seeds. Extreme care was taken to minimize deterioration of physicochemical properties when blending bio-lubricant with commercial oil. Blending of bio-lubricant with commercial oil was carried out in 10%, 15%, 20% and 25% volume. The test oils were first investigated for wear and friction properties on a four-ball wear tester. Optimum blending ratio was calculated from results of tribological properties, and the blend with optimum blend ratio was investigated for engine performance. The engine performance of the optimum blends was evaluated by conducting a 60-h endurance test on a motorbike. Significant improvement in tribological properties was observed up to a blending percentage of 15% when blending pentaerythritol ester with commercial oil. In the case of trimethylolpropane ester–based bio-lubricant, 10% blending with commercial oil gave optimum performance. The novel evaluation of engine performance of commercial oil and blends has shown a reduction in the wear of engine components with an encouraging decrease in fuel consumption. Metallographic studies conducted on worn piston rings reveal synergy between additives in the commercial oil and esters in the bio-lubricant in reducing wear and friction, thereby reducing fuel consumption.
Multi-Instance Multi-Label with Application to High Resolution Remote Sensing Images

In this paper, we seek to solve the problem of remote sensing image classification using Multi Instance Multi Label Learning (MIML) framework, where each image contain multiple regions (instances) corresponds to multiple objects (labels). MIML framework is more efficient than traditional learning framework for complicated objects such as satellite images. Existing MIML algorithms such as MIMLboost, MIMLsvm and MIMLfast have been found useful in scene classification and can provide multiple labels for each instance in complicated objects. The proposed approach was performed in two steps: In the first step, we process the dataset using segmentation and feature extraction. Images are ambiguous because they contain numerous objects so we consider that each image is a bag and various blocks in the image are instances. In the second step, we apply MIML to classify each block of images. According to the experimental results, the proposed method outperforms the state-of-the-art methods.
Extraction and Characterization of Natural Fiber from Stem of Cardiospermum Halicababum

ABSTRACT The current study deals with the investigation on the properties of lignocellulose fiber from the stem of Cardiospermum Halicababum. The Cardiospermum Halicababum fibers (CHF) were extracted from its stem by manual retting process. The retted fibers were analyzed for various physical, chemical, crystalline, thermal stability, tensile and morphological properties as per standard procedure. From the chemical investigation, it was found that the CHF has cellulose (59.82%), hemicellulose (16.75%), lignin (9.3%) and wax (1.3%). The CHF possessed a crystallinity index of 32.21%, with thermal stability up to 336°C. The average ultimate tensile strength of CHF was 20.7 ± 1.0 MPa. Morphological characteristics showed lesser lacuna space in between the cell walls thereby preventing the reduction in strength properties.
Agricultural By-Products as Advanced Raw Materials for Obtaining Modifiers and Fillers for Epoxy Materials

The authors have shown the effective use of synthesized epoxidized rubber s ee d oil as a modifier of epoxy com pound materials. It was stated that at the content of epoxidized rubber s ee d oil of 10 weight parts for 100 weight parts of epoxy resin ED-20, hardness and wear have been increased by 34 and 21% correspondingly, while the frictional coefficient was being reduced by a factor of 1.5 . Wollastonite has been synthesized on the base of rice husk and limestone. By means of the X-ray diffraction method, it was proven that the specimen of synthesized calcium silicate with the molar ratio СаСО 3 :SiO 2 = 1. 2:1 is characterized by the structure closest to the naturally occurring wollastonite.
Oxidation reactions of cellular and acellular hemoglobins: Implications for human health

Oxygen reversibly binds to the redox active iron, a transition metal in human Hemoglobin (Hb), which subsequently undergoes oxidation in air. This process is akin to iron rusting in non-biological systems. This results in the formation of non-oxygen carrying methemoglobin (ferric) (Fe3+) and reactive oxygen species (ROS). In circulating red blood cells (RBCs), Hb remains largely in the ferrous functional form (HbF2+) throughout the RBC's lifespan due to the presence of effective enzymatic and non-enzymatic proteins that keep the levels of metHb to a minimum (1%–3%). In biological systems Hb is viewed as a Fenton reagent where oxidative toxicity is attributed to the formation of a highly reactive hydroxyl radical (OH•) generated by the reaction between Hb's iron (Fe2+) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). However, recent research on both cellular and acellular Hbs revealed that the protein engages in enzymatic-like activity when challenged with H2O2, resulting in the formation of a highly reactive ferryl heme (Fe4+) that can target other biological molecules before it self-destructs. Accumulating evidence from several in vitro and in vivo studies are summarized in this review to show that Hb's pseudoperoxidase activity is physiologically more dominant than the Fenton reaction and it plays a pivotal role in the pathophysiology of several blood disorders, storage lesions associated with old blood, and in the toxicity associated with the infusion of Hb-derived oxygen therapeutics.
Extraction and Characterization of Cellulose from Abaca Pseudo Stem (Musa textile)

cellulose was extracted from abaca fibre which proceed with different alkalization technique, such as with and without heating treatment. The aim of this research is to extract and characterize the cellulose fibre that obtained from abaca fiber as the alternative of textile fibre. The characterization for the cellulose fibre including FT-IR, SEM, and XRD. The FT-IR spectra showed the heating treatment around 70-80°C can separate the lignin and hemicellulose from the abaca fiber. SEM analysis showed the similar result, the heating process during the alkalization treatment able to separate lignin from the cellulose matrix, that was shown with the smoothest surface of cellulose fibre. Crystallinity degree of the obtained cellulose was 65 and 43% for without and with heating process, respectively.
A Framework for Enhancing Digital Trust of Quranic Text Using Blockchain Technology

The Holy Quran is the fundamental Islamic scripture revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon him) for the past 1400 years. In today’s Internet, there exist online sources which provide incomplete or false Quranic text which may either be published deliberately or unintentionally. The research investigates the possibility of developing a digital trust framework that secures the integrity of the Quranic text using blockchain technology. The research uses blockchain technology as the emerging secured distributed ledger to establish digital trust. The Ethereum blockchain platform was used to validate the proposed framework. The proposed digital trust framework was developed in a three-level architecture consisting of participants, digital trust and Quranic text. The key components of the proposed framework were found useful in Ethereum blockchain platform for effective use in distributed ledger, distributed consensus, smart contract, decentralized application development and cryptographic algorithms for database encryption and user authentication in Whisper, Swarm and Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM). The findings show the effectiveness, efficiency and usability of the proposed digital trust framework on the Ethereum blockchain platform and demonstrate how user of Quran and blockchain miner interact with the system to verify and validate Quranic content. The research has recommended the use of blockchain technology to secure the integrity of the Quranic text. The work facilitates the protection of the Quranic text as well as proving a mean to verify the authenticity of the Quranic content.
A Conductive/Ferroelectric Hybrid Interlayer for Highly Improved Trapping of Polysulfides in Lithium–Sulfur Batteries

Lithium–sulfur (Li–S) batteries are catching intensive worldwide attention for the outstanding energy density, low‐cost, and nontoxic nature of sulfur. However, the very limited lifespan and rate performance of Li–S systems originating from dissolution and diffusion of long‐chain polysulfides in liquid electrolytes, as well as the intrinsic poor conductivity of sulfur, severely hinder their practical application. Herein, an electrospinning and subsequent dipping and drying method is developed here to fabricate a duplex architecture consisting of reduced graphene oxide (rGO) layer and BaTiO3 (BTO)‐decorated carbon nanofibers (BTO@CNFs), and it is used as a multifunctional interlayer for Li–S batteries. The 3D interwoven CNFs with conductive pathways for both electrons and ions can enhance the contact between polysulfides with BTO nanoparticles and promote the reuse of inactivated sulfur. Additionally, the ferroelectric BTO nanoparticles adhered on CNFs can realize a highly robust trapping to polysulfides via the extremely polar interaction. Moreover, the surface rGO layer can act as a textural barrier to intercept the shuttling polysulfides. Consequently, the modified Li–S batteries with the rGO/BTO@CNF interlayer deliver superior electrochemical performance of 865 mAh g−1 after 200 cycles at 0.3 C and a rate capability of 672 mAh g−1 at 3 C.
Ligand-Protected Nanocluster Stability, Doping, and Prediction

Though new nanomaterials are synthesized every day for applications ranging from targeted drug delivery to chemical catalysis via ligand-stabilized colloidal growth methods, the physical underpinnings of these processes are often unknown. Without detailed knowledge of growth mechanisms or an understanding of the stability of the final product, synthesis of colloidal nanomaterials often relies on trial-and-error experimentation. Towards enabling nanomaterials-by-design, precise control of nanomaterial morphology (i.e. size, shape, chemical composition, and chemical ordering) is desired as morphology often dictates properties. To control morphology, an understanding of how nanomaterial structure relates to stability is needed. An ideal class of colloidal nanomaterials for studying structure-stability relations are atomically-precise the thiolate-protected metal nanoclusters (MNCs). In this work, we focus on developing deeper understanding of the structure-related remarkable stability of MNCs and their physicochemical transformations utilizing ab-initio computational methods. First, we introduce a novel Thermodynamic Stability Model (TSM) for ligand-protected MNCs and demonstrate its power for understanding the stability of a wide range of MNCs. Next, we focus on the energetics of heterometal doping and ligand/dopant-mediated precise transformations of several smaller Au MNCs, showing remarkable agreement with experimental results. Finally, we demonstrate the application of the TSM to capture a wide range of experimental heterometal doping observations in Au25 MNCs for which no simple explanation previously existed. We also use the TSM to make predictions related to dopant locations and concentrations within the Au38 MNC. Overall, this work advances knowledge of the underpinnings of the stability of ligand-protected atomically-precise MNCs contributing to MNC design for targeted applications.
Numerical modelling of a superconducting coil winding process with Rutherford type Nb3Sn cable

The upgrade of the Large Hadron Collider at CERN requires a new generation of superconducting magnets. In order to obtain very high magnetic fields, Nb3Sn superconductors will be used. The use of this material brings new challenges to the production process of accelerator magnets for High Energy Physics application. The prototype windings of a large aperture quadrupole (MQXF) and high field two-in-one dipole (11 T) coils were performed in the Large Magnet Facility at CERN. A study was lunched in order to identify the origin of mechanical cable winding instabilities and to develop a method for further improving winding parameters. This paper focuses on a theoretical analysis of the coil winding process with use of Finite Element Method. Modelowanie numeryczne procesu uzwajania cewek nadprzewodnikowych z użyciem przewodu Nb3Sn typu Rutherford Słowa kluczowe: proces uzwajania, przewód typu Rutherford, symulacja MES, magnesy nadprzewodnikowe. Streszczenie: Modernizacja Wielkiego Zderzacza Hadronów (LHC) znajdującego się w Europejskiej Organizacji Badań Jądrowych (CERN) wymaga zastosowania nowej generacji magnesów nadprzewodnikowych. Wysokie pole magnetyczne zostanie osiągnięte przy użyciu nadprzewodnika Nb3Sn, którego krucha struktura wiąże się z koniecznością wykorzystania techniki wind-and-react. W Zakładzie Wielkich Magnesów (LMF) przeprowadzono prototypowe uzwajanie cewek magnesu czterobiegunowego (MQXF) oraz dwubiegunowego (11 T), podczas których zaobserwowana została niestabilność mechaniczna przewodu typu Rutherford. W artykule zaprezentowano analizę teoretyczną procesu uzwajania przewodu typu Rutherford z wykorzystaniem Metody Elementów Skończonych, mającą na celu identyfikację źródła niestabilności jak i w przyszłości dostarczenie narzędzi umożliwiających optymalizację parametrów procesu.
Stress monitoring and impact bearing capacity of circular concrete-filled steel tubular short columns under axial impact loads

Compared with the traditional reinforced concrete columns, the concrete-filled steel tubular columns with a better restraint effect of steel tube on core concrete showed higher bearing capacity and ductility under static loads. However, except static loads, concrete-filled steel tubular columns are commonly exposed to the extreme dynamic loads including earthquake, explosion, and impact. The study on dynamic behavior of concrete-filled steel tubular columns is extremely significant to ensure their safety against such dynamic loads. In this article, a polyvinylidene fluoride piezoelectric smart sensor was proposed to monitor the axial impact bearing capacity of specimen based on stress monitoring under impact loads. The concrete-filled steel tubular columns with smart sensor embedded were tested, which considered the effects of both hammer impact heights and steel tube thickness on the axial impact bearing capacity. The impact bearing capacity calculated based on the monitoring results of polyvinylidene fluoride sensor is in good agreement with the measured values, which verifies the feasibility of this method. Moreover, it is found that the failure mode of concrete-filled steel tubular short columns is the local tearing failure or local buckling. In addition, non-linear finite element models were also established to study the effect of different parameters on the axial bearing capacity. The simplified formula for calculating the axial impact bearing capacity of concrete-filled steel tubular short columns was proposed based on the large amount verified model. Through the comparison between the calculation value and the test value, the formula is found to well reflect the axial impact bearing capacity of concrete-filled steel tubular short columns, which provides a reference for similar research.
Scalable Manufacturing Processes for Solid Lipid Nanoparticles.

BACKGROUND Solid lipid nanoparticles offer a range of advantages as delivery systems but they are limited by effective manufacturing processes. OBJECTIVE In this study, we outline a high-throughput and scalable manufacturing process for solid lipid nanoparticles. METHODS The solid lipid nanoparticles were formulated from a combination of tristearin and 1,2-Distearoyl-phosphatidylethanolamine-methyl-polyethyleneglycol conjugate-2000 and manufactured using the M-110P Microfluidizer processor (Microfluidics Inc, Westwood, Massachusetts, US). RESULTS The manufacturing process was optimized in terms of the number of process cycles (1 to 5) and operating pressure (20,000 to 30,000 psi). The solid lipid nanoparticles were purified using tangential flow filtration and they were characterized in terms of their size, PDI, Z-potential and protein loading. At-line particle size monitoring was also incorporated within the process. Our results demonstrate that solid lipid nanoparticles can be effectively manufactured using this process at pressures of 20,000 psi with as little as 2 process passes, with purification and removal of non-entrapped protein achieved after 12 diafiltration cycles. Furthermore, the size could be effectively monitored at-line to allow rapid process control monitoring and product validation. CONCLUSION Using this method, protein-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles containing a low (1%) and high (16%) Pegylation were manufactured, purified and monitored for particle size using an at-line system demonstrating a scalable process for the manufacture of these nanoparticles.
An Active Voltage Balancing Control Based on Adjusting Driving Signal Time Delay for Series-Connected SiC MOSFETs

Limited by low availability, high price, and poor switching performance of high-voltage power devices, connecting low-voltage devices in series to block much higher voltages is always an option. However, severe voltage unbalance during turn-off transient remains to be solved. Most of the existing methods designed for low-speed silicon (Si) insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) cannot be directly transplanted to the series-connected silicon carbide (SiC) MOSFETs with high switching speed. To maximum the switching performance of SiC MOSFETs, an elegant implementation of adjusting driving signal time delay method is proposed. In addition, a simplified model during drain–source voltage rising transient is discussed to basically reveal features and problems of the series-connected SiC MOSFETs. The factors affecting the appropriate time delay are discussed as well, especially the influence of the load current. The simplified model and the implementation are both verified by experiments. Indeed, the proposed active voltage balancing control works well and has no penalty of sacrificing switching performance of SiC MOSFETs.
Review of Electrothermal Actuators and Applications

This paper presents a review of electrothermal micro-actuators and applications. Electrothermal micro-actuators have been a significant research interest over the last two decades, and many different designs and applications have been investigated. The electrothermal actuation method offers several advantages when compared with the other types of actuation approaches based on electrostatic and piezoelectric principles. The electrothermal method offers flexibility in the choice of materials, low-cost fabrication, and large displacement capabilities. The three main configurations of electrothermal actuators are discussed: hot-and-cold-arm, chevron, and bimorph types as well as a few other unconventional actuation approaches. Within each type, trends are outlined from the basic concept and design modifications to applications which have been investigated in order to enhance the performance or to overcome the limitations of the previous designs. It provides a grasp of the actuation methodology, design, and fabrication, and the related performance and applications in cell manipulation, micro assembly, and mechanical testing of nanomaterials, Radio Frequency (RF) switches, and optical Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS).
Cloud Resource Scaling for Time-Bounded and Unbounded Big Data Streaming Applications

Recent advancements in technology have led to a deluge of big data streams that require real-time analysis with strict latency constraints. A major challenge, however, is determining the amount of resources required by applications processing these streams given their high volume, velocity and variety. The majority of research efforts on resource scaling in the cloud are investigated from the cloud provider’s perspective with little consideration for multiple resource bottlenecks. We aim at analyzing the resource scaling problem from an application provider’s point of view such that efficient scaling decisions can be made. This paper provides two contributions to the study of resource scaling for big data streaming applications in the cloud. First, we present a Layered Multi-dimensional Hidden Markov Model (LMD-HMM) for managing time-bounded streaming applications. Second, to cater to unbounded streaming applications, we propose a framework based on a Layered Multi-dimensional Hidden Semi-Markov Model (LMD-HSMM). The parameters in our models are evaluated using modified Forward and Backward algorithms. Our detailed experimental evaluation results show that LMD-HMM is very effective with respect to cloud resource prediction for bounded streaming applications running for shorter periods while the LMD-HSMM accurately predicts the resource usage for streaming applications running for longer periods.