Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Design and Fabrication of a Piezoresistive Pressure Sensor for Ultra High Temperature Environment

In order to solve the pressure measurement problem in the harsh environment, a piezoresistive pressure sensor has been developed, which can be used under high temperature above 200°C and is able to endure instantaneous ultra high temperature (2000°C, duration≦2s) impact. Based on the MEMS (Micro Electro-Mechanical System) and integrated circuit technology, the piezoresistive pressure sensor's sensitive element was fabricated and constituted by silicon substrate, a thin buried silicon dioxide layer, four p-type resistors in the measuring circuit layer by boron ion implantation and photolithography, the top SiO2 layer by oxidation, stress matching Si3N4 layer, and a Ti-Pt-Au beam lead layer for connecting p-type resistors by sputtering. In order to decrease the leak-current influence to sensor in high temperature above 200°C, the buried SiO2 layer with the thickness 367 nm was fabricated by the SIMOX (Separation by Implantation of Oxygen) technology, which was instead of p-n junction to isolate the upper measuring circuit layer from Si substrate. In order to endure instantaneous ultra high temperature impact, the mechanical structure with cantilever & diaphragm and transmitting beam was designed. By laser welding and high temperature packaging technology, the high temperature piezoresistive pressure sensor was fabricated with range of 120MPa. After the thermal compensation, the sensor's thermal zero drift k0 and thermal sensitivity drift ks were easy to be less than 3×10−4FS/°C. The experimental results show that the developed piezoresistive pressure sensor has good performances under high temperature and is able to endure instantaneous ultra high temperature impact, which meets the requirements of modern industry, such as aviation, oil, engine, etc.
Equipping HM Ships Erebus and Terror, 1845

Abstract HM Ships Erebus and Terror, the ships of Sir John Franklin's doomed 1845 expedition to discover the North-West Passage, are undoubtedly among the most significant lost ships whose resting places remain undiscovered to this day. Built originally as 'bomb vessels' for bombardment of coastal targets, their modification for service in polar seas embodied decades of prior experience and the most cutting-edge technology of mid-nineteenth century Victorian Britain. The paper outlines their service as warships, describes their background by reference to the development of specialist polar ships by Sir Edward Parry, then details the principal modifications made to equip them for the final, and ultimately fatal, phase of their career. Many notable engineers and innovators had a hand in these modifications including: Oliver Lang, Master Shipwright at Woolwich Dockyard; Joshua Field, who headed the celebrated engineering firm of Maudslay, Sons & Field; Francis Pettit Smith, the inventor of the scheme of screw propeller adopted by the Royal Navy; Heating Engineers Angier March Perkins and Charles Sylvester; and James Fraser, who made economical galley-stoves particularly favoured for discovery ships. Among the many modifications made were: former railway locomotive engines fitted as auxiliary power units with demountable funnels; Smith's propellers installed in wells so that they could be uncoupled and drawn up into the ship to reduce the risk of ice damage and water drag; massive strengthening of the ships, including diagonally cross-planked decks, a second layer of stout planking to double the thickness of the wooden hulls, water-tight bulkheads and iron-reinforced bows; warm-air heating systems and modifications to the ships' galleys to provide not only a comfortable environment below decks but also a supply of fresh water when the ships were frozen in for the winter. Some of these innovations were highly experimental and were unique to these ships, never to be seen again, while others would become standard features of the Royal Navy's steam fleet for a generation.
Response to Referee’s Comments

Meike Becker (Referee 3): The authors present an estimate of global air-sea CO2 fluxes based on interpolating gridded SOCAT pCO2 data. They use an ensemble of 100 feed-forward neural network models (FFNN) and sea surface height, sea surface temperature, sea surface salinity, mixed layer depth, chlorophyll-a, atmospheric mole fractions, a pCO2 climatology and position data as drivers. They present an uncertainty analysis based on their ensemble spread as a semi-independent parameter, which is better than many available air-sea flux products. However, there are a few things that should be improved.
Generalized Framework for the Optimal Design of Solvent- Based Post-Combustion CO2 Capture Flowsheets

A generalized framework is proposed for the optimal design of post-combustion CO2 capture processes based on a systemic and flexible equilibrium separation model that employs orthogonal collocation on finite elements (OCFE) techniques. Within this context, a column section of adaptive separation capability and functionality serves as the fundamental structural block for the identification of efficient separation schemes. Separation column sections in combination with heat transfer blocks as well as stream splitters and mixers enable the generation and evaluation of alternative flowsheet configurations within a non-linear optimization program. The main objectives for the flowsheet evaluation involve separation and thermal efficiency that eventually impact the economics of the overall process. The proposed design framework was used for the optimal design of alternative flowsheet configurations for the separation of CO2 from a flue gas stream using a 30% weight MEA aqueous solution.
Designed experiments for semi-parametric models and functional data with a case-study in Tribology

Experiments with functional data are becoming ubiquitous in science and engineering with the increasing use of online monitoring and measurement. Each run of the experiment results in the observation of data points that are realised from a smooth curve. Although large quantities of data may be collected from each run, it may still only be possible to perform small experiments with a limited number of runs. We describe statistical methodology for an example from Tribology, concerning the wear-testing of automotive lubricants. Here, we investigated how lubricant properties and process variables aected the shape of a functional response measuring wear. Novel techniques were developed for the initial design of a screening study where the levels of some of the factors could not be set directly. A two-stage semi-parametric modelling approach was applied, using a varying coecient model and principal components. New methods for the design of follow-up experiments for such models were also developed and applied. In addition to the new methodology, we present conclusions from the case study about which factors had substantial eects, and how they inuence the shape of the wear curves.
Development of a Wearable Human-Machine Interface to Track Forearm Rotation via an Optical Sensor

The goal of this research was to develop an intuitive wearable human-machine interface (HMI), utilizing an optical sensor. The proposed system quantifies wrist pronation and supination using an optical displacement sensor. Compared with existing systems, this HMI ensures intuitiveness by relying on direct measurement of forearm position, minimizes involved sensors, and is expected to be long-lasting. To test for feasibility, the developed HMI was implemented to control a prosthetic wrist based on forearm rotation of able-bodied subjects. Performance of optical sensor system (OSS) prosthesis control was compared to electromyography (EMG) based direct control, for six able-bodied individuals, using a clothespin relocation task. Results showed that the performance of OSS control was comparable to direct control, therefore validating the feasibility of the OSS HMI.
Social conferencing in a virtual world: the innovative approach of the virtual world conference

Over the last five years, virtual world platforms have proliferated, from ActiveWorlds to Second Life to OpenSim to Olive, a range of platforms that allow large numbers of users to coalesce around virtual structures over the web are being used widely. As a result of distributed groups of researchers working on shared research problems, cost savings due to high costs of petrol and travelling and natural international incidents such as the volcano eruption in Iceland researchers and industrialists are looking for other methods for coming together. In particular, the costs of international travel are high and many multinational companies are looking for ways to reduce costs, at the same time the pressures on the environment are extreme due to climate change so efforts to reduce carbon emissions are similarly pointing to a future world with reduced travel and increasing expense for air travel. For these reasons, virtual world conferencing is becoming a popular solution, it has the immersion to make users feel engaged and part of the crowd, but has the ease of access and low costs that allows participants to take part from their offices or homes or on the move without missing out on the socializing aspects of the conference, and still attaining the main objective of bringing together a distributed group of participants from around the world. However, one of the major issues with using virtual worlds to support collaboration lies in the limits of the physical world itself in the shape of time zones; while users within a continent can relatively easily overcome the time zone barriers, when working between several continents 6-8 hours differences can be difficult to reconcile. The authors organized a purely virtual world conference to bring together top international researchers in the field of virtual world research and development from academia and industry, and at the same time use the opportunity to test out the theory that virtual world conferences can be as engaging and productive as physically held conferences, whilst reducing the costs and allowing the participation of the delegates in three different time zones to reflect the challenges of timings between the three main regions of the world: East, Central and West. This paper outlines the successes and challenges of adopting this approach. It includes analyses of questionnaires that were filled out by attendees, in an attempt to confirm or disprove the central hypothesis that virtual world conferences can support engaging and effective conferencing. The paper closes by presenting novel ideas for future conferences resulting from the attendees’ feedback and by discussing particular enhancements for the following edition of the conference.
Management of an Unusual Central Nervous System Metastasis With Linear Accelerator Radiosurgery in a Low-Middle Income Country

Large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma, a type of non-small cell lung cancer, is quite rare and has been associated with brain metastasis, mainly to the cerebral hemispheres. However, the rate of cerebellar metastasis is underreported in the literature and appears to be quite rare. Despite the rarity of this metastasis, treatment guidelines for both supratentorial and cerebellar lesions have been established by using either radiosurgery or whole-brain radiation therapy. The choice of modality must take into consideration the vicinity of relevant structures such as the brainstem and its multiple nuclei. Here we report the case of a 68-year-old male, resident of a rural community in the Andean region of Ecuador, a low-middle income country; with the diagnosis of a large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the lung with dual central nervous system metastasis treated with linear particle accelerator radio-surgery due to its versatility and cost-effectiveness in a resource-limited setting. We showcase the rarity of the metastatic lesions as well as the utility of linear accelerators and their versatility to perform precise radiosurgical procedures in two simultaneous locations.
Examining the Relationship Between Community Integration and Mental Health Characteristics of Individuals With Childhood Acquired Neurological Disability

Background: Many individuals with cerebral palsy (CP) or acquired brain injury (ABI) are at higher risk of lowered psychosocial functioning, poor mental health outcomes and decreased opportunities for community integration (CI) as they transition to adulthood. It is imperative to understand the characteristics of those at highest risk of dysfunction so that targeted interventions can be developed to reduce the impact. Methods: This quantitative, cross-sectional study examines current patients of the Living Independently Fully Engaged [(LIFEspan) Service], a tertiary outpatient hospital-based clinic. The Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4) and the Community Integration Questionnaire (CIQ) were administered to participants. Personal health information was also collected from participants' health charts, and participant interviews. Associations of sex and condition with the outcomes of screening for further assessment of depression, screening for further assessment of anxiety, and CI were calculated using t-tests and Chi-square tests. Results: 285 participants completed standardized screening tools for depression and anxiety (PHQ-4) and 283 completed the Community Integration Questionnaire (CIQ). Mean age was 23.4 (4.2) years; 59% were diagnosed with CP, 41% diagnosed with ABI, and 56% were male. A moderate proportion of the sample screened positive for further assessment of anxiety (28%) and depression (16%), and the overall mean score on the CIQ for the sample was 15.8 (SD 5.1). Participants that screened positive for further assessment of depression and anxiety on the PHQ-4 had lower scores on the Social Integration subscale of the CIQ (p = 0.04 and p = 0.036, respectively). Females were found to have significantly higher community integration than males (p = 0.0011) and those diagnosed with ABI were found to have significantly higher community integration than those with CP (p = 0.009), respectively. A weak negative association was found between age for the total sample and overall PHQ-4 score (p = 0.0417). Presence of an intellectual or learning disability/challenge was associated with a lower CIQ score (p = 0.0026). Conclusions: This current study, highlights the need for further research to explore the unique needs and barriers faced by this population. This study may inform assessments and interventions to support the mental health and community integration of this population.
Absolute light output of scintillators

The absolute light outputs of BGO, CsI(Tl) and some new Ce-doped crystals have been measured to an accuracy of about /spl plusmn/5% using calibrated XP2020Q photomultipliers and standard S3590.03 and S2740.03 photodiodes. The use of small crystals, 9 mm in diameter and 1 mm thick, reduces the corrections for imperfections in the light collection process and in the photoelectron collection by the photomultipliers. The measured light-output of 8500/spl plusmn/350 ph/MeV (photons/MeV) for the BGO crystals agree well with the earlier measurement done by Holl et al. (1988). The carried out study highlighted the importances of the spread in the published emission spectra of the crystals which seems to limit measurement accuracy. Finally, a simple comparative method of measuring light output to an accuracy of /spl plusmn/10%, is proposed using an uncalibrated XP2020 photomultiplier and a 1 mm thick BGO crystal as a standard.
Formulation and Quality Control Tests for Nanoemulsion of Tofacitinib: A Novel Approach

Background: Tofacitinib (TFB) is a pioneer JAK (Janus kinase) inhibitor mainly employed to treat rheumatoid arthritis. It has proven efficacy for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis in the oral dosage form. Oral TFB exhibited several toxic effects. Current research aims to develop a topical formulation of TFB to achieve effective treatment without any adverse effects. Study Design: Ultrsonication Methods. Place and Duration of Study: Sample: Swami Dayanand Postgraduate Institute of Pharmaceuticals Sciences, University of Health Sciences, Rohtak; 2020-2021. Methods: Oleic acid, tween 80, and propylene glycol were selected as oil, surfactant, and co-surfactant, respectively. The ratio of oil:surfactant:co-surfactant was selected based on a ternary phase diagram using the aqueous titration method. The selected ratio was employed to develop eight formulations of TFB by ultra-sonication. The formulations (F1-F8) were characterized using several physicochemical methods like pH, viscosity, particle size distribution, zeta potential, drug content, and in vitro release. Results: The formulations (F1-F8) were formulated by using the ultrasonication (high energy) method. The optimized formulation selected on the basis of characterization methods for instance, F8 possessed particle size 127.4 nm, and -18.4 (mV) zeta potential. The in vitro release of F8 was found to be 88.1 ± 2.5% at 24 hours. It also passed the thermodynamic stability tests. Conclusion: The current investigations conclude that tofacitinib-nanoemulsion (TFB-NE) can be used as an alternative to the oral route of TFB and is also useful in reducing the adverse effects associated with oral TFB.
Tunable silicon photonic wires fabricated by contact lithography and thermal oxidation

Contact lithography with i-line (365 nm) or DUV (248 nm) is widely used in laboratories for prototyping. The achievable line width of 300 nm is sufficient for photonic wires, but a process with larger line width is more controllable. The sidewall roughness induced by the lithography and by the following etching steps results in high optical losses. Thermal oxidation is known to smoothen the silicon surface. The oxidation also consumes silicon, so that the photonic wire will shrink and a wider lithography linewidth can be applied. The silicon dioxide is used as a low loss cladding, which further reduces the refractive index contrast, so that the remaining roughness causes less losses. Single mode silicon nanowires with 500nm by 200nm cross section and optical losses of 2dB/cm were produced. The index contrast is still high enough for small bending radii for highly integrated photonic devices. Sharp branches used in Y-couplers can not be fabricated by this oxidation technique, due to the waveguide shrinkage. 3dB-couplers are easily realized by multimode interference (MMI)-couplers, with the output branches sufficiently apart. Using such couplers, Mach-Zehnder interferometers were fabricated. For electric contacts, the SiO2-cladding is locally removed and ZnO and Al electrodes are applied. The c-axis of sputtered ZnO grows preferentially perpendicular to the surface, which allows to utilize the electro optic effect.
The Trend Change of Bitumen Research: A Text Mining Analysis (2000-2010)

In recent years, much research has been devoted to the Bitumen research; however, few have deployed the study of the research trend. In fact, grasping the research trend is imperative for enterprises and researchers. The study aims at analyzing the trend change of Bitumen research from 2000 to 2010. The contribution of the study includes the following two points. First, the study has found the shift of the Bitumen research from “distribution” and “sand” related issues to the focuses of “surface” and “polymer”. Second, the study finds a new way of literature survey by using the text mining method in order to explore the trend change.
Simulation of the Hydrodynamic Functioning of the Cavally River Using a Coupled 1D-2D Model in the Ity Area (Zouan-Hounien in Côte d’Ivoire)

In recent years, the Cavally River has been subject to multiple activities, including the construction of diversion channels and a bridge that makes it vulnerable to flooding. In order to assess the impact of these hydraulic structures on the river hydrodynamic functioning, a 1D-2D model was realized. The implementation of the 1D-2D model consisted of first running the 1D model, then the 2D model, and finally in coupling them. The 1D-2D model was designed with the 1988 flood hydrograph, a Manning’s coefficient of 0.052 m 1/3 /s for the minor bed and 0.06 m 1/3 /s for the major bed. The results of the hydraulic model show that the velocities are almost identical to those of the Cavally in natural operation. The values of the velocities are included between 0.4 m/s and 1.3 m/s at the level of the minor bed of the river and between 0.06 m/s and 0.71 m/s at the level of the floodplains. The average water level for flood propagation is 262.37 ± 0.44 m before construction of the structures and 262.23 ± 0.85 m after construction of the structures. The 0.41 m reduction in water level due to the diversion canal and bridge is negligible compared to the total fluctuations of the Cavally River, which vary from 6 to 7 m over the year.
Forecasting Capital Gains Realizations: Technical Paper 2000-5

As an input to its estimates of federal revenues, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) requires an estimate of capital gains realizations in the current calendar year and forecasts of realizations for the next 10 years. The purpose of our study is to improve the accuracy of the current-year estimates. As background, we describe the models and methods that CBO now uses and briefly mention models developed at other institutions. We then discuss in detail our method for constructing a new model and compare the modelâ€™s performance with that of other models by determining how
Hard rain gonna fall: Strategies for sustainable urban drainage in informal settlements

Inadequate drainage of stormwater, greywater and sewage plagues informal settlement ‘slum’ dwellers throughout the developing world. Residents, local governments and others find drainage solutions hard to come by due both to physical challenges – densely packed shack homes and few roads or open spaces – and social challenges associated with the often contentious, turbulent and legally uncertain nature of informal settlements. While concepts of sustainable urban drainage systems (SUDS) and integrated water resource management (IWRM) hold promise for informal settlements, we find little practical guidance available for their application in these contexts. To begin filling this gap, we propose a simple model for understanding various informal settlement contexts and ‘upgrading’ strategies that affect drainage development strategies. We then use this model to report on a series of small projects in South Africa that illustrate social and structural dynamics and practical techniques relevant to implementing collaborative drainage efforts in informal settlements.
Optimized piezoelectric energy harvesting circuit using step-down converter in discontinuous conduction mode

An optimized method of harvesting vibrational energy with a piezoelectric element using a step-down DC-DC converter is presented. In this configuration, the converter regulates the power flow from the piezoelectric element to the desired electronic load. Analysis of the converter in discontinuous current conduction mode results in an expression for the duty cycle-power relationship. Using parameters of the mechanical system, the piezoelectric element, and the converter an optimal duty cycle can be determined where the harvested power is maximized for a given frequency of mechanical excitation. It is shown that, as the magnitude of the excitation increases, the optimal duty cycle becomes essentially constant, greatly simplifying the control of the step-down converter. The expression is validated with experimental data showing that the optimal duty cycle can be accurately determined and maximum energy harvesting attained. A circuit is proposed which implements this relationship, and experimental results show that the converter increases the harvested power by approximately 325%.