Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Investigation of the AC Plasma Torch Working Conditions for the Plasma Chemical Applications

The presented design and parameters of a three-phase AC plasma torch with the power up to 500 kW, flow rate of air 30–50 g/s (temperature up to 5000 K) could be used in different plasma chemical processes. Range of measured plasma temperature is 3500–5000 K. The paper presents investigations of the plasma torch operation modes for its application in plasma chemical technologies. Plasma chemical technologies for various purposes (processing, destruction of various wastes, including technological and hazardous waste, conversion or production of chemicals to obtain nanoscale materials, etc.) are very promising in terms of the process efficiency. Their industrial use is difficult due to the lack of inexpensive and reliable plasma torches providing the desired level of temperature, enthalpy of the working gas and other necessary conditions for the process. This problem can be solved using a considered design of a three-phase alternating current plasma torch with power of 150–500 kW with working gas flow rate of 30–50 g/s with mass average temperature up to 5000K on the basis of which an industrial plasma chemical plant can be created. The basis of the plasma torch operation is a railgun effect that is the principle of arc movement in the field of its own current field. Thanks to single supply of power to the arc, arcs forming in the discharge chamber of the plasma torch move along the electrodes under the action of electrodynamic forces resulting from the interaction of the arc current with its own magnetic field. Under the condition of the three-phase supply voltage, arc transits from the electrode to the electrode with change in the anodic and cathodic phases with frequency of 300 Hz. A special feature of this design is the ability to organize the movement of the arc attachment along the electrode, thus ensuring an even distribution of the thermal load and thus achieve long time of continuous operation of the plasma torch. The parameters of the plasma jet of the plasma torch and the single-phase three-phase plasma injector for use in a plasma-chemical unit for production of nano-dispersed materials are described in the paper.
Machine learning algorithm application in trip planning

This article explores how machine learning can be applied in efficiently solving a variation of the Travelling Salesman Problem (TSP) in the context of air travel tourism. Large number of cities create too many trip route combinations to be efficiently evaluated in real time. The method proposed uses a feedforward neural network to narrow down the number of trip route combinations, while a more traditional algorithm based on dynamic programming is then able to select the best trip offers. It was shown that the method could be applied in practice to achieve almost real-time generation of best possible trip offers while evaluating a large amount of real-world flight data.
On the physical variables filmmakers use to engage viewers.

It is widely acknowledged that people are emotionally affected by movies, but how does the physical structure of movies contribute to emotional engagement? To answer this question, we measured subjective and objective emotional tension as forty viewers watched a series of short movies. We mapped the resulting data against the dynamic low-level structure of each movie, isolating the effects of clutter, luminance, motion, shot density, shot scale, and sound amplitude on emotional response. Across all measures, viewers’ responses to the movies were notably synchronized, and this synchrony appears to be partly driven by low-level cinematic structure. These findings provide empirical support for several long-standing ideas that lie at the intersection of film theory and the psychology of emotion.
Fault-Tolerant Secure Routing Based on Trust Evaluation Model in Data Center Networks

With the rise of cloud computing technology, the whole information technology industry has undergone dramatic changes. Large-scale computing and the growing demand for computing power from large data have made it impossible for traditional data center network topology construction methods and network layer operation control methods with good stability to meet the requirements of technological development. The topology of a data center network is usually characterized as an undirected graph, and graph algorithms are used to implement communication patterns in complex network structures. However, the routing algorithms proposed earlier for graphs cannot be applied to all topological graphs. Based on the comprehensive interactive trust evaluation network security model, this study analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of relevant algorithms and proposes a fault-tolerant routing algorithm suitable for all networks. The algorithm can dynamically call different algorithms according to the number of current nodes and links. From the simulation results, it can be found that the algorithm not only improves the accuracy and fault tolerance but also effectively reduces the loss of time and memory.
Virtual and Augmented Reality in Serious Tourism Games: Opportunities, Tourist Motives, and Challenges

Using prior models regarding online consumer behavior and adoption of technological innovations the present study aims at identifying various factors that might impact on tourists’ intention to adopt mobile augmented reality gamified applications for tourism destinations and to decipher the impact of serious tourism games on tourists’ perceptions and behaviors towards a destination. Based on a literature review the present study developed a conceptual model that considers important antecedents that could impact tourists’ intention to adopt a mobile augmented reality gamified applications for a tourism destination. Moreover, tourists’ responses to usage of serious tourism games were also identified. The hypothesized model suggests that tourists’ intention to use augmented reality serious games for tourism could be influenced by environmental factors concerning the design of the application, the technical characteristics of the application as well as the features of smart mobile devices of users. Tourist characteristics related to personal traits and demographics, perceived benefits (enjoyment, ease of use and usefulness), and motivations (entertainment, knowledge, curiosity, exploration, immersion, escapism, physical activity, social interaction) were also found to be important antecedents of tourists’ intentions towards mobile augmented reality serious tourism games. Furthermore, this study shed light on the impact of tourism gamified applications on tourist behavior. Analysis of prior studies indicates that tourists’ usage of these applications can influence their perceived utilitarian and hedonic value and in turn result in increased levels of awareness, loyalty, word-of-mouth communication, and engagement of tourists with the destination. Results will help researchers test empirically the impact of the identified factors on tourists’ usage intentions and subsequent responses. Moreover, practitioners and game developers could design user centered gamified applications that enhance tourists’ satisfaction with the application and the destination as well.
Earthquake-induced landslide monitoring and survey by means of InSAR

Abstract. This study uses interferometric synthetic aperture radar (SAR) techniques to identify and track earthquake-induced landslides as well as lands prone to landslides, by detecting deformations in areas struck by earthquakes. The pilot study area investigates the Mila region in Algeria, which suffered significant landslides and structural damage (earthquake: Mw 5, 7 August 2020). DInSAR analysis shows normal interferograms with small fringes. The coherence change detection (CCD) and DInSAR analysis were able to identify many landslides and ground deformations also confirmed by Sentinel-2 optical images and field inspection. The most important displacement (2.5 m), located in the Kherba neighborhood, caused severe damage to dwellings. It is worth notice that CCD and DInSAR are very useful since they were also able to identify ground cracks surrounding a large zone (3.94 km2 area) in Grarem City, whereas the Sentinel-2 optical images could not detect them. Although displacement time-series analysis of 224 interferograms (April 2015 to September 2020) performed using LiCSBAS did not detect any pre-event geotechnical precursors, the post-event analysis shows a 110 mm yr−1 subsidence velocity in the back hillside of Kherba.
Photoprotection Differences between Dominant Tree Species at Mid- and Late-Successional Stages in Subtropical Forests in Different Seasonal Environments

Plants growing in subtropical regions are often affected by high temperature and high light in summer and low temperature and high light in winter. However, few studies have compared the photoprotection mechanism of tree species at different successional stages in these two environments, although such studies would be helpful in understanding the succession of forest communities in subtropical forests. In order to explore the strategies used by dominant species at different successional stages to cope with these two environmental conditions, we selected two dominant species in the mid-successional stage, Schima superba and Castanopsis chinensis, and two dominant species in the late-successional stage, Machilus chinensis and Cryptocarya chinensis. The cell membrane permeability, chlorophyll fluorescence, chlorophyll content, and a few light-protective substances of these dominant species were measured in summer and winter. The results show that in summer, the young leaves of dominant species in the mid-successional stage showed higher anthocyanin content and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, while those in the late-successional stage showed higher flavonoid and total phenolic content, total antioxidant activity, non-photochemical quenching (NPQ), and carotenoid/chlorophyll (Car/Chl) ratio. In winter, young leaves of dominant species in the mid-successional stage were superior to those in the late-successional stage only in terms of catalase (CAT) activity and NPQ, while the anthocyanin, flavonoids, and total phenol content, total antioxidant capacity, and Car/Chl ratio were significantly lower compared to the late-successional stage. Our results show that the dominant species in different successional stages adapted to environmental changes in different seasons through the alterations in their photoprotection strategies. In summer, the dominant species in the mid-successional stage mainly achieved photoprotection through light shielding and reactive-oxygen-species scavenging by SOD, while the antioxidant capacity of trees in the late-successional stage mainly came from an increased antioxidative compounds and heat dissipation. In winter, the dominant species in the mid-successional stage maintained their photoprotective ability mainly through the scavenging of reactive oxygen species by CAT and the heat dissipation provided by NPQ, while those in the late-successional stage were mainly protected by a combination of processes, including light shielding, heat dissipation, and antioxidant effects provided by enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant systems. In conclusion, our study partially explains the mechanism of community succession in subtropical forests.
Effect of oxygen concentration on resistive switching behavior in silicon oxynitride film

SiO x N y films with different oxygen concentrations were fabricated by reactive magnetron sputtering, and the resistive switching characteristics and conduction mechanism of Cu/SiO x N y /ITO devices were investigated. The Cu/SiO x N y /ITO device with SiO x N y deposited in 0.8-sccm O 2 flow shows a reliable resistive switching behavior, including good endurance and retention properties. As the conductivity of SiO x N y increases with the increase of the oxygen content dynamical electron trapping and detrapping is suggested to be the conduction mechanism. The temperature dependent I–V measurement indicates that the carrier transport can be ascribed to the hopping conduction rather than the metallic conductive filament.
Proteomics Studies in Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) is the most common metabolic complication during pregnancy and is associated with serious maternal and fetal complications such as pre-eclampsia and stillbirth. Further, women with GDM have approximately 10 times higher risk of diabetes later in life. Children born to mothers with GDM also face a higher risk of childhood obesity and diabetes later in life. Early prediction/diagnosis of GDM leads to early interventions such as diet and lifestyle, which could mitigate the maternal and fetal complications associated with GDM. However, no biomarkers identified to date have been proven to be effective in the prediction/diagnosis of GDM. Proteomic approaches based on mass spectrometry have been applied in various fields of biomedical research to identify novel biomarkers. Although a number of proteomic studies in GDM now exist, a lack of a comprehensive and up-to-date meta-analysis makes it difficult for researchers to interpret the data in the existing literature. Thus, we undertook a systematic review and meta-analysis on proteomic studies and GDM. We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science and Scopus from inception to January 2022. We searched Medline, Embase, CINHAL and the Cochrane Library, which were searched from inception to February 2021. We included cohort, case-control and observational studies reporting original data investigating the development of GDM compared to a control group. Two independent reviewers selected eligible studies for meta-analysis. Data collection and analyses were performed by two independent reviewers. The PROSPERO registration number is CRD42020185951. Of 120 articles retrieved, 24 studies met the eligibility criteria, comparing a total of 1779 pregnant women (904 GDM and 875 controls). A total of 262 GDM candidate biomarkers (CBs) were identified, with 49 CBs reported in at least two studies. We found 22 highly replicable CBs that were significantly different (nine CBs were upregulated and 12 CBs downregulated) between women with GDM and controls across various proteomic platforms, sample types, blood fractions and time of blood collection and continents. We performed further analyses on blood (plasma/serum) CBs in early pregnancy (first and/or early second trimester) and included studies with more than nine samples (nine studies in total). We found that 11 CBs were significantly upregulated, and 13 CBs significantly downregulated in women with GDM compared to controls. Subsequent pathway analysis using Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery (DAVID) bioinformatics resources found that these CBs were most strongly linked to pathways related to complement and coagulation cascades. Our findings provide important insights and form a strong foundation for future validation studies to establish reliable biomarkers for GDM.
A Cross-Polarisation Discrimination Analysis of Off-Body Channels in Passenger Ferryboat Environments

There is a need for investigating radio channels for Body Area Networks considering the depolarisation phenomenon and new types of environments, since these aspects are becoming very important for systems design and deployment. This paper presents an analysis of cross-polarisation discrimination for off-body channels based on a measurement campaign performed in a passenger ferryboat, i.e., where all walls, floors and ceilings are made of metal. Firstly, the measurement campaign, including test-bench and scenarios, as well as the analysis approach, including classification of mutual antennas’ orientation and definition of parameters are described. The analysis of results includes distance, on-body antennas location and several scenarios, addressing statistical parameters. Mean values for the cross-polarisation discrimination are in the range of [3.7, 6.8] dB while the standard deviation is around 10.0 dB. There is no dependence of the cross-polarisation discrimination on distance, within the measured range (up to 16 m). It is found that there is no correlation between radio signals received by vertically and horizontally polarised receiving antennas, hence, enabling the application of polarisation diversity in Body Area Networks. The Normal Distribution is the best fit for describing cross-polarisation discrimination, as shown by the analysis of goodness of fit parameters, since it passes many of the tests.
DIC for deformation assesment: a case study

The aim of this paper is to present in detail case study, where the deformation of a complex connection system of a modular bridge are measured by means of the digital image correlation (DIC) technique, in order to study the displacements in the joint. The connection system is composed of metallic and composite parts. The paper shows that DIC is a complementary tool of the conventional measurement systems such as LVDT and strain gages. The use of strain gages and LVDT only allows to suggest where the major part of the deformation is located, but does not allow to understand the origin of the deformations. The DIC analysis permits to locate and to quantify the different sources of deformation, which may lead to the improvement of the design and the assembly procedure of the connection. The paper also points out the set-up procedure for the use of the CCD camera, and the precautions which must be taken concerning the contrast pattern to place on the specimen, the light conditions, the calibration procedure and the magnification factor, which must be used especially in this case where different planes are measured.
Perfusion in Organ-on-Chip Models and Its Applicability to the Replication of Spermatogenesis In Vitro

Organ/organoid-on-a-chip (OoC) technologies aim to replicate aspects of the in vivo environment in vitro, at the scale of microns. Mimicking the spatial in vivo structure is important and can provide a deeper understanding of the cell–cell interactions and the mechanisms that lead to normal/abnormal function of a given organ. It is also important for disease models and drug/toxin testing. Incorporating active fluid flow in chip models enables many more possibilities. Active flow can provide physical cues, improve intercellular communication, and allow for the dynamic control of the environment, by enabling the efficient introduction of biological factors, drugs, or toxins. All of this is in addition to the fundamental role of flow in supplying nutrition and removing waste metabolites. This review presents an overview of the different types of fluid flow and how they are incorporated in various OoC models. The review then describes various methods and techniques of incorporating perfusion networks into OoC models, including self-assembly, bioprinting techniques, and utilizing sacrificial gels. The second part of the review focuses on the replication of spermatogenesis in vitro; the complex process whereby spermatogonial stem cells differentiate into mature sperm. A general overview is given of the various approaches that have been used. The few studies that incorporated microfluidics or vasculature are also described. Finally, a future perspective is given on elements from perfusion-based models that are currently used in models of other organs and can be applied to the field of in vitro spermatogenesis. For example, adopting tubular blood vessel models to mimic the morphology of the seminiferous tubules and incorporating vasculature in testis-on-a-chip models. Improving these models would improve our understanding of the process of spermatogenesis. It may also potentially provide novel therapeutic strategies for pre-pubertal cancer patients who need aggressive chemotherapy that can render them sterile, as well asfor a subset of non-obstructive azoospermic patients with maturation arrest, whose testes do not produce sperm but still contain some of the progenitor cells.
Understanding Technology Adoption: The Case of Improved Cook Stoves in Bunga, Central Uganda

Promoters of improved cook stove technologies (ICS) argue that the use of these technologies offers several benefits such as improved health, fuel saving, reduction in green house gases emissions among others. Many of the studies exploring the use of improved cook stoves reveal a strong pro-diffusion bias towards these benefits, and few studies have investigated the adoption and use of ICS from the adopter’s point of view. This qualitative case study therefore attempted to understand the perceived factors that explicitly or implicitly influence the adoption (or not) of Improved cook stoves at household level by listening to potential ICS users. From the study, it was evident that adoption and sustained use of cook stoves is complex and it necessities consideration of a wide range of factors which mutually the influence house hold decision to adopt (or not) an improved cook stove. Consequently, this study emphasized the need for those promoting ICS to have a deeper understanding of the context in which potential adopters are part, and gain insight into the complex factors that govern behavior and provide a basis for doing things in a certain way, in order to ensure adoption and sustained use of ICSs and thereby realize it’s associated long term benefits.
Exploring Acquiring Technologies: Adoption, Adaptation, and Knowledge Management

To ensure that their workforces remain competitive, firms need to learn how to quickly leverage new technologies. In general, companies have two ways to acquire technology. First, choosing any well-marketed technology that other firms use and successfully adopting it according to their company's characteristics, and second, implementing change on existing technology, which utilizes beneficial opportunities or moderates negative effects. This process, which is identified as adapting technology, requires firms to analyze their processes, their employees, and their R&D ability to search and modify an appropriate technology. Since many firms continue to face complex challenges in acquiring technology's performance, the results of this study attempt to understand the relationship between the adoption and adaptation processes as well as the benefits that firms receive in the technology selection phase. This study emphasizes that both technology adoption and adaptation processes are identified as the major sources of technology acquisition. However, our study results highlighted that technology adoption is the most important way to achieve the technology advantages.