Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Bubble-Free AC Electrokinetic Micropump Using the Asymmetric Capacitance-Modulated Microelectrode Array for Microfluidic Flow Control

A novel ac electrokinetic micropumping device based on ac electro-osmotic flow induced by asymmetrically capacitance/chemistry-modulated microelectrode arrays has been successfully developed and demonstrated. Asymmetric capacitance modulation is made of comb electrode arrays and parts of individual electrode surfaces are modulated/deposited with a SiO2 dielectric layer. This proposed design can be utilized to shift the optimal operation frequency of maximum velocity from tens of kilohertz to megahertz to minimize electrolytic bubble generation and enhance micropumping performance. The pumping velocity, described in this paper, is measured via the tracing of microbeads and is a function of applied potential, signal frequency, buffer concentration, and dielectric layer thickness. A maximum pumping velocity up to 290 ? m ·s-1 in 5-mM buffer solution with the applied potential of 10 Vpp is observed in our prototype device, and the estimated maximum flow rate is up to 26.1 ? l ·h-1. This is the first successful demonstration regarding bubble-free ac electrokinetic micropumping via such an asymmetrically capacitance-modulated electrode arrays. Design, simulation, microfabrication, experimental result, and theoretical model are described in this paper to characterize and exhibit the performance of proposed novel bubble-free ac electrokinetic micropump.
Manufacturing/remanufacturing based supply chain management under advertisements and carbon emissions process

One of the most successful ways to get the word out about a product's popularity across all types of customers is through advertising. It has a valuable direct influence on increasing product demand. The supply chain model is developed for manufacturer and retailer, where advertisements are dependent on demand. The advertisement rate has been considered a function that has enhanced at a diminishing rate concerning time, although the growth rate slowed. During the manufacturing cycle, the market's demand is a function of advertisement, and the customer's demand is a linear function of time. The production rate exceeds the demand rate during manufacturing and remanufacturing; shortages are not faced. It involves a manufacturing/remanufacturing process that quickly delivers consumer products and less waste. To keep the environment clean, the cost of carbon emissions is incorporated into the manufacturer's and supplier's holding and degrading costs. The model's primary purpose is to minimize the overall cost of manufacturing and remanufacturing. The overall cost during the manufacturing cycle is higher than that during the remanufacturing cycle. This study confirms that the increasing cost of advertising provides the continuous increasing value of the total cost. A numerical example is provided, graphical representation and sensitivity analysis determine the function's behavior and test the model.
Sequential process modeling of SLIM substrate fabrication

A parametric process modeling approach has been implemented to simulate the sequential build-up process of a multilayered substrate. Generalized deformation models with element birth and death feature is used to activate and deactivate the material layers to simulate substrate fabrication. Using process models, one can determine the warpage and also axial and interfacial stresses at any intermediate stage in the process. This process-modeling approach is in contrast to the "frozen-view" models employed by many researchers, which are shown to yield overly conservative and sometimes erroneous results, leading to non-optimal design solutions. Residual warpage results are presented for the sequential build-up of a complex multilayered substrate with thin film passives integrated within the HDI (high density interconnect) layers. In addition, a comparison with the results using a frozen-view modeling approach is presented, and an alternate improved substrate processing technique is suggested to eliminate intermediate board warpage for a single-sided multilayer construction prior to polymer deposition.
A quad-band miniaturised compact Π-shaped CSRR-based metamaterial-inspired DG resonator antenna

ABSTRACT Proposed in this paper is a new configuration for a quad-band antenna based on using a metamaterial-inspired defected ground structure. The presented structure is introduced as a new modified metamaterial Complementary Split Ring Resonator (CSRR) with a compact electrical size. The new modified CSRR has been employed in Composite Right/Left-Handed (CRLH) transmission line configuration for ultra-size reduction. Validation for the particle small size is introduced and the detailed analysis for the NRI characteristics has been discussed by extracting the cell constitutive parameters. Hence, a multi-band antenna is designed based on using only one cell of the proposed NRI-TL. Subsequently, a small multi-band antenna is presented for different multi-band functionalities and different radiation properties. The antenna displays quad-resonances at 1.78 GHz, with the typical omnidirectional radiation pattern, 3.28 GHz, 4 GHz, and 4.3 GHz, with the directive broadside radiation properties. The proposed antenna footprint is 10 × 10 cm2, which exhibits a size reduction of up to 80% in comparison with a rectangular patch antenna operating at the lowest frequency band.
In Defense of Content Analysis Methodology

In this paper, we explore the methodological process and empirical outcomes of a large scale, computer-supported content analysis of consumer camera advertisements between 1980 and 2003. The study aims to address some of the criticisms of this methodology since Kassarjian (1977). In particular, we consider critical viewpoints (Kolbe and Burnett 1991; Weber 1985; Perreault and Leigh 1989), which suggest that researchers should attend to strengthening reliability of this methodology through their research design and empirical procedures. This study shows the different ways in which the overall research design contributed to achieving high inter-subjective agreement (Cohen's Kappa ratings) on a per category basis and describes the difficulties that arose. We also provide some empirical insights to how the social structures associated with consumer photography in the UK and the USA have changed over the past twenty-three years, particularly in light of the emergence of digital technology imaging. Based on this research, we offer some suggestions for advancing the use of this research method.
Three-color sensor based on amorphous n-i-p-i-n layer sequence

We present an amorphous silicon-based n-i-p-i-n three-color sensor with a layer sequence of substrate/metal/n-i-p-i-n/transparent contact. The color sensitivity (red, green and blue) is realized by applying small bias voltages within /spl plusmn/2 V. For the first time, this structure offers the possibility to integrate a color sensor on top of an ASIC chip, where pixel-based signal processing can be performed. Film thickness and optical band gap of the individual layers have been optimized to achieve maximum color separation. The surface of the metal-back contact is found to be critical for the performance of the sensor. A rough surface of the metal is responsible for short circuits at the common p-contact of the back-to-back p-i-n junction diodes. The steady-state I-V characteristics of the dark and photo currents have been studied. The dynamic range of the sensor is already suitable for optoelectronic applications. Sensor performance is not affected by metastable effects after prolonged light soaking. Speed limitations have been evaluated from switching experiments in the voltage mode. >
Optimal control of manufacturing procedure of diffuser for ballast system

This article proposes a method to find the optimized manufacturing procedure of ejector using differential evolution algorithm. To obtain the optimized machining conditions, the performance of ejector was analyzed based on the computer simulation, and machining condition during manufacturing was used to design the evaluation function. Based on the computer simulation and experiments results, the evaluation function for optimization and the manufacturing constraints were induced in this article. The functionality of the proposed method was verified through experiments.
Constraints and Techniques for Improving Pulses Production in Tamil Nadu, India

Production of pulses and its consumption are important in maintaining food and nutritional security. Pulses contain higher protein compared to any other grains and vegetables. This paper analyses the status and constraints of pulses production and the techniques including role of extension services for improving production in the areas under study in Tuticorin, Tirunelveli and Madurai district of Tamil Nadu. In 2010, a total of 648 respondents were selected using stratified random sampling from different categories of farming community. Statistical analytical tools like standard error, standard deviation, trend analysis, variance, chi-square tests, t-tests, Cramer's V test, etc. were used for interpretation of data. The reasons of low production and productivity, according to farmers’ perceptions, were due to use of poor quality seed, low area coverage, poor management, inadequate irrigation facilities, low investment, etc. Use of improved seed, adoption of optimum cropping pattern, maintenance of quality germ plasm, application of nutrients in the soil through micro-nutrient, bio-fertilizer, organic manures, adoption of crop protection measures, etc. are some of the important points which need immediate attention. Provision of appropriate marketing infrastructures and facilities is another important area for increasing production.
FRuDA: Framework for Distributed Adversarial Domain Adaptation

Breakthroughs in unsupervised domain adaptation (uDA) can help in adapting models from a label-rich source domain to unlabeled target domains. Despite these advancements, there is a lack of research on how uDA algorithms, particularly those based on adversarial learning, can work in distributed settings. In real-world applications, target domains are often distributed across thousands of devices, and existing adversarial uDA algorithms -- which are centralized in nature -- cannot be applied in these settings. To solve this important problem, we introduce FruDA: an end-to-end framework for distributed adversarial uDA. Through a careful analysis of the uDA literature, we identify the design goals for a distributed uDA system and propose two novel algorithms to increase adaptation accuracy and training efficiency of adversarial uDA in distributed settings. Our evaluation of FruDA with five image and speech datasets shows that it can boost target domain accuracy by up to 50% and improve the training efficiency of adversarial uDA by at least 11 times.
Evaluating alternative ebullition models for predicting peatland methane emission and its pathways via data-model fusion

Abstract. Understanding the dynamics of peatland methane (CH4) emissions and quantifying sources of uncertainty in estimating peatland CH4 emissions are critical for mitigating climate change. The relative contributions of CH4 emission pathways through ebullition, plant-mediated transport, and diffusion together with their different transport rates and vulnerability to oxidation determine the quantity of CH4 to be oxidized before leaving the soil. Notwithstanding their importance, the relative contributions of the emission pathways have not been well characterized by experiments or modeling approaches. In particular, the ebullition process is more uncertain and can lead to large uncertainties in modeled CH4 emissions. To improve model simulations of CH4 emission and its pathways, we evaluated two model structures: 1) the Ebullition Bubble Growth volume threshold approach (EBG) and 2) the modified Ebullition Concentration Threshold approach (ECT) using CH4 flux and concentration data collected in a peatland in northern Minnesota, USA. When model parameters were constrained using observed CH4 fluxes, the CH4 emissions simulated by the EBG approach (RMSE = 0.53) had a better agreement with observations than the ECT approach (RMSE = 0.61). Further, the EBG approach simulated a smaller contribution from ebullition but more frequent ebullition events than the ECT approach. The EBG approach yielded greatly improved simulations of pore water CH4 concentrations, especially in the deep soil layers, compared to the ECT approach. When constraining the EBG model with both CH4 flux and concentration data in model-data fusion, uncertainty of the modeled CH4 concentration profiles was reduced by 78 to 86 % in comparison to constraints based on CH4 flux data alone. The improved model capability was attributed to the well-constrained parameters regulating the CH4 production and emission pathways. Our results suggest that the EBG modeling approach better characterizes CH4 emission and underlying mechanisms. Moreover, to achieve the best model results both CH4 flux and concentration data are required to constrain model parameterization.
Redesigning harvest strategies for sustainable fishery management in the face of extreme environmental variability

Short‐lived, fast‐growing species that contribute greatly to global capture fisheries are sensitive to fluctuations in the environment. Uncertainties in exact stock–environment relationships have meant that environmental variability and extremes have been difficult to integrate directly into fisheries management. We applied a management strategy evaluation approach for one of Australia's large prawn stocks to test the robustness of harvest control rules to environmental variability. The model ensemble included coupled environmental‐population models and an alternative catchability scenario fitted to historical catch per unit effort data. We compared the efficacy of alternative management actions to conserve marine resources under a variable environment while accounting for fisher livelihoods. Model fits to catch per unit effort were reasonably good and similar across operating models (OMs). For models that were coupled to the environment, environmental parameters for El Niño years were estimated with good associated precision, and OM3 had a lower AIC score (77.61) than the base model (OM1, 80.39), whereas OM2 (AIC 82.41) had a similar AIC score, suggesting the OMs were all plausible model alternatives. Our model testing resulted in a plausible subset of management options, and stakeholders selected a permanent closure of the first fishing season based on overall performance of this option; ability to reduce the risk of fishery closure and stock collapse; robustness to uncertainties; and ease of implementation. Our simulation approach enabled the selection of an optimal yet pragmatic solution for addressing economic and conservation objectives under a variable environment with extreme events.
Synthesis of Highly Active Si-doped TiO2 Nanotube/SnS Hybrids for Photocatalytic Degradation of Toxic Dyes

Heterostructures with nanoscale sizes have great superiorities in photocatalytic environment decontaminant because of their efficient interface charge transfer and great surface area. This work reports the facile fabrication of nano-tubular TiO2 and Si-doped TiO2 (NTs) hybridizing SnS nanocrystallites and their high-efficient photocatalytic activity. The fabricated nanostructures show wide light absorption in the UV-visible region. The SBET, light absorption, hydrophilicity, and photo-induced super hydrophilicity were enhanced by Si-doping and SnS modification. Moreover, high-efficient interface charge transfer was produced after the SnS modification and further enhanced by the Si doping because of band structure modulation. Thus, the Si-doped TiO2 nanotubes/SnS heterostructures showed a remarkably enhanced photocatalytic and Fenton-like photocatalytic activities in dye wastewater treatment than the TiO2 NTs. This work suggests potential materials and their facile fabrication process for the photocatalytic application of environmental decontamination.
Engendering Quality Information Systems Development through Software Architectural Design

Quality issues have been a fundamental focal target in the development of most information systems. This is because most stakeholders involve in the usability of Information Systems(IS) are particular about quality in terms of user interface, functionality, ease of use and satisfaction. For a robust interactive society, quality information systems (QIS) should provide all the quality-relevant information during the whole life cycle of a product to all stakeholders. In this paper we are of the opinion that attention needs to be paid to architectural design which can be used to predict quality issues in the process of IS development thereby improving the quality of interaction within the IS. The paper present a framework to show how architectural design as a software engineering strategy can be used to predict quality of systems and also use as a communication vehicle among stakeholders for a better interactive society.
High Performance Level Conversion for Dual Design

Multi- design is an effective way to reduce power consumption, but the need for level conversion imposes delay and energy penalties that limit the potential gains. In this paper, we de- scribe new level converting circuits that provide 10%-61% lower energy consumption at equivalent or better speeds compared to those available in the literature. Furthermore, we make the ar- gument that level converters should be evaluated largely by their maximum speed since slower level converters consume valuable timing slack that can be used to reduce the energy of other gates in the circuit. Based on this criterion, we find the new structures to offer up to a 25% speed improvement over conventional level converters. Using an efficient dual voltage assignment algo- rithm, we show that this speed improvement can yield a reduction of up to 7.3% in total circuit power in small benchmark circuits. We also propose embedding the functionality of logic gates into the level converting circuits. For typical values of the second supply voltage, this technique can reduce delay by 15% at constant en- ergy or lower energy by up to 30% at fixed delay. Index Terms—Dual design, level conversion, low-power design.
A multi-resolution based method to precise identify the natural frequencies of beams with application in damage detection

This paper presents an enhanced method that accurately identifies natural frequencies of structures, via an important improvement of spectral lines density. Spectral lines density increases due to the superposition of many spectra, each spectrum being accomplished by subtracting certain number of samples from the original signal and using the power spectral density analysis. The newly achieved overlapped-spectrum shows important additions to spectral line number and makes more accurately identification of frequencies in the peak position of relevant amplitudes. In this way, modal analysis becomes more reliable and efficient. Method application assumes small frequency changes and the advantage of establishing more precisely the position and dimension of damage. The analysis of all results explicitly indicates an important assessment in the evaluation of frequency. Considering relevant aspects, it can be appreciated that the approached method offers a new development way in the vibration-based damage detection, allowing de possibility to perform more accurate evaluation of frequencies and introducing new features into the domain.
Split-Tee Power Divider

A new type of power divider is described which provides two in-phase isolated outputs with a constant arbitrary power division over a wide bandwidth. The derivation of the formulas from which the unit may be deisgned and its performance predicted are given. The bandwidth characteristics of a two-third, one-third power divider are given along with experimental verification.
Capacitance scaling system

A capacitance scaling system has been developed and consists of a commercially available four-terminal-pair LCR meter, an inductive voltage divider, and a 1000 pF air dielectric capacitor. It can calibrate capacitors up to 1 /spl mu/F in the frequency range from 50 Hz to 100 kHz. The combined standard uncertainty for 0.01 /spl mu/F at 100 kHz is estimated to be /spl plusmn/73 fF (7.3 parts in 10/sup 6/).
Analiza Componentelor Principale pentru date Categoriale (CATPCA)

In many cases, the basic assumptions of parametric exploratory factor analysis are not met and yet even in these cases, the technique is used. There is the risk of inducing significant errors that could invalidate the factor analysis model. To avoid such situations, we can use another technique, available for ordinal or even nominal variables, less known and used, called "Principal Components Analysis for Categorical Data". This article aims at an introduction to these methods of data analysis. The article begins with a fictional example illustrating the configuration and analysis of results provided by SPSS for Windows for CATPCA (Categorical Principal Components Analysis).
Geometrically Nonlinear Analysis of Funicular Reticulated Domes

Contrary to the usual procedure, a desired state of stress is assumed and that corresponding funicular shells shape is obtained. The reticulated domes that are developed from these equivalent shells are called Funicular domes. For shallow shells the governing equation is a Poisson's equation and for deep shells the governing equation is a nonlinear partial differential equation. The Boundary Integral Element method is used to obtain the shape of the funicular reticulated domes. Nonlinear analysis is carried out to investigate the snap through buckling and load deformation response. Numerical examples are solved using the program “NLA” developed.
LCL Filter Design for Single-Phase Grid-Connected PV Inverters with Double-frequency Unipolar PWM Switching

The current injected by PV inverters to the grid must contain low harmonic content within the standard limitations. However, the output voltage of inverters consists of large harmonic components at switching frequencies due to the PWM switching. Thus, an LCL filter is normally installed at the inverter output to efficiently reduce the current harmonics. Among different PWM switching schemes, double-frequency unipolar PWM has drawn little attention due to the issue of common-mode leakage current in transformerless inverters. However, this switching method offers advantages such as a lower harmonic content and higher efficiency. This paper paves the way for the implementation of double-frequency PWM switching scheme in transformerless single-phase grid-connected PV inverters by introducing a detailed description on LCL filter design. Theoretical and simulation studies on a complete PV converter are conducted in MATLAB/SIMULINK to prepare a straightforward LCL filter design procedure.
Hybride Phänomene in zeitdiskreter Darstellung (Hybrid Phenomena Presented in Discrete Time)

Abstract Der vorliegende Beitrag befasst sich mit der Darstellung hybrider Systeme in zeitdiskreter Zeit. Hybride Systeme verknüpfen ereignisdiskrete und zeitkontinuierliche Dynamiken. Durch die ereignisdiskrete Dynamik sind Sprünge in der zeitkontinuierlichen Dynamik und im zeitkontinuierlichen Zustand möglich. Diese zwei unterschiedlichen Arten von Sprüngen machen eine Beschreibung angelehnt an typische Modellierungsmethoden so gut wie unmöglich. Eine zeitdiskrete Betrachtung der zeitkontinuierlichen Dynamik und die daraus resultierenden Vereinfachungen für die Modellierung solcher Systeme sollen in diesem Beitrag ausführlich diskutiert werden. Dadurch ergeben sich für die Identifikation hybrider Systeme durch diesen Beitrag grundlegende Erkenntnisse.