Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
128-Channel High-Linearity Resolution-Adjustable Time-to-Digital Converters for LiDAR Applications: Software Predictions and Hardware Implementations

This article proposes a new calibration method, called the mixed-binning (MB) method, to pursue high-linearity time-to-digital converters (TDCs) for light detection and ranging applications. The proposed TDCs were developed using tapped delay-line (TDL) cells in field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). With the MB method, we implemented a resolution-adjustable TDC showing excellent linearity in Xilinx UltraScale FPGAs. We demonstrate a 128-channel TDC to show that the proposed method is cost-effective in logic resources. We also developed a software tool to predict the performances of TDL-based TDCs robustly. Results from both software analysis and hardware implementations are in good agreement and show that the proposed design has great potential for multichannel applications; the averaged <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">${{\bf DN}}{{{\bf L}}_{{\boldsymbol{pk}} - {\boldsymbol{pk}}}}$</tex-math></inline-formula> and <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">${{\bf IN}}{{{\bf L}}_{{\boldsymbol{pk}} - {\boldsymbol{pk}}}}$</tex-math></inline-formula> are close to or even less than 0.05 LSB in multichannel designs.
Equivalent Impedance Analysis and Compensation of Full-Wave Bridge Rectifier under High-Frequency Operation with Extended Impedance Method

Full-wave bridge rectifiers are widely used in power electronics for ac-dc conversion. In most of the conventional rectifier analysis, the diodes were modeled as unidirectional ideal switches with a constant threshold voltage. Prior knowledge was needed for specifying the on/off state of a diode in different phases, as well as whether the circuit works under continuous or discontinuous condition modes (CCM or DCM). However, under high-frequency operation, whose frequency might be up to several MHz, the influence of parasitic components, such as the junction capacitor, is more significant. Such a simple ideal switch model and preliminary on/off assignment are not accurate enough to describe the actual switching dynamics. Given this insufficiency, this paper proposes an equivalent impedance analysis and compensation study of full-wave bridge rectifiers based on the extended impedance method (EIM). EIM provides an efficient frequency-domain numeric solution for nonlinear circuit analysis. The steady-state characteristics of a rectifier circuit can be easily and efficiently simulated with EIM, no matter it operates in CCM or DCM, under low or high frequencies. Taking the bridge rectifier in the secondary side of a 6.78MHz wireless power transfer (WPT) system, for example, we demonstrate that EIM can model its dynamics very well. The efficient numeric method is further utilized to optimize the rectifier circuit through impedance compensation towards zero phase angle (ZPA) operation. Both the commercial simulator PSpice and experiment results validate the feasibility of this EIM based analysis and optimization.
Exploration of Environmental Adult Education Participant Experiences and Implications for Future Practices

Initiatives promoting environmental adult education (EAE) through professional development (PD) ensures educators have the knowledge and skills to inform their audience about environmental literacy and stewardship. However, no research has focused on reflective experiences of an EAE PD from educator participants at least five years after participation. Eight past participants were interviewed to determine whether and how they saw their performance changing in relation to natural resources conservation and how they shared these changes with others. Analysis using the contextual lenses of EAE, outdoor experiential learning, and transformative learning theories led to five emergent themes: (a) becoming a more effective educator; (b) increasing awareness of conservation importance; (c) experiencing positive emotional effects; (d) augmenting behaviors that impact the environment; and (e) having positive experiences at the EAE PD location. These findings may ignite new means for approaching curriculum specific content with heightened attention on the value of conserving natural resources.
Association of Proximity to a Long-Term Acute Care Hospital With Hospital Tracheostomy Practices

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text. OBJECTIVES: Availability of long-term acute care hospitals has been associated with hospital discharge practices. It is unclear if long-term acute care hospital availability can influence patient care decisions. We sought to determine the association of long-term acute care hospital availability at different hospitals with the likelihood of tracheostomy. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: California Patient Discharge Database, 2016–2018. PATIENTS: Adult patients receiving mechanical ventilation for respiratory failure. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Using the California Patient Discharge Database 2016–2018, we identified all mechanically ventilated patients and those who received tracheostomy. We determine the association between tracheostomy and the distance between each hospital and the nearest long-term acute care hospital and the number of long-term acute care hospital beds within 20 miles of each hospital. Among 281,502 hospitalizations where a patient received mechanical ventilation, 22,899 (8.1%) received a tracheostomy. Patients admitted to a hospital closer to a long-term acute care hospital compared with those furthest from a long-term acute care hospital had 38.9% (95% CI, 33.3–44.6%) higher odds of tracheostomy (closest hospitals 8.7% vs furthest hospitals 6.3%, adjusted odds ratio = 1.65; 95% CI, 1.40–1.95). Patients had a 32.4% (95% CI, 27.6–37.3%) higher risk of tracheostomy when admitted to a hospital with more long-term acute care hospital beds in the immediate vicinity (most long-term acute care hospital beds within 20 miles 8.9% vs fewest long-term acute care hospital beds 6.7%, adjusted odds ratio = 1.54; 95% CI, 1.31–1.80). Distance to the nearest long-term acute care hospital was inversely correlated with hospital risk-adjusted tracheostomy rates (ρ = –0.25; p < 0.0001). The number of long-term acute care hospital beds within 20 miles was positively correlated with hospital risk-adjusted tracheostomy rates (ρ = 0.22; p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Proximity and availability of long-term acute care hospital beds were associated with patient odds of tracheostomy and hospital tracheostomy practices. These findings suggest a hospital effect on tracheostomy decision-making over and above patient case-mix. Future studies focusing on shared decision-making for tracheostomy are needed to ensure goal-concordant care for prolonged mechanical ventilation.
Curcumin: Modern Applications for a Versatile Additive

The recent development of several methods for extracting curcumin from the root of the plant Curcuma longa has led to intensified research on the properties of curcumin and its fields of application. Following the studies and the accreditation of curcumin as a natural compound with antifungal, antiviral, and antibacterial properties, new fields of application have been developed in two main directions—food and medical, respectively. This review paper aims to synthesize the fields of application of curcumin as an additive for the prevention of spoilage, safety, and quality of food. Simultaneously, it aims to present curcumin as an additive in products for the prevention of bacterial infections and health care. In both cases, the types of curcumin formulations in the form of (nano)emulsions, (nano)particles, or (nano)composites are presented, depending on the field and conditions of exploitation or their properties to be used. The diversity of composite materials that can be designed, depending on the purpose of use, leaves open the field of research on the conditioning of curcumin. Various biomaterials active from the antibacterial and antibiofilm point of view can be intuited in which curcumin acts as an additive that potentiates the activities of other compounds or has a synergistic activity with them.
Ni-N-Doped Carbon-Modified Reduced Graphene Oxide Catalysts for Electrochemical CO2 Reduction Reaction

Electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) is eliciting considerable attention in relation to the carbon cycle and carbon neutrality. As for the practical application of CO2RR, the electrocatalyst is a crucial factor, but, even so, designing and synthesizing an excellent catalyst remains a significant challenge. In this paper, the coordination compound of Ni ions and dimethylglyoxime (DMG) was employed as a precursor to modify reduced graphene oxide (rGO) for CO2RR. The textural properties and chemical bonds of as-obtained rGO, N–C–rGO, Ni–rGO, Ni–N–C, and Ni–N–C–rGO materials were investigated in detail, and the role of Ni, N–C, and rGO in the CO2RR were researched and confirmed. Among all the catalysts, the Ni–N–C–rGO showed the optimal catalytic activity and selectivity with a high current density of 10 mA cm−2 and FE(CO)% of 85% at −0.87 V vs. RHE. In addition, there was no obvious decrease in activity for 10 h. Therefore, the Ni–N–C–rGO is a promising catalyst for CO2RR to CO.
Synthesis of Highly Ordered, Three-Dimensional Macroporous Structure of Keggin-Type SiW_(12)/SiO_2

Non_crosslinked,monodisperse polystyrene spheres were synthesized using an emulsifier_free emulsion polymerization technique. Ordered colloidal PS crystal was prepared by centrifugal effect. Three_dimensional macroporous material of Keggin_type SiW_(12)/SiO_2 was obtained by filling a precusor solution compounded of Keggin_type polyoxometalates(POMs) SiW_(12)O_(40), tetraethoxysilane(TEOS), ethanol and water in molar ratio of SiW_(12)∶TEOS∶EtOH∶H_2O=1∶30∶266∶800, into the interstices of the speres of the PS crystal, and subsequent calcination under a slow heating rate and suitable temperature. SEM images demonstrate that the obtained product is a highly ordere, three_dimensional and macroporous structure. Infrared spectra and X_ray diffraction determination shows that the porous walls compose of SiW_(12) with the Keggin structure and non_crystal SiO_2.
Development of Multifunctional Cotton/nylon Blended Fabrics Using Nanoparticles of Different Metal Oxides

Two-bath dyeing is currently used to dye cotton/nylon blended fabrics. The cotton/nylon blended fibers were initially pre-treated independently with metal oxides based nanoparticles (NPs) before being dyed with acid and reactive dyestuffs. Two baths were used for dyeing of NPs metal oxides pre-treated cotton/nylon fabric with reactive and acid dyes. The morphological properties of the treated fabrics were explored by scan electron microscope and energy-dispersive X-ray. The impact of pre-treatment with NPs metal oxides on dye-ability, colorfastness, and physico-chemical features has been studied. Colorimetric strength (K/S) and CIE Lab were also explored. K/S values, washing, perspiration, and light fastness of the cotton/nylon sample treated with metal oxide nanoparticles were all higher. Antimicrobial activity was also examined against strains of K. pneumoniae, S. aureus and Candida albicans. The findings indicating that colored fabric had antibacterial potential due to the antibacterial property of NPs metal oxides. Aside from the NPs-treatment colored fabrics with excellent UV protection properties are produced.
Recovery process of genetic diversity through seed and pollen immigration at the northernmost leading‐edge population of
 Fagus crenata

The range expansion of a plant species begins with colonization of ecological empty patches from posterior source populations. This process involves stochastic loss of genetic diversity. However, the founder population could restore genetic diversity by gene flow from posterior populations via seeds and pollen and its recovery affects evolutionary potential for species expansion. To clarify the recovery process of genetic diversity during species range expansion, gene flow via seeds and pollen was investigated at the expansion front of Fagus crenata . Based on eight nuclear microsatellite genotypes of a total of 150 individuals and 225 seeds at the northernmost leading-edge population, genetic diversity, fine-scale spatial genetic structure (FSGS), and genetic differentiation from other five northern populations were investigated. Moreover, both seed and pollen immigration and their effects on genetic diversity at different successional stages were analyzed. The leading-edge population showed lower genetic diversity and substantial genetic differentiation, reflecting its strong genetic drift. Non-significant FSGS and a negative inbreeding coefficient for mature trees may indicate that the earliest generation consisted of founders from foreign seed sources. The significant proportion of seed and pollen immigration increased the number of different alleles for later successional stages. The effective number of pollen parents from foreign sources (20.8) was markedly higher than that from the local source These results indicated that
Trump Paradox: How Immigration and Trade Affected White Voting and Attitudes

Donald Trump presented immigration and trade as the cause of the diminished prospects of white working-class voters, the core of his political base. The authors’ research—the first that examines actual immigration and trade exposure with attitudes and Trump voting—demonstrates that white voting for Trump was unrelated to immigration levels and, paradoxically, strongest in counties with low levels of trade. Anti-immigrant and antitrade attitudes more consistently and strongly explain voting for Trump and Republicans in 2016 and 2018 than actual immigration and trade. The authors also find descriptive support that over four years, Trump’s false narrative unraveled as his support declined in those counties most exposed to immigration and trade. Although Trump elaborated a white nationalist narrative on the basis of anti-immigrant and antitrade politics that was widely accepted as truth, the authors show that virtually no aspects of Trump’s simple narrative have any factual basis in actual reality.
Construction and Content Validity Evidences of Coping Inventory for Brazilian Paralympic Athletes in Competition Situations

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to present the construction process of the Coping Inventory for Paralympic Athletes in Competition Situations (ICAP) and, as well, evidence of its content validity. The ICAP was developed to evaluate coping strategies in Paralympic athletes aged 18 years and older, possessing physical and/or visual impairment. The instrument is self-reported and includes the dimensions of Self-Reliance, Support-Seeking, Problem-Solving, Information-Seeking, Accommodation, Negotiation, Delegation, Social Isolation, Helplessness, Escape, Submission, and Opposition. Development of the instrument involved: (1) theoretical foundation based on the motivational theory of coping; (2) construction of the preliminary version of the instrument; (3) items analysis by expert judges; (4) semantic analysis of the items; and (5) pilot study. These procedures enabled the creation and refinement of the instrument. Some items were deleted and modified, reaching a final version of 91 items. This exhaustive process is considered to have ensured the content validity of the instrument. It is hoped that the ICAP can contribute in the future to the areas of sports psychology and Paralympic sport, both in the context of research and in practice.
Structural Model to Predict Satisfaction and Performance Users of SIKD at Government Organizations in South Kalimantan

The successful adoption of ICT by local governments still requires evaluation because of several issues related to the use and utilization of the SIKD. The variety of SIKD applications, limited server, and network capacity, limited human resource personnel, and lack of technical guidance because regulatory changes put pressure on user satisfaction and performance. Academic evaluation of SIKD adoption from the user's perspective is needed to explore advanced concepts of e-government development. The research model was analyzed with the Partial Least Square (SEM-PLS) approach. The results showed the perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, subjective norms, and facilitating conditions influenced user satisfaction and subsequently, user satisfaction affected user performance. The conceptual framework tested in this study was able to show that under conditions of ICT mandatory use by organizations, behavioral beliefs influence user satisfaction and have an important impact on user performance.
Analysis of C-shaped Compact Microstrip Antennas using Deep Neural Networks optimized by Manta Ray Foraging Optimization with Lévy-Flight Mechanism

In recent years, microstrip antennas have become a popular research subject with the increasing use of mobile technologies. With the development of neural networks, the design and analysis of microstrip antennas are carried out quickly with high accuracy. However, optimizing the weight matrices and bias vectors of deep neural learning models is an important challenge for engineering problems. This study presents a deep neural network-based (DNN-based) neural model to estimate the gain and scattering parameter (S 11 ) of C-shaped compact microstrip antennas (CCMAs). For this purpose, the S 11 and gain values of 324 CCMAs with different physical and electrical properties were obtained using full-wave electromagnetic simulation software based on the finite integration technique (FIT). The data related to 324 CCMAs were used for the training and testing process. The improved manta ray foraging optimization (MRFO) algorithm based on the Lévy-flight (LF) mechanism was used to optimize the connection weights matrices and bias vectors. The MRFO-optimized model has estimation success for training and testing data as 0.925 and 0.922, in terms of R 2 score, respectively. The estimated resonant frequencies using the trained model are compared with the studies in the literature, and an average percentage error (APE) of 0.933% is obtained.
Discovery of the first Amazonian Thomasomys (Rodentia, Cricetidae, Sigmodontinae): a new species from the remote Cordilleras del Cóndor and Kutukú in Ecuador

A new species of the cricetid rodent genus Thomasomys is described from the montane forests of the Cordilleras del Cóndor and Kutukú, southeastern Ecuador, at elevations between 1,770 and 2,215 m. The species has a large body size (head and body length 137–147 mm) in comparison with other species in the genus, and also is distinguished from its congeners by presenting a tail longer than the head–body length, presence of genal vibrissae 1 and 2, wide presphenoid, first and second lower molars with ectolophid, and third lower molar slightly shorter than the second. A molecular phylogeny based on mitochondrial genes resolved the new species a member of the “aureus” group, most closely related to Thomasomys aureus sensu stricto (genetic distance 8.57%) and as well as an additional undescribed species from southeastern Ecuador. This finding increases the diversity of Thomasomys to 46 species, of which 17 species are present in Ecuador. In addition, the species described herein is the first Thomasomys from the Amazonian basin, a genus that up to now was thought to be restricted to Andean ranges.
Artificial Bio-Inspired Tactile Receptive Fields for Edge Orientation Classification

Robots and users of hand prosthesis could easily manipulate objects if endowed with the sense of touch. Towards this goal, information about touched objects and surfaces has to be inferred from raw data coming from the sensors. An important cue for objects discrimination is the orientation of edges, that is used both in artificial vision and touch as pre-processing stage. We present a spiking neural network, inspired on the encoding of edges in human first order tactile afferents. The network uses three layers of Leaky Integrate and Fire neurons to distinguish different edge orientations of a bar pressed on the artificial skin of the iCub robot. The architecture is successfully able to discriminate eight different orientations (from 0o to 180o), by implementing a structured model of overlapping receptive fields. We demonstrate that the network can learn the appropriate connectivity through unsupervised spike based learning, and that the number and spatial distribution of sensitive areas within the receptive fields are important in edge orientation discrimination.
Supporting Pupils’ scientific and engineering practices in everyday life contexts at the primary school level during a project-based learning unit in Finland

ABSTRACT The aim of this research was to examine the potential of project-based learning (PBL) and everyday life contexts in developing primary pupils’ scientific and engineering practices. Multiple data were collected in a Finnish primary school class; pupils were aged 7–8 years. The pupils’ practices and creation of artifacts were videotaped and analysed using theory-guided content analysis. The analysis revealed that the designed multidisciplinary PBL unit placed within a familiar everyday life context enabled pupils to practice and communicate scientific and engineering practices supported with digital technology.
Interactive Effects of Abiotic and Biotic Factors Drive Aquatic Plant Colonization in Subtropical Mangroves

The colonization and spread of non-native species are recognized as a critical driver of environmental change in mangrove ecosystems. However, environmental factors that favor non-native plant colonization in mangroves are still poorly understood. To contribute to filling this gap, we investigated the effect of selected abiotic factors associated controlling aquatic macrophytes colonization in mangroves in Southeastern Brazil. Furthermore, we also assessed foliar attributes of native and non-native species to evaluate whether biotic attributes favored the colonization. We selected 18 plots in mangrove forests under different levels of anthropogenic N inputs, both colonized and non-colonized by aquatic macrophytes in the Estuarine-Lagoon Complex of Cananeia-Iguape, southeastern Brazil. We measured interstitial salinity, sediment nitrate and ammonium concentrations, and sediment physicochemical properties. We also measured foliar nitrogen (N) concentrations, foliar C:N, and foliar δ13C of both native and non-native species. We found that interstitial salinity at 10 cm depth followed by nitrate concentrations in sediment were the main factors associated with the occurrence of aquatic macrophytes in the studied mangrove areas. Moreover, non-native species had about 2-fold higher foliar N concentrations as well as about a 1.5-fold lower C:N ratios compared to native species. Low salinity and increased N availability in sediment allowed for the success of aquatic macrophytes into mangrove forests, also resulting in high amount of dead mangrove trunks (up 53% of basal area).