Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
AN APPROXIMATE PROBABILITY DENSITY FUNCTION FOR NONLINEAR VIBRATION ENERGY HARVESTING

In the recent years, energy harvesting has become a promising technique as a power supply for autonomous electronic devices using ambient energy. The ambient energy can be harvested from environmental loads, such as solar radiation, wind loads, thermal gradients or from mechanical vibration in structures, vehicles, etc. In particular, energy harvesting from mechanical vibration is a promising technique because mechanical vibration is widely available in engineering environments. Furthermore, some excitations have broad bandwidth and time-varying properties. In such a case, the linear vibration energy harvester becomes inefficient. In order to improve the harvesting efficiency, a promisingly feasible way is the intentional introduction of stiffness nonlinearity into the harvester design. To model nonlinear energy harvesting, a mathematical model can be formulated using a set of coupled equations between a randomly excited spring-mass-damper system and a capacitive energy harvesting circuit using a linear electromechanical coupling coefficient. In terms of this model, the probability density function (PDF) of the response and output power is governed by the associated Fokker–Plank–Kolmogorov (FPK) equation which is hard to exactly be solved. In this paper, a solution procedure is developed to formulate an approximate joint PDF of a Duffing-type energy harvester under Gaussian white noise. The joint PDF of displacement, velocity and an electrical variable is governed by the FPK equation. First, a state-space-split method is adopted to reduce the FPK equation to the lower-dimensional FPK equation only about displacement and velocity. The stationary joint PDF of displacement and velocity can be solved exactly for a conventional Duffing system. Then, the joint PDF of displacement, velocity and the electrical variable can be approximated by the product of the obtained exact PDF and the conditional Gaussian PDF of the electrical variable. A parametric study is further conducted to show the effectiveness of the proposed solution procedure. Different nonlinearity degrees, excitation intensities and excitation means are considered in three examples. Comparison with the simulated results shows that the proposed solution procedure is effective in obtaining the joint PDF of the harvester in the examined examples, which is significant for reliability analysis on nonlinear vibration energy harvesting.
Ortodontik Tedavi S›ras›nda Oluflan Beyaz Nokta Lezyonlar White Spot Lesions during Orthodontic Treatment

Beyaz nokta lezyonlar ortodontik tedavi s›ras›nda oluflabilen non-estetik demineralize alanlard›r. Ortodontik tedavi sonras› hastalar›n % 2-96’s›n›n etkilendi¤i saptanm›flt›r. Beyaz nokta lezyonlar›n oluflumunun s›kl›¤› ve fliddeti difllerin braketli oldu¤u süreyle iliflkilidir ve tedavi sürecinde beyaz nokta lezyonlara karfl› koruyucu önlemlerin al›nmas› önemlidir. Bu derlemenin amac›, beyaz nokta lezyonlar›n›n oluflumu, tan›s›, s›kl›¤› ve tedavisi hakk›nda bilgi sunmak ve ortodontideki yeri ve önemini belirtmektir. (Türk Ortodonti Dergisi 2008;21:243254)
FOR THE INTERNET OF THINGS ( IOT ) SYSTEMS

Internet of Things (IoT) is an interconnection of different types of information assets in which data is continuously generated and transmitted over the Internet. Technologies of the sensor, RFID, GPS, mobile devices, and Internet-enabled actuators play a significant role in IoT systems. IoT brings out new challenges in terms of data and information management because it is not easy to collect and manage a large amount of heterogeneous data that is aggregated at very high velocity as well as to retrieve and manage the information that is hidden within this large volume of data. In this paper, I discuss the main factors affecting the efficiency of data management in IoT systems, specifically query processing and transaction management. There are many lessons learned from traditional database systems, distributed systems, and sensor networks, however, traditional solutions are often inadequate to meet the needs of applications in such a complex ecosystem, namely IoT. In traditional database systems, for instance, query operations are usually local, and execution costs depend on the current processor power and other resource constraints (i.e. memory). On the other hand, transaction management mechanisms guarantee the ACID properties in order to provide overall data integrity. It is apparent that different types of IOT applications that operate on heterogeneous, streaming, real-time, and geographically distributed large data will significantly change the well-known aspects of querying and transaction management. Contextaware querying, distributed querying, MapReduce computing model and flexible transaction models such as web-based transaction handling are some of the current issues discussed in this paper. With the succinct yet comprehensive information presented in this work, I intend to provide a guide for researchers in the IoT systems, especially in the context of database systems.
Writer's Forum: Building consistency between title, problem, purpose and research questions to improve the quality of research plans and reports

Consistency in the title, problem, purpose, and research question improve the logic and transparency of research. When these components of research are aligned research design and planning are more coherent and research reports are more readable. This article reviews the process for checking for and improving consistency. Numerous examples of consistency among these four components of research are provided and ways to remove inconsistency are outlined. A graphic, rubric and worksheet are provided to help researchers evaluate their own work or give feedback to the research work of others.
Therapist Capacity Planning: How can therapist capacity planning improve the execution of adult therapy programs in the Roessingh Rehabilitation Clinic?

This study focuses on improving the capacity planning of therapists in the Roessingh Rehabilitation Centre (RRC). Currently the organization is facing the challenge to adequately schedule the patients’ therapy programs. The weekly demand for therapy fluctuates as a result of the uncertain arrival new patients and patients who need changing therapies. Unscheduled therapy occurs when therapy demand exceeds the capacity of a specialized team. Patients currently experience incomplete realization of their therapy programs which negatively influences the quality of care. Furthermore we see a structural underutilization of therapists and a highly fluctuating workload. We analyzed the rehabilitation process, planning and control, the current bottlenecks and established performance indicators. Based on this analysis we developed a method to improve the allotment of therapists to specialized teams based on statistical information of historic data and we researched different policies for the formation of specialized teams. In this method the allotment is modelled as a MINLP problem and solved with a Simulated Annealing heuristic. Experiments show that tactical capacity planning of therapists can effectively improve the execution of adult therapy programs in terms of quality of care, economic deployment of therapists and access to care.
Supplementation of grazing suckling beef calves receiving different energy sources

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of different energy sources - corn, sorghum, and wheat bran - on performance, intake, digestibility, and nitrogen utilization efficiency of beef calves subjected to creep feeding. Thirty-four calves (12 males and 22 females) with initial age and weight of four months and 108±3.9 kg, respectively, were used in a randomized-block experimental design with four treatments and two blocks (males and females). Treatments were control (MM), a mineral mixture ad libitum; corn (C); corn + sorghum (C+S); and corn + sorghum + wheat bran (C+S+WB). Supplements contained approximately 20% crude protein (CP), and were fed in the amount of 0.5% of body weight. Supplemented animals had higher performance (P < 0.05) when compared with those on treatment MM. Supplementation increased (P < 0.05) the intakes of dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM), crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber corrected for ash and protein (NDFap), non-fibrous carbohydrates (NFC), digestible neutral detergent fiber (dNDF), and digestible organic matter (dOM). The digestibility of NFC was higher (P < 0.05) in the supplemented treatments. The C+S and C+S+WB treatments provided increased digestibility (P < 0.05) of OM, CP, and NDFap. The synthesis of nitrogen compounds was higher (P < 0.05) in animals on treatment C as compared with those on the other supplemented treatments. Animals on treatments C+S and C+S+WB had higher (P < 0.05) nitrogen utilization efficiency compared with those on the other treatments. Concentrate supplementation improved the animal performance. The use of other energy sources (sorghum or wheat bran) in association with corn is recommended for suckling calves.
English Oral Communication in Public Secondary Schools in Kazakhstan: Understanding its Practice and Challenges

The teaching of oral communication (OC) has been addressed in different ESL and EFL contexts, though mainly in a university setting. However, it has received little attention in the Central Asian context. This paper will provide preliminary insights into the practice of teaching English OC and the challenges associated with it in public schools in Kazakhstan (KZ), a country in Central Asia. For the pilot study reported here, data was collected from 18 KZ learners from 9 different schools via e-mail interviews. The study was guided by a theoretical model representing three levels of influence on OC practice: micro, meso, and macro. The current OC activities were found to be lacking in spontaneity, too teacher-centred and individual-oriented. At the micro level, emotional constraints were considered to have a greater impact on female students’ oral performance, while limited linguistic repertoire affected male students’ oral production. At the meso level, females found a lack of emotional support from their teachers, while males preferred to have out-of-class help from their friends to practise English. At the macro level, males were found to be more influenced by a wider sociocultural context than females. Firstly, the findings reveal the gap between the actual and preferred OC practices in KZ public schools, which can be further addressed by the stakeholders. Secondly, they illustrate how gender influences the way learners engage in OC activities. And lastly, they underline the importance of examining OC in relation to learners’ self, their social communities and the overarching context that shapes their attitude towards a language. Keywords: EFL context; Asian learners; gender; spontaneous speaking; affective factors
Progressive 3D mesh generation

One important aspect for any 3D graphics application is 3D shape representation. In every graphics application, there always exists a trade-off between complexity and performance. The more realistic 3D representation comes at a price of high computational complexity. In recent years, a new type of 3D shape representation, i.e. progressive mesh, has been received much attention since it provides a nice balance between complexity and performance. In this thesis, we focus on generating progressive meshes in two scenarios: from a given complex 3D textured model, and from a set of calibrated and segmented multi-view images. For the first scenario, we consider the problem of building progressive representation of a complex 3D model with texture information in a memory-efficient way. Simplification is the most commonly used method to generate progressive meshes from a complex model. In the first part of the thesis, we introduce a new method to extend the quadric error metrics for simplifying complex models with texture attributes. Different from the conventional approaches for 3D textured model simplification, which minimize the summation of geometric errors and texture errors, our method separates the texture error minimization from the geometric error minimization so as to reduce the memory requirement. The experimental results compared with other methods show its effectiveness. For the second scenario, we study the problem of reconstructing progressive 3D models from a set of multi-view images in a rate-distortion optimized manner. 3D reconstruction from multi-view images has been a very active research area in the past few years. Most of previous studies focus on how to reconstruct 3D models as close to their real-world objects as possible, and rely on a subsequent simplification process to generate progressive meshes for practical usage. In this thesis, we directly generate progressive meshes from the reconstruction process. From a set of calibrated and segmented wide baseline images, i ATTENTION: The Singapore Copyright Act applies to the use of this document. Nanyang Technological University Library
Factorial Validity of the Derriford Appearance Scale (DAS-24) Portuguese Version

Aim: There has been a considerable interest in research on concerns about appearance The aim of this study is to assess the factorial validity and reliability of the Derriford Appearance Scale (DAS-24) in the Portuguese population. Method: Five hundred and eight subjects participated in this research, using a convenience sample. Participants were asked to fill a set of questionnaires containing socio demographic questions, and questions related to investment schematic appearance and self-consciousness of appearance. Results: The DAS-24 presented good internal consistency (α = .91). The Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the DAS-24, presents an acceptable (χ 2 /df = 2.5; GFI = .912, CFI = .925, TLI = .909, RMSEA = .054, p [rmsea ≤ .05] = .130). Conclusion: The Portuguese version of the DAS-24, is psychometrically robust in evaluate self-consciousness of appearance.
Germination of native grasses with potential application in the recovery of degraded areas in Quadrilátero Ferrífero, Brazil

As gramineas nativas apresentam potencial para revegetacao de areas degradadas, no entanto, devido ao pouco conhecimento sobre sua biologia, da-se preferencia ao uso de especies exoticas, que podem ser invasoras, afetando assim a biodiversidade local. No intuito de ampliar o conhecimento acerca da propagacao via sementes de especies nativas do Quadrilatero Ferrifero (QF), e desta forma, indicar possiveis candidatas a aplicacao na recuperacao de areas degradadas da regiao, este trabalho objetivou avaliar os padroes germinativos das seguintes gramineas: Andropogon bicornis L. ; Andropogon leucostachyus Kunth; Setaria parviflora (Poir.) Kerguelen, Cenchrus brownii Roem. & Schult; Echinolaena inflexa (Poir.). Chase e Apochloa euprepes (Renvoize) Zuloaga & Morrone. As espiguetas (com presenca ou nao das estruturas que envolviam a cariopse, dependendo da especie) foram submetidas aos seguintes tratamentos: T1-controle; T2-umedecimento do substrato com 0,2% de nitrato de potassio, T3-aquecimento a 80 oC por 2 minutos, T4-escarificacao com acido sulfurico (exceto genero Andropogon) e para os generos Andropogon e Setaria, T5-armazenamento a temperatura ambiente e T6-armazenamento sob refrigeracao. Os tratamentos foram realizados em 4 repeticoes de 25 cariopses colocadas para germinar a temperatura de 25 oC e iluminacao constante. Variacao significativa foi observada quando comparadas as quantidades de germinacoes ocorridas entre as semanas, entre os tratamentos e entre as especies. Para o genero Andropogon o tratamento mais eficiente foi T6, seguido por T2 em A. bicornis e T3 em A. leucostachyus. T6 tambem foi o tratamento mais eficiente para S. parviflora, seguido por T5 e T2. C. brownii apresentou resultados proximos sob T1, T2 e T3 (media 39%). E. inflexa e A. euprepes apresentaram altos indices de dormencia que nao foram superadas pelos tratamentos propostos. A. bicornis, A. leucostachyus, S. parviflora e C. brownii apresentaram maiores potenciais de germinacao, sendo possiveis candidatas para recuperacao de areas degradas no QF. No entanto, ainda sao necessarios estudos complementares com os tratamentos mais eficientes e testes de germinacao e estabelecimento em condicoes de campo.
How to Deal with Covert Child Labour, and Give Children an Effective Education, in a Poor Developing Country

Given that credit and insurance markets are imperfect, and given also that intra-household transfers, and much of the work a child does, are private information, the second-best policy uses a combination of need and merit based education awards, together with a mix of taxes on parental income, and on the return to educational investment. It also makes school enrollment compulsory and, if the child wage rate is sufficiently high, sets a ceiling, decreasing in parental income, on overt child labour.
Fully Automated Segmentation of the Knee using Local Deformation-Model Fitting

In this paper we present a completely automated method for the segmentation of bone and cartilage in MR images of the knee. Our segmentation method is based on fitting a statistical deformation model, which was built from a set of labeled training images of the knee. The resulting deformation field is used to transfer a given segmentation from a reference image onto the target image to be segmented. To enlarge the flexibility of the deformation model in a controlled way, we use the idea of localized fitting, i.e. we fit the deformation model to local regions separately and combine the individual deformation fields. We applied our procedure to a set of images that were provided for the MICCAI 2010 workshop "Medical Image Analysis for the Clinic". Our results show that our approach yields good results around the interface of tibia and femur. The results also reveal a number of problems that occur with a naive application of this method to the problem of knee seg- mentation. In particular it turns out that the quality of the segmentation deteriorates near the boundary of the images.
Interdisciplinary Planning and Scientific Support to Rehabilitate and Preserve the Values of the Holy Aedicule of the Holy Sepulchre in Interrelation with Social Accessibility

The need for the immediate rehabilitation of the Holy Aedicule of the Holy Sepulchre involved the collaborative efforts done by the religious communities, scientific experts, and policy makers with the aim to secure the structural integrity and sustainable rehabilitation of the monument, which stands as a par excellence landmark of spiritual renewal and worshiping for the generations to come. Using best practices and integrating specific disciplinary expertise knowledge, the rehabilitation project has been throughout relevant and extrovert to the society, engaging the public in order to share problematic as well as scientific findings, to understand and promote its cultural resources. In order to achieve this, an innovative scientific method was developed by the National Technical University of Athens Interdisciplinary Team involving methods and perspectives from different disciplines, namely, from the scientific fields of architecture, civil engineering, surveying engineering, materials science and engineering, information technology, archaeometry and archaeology in dialogue with the religious communities. Reference is made to the cultural policy, highlighting the benefit of the interaction between ideas, institutions, and the common interest for the protection of monuments. The aforementioned, along with the organization programming, the integrated governance of the project, based on management functions, such as planning, budgeting, fundraising, evaluation and quality control, designed a prolific interdisciplinary agenda. This paper presents practical and theoretical work in heritage protection management, communicates the tools involved in master scientific issues, while it seeks to engage the interest of the public in order to interact actively, participate in its protection and add constructively on its future life.
THE USE OF GLOBAL SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS FOR ASSESSING CAPABILITY OF THE MTG/FCI INSTRUMENT TO DETECT AEROSOLS

The Flexible Combined Imager (FCI) is an instrument to be borne by the future geostationary meteorological satellite Meteosat Third Generation (MTG). A numerical simulator was set up to provide simulated outputs of the instrument. It includes top-of-atmosphere scene of upwelling spectral radiance obtained by a radiative transfer model in the clear atmosphere, and the transfer function of the FCI. The sensitivity of the sensor outputs to aerosol properties is studied by varying the inputs defining the scenes and their illumination. The Global Sensitivity Analysis (GSA) with the Sobol' decomposition is applied to the outputs of the simulator, yielding a ranking of the inputs with respect to their influence on the FCI numerical outputs. The results are presented for all visible and near infrared channels of the FCI for desert type of aerosols according to the OPAC database. The study highlights the most relevant channels for aerosol detection and characterization and gives assessment of the different sources of uncertainties in aerosol retrieval with such channels.
Refinement of the gyrokinetic equations for edge plasmas with large flow shears

A refined formulation of the gyrokinetic equations for large-flow shears caused by an equilibrium electric field has been presented. It is achieved by choosing more suitable equilibrium drift velocity for the reference frame of a charged particle instead of the previous one [H. Qin, Contrib. Plasma Phys., 46, 477 (2006)]. This modification yields improvements in the accuracy of the gyrokinetic equations even in the case of considerably large flow. The equations of motion and Maxwell’s equations are obtained using the Lie perturbation analysis and the pullback technique. From the numerical comparisons of the gyrokinetic equations given by Qin and the one derived here, the advantage of the present formulation is confirmed for both uniform and nonuniform large electric fields. Parameter dependence of the error in the energy expression is also numerically evaluated.