Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An elastance-based control scheme for a heart valve tester

The imitation of human heart behavior is an important issue in the field of heart physiology. Arterial pressure and flow result from the interaction between the ejecting ventricle and arterial circulation. Rutten et al. (2005) developed a bio reactor with a mock circulatory system to test aortic heart valves on their functionality by measuring pressure drops and flows. Physiological flow rate is controlled by a prescribed motion of a piston, while the aortic pressure is matched by tuning the afterload. Drawback of this setup is that valve flow does not depend on valve characteristics, but on piston motion. However, valve flow is one of the criteria in assessment of valve quality. Therefore, in this paper the heart valve tester of Rutten et al. (2005) has been extended with a control strategy for the piston motion, to better mimic the response of the heart, in terms of flow and pressure, to changes in valve properties and afterload. The control scheme is based on the time-varying elastance model (Suga and Sagawa (1974)). The elastance control loop calculates the desired pump volume using a timevarying elastance function and the ventricular pump pressure signal. The volume control loop regulates the pump volume according to this desired pump volume. A mathematical model of the heart valve tester has been made to show stability of the applied control algorithm, using Floquet multipliers (Parker and Chua (1989)). Furthermore, the control algorithm has been implemented on the setup. Results show that the controller is capable of responding to changes in afterload and valve properties while still generating physiological pressures and flows.
How should agriculture produce enough food for the world? : original research

From an agricultural point of view, the question if the earth can feed adequately not only its current population of 7 billion people, but also the expected population of 9 billion people to 10 billion people by 2050, is currently answered in two opposing ways. Some believe modern agriculture should increase productivity by implementing technological innovation and eliminating subsistence agriculture. Others believe industrialised agriculture is out of tune with the ecology and sufficient healthy food may be produced by an agriculture that recognises ecological and biological limits (known as ecological intensification). On the basis of a theoretical framework derived from reformational philosophy and in particular the concept of enkapsis, this article supports ecological intensification, especially if it forms part of a cultural development guided by Schuurman's metaphor of a garden-city. However, it is still a marginal activity within a culture directed by a belief in progress. High rates of economic growth, based on technological innovation, appears to validate such faith, but human and environmental costs are insufficiently acknowledged (metaphor: the earth is a machine). A break with technicism and economism becomes a pre-condition for feeding adequately both the present and the projected population of the world. Hoe kan die landboubedryf genoeg voedsel vir die wereld produseer? Die vraag of die aarde in staat is om nie net die huidige populasie van 7 biljoen mense nie, maar 'n geskatte 9 biljoen mense tot 10 biljoen mense teen 2050, voldoende te voed, word tans op twee verskillende maniere beantwoord. Daar is diegene wat glo dat moderne landbou produktiwiteit moet verhoog deur deur tegnologiese vernuwing, terwyl bestaansboerdery geelimineer moet word. Hierdie oplossing word teengestaan deur diegene wat glo dat geindustrialiseerde landbou nie in pas is met die ekologie waarin dit plaasvind nie. Hulle redeneer dat daar steeds genoegsame produksie van gesonde voedsel kan wees wanneer ekologiese en biologiese grense in ag geneem word (ekologiese intensivering). In die lig van 'n teoretiese raamwerk wat 'n oorsprong in die reformatoriese filosofie het, en in besonder die enkapsis-konsep, is daar in hierdie artikel geredeneer dat ekologiese intensivering die beter alternatief is, veral wanneer dit deel uitmaak van 'n kulturele ontwikkeling gelei deur Schuurman se tuinstadmetafoor. Dit is egter steeds 'n marginale gedagte in 'n kultuur wat oorheers word deur die geloof in vooruitgang. Sodanige geloof word skynbaar geregverdig deur die hoe ekonomiese groeikoers wat op tegnologiese vernuwing gebaseer is, maar, alhoewel dit nie genoegsaam erken word nie, geskied dit ten koste van die mens en die omgewing (metafoor: die aarde is 'n masjien). 'n Breek met tegnisisme en ekonomisme word 'n voorwaarde vir voldoende voedsel vir die huidige sowel as toekomstige wereldbevolking.
Sputtering of SiO 2 Dust Grains

Dust grains in space are exposed to energetic ions, electrons and UV irradiation. Impact of energetic ions can lead to sputtering of the grain consequently resulting in grain destruction during long-term exposures. To study such processes we have chosen spherical SiO2 grains with diameters in the range of 1 micrometer as a representative of silicate-type space dust. Our experimental set-up enables us to catch and store a single dust grain which can be sputtered by the ion beam. The mass of the grain is measured after each sputtering session and we can judge the sputtering efficiency from temporal changes of the mass. Our results suggest that the mass change is around 1.5 % per 3-hour bombardment by 1 keV Ar+ ions (current density of ≈ 0.2–1.2 mA/m2) which corresponds to the sputtering yield of the order of unity. An estimation of dust grain survival in solar wind conditions based on our measurement is shown as an application.
Information from Relationship Lending: Evidence from Loan Defaults in China

Using a proprietary database from a large Chinese state‐owned bank, we examine whether information evolved from banking relationships predicts commercial loan default by industrial firms. We find that the bank's relationship information is significantly linked to the incidence of default, and that its contribution to prediction accuracy is larger than any hard information. Furthermore, the effect of relationship information is stronger among firms that have a more sustained banking relationship. Our findings indicate that, at least in the emerging markets, a bank's relationship information still matters for large firms, despite the fact that hard information for such firms is abundant.
Click Chemistry on Solution-Dispersed Graphene and Monolayer CVD Graphene

Graphene from two different preparative routes was successfully functionalized with 4-propargyloxybenzenediazonium tetrafluoroborate in order to study a subsequent attachment by click chemistry (1,3-dipolar azide–alkyne cycloaddition) of a short chain polyethylene glycol with terminal carboxylic end group (PEG-COOH). The reaction steps were studied by FTIR and Raman spectroscopies, as well as zeta-potential and surface tension measurements. In the first route, pristine graphene was surfactant dispersed from a stage controlled expanded graphite before reaction, resulting in colloidally stable dispersions after dialysis removal of the surfactant following the two functionalization steps. The chemistry was shown to increase the zeta-potential from −45.3 to −54.6 mV and increase the surface tension from 48.5 to 63.0 mN/m compared to those of the precursor solution. The magnitudes of the zeta-potential and the resulting solution concentration were shown to increase with grafting density up to 14.2 μg/mL. A col.
The effect of urea with urease inhibitors and urea on yield and nitrate content in potato tubers

The three-year field trial was established on two localities - Žabcice and Valecov in 2010-2012. Seven variants of nitrogen fertilization in four replications have been involved in this experiment - 100% of urea (U), 80% of urea, 60% of urea, 100% of UreaStabil (US), 80% of UreaStabil and 60% of UreaStabil, whilst 100% corresponded to 90 kg N.ha-1 after subtracting the content of Nmin in the soil, and the control variant without fertilization by mineral nitrogen. The two varieties with different lengths of vegetation periods have been chosen for the experiment - the early variety Karin and the mid-early variety Red Anna. In all cases, samples for the yield and qualitative analyses have been taken according to the phenological phase - the beginning of physiological maturity. The obtained results show that the highest average yield has been achieved in the variant of 100% of urea - 40.95 t.ha-1, the yield of this variant was statistically significantly higher than the yield of the other variants of fertilization (P 0.05). In regard to localities, a relatively high average yield (44.58 t.ha-1) has been achieved on a characteristically potato-growing locality Valecov. This yield was statistically significantly higher than the one attained on the Žabcice locality (P 0.05). When using the fertilizer consisting of urea without the urease inhibitor, a lower average content of nitrates was found - 207.8 mg.kg-1 of moisture content, but there was no statistically significant difference in comparison to the urea with the urease inhibitor variants (P > 0.05). In respect to localities, lower average nitrate content was established on the Žabcice locality - 177 mg.kg-1 of moisture content. A statistical significance in comparison to the Valecov locality was found (P < 0.05). The mid-early variety Red Anna had a lower average nitrate content - 167.7 mg.kg-1 of moisture content. When compared to the early variety Karin, a statistical significance was found P 0.05) was found between 2010 and 2011, but in contrast to the year 2012, a statistical significance in regard to the nitrate content was established (P < 0.05).
Rotational velocities of A-type stars - IV. Evolution of rotational velocities

Context. In previous works of this series, we have shown that late B- and early A-type stars have genuine bimodal distributions of rotational velocities and that late A-type stars lack slow rotators. The distributions of the surface angular velocity ratio Ω/Ω crit (Ω crit is the critical angular velocity) have peculiar shapes according to spectral type groups, which can be caused by evolutionary properties. Aims. We aim to review the properties of these rotational velocity distributions in some detail as a function of stellar mass and age. Methods. We have gathered v sin i for a sample of 2014 B6- to F2-type stars. We have determined the masses and ages for these objects with stellar evolution models. The ( T eff ,log L / L ⊙ )-parameters were determined from the uvby – β photometry and the HIPPARCOS parallaxes. Results. The velocity distributions show two regimes that depend on the stellar mass. Stars less massive than 2.5 M ⊙ have a unimodal equatorial velocity distribution and show a monotonical acceleration with age on the main sequence (MS). Stars more massive have a bimodal equatorial velocity distribution. Contrarily to theoretical predictions, the equatorial velocities of stars from about 1.7 M ⊙ to 3.2 M ⊙ undergo a strong acceleration in the first third of the MS evolutionary phase, while in the last third of the MS they evolve roughly as if there were no angular momentum redistribution in the external stellar layers. The studied stars might start in the ZAMS not necessarily as rigid rotators, but with a total angular momentum lower than the critical one of rigid rotators. The stars seem to evolve as differential rotators all the way of their MS life span and the variation of the observed rotational velocities proceeds with characteristic time scales δt ≈ 0.2 t MS , where t MS is the time spent by a star in the MS.
A Novel Approach to Interior Gateway Routing

Most ISPs and Autonomous Systems (AS) on the Internet today use Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) or Intermediate-System-to-Intermediate-System (IS-IS) as the Interior Gateway Protocol (IGP). Both protocols use the Link- State routing approach and require distribution of link state information to all routers in a network or in an area. Any topological changes require redistributing updates and refreshing routing tables. This results in high convergence times. During convergence, packet routing becomes unreliable. During the years as network sizes have grown, the routing table sizes have also exhibited a linear growth. This is indicative of scalability issues in the current routing approaches and could be a limiting factor for future growth. Future Internet initiatives, which were started worldwide almost a decade ago, have enabled novel approaches to address the routing problem. In this article, such a novel interior gateway routing approach is presented. The approach leverages the tiered structure existing among ISP networks, AS, and in general most networks. The routing protocol was thus named the Tiered Routing Protocol (TRP). Though TRP can be used for both inter- and intra-AS routing, in this article, it is presented as a candidate protocol for intra-AS routing. TRP operations are supported by a tiered addressing scheme. Use of TRP replaces both the Internet Protocol (IP) and the routing protocol. The rationale for TRP and its details followed by its evaluation over the US national testbed namely Emulab are presented in this article. TRP's performance is compared with OSPF to highlight its major contributions to address routing scalability.
Numerical simulation of electromagnetic coupling in explicitly meshed wiring looms and bundles

In this paper, the Unstructured Transmission Line Modelling (UTLM) method based on a tetrahedral mesh is applied to model the electromagnetic coupling into wire looms and bundles with multiple cores that are typical of an aircraft system, when they are exposed to plane wave illuminations. The impact on the electromagnetic coupling into wires of both bundle configuration and the positioning of the bundle relative to simple structures are investigated using the UTLM method with explicit meshing of the wires. The work not only confirms that UTLM method as a powerful tool for dealing with wire looms and bundles but provides invaluable information on the margins to be expected in key experimental waveform parameters such as peak amplitude and frequency response.
DESIGN OF YAGI-UDA ANTENNA WITH MULTIPLE DRIVEN ELEMENTS

—In this paper, we present a novel design for an end-ﬁre antenna, which generalizes the concept of conventional Yagi-Uda antenna by introducing multiple driven elements. Through using the method of maximum power transmission eﬃciency, the optimal distribution of excitations for the multiple driven elements can be obtained, and the end-ﬁre gain of the array can be signiﬁcantly improved in comparison with the conventional Yagi-Uda antenna with a single driven element. In order to demonstrate the new idea, two diﬀerent types of antenna arrays are designed and fabricated. The ﬁrst design uses a split-ring resonator (SRR) as radiating element. Compared to similar planar Yagi-Uda SRR antenna arrays previously reported, the number of antenna elements can be reduced from ﬁfteen to eight, and the longitudinal dimension is signiﬁcantly reduced by 46% while the same performances are maintained with the gain reaching 11.7 dBi at 5.5 GHz. In the second design, printed half-wavelength dipoles are used as the antenna elements. It is shown that an eight-element dipole array with four driven elements has a peak gain of 13.4 dBi at 2.45 GHz, which is 1.8 dB higher than the conventional printed Yagi-Uda dipole antenna array with the same number of elements.
Prevalence of Active Cytomegalovirus Infection in Hemodialysis Patients

Background and Objectives : Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is the most common viral cause of morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised patients . The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency of active CMV infection in hemodialysis patients in Gorgan, Iran. Methods: Plasma samples were obtained from 149 hemodialysis patients at Hemodialysis Unit of Panje-Azar Medical Centre in Gorgan, Iran. Presence of CMV-DNA in plasma samples was evaluated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using specific primers for highly conserved regions of major capsid protein gene of HCMV. In addition, level of CMV-IgM antibody was measured by serological testing. Demographic information and past medical history of patients were also recorded. Data was analyzed by SPSS software (version 18). Results: Total prevalence of CMV infection was 6.7% (10/149) among the patients receiving hemodialysis. CMV-DNA and anti-CMV IgM antibody were detected in 2.68% and 4.69%, of the samples, respectively. One case was found positive for both CMV-DNA and anti-CMV IgM antibody. CMV infection did not have any correlation with gender, age, ethnicity, duration of hemodialysis, and history of blood transfusion. Conclusion: A notable proportion of hemodialysis patients in Gorgan have active CMV infection. Accurate detection of these individuals is important for preventing infection spread, especially in immunocompromised individuals. Simultaneous diagnosis of CMV infection using serological testing and PCR assay could help reduce the risk of infection spread.
IDENTIFYING SPECIFIC ELEMENTS FOR INTEGRATING THE TRADITIONAL, SCIENTIFIC, TECHNICAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE OF INDIGENOUS AND LOCAL COMMUNITIES, AND SOCIAL AND CULTURAL CRITERIA AND OTHER ASPECTS FOR THE APPLICATION OF SCIENTIFIC CRITERIA FOR IDENTIFICATION OF ECOLOGICALLY OR BIOLOGICALLY SIGNI

1. Recalling paragraph 27 of decision IX/20, the Conference of the Parties to the Convention, in paragraph 47 of decision X/29, requested the Executive Secretary to undertake, subject to availability of financial resources, a study, within a context of Article 8(j) and related provisions, to identify specific elements for integrating the traditional, scientific, technical and technological knowledge of indigenous and local communities, consistent with Article 8(j) of the Convention, and social and cultural criteria and other aspects for the application of scientific criteria in annex I to decision IX/20 for the identification of ecologically or biologically significant areas as well as the establishment and management of marine protected areas, and make the report available at the eleventh meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention and transmit the findings to the relevant United Nations General Assembly processes, including the Ad Hoc Open-ended Informal Working Group.
Evaluation of Hygroscopic Cloud Seeding Flares

A test facility has been designed to provide a reproducible environment for combustion of flares and measurement of the resultant particles. The facility provides a simulation of the environment that a flare would encounter from an aircraft. The facility was used to evaluate the concentrations, sizes and chemistry of many flares with different chemical formulations. Earlier studies of particle sizes produced by the South African flares indicated that a cooler burning flare could potentially produce larger particles. However, initial field studies in 2002 did not support this hypothesis. Small particles were dominant at both the beginning and end of the flare burn, when the burn was coolest,. In addition, comparison of the Ice Crystal Engineering (ICE) 65% and 70% potassium perchlorate- containing flares indicates that the 70% flare produced larger particles, despite having more oxygen present to yield a hotter burn. The main characteristic of the production of particles by the flare during a burn is that the variations in the total concentration of the particles are small. However, the concentrations of larger particles (>1μm diameter) varies substantially during the individual flare burns and from flare to flare. The latter variations seems to be due to the manufacturing process, including variations in the chemical composition (mesh size, purity, reactions within chemical species, etc) and the cover tube the flare material is compressed in. These changes in the particle size need to be explored further. Comparisons among the particle spectra from the ICE 65, 70 and 80% KClO4 hygroscopic flares showed that an increase in the amount of the hygroscopic salt (KClO4) seem to slightly increase the number of larger particles. The larger proportion of the oxidizing salt gives a higher burning temperature, shifting the final size distribution towards larger particle sizes. Based on Scanning and Transmission Electron Microscopy (SEM and TEM) analyses of the ICE 70% flare it seems that the larger particles produced by the flares are composed of aggregate mixtures of KCl and Ca(Cl)2 and are not single particles. Aggregation or coagulation of particles is thus the primary mechanism producing larger particles. Based on parcel modeling studies, the new ICE 70% flare produces substantially more drizzle drops at shorter times than the South African flare. After 1 minute, the new ICE flare initiates drizzle and concentrations of drizzle water reach a maximum, when the South African flare just starts producing drizzle size drops. In addition, the drizzle results in a more effective coalescence process, forming rain. Once drizzle is formed, the transformation to rainwater proceeds faster than with the original South African flares. After approximately 10 minutes, the new ICE flare produces nearly two orders of magnitude more drizzle water than the South African flare.
International Comparisons of Household Saving Rates and Hidden Income

In this paper, we argue that shadow activities and different levels of marketization of household production systematically distort international comparisons of aggregate gross household saving rates (HSRs): Higher shares of hidden income increase observed HSRs. Panel data for 18 (24) OECD-countries covering a period of a decade show that gross HSRs are positively related to the degree of corruption (used as a proxy for the propensity to shift economic activities into the shadow) and to the share of income from property and self employment. At the same time, gross HSRs are negatively related to the female employment rate, the ratio of indirect taxes to direct taxes, and to the tax wedge. One plausible story behind these phenomena might be that unobserved consumption and wages in the shadow labor market induce an upward bias in observed HSRs and profit shares, while the price level effects of a higher share of indirect taxes and a ‘welfare state’ effect lower observed HSRs.
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN AUDIT QUALITY AND OVERVALUED EQUITY IN LISTED COMPANIES IN TEHRAN STOCK EXCHANGE

Managers under increasing pressure from stockholders side, have tendency to supply whole desires of investors. One of these methods to consent investors is showing high levels of earnings. Managers can manage earnings to reach their goal. One important mechanism of counteracting earnings management methods, like this, is high quality auditing, but in the other hand, equity overvaluation tangibly had bad effects on auditing quality. This paper aims to study the relationship between Audit Quality and Equity Overvaluation. To reach the target, we choose 250 firms listed in Tehran Stock Exchange during years 2007 through 2012 as sample and study the effects of Equity Overvaluation on the relationship between Audit Quality and Discretionary Accruals to extract this result as Equity Overvaluation mitigates the inverse relation between Audit Quality and Discretionary Accruals or not. In order to carry out this examination, we use panel data regression model with fixed effects model evaluating method. Discretionary Accruals is considered as dependent variable and independent variables are Overvaluation and three factors of Audit Quality as Industry Specialist, Audit Tenure, and Industry Specialist-Audit Tenure. The results show that the inverse relation between three factors of Audit Quality as Industry Specialist, Audit Tenure, and Industry Specialist-Audit Tenure and Discretionary Accruals is mitigated when the firm is in the highest quintile of P/E categories.