Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Classification and stabilizability analysis of bimodal piecewise affine systems

This paper presents a classification of bimodal piecewise affine systems from the viewpoint of well-posedness. First, we address the problem of feedback equivalence to a well-posed system, called here the feedback well-posedness problem, of a general class of bimodal piecewise affine systems. Next, based on this result, we classify all feedback well-posed systems into four classes to address the control problem of piecewise affine systems in a systematic way. Finally, as its application, the stabilizability with well-posedness is discussed for each class, and several remarks on stabilizability are given.
Role of Macrofaunal Communities in the Vistula River Plume, the Baltic Sea—Bioturbation and Bioirrigation Potential

Simple Summary Coastal areas, especially river plumes, are very diverse and dynamic zones where numerous geological, chemical and biological processes take place. This is because fresh water from the river with all substances, including pollutants from the land, mixes with salt water from the sea, creating specific living conditions for the organisms that inhabit the area. These organisms, e.g., macroscopic invertebrates such as mussels or worms, live in the sediment where their movement and feeding activities cause the sediment to mix and allow water to flow through it—these activities are called bioturbation and bioirrigation. Our research aimed to investigate how the structure and functioning of benthic marine ecosystems change with distance from the river mouth. We found that coastal areas are very diverse and host a wide range of organisms that bioturbate and bioirrigate and support sediment transformations relatively deep (up to 15 cm) into the sediment. Farther away from the river mouth, organisms were very scarce and occurred only on the sediment surface and did not burrow into the sediment, so bioturbation and bioirrigation did not take place. The coastal zone is like a hotspot where ecosystem processes and services are intensively reflected, and this is especially important when deeper areas are not functioning properly, as in the Baltic Sea. For this reason, we should consider how we can support the protection and recovery of marine ecosystems. Abstract Macrozoobenthos plays a key role in the transformation of inputs from rivers to the sea, such as nutrients, organic matter, or pollutants, and influences biogeochemical processes in the sediments through bioturbation and bioirrigation activity. The purpose of our study was to determine the structure of benthic communities, their bioturbation (BPC) and bioirrigation potential (IPC), and the vertical distribution of macrofauna in the Gulf of Gdańsk. The study revealed changes in the structure of benthic communities and, consequently, in the bioturbation and bioirrigation potential in the study area. Despite the presence of diverse and rich communities in the coastal zone, BPC and IPC values, although high, were formed by a few species. Both indices were formed mainly by the clam Macoma balthica and polychaetes, although the proportion of polychaetes in IPC was higher than in BPC. In the deepest zones, the communities became poorer until they eventually disappeared, along with all macrofaunal functions. Both indices changed similarly with distance from the Vistula River mouth, and there was a very strong correlation between them. We also demonstrated that the highest diversity of the macrofauna was observed in the upper first cm of the sediment, but the highest biomass was observed in deeper layers—at a depth of up to 6 cm, and single individuals occurred even below 10 cm.
α-starch and glycyrrhizin denature the acrid raphides of Pinellia tuber in traditional processing

Objective: Pinellia tuber, the dried tuber of Pinellia ternata, causes severe acrid irritation in the mouth and throat when swallowed in its raw form. Based on the theory of traditional Chinese medicine, this acridity is reduced by heating or processing using ginger, licorice, alum, or lime. Although these detoxification methods have been known since ancient times, only little is known about the mechanisms by which they detoxify Pinellia tubers. In the present study, we aimed to reveal the effectiveness of α-starch, and glycyrrhizin in licorice for the detoxification of Pinellia tubers. Methods: Previously, we found that intact raphides of raw Pinellia tuber have a lipophilic character, and denaturation of the raphides reduced their lipophilicity and acridity. Accordingly, we developed a raphide denaturation assay (RDA) to quantify the degree of denaturation of raphides by measuring the absorbance of the petroleum ether (PE) layer comprising the raphides. The effect of α-starch or the decoction of licorice (the root and stolon of Glycyrrhiza uralensis) on raphide denaturation was then determined using this assay. Results: The treatment of raphides with α-starch markedly enhanced heat denaturation of the raphides. Licorice decoction, glycyrrhizin, and glycyrrhetinic acid significantly denatured raphides in a calcium-dependent manner at high pH. Glycyrrhizin and glycyrrhetinic acid are also attached to the denatured raphides. Conclusions: α-starch in Pinellia tubers contributes to detoxification by heating. In the traditional processing method for Pinellia tubers using licorice and lime, glycyrrhizin in licorice and calcium ions play important roles in denaturing raphides. Graphical abstract: http://links.lww. com/AHM/A42.
Indirect Inference with Time Series Observed with Error

We analyze the properties of the indirect inference estimator when the observed series are contaminated by measurement error. We show that the indirect inference estimates are asymptotically biased when the nuisance parameters of the measurement error distribution are neglected in the indirect estimation. We propose to solve this inconsistency by jointly estimating the nuisance and the structural parameters. Under standard assumptions, this estimator is consistent and asymptotically normal. A condition for the identification of ARMA plus noise is obtained. The proposed methodology is used to estimate the parameters of continuous-time stochastic volatility models with auxiliary specifications based on realized volatility measures. Monte Carlo simulations shows the bias reduction of the indirect estimates obtained when the microstructure noise is explicitly modeled. Finally, an empirical application illustrates the relevance of a realistic specification of the microstructure noise distribution to match the features of the observed log-returns at high frequencies.
Elliptical diagnostics of stratospheric polar vortices

Diagnostics based on the spatial moments of isopleths of a long‐lived tracer, or of potential vorticity, are presented that enable the structure and evolution of stratospheric polar vortices to be concisely summarized and quantified. The area, centre, aspect ratio and orientation of the ‘equivalent ellipse’ of the vortex, on an isentropic surface, are defined using the second‐ and lower‐order spatial moments of contours within the vortex‐edge region. By examining the variations of these ‘elliptical’ diagnostics with time and altitude, the temporal evolution and vertical structure of the polar vortices can be quantified. The usefulness of the diagnostics is assessed by examining nitrous oxide data from the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory ‘SKYHI’ general‐circulation model. The diagnostics show, and quantify, several differences between the Arctic and Antarctic vortices in the SKYHI model. The Arctic vortex moves further off the pole, is generally more elongated, and has a more complicated vertical structure than the Antarctic vortex (with larger variations of both the vortex centre and elongation with height). The elliptical diagnostics also identify the occurrence of large‐scale Rossby‐wave breaking events, both at the vortex edge and in the subtropics, in the model.
The Construction of the “Older Worker”

The notion of the “older worker” is frequently used in the organizational literature, in organizational practice, and in society, but so far, no research has investigated why people consider someone to be an older worker at a certain age. In the qualitative part of this study, we examined potential reasons for considering workers to be “older” at a certain age. In the quantitative part of this study, we investigated demographic characteristics (i.e., age, sex, education), job characteristics (i.e., job level, typical age in a job), and beliefs (i.e., perceived remaining time at work, motivation to continue working after retirement, positive and negative age stereotypes) as predictors of people’s conceptions of “older worker age”. ” Data were provided by 269 employees from various jobs and organizations. The mean age at which participants considered someone to be an “older worker” was approximately 55 years. The most frequently stated reasons for considering workers to be “older” at a certain age were retirement age and age-related decline. Results of a regression analysis showed that participants’ age, sex, and perceived remaining time predicted “older worker age”. These findings provide first insights into the psychological construction of the “older worker”.
Influence of atmospheric turbulence on FSO link performance

Free-space optical transmission can provide high-speed links for a variety of applications. However, inhomogeneities in the temperature and pressure of the atmosphere lead to variations of the refractive index along the transmission path. This atmospheric turbulence can deteriorate the quality of the image formed at the receiver, and can cause fluctuations in both the intensity and the phase of the received signal. Laser beams experience three effects under turbulence: beam wander, beam spreading and scintillation. Of the three turbulence effects, free space optical systems might be most affected by scintillation. Random interference with the wave front can cause peaks and dips, resulting in receiver saturation or signal loss. Based on Kolmogorov’s theory, the Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) and Bit Error Rate (BER) from scintillation were drawn in this paper. For a FSO system, after choosing a certain beam and communication range, link performance characterized by its SNR or BER is related to the refractive index structure coefficient Cn2 and turbulence depth Lt. Considering all the three effects, we find for a weak turbulence model, a FSO system should be applied within a communication range of 2.5km and above the ground at least 5m.
A genome-wide association study for the fatty acid composition of breast meat in an F2 crossbred chicken population

Abstract The composition of fatty acids determines the flavor and quality of meat. Flavor compounds are generated during the cooking process by the decomposition of volatile fatty acids via lipid oxidation. A number of research on candidate genes related to fatty acid content in livestock species have been published. The majority of these studies focused on pigs and cattle; the association between fatty acid composition and meat quality in chickens has rarely been reported. Therefore, this study investigated candidate genes associated with fatty acid composition in chickens. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) was performed on 767 individuals from an F2 crossbred population of Yeonsan Ogye and White Leghorn chickens. The Illumina chicken 60K significant single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotype data and 30 fatty acids (%) in the breast meat of animals slaughtered at 10 weeks of age were analyzed. SNPs were shown to be significant in 15 traits: C10:0, C14:0, C18:0, C18:1n-7, C18:1n-9, C18:2n-6, C20:0, C20:2, C20:3n-6, C20:4n-6, C20:5n-3, C24:0, C24:1n-9, monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). These SNPs were mostly located on chromosome 10 and around the following genes: ACSS3, BTG1, MCEE, PPARGC1A, ACSL4, ELOVL4, CYB5R4, ME1, and TRPM1. Both oleic acid and arachidonic acid contained the candidate genes: MCEE and TRPM1. These two fatty acids are antagonistic to each other and have been identified as traits that contribute to the production of volatile fatty acids. The results of this study improve our understanding of the genetic mechanisms through which fatty acids in chicken affect the meat flavor.
Revision on the Genus Paris in Thailand, with a New Species Paris siamensis

The genus Paris is an important and confusing taxon due to high variation within species, and differences between species are sometimes difficult to delimit. Thus, the status of some taxa has changed over time. To clarify the status of Paris species for plant conservation and effective management of this genus in Thailand, we performed an intensive survey in northern Thailand, studied morphological characteristics, and constructed a molecular phylogenic tree, which we compared to recently published results of this genus. Our results indicate that there are two species in Thailand: P. yunnanensis and a new species, P. siamensis. Detailed descriptions, illustrations, and the phylogenetic position of these two species are provided here.
A fast algorithm for two dimensional median filtering

The median of a set of numbers is a number which partitions the given set, excluding that number, into two subsets with an equal number of elements such that the number is greater than or equal to the elements in one subset and less than or equal to in the other. In image processing, in order to compute the running median, the window is moved from one neighborhood to the next. In this paper, a fast two-dimensional median filtering algorithm is proposed. The algorithm is designed in such a way that in order to find the median of a window, the results obtained during the partitioning of the previous window are used. Test results obtained by running the algorithm on VAX 11/780 are presented and its performance is compared with the Huang's histogram algorithm for median filtering. It is shown that the proposed algorithm's execution time is faster and is independent of the number of bits used to represent the data values. The novel features in the algorithm design that contribute to fast execution are also presented.
Magnetorheological fluids subjected to non-uniform magnetic fields: experimental characterization

Magnetorheological (MR) fluids are suspensions of fine, low-coercivity, high-magnetizable particles in a continuous liquid phase. When subjected to magnetic field, the material exhibits a rapid change in the apparent viscosity of several orders of magnitude. This unique capability has been successfully exploited in automotive semi-active suspensions systems or systems for manufacturing high quality optics. In a majority of the existing systems, the rheology of MR fluids is controlled by an external uniform field oriented perpendicularly to the fluid flow direction. In general, it is an inherent feature of MR systems operating in flow, shear or squeeze modes, respectively. There is an experimental evidence that the behavior of MR fluids in the so-called pinch-mode (in which the fluid is subjected to non-uniform magnetic field distributions) clearly stands out against the remaining three operating modes. With the predecessors, the flow through the channel occurs once a pressure across it exceeds the field-dependent threshold pressure. For comparison, in pinch mode valves the magnetic flux energizes mostly the layers of the materials near the channel walls. The outcome is a change in the channel’s effective diameter achieved solely via material means without changing its geometry. To study the fluid’s unique behaviour in the pinch mode, the authors designed a prototype valve assembly and examined several fluid formulations of various particle concentration levels across a wide range of external (velocity, magnetic field density) stimuli in an organized effort to further comprehend the phenomenon. The obtained data indicate that the magnitude of the particular effect does not only depend on the magnitudes of the magnetic stimuli but also on the particle concentration; the smaller the concentration of particles the more pronounced the pinch mode like behavior is. In general, the authors believe that the study may provide guidelines as to the selection of fluid formulations for developing novel valveless actuators utilizing MR fluids operating in pinch mode.
Sedimentary Controlling Factor of Unattached Multiple Superimposed Coalbed-Methane System Formation

Based on the measured data of Late Permian coal-bearing strata in western Guizhou Province,the sedimentary controlling factor of "unattached multiple superimposed coalbed-methane system" formation is preliminarily discussed in this paper.It shows that the depositional conditions of coal-bearing strata have laid the material physical properties foundation for "unattached multiple superimposed coalbed-methane system". The characteristics of sequence stratigraphic framework limit gas connectivity between gas units.The siderite mudstone with low-permeability,which is distributed near the maximum flooding surface,makes the vertical sub-strata of gas between the gas-bearing units relatively independent.There is correlation between coalbed methane contents and the sea level.Coalbed methane contents near to the maximum flooding surface are relatively low.The interface can be regarded as a stand-alone boundary for gas-forming units in the coalbed-methane system.The sequence boundary connects the gas units,making the coal seams near to sequence boundary with the similar gas bearing characteristics.
Brand Origin Effects During Economic Declines: Evidence from an Emerging Market

Drawing on the signaling theory perspective, this study examines the effect of perceived country of origin on brand performance during economic contractions. The authors specify an econometric model linking brand market share to recession periods and analyze the interaction with brand origin perception. They test the model on four years of longitudinal data on consumer packaged goods brands combined with a self-administrated consumer questionnaire to infer consumers’ perceptions about brands’ origins. The authors find that economic contractions differentially affect brands with different country-of-origin perceptions. The results indicate that the market share of brands that customers most identify as domestic suffers more damage during contractions than brands they perceive as foreign. The main contribution of this article is in generating a better understanding of brands’ resistance to economic contractions based on their perceived country of origin. Moreover, the authors provide strategic recommendations to brands based on their origin perception and the country's economic situation.
Nonlinear Vibration Control Experimental System Design of a Flexible Arm Using Interactive Actuations from Shape Memory Alloy

The flexible arm easily vibrates due to its thin structural characteristics, which affect the operation accuracy, so reducing the vibration of the flexible arm is a significant issue. Smart materials are very widely used in the research topic of vibration suppression. Considering the hysteresis characteristic of the smart materials, based on previous simulation research, this paper proposes an experimental system design of nonlinear vibration control by using the interactive actuation from shape memory alloy (SMA) for a flexible arm. The experiment system was an interactive actuator–sensor–controller combination. The vibration suppression strategy was integrated with an operator-based vibration controller, a designed integral compensator and the designed n-times feedback loop. In detail, a nonlinear vibration controller based on operator theory was designed to guarantee the robust stability of the flexible arm. An integral compensator based on an estimation mechanism was designed to optimally reduce the displacement of the flexible arm. Obtaining the desired tracking performance of the flexible arm was a further step, by increasing the n-times feedback loop. From the three experimental cases, when the vibration controller was integrated with the designed integral compensator, the vibration displacement of the flexible arm was much reduced compared to that without the integral compensator. Increasing the number of n-times feedback loops improves the tracking performance. The desired vibration control performance can be satisfied when n tends to infinity. The conventional PD controller stabilizes the vibration displacement after the 7th vibration waveform, while the vibration displacement approaches zero after the 4th vibration waveform using the proposed vibration control method, which is proved to be faster and more effective in controlling the flexible arm’s vibration. The experimental cases verify the effectiveness of the proposed interactive actuation vibration control approach. It is observed from the experimental results that the vibration displacement of the flexible arm becomes almost zero within less time and with lower input power, compared with a traditional controller.
ECONOMIC POWER DISPATCH USING THE COMBINATION OF TWO GENETIC ALGORITHMS

Lately, one notices an increase in the applications of the genetic algorithms (GA) through several fields, and one noted that all the utilisateurs(exploiteurs) these algorithms wonder on the choice of the values of the genetic operators in order to increase the performances of the algorithm. The objective of this article tries to solve this problem, by using two genetic algorithms one to determine the values of the genetic operators and the other to optimize the function cost. Numerical results on a test system consisting of 13 thermal units show that the proposed approach has an ability to find the better solutions than the conventional genetic algorithm.
Cache-Based Privacy Protection Scheme for Continuous Location Query

Users who initiate continuous location queries are prone to trajectory information leakage, and the obtained query information is not effectively utilized. To address these problems, we propose a continuous location query protection scheme based on caching and an adaptive variable-order Markov model. When a user initiates a query request, we first query the cache information to obtain the required data. When the local cache cannot satisfy the user’s demand, we use a variable-order Markov model to predict the user’s future query location and generate a k-anonymous set based on the predicted location and cache contribution. We perturb the location set using differential privacy, then send the perturbed location set to the location service provider to obtain the service. We cache the query results returned by the service provider to the local device and update the local cache results according to time. By comparing the experiment with other schemes, the proposed scheme in this paper reduces the number of interactions with location providers, improves the local cache hit rate, and effectively ensures the security of the users’ location privacy.
Dual-Band Uniaxial Dielectric Anisotropy Sensor Using Coupled-Line Resonators

In this paper, a new dual-band sensor to measure uniaxial anisotropy at two frequency bands is proposed. This sensor is composed of two dual-mode resonators separated by a T-shaped structure implemented in microstrip technology. The configuration of vertical and horizontal electric field lines for the two resonance modes allows for the characterization of a uniaxial anisotropic sample placed on top of the sensor. The resonance frequencies of different modes are separated using active S-parameters measured at the input port. They are subsequently used in the space mapping process to extract the dielectric constants of the sample in two directions, parallel and normal to the surface of the sensor, by means of electromagnetic analyses. The sensor is used to extract the dielectric constants of anisotropic FR4, RO4003C, and RO3010 samples at 2.4 and 3.4 GHz. An isotropic PTFE sample is also characterized to verify the reliability of the proposed method. Two single-band sensors are also implemented to measure RO3010 sample and the extracted dielectric constants are compared to those resulted from the proposed dual-band sensor.