Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Conductance properties of six terminal graphene nanoribbons in presence of a magnetic field: integer quantum Hall effect revisited

Abstract We study the behavior of charge and spin transport properties in the presence of magnetic field and Rashba spin-orbit interaction in a six-terminal graphene nanoribbon using the multi-terminal Landauer-Büttiker formula and Green’s function approach. We find that the Rashba spin-orbit coupling have detrimental effect on the quantum Hall plateaus in the sense that the width of the plateaus have drastically reduced in presence of the spin-orbit term. To assess whether presence of magnetic fields will have effects on the spintronic applications, we study the spin Hall conductance in presence of magnetic field. The spin Hall conductance features are also affected by the presence of a magnetic field where the antisymmetric nature with respect to zero of the Fermi energy, a prominent signature of the electron-hole symmetry, is destroyed. The local density of states data provides strong evidence of the above results.
Fault-tolerant control with control allocation for linear time varying systems: an output integral sliding mode approach

A fault-tolerant control scheme with a fixed control allocation strategy for linear time varying systems is proposed. The effects of the faults in the critical control channels are compensated theoretically exactly and the remaining effects are minimised by using an output integral sliding mode technique. Both aspects are achieved right after the initial time by using only output information. This approach allows dealing with total failures in some actuators under the assumption of redundancy. The effectiveness of the proposed scheme considering time varying faults is validated by computer simulations.
An Investigation Of Silver Nanoparticles With Its Toxicological Effects And Applications

Researchers have been studying nano-particles of silver due to their characteristic attributes (e.g., size, shape, bactericidal, and electrical characteristics). Nano-particles of silver are one of the most important and fascinating nanoscale elements among the many nano-particles used for biological purposes. Nanoscience and nanotechnology, especially in biomedicine, rely heavily on nanoparticles of silver. The physical, chemical and biological production of silver nanoparticles is discussed in this paper. Majorly focusing on biological methods, as they are environmentally friendly and less toxic. We have discussed the characteristics of silver nano-particles and various techniques for determining their qualities, concluding with their application in various fields. As a result, the main purpose of this review article is to focus on the current condition and potential.
Speckle reduction of OCT images using an adaptive cluster-based filtering

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) has become a favorable device in the dermatology discipline due to its moderate resolution and penetration depth. OCT images however contain grainy pattern, called speckle, due to the broadband source that has been used in the configuration of OCT. So far, a variety of filtering techniques is introduced to reduce speckle in OCT images. Most of these methods are generic and can be applied to OCT images of different tissues. In this paper, we present a method for speckle reduction of OCT skin images. Considering the architectural structure of skin layers, it seems that a skin image can benefit from being segmented in to differentiable clusters, and being filtered separately in each cluster by using a clustering method and filtering methods such as Wiener. The proposed algorithm was tested on an optical solid phantom with predetermined optical properties. The algorithm was also tested on healthy skin images. The results show that the cluster-based filtering method can reduce the speckle and increase the signal-to-noise ratio and contrast while preserving the edges in the image.
A Semiempirical Approach for Decomposition of Remotely Sensed Leaf Area Index Into Overstory and Understory Components Over Russian Forests

Forest is a multilayered canopy, where overstory and understory implement different biogeochemical cycles, phenology, and functional role. Remote sensing products typically estimate forest total leaf area index (LAI), while few quantify its components. The theoretical understanding of foliage distribution between layers is still quite limited. In this study, we have developed a semiempirical model for decomposition of forest total LAI between layers. Decomposition was implemented over the full extent of Russian forests, exhibiting a wide dynamic range of the forest total LAI. This article addresses both the theoretical and practical aspects of the problem. In terms of theory, we formalized the principles of forest layers “biological/ radiometric coupling into a parametric model allowing to analyze the relationship between overstory/understory LAI and overstory crown fraction. The model captures various features of layers of foliage growth, including the “understory seasonal dip effect. ” In terms of practical aspects, we generated time series of the moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS)-layered LAI product for 2001–2020 at the spatial resolution of 230 m over Russian forests. We calculated the mean layered LAI of species and contrasted with typical values from the literature surveys. According to our estimates, the relative contribution of understory LAI increases from South to North—28% of forest pixels have understory LAI, which exceeds that of overstory, and those pixels are located in the northern part of the eastern Siberia and occupied by larch forests. The layered LAI product was intercompared/validated with multiple ground and remote sensing data.
EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCES OF SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN LEARNING ENGLISH USING ONLINE PLATFORM DURING THE COVID-19

The aim of this study was to find out the emotional experiences of students in online learning English using online platform in the middle of Covid-19. The research was a single case study. Data were garnered from the results of interviews and document. The participants in this study were three students at SMAN 3 Luwuk. The researchers analyzed the data thematically as proposed by Braun & Clarke, 2006. The finding showed that online learning English affected the emotional experiences of the students. The students experienced such positive emotions as happiness. The happiness came from the teacher who provided feedback and explanation before giving tasks, allowed the students to send their tasks on platform they wanted, explained the material through Zoom, and did not provide tasks in each meeting. However, they also experienced such negative emotions as frustration, anger, and anxiety in English learning using online platform. They perceived frustration because of online English learning was difficult for them. The difficulties were the students had to purchase internet quota, not meeting in person with the teacher, having limitation of time, feeling bored due to always use Zoom, getting much disturbance, and their memory filled up fast because of getting many files from their teachers. Thus, the negative emotions decreased the students’ time invested and the amount of knowledge gained from learning process. The cause of positive feeling was teachers. Meanwhile, the negative feelings were caused by internet quota expenses and internet connection.
A study on ego-motion estimation based on stereo camera sensor and 2G1Y inertial sensor with considering vehicle dynamics

The vision sensor on a vehicle platform with dynamic motion is affected severely by disturbances that occur owing to vehicle dynamic movement, which results in the degradation of outputs from vision sensor such like the distance between ego-vehicle to objects. To get around this phenomenon, it is necessary to estimate vehicle ego-motion, that is, tri-axis linear velocities and angular velocities that can be utilized to make up for the contaminated outputs from vision sensor. This study proposes a novel method for vehicle ego-motion estimation by using the optical and disparity flows from vision sensor and 2G1Y (longitudinal/lateral acceleration and yaw-rate) measurements from the inertial sensor in vehicle. The approach considers vehicle platform characteristics to estimate ego-motion more accurately. To the end, vehicle kinetics are augmented into the evolving equation represented in a form of state space equation for applying Kalman filter and the vanishing point is to be estimated online to enhance the information of optical flows because the optical flow radiates from a vanishing point that might vary owing to vehicle dynamic motion. To show the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm, experiments have been carried out on real vehicle environments and the results confirm its effectiveness and accuracy.
Aptamer-assembled nanomaterials for fluorescent sensing and imaging

Abstract Aptamers, which are selected in vitro by a technology known as the systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX), represent a crucial recognition element in molecular sensing. With advantages such as good biocompatibility, facile functionalization, and special optical and physical properties, various nanomaterials can protect aptamers from enzymatic degradation and nonspecific binding in living systems and thus provide a preeminent platform for biochemical applications. Coupling aptamers with various nanomaterials offers many opportunities for developing highly sensitive and selective sensing systems. Here, we focus on the recent applications of aptamer-assembled nanomaterials in fluorescent sensing and imaging. Different types of nanomaterials are examined along with their advantages and disadvantages. Finally, we look toward the future of aptamer-assembled nanomaterials.
Evaluation of Different Extractants to Estimate Bioavailable Arsenic in Soil

ABSTRACT Owing to the similar chemistry of phosphorus (P) and arsenic (As), sodium bicarbonate (0.5 N NaHCO3) is commonly used to extract plant accessible As in soil. This extractant has neither been tested widely in relation to plant As, nor is this extractant compatible with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) due to the high concentration of dissolved solid. Subsequently, it is of utmost important to design a suitable chemical extraction method in order to estimate plant available As compatibility with ICP-MS. For this purpose, paired soil and plant samples were collected from paddy fields located in Nadia, West Bengal, India. Soil was extracted with 0.5 M NaHCO3, 0.1 N and 0.5 N phosphoric acid (H3PO4), 0.1 N and 0.5 N sulfuric acid (H2SO4), 0.1 N, 0.5 N, 1.0 N, 1.5 N HNO3 and 0.01 M calcium chloride (CaCl2) solution. Arsenic extracted with NaHCO3, H3PO4 and H2SO4 was determined in hydride generation-atomic absorption spectrophotometer (HG-AAS), while ICP-MS served to determine As extracted from soil with HNO3. Olsen-extractable As in soils ranged from 0.48 to 3.57 mg kg−1 with a mean value of 1.45 mg kg−1. The extractable As content in soil varied from 0.01 to 10.1 mg kg−1 across the extractants. In the case of grain As, 0.1 N H3PO4, 0.5 N NaHCO3 and 1.5 N HNO3 extractable As had distinctly higher correlation coefficients (r = 0.49**, r = 0.47**, r = 0.45**) when compared to other extractants. More or less similar relationships of extractable As were obtained with straw As content like that of rice grain. In view of rapidity of the soil test method for As, 1.5 N HNO3 can be recommended for assessing available As in soil.
Physical ray-tracing method for anisotropic optical media in GPGPU

In this paper we discuss the development of a fast ray-tracing solver for complex anisotropic uniaxial optical media based on heterogeneous supercomputing in GPGPU using PyOpenCl. This solver simulates both the propagation of ordinary and extraordinary rays, while taking into account the polarization rotation introduced by position dependent modulations of the optical axis of the medium. We demonstrate the application of this solver by simulating the generation of polarization caustics in random uniaxial optical media.
Sur la stabilité des systèmes à réinitialisation

Hybrid controllers are flexible tools for achieving system stabilization and/or performance improvement tasks. More particularly, hybrid controllers enrich the spectrum of achievable trade-offs. Indeed, the interaction of continuous- and discrete-time dynamics in a hybrid controller leads to rich dynamical behavior and phenomena not encountered in purely continuous-time system. Reset control systems are a class of hybrid controllers whose states are reset depending on an algebraic condition. In this thesis, we propose constructive conditions (Linear Matrix Inequalities) to analyze stability and performance level of a closed-loop system including a reset element. More particularly, we consider a magnitude saturation which could be the source of undesirable effects on these performances, including instability. Proposed results estimate the stability domain and a performance level of such a system, by using Lyapunov-like approaches. Constructive algorithms are obtained by exploiting properties of quadratic - or piecewise quadratic - Lyapunov functions. Beyond analysis results, we propose design methods to obtain a stability domain as large as possible. Design methods are based on both continuous-time approaches (anti-windup compensator) and hybrid-time approaches (design of adapted reset rules).
Reinforcement Learning With Non-Cumulative Objective

In reinforcement learning, the objective is almost always defined as a cumulative function over the rewards along the process. However, there are many optimal control and reinforcement learning problems in various application fields, especially in communications and networking, where the objectives are not naturally expressed as summations of the rewards. In this paper, we recognize the prevalence of non-cumulative objectives in various problems, and propose a modification to existing algorithms for optimizing such objectives. Specifically, we dive into the fundamental building block for many optimal control and reinforcement learning algorithms: the Bellman optimality equation. To optimize a non-cumulative objective, we replace the original summation operation in the Bellman update rule with a generalized operation corresponding to the objective. Furthermore, we provide sufficient conditions on the form of the generalized operation as well as assumptions on the Markov decision process under which the globally optimal convergence of the generalized Bellman updates can be guaranteed. We demonstrate the idea experimentally with the bottleneck objective, i.e., the objectives determined by the minimum reward along the process, on classical optimal control and reinforcement learning tasks, as well as on two network routing problems on maximizing the flow rates.
Multilinear principal component analysis for statistical modeling of cylindrical surfaces: a case study

This paper focuses the problem of modeling manufactured surfaces for statistical process control. The application of Multilinear principal component analysis (MPCA) is introduced. MPCA is the generalization of the regular principal component analysis where the input can be not only vectors, but also tensors. The objective of this work is basically to explore the MPCA, as well as some basic concepts of multilinear algebra, for modeling manufactured surfaces. A real case study concerning cylindrical surfaces obtained by a lathe-turning process is taken as reference. The measurements related to a specific surface are stored in a matrix addressed by 2 index variables, while the observed data set related to several surfaces is stored in a 3rd-order tensor addressed by 3 indexes. Since the targeted application involves only the use of 3rd-order tensors of real entries, in this study the implementation of MPCA is limited to this specific case. Although a specific geometry is used herein as reference case study, any 2.5-dimensional surface (i.e. where scalar measurements are sampled for each item by using a fixed grid of two spatial index variables) can be modeled with the proposed MPCA-based approach.
Multiplicity among Solar-type Stars

We present a multiplicity census for a volume-complete all-sky survey of 422 stars with distances less than 25 pc and primary main-sequence effective temperatures Teff ≥ 5300 K. Very similar to previous results that have been presented for various subsets of this survey, we confirm the positive correlation of the stellar multiplicities with primary mass. We find for the F- and G-type Population I stars that 58% are non-single and 21% are in triple or higher level systems. For the old intermediate-disk and Population II stars—virtually all of G type and less massive—even two out of three sources prove to be non-single. These numbers being lower limits because of the continuous flow of new discoveries, the unbiased survey clearly demonstrates that the standard case for solar-type field stars is a hydrogen-burning source with at least one ordinary or degenerate stellar companion, and a surprisingly large number of stars are organized in multiple systems. A principal consequence is that orbital evolution, including the formation of blue straggler stars, is a potentially important issue on all spatial scales and timescales for a significant percentage of the stellar systems, in particular among Population II stars. We discuss a number of recent observations of known or suspected companions in the local survey, including a new detection of a double-lined Ba-Bb subsystem to the visual binary HR 8635.
Geometrical optics solutions of the inverse problem of focusing laser light into plane regions

We propose a geometrical optics approach to calculating the eikonal function of a light field on the assumption of generating a desired intensity distribution in a given focal plane region. To solve the focusing problem in a more efficient way, we modify a conforming rectangles method used to design diffractive optical elements (DOE) to focus into plane regions. The novelty consists in a technique for reconstructing the eikonal function based on the known ray mapping relation between the DOE points and focal plane points. Results of focusing into a rhomb are presented. Simulation results show high quality of focusing, also corroborating the efficiency of the proposed method.
Experiences and enjoyment of national parks: study of Nyerere National Park in Tanzania

Purpose This study examines experiences and enjoyment of national parks in the context of Tanzania.Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional design with quantitative and qualitative methods is applied. The study area is Nyerere National Park in Tanzania. Data collected from fully completed structured questionnaires by 360 domestic tourists are subjected to descriptive statistics and Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modeling analysis. Content analysis is used to analyze qualitative data.Findings The findings have revealed that there is a significant relationship between direct experiences and enjoyment of southern national parks among domestic tourists.Research limitations/implications The suggestion is for future studies to explore a longitudinal approach to determine the patterns of domestic tourists in reference to experiences and enjoyment of national parks so as to improve domestic tourism.Practical implications The practical implication is for the government, private sector and tourism stakeholders to improve infrastructure and conduct regular surveys and tour guide training.Originality/value This study examines experiences and enjoyment of national parks in the context of Tanzania and, specifically analyzes the relationship between direct experiences and enjoyment of southern national parks among domestic tourists in Tanzania guided by types of tourists’ theory.
Match Maximization of Vehicle-to-Vehicle Energy Charging With Double-Sided Auction

The future Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) will rely heavily on the advancement of the Internet of Things (IoT). Indeed, the IoT infrastructure paves the way toward connecting vehicles for various benefits including traffic monitoring, crowdsourcing, energy trading, and other ITS services. One of the use cases of the IoV is Vehicle-to-Vehicle (V2V) energy charging/discharging, which is expected to be an integral part of the ITS. In V2V paradigm, Electric Vehicles (EVs) with bidirectional chargers can communicate with a grid edge network or directly with another EV using low-power wide-area networks (LPWAN) or 5G wireless connection to offer or demand energy. V2V energy exchange allows EV owners to make money from selling their battery’s excess energy to other EVs. One of the main challenges for the wide adoption of V2V is the development of mechanisms that maximize the benefits for participants. In the V2V paradigm, energy providers and suppliers require mechanisms that ensure maximal matching for the optimal social welfare of the users. In this paper, we propose a double-sided auction mechanism that matches EVs by pairing bids and asks such that the traded volume and the utilities are maximized. Through theoretical analysis, we show that the proposed model can indeed be truthful, individually rationale, and computationally efficient. Finally, we evaluate the proposed model based on real data and provide performance analysis.
Comparison of the Microleakages of Four Root-End Filling Materials: An In Vitro Study

Introduction: When a nonsurgical endodontic treatment is ineffective, surgery is necessary. This entails putting a retrofilling to seal the tooth’s apex. Exposing the lesion, performing a curettage, exposing the root apex, resecting it, preparing the root end, and lastly filling the cavity with the proper material are all steps in endodontic surgery. Thus, the aim of this study is to compare the apical microleakage of four root-end filling materials in cavities prepared using ultrasonic retro tip in in vitro conditions. Materials and Methods: An in vitro study was conducted on 60 extracted single-rooted teeth and was cut at the cementoenamel junction (CEJ). They were biomechanically prepared and obturated. Apical 3 mm root-end resection was done using a diamond disc. Root-end cavities were made using an ultrasonic retro tip. Teeth were separated into four groups and filled with SuperEBA®️ ethoxy-benzoic acid (EBA; Keystone Industries, New Jersey), mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA), Biodentine (Septodont, France), and TotalFill Bioceramic Root Repair Material (BC RRM; FKG Dentaire Sàrl, Switzerland). The samples were kept in methylene blue dye and split longitudinally. The degree of dye penetration was observed under a stereomicroscope and scored. Finally, the results were analyzed. Results: TotalFill BC RRM and Biodentine showed the least apical microleakage (p <0.05). Group 1 samples had the highest mean microleakage, followed by Group 2, Group 3, and Group 4 samples. Conclusion:All of the sample groups showed some evidence of microleakage, but not all of the samples showed leaking. SuperEBA (Group 1) demonstrated the highest microleakage when compared to the other groups.