Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Towards Linguistic Inclusivity: An Exploration of the Wayfinding System at Stellenbosch University, South Africa

Effective wayfinding design should efficiently and accessibly provide navigational tools to its user. These tools are multidimensional and engage a complex network of socio-political, cultural, economic, and linguistic issues. This paper interrogates the wayfinding system on Stellenbosch University’s campus – a space where issues regarding linguistic injustice have been prevalent due to the university’s long history with Afrikaans language and culture. The research considers the theoretical perspectives of wayfinding, linguistic landscaping, and spatial justice. These theories were utilised alongside qualitative data collected through interviews with and questionnaires completed by relevant participants on campus. The results revealed that the user experience of the wayfinding system was lacking in effective and efficient accessibility. It was suggested that an amended wayfinding design – one that took into account the balancing of power relations in the campus space – could contribute towards spatial justice and a more welcoming environment for all.
Creating an interactive human/agent loop using multimodal recurrent neural networks

This paper presents a description of ongoing research that aims to improve the interaction between human and Embodied Conversational Agent (ECA). The main idea is to model the interactive loop between human and agent such as the virtual agent can continuously adapt its behavior according to one’s partner. This work, based on recurrent neural network, focuses on non-verbal behavior generation and presents several scientific locks like the multimodality, the intra-personal temporality of multimodal signals or the temporality between partner’s social cues. The modeling will be done using the NOXI database containing natural human/human interactions and the nonverbal behavior generation will be tested on the GRETA platform that simulates virtual agents.
Dimer model: Full asymptotic expansion of the partition function

We give a complete rigorous proof of the full asymptotic expansion of the partition function of the dimer model on a square lattice on a torus for general weights $z_h, z_v$ of the dimer model and arbitrary dimensions of the lattice $m, n$. We assume that $m$ is even and we show that the asymptotic expansion depends on the parity of $n$. We review and extend the results of Ivashkevich, Izmailian, and Hu [6] on the full asymptotic expansion of the partition function of the dimer model, and we give a rigorous estimate of the error term in the asymptotic expansion of the partition function.
Development of a Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction-Based DNA Lateral Flow Assay as a Point-of-Care Diagnostic for Fast and Simultaneous Detection of MRSA and Vancomycin Resistance in Bacteremia

To reduce high mortality and morbidity rates, timely and proper treatment of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bloodstream infection is required. A multiplex polymerase reaction (mPCR)-based DNA lateral flow assay (MBDLFA) was developed as a point-of-care diagnostic for simultaneous identification of S. aureus, methicillin resistance, and vancomycin resistance directly from blood or blood cultures. A mPCR was developed to detect nuc, mecA, and vanA/B; its sensitivity, specificity, and limit of detection (LOD) were determined. The developed reaction was further modified for use in MBDLFA and its sensitivity for detection of target genes from artificially inoculated blood samples was checked. The optimized mPCR successfully detected nuc, mecA, and vanA/B from genomic DNA of bacterial colonies with LODs of 107, 107, and 105 CFU/mL, respectively. The reaction was sensitive and specific. The optimized mPCR was used in MBDLFA that detected nuc, mecA, and vanA/B with LODs of 107, 108, and 104 CFU/mL, respectively, directly from artificially inoculated blood. The developed MBDLFA can be used as a rapid, cheap point-of-care diagnostic for detecting S. aureus, MRSA, and vancomycin resistance directly from blood and blood cultures in ~2 h with the naked eye. This will reduce morbidity, mortality, and treatment cost in S. aureus bacteremia.
Preliminary psychometric investigation of Serbian mindful attention and awareness scale (MAAS) and potential role of mindful attention and awareness in behavioral regulation among students

Introduction: Recent studies about Mindful Attention and Awareness elucidated its potential role in affective difficulties and behavioral regulation, but authors call for further investigation of potential underlying mechanisms. Research goal: The current study was conducted in order to examine the preliminary psychometric properties of Serbian Mindful Attention and Awareness scale, its relationship with positive psychological constructs, along with its mediating role in the relationships of Depressiveness as a trait, with behavioral Activation, and Avoidance. Method: A cross-sectional research was conducted on a sample of 504 students of different levels and courses of education in the Serbian speaking area. Results: Serbian version of Mindful Attention and Awareness scale demonstrated high reliability (a=0.83) and a single factor solution that was found to be the most adequate. Significant correlations with theoretically related positive psychological constructs such as Gratitude (r=0.12, p<0.001), Self-compassion (r=0.46, p<0.001) and its components such Self-kindness (r=0.21, p<0.001), Over identification (r=-0.47, p<0.001) and Mindfulness (r=-0.29, p<0.001) were found. It was also the case for distress components such as Depressiveness (r=-0.41, p<0.001), Anxiety (r=-0.46, p<0.001) and Stress (r=-0.50, p<0.001), as well as for Behavioral activation for depression (r=0.46, p<0.001) and its components Activation (r=0.34, p<0.001) and Avoidance (r=-0.35, p<0.001). Additionally it was found that Mindful Attention and Awareness significantly mediates the relationship between Depressiveness and Activation as well as in the case of Depressiveness and Avoidance. Conclusion: Along with the study limitations, mindfulness enhancing effect was discussed in accordance to its potentially mitigating effects on unpleasant automatic states and regulation of behavior patterns, so that it might contribute to the development of value guided behaviors.
Electromagnetic-Actuated Soft Tactile Device Using a Pull–Push Latch Structure

Tactile devices composed of tactile pixels enable dynamic formulation of surface morphological features. It, however, remains a challenge for soft tactile devices to reliably achieve low-power control of each tactile pixel while maintaining high spatial resolution. In this article, we proposed a novel pull–push latch structure and developed a programmable electromagnetic-actuated soft tactile device. Each tactile pixel of the device is individually controlled by a coil. The pull–push latch structure is capable of maintaining the pit depth of tactile pixels without energy consumption. By simultaneously controlling the current direction and on–off state of multiple coils, our tactile device with 3 mm spatial resolution can reliably form different tactile patterns. The energy consumption of a single coil is 59.15 mJ in a 6-s work cycle, which is about 0.34% of that of the tactile device without the latch structure. The user study indicates that the average discrimination accuracy of different patterns rendered by our tactile device is greater than 81%.
A Trajectory Tracking Approach for Aerial Manipulators Using Nonsingular Global Fast Terminal Sliding Mode and an RBF Neural Network

An unmanned aerial manipulator (UAM) is a novel flying robot consisting of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and a multi-degree-of-freedom (DoF) robotic arm. It can actively interact with the environment to conduct dangerous or inaccessible tasks for humans. Owing to the underactuated characteristics of UAVs and the coupling generated by the rigid connection with the manipulator, robustness and a high-precision controller are critical for UAMs. In this paper, we propose a nonsingular global fast terminal sliding mode (NGFTSM) controller for UAMs to track the expected trajectory under the influence of disturbances based on a reasonably simplified UAM system dynamics model. To achieve active anti-disturbance and high tracking accuracy in a UAM system, we incorporate an RBF neural network into the controller to estimate lumped disturbances, including internal coupling and external disturbances. The controller and neural network are derived according to Lyapunov theory to ensure the system’s stability. In addition, we propose a set of illustrative metrics to evaluate the performance of the designed controller and compare it with other controllers by simulations. The results show that the proposed controller can effectively enhance the robustness and accuracy of a UAM system with satisfactory convergence. The experimental results also verify the effectiveness of the proposed controller.
Sharp phase transition for the random-cluster and Potts models via decision trees

We prove an inequality on decision trees on monotonic measures which generalizes the OSSS inequality on product spaces. As an application, we use this inequality to prove a number of new results on lattice spin models and their random-cluster representations. More precisely, we prove that 1. For the Potts model on transitive graphs, correlations decay exponentially fast for $\beta<\beta_c$. 2. For the random-cluster model with cluster weight $q\geq1$ on transitive graphs, correlations decay exponentially fast in the subcritical regime and the cluster-density satisfies the mean-field lower bound in the supercritical regime. 3. For the random-cluster models with cluster weight $q\geq1$ on planar quasi-transitive graphs $\mathbb{G}$, $$\frac{p_c(\mathbb{G})p_c(\mathbb{G}^*)}{(1-p_c(\mathbb{G}))(1-p_c(\mathbb{G}^*))}~=~q. $$ As a special case, we obtain the value of the critical point for the square, triangular and hexagonal lattices (this provides a short proof of the result of Beffara and Duminil-Copin [Probability Theory and Related Fields, 153(3-4):511--542, 2012]). These results have many applications for the understanding of the subcritical (respectively disordered) phase of all these models. The techniques developed in this paper have potential to be extended to a wide class of models including the Ashkin-Teller model, continuum percolation models such as Voronoi percolation and Boolean percolation, super-level sets of massive Gaussian Free Field, and random-cluster and Potts model with infinite range interactions.
Smoothing singular extremal Kähler surfaces and minimal Lagrangians

We consider smoothings of a complex surface with singularities of class T and no nontrivial holomorphic vector field. Under an hypothesis of non degeneracy of the smoothing at each singular point, we prove that if the singular surface admits an extremal metric, then the smoothings also admit extremal metrics in nearby K\"ahler classes. In addition, we construct small Lagrangian stationary spheres which represent Lagrangian vanishing cycles for surfaces close to the singular one.
Forest plantations with Toona ciliata: impacts of managerial flexibility on economic viability

Forest plantations with Toona ciliata are presented as economically viable thanks to the suitability of their wood for high-quality niche products. However, this study verifies whether investment projects in T. ciliata plantations are economically viable with the incorporation of managerial flexibility. We apply technical-economic coefficients from T. ciliata forest plantations over a 15-year planning horizon, considering the investment project as an underlying asset and the price of wood as the only source of uncertainty. Using the Monte Carlo method, we model uncertainty to obtain project volatility, so that, using the Real Option Approach, managerial flexibility for deferral, expansion and abandonment is added to the underlying assets. Based on the traditional economic valuation methodology, we obtained a static net present value of USD 5,075, which reflects the economic viability of the investment project in T. ciliata forest plantations. Due to the uncertainty arising from timber prices, project volatility was 131.7%. Afterwards, it was found that incorporating the deferral and abandonment options added a premium of USD 2,147 to the value of the project, redirecting it towards an expanded net present value of USD 7,223. Incorporation of the real deferral and abandonment options provides flexibility and support for the decision-making process in the management of T. ciliata forest plantations, resulting in a 42.3% increase in the value of the investment project.
Polyzwitterionic Coating of Porous Adsorbents for Therapeutic Apheresis

Adsorbents for whole blood apheresis need to be highly blood compatible to minimize the activation of blood cells on the biomaterial surface. Here, we developed blood-compatible matrices by surface modification with polyzwitterionic polysulfobetainic and polycarboxybetainic coatings. Photoreactive zwitterionic terpolymers were synthesized by free-radical polymerization of zwitterionic, photoreactive, and fluorescent monomers. Upon UV irradiation, the terpolymers were photodeposited and mutually crosslinked on the surface of hydrophobic polystyrene-co-divinylbenzene and hydrophilic polyacrylamide-co-polyacrylate (DALI) beads. Fluorescent microscopy revealed coatings with an average thickness of 5 µm, which were limited to the bead surface. Blood compatibility was assessed based on polymer-induced hemolysis, coagulation parameters, and in vitro tests. The maintenance of the adsorption capacity after coating was studied in human whole blood with cytokines for polystyrene beads (remained capacity 25–67%) and with low-density lipoprotein (remained capacity 80%) for polyacrylate beads. Coating enhanced the blood compatibility of hydrophobic, but not of hydrophilic adsorbents. The most prominent effect was observed on coagulation parameters (e.g., PT, aPTT, TT, and protein C) and neutrophil count. Polycarboxybetaine with a charge spacer of five carbons was the most promising polyzwitterion for the coating of adsorbents for whole blood apheresis.
On isogenies among certain abelian varieties

Using elliptically fibered Kummer surfaces of Picard rank 17, we construct an explicit model for a three-parameter bielliptic plane genus-three curve whose associated Prym variety is two-isogenous to the Jacobian variety of the general three-parameter hyperelliptic genus-two curve in Rosenhain normal form. Our model provides explicit expressions for all coefficients in terms of modular forms.
A Separation Principle on Lie Groups

Abstract For linear time-invariant systems, a separation principle holds: stable observer and stable state feedback can be designed for the time-invariant system, and the combined observer and feedback will be stable. For non-linear systems, a local separation principle holds around steady-states, as the linearized system is time-invariant. This paper addresses the issue of a nonlinear separation principle on Lie groups. For invariant systems on Lie groups, we prove there exists a large set of (time-varying) trajectories around which the linearized observer-controler system is time-invariant, as soon as a symmetry-preserving observer is used. Thus a separation principle holds around those trajectories. The theory is illustrated by a mobile robot example, and the developed ideas are then extended to a class of Lagrangian mechanical systems on Lie groups described by Euler-Poincare equations.
Analysis of LCL Filter Topologies for DC-DC Isolated Cuk Converter at CCM Operation

In this study, the application and analysis of LCL filter topologies including an LCL, an LCL with damping, and an LCL trap filter used by a DC-DC isolated Ćuk converter operated at CCM are presented. The converter is designed for 50 W with 42 kHz switching frequency using a SiC MOSFET as a power switch. Although LCL filter topologies are commonly used with an inverter, their use in DC-DC converters has not been studied in detail. The main contribution of the paper is the application, design, and analysis of an LCL trap filter, which is not presented for a DC-DC converter in the literature, as an input filter of a DC-DC isolated Ćuk converter. For exact analysis of the effect of the filter, as a second main contribution of the paper, a state-space average mathematical model, small signal analysis of an isolated Ćuk converter for CCM operation, which was not presented before in the literature, is derived and its transfer function is obtained. In this paper, the practical design and transfer functions of LCL-based filter topologies are also presented. In order to analyze the effect of filter topologies by using linear methods including root locus and Bode graphs, the transfer function of the converter is cascaded with the transfer function of each filter separately, which is the third contribution of the paper because such analysis has not been presented in the literature. Furthermore, each cascaded transfer function and the transfer function of the converter are validated by step responses. All LCL filters, with an LC filter for comparison, are employed in the experimental setup. Owing to the applications, control characteristics and input current ripples are measured. In addition, the efficiencies of each different structure are determined. As a result of the analysis and measurements, the LCL trap filter gives better results in terms of efficiency (86%) and input current ripple (0.96 A peak). Moreover, the LCL with damping filter gives poorer control characteristics, but the maximum gain of the controller avoiding the instability of LCL with damping is 0.0855, which is higher than that of the others. Furthermore, it is shown that each LCL filter topology provides a 45% lower total inductor value compared to the LC filter.
New Insights into the Anatomy of the Internal Iliac and Uterine Veins - A Cadaveric Study

Little is known about the variable uterine veins and their draining into the internal iliac vein. This becomes relevant with the upcoming field of uterus transplantation. Detailed knowledge of the number and length of venous vessels is crucial for careful operation planning regarding the anastomosis location and dissection point. Using cadaveric donors, we extracted the pelvic organs and dissected the venous vessels starting from the inferior vena cava and ending at the uterine veins in the parametrium. We measured the length of the common iliac vein and the internal iliac vein until the first uterine vein’s orifice. The number of uterine veins and that of the parietal vessels were counted. We found a high variability of uterine vein numbers (1 to 7). A distinct plexus wasn’t reaching the internal iliac vein in most of the cases. The length of the internal iliac vein was measured with a mean of 38 mm. Concluding, a suitable length for an anastomosis during uterus transplantation and sparing of a simultaneous y-graft extraction in cadaveric donation was found.
Polymer-Nanodiscs as a Novel Alignment Medium for High-Resolution NMR-Based Structural Studies of Nucleic Acids

Residual dipolar couplings (RDCs) are increasingly used for high-throughput NMR-based structural studies and to provide long-range angular constraints to validate and refine structures of various molecules determined by X-ray crystallography and NMR spectroscopy. RDCs of a given molecule can be measured in an anisotropic environment that aligns in an external magnetic field. Here, we demonstrate the first application of polymer-based nanodiscs for the measurement of RDCs from nucleic acids. Polymer-based nanodiscs prepared using negatively charged SMA-EA polymer and zwitterionic DMPC lipids were characterized by size-exclusion chromatography, 1H NMR, dynamic light-scattering, and 2H NMR. The magnetically aligned polymer-nanodiscs were used as an alignment medium to measure RDCs from a 13C/15N-labeled fluoride riboswitch aptamer using 2D ARTSY-HSQC NMR experiments. The results showed that the alignment of nanodiscs is stable for nucleic acids and nanodisc-induced RDCs fit well with the previously determined solution structure of the riboswitch. These results demonstrate that SMA-EA-based lipid-nanodiscs can be used as a stable alignment medium for high-resolution structural and dynamical studies of nucleic acids, and they can also be applicable to study various other biomolecules and small molecules in general.
Invariants of the bi-Lipschitz contact equivalence of continuous definable function germs

We construct an invariant of the bi-Lipschitz contact equivalence of continuous function germs definable in a polynomially bounded o-minimal structure, such as semialgebraic functions. For a germ $f,$ the invariant is given in terms of the leading coefficients of the asymptotic expansions of $f$ along the connected components of the tangency variety of $f. $
Method to Develop Legs for Underwater Robots: From Multibody Dynamics with Experimental Data to Mechatronic Implementation

Exploration of the seabed may be complex, and different parameters must be considered for a robotic system to achieve tasks in this environment, such as soil characteristics, seabed gait, and hydrodynamic force in this extreme environment. This paper presents a gait simulation of a quadrupedal robot used on a typical terrigenous sediment seabed, considering the mechanical properties of the type of soil, stiffness, and damping and friction coefficients, referenced with the specialized literature and applied in a computational multibody model with many experimental data in a specific underwater environment to avoi hydrodynamic effects. The requirements of the positions and torque in the robot’s active joints are presented in accordance with a 5R mechanism for the leg and the natural pattern shown in the gait of a dog on the ground. These simulation results are helpful for the design of a testbed, with a leg prototype and its respective hardware and software architecture and a subsequent comparison with the real results.
Synthesis and characterization of the graft copolymer including polyβ-butyrolactone and polyvinyl chloride by ring-opening polymerization and “click” chemistry

Abstract Synthesis of poly(vinyl chloride-g-β-butyrolactone) [poly(VC-g-BL)] graft copolymer was carried out by means of “click” chemistry of terminally propargyl polyβ-butyrolactone ester (PBL-propargyl) and polyvinyl chloride with pendant azido group (PVC-N3). PVC-N3 was synthesized by reaction of purified PVC and sodium azide. PBL-propargyl was obtained by the reaction of β-butyrolactone with propargyl alcohol by ring-opening polymerization. By using PVC-N3 and PBL-propargyl, poly(VC-g-BL) graft copolymer was synthesized. The concentration and amount of the solvent that influenced the reactions were evaluated. The characterization of the products was accomplished by using multi-instruments and methods such as 1H-NMR, FT-IR, TGA, DSC, static light scattering, and elemental analysis. Graphical Abstract