Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of graded properties on the impact response of an interface crack in a coating/substrate system subjected to antiplane deformation

An elastodynamic analysis of an interface crack in coated media with functionally graded properties is performed under the condition of antiplane shear impact. The graded material exists as a nonhomogeneous interlayer between the dissimilar, homogeneous phases of the coating/substrate system or as a nonhomogeneous coating deposited on the substrate. The material nonhomogeneity is represented in terms of power‐law variations of shear modulus and mass density. Based on the use of the integral transform technique, formulation of the transient crack problem is reduced to having to solve a Cauchy‐type singular integral equation in the Laplace transform domain. Via the inversion of the Laplace transforms, the values of dynamic mode III stress intensity factors are obtained as a function of time. In the numerical results, the effects of material and geometric parameters of the coating/substrate system with the graded, nonhomogeneous constituent are illustrated, addressing the dynamic load transfer and overshoot characteristics of the transient crack‐tip behavior. Furthermore, a comparison is made with the dynamic behavior of the interface crack in a discretely coated material system.
Time-resolved beam profile measurement of high-current, short-pulse electron beam

A beam profile diagnostic system of high current, short pulse electron based on Cerenkov radiation is introduced. Cerenkov radiation signals produced by thin quartz foil placed in the beam path are detected with streak camera. Experiments confirming Cerenkov radiation and time resolved beam profile measurement are realized with this system on the 2MeV injector of CAEP. The resolution of the system is estimated to be about 0.74mm and 1.75ns.
A Robust Regression Type Estimator for Estimating Population Mean under Non-Normality in the Presence of Non-Response

In sampling theory, regression type estimators are extensively used to estimate the population mean when the correlation between study and auxiliary variables is high. In this study, we incorporate robust modified maximum likelihood estimators (MMLEs) into regression type estimator in the presence of non-response and their properties have been obtained theoretically. For the support of the theoretical outcomes, simulations under several super-population models have been made. We study the robustness properties of these modified estimators. We show that utilization of MMLEs in estimating finite populations mean leads to robust estimates, which is very advantageous when we have non-normality or other common data anomalies such as outliers.
Outcomes associated with translocation of mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus): Influence of age, release timing, and year on survival

Translocation of large mammals has become common practice for wildlife managers charged with conservation of animals and their genetic integrity on increasingly modified landscapes. Translocations of ungulates have occurred around the world with varying outcomes. Although translocations have been used to manage mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) in western North America, only recently have the outcomes associated with this management practice been documented. Our objective was to evaluate survival of translocated mule deer in comparison to resident mule deer over multiple years following release and provide information useful in judging the relative value of translocation as a conservation strategy for this species. In January and March 2013, the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (UDWR) captured and translocated 102 mule deer from winter range near Parowan, Utah to winter range near Holden, Utah (approximately 145 kilometers north of capture location). We fitted each deer with a radio transmitter (n = 102 total: 21 GPS collars, 81 VHF collars) prior to release. We also captured and marked a total of 70 resident deer (9 GPS collars, 61 VHF collars) to serve as a reference group. Survival of translocated deer in the first year was similar among release dates in January (0.51; 95% CI = 0.40–0.63) and March (0.53; 95% CI = 0.40–0.66). Annual survival of translocated deer, however, was lower than survival of resident deer (0.83; 95% CI = 0.72–0.90) in the first year after release. During the second year following release, however, survival of translocated animals (0.85; 95% CI = 0.71–0.93) was not different from that of resident deer (0.80; 95% CI = 0.69–0.88). Additionally, age strongly influenced the survival of translocated deer; young deer (e.g., 1.5 year olds) were more than twice as likely as old deer (e.g., 7.5 year olds) to survive the initial year following translocation. These data highlight the need to monitor translocated animals for multiple years following release and suggest that wildlife managers should expect to see higher survival rates during the second year following translocation and higher survival rates in younger deer compared to older deer.
Computational Fluid Dynamics Study of Airflow and Particle Transport in Third to Sixth Generation Human Respiratory Tract

The computational fluid dynamics (CFD) technique is used to simulate airflow and aerosol-particle deposition in human respiratory tract. The three dimensional respiratory tract is extended from third to six generation bronchus based on Weibel model (1963). The computation is performed for laminar flow condition. Discrete phase modeling (DPM) is used to study the two phase flow. The aerosol-particles of three different diameters 1, 5 and 10 μm are considered to obtain the effect of aerosol-particle size on deposition efficiency. The results of velocity contours, aerosol-particle deposition efficiency and aerosol-particle trapping process are determined at different locations of the respiratory tract. It is obtained that deposition efficiency increases with the increase of aerosol-particle size. It is also found that more are deposited at the bifurcation junctions because of the direct inertial impaction at these locations. Computational results are found useful to correlate the medical and engineering aspects.
New resources of the optical refraction method for investigation of phase transition in dielectrics: K2SO4 and LiKSO4 crystals

Abstract New method for calculation of optical fundamental absorption spectra of crystalline dielectrics in the ranges of electron and vibration excitations based on the experimental spectra of refractive indices in the transparency range has been worked out K2SO4 and LiKSO4 crystals have been investigated. Calculated spectral parameters of LiKSO4 crystals show the higher structure instability (number of phase transitions) in comparison with those parameters of K2SO4 crystals.
Assessing trait emotional intelligence and its relationship with stress and health behaviour in the education sector: An empirical study from Uttarakhand, India

Background: Emotional intelligence of teachers can affect their mental and physical health as well their performance in school. Both emotional intelligence and health behavior can have an impact on stress. The majority of Indian studies have examined only one type of teachers, have used indigenous scales which are not internationally valid, and have not studied health behaviour. The role of age and gender on emotional intelligence is also a debatable subject which requires larger studies The present study was undertaken to evaluate the trait emotional intelligence, stress and health behaviour of teachers and to determine their inter-relationship and to assess the role of demographic and professional attributes on emotional intelligence. Methods: Teachers from different schools, colleges and professional institutes situated in Dehradun and nearby towns in the state of Uttarakhand, India were evaluated by internationally valid tools for the three parameters. Results: Emotional Intelligence of teachers has no relation with age, gender, educational qualification, level of teaching or type of institute. It has a negative correlation with stress and a positive correlation with health behaviour. Further, health behaviour is inversely related to stress. Conclusions: Assessment of emotional intelligence and health behaviour of teachers should be a part of their routine evaluation and training so that specific interventions to reduce stress and to improve their overall health and performance can be appropriately planned.
MHAMD-MST-CNN: multiscale head attention guided multiscale density maps fusion for video crowd counting via multi-attention spatial-temporal CNN

ABSTRACT Video-based crowd counting and density estimation (CCDE) is vital for crowd monitoring. The existing solutions lack in addressing issues like cluttered background and scale variation in crowd videos. To this end, a multiscale head attention-guided multiscale density maps fusion for video-based CCDE via multi-attention Spatial-Temporal CNN (MHAMD-MST-CNN) is proposed. The MHAMD-MST-CNN has three modules: a multi attention spatial stream (MASS), a multi attention temporal stream (MATS), and a final density map generation (FDMG) module. The spatial head attention modules (SHAMs) and temporal head attention modules (THAMs) are designed to eliminate the background influence from the MASS and the MATS, respectively, by mapping the multiscale spatial or temporal features to head maps. The multiscale de-backgrounded features are utilised by the density map generation (DMG) modules to generate multiscale density maps to deal with scale variation due to perspective distortion. The multiscale density maps are fused and fed into the FDMG module to obtain the final crowd density map. The MHAMD-MST-CNN has been trained and validated on three publicly available benchmark datasets: the Venice, the Mall, and the UCSD. The MHAMD-MST-CNN provides competitive results as compared with the state-of-the-arts in terms of mean absolute error (MAE) and root mean squared error (RMSE).
The Application of Mixed Reality in Root Canal Treatment

The priority of modern dentistry is to keep patients’ teeth for as long as possible. Tooth extraction is a procedure performed as a last resort when conservative methods and endodontic surgery procedures have not brought the expected results. As a consequence, the number of patients in dental offices, who require first and repeated endodontic treatment, is increasing. Thus, the development of new technologies in the medical industry, including microscopy, computer tomography (CT), as well as diode and neodymium-YAG-erbium lasers, enables dentists to increase the percentage of successful treatments. Moreover, mixed reality (MR) is a very new technology, in which the 3D view can help plan or simulate various types of tasks before they will be carried out in real life. In dentistry, 3D holography can be applied to display CT data to plan endodontic treatment. The most important element in effective root canal treatment is the precise imaging of the root canal. The CT scans allow dentists to view the anatomy of the patient’s tooth with much higher precision and understanding than using 2D radiography (RTG-radiographic photo) pictures. Recently, the development of new 3D technologies allows dentists to obtain even more data from existing CT scans. In this paper, the CT scan data were applied to generate patient teeth in 3D and simulate the view of the root canal’s anatomy in MR devices, i.e., Microsoft HoloLens 2. Using DICOM RAW data from the CT exam, we generated a 3D model of the jaw with a tooth. In the next step, the crown of the tooth was removed in a similar way to how a dentist would do this using a dental handpiece. Furthermore, all root canals were cleaned of everything inside. This way we achieved empty tunnels, namely root canals. Finally, we added appropriate lighting, similar to the type of lighting that dentists use. The proposed approach enables to display of the root canals in the same way as during the endodontic procedure using a microscope. It allows for the visualization of the root canal and changing its direction, in which dimensional accuracy is crucial. It turns out that mixed reality can be considered a complementary method to the traditional approach, which reduces the amount of time for the root canal treatment procedure by up to 72.25%, depending on the complexity of the case, and increases its effectiveness. Thus, the mixed reality-based system can be considered an effective tool for planning dental treatment.
Skill of Direct Solar Radiation Predicted by the ECMWF Global Atmospheric Model over Australia

AbstractPrediction of direct solar radiation is key in sectors such as solar power and agriculture; for instance, it can enable more efficient production of energy from concentrating solar power plants. An assessment of the quality of the direct solar radiation forecast by two versions of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) global numerical weather prediction model up to 5 days ahead is carried out here. The performance of the model is measured against observations from four solar monitoring stations over Australia, characterized by diverse geographic and climatic features, for the year 2006. As a reference, the performance of global radiation forecast is carried out as well. In terms of direct solar radiation, while the skill of the two model versions is very similar, and with relative mean absolute errors (rMAEs) ranging from 18% to 45% and correlations between 0.85 and 0.25 at around midday, their performance is substantially enhanced via a simple postprocessing bias-correcti.
Semiparametrically Efficient Estimation of Conditional Instrumental Variables Parameters

In this paper, I propose a set of parameters designed to identify the slope of structural relationships based on a combination of conditioning on covariates and the use of an exogenous instrument. After giving structural interpretations to these parameters in the context of specific semiparametric models, I derive their efficient influence curves in a fully nonparametric context as well as under imposition of restrictions on the instrument. These influence curves give the semiparametric efficiency bounds for regular asymptotically linear estimators of the parameters and allow the construction of asymptotically efficient estimators. Monte Carlo experiments finally demonstrate the good finite sample performance of such estimators.
Review of agricultural value chain analysis

Value chain analysis has a central role in determining the distribution of benefits of the participants to upgrade solutions to the value chain. This paper is based on an integrated approach of methods and results of research on agricultural product value chain analysis. Research focuses on analyzing value chain approaches commodity chain analysis, Porter’s value chain model, Global value chain and GTZ organization, the number of actors in the value chain, profit distribution among actors participating in the chain, some popular tools in value chain analysis, and solutions to upgrade the chain. On that basis, the paper also points out the gaps in the current agricultural value chain research: 1) There is no combination of SCP analysis framework with other approaches; 2) Researchers have not analyzed the causes of the markup through the actors or the market power of the actors; 3) There are few studies combine all three models: Porter’s five forces, PEST and SWOT to have a complete basis for proposing solutions to upgrade the value chain.
Self-Measurement of the Admittance Matrix of AC–DC Power Converter by Internal Harmonic Injection

Frequency-domain impedance or admittance model is widely applied to analyze the harmonic stability of power electronic converters. Conventionally, the converter impedance is modeled holistically, without exhibiting the sole effect of different control and phase-locked loop (PLL). Besides, harmonic voltage or current injection external to the converter is usually adopted, which involves dedicated equipment and introduces unexpected inner impedance. In this article, the response of voltage perturbation upon ac–dc power converters along various voltage signal flow paths is analyzed, based on the superposition principle. Each part of admittance and its effect on stability can therefore be quantified explicitly. By injecting harmonic perturbation through the identified paths within the converter controller, each part of the admittances, with and without the concerned control or PLL blocks, is measured and summed to be the total admittance. Harmonic voltage mitigation control implemented on a grid-forming converter creates an ideal grid with constant voltage and nearly zero inner impedance at the injected harmonic frequency. The proposed admittance analysis and measurement are successfully applied to the power converter with different PLL, voltage feedforward, output power control, dc voltage control, and grid-forming cascaded control. The effectiveness of the analysis and the proposed admittance measurement approach is validated by comprehensive simulation and hardware tests.
Headache in long COVID as disabling condition: A clinical approach

Background and purpose Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection can exacerbate previous headache disorders or change the type of pain experienced from headaches. This study aimed to investigate the clinical features of Long COVID headaches. Method This was a cross-sectional, descriptive, and analytical observational study that included 102 patients (with previous headache, n = 50; without previous headache, n = 52) with long COVID and headache complaints. The Migraine Disability Assessment Test and Visual Analog Pain Scale were used to collect participants' headache data according to a standardized protocol. Results The patients in this study who reported experiencing headaches before COVID-19 had longer headache duration in the long COVID phase than that in the pre-long COVID phase (p = 0.031), exhibited partial improvement in headache symptoms with analgesics (p = 0.045), and had a duration of long COVID of <1 year (p = 0.030). Patients with moderate or severe disability and those classified as having severe headaches in the long COVID phase were highly likely to develop chronic headaches. Hospital admission [odds ratio (OR) = 3.0082; 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 1.10–8.26], back pain (OR = 4.0017; 95% CI: 1.13–14.17), insomnia (OR = 3.1339; 95% CI: 1.39–7.06), and paraesthesia (OR = 2.7600; 95% CI: 1.20–6.33) were associated with headache in these patients. Conclusion Headache is a disabling condition in patients with long COVID-19, exacerbating the conditions of those with headaches prior to contracting COVID-19.
Generalized Thermoelastic-Piezoelectric Problem by Hybrid Laplace Transform-Finite Element Method

A formulation of the hybrid Laplace transform-finite element method is presented to deal with a thermoelastic-piezoelectric coupled two-dimensional thermal shock problem of a thick, infinite piezoelectric plate. The results are applicable to the generalized thermoelasticity theories: Lord-Shulman, Green-Lindsay, and Chandrasekharaiah-Tzou theories, as well as the classical coupled theory. By means of the Laplace transform and numerical Laplace inversion the problem is solved. The results are given and illustrated graphically. From the distributions, the wave type heat propagation in the piezoelectric plate can be found. A comparison with results given in literature proves the good performance of the used method.
Molecular dynamics of fluid flow at solid surfaces

Molecular dynamics techniques are used to study the microscopic aspects of several slow viscous flows past a solid wall, where both fluid and wall have a molecular structure. Systems of several thousand molecules are found to exhibit reasonable continuum behavior, albeit with significant thermal fluctuations. In Couette and Poiseuille flow of liquids it is found that the no‐slip boundary condition arises naturally as a consequence of molecular roughness, and that the velocity and stress fields agree with the solutions of the Stokes equations. At lower densities slip appears, which can be incorporated into a flow‐independent slip‐length boundary condition. The trajectories of individual molecules in Poiseuille flow are examined, and it is also found that their average behavior is given by Taylor–Aris hydrodynamic dispersion. An immiscible two‐fluid system is simulated by a species‐dependent intermolecular interaction. A static meniscus is observed whose contact angle agrees with simple estimates and, when .
Direct numerical simulation of turbulent pipe flow with uniform surface heat flux

Turbulent transport computations of a scalar quantity for fully developed turbulent pipe flow with uniform surface heat flux were carried out by means of a direct numerical simulation (DNS) procedure. The number of computational grids used in this paper is 256×128×128. Prandtl number of the working fluid is 0.71. The Nusselt number is in good agreement with the empirical correlation. The scalar variance and scalar flux obtained by the present DNS are in very good agreement with the previous experimental data. The present DNS results can be used as a reference data base.
Aesthetic Appeal of Magic Squares

Magic squares are rectangular arrays of numbers whose row, column and diagonal sums are all equal. Magic squares are frequently constructed from underlying square designs with certain symmetries. However, these symmetries are hidden to the viewer who only sees the numbers. Consequently, it superficially appears that the driving appeal of magic squares is their numerical properties. In a recent paper, Fang, Ming and Jianmin provided statistical evidence that magic squares have superior aesthetic appeal over random squares. In this paper, we retest this conjecture on aesthetic appeal using a different more appropriate statistical test. We test the hypotheses that i) the numbers in a magic square or ii) the symmetries in the underlying square design enhance aesthetic appeal. Our conclusion is that while magic and symmetry-based squares superficially appear to have superior aesthetic appeal, this superiority is not statistically significant.
Vertical Umbilical Incision Achieves Better Cosmesis Than Periumbilical Incision in Neonates and Infants

Purpose: The transumbilical approach is widely used for minimally invasive surgery in children. We compared herein the postoperative cosmesis between two types of transumbilical approach: a vertical incision versus periumbilical incision. Methods: Patients with a transumbilical laparotomy before age one year were prospectively enrolled between January 2018 and December 2020. A vertical incision or periumbilical incision was chosen at the surgeon’s discretion. After excluding patients receiving a relaparotomy via another site, a questionnaire about the appearance of the umbilicus was completed by the patients’ guardians at postoperative month 6 to assess satisfaction and determine the visual analog scale score. A photograph of the umbilicus was taken while the questionnaire was being administered for later assessment by surgeons blinded to the scar and umbilical shape. Results: Forty patients were enrolled; 24 patients received a vertical incision while 16 received a periumbilical incision. The incision length was significantly shorter in the vertical incision group (median: 2.0; range: 1.5-3.0 cm vs. median: 2.75; range: 1.5-3.6 cm) (p = 0.001). The patients’ guardians reported significantly higher satisfaction (p = 0.002) and higher scores on the visual analog scale (p = 0.046) in the vertical incision group (n = 22) than in the periumbilical incision group (n = 15). The surgeons’ evaluation was associated with significantly more patients with a vertical incision than with a periumbilical incision achieving a cosmetically preferable outcome, including an invisible or fine scar and a normal umbilical shape. Conclusion: A vertical umbilical incision can provide better postoperative cosmesis than a periumbilical incision.