Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Multi-scale characteristics investigation of sheet/cloud cavitation

Sheet and cloud cavitation involve the formation of large-scale cavities and microbubbles across a wide range of length scales. In this study, a two-way coupling Eulerian-Lagrangian algorithm was utilized to simulate the cavitating flow around a NACA66 hydrofoil at an incidence of 8 degrees and a cavitation number of 1.2. The large eddy simulation (LES) and volume of fraction (VOF) methods are used to capture the large scale vapor structures in Eulerian frame. Meanwhile, the discrete bubble model (DBM) and simplified Rayleigh-Plesset equation are implied to solve the dynamic of Lagrangian microbubbles smaller than local grid scale. The results indicate that large-scale cavities are periodically shed downstream, influenced alternatively by the re-entrant jet and shock wave mechanisms, resulting in periodic variations of both the number and Sauter mean diameter of microscale bubbles. During the quasi-periodic evolution process of sheet/cloud cavitation, the microbubbles scatter around the large scale cavities where have strong turbulence intensity and high vorticity, and the probability density function of discrete bubble diameter similarly conforms to Gamma distribution with the dominant bubble size between 30 and 70μm. During the growth of an attached cavity, the number density of bubbles follows a power-law scaling with a value of -5/3 on radius. For the other stages, the bubble size spectrum of smaller microbubbles exhibits a -2/3 power-law scaling when the diameter of the microbubble is less than 200 μm. For larger bubbles with a diameter greater than 300 μm, the bubble density is proportional to the bubble radius to the power of -6.
Feature Fusion Based on Transformer for Cross-modal Retrieval

With the popularity of the Internet and the rapid growth of multimodal data, multimodal retrieval has gradually become a hot area of research. As one of the important branches of multimodal retrieval, image-text retrieval aims to design a model to learn and align two modal data, image and text, in order to build a bridge of semantic association between the two heterogeneous data, so as to achieve unified alignment and retrieval. The current mainstream image-text cross-modal retrieval approaches have made good progress by designing a deep learning-based model to find potential associations between different modal data. In this paper, we design a transformer-based feature fusion network to fuse the information of two modalities in the feature extraction process, which can enrich the semantic connection between the modalities. Meanwhile, we conduct experiments on the benchmark dataset Flickr30k and get competitive results, where recall at 10 achieves 96.2% accuracy in image-to-text retrieval.
Methodological considerations in large scale accelerometer-based studies of childhood physical activity

Accelerometers are widely used to measure children’s physical activity (PA) in large scale studies. However, the analysis of data from such studies is challenging and several methodological uncertainties remain regarding collection and processing protocols. The aim of this thesis was to investigate some of these issues in relation to a range of child and parental factors using data collected as part of the Millennium Cohort Study (MCS). The MCS is a UK-wide prospective study of the social, economic and health-related circumstances of children. Accelerometer-determined measurement of activity was introduced into the study when the children were aged seven years. Accelerometers were distributed and returned using a novel postal methodology. Reliable accelerometer data was obtained from 7,105 children. Analyses were conducted to determine: (i) data processing thresholds; (ii) predictors of consent, accelerometer return, and data acquisition, and; (iii) factors associated with intra-individual variation of PA and sedentary behavior (SB) across the four seasons. Analyses revealed that: (i) using a proposed minimum threshold of 11,715 counts/minute will enable researchers to identify extreme high count values in the ActiGraph GT1M, and using data from children with ≥ two days lasting ≥ six hours/day will provide reliable estimates of children’s habitual PA; (ii) a range of factors are associated with non-response, and; (iii) a single-measurement period may not adequately measure children’s activity due to substantial intra-individual variation in PA and SB across the seasons. Some children are also less stable in their activity and may therefore be more amenable to change. Interventions aimed at reducing SB and/or increasing PA may be particularly helpful for these groups of children. 4 These findings highlight the importance of quality control procedures in accelerometer data collection and processing. This thesis addresses methodological issues in large scale accelerometer-based studies of childhood activity and presents important results in this area.
Design of sensorless permanent magnet synchronous motor controller based on improved sliding mode observer

Because PMSM needs to install a position sensor in practical application, and the buffeting issue in sensorless control stems from an old SMO (sliding mode observer), an improved SMO is proposed. Stemming from the improvement of the switching function and low-pass filter of the traditional SMO, the chattering problem of the conventional SMO is optimized. Considering the reality that the traditional PI control strategy unable to respond accurately and quickly in the case of current coupling, the current complete decoupling integrates the traditional PI control method is adopted. It can speed up system response and improve system performance. The experimental consequence demonstrates that the improved SMO can effectively restrain the chattering phenomenon and realize the fast and precise control of the PMSM.
A Numerical Study of Collective Cell Migration in a Microchannel Driven by Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) Device

Collective cell migration is involved in a variety of biological contexts, including tissue morphogenesis, wound healing, and cancer invasion. Many studies have revealed that chemical, mechanical, and electrical stimulation all affect cell migration. Although an acoustic stimulus has been shown to influence cell migration in the past, the underlying mechanism is still unknown. A computational model that accounts for acoustic–structure interaction was constructed in this study to simulate the formation of a surface acoustic wave (SAW) field and the application of the acoustic pressure field on collective cell migration. A group of cells within a microchannel device and two ports of interdigitated transducers (IDTs) with different wavelengths were modeled. The stresses within cells were investigated as it was influenced by substrate displacement and pressure acoustic in the cell media generated by the SAW device. As a result, we observed the local stress within cells near the solid-fluid interfaces. For propagating SAW, the shorter wavelength of IDTs (600 μm) attributed to high stress at the cell’s top and bottom as compared to the SAW device with the longer wavelength (1000 μm). The standing SAW occurred underneath collective cells. The results of standing SAW on cell stress at the bottom confirm that the SAW device can be useful to regulate the abnormalities cellular activities associated with cell migration.
Electrostatic layer jamming variable stiffness based on AC waveform regulation

As a method to achieve variable stiffness of soft robots, electrostatic layer jamming (ELJ) has the disadvantages of low breakdown strength and a single stiffness control method. In this paper, we propose to replace the air of the traditional ELJ device with giant electrorheological fluid (GERF) and introduce the method of adjusting the stiffness by AC waveform to solve these problems. We perform friction experiments on ELJ devices (ELJ-GERF, ELJ-Air, ELJ-Oil) under three different dielectrics of GERF, air, and silicone oil. The results show that the breakdown probability of ELJ-Air increased significantly when the applied voltage is greater than 3000 V, while ELJ-GERF and ELJ-Oil can withstand voltage exceeding 5000 V. ELJ-GERF has higher breakdown strength than ELJ-Air. At the same time, the AC waveform can regulate the stiffness of the three devices. By applying voltages with three different AC waveforms (sine wave, square wave, and triangle wave), all three devices exhibit different stiffness properties. The stiffness of ELJ-GERF is increased by 2.6 times, 4.5 times, and 2.7 times under the sine wave, square wave, and triangular wave respectively compared with DC voltage. The other two devices also have a certain increase in stiffness.
Towards accurate stereo-video based free-surface reconstruction for wave tank experiments

Measuring accurately the shape of the free surface in medium-scale hydrodynamic testing facilities is challenging with conventional wave gauges. To overcome this problem, it is necessary to go towards higher resolution measurement systems. For this purpose, we investigate the ability of stereo-video acquisition systems to reconstruct free surface waves in laboratory conditions. This technique has been proven to give satisfactory results in open sea conditions, although it is dependent on the environmental conditions (weather, solar incidence angle). At sea, the stereo-video reconstruction algorithm makes profit of the short waves generated by the wind in order to correlate the points from the left and right images. The main challenge of adapting this technique to laboratory conditions, i.e. in absence of sun and wind, is to overcome the absence of texture on the free surface. This paper presents recent work aiming at developing a stereo-vision measurement system for laboratory conditions. Our efforts have been devoted to finding an adapted lighting system and generating a texture suitable for the reconstruction algorithm. Different lighting configurations have been tested in order to understand its impact on the reconstructions. For the texture generation, we have investigated different means of generating short surface waves (water droplets, air blowing, circulation current, underwater acoustic emissions) in different experimental facilities. Our conclusions show that it is possible to reconstruct the shape of surface gravity waves in the presence of short surface waves and that the effects of lighting and texture on the quality of the reconstruction are strongly coupled.
Igneous and metamorphic rocks under the microscope : classification, textures, microstructures and mineral preferred-orientations

Preface. Part A: Classification, terminology and description. Igneous rocks. Metamorphic rocks. Part B: Textures and microscopic structures. Crystals and crystallization. Igneous crystallization, textures and microstructures. Metamorphic crystallization, recrystallization, textures and microstructures. Part C: Mineral preferred orientations. Introduction. Metamorphic rocks. Igneous rocks.
The use of Ctrl+Z in ship design: removing a bulbous bow

A bulbous bow is a widely employed feature to enhance the hydrodynamic resistance of ships. More than 95% of the merchant fleet incorporates various types of bulbous bows to reduce wave-making resistance and wave breaking. Bulbous bow is also utilized in smaller vessels like fishing vessels. In certain cases, the initial ship design includes the addition of a bulbous bow by default. In this study, which focuses on a typical Argentinian trawler fishing vessel, we investigate the impact of the bulbous bow on resistance. Taking a reverse approach, we modify the fishing vessel by removing the bulbous bow and we evaluate its hydrodynamics. This research aims to assess the reduction in ship resistance achieved by the bulbous bow under different load conditions and speeds, comparing the vessel with and without the bulbous bow. The numerical analysis uses OpenFOAM, and the results are validated through towing tank experiments. The research demonstrates that the performance of the bulbous bow varies across different conditions, indicating that not always the vessel with a bulbous bow is better.
Social Capital and Natural Resource Management: An Application to Landcare

Abstract Social capital has been increasingly recognised as a fundamental ingredient to the success of natural resource management (NRM) within rural and regional communities. Landcare, with its extensive local group structure and community-state partnership, provides a notable case of the importance of social capital to NRM. However identifying processes and practices to enhance social capital have been problematic given the theoretical and empirical ambiguities surrounding the concept. In this paper we apply an analytical framework recognising the sources, characteristics and consequences of social capital to Landcare. The framework recognises the importance of both community and state/institutional sources of social capital and suggests a series of measures of social capital appropriate to Landcare.
A framework for linking computations and rhythm-based timing patterns in neural firing, such as phase precession in hippocampal place cells

A major challenge in neuroscience is to develop models that bridge between observed neural ﬁring patterns and computational functions. Here, we demonstrate the utility of Vector Symbolic Architecture (VSA) models in building a theory framework for neuro-science. Speciﬁcally, we present a VSA model expressing computations by operations on high-dimensional vectors of complex numbers, Fourier Holographic Reduced Representations (FHRR). We have developed a novel model of synaptic integration to implement FHRR operations with spiking neurons that express periodic population ﬁring, where the timing of a spike relative to an internal oscillation represents the phase of a complex number. We illustrate how algorithms deﬁned on a computational level, such as associative memory or spatial navigation, can be implemented by spiking neurons that exhibit similar ﬁring patterns as observed in neural recordings. Thus, FHRR VSAs can establish a link between concrete computations and properties of neural ﬁring such as oscillations and phase precession in hippocampus and cortex.
Spatial mapping of b-value and fractal dimension prior to November 8, 2022 Doti Earthquake, Nepal

An earthquake of magnitude 5.6 mb (6.6 ML) hit western Nepal (Doti region) in the wee hours of wednesday morning local time (2:12 AM, 2022.11.08) killing at least six people. Gutenberg-Richter b-value of earthquake distribution and correlation fractal dimension (D2) are estimated for 493 earthquakes with magnitude of completeness 3.6 prior to this earthquake. We consider earthquakes in western Nepal Himalaya and adjoining region (80.0–83.5°E and 27.3–30.5°N) for the period of 1964 to 2022 for the analysis. The b-value 0.68±0.03 implies a high stress zone and the spatial correlation dimension 1.81±0.02 implies a highly heterogeneous region where the epicenters are spatially distributed. Low b-values and high D2 values identify the study region as a high hazard zone. Focal mechanism styles and low b-values correlate with thrust nature of earthquakes and show that the earthquake’s occurrence is associated with the dynamics of the faults responsible for generating the past earthquakes.
Comparative single-cell profiling reveals distinct cardiac resident macrophages essential for zebrafish heart regeneration

Zebrafish exhibit a robust ability to regenerate their hearts following injury, and the immune system plays a key role in this process. We previously showed that delaying macrophage recruitment by clodronate liposome (CL) treatment compromises neutrophil resolution and heart regeneration, even when the infiltrating macrophage number was restored within the first-week post injury (Lai et al., 2017). Here, we examined the molecular mechanisms underlying the cardiac repair of regenerative PBS-control hearts vs. non-regenerative CL-treated hearts. Bulk transcriptomic analyses revealed that CL-treated hearts exhibited disrupted inflammatory resolution and energy metabolism during cardiac repair. Temporal single-cell profiling of inflammatory cells in regenerative vs. non-regenerative conditions further identified heterogenous macrophages and neutrophils with distinct infiltration dynamics, gene expression, and cellular crosstalk. Among them, two residential macrophage subpopulations were enriched in regenerative hearts and barely recovered in non-regenerative hearts. Early CL treatment at 8 days or even 1 month before cryoinjury led to the depletion of resident macrophages without affecting the circulating macrophage recruitment to the injured area. Strikingly, these resident macrophage-deficient zebrafish still exhibited compromised neovascularization and scar resolution. Our results characterized the inflammatory cells of the zebrafish injured hearts and identified key resident macrophage subpopulations prerequisite for successful heart regeneration.
Trajectories of physical activity during COVID-19: A longitudinal analysis of UK young adults

Research has demonstrated a disproportionate reduction in the moderate-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) of young UK adults during the initial months of COVID-19. However, previous research has not examined the trajectory of MVPA for this demographic over subsequent phases of the pandemic. The present study investigated the trajectory of MVPA from April 2020 to January 2021 in young UK adults. Data were drawn from 18-29-year-old participants of the Understanding Society COVID-19 Survey (212 males, 542 females). Weekly MVPA was self-reported at three time points (April and September 2020; January 2021) using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. After controlling for significant covariates, growth curve modelling revealed no variation in weekly MVPA, which remained higher than the UK Physical Activity Guidelines. Female gender; Asian, Black and Mixed ethnicity; lower income,; living with a partner; and no access to a private garden or other outdoor space were associated with lower MVPA in April 2020. Gender, however, was a significant moderator of the trajectory. Males’ MVPA increased between April 2020 to August 2020, followed by a sharp decline; whereas females showed a steady rate of decline from April 2020 to January 2021. Despite the recurrent lockdowns, this study shows that young UK adults, on average, continued to engage in MVPA, above the recommendated amount. Nevertheless, significant variation associated with gender, ethnicity and income highlights the importance of providing accessible spaces for young adults to exercise, especially those with limited access to private gardens.
Optimising series solution methods for flow over topography---Part 1

Series solution methods have recently been used to solve fully nonlinear flow over topography problems. These methods are iterative schemes that update an initial estimate of the fluid surface (a free boundary) using a cost function. Series solutions are obtained efficiently and accurately with exact error bounds immediately available. Critical to the speed of the procedure is the implementation of efficient computer code and numerical techniques. In this paper we discuss methods that improve the computational time of the original implementation by several orders of magnitude, without any loss of accuracy. The efficiency of the improved method is demonstrated by generating two dimensional solutions to subcritical flow over an isolated cosine shaped obstacle.
Modelling and robust controller design for an underactuated self-balancing robot with uncertain parameter estimation

A comprehensive literature review of self-balancing robot (SBR) provides an insight to the strengths and limitations of the available control techniques for different applications. Most of the researchers have not included the payload and its variations in their investigations. To address this problem comprehensively, it was realized that a rigorous mathematical model of the SBR will help to design an effective control for the targeted system. A robust control for a two-wheeled SBR with unknown payload parameters is considered in these investigations. Although, its mechanical design has the advantage of additional maneuverability, however, the robot’s stability is affected by changes in the rider’s mass and height, which affect the robot’s center of gravity (COG). Conventionally, variations in these parameters impact the performance of the controller that are designed with the assumption to operate under nominal values of the rider’s mass and height. The proposed solution includes an extended Kalman filter (EKF) based sliding mode controller (SMC) with an extensive mathematical model describing the dynamics of the robot itself and the payload. The rider’s mass and height are estimated using EKF and this information is used to improve the control of SBR. Significance of the proposed method is demonstrated by comparing simulation results with the conventional SMC under different scenarios as well as with other techniques in literature. The proposed method shows zero steady state error and no overshoot. Performance of the conventional SMC is improved with controller parameter estimation. Moreover, the stability issue in the reaching phase of the controller is also solved with the availability of parameter estimates. The proposed method is suitable for a wide range of indoor applications with no disturbance. This investigation provides a comprehensive comparison of available techniques to contextualize the proposed method within the scope of self-balancing robots for indoor applications.
Common mental disorders and associated factors among people with leprosy: cross-sectional analysis in Cuiabá, Brazil, 2018*

Objective. To analyze the occurrence of common mental disorders (CMDs) and associated factors in people with leprosy with complications in the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil, in 2018. Methods. This was a cross-sectional study with people attending Júlio Müller University Hospital. The Self-Report-Questionnaire (SRQ-20) was used. Poisson regression analysis was performed to estimate prevalence ratios (PR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI). Results. Among 206 people with leprosy, CMDs were found in 70.4% (95%CI 61.10;76.67) and were associated with the female sex (PR=1.29 – 95%CI 1.09;1.53), the 26-45 age range (PR=1.52 – 95%CI 1.09;2.11) and the 46-60 age range (PR=1.40 – 95%CI 1.01;1.95), low family income (PR=1.25 – 95%CI 1.05;1.49), and unsatisfactory quality of life in the physical domain (PR=3.03 – 95%CI 1.12;8.19) and the psychological domain (PR=1.91; 95%CI 1.40;2.61). Conclusion. CMDs were frequent and associated with female sex, productive age group, low income and unsatisfactory quality of life. Actions aimed at mental health in this population group are necessary.