Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An Investigation of Corrosion Resistance and Antibacterial Sensitivity Properties of Nano-Ag-Doped TiO 2 Coating and TiO 2 Coating Grown on NiTi Alloy with the Micro-Arc Oxidation Process

In this study, TiO 2 coatings were grown with nano-Ag doped and micro-arc oxidation technique on NiTi shape memory alloy. The antibacterial sensitivity and corrosion resistance characteristics of both coatings were investi-gated. The microstructure and composition analyses of the coatings were performed with scanning electron microscope, energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry, and X-Ray diffraction (XRD). The XRD results showed that there were only TiO 2 crystal phases (anatase and rutile) on the coating. The results showed that a clean and dense oxide layer was grown on the surface successfully. The surface of nano-Ag-doped TiO 2 -coated samples appear to be smoother than the surface of the coatings without Ag. The corrosion tests of the coated and uncoated samples were carried out in three different environments (simulated body ﬂuid, synthetic saliva, and cola) at 37 ◦ which is human body temperature. The corro-siontestsshowedthatthecorrosionresistanceofTiO 2 -coated and nano-Ag-doped TiO 2 -coated samples was much higher than the corrosion resistance of the NiTi substrate. Seven different bacteria including ( S. aureus, L. monocytogenes , Bacillus subtilis , Salmonella enteritidis , Yersinia enterocolitica , and E. coli, P.aeruginosa) which have the human pathogen feature were used in the antibacterial susceptibility
Cockroach Swarm Optimization Algorithm for TSP

We propose a novel cockroach swarm optimization(CSO) algorithm for Traveling Salesman Problem(TSP) in this paper . In CSO, a series of biological behavior of cockroach are simulated such as grouping living and searching food ,moving-nest, individual equal and so on. For cockroaches crawl and search the optimal solution in the solution space, we assume that the solution which has been searched as the food can split up some new food around solution’s position. The experimental results demonstrate that the CSO has better performance than particle swarm optimization in TSP.
Oxpecker: A Tethered UAV for Inspection of Stone-Mine Pillars

This paper presents a state-of-the-art tethered unmanned aerial vehicle (TUAV) for structural integrity assessment of underground stone mine pillars. The TUAV, powered by its tether, works in tandem with an unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) that hosts the TUAV batteries, a self-leveled landing platform, and the tether management system. The UGV and the TUAV were named Rhino and Oxpecker, respectively, given that the TUAV stays landed on the UGV while the ensemble moves inside a mine. The mission of Oxpecker is to create, using a LiDAR sensor, 3D maps of the mine pillars to support time-lapse hazard mapping and time-dependent pillar degradation analysis. Given the height of the pillars ( 7 – 12m), this task cannot be executed by Rhino alone. This paper describes the drone’s hardware and software. The hardware includes the tether management system, designed to control the tension of the tether, and the tether perception system, which provides information that can be used for localization and landing in global navigation satellite systems (GNSS)-denied environments. The vehicle’s software is based on a state machine that controls the several phases of a mission (i.e., takeoff, inspection, and landing) by coordinating drone motion with the tethering system. The paper also describes and evaluates our approach for tether-based landing and autonomous 3D mapping of pillars. We show experiments that illustrate and validate our system in laboratories and underground mines.
Interior methods for constrained optimization

Interior methods for optimization were widely used in the 1960s, primarily in the form of barrier methods. However, they were not seriously applied to linear programming because of the dominance of the simplex method. Barrier methods fell from favour during the 1970s for a variety of reasons, including their apparent inefficiency compared with the best available alternatives. In 1984, Karmarkar's announcement of a fast polynomial-time interior method for linear programming caused tremendous excitement in the field of optimization. A formal connection can be shown between his method and classical barrier methods, which have consequently undergone a renaissance in interest and popularity. Most papers published since 1984 have concentrated on issues of computational complexity in interior methods for linear programming. During the same period, implementations of interior methods have displayed great efficiency in solving many large linear programs of ever-increasing size. Interior methods have also been applied with notable success to nonlinear and combinatorial problems. This paper presents a self-contained survey of major themes in both classical material and recent developments related to the theory and practice of interior methods.
Discrete-time robust controller for load frequency control of power systems

In this paper, a discrete-time version of a robust controller, based on the standard Riccati equation approach, is proposed for power system load-frequency control with system parametric uncertainties. The variation bounds of the system parameters are obtained by changing parameters by 30% to 50% simultaneously from their typical values. The controller design procedure is given. The proposed discrete-time robust controller can ensure that the overall mixed system is asymptotically stable for all admissible uncertainties and can achieve satisfactory performance even in the presence of the generation-rate constraint. <<ETX>>
The Extended Digital Maturity Model

The Digital Transformation (DX) potentially affects productivity and efficiency while offering high risks to organizations. Necessary frameworks and tools to help organizations navigate such radical changes are needed. An extended framework of DMM is presented through a comparative analysis of various digital maturity models and qualitative approaches through expert feedback. The maturity level determination uses the Emprise test of the international standard ISO/IEC Assessment known as SPICE. This research reveals seven interrelated dimensions for supporting the success of DX as a form of development of an existing Maturity Model. The DX–Self Assessment Maturity Model (DX-SAMM) is built to guide organizations by providing a broad roadmap for improving digital maturity. This article presents a digital maturity model from a holistic point of view and meets the criteria for assessment maturity. The case study results show that DX-SAMM can identify DX maturity levels while providing roadmap recommendations for increasing maturity levels in every aspect of its dimensions. It offers practical implications for improving maturity levels and the ease of real-time monitoring and evaluating digital maturity. With the development of maturity measurement, DX-SAMM contributes to the sustainability of the organization by proposing DX strategies in the future based on the current maturity achievements.
Quantum spin Hall systems and topological insulators

Topological insulators (quantum spin Hall systems) are insulating in the bulk but have gapless edge/surface states, which remain gapless even when nonmagnetic disorder or interaction is present. This robustness stems from the topological nature characterized by the Z2 topological number, and this offers us various kinds of new novel properties. We review prominent advances in theories and in experiments on topological insulators since their theoretical proposal in 2005.
Repeated Massage Improves Swimmers’ Perceptions during Training Sessions but Not Sprint and Functional Performance: A Randomized Controlled Trial

This study aimed to investigate the effects of repeated massage adjusted for swimmers’ training on the perceptive, functional, and performance outcomes of a sprint. We also investigated the effects of a single short massage on swimmers’ self-reported perceptions after resistance training. This cross-over randomized controlled trial with concealed allocation, assessor blinding, and intention-to-treat analysis included 19 male and female competitive swimmers between 12 and 20 years old. Participants were subjected to three 12-min interventions over a week between resistance and swim training and monitored regarding training load and perceptions. After the intervention week we assessed: perceptive (well-being, heaviness, tiredness, discomfort, and pain), performance (sprint time, FINA points, and stroke characteristics), and functional outcomes (flexibility, squat jump, bench press, proprioception), in addition to athlete beliefs and preferences. A massage was defined as consisting of sliding movements on the arms, back, and anterior thigh, with metronomic rhythm control (1:1), and was divided into two protocols: superficial massage (SM) (light touch) and deep massage (DM) (light, moderate, intense effleurage) while the control (CON) rested. After repeated massage (SM and SM), participants had less chances to report tiredness, and they also maintained perceptions of well-being while CON got worse throughout the week. However, we found evidence of worsening of the perceptions of heaviness and pain at the main stages of the swim training for the massage groups. SM and DM had no effects over sprint and functional performance. Our results suggest that the swimmers were able to train harder with no harm to recovery.
Deformation Mechanisms and Processing Maps for High Entropy Alloys (Presentation of Processing Maps in Terms of Zener–Hollomon Parameter): Review

In this review paper, the hot compressive deformation mechanisms and processing maps of high-entropy alloys (HEAs) with different chemical compositions and crystal structures are analyzed. The stress exponent (n1) values measured from the series of compression tests for the HEAs performed at different temperatures and strain rates are distributed between 3 and 35, and they are most populated between 3 and 7. Power law breakdown (PLB) is found to typically occur at T/Tm ≤ 0.6 (where T is the testing temperature and Tm is the melting temperature). In AlxCrMnFeCoNi (x = 0–1) and AlxCrFeCoNi (x = 0–1) HEAs, n1 tends to decrease as the concentration of Al increases, suggesting that Al acts as a solute atom that exerts a drag force on dislocation slip motion at high temperatures. The values of activation energy for plastic flow (Qc) for the HEAs are most populated in the range between 300 and 400 kJ/mol. These values are close to the activation energy of the tracer diffusivity of elements in the HEAs ranging between 240 and 408 kJ/mol. The power dissipation efficiency η of the HEAs is shown to follow a single equation, which is uniquely related to n1. Flow instability for the HEAs is shown to occur near n1 = 7, implying that the onset of flow instability occurs at the transition from power law creep to PLB. Processing maps for the HEAs are demonstrated to be represented by plotting η as a function of the Zener–Hollomon parameter (Z = expQcRT, where R is the gas constant). Flow stability prevails at Z ≤ 1012 s−1, while flow instability does at Z ≥ 3 × 1014 s−1.
Microcalcification and 99mTc-Pyrophosphate Uptake without Increased Bone Metabolism in Cardiac Tissue from Patients with Transthyretin Cardiac Amyloidosis

Transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis (ATTR-CA) is characterized by high 99mTc-labeled bone tracer uptake in the heart. However, the mechanism of bone tracer uptake into the heart remains controversial. Since bone tracer uptake into metastatic bone tumors is thought to be associated with increased bone metabolism, we examined 99mTc-pyrophosphate (PYP) scintigraphy findings, endomyocardial biopsy (EMB) tissue findings, and the expression of bone metabolism-related genes in the EMB tissues in patients with ATTR-CA, amyloid light-chain cardiac amyloidosis (AL-CA), and noncardiac amyloidosis (non-CA) in this study. The uptake of 99mTc-PYP in the heart was significantly higher in the ATTR-CA patients than in the AL-CA and non-CA patients. A higher percentage of ATTR-CA EMB tissue showed von Kossa-positive microparticles: ATTR-CA, 62%; AL-CA, 33%; and non-CA, 0%. Calcified microparticles were identified using transmission electron microscopy. However, none of the osteogenic marker genes, osteoclastic marker genes, or phosphate/pyrophosphate-related genes were upregulated in the EMB samples from ATTR-CA patients compared to those from AL-CA and non-CA patients. These results suggest that active calcification-promoting mechanisms are not involved in the microcalcification observed in the heart in ATTR-CA. The mechanisms explaining bone tracer uptake in the heart, which is stronger than that in the ribs, require further investigation.
Transcriptomics for Clinical and Experimental Biology Research: Hang on a Seq

Sequencing the human genome empowers translational medicine, facilitating transcriptome‐wide molecular diagnosis, pathway biology, and drug repositioning. Initially, microarrays are used to study the bulk transcriptome; but now short‐read RNA sequencing (RNA‐seq) predominates. Positioned as a superior technology, that makes the discovery of novel transcripts routine, most RNA‐seq analyses are in fact modeled on the known transcriptome. Limitations of the RNA‐seq methodology have emerged, while the design of, and the analysis strategies applied to, arrays have matured. An equitable comparison between these technologies is provided, highlighting advantages that modern arrays hold over RNA‐seq. Array protocols more accurately quantify constitutively expressed protein coding genes across tissue replicates, and are more reliable for studying lower expressed genes. Arrays reveal long noncoding RNAs (lncRNA) are neither sparsely nor lower expressed than protein coding genes. Heterogeneous coverage of constitutively expressed genes observed with RNA‐seq, undermines the validity and reproducibility of pathway analyses. The factors driving these observations, many of which are relevant to long‐read or single‐cell sequencing are discussed. As proposed herein, a reappreciation of bulk transcriptomic methods is required, including wider use of the modern high‐density array data—to urgently revise existing anatomical RNA reference atlases and assist with more accurate study of lncRNAs.
Long wavelength metal-semiconductor-metal photodetectors with Ti/Au and indium-tin-oxide electrodes

Metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) photodiodes have been shown to be excellent detectors for optoelectronic integrated circuits (OEIC's) due to their potential for high speed, ease of fabrication, and compatibility with FET process technologies (1). A major disadvantage of MSM detectors is their low responsivity due to the blocking of incoming optical radiation by opaque metal electrodes. Since the signal-to-noise ratio of an optical receiver is strongly dependent on the responsivity of the photodetector, it is important to devise techniques to maximize responsivity. Backside illumination has been shown to increase responsivity since there are no interfering electrodes on the back of the substrate (2). Another avenue to improve this factor is through the use of transparent electrodes for MSMs. This has been successfully applied to GaAs MSMs operating at 850 nm (3). In this paper, we present a study of InAlAs/InGaAs MSMs utilizing transparent indium tin oxide (ITO) and Ti/Au electrodes. Transmission in the ITO is as high as 99% which has resulted in a responsivity of 0.76 A/W for ITO MSMs which is double the responsivity of 0.39 A/W obtained for Ti/Au MSMs. <<ETX>>
Pseudoscalar pole terms in the hadronic light by light scattering contribution to muon g - 2

The pseudoscalar pole contribution is the dominant source of the $\mathcal{O}({\ensuremath{\alpha}}^{3})$ hadronic light-by-light scattering effect in muon $g\ensuremath{-}2$. We have examined this contribution, taking account of the off-shell structure of the pseudoscalar-photon-photon anomaly vertex deduced from available experimental data. Our work leads to an improved estimate $\ensuremath{-}79.2 (15.4)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}11}$ for the total hadronic light-by-light scattering contribution to the muon $g\ensuremath{-}2$.
Balance Perturbations in Simulated Low-Gravity Modulate Human Premotor and Frontoparietal Electrocortical Theta, Alpha, and Beta Band Spectral Power

We aimed to identify the influence of bodyweight unloading on healthy human electrical brain and muscle dynamics during standing balance. Using an underwater environment to simulate reduced gravity, we recorded high-density electroencephalography and lower limb electromyography from 10 individuals (5 female). During five standing balance conditions, we adjusted the water depth (1: on-land, 2: chest-level, 3: waist-level) and applied external fluid forces to the front of the body in the posterior direction (4: low and 5: high external fluid forces). Reduced bodyweight decreased ankle plantar flexor muscle activity and increased alpha band (8-13 Hz) spectral power from right premotor cortex. Underwater balance perturbations increased muscle activations surrounding the ankle and knee joints and increased theta band (4-8 Hz) spectral power from right premotor cortex. Concurrently, alpha and beta band (13-30 Hz) spectral power decreased from left prefrontal and right premotor cortices, along with reduced alpha band spectral power from left parietal cortex.
A trait‐based approach to marine island biogeography

The Island Biogeography Theory (IBT) and its multiple extensions explain species diversity patterns in insular systems. However, how these theories can predict the functional diversity patterns in island systems remains challenging. Here, we evaluated the predictions of the IBT, the General Dynamic Theory of Oceanic Island Biogeography (GDM) and the Glacial‐sensitive model of Island Biogeography (GSM) considering the functional diversity of reef fishes on islands.
Robust Block Sparse Beamforming for Strictly Non-Circular Signals and Unknown Array Mutual Coupling

Widely linear beamformers (WLBs) can greatly outperform the traditional adaptive beamformers. However, the performance of WLBs is extremely susceptible to the unknown mutual coupling (MC) effects caused by the imperfectly calibrated antennas array. In this brief, we propose a block sparse representation scheme and design a robust WLB for strictly non-circular (SNC) signals to mitigate the unknown MC mismatch. We use the structural characteristics of the steering vector under MC, and derive a new augmented formulation for the observed signals which takes into account the MC mismatches. We solve a block sparse optimization problem in order to estimate the directions of illuminating signals allowing us to reconstruct the augmented interference-plus-noise covariance matrix (AINCM). We then propose to estimate the augmented desired signal steering vector using the augmented subspace projection method. Our proposed robust WLB not only avoids estimating the MC coefficients, but also prevents the signal cancellation phenomenon from reconstructing the AINCM. Our simulation results demonstrate that the proposed WLB is effective for the SNC signals, outperforms the existing methods, and is robust against unknown MC and look direction mismatches.
Prospects of measuring R b in hadronic Z decays at the CEPC

With an integrated luminosity of 45 ab − 1 at √ s = 91 . 2 GeV, more than 10 12 Z bosons will be produced at the Circular Electron Positron Collider (CEPC). As a real Z boson factory, the precise study of Z boson physics can be achieved. In this paper, the relative partial width, R b , of Z boson into b quarks, is measured on the CEPC Monte Carlo level. Based on the latest CEPC detector concept, the Z hadronic decay channel is simulated and reconstructed by the CEPC software framework. By using the double-tagging method, R b can be solved from several equations referring to the ratios of b-tagged jet hemispheres in Z hadronic events. With the high performance of the b-tagging algorithm for CEPC, the b-tagging correlation between the two jet hemispheres can be reduced. By carrying out a closure test, the double-tagging method is veriﬁed to work well as we expected. We further estimated the dependence of systematic errors on the b-tagging efﬁciencies of the charm and light jet, as well as the b-tagging correlation between two jet hemispheres. The sources of systematic errors, such as physics modeling and hemisphere correlation, are investigated and studied preliminarily. Several kinds of error sources related to the hemisphere correlation are studied with the characterized variables.
A combined travelling wave dielectrophoresis and electrorotation device: applied to the concentration and viability determination of Cryptosporidium

We describe a microelectrode device, fabricated using photolithography and laser ablation, that combines the electrokinetic effects of travelling wave dielectrophoresis and electrorotation. Here it has been used to concentrate and then assay the viability of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts.
Motivations, Behaviors and Expectancies of Sexting: The Role of Defensive Strategies and Social Media Addiction in a Sample of Adolescents

Adolescents and young adults engage in sexting behaviors. Research has mainly emphasized the relationship between motivations and sexting behaviors, with little attention paid to sexting expectations and the potential role of coping strategies. This study aims to explore the measure of emotional–behavioral functioning with the Youth/Adult Self Report (based on the subject’s age), the use of defensive strategies measured with the Response Evaluation Measure (REM-71), social media addiction with the Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS) and all dimensions of sexting: motivations, behavior and expectations measured with the Sexting Motivation Questionnaire (SMQ), Sexting Behavior Questionnaire (SBQ) and Sexpectancies Questionnaire (SQ), respectively. N = 209 adolescents and young adults were recruited from high schools and universities in Rome to complete the self-report questionnaires. Results show that males tend to have higher expectations of sexting than females. We also found that expectations play a role in determining sexting behaviors and motivations. Our hypotheses on social media addiction and sexting were confirmed, while the relationship between the defensive strategies and sexting was not significant as expected. Further studies on this topic are desirable in the future.