Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Accuracy of sampling moiré method

Recently the authors developed sampling moiré method which analyzes the phase distribution of one image of a moiré fringe pattern. The captured image is analyzed by performing easy image processing, i.e., thinning-out and linear interpolation, to obtain the multiple phase-shifted moiré patterns. Then, the phase distribution of the moiré pattern can be calculated using phase-shifting technique. The accuracy of the phase analysis is high because the phase is analyzed with a phase-shifting method. The accuracy is checked using simulation and experiment by changing several factors. An application of the sampling moiré method applied to deflection measurement of a metal cantilever beam is performed. The average error of the deflection measurement is less than 1/500 of the grating pitch.
Analysis of the precision problem in numerical calculation of the reliability indices of technical systems by the topological method at application of the floating-point arithmetic

This paper deals with the problem of precision error arising in numerical calculation of the reliability indices of technical systems by the topological method at application of the floating-point arithmetic. The topological method for calculation of the reliability indices in accordance with the reliability models based on the Markov chains is discussed. An example of correct calculation of the reliability indices on the basis of analytical derivation of calculating formulas and substitution of the initial reliability parameters into them is given. The floating-point types and arithmetic supported in hardware by the modern computers and examples of the precision loss in floating-point arithmetic operations are also observed. Finally, an example of incorrect calculation of the reliability indices, based on the numerical solving of the system of linear algebraic equations, using the floating-point arithmetic is also given.
Solving A Class Of Nonlinear Optimal Control Problems By Differential Transformation Method

Based on the Differential Transformation Method (DTM), a solution procedure for solving a class of nonlinear quadratic optimal control problems is presented in this paper. The reason for selecting this solution procedure is the less computational cost in comparison with the ordinary solution methods of original problem. First, the problem is converted to a two-point boundary value problem then the new problem is transferred into a set of algebraic equations by applying the differential transformation properties. By presenting the algorithmic solution procedure, two numerical examples are given to demonstrate the simplicity and efficiency of the new method.
A fiber-fed laser interferometer for optical metrology at cryogenic temperatures

Nature is such that observations at far-infrared wavelengths are optimal for exploring both the nearby and distant Universe. The minute amount of energy carried by far-infrared photons, however, requires extremely sensitive instrumentation for their detection. Moreover, the instrumentation itself must be cooled to <4 K to avoid an unwanted photon noise component from self-emission, and often requires precision metrology at these temperatures. A variety of cryogenic metrology techniques have been used successfully on previous space astronomy missions, each having its own limitations. In this paper we present a fiber-based laser metrology system, designed for optical position metrology at cryogenic temperatures.
Collaborative Trust-Based Shortest Secure Path Discovery in Mobile Ad Hoc Networks

As routes in MANET are composed of only mobile terminals based on a multi-hop mechanism, MANET may encounter severe situations where intermediate nodes disturb delivering packets adversely. Accordingly, the stability of routing protocols is very important for operating the ad hoc networks efficiently and securely. However finding a secure end-to-end path is not easy, since the nodes in MANET are characterized by uncertain trust relationship each other. In this paper, a comprehensive mechanism for discovering the most secure and shortest paths, is proposed. This proposed mechanism is based on the Dijkstra algorithm, and regards distance weight and trust weight highly. The metric value which can determine the routing path is to be extracted from the distance value and the trust level. According to the simulation results, even though the communication cost increases up to about 8%, the security level of the shortest path is improved significantly.
Grid k-d tree approach for point location in polyhedral data sets – application to explicit MPC

ABSTRACT Explicit model predictive control (EMPC) moves the online computational burden of linear model predictive control (MPC) to offline computation by using multi-parametric programming which produces control laws defined over a set of polyhedral regions in the state space. The online computation of EMPC is to find the corresponding control law according to a given state, this is called the point location problem. This paper deals with efficient point location in larger polyhedral data sets. The authors propose a hybrid data structure, grid k-d tree (GKDT), which is constructed by the k-dimensional tree (k-d tree), hash table and binary search tree (BST). The main part of GKDT is a multiple branch tree which constructs subtrees by splitting the polyhedral region into several equal grids based on the k-d tree and is traversed by the hash function on each level. GKDT has a high search efficiency, even though it needs much more storage memory. A complexity analysis of the approach in the runtime and storage requirements is provided. Advantages of the method are supported by two examples in the paper.
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS’ SELF-CONCEPT, INTRINSIC MOTIVATION AND MATHEMATICS ACHIEVEMENT

The research examined the relationships between pre -service teachers’ selfconcept, intrinsic motivation and achievement in ma thematics in a university setting. The target population for the study was Ba chelor of-Education (B.Ed) (Mathematics) students in the Department of Science and Mathematics Education of the university. The sample for the correlational study was made up 89 pre-service teachers in their first year of the four year B.Ed (Mathematics) programme conveniently selected for the study. The instruments for the study were a questionnaire and achievement test on a course in algebra and trigonometry. The study ident ifi d a strong positive correlation between pre-service teachers’ self-conc ept and their intrinsic motivation, a moderate positive correlation between self-concept and mathematics achievement, and a moderate positive co rrelation between intrinsic motivation and mathematics achievement. T he study further established that intrinsic motivation is a predicto r of mathematics achievement. It was therefore recommended that lect ur rs who teach mathematics on the B.Ed (Mathematics) programme sho uld make every effort to design and implement teaching strategies which foster the development of pre-service teachers’ self-concept a nd intrinsic motivation in order to facilitate higher mathematics achievement among these pre-service
TEL@work – towards integration of theory and practice

This article examines technology-enhanced learning at work in the context of the integrative pedagogy model (Tynjälä, 2008; Heikkinen, Tynjälä, & Kiviniemi, 2011; Heikkinen, Jokinen, & Tynjälä, 2012; Tynjälä & Gijbels, 2012). The basic idea behind this model is to create learning environments whereby the four basic elements of professional expertise – i.e., theoretical, practical, self-regulative and sociocultural knowledge – can be integrated. The article illustrates two basic ways of applying the model in technology-enhanced learning at work. First, examples of how to make use of existing technologies, especially social media, to empower learning at work is presented, and second, an instance of the way the model is used in the design of specific technologies for enhancing collaborative learning in the work context is described. The article concludes that the integrative pedagogy model has the potential to serve both as a principle for designing technologies and for applying existing technologies for workplace learning.
Application of neural networks to modal split modelling

A transport system user's choice of one among alternative travel models is based on acquired experience and personal views concerning the availalable alternatives. Hence our assumption that it is possible to create a neural network which can be fed by real (collected) input data on user type, parameters relevant for decision making and information about user behaviour under specific conditions. This information is used to train the network (by employing some of the known algorithms) to simulate user behaviour. This paper briefly presents a special methodology we have used in performing research that permits filing the gap in the knowledge of user behaviour towards offered transport conditions. Based on this, a NEKOP (neural network and user behavior) model for user behaviour simulation has been developed. The results obtained by modal split simulation are compared with real data. The field of application and the constraints of the NEKOP model are described.
Effects of gas temperature in the plasma layer on RONS generation in array-type dielectric barrier discharge at atmospheric pressure

In this work, we studied the control of plasma-produced species under a fixed gas composition (i.e., ambient air) in a 10 kHz-driven array-type dielectric barrier atmospheric-pressure plasma discharge. Instead of the gas composition, only the gas velocity was controlled. Thus, the plasma-maintenance cost was considerably lower than methods such as external N2 or O2 injection. The plasma-produced species were monitored using Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy. The discharge properties were measured using a voltage probe, current probe, infrared camera, and optical emission spectroscopy. The results showed that the major plasma products largely depend on the gas temperature in the plasma discharge layer. The gas temperature in the plasma discharge layer was significantly different to the temperature of the ceramic adjacent to the plasma discharge layer, even in the small discharge power density of ∼15 W/cm2 or ∼100 W/cm3. Because the vibrational excitation of N2 was suppressed by the higher gas flow,.
The UK10K project identifies rare variants in health and disease

The contribution of rare and low-frequency variants to human traits is largely unexplored. Here we describe insights from sequencing whole genomes (low read depth, 7 3 ) or exomes (high read depth, 80 3 ) of nearly 10,000 individuals from population-based and disease collections. In extensively phenotyped cohorts we characterize over 24 million novel sequencevariants, generate a highly accurate imputation reference panel and identify novel alleles associated with levels of triglycerides ( APOB ), adiponectin ( ADIPOQ ) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol ( LDLR and RGAG1 ) from single-marker and rare variant aggregation tests. We describe population structure and functional annotation of rare and low-frequency variants, use the data to estimate the benefits of sequencing for association studies, and summarize lessons from disease-specific collections. Finally, we make available an extensive resource, including individual-level genetic and phenotypic data and web-based tools to facilitate the exploration of association results.
Psychometric properties of the Attitudes Scale facing Alcohol and Alcoholism in nursing students 1

ABSTRACT Objective: to verify the psychometric properties of the Attitudes Scale facing Alcohol and Alcoholism (EAFAA) and people with disorders related to the use of alcohol in nursing students. Method: a convenience sample (n=420) completed the EAFAA, the data were submitted to Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). Results: the EFA resulted in an instrument composed of 48 items divided into four factors. The CFA has established the validity of the factorial structure. The internal consistency of the scale was considered adequate (α=0.85) presenting a sensitivity of 70% and specificity of 75%. Conclusion: the EAFAA constitutes a reliable instrument to identify the attitudes of nursing students towards alcohol, alcoholism and persons with disorders related to alcohol use.
Gas Purity Analytics, Calibration Studies, and Background Predictions towards the First Results of XENON1T

The XENON1T experiment aims at the direct detection of the well motivated dark matter candidate of weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) scattering off xenon nuclei. The first science run of 34.2 live days has already achieved the most stringent upper limit on spin-independent WIMP-nucleon cross-sections above masses of 10GeV with a minimum of 7.7x10^(-47) cm² at a mass of 35GeV. Crucial for this unprecedented sensitivity are a high xenon gas purity and a good understanding of the background. In this work, a procedure is described that was developed to measure the purity of the experiment’s xenon inventory of more than three tons during its initial transfer to the detector gas system. The technique of gas chromatography has been employed to analyze the noble gas for impurities with the focus on oxygen and krypton contaminations. Furthermore, studies on the calibration of the experiment’s dominating background induced by natural gamma and beta radiation were performed. Hereby, the novel sources of radioactive isotopes that can be dissolved in the xenon were employed, namely 220Rn and tritium. The sources were analyzed in terms of a potential impact on the outcome of a dark matter search. As a result of the promising findings for 220Rn, the source was successfully deployed in the first science run of XENON1T. The first WIMP search of XENON1T is outlined in this thesis, in which a background component from interactions taking place in close proximity to the detector wall is identified, investigated and modeled. A background prediction was derived that was incorporated into the background model of the WIMP search which was found to be in good agreement with the observation.
An invertebrate smooth muscle with striated muscle myosin filaments

Significance All animals have the ability to move. In most animals, striated muscles move the body and smooth muscles the internal organs. In both muscles, contraction results from interaction between myosin and actin filaments. Based on vertebrate studies, smooth and striated muscles are thought to have different protein components and filament structures. We have studied muscle ultrastructure in the parasite Schistosoma mansoni, where we find that this view is not supported. This invertebrate possesses only smooth muscles, yet its myosin sequence and filament structure are identical to those of striated muscle, while its actin filaments are smooth muscle-like. Such “hybrid” muscles may be common in other invertebrates. This finding challenges the paradigm that smooth and striated muscles always have different components. Muscle tissues are classically divided into two major types, depending on the presence or absence of striations. In striated muscles, the actin filaments are anchored at Z-lines and the myosin and actin filaments are in register, whereas in smooth muscles, the actin filaments are attached to dense bodies and the myosin and actin filaments are out of register. The structure of the filaments in smooth muscles is also different from that in striated muscles. Here we have studied the structure of myosin filaments from the smooth muscles of the human parasite Schistosoma mansoni. We find, surprisingly, that they are indistinguishable from those in an arthropod striated muscle. This structural similarity is supported by sequence comparison between the schistosome myosin II heavy chain and known striated muscle myosins. In contrast, the actin filaments of schistosomes are similar to those of smooth muscles, lacking troponin-dependent regulation. We conclude that schistosome muscles are hybrids, containing striated muscle-like myosin filaments and smooth muscle-like actin filaments in a smooth muscle architecture. This surprising finding has broad significance for understanding how muscles are built and how they evolved, and challenges the paradigm that smooth and striated muscles always have distinctly different components.
Phosphorylation and calcium antagonistically tune myosin-binding protein C’s structure and function

Significance Mutations in cardiac myosin-binding protein C (cMyBP-C) are the leading cause of inherited hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, demonstrating the key role that cMyBP-C plays in the heart’s contractile machinery. Since its discovery >40 years ago, cardiovascular biologists have wondered how cMyBP C’s structure regulates its function. Using atomic force spectroscopy, electron microscopy, in vitro model systems of contractility, and mutant protein expression, we show how phosphorylation affects cMyBP-C’s structure to tune its functions within the contractile apparatus. We also identify a novel molecular mechanism by which calcium ions that trigger each muscle contraction override phosphorylation’s structural and functional impact. This intersection of posttranslational modification and calcium signaling may occur in other biological systems that rely on these pathways to control cellular processes. During each heartbeat, cardiac contractility results from calcium-activated sliding of actin thin filaments toward the centers of myosin thick filaments to shorten cellular length. Cardiac myosin-binding protein C (cMyBP-C) is a component of the thick filament that appears to tune these mechanochemical interactions by its N-terminal domains transiently interacting with actin and/or the myosin S2 domain, sensitizing thin filaments to calcium and governing maximal sliding velocity. Both functional mechanisms are potentially further tunable by phosphorylation of an intrinsically disordered, extensible region of cMyBP-C’s N terminus, the M-domain. Using atomic force spectroscopy, electron microscopy, and mutant protein expression, we demonstrate that phosphorylation reduced the M-domain’s extensibility and shifted the conformation of the N-terminal domain from an extended structure to a compact configuration. In combination with motility assay data, these structural effects of M-domain phosphorylation suggest a mechanism for diminishing the functional potency of individual cMyBP-C molecules. Interestingly, we found that calcium levels necessary to maximally activate the thin filament mitigated the structural effects of phosphorylation by increasing M-domain extensibility and shifting the phosphorylated N-terminal fragments back to the extended state, as if unphosphorylated. Functionally, the addition of calcium to the motility assays ablated the impact of phosphorylation on maximal sliding velocities, fully restoring cMyBP-C’s inhibitory capacity. We conclude that M-domain phosphorylation may have its greatest effect on tuning cMyBP-C’s calcium-sensitization of thin filaments at the low calcium levels between contractions. Importantly, calcium levels at the peak of contraction would allow cMyBP-C to remain a potent contractile modulator, regardless of cMyBP-C’s phosphorylation state.
Factors influencing teachers' professional competence development

This article aims to increase understanding and knowledge concerning teachers’ competence enhancement. Models used in industrial contexts are analysed in order to elaborate a framework relevant to understand teachers’ learning. This specifies components of the work environment that are mobilised by teachers in order to achieve their goals. It is used to identify ways in which teachers in France manage to improve their practice despite being involved in complex and difficult situations. The data come from 60 interviews. The results highlight the effects of the organisation of the collective work situations: spurring exchanges amongst teachers and school partners appears to be a main factor for improving teachers’ conceptions about teaching. Some ideas are outlined for constructing new continuing professional development programmes and studying their effects.
Learning of Linear Dynamical Systems as a Noncommutative Polynomial Optimization Problem

There has been much recent progress in time series forecasting and estimation of system matrices of linear dynamical systems. We present an approach to both problems based on an asymptotically convergent hierarchy of convexifications of a certain nonconvex operator-valued problem, which is known as noncommutative polynomial optimization problem. We present promising computational results, including a comparison with methods implemented in MATLAB System Identification Toolbox.
The energetics of rapid cellular mechanotransduction

Cells throughout the human body detect mechanical forces. While it is known that the rapid (millisecond) detection of mechanical forces is mediated by force-gated ion channels, a detailed quantitative understanding of cells as sensors of mechanical energy is still lacking. Here, we combine atomic force microscopy with patch-clamp electrophysiology to determine the physical limits of cells expressing the force-gated ion channels Piezo1, Piezo2, TREK1, and TRAAK. We find that, depending on the ion channel expressed, cells can function either as proportional or nonlinear transducers of mechanical energy, detect mechanical energies as little as ∼100 fJ, and with a resolution of up to ∼1 fJ. These specific energetic values depend on cell size, channel density, and cytoskeletal architecture. We also make the surprising discovery that cells can transduce forces either nearly instantaneously (< 1ms), or with substantial time delay (∼10 ms). Using a chimeric experimental approach and simulations we show how such delays can emerge from channel-intrinsic properties and the slow diffusion of tension in the membrane. Overall, our experiments reveal the capabilities and limits of cellular mechanosensing and provide insights into molecular mechanisms that different cell types may employ to specialize for their distinct physiological roles.
A Wireless Self-Service System for Library Using Commodity RFID Devices

Self-service libraries need self-service book collection and monitoring of book quality to improve user experience This article proposes a privacy-preserving alternative RFbook, a book classification and moisture sensing system formed from an array of passive commercial RFID tags. We have three key observations in designing RFbook for such benefits. The first observation is that when tags are in the vicinity, their interrogation currents can alter each other’s circuit properties, based on which unique phase and amplitude signatures can be obtained from the backscattered signal. The second observation is that books with different thicknesses and sizes of material will have different signal features. Finally, we found that changes in book humidity are reflected in the reader’s received signal strength (RSS). To turn the high-level idea into a practical system, we built a prototype of RFbook and conducted comprehensive experiments to evaluate the system’s performance. The experimental results show that RFbook can distinguish different types of books with an average accuracy rate higher than 96% and monitor the humidity change of the book.