Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Microstructured poly(ether-ether-ketone)-hydroxyapatite composites for bone replacements

Utilizing a novel processing method of PEEK foam that produces hierarchical mesoporosity, we explore the use of hydroxyapatite (HA)/PEEK composites for mimicking the structure of human bone. The effect of HA content and processing parameters on the porosity, and interconnective network are studied with respect to the corresponding morphology, mechanical properties, and ultimately the cell viability. Having achieved hierarchical structuration with pore sizes ranging from approx. a hundred nanometers all the way to a few hundred microns, the HA/PEEK composites produced desirable mechanical properties and promising cell proliferation. A strong correlation was not seen with HA loading and the resulting properties, but a combination of the HA loading and variance in porosity is shown to be significant. The development and analysis of this bone mimic structure opens up the potential for this processing method and material as a treatment to bone injuries and bone diseases.
Leader–follower consensus control for a nonlinear multi-agent robot system with input saturation and external disturbance

This paper addresses the leader–follower consensus control problem for a nonlinear multi-agent robot system with control input constraint and external disturbances. Robot system is one of the most important practical systems in the industry. Due to the presence of disturbances in most practical systems, this paper considers the issue of finite-time leader–follower consensus control of the nonlinear multi-agent robot system along with actuator saturation and bounded disturbance. The modified terminal sliding mode control method is suggested for the system which is able to guarantee the stability of the overall system and fast finite-time leader–follower consensus control. For two different scenarios, the simulation of multi-agent robot system has been performed. The results show the effectiveness of the proposed control method. ARTICLE HISTORY Received 4 May 2020 Accepted 28 February 2021
Can cost sharing contracts coordinate green supply chains based on manufacturers’ overconfidence

Cost sharing contracts is one of the most common contracts to coordinate green supply chains. In this paper, we examine whether it can coordinate green supply chains in the set up of overconfidence. We assume that the manufacturer is overconfident and the retailer is rational. The manufacturer overestimates consumers’ sensitivity to product greenness and accurately estimates the uncertainty of demand. The overconfident manufacturer and the rational retailer cooperate through cost sharing contracts. Then, we construct a game theoretical model to analyze the impact of manufacturers’ overconfident on product greenness, pricing, profit and supply chain cooperation. At last, a numerical experimentation is presented. We find that, (1) the product greenness, wholesale price and retail price increase with the manufacturer’s overconfidence as well as the retailer’s cost sharing proportion. (2) no matter how much the cost sharing proportion is, the profit of manufacturers and retailers decreases with the manufacturer’s overconfidence level. (3) cost sharing contracts can achieve the green supply chain coordination in rational setting. But under manufacturers’ overconfidence, it cannot.
Numerical Analysis and Optimization Application Trend of Deepfake Video Inspection Technology

Science and technology can be a double-edged sword. Novel digital technologies not only allow people to enjoy more digital achievements, but also make it increasingly difficult to distinguish the authenticity of digital information. This review begins with a brief introduction of the deepfake technology, followed by an explanation of the possible hazards of deepfake, and finally, an overview of the detection technology and research status of deepfake.
Insights on Controlling Factors of Hydraulically Induced Seismicity in the Duvernay East Shale Basin

Historically, the Duvernay East Shale Basin had been regarded as a seismicity‐quiescent region. However, an ML 4.18‐magnitude earthquake on 04/03/2019 was triggered due to hydraulic fracturing of two horizontal wells. The physical mechanism and controlling factors of this large‐magnitude earthquake are not well understood. In this work, the coupled modeling of the ML 4.18 case is conducted to quantify the poroelastic effects during fluid injection and to reveal the triggering mechanism of this earthquake cluster. Additional simulations of tested cases with different hydraulic, geomechanical, and operational parameters are also conducted to quantify the effects of these factors on hydraulically induced seismicity. It is found that the hydraulic fractures of two wells propagated within the Duvernay formation and connected with the inferred fault. The increase in pore pressure reduced the shear stress of the fault and caused the fault slip. The hydraulically induced seismicity is susceptible to the low permeable injection layer and high‐permeable fault, less rigid fault with low‐Biot's coefficient, large fluid injection, and proximity of hydraulic fracturing‐fault distance. Enlarging the distance between the stimulated well and seismogenic fault is the first‐order choice to mitigate seismic risks. Under the proximity of well‐fault distance, reducing the fracturing size job would be an effective approach to reduce the expected magnitude of hydraulically induced seismicity.
Characterization of the objective function landscape using a modified Dijkstra algorithm

A decisive disadvantage of high dimensional optimization problems is the large number of parameters which make the identification process difficult. Many of this are reflected in the mathematical properties of the objective function used for parameter identification. Ideally, the objective function has a simple, paraboloid‐like form with a single minimum whose location corresponds to the desired parameter set. Instead, unfavorable “landscape forms” occur, for example “bumpy” areas with several local minima. In literature, the dominant methods are attempt to simplify high‐dimensional functions, or to research new, mostly stochastic optimization methods. This article examines a way to obtain information about the landscape of the objective function underlying an optimization problem. A path search algorithm based on the Dijkstra algorithm is presented. The purpose of the algorithm is to find the approximately deepest path between two local minima, which allows to obtain information about the characteristics of the objective function. It is tested on the Himmelblau and Rastrigin function and allows to examine the landscape between two local minima with respect to their topographic characteristics.
Service capacity procurement in Logistics service supply chain with demand updating and reciprocal behavior

This paper builds a logistics service supply chain consisting of a logistics service integrator (LSI) and a functional logistics service provider (FLSP), where they collaborate with a reciprocity contract. We aim to analyse the impact of reciprocity on the supply chain members' two-stage service capability procurement decisions under demand updating through a multi-method, combining game theory and a case study. We find that a reciprocity contract could provide a win-win situation and coordinate the supply chain when reciprocity factors are in an appropriate range. Moreover, the reciprocal behaviour of LSI can promote the reduction of wholesale prices, and the reciprocal behaviour of FLSP will increase the purchasing quantity as well as bring forward the purchasing time point of LSI. Lastly, the reciprocal behaviour of both parties is mutually reinforcing; that is, when one party increases its own reciprocity factor, the other party also increases its reciprocity factor as a return. [Received: 30 September 2018; Accepted: 11 February 2020]
A methodological framework for analysis of participatory mapping data in research, planning, and management

ABSTRACT Today, various methods are applied to analyze the data collected through participatory mapping, including public participation GIS (PPGIS), participatory GIS (PGIS), and collecting volunteered geographic information (VGI). However, these methods lack an organized framework to describe and guide their systematic applications. Majority of the published articles on participatory mapping apply a specific subset of analyses that fails to situate the methods within a broader, more holistic context of research and practice. Based on the expert workshops and a literature review, we synthesized the existing analysis methods applied to the data collected through participatory mapping approaches. In this article, we present a framework of methods categorized into three phases: Explore, Explain, and Predict/Model. Identified analysis methods have been highlighted with empirical examples. The article particularly focuses on the increasing applications of online PPGIS and web-based mapping surveys for data collection. We aim to guide both novice and experienced practitioners in the field of participatory mapping. In addition to providing a holistic framework for understanding data analysis possibilities, we also discuss potential directions for future developments in analysis of participatory mapping data.
Selective Sharing of Outsourced Encrypted Data in Cloud Environments

Owing to the vast volume of information gathered by computers, data protection and security has become a problem for organizations with the enormous rise in data transmission. Due to many advantages that cloud service providers provide, mainly economic benefits, several data owners outsource their data to cloud repositories. However, data owners do not have full ownership of the data after their data are outsourced. Thus, external data management systems are implemented to manage the data. Several kinds of research refer to the use of encryption techniques to prevent unauthorized access to data. Selective encryption aims at supporting selective and private access to outsourced data. However, the combination of this approach and indexing techniques cause confidentiality violations. In this article, a blockchain-based approach to data access is presented by implementing smart contracts over data access. These executable scripts bind users by stating access policies on the data. Furthermore, we provide a system, where users can offload their computational capabilities due to limitations in their computations. Our systems’ computational capabilities outperform that of when users do the computation on their own. The results show a practical approach to data access management using blockchain technology.
Module Power Balance Control Strategy for Three-Phase Cascaded H-Bridge PV Inverter Under Unbalanced Grid Voltage Condition

In the field of high-voltage and high-power photovoltaic (PV) power generation, three-phase cascaded H-bridge (CHB) inverter has been attracting more and more attention because of its easy modularization and high output voltage. Compared with other structures, the three-phase CHB inverter based on common dc-bus structure has more advantages, which is capable of avoiding interphase and intermodule power imbalance problems. When the grid voltage is balanced, the total active power transmitted by each phase of the three-phase CHB inverter is the same, and because the number of modules in each phase is designed to be equal, the active power transmitted by all modules is the same. However, if the grid voltage is unbalanced or some modules fail, the module power in different phases may be unequal, which makes heat dissipation requirements and service life of each module significantly different. In this article, a module power balance control strategy is proposed, it ensures that all modules still transmit equal powers when the grid voltage is unbalanced, or some modules fail. Simulation and experimental results all verify the effectiveness of the proposed strategy.
Developing market-oriented politics in Nigeria: a review of the 2019 presidential election

ABSTRACT The dynamic features of the 2015 presidential elections in Nigeria in which the opposition party candidate unseated the incumbent for the first time with little or no rigorous, expensive post-election litigations reveal the potential emergence and influence of political marketing in Nigerian politics. This paper argued that the market-oriented approach, the purposeful, coordinated, and strategic use of marketing communication media and tools contributed to the success of All Progressive Congress (APC) at the 2015 presidential polls. The evolution of voter-centric election campaigns indicates that marketing and communication professionals and strategies, rather than violence and electoral fraud, have dominated and will continue to dictate the outcomes of political elections in Nigeria. This study, therefore, reviewed the 2019 presidential election (the next election after the 2015 general election in Nigeria) to establish if the anticipated voter-centric election is evident. With experts interviews, direct observations, and secondary materials, we found that the 2019 presidential election was extremely monetised, violent, and fraught with all manners of electoral misconducts that are antithetical to the principles and practice of political marketing. We aver that electioneering in Nigeria is not market-driven and voter-centric.
Infrastructure Strategies for Achieving the Global Development Agendas in Small Islands

Small island developing states face particular challenges to ensure their infrastructure promotes social, economic, and environmental well‐being. Closing the achievement gap for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) involves prioritization and coordination across multiple sectors. With an application to the country of Saint Lucia, this paper develops a stakeholder‐driven analysis framework integrating four interdependent infrastructure sectors (electricity, water, wastewater, and solid waste). Drawing on extensive consultation with decision‐makers in‐country—134 stakeholders from 18 government ministries, agencies, academia, or the private sector—the analysis identifies specific interventions that could be implemented over the next decades to meet future needs for sustainable infrastructure services. These interventions are congruent with the government's development plans. Long‐term, cross‐sectoral portfolios of investments and policies (“strategies”) are developed which demonstrably reach the targets of the SDGs and Saint Lucia's emissions reduction commitments under the Paris Agreement. The sequencing of these investments or policies is designed to optimize their efficiency and impact over time, identifying “quick wins” while ensuring that there is sufficient action to provide services in the long‐term sustainably. A comparison of costs associated with each strategy suggests that accounting for interdependencies and taking a long‐term perspective can save costs over the life of infrastructure investments. This process of infrastructure assessment is applicable beyond the small island context, allowing practitioners a means to undertake systematic assessment of a country's future infrastructure needs and to develop appropriate solutions aligned with its national objectives and international commitments.
AVALIAÇÃO DA CONCENTRAÇÃO E COMPOSIÇÃO INORGÂNICA DO MATERIAL PARTICULADO COLETADO NO ESTADO DO RIO DE JANEIRO

ASSESSMENT OF THE CONCENTRATION AND INORGANIC COMPOSITION OF PARTICULATE MATTER COLLECTED IN THE STATE OF RIO DE JANEIRO. Cities urbanization and modernization increase emission sources, contributing to particulate matter (PM) composition heterogeneity and enhance the risk to human health and environment. This paper intends to survey the studies on particulate matter carried out in the state of Rio de Janeiro. The sampling of PM is generally made using Hi-Vol samplers to collect particles in fiberglass filter during 24 h every 6 days. Spectrometric techniques are used for elemental determination and ion chromatography for water-soluble species. The Environmental State Institute (INEA) is responsible for air quality monitoring in RJ. After 30 years, air quality standards have become more stringent and have included new pollutants. The highest PM concentrations were found in urban and industrial sites and the lowest in places away from urban activities or near the coast. Over the years, PM concentrations near steel complexes reduced even below the limits and varied at other places, remaining above the limits. Nitrate and sulfate were the main ionic compounds, and Fe, Al and Zn were the major elements in PM samples. It was also found Ni, V, Cd, Pb and Cu. Although air quality monitoring is efficient, it still needs to be improved to help reduce the environmental impact.
Targeted Knock-in of Transgenes into the CHO Cell Genome Using CRISPR-mediated Integration Systems

Biopharmaceutical proteins are usually produced by culturing recombinant Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. High producer cell lines are screened from transfected cells with random integration of target genes. Since transgene expression is susceptible to the surrounding environment of the integrated genomic locus, producer cell lines should be selected from a large number of recombinant cells with heterogeneous transgene insertion. In contrast, targeted integration into a characterized genomic locus allows for predictable transgene expression and less clonal variability, and thus stable production of target proteins can be expected. Genome editing technology based on programmable nucleases has recently emerged as a versatile tool for precise editing of target locus in the cell genome. Here, we demonstrated targeted knock-in of transgenes into the hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase (hprt) locus of CHO cells using CRISPR/Cas9 and CRISPR-mediated precise integration into target chromosome (PITCh) systems. We also generated knock-in CHO cells based on the homology-independent targeted integration (HITI) system. We evaluated the knock-in efficiency of transgenes into the hprt locus using these systems.
EFFECT OF E-PROCUREMENT PRACTICES ON SUPPLY CHAIN PERFORMANCE

Purpose: the purpose of the study is to establish the influence of electronic procurement practices on supply chain performance. Methodology: The researcher employed a method of reviewing desktop literature. To assess the feasibility of the subject for testing, three processing stages were applied on the subject under review. This was the first step of the original identification of all papers based on the effect of electronic sourcing activities on the efficiency of the supply chain. A second quest covered fully available literature on the issue of e-procurement processes and efficiency of the supply chain. The third stage included the collection of journals that were freely available. The researcher arrived at 12 papers that were relevant for review after an in-depth quest into the top key terms (e-procurement processes, supply chain management, performance). Findings: Procurement performance is the backbone of an organization success since it contributes to competitive purchase and acquisition of quality goods that puts the organization products or services in the competitive edge in the market. In the analysis of the use of e-procurement on performance of the procurement functions of county governments in Kenya, the results revealed that e-procurement is positively related with performance of supply chain function of County Governments in Kenya. Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: The study therefore recommended that the Government come up with policies on adoption of e-procurement practices and provide critical resources and leadership in adoption of e-procurement. It is recommended that in order to achieve maximum benefits of reduced order processing time, reduced costs, reduced human errors and improved delivery, management should enhance electronic system and insist on all orders being processed electronically.
Topologically Protected Exceptional Point with Local Non-Hermitian Modulation in an Acoustic Crystal

The topological edge state (TES) may emerge at the interface between acoustic crystals with distinct topological properties. It supports robust wave phenomena against geometry imperfections. By imposing holistic onsite gains and losses in PT symmetric Su-Schrieffer-Heeger lattices, zero mode can be obtained from the convergence of two splitting TES modes induced by adjacent coupling. However, the nonlocal non-Hermiticity requires exorbitant configuration on each atom, resulting in complex systems. Here, we demonstrate the effect of local non-Hermitian modulation to the coupled TESs, utilizing passive acoustic crystals with sandwiched arrangements. Local non-Hermiticity is introduced at the position of one of the TESs to manipulate the splitting TESs. By suitably adjusting the non-Hermitian strength, the splitting TESs experience the coalescence process along with the asymmetric reflection and absorption near and beyond the exceptional point. Due to the topological essentials, the emergence of the exceptional point also can be proved to be robust to the geometrical disorders. Our results reveal that coupled TESs can be modulated by local non-Hermiticity to realize the extraordinary scattering phenomena, which may inspire more acoustic functional devices based on the topological or non-Hermitian characteristics.
Nonlinear control of active power filter based on LQR control

In order to improve the ability of real-time tracking and compensating harmonic of three-phase active power filter (APF), a nonlinear sliding mode control strategy of APF is proposed based on the state feedback linearization theory. In order to improve the dynamic performance and tracking ability of APF system, the affine nonlinear model of APF system is established, and the nonlinear control strategy of current inner loop is designed. The control parameters are adjusted by LQR method. In order to adjust and stabilize the DC voltage of the system, the slip mode control (SMC) is used to design the voltage outer loop. The simulation and experimental platform are built. The experimental results show that the method has good dynamic response, steady-state characteristics and robustness.
Expectations of Parents of Children with Disabilities in Bhutan Inclusive Schools

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to investigate parents’ expectations of including their children with disability in three pilot inclusive education schools located in urban, semi-urban, and rural regions in Bhutan. The participants in this study included 26 parents (13 fathers and 13 mothers) of children with disability in either full or partial inclusion programs. Parent interviews were transcribed and analysed using both manual thematic analysis and text mining software (Leximancer). Results revealed parents’ expectations for schools were to have teachers trained to teach children with disabilities and provide appropriate adaptations of physical facilities. Parents also expected improvement in social skills and an independent future for their children. The findings have implications for the policymakers and schools when delivering services to children with disability and their parents.