Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Modal Analysis of Rock Forming Minerals: Contribution of XRD/Rietveld Analysis Compared to the Classic Point Counting Method

The determination of the mineral composition of aggregates which constitute an important component of concrete is essential to understand and estimate the durability of structures. The modal (quantitative mineralogical) analysis of rocks is generally determined by point-counting method on thin sections or slabs. However, there is a difficulty of mineral identification depending not only on the experience and capability of the operator but also on the size of observable grains. In this study, XRD (X-Ray Diffraction)/Rietveld analysis is proposed as an alternative and a comparison study is performed for eight different rocks. The results show equivalent proportions to those of the point counting method for the major phases (minerals), although discrepancies are observed for the minor minerals. Complementary tests as XRF (X-Ray Fluorescence) and density measurements are also performed to pre-characterize and confirm the obtained modal analysis. For instance, the density calculations based on XRD/Rietveld analysis provide close values to the measured densities. Overall, this method can be an excellent alternative to the point counting method especially in the context of construction materials laboratory.
Mechanical benchmarking of additively manufactured continuous and short carbon fiber reinforced nylon

Mechanical properties of fiber reinforced additive manufacturing (FRAM) parts are affected by the fiber size and orientation. Oriented fiber composite is most likely to produce better properties. The objective of this research is to perform a comparative analysis of the mechanical properties of short and continuous fiber reinforced nylon 6 produced with fused filament fabrication (FFF) technology. In this study, it was observed that tensile, compression and flexural properties are significantly affected by the change in the fiber length and orientation. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was performed after mechanical testing to observe the influence of fiber on the final properties. From the testing, it was observed that continuous-FRAM (C-FRAM) parts show better properties in tensile loading and short-FRAM (S-FRAM) in bending. S-FRAM parts show better improvement in flexural and compression properties as compared to CFRAM parts. Morphological analysis of tested 3D-printed parts concluded that the fiber-pull out and fiber breakage are the main failure mechanisms.
Using Additional Moderator to Control the Footprint of a COSMOS Rover for Soil Moisture Measurement

Cosmic‐Ray Neutron Probes (CRNP) have found application in soil moisture (SM) estimation due to their conveniently large (>100 m) footprints. Here, we explore the possibility of using high‐density polyethylene (HDPE) moderator to limit the field of view, and hence, the footprint of a SM sensor formed of 12 CRNP mounted on to a mobile robotic platform (Thorvald) for better in‐field localization of moisture variation. Ultra Rapid Adaptable Neutron‐Only Simulation neutron scattering simulations are used to show that 5 cm of additional HDPE moderator (used to shield the upper surface and sides of the detector) is sufficient to (a) reduce the footprint of the detector considerably, (b) approximately double the percentage of neutrons detected from within 5 m of the detector, and (c) does not affect the shape of the curve used to convert neutron counts into SM. Simulation and rover measurements for a transect crossing between grass and concrete additionally suggest that (d) SM changes can be sensed over a length scales of tens of meters or less (roughly an order of magnitude smaller than commonly used footprint distances), and (e) the additional moderator does not reduce the detected neutron count rate (and hence increase noise) as much as might be expected given the extent of the additional moderator. The detector with additional HDPE moderator was also used to conduct measurements on a stubble field over three weeks to test the rover system in measuring spatial and temporal SM variation.
A Multimedia Medical Expert System for Human Diseases Diagnosis

With the great expansion and development of computer science and its systems. Its applications are used in most areas of life, which facilitated the solution of many simple and complex issues, as it was used in multiple fields, including the medical field, where computer applications were designed to help the specialist doctor in his work and reduce the time in diagnosis. In this research, an expert system is built, which is one of the artificial intelligence techniques, using the advanced (forward) sequencing algorithms also called data-directed inference, and the algorithm. Backward (backward) sequence, also called target-directed inference, to diagnose the most common diseases to which a person is exposed. It is supported by multimedia, which includes (text, images, audio, and video) to reach a solution to the problem through dialogue with the user and rely on the stored knowledge as a base on which the inference engine represented by the two algorithms to reach to solutions, instructions and recommendations to diagnose the disease and give the appropriate treatment. These solutions are given to users in several forms using multimedia (text, pictures, audio and video) and this system is used by people who cannot reach a doctor or hospital for any reason. This system consists of major parts, which are the knowledge base that organizes the collection of facts the laws and the inference engine, which in turn include the Forward Chaining and Backward Chaining algorithms. These diseases in order to reach a diagnosis of the disease with high accuracy, and this leads to reducing medical errors. The proposed system can be used as a substitute for the
6-DOF consensus control of multi-agent rigid body systems using rotation matrices

Nonlinear control protocols are proposed for consensus control of a multi-agent system of N heterogeneous rigid bodies in the framework of the tangent bundles TSO(3) and TSE(3) associated with Lie groups SO(3) and SE(3), respectively. The control objective is to stabilise the relative pose configurations with velocity synchronisation of the rigid bodies which share their states according to a static undirected communication topology. The feedback control design is conducted on the dynamic level, and uses the rotation matrix as opposed to various attitude parameterisations. Almost global asymptotic stability of the consensus subspace is demonstrated both analytically using an extension of the Morse–Lyapunov (M–L) approach, and through numerical simulations. Also, the presence of unstable non-consensus equilibria in the closed-loop dynamics is discussed and shown in illustrative examples.
The use of online writing tools by learners of English: Evidence from a process corpus

This paper examines the use of online writing tools by French-speaking learners of English based on the analysis of screen recordings of a free composition task that come from the Process Corpus of English in Education, a process corpus of learner writing. The study charts learners’ use of online resources by investigating how often learners resort to tools, which tools they use, and what effect the use of tools has on their texts. Results show considerable individual variation in the extent to which learners use online tools and a general propensity to rely on a limited range of tool types, most often bilingual tools. Overall, the use of tools helps learners improve their texts, but a close examination of their consultation behaviour also reveals shortcomings in learners’ strategies, such as a tendency to carry out single-word searches or a lack of critical thinking about the information that tools provide.
Research on the Health State Evaluation Method of Coal Shearer Based on Improved XGBoost

The health evaluation of shearers has always been a hot and difficult point in the study of shearer health management. In this paper, aiming at the problems of redundancy of current shearer status evaluation parameters and imbalance of the evaluation data set, this paper proposes a shearer health status evaluation method based on the improved extreme boosting tree algorithm (XGBoost). First of all, in view of the redundancy of the multi-dimensional monitoring parameters of the shearer, the SP correlation coefficient combining the Spearman correlation coefficient and the Person correlation coefficient is proposed. According to the calculation results of the SP correlation coefficient, the shearer health indicator is screened out, and the coal mining machine is constructed. Machine health evaluation index system; In view of the poor interpretability of traditional neural network evaluation methods and the unbalanced data of the shearer data set categories, a shearer health evaluation method based on improved XGBoost is proposed, and the evaluation of the XGBoost model Key parameters such as the maximum depth of the tree max_depth, the minimum leaf node weight and min_child_weight are improved and tuned; finally, the evaluation model verification and analysis are carried out through the shearer instance data set. The experimental results show that the average accuracy of the health status evaluation method based on the improved XGBoost can reach 98.50%, and the average F1 average can reach 97.61%, which can effectively solve the problem of imbalance of the data set and the problem of status evaluation.
Google as a de facto privacy regulator: analysing the Privacy Sandbox from an antitrust perspective

ABSTRACT Now a multi-billion-dollar industry, online advertising is what funds free online content. At the core of this industry lies the ability to track users through various technical means, such as cookies, which has sparked privacy concerns, and is thus subject to a growing body of regulation. But the most important rules around tracking seem to come from a handful of large platforms who have assumed the role of a de facto privacy regulator. In this paper we explore in detail Google’s decision to phase out support for third-party cookies on Chrome, accompanied by a set of proposals known as the Privacy Sandbox proposals. We query whether this decision raises any antitrust concerns – and if so, how they can be reconciled with the objective of privacy. At a conceptual level, we use this opportunity to reflect on the relationship between competition law and privacy and the trade-offs regulators may have to make.
Single-particle Raman spectroscopy for studying physical and chemical processes of atmospheric particles

Abstract. Atmospheric particles experience various physical and chemical processes and change their properties during their lifetime. Most studies on atmospheric particles, both in laboratory and field measurements, rely on analyzing an ensemble of particles. Because of different mixing state of individual particles, only average properties can be obtained from studies using ensembles of particles. To better understand the fate and environmental impacts of atmospheric particles, investigations on their properties and processes at a single-particle level are valuable. Among a wealth of analytic techniques, single-particle Raman spectroscopy provides an unambiguous characterization of individual particles under atmospheric pressure in a non-destructive and in-situ manner. This paper comprehensively reviews the application of such a technique in the studies of atmospheric particles, including particle hygroscopicity, phase transition and separation, and solute-water interactions, particle pH, and multiphase reactions. Investigations on enhanced Raman spectroscopy and bioaerosols on a single-particle basis are also reviewed. For each application, we describe the principle and representative examples of studies. Finally, we present our views on future directions on both technique development and further applications of single-particle Raman spectroscopy in studying atmospheric particles.
An Incentive Based Dynamic Pricing in Smart Grid: A Customer’s Perspective

Price based demand response is an important strategy to facilitate energy retailers and end-users to maintain a balance between demand and supply while providing the opportunity to end users to get monetary incentives. In this work, we consider real-time electricity pricing policy to further calculate the incentives in terms of reduced electricity price and cost. Initially, a mathematical model based on the backtracking technique is developed to calculate the load shifted and consumed in any time slot. Then, based on this, the electricity price is calculated for all types of users to estimate the incentives through load shifting profiles. To keep the load under the upper limit, the load is shifted in other time slots in such a way to facilitate end-users regarding social welfare. The user who is not interested in participating load shifting program will not get any benefit. Then the well behaved functional form optimization problem is solved by using a heuristic-based genetic algorithm (GA), wwhich converged within an insignificant amount of time with the best optimal results. Simulation results reflect that the users can obtain some real incentives by participating in the load scheduling process.
A look at university student service quality and satisfaction

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate university students’ perception of service quality and satisfaction in a developing country to guide quality improvement. Design/methodology/approach The study uses a quantitative survey design. A new instrument has been developed to measure student perceived service quality. Data was collected from 182 undergraduate students enrolled in a five-year BEd course at the one University of Education in Myanmar. Findings A significant gender difference was found only in one of the service quality dimensions, hostel facilities. There was a significant difference in student satisfaction in the year of study. Apart from cafeteria and hostel facilities, students’ perceived-level of service quality was significantly different. All service quality dimensions were significantly correlated with student satisfaction. Significant relationships were found among intention to leave the university, trust in management and overall satisfaction with the university. Research limitations/implications This study uses data collected from undergraduate students studying at the one University of Education in Myanmar in Myanmar. Practical implications The study adds on to the service quality literature on higher education in developing countries, specifically in Myanmar. The students’ perceived service quality dimensions resulting from this study can be applied by universities to evaluate their performance. Originality/value The research findings presented in this paper fill the gap in the existing literature by providing empirical knowledge on service quality measurement and student satisfaction in the higher education context. The study is among the first studies of students’ perception of service quality and satisfaction in Myanmar.
MAZEPHISHING: THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AS CREDIBLE SOCIAL CONTEXT FOR SOCIAL ENGINEERING ATTACKS

The first months of the COVID-19 pandemic witnessed a surge of social engineering attacks. Although the pandemic is certainly not the first occurrence of socially disruptive circumstances that drive cybercriminals to action, relevant academic scholarship has remained scarce. To fill this gap in literature, and propose the analytical framework of mazephishing that places particular emphasis on the importance of credible social context in the functioning of the online scam ecosystem, we carried out a content analysis of (N=563) international news stories reporting on social engineering attacks. Our results indicate that criminals make heavy use of social context and impersonation to make scams seem more credible. Major themes used in the scam messages include health information, personal protective equipment, cures, financial relief and donations. Additionally, scammers diversify their use of mediums depending on the type of scam being perpetrated. Our analysis also shows a significant presence of principles of persuasion in the circulated scam attempts.
Stanovení vlákniny v různých druzích čočky

The theoretical part of the master thesis defines legumes with focus on lentil. Nutritive pa-rameters, chemical composition and its importance to human nutrition are described. Fibre, its chemical composition, sorting according to solubility in water, physiological effects on human and determination methods are also defined in the theoretical part. The practical part is concerning about determination of content of neutral-detergent and crude fiber in selected sorts of lentil using ANKOM Fiber Analyzer instrument.
Urban Planning Policies to the Renewal of Riverfront Areas: The Lisbon Metropolis Case

Urban planning offers various design possibilities to solve fundamental challenges faced in urban areas. These include the need to physically renew old industrial and harbour riverside areas into liveable, inclusive and sustainable living spaces. This paper investigates the way urban planning policies have helped to renew the waterfront areas in the Lisbon metropolis in the past decades. For this purpose, the contribution of the European Union (EU) and national urban development plans over the past decades are analysed. The results demonstrate an intense renewal of the waterfront areas in the Lisbon metropolitan area (LMA), particularly in Lisbon over the past three decades into leisure, ecologic and touristic areas, vis-à-vis the previous industrial and harbour vocation.
Predicting financial market returns in the presence of health crisis: evidence from conventional and Islamic stock markets

Abstract The purpose of this study is to examine the usability of the news about the COVID-19 outbreak as a predictor in financial markets. Index values of 11 different sectors in conventional and Islamic stock markets and the index values obtained from COVID-19 deaths, COVID-19 cases and health news were used for this purpose. News variables indices were calculated through Google search volume (G.S.V.) values obtained from Google trend. The daily data between 19 March 2020 and 27 July 2020 were used in the study for 25 index values in total. Regression analysis was used in the study. According to the study results, COVID-19 deaths, COVID-19 cases and health news used as predictors have higher performance than historical return values in all sectors of both conventional and Islamic financial markets. In addition, Islamic stock markets show more attention to the news about the COVID-19 outbreak than conventional stock markets. Accordingly, COVID-19 deaths, COVID-19 cases and health news can be used as effective predictors in Islamic financial markets.
Factores socioterritoriales de cambio de uso de suelo en el centro de México. Caso oriente de la Zona Metropolitana de Toluca, México

La parte oriente de la Zona Metropolitana de Toluca, integrada por los munici-pios de Lerma, Metepec, Ocoyoacac y San Mateo Atenco, en las últimas décadas ha presentado una significativa expansión urbana y cambios de uo de suelo. El objetivo del trabajo fue realizar una evaluación demográfia y de cambios de uso de suelo durante el período 1980 a 2017. Por ello, se recopiló información carto-gráfica y para el análisis de dinámica poblacional, se consultaon los censos del Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Geografía. Para elaborar la cartografía de 1984 se utilizaron ortofotografías y para 2017, imágenes de Basemap del ArcGIS. Se realizó una fotointerpretación visual sobre la base de los criterios reportados por Jensen (2015). Los resultados muestran que la población total en el período 1980 a 2015 se incrementó en 308.262 personas. En cuanto al uso de suelo para, 1984 predominaba el agrícola y el bosque, y para 2017 continúa el agrícola seguido de la superficieartificial.En este período la agricultura disminuyó 35,74 %, y los cuerpos de agua 31,77%, mientras que la superficieartificialse incrementó 235,84 % y los bosques 4,9 %. El modelo de ocupación se debe a las condiciones geográficasy al no respeto de los ordenamientos territoriales.
Education for Sustainable Development and Innovation in Engineering School: Students’ Perception

This article is the continuation of the work that has already been completed in a first study on the perception of engineering students at UniLaSalle Beauvais about education for sustainable development (SD) and innovation. Its purpose is to show the evolution over time of the perception of engineering students regarding SD and innovation after integrating the international program called “Go-LaSalle”. In this training process, students spend the first semester of their third academic year in partner universities of the worldwide Lasallian network. To identify and measure the change of students’ perception, we have designed a survey that was sent to two engineers’ training classes (specialties) Agronomy and Agro-Industries and Food and Health. The results show that although some differences and similarities appear between the two specialties, there are few significant changes on student’s perception before and after the six-month international program (called “Go-LaSalle”). Finally, the study shows, on the one hand, that the students trust the institution, the companies and their teachers more than their own inclinations; on the other hand, it allows the institution to adapt their training to both collective needs and the demands of the environment.
Adherence to the Standards for Reporting of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies (STARD): a survey of four journals in laboratory medicine

Background The Standards for Reporting of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies (STARD) statement has been updated in 2015. Many diagnostic test accuracy (DTA) studies have been published in medical laboratory journals, but their adherence to the updated STARD statement remains unknown. Methods We searched the PubMed database to verify studies published in 4 laboratory journals, including Clinical Chemistry, Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, Clinica Chimica Acta, and Clinical Biochemistry, in 2019. DTA studies were identified and their adherence to the STARD statement was assessed. Results A total of 45 studies were included in this analysis. Overall, 18 out of 34 STARD items were reported. The items (adherence rate) of sample size estimation (4%), adverse events (9%), protocol (9%), registration (16%), missing value (22%), indeterminate results (18%), and cross-tabulation (22%) were the most frequently unreported items. Conclusions Adherence to the STARD statement in DTA articles published in laboratory medicine seems as yet unsatisfactory. Our study emphasizes the necessity to improve the reporting quality of DTA studies published in medical laboratory journals.
A 300mV-Supply, Sub-nW-Power Digital-Based Operational Transconductance Amplifier

An ultra-low voltage and ultra-low power Digital-Based Operational Transconductance Amplifier (DB-OTA) is presented and demonstrated on silicon in 180 nm CMOS. The DB-OTA is designed using digital standard cells, hence benefitting from technology scaling as much as digital circuits, while also being technology- and design-portable, and requiring minimal design and integration effort compared to conventional analog-intensive OTAs. The fabricated DB-OTA testchip occupies a compact area of 1,426 $\mu \text{m}^{2}$ , operates at supply voltages down to 300 mV, and consumes only 590 pW while driving a capacitive load of 80pF. Its measured Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) is lower than 5% at a 100-mV input signal swing. Based on these results, the proposed DB-OTA achieves 2,101 V−1 small-signal figure of merit (FOMS) and 1,070 large-signal figure of merit (FOML). To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the power is the lowest reported to date in an OTA, and the achieved figures of merit are the best in sub-500 mV OTAs reported to date. The low cost, the low design effort and the high power efficiency of DB-OTA make it well suited for purely harvested low-frequency analog interfaces in sensor nodes.