Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Challenges home and international students face in group work at a Dutch university

ABSTRACT This study aims to provide insights into the challenges that home and international students experience when collaborating in mixed groups. A selection of 261 reflective journals written by students as part of the Intercultural Communication Skills course at a Dutch university in the domains of life sciences and engineering was analyzed. These journals were written by 210 Dutch ( = home) students, 22 European (non-Dutch) students, and 29 Asian students. The quantitative analysis showed that the main challenges were group management, contribution to group work, and feedback. Asian students reported challenges related to feedback significantly more often compared to Dutch and other European students. The qualitative analysis showed that Dutch, other European, and Asian students’ concerns differed in terms of interaction and communication styles stemming from their various cultures of learning.
TUM-FAÇADE: Reviewing and enriching point cloud benchmarks for façade segmentation

Abstract. Point clouds are widely regarded as one of the best dataset types for urban mapping purposes. Hence, point cloud datasets are commonly investigated as benchmark types for various urban interpretation methods. Yet, few researchers have addressed the use of point cloud benchmarks for façade segmentation. Robust façade segmentation is becoming a key factor in various applications ranging from simulating autonomous driving functions to preserving cultural heritage. In this work, we present a method of enriching existing point cloud datasets with façade-related classes that have been designed to facilitate façade segmentation testing. We propose how to efficiently extend existing datasets and comprehensively assess their potential for façade segmentation. We use the method to create the TUM-FAÇADE dataset, which extends the capabilities of TUM-MLS-2016. Not only can TUM-FAÇADE facilitate the development of point-cloud-based façade segmentation tasks, but our procedure can also be applied to enrich further datasets.
Using Multisource Data to Assess PM2.5 Exposure and Spatial Analysis of Lung Cancer in Guangzhou, China

Elevated air pollution, along with rapid urbanization, have imposed higher health risks and a higher disease burden on urban residents. To accurately assess the increasing exposure risk and the spatial association between PM2.5 and lung cancer incidence, this study integrated PM2.5 data from the National Air Quality Monitoring Platform and location-based service (LBS) data to introduce an improved PM2.5 exposure model for high-precision spatial assessment of Guangzhou, China. In this context, the spatial autocorrelation method was used to evaluate the spatial correlation between lung cancer incidence and PM2.5. The results showed that people in densely populated areas suffered from higher exposure risk, and the spatial distribution of population exposure risk was highly consistent with the dynamic distribution of the population. In addition, areas with PM2.5 roughly overlapped with areas with high lung cancer incidence, and the lung cancer incidence in different locations was not randomly distributed, confirming that lung cancer incidence was significantly associated with PM2.5 exposure. Therefore, dynamic population distribution has a great impact on the accurate assessment of environmental exposure and health burden, and it is necessary to use LBS data to improve the exposure assessment model. More mitigation controls are needed in highly populated and highly polluted areas.
Effect of post-deposition annealing on the structural and electrical properties of RF sputtered hafnium oxide thin films

Hafnium oxide films were deposited on silicon substrates by RF sputtering at room temperature. Post-deposition rapid thermal annealing of the sputtered HfO2 films was carried out in the temperature range of 400°C to 800°C in oxygen ambient. The structural properties ware studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), where the enhancement in the crystallinity of HfO2 (1¯11) orientation was observed. The Capacitance —Voltage (C-V) and Current density —Voltage (J-V) characteristics of the annealed dielectric film were investigated employing Al/HfO2/Si Metal Oxide Semiconductor (MOS) capacitor structure. The flatband voltage (Vfb) and oxide charge density (Qox) were extracted from the high frequency (1 MHz) C-V curve. Leakage current was found to be minimum for the annealing temperature of 600°C.
A novel three-dimensional dual-band balun with frequency-independent phase difference and complete ground

A novel three-dimensional (3D) dual-band balun employing the double-sided parallel-strip line (DSPSL) with inherent impedance-transforming capability and complete ground is presented in this paper. The proposed balun is mainly composed of two mutually perpendicular printed circuit boards (PCBs), one of which is a horizontal feeding plane with a slender slot and the other of which is a mounted board vertical to the former. An unbalanced input port and two balanced output ports are totally located at the feeding plane. Utilising the configuration of DSPSL, two different dual-band impedance transformers of two sections are placed in the top and bottom layers of the vertical mounted board respectively. Thus, the transformers are applicable to transform impedances at two frequencies simultaneously. Furthermore, the 180° phase difference is frequency-independent, which facilitates the broadband operation. For verification, two numerical examples with different frequency ratios are designed and simulated, one of which is fabricated on a Rogers 4350B board. Both the simulated and measured results exhibit excellent performance and agree well with each other. In essence, this 3D balun is comprised of a single-layer planar circuit configuration. Consequently, owing to easy integration and low cost, it will be widely applied in the balanced radio frequency components.
Influence of Zero-Sequence Circulating Current on the Performance of Star-Delta Winding Line-Start Ferrite Assisted Synchronous Reluctance Motor

To meet the new international efficiency (IE) standards, line-start (LS) synchronous reluctance motors (SyRMs) are now being considered. Conventional star and delta windings are usually employed in LS SyRMs. However, combined star-delta winding has higher winding factor and lower magneto-motive force (mmf) harmonics compared to conventional star and delta windings. Hence, in this paper, LS SyRM and LS ferrite assisted SyRM with star and star-delta winding are analyzed and their performance indices are compared. A winding function analysis is used for the design of star and star-delta windings. Further, the effect of zero sequence current on the performance of the motors under comparison is presented in detail. Star and star-delta winding prototype LS SyRMs with and without ferrite magnets in the rotor are fabricated. Experimental studies are carried-out on these prototypes and the results are presented which are in close agreement with the simulation results.
Framework of 2D KDE and LSTM-Based Forecasting for Cost-Effective Inventory Management in Smart Manufacturing

Over the last decade, the development of machine-learning models has enabled the design of sophisticated regression models. For this reason, studies have been conducted to design predictive models using machine learning in various industries. In particular, in terms of inventory management, forecasting models predict historical market demand, predict future demand, and enable systematic inventory management. However, in most small and medium enterprise (SMEs), there is no systematic management of data, and because of the lack of data and the volatility of random data, it is difficult for prediction models to work well. Since the predictive model is a core function derived from the management of the enterprise’s inventory data, the poor performance of the model causes the company’s inventory data-management system to be degraded. Companies that have poor inventory data because of this vicious cycle will continue to have difficulty introducing data-management systems. In this paper, we propose a framework that can reliably predict the inventory data of a firm by modeling the volatility of a firm stochastically. The framework makes the prediction using the point prediction model by means of LSTM(Long Short Term Memory), the 2D kernel density function, and the prediction result reflecting inventory-management cost. Through various experiments, the necessity of interval prediction in demand prediction and the validity of the cost-effective prediction model through the readjustment function were shown.
Crash Test of Carbon Composite

Composite structures are now increasingly used for their properties in all areas of industrial production where high specific strength is demanded. They gradually replace metal parts and components not only because they are lighter, but above all for their comparable and in many ways even better mechanical properties. Knowledge of behavior of simple synergies between the fibres and the matrix allows the prediction of behavior of complex components and their application in practice. The subject of this article is a description of an experiment and numerical model, that compares the mechanical properties of carbon fiber composite with the values obtained using analytical models. Carbon composite samples were studied in laboratory conditions through Barrier test (ie. Crash test).
Acute Exacerbation of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis With Pirfenidone and Nintedanib: A Friend or Foe

Acute exacerbation (AE) in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is unfortunate a deadly event with a very high mortality rate. Its occurrence is highly unpredictable, though few baseline risk factors have been identified. The revised definition of AE is more precise with clarity on defined parameters. However, no clear guidelines exist on treatment, with most therapies showing inconsistent benefits. Both the approved anti-fibrotic (pirfenidone and nintedanib) have shown equal efficacy in reducing the decline in lung functions, with few studies suggesting a drop in AE. We report a case of a patient with IPF with mildly impaired lung functions who was initiated on pirfenidone with dose titrated on a weekly basis but developed AE-IPF on day 10 of starting pirfenidone and after four days of doubling the dose from 600 mg/day to 1,200 mg/day. This raised the suspicion of whether pirfenidone played any role in this unfortunate event. With no response to conventional therapy of steroids and non-invasive ventilation for AE-IPF, initialization of nintedanib led to recovery with discharge of the patient in two weeks of hospitalization. This case highlights inadequacy in knowledge about the effects of these anti-fibrotics in IPF and recommends close monitoring in the future.
Towards Computing Cross-modality Symmetric Non-Rigid Medical Image Registration

This paper describes a new non-rigid approach to register images from same- and cross-imaging modalities such as magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography, and 3D rotational angiography. The deformation is a key challenge in medical image registration. We have proposed a diffeomorphism-based method to tackle this problem using an optimized framework. A non stationary velocity field is used to minimize the effect of forces that are derived from the image gradients. Furthermore, we propose a similarity energy function, based on the gray scale distribution, to limit the fluctuations while approaching the local minima. The proposed method is evaluated on both private and public datasets; the results show that the values of mean square error (MSE), normalized cross-correlation (NCC), structural similarity (SS), mutual information (MI), feature similarity index (FSIM), and mean absolute error (MAE) are 1.3136, 0.9962, 0.9897, 0.883, 0.9922, and 1.52 ± 2.09, respectively. Both qualitative and quantitative evaluation show promising registration accuracy reflecting the potential of the proposed method.
Design of compact balanced ultra-wideband bandpass filter with half mode dumbbell DGS

A new compact balanced ultra-wideband (UWB) bandpass filter using half mode dumbbell defected ground structure (DGS) is presented. To realise the UWB response, the `T' shape multiple-mode resonator with short-ended stub is employed. To achieve wideband common mode (CM) suppression and compact design simultaneously, the concept of half-mode DGS is introduced in the two stacked microstrip layers. Afterwards, a balanced UWB filter is designed and measured for verifying the feasibility of the presented design method. The measured results match well with the expected results which indicate the proposed filter exhibits better than -30 dB CM suppression within the DM passband covering from 3.1 to 10.6 GHz.
Correlation of vitreous chamber depth with ocular biometry in high axial myopia

Purpose: The proportion of axial length (AL) occupied by vitreous chamber depth (VCD), or VCD:AL, consistently correlates to ocular biometry in the general population. Relation of VCD:AL to ocular biometry in high myopia is not known. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the relation of VCD and VCD:AL to ocular biometry of highly myopic eyes. Methods: This was a cross-sectional retrospective study of records of 214 myopic eyes (<−1 D SE, aged 20–40 years) attending the refractive surgery services. High axial myopia was defined as AL >26.5 mm. Eyes with posterior staphyloma and myopic maculopathy were excluded. Records were assessed for measurements of AL, central corneal thickness (CCT), anterior chamber depth (ACD), lens thickness (LT), white to white diameter (WTW), and vitreous chamber depth (VCD). Groups were formed based on increasing AL, while the sum of CCT, ACD, and LT was recorded as anterior segment depth (AS). The main outcome measure was the correlation of VCD and VCD:AL to ocular biometry. A comparison was also performed based on of degree of axial myopia. Results: Mean age of the patients was 27.0 ± 5.2 years. VCD showed a very strong correlation with AL (R = 0.98, P < 0.001) but did not correlate to any anterior parameter. VCD:AL showed moderate negative relation with AS (R = −0.43, P < 0.001) and ACD (R = −0.3, P < 0.001), while it had a weakly negative relation with LT (R = −0.18, P = 0.006). VCD:AL showed strong negative relation (R > ~0.7) with AS in all individual groups of AL. Among anterior parameters, WTW showed the most consistent relation with ocular biometry. Conclusion: VCD:AL is a better correlate of ocular biometry in high myopia as compared to VCD. However, the correlation is weaker than that noted by previous studies done on the general population. Longitudinal studies of VCD:AL in the younger age group is recommended.
Application of neural network fitting for modeling the pneumatic networks bending soft actuator behavior

Soft actuators have recently gained a lot of interests as an emerging topic, although complete methodologies for modeling soft actuators are still missing. Identifying and forecasting the behaviour of soft actuators is difficult due to the nonlinear behaviour of the materials used, the complicated geometries they form, and the wide range of motions they produce. In this paper, we demonstrated how to use neural network technology to describe the motion and produced force that the pneumatic network bending soft actuator can create at various input pressures. To confirm the results, three separate neural network models for three different modeling modes were constructed and evaluated with different input data sets. First, the dimension model, which deals with changes in the form and geometry of the soft actuator and their influence on its response at various pressure inputs. Second, the free force model, which simulates the motion of a soft actuator in free space without any external disturbances. Finally, the blocked force model, which may simulate a real-world soft actuator that is subjected to an external force. The input data sets were created with ABAQUS/CAE software, which replicates the behavior of the soft actuator and uses this data to train the neural network models.
Design, Fabrication and Test of a 1.5 T Cryogen-Free HTS Dipole Magnet for the Heavy Ion Spectrometer

A 1.5 T high-temperature superconducting (HTS) dipole magnet for the heavy ion spectrometer has been fabricated and tested. It mainly consists of four double pancake HTS coils and a warm iron yoke with two cylindrical poles. The gap between the poles is 120 mm. A time projection chamfer (TPC) with the dimension of 100 mm × 100 mm × 100 mm will be placed in the gap. The four coils wound with a 12 mm wide and 0.28 mm thick HTS tape have an inner diameter of 480 mm. Each of the pancake coils has 176 turns. The coils will be cooled down below 10 K by a GM cryocooler and generate a central field of 1.5 T at an operation current of 280 A. In this paper, the design and construction of the HTS magnet are described and the test results are also reported and discussed.
Influence of Lactic Acid Bacterium Strains on Changes in Quality, Functional Compounds and Volatile Compounds of Mango Juice from Different Cultivars during Fermentation

The effects of lactic acid fermentation using Lactiplantibacillus plantarum 75 (L75), Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides 56 (L56) and its combination (L56 + 75) on the quality, bioactive and volatile compounds of mango juices (MJ) from three cultivars (‘Peach’, ‘Sabre’ and ‘Tommy Atkins’) were investigated. Fermented and unfermented MJ were evaluated for LAB growth, physicochemical parameters, volatile compounds, antioxidants activities (DPPH, ABTS, FRAP methods), total phenolic content (TPC) and sensory properties. The unfermented juices served as a control. Twenty-four-hour fermentation was ideal for MJ based on LAB growth profiles. Generally, titratable acidity, TPC, FRAP, DPPH and ABTS scavenging activities significantly increased with fermentation by the L75 strain and were highest in the L75-fermented ‘Sabre’ MJ, while L75-fermented ‘Peach’ MJ had higher ABTS activity (p < 0.05). In contrast, the L56 strain enhanced β-carotene retention, with improved colour properties in L56-fermented ‘Peach’ MJ. Fermentation with L75 in ‘Sabre’ and ‘Peach’ MJ aided the synthesis of new volatile compounds (alcohols, esters, ketones and aldehydes). A PLS-DA scatter plot showed two clusters separating the ‘Peach’ and ‘Sabre’ mango juice fermented with L75 from the rest. Based on the variable importance of the projection value (VIP) scores, pentadecane, 8-hexyl and butyl isobutyrate were shown as marker candidates to distinguish ‘Peach’ and ‘Sabre’ MJ fermented with L75 from the other treatments, whereas ethyl octanoate and isobutyl acetate differentiated the ‘Sabre’ MJ fermented with L75 from the other treatments. ‘Sabre’ and ‘Peach’ MJ fermented with L75 and L56 could provide antioxidants, meeting the recommended daily requirements for ascorbic acid and carotenoids in adults and teenagers. Hence, lactic acid fermentation of these local cultivars is a way to benefit consumers.
Epidemic proximity and imitation dynamics drive infodemic waves during the COVID-19 pandemic

An infodemic - an outpouring of information, including misleading and also fake news - is accompanying the current pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2. In the absence of valid therapeutic approaches, behavioral responses may seriously affect the social dynamics of contagion, so the infodemic may cause confusion and disorientation in the public, leading to possible individually and socially harmful choices. This new phenomenon requires specific modeling efforts to better understand the complex intertwining of the epidemic and infodemic components of a pandemic crisis, with a view to building an integrative public health approach. We propose three models, from epidemiology to game theory, as potential candidates for the onset of the infodemics and statistically assess their accuracy in reproducing real infodemic waves observed in a data set of 390 million tweets collected worldwide. Our results show that evolutionary game-theory models are the most suitable ones to reproduce the observed infodemic modulations around the onset of the local epidemic wave. Furthermore, we find that the number of confirmed COVID-19 reported cases in each country and worldwide are driving the modeling dynamics with opposite effects. © 2022 authors. Published by the American Physical Society.
DO LETRAMENTO DIGITAL AO ACADÊMICO: DINÂMICA INTERACIONAL E PRÁTICAS DE ESCRITA NO FACEBOOK FROM DIGITAL TO ACADEMIC LITERACY: INTERACTIONAL DYNAMIC AND WRITING PRACTICES ON FACEBOOK

This paper discusses some of the results obtained in an educational project carried out in a Portuguese undergraduate course at Universidade Federal do Para. We analyzed the interactional dynamic experienced by students in Facebook when it is used as a teaching platform, as well as the use of writing in these interactions. We understand that the use of digital literacy tools can greatly contribute to the training of future Portuguese language teachers, considering that such tools have directly influenced language practices. Integral formation of our students is one of our main objectives, so we intent not just preparing them for academic practice, but also for future teaching practice in a context which technology and digital tools will be increasingly present. Thus, we aim at contributing to the expansion of digital and academic literacy of our students. Blended Learning, a mix of face-to-face and on line teaching was the methodology used in the project. That way, we believe that learning could become a more continuous process. Our research is theoretically founded on the Studies about Literacy, as Martin (2008), Street (2014) and Lankshear and Knobel (2008) and by Levy (2010) Cyberculture. This ethnographic research analyses the, literacy in context, understood as social practice.
Effects of Extrusion on Energy Contents and Amino Acid Digestibility of Corn DDGS and Full-Fat Rice Bran in Growing Pigs

Simple Summary Our study showed that extrusion improves nutritive value, apparent total tract digestibility of nutrients and ileal digestibility of most amino acids in full-fat rice bran and corn distillers dried grain with solubles, which suggests that extrusion could be an effective strategy to improve nutritive values of feed by-products. Abstract The objectives of this study were to determine the effects of extrusion on available energy, apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of nutrients and energy, and amino acid (AA) digestibility of full-fat rice bran (FFRB) and corn distillers dried grain with solubles (DDGS) fed to growing pigs. Methods: In Exp. 1, a total of 30 growing pigs with initial body weight (BW) of 36.0 ± 1.8 kg were fed five different diets, including one corn basal diet and four experimental diets which were formulated by 29.06% FFRB or DDGS with or without extrusion processing. In Exp. 2, 30 ileal-cannulated pigs (initial BW: 20.3 ± 1.8 kg) were fed five different diets including 40% FFRB or DDGS with or without extrusion, and a N-free diet. Results: The results showed that there were no significant differences in DE and ME contents or ATTD of GE, DM, and OM between DDGS and FFRB (p > 0.05), but the ATTD of CP, NDF, and ADF showed significant differences between DDGS and FFRB (p < 0.05). In addition, the DE and ME values (p < 0.01) and ATTD of GE, DM, OM, and NDF improved when pigs were fed extruded diets (p < 0.05), and a trend to increase the ATTD of CP and ADF was observed when pigs were fed extruded diets (p = 0.06 and 0.07, respectively). The AID and SID levels of CP were not different when pigs were fed diets with or without extrusion. The AID of total indispensable AA increased when pigs were fed extrusion diets (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Feed processing of extrusion could improve nutritive values of FFRB and DDGS.