Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Adaptive Sliding Mode Control for a Robotic Manipulator with Unknown Friction and Unknown Control Direction

This paper is aimed at addressing the tracking control issue for an n-DOF manipulator regardless of unknown friction and unknown control direction. In order to handle the above issues, an adaptive sliding mode control (ASMC) is developed with a Nussbaum function. The sliding mode control (SMC) in the proposed control guarantees the tracking problem and fast responses for the manipulator. Additionally, there are adaptive laws for the robust gain in the SMC to deal with the unknown external disturbance and reduce the chattering effect in the system. In practice, the mistakes in the connection between actuators and drivers, named unknown control direction, cause serious damage to the manipulator. To overcome this issue, the Nussbaum function is multiplied by the ASMC law. A Lyapunov approach is investigated to analyze the stability and robustness of the whole system. Finally, several simulations are implemented on a 3-DOF manipulator and their results are compared with those of the existing controllers to validate the advantages of the proposed method.
More money, more honey? An examination of additionality of China’s government R&D subsidies

This study considers the interaction effects of government subsidies, financial constraints, and ownership structure on the firm’s net research & development (R&D) based on a sample of 3440 Chinese-listed firms during 2000-2019. Our results indicate that R&D subsidies reduce financial constraints irrespective of ownership type; however, the reduction appears more pronounced for private-owned enterprises (POEs) compared with state-owned enterprises (SOEs). Further analysis reveals that the impact of R&D subsidies on R&D investments depends on the interactive effect between financial constraint and ownership type. For financially constrained SOEs, subsidies spur net R&D investment whereas this is not the case for financially constrained POEs. We also examine the potential factors through which ownership types and financial constraints affect innovation input, namely, institutional development and industrial competition. Our evidence indicates that, in a more institutionally developed province, the effect of subsidies on net R&D input is negative for SOEs, but positive for POEs. In a more competitive industry, SOEs tend to face less agency risk and stronger monitoring, while POEs depend more on their financial slack. Our study challenges the ‘more money, more innovation investment’ story, suggesting that alleviating financial constraints does not necessarily stimulate more net R&D investments.
Dual‐Porosity Flow Diagnostics for Spontaneous Imbibition in Naturally Fractured Reservoirs

We extend single‐porosity flow diagnostics to dual‐porosity systems using a novel retardation factor R to account for the effect of fracture‐matrix transfer on breakthrough times and displacement efficiency during two‐phase flow in fractured reservoirs. R is based on an analytical solution for capillary‐driven fluid exchange between the fractures and rock matrix. By linearizing R the time‐of‐flight τ⋆ is adjusted to include fracture‐matrix transfer and derive new metrics, the dynamic Lorenz coefficient Lc⋆ to quantify the dynamic heterogeneity, and the dual‐porosity sweep efficiency Ev⋆ to estimate how efficiently the injected fluid displaces the reservoir fluid over time. We have tested different formulations of R across three case studies with increasing complexity to analyze the applicability and limitations of dual‐porosity flow diagnostics. This analysis reveals that as long as flow in the fractures is faster than fracture‐matrix transfer, dual‐porosity flow diagnostics provide useful approximations when assessing displacement efficiencies and identifying the wells that are at most and least likely to experience early breakthrough. We show that Lc⋆ and Ev⋆ can be combined with stochastic optimization algorithms to improve the displacement efficiency in a 3D reservoir case study. Since a single dual‐porosity flow diagnostics calculation requires less than 1 min while a full‐physics simulation takes 2 h, we can now quickly screen a large parameter space to identify scenarios that need to be studied in more detail using full‐physics simulations. Hence, our new dual‐porosity flow diagnostics complement and accelerate state‐of‐the‐art uncertainty quantification and optimization workflows for fractured reservoirs.
Indicador de pobreza por ingreso en Ecuador y el efecto Covid-19, del 2010 al 2020

Hablar de pobreza por ingreso y los efectos que ha tenido este indicador a raíz de la presencia del Covid-19 es de gran importancia en la actualidad, debido al fuerte impacto que ha provocado en la vida de las personas, privándolas de satisfacer sus necesidades dignamente. El objetivo de este estudio descriptivo es analizar la evolución del indicador de la pobreza por ingreso en el Ecuador, tomando en cuenta la presencia del Covid-19 y su impacto en los niveles de pobreza hasta el 2020; sustentado en los métodos de revisión bibliográfica, hermenéutico y el análisis de contenido; así como en al análisis de las variables macroeconómicas como el empleo, PIB y coeficiente de Gini. Los resultados obtenidos nos permiten tener una noción de la compleja situación por la que atraviesa el país debido a la pandemia que ha provocado el retroceso de 10 años en el índice de pobreza, una caída del 9% en el crecimiento económico y un suceso alarmante tras presenciarse una mayor tasa de pobreza que de empleo con una diferencia de 1,6%; agudizando la precariedad de la vida económica de las personas más vulnerables.
Improving Drought Tolerance in Tobacco By Application of Salicylic Acid

Drought causes not only the decrease of tobacco yield and quality, but also the lowering of net photosynthetic rate, leading to reactive oxygen species accumulation and even the death of plants. Salicylic Acid is involved in regulating many plant physiological processes and has increasingly been applied to improve tolerance in plants exposed to drought stress. To explore the regulating mechanism of SA, flue-cured tobacco K326 was used in the hydroponic experiments to design PEG drought stress. The photosynthetic characteristics, antioxidant enzymes activities and osmotic regulatory substances contents of tobacco seedlings under drought stress were investigated after 0.3 mmol L-1 SA treatment. Transcriptome sequencing and GO/KEGG analysis were also performed. The main results showed that SA-applied greatly increased the activities of SOD, POD, CAT activity, Pn, proline and soluble protein by 44.27%, 50.18%, 26.23%, 45.74%, 34.67% and 24.91% while reduced the MDA content by 23.89%. GO and KEGG analysis showed that SA treatment was able to up-regulate the genes involved in photosynthesis, carbon metabolism, porphyrin and chlorophyll metabolism, photosynthesis-antenna proteins. The conclusion is that SA application would effectively improve the ability of pigment biosynthesis and photosystem repair of tobacco under drought conditions, thus enhance the photosynthesis, reduce the accumulation of ROS and increase drought resistance, which would provide a measure for alleviating the damage of tobacco caused by drought stress.
Effects of Complement 3 deficiency on its receptor downstream signaling pathway-mediated inflammatory response in knockout mice

The current study measured alterations in the inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS)‑mediated cyclooxygenase‑2 (COX‑2) induction pathway, inflammasome pathway, NF-kB activation, and inflammatory cytokine expressions in the transverse colon of C3 knockout (KO) mice, to determine whether complement component 3 (C3) deficiency affects its receptor downstream-mediated inflammatory response. Compared to wild type (WT) mice, the expression level of C3 protein was successfully suppressed in the transverse colon of C3 KO mice. Significant enhancement was observed in expression levels of important members of the iNOS‑mediated COX‑2 induction pathway, and in the phosphorylation of mitogen‑activated protein (MAP) kinase members. Also, a similar pattern of increase was observed in the expression levels of inflammasome proteins in C3 KO mice. Moreover, compared to WT mice, C3 KO mice showed remarkably enhanced phosphorylation of NF-kB and IkB-a, which was reflected in entirety as increased expressions of TNF-a, IL-6 and IL-1a. Taken together, results of the current study indicate that C3 deficiency induces activation of the iNOS‑mediated COX‑2 induction pathway, ASC-inflammasome pathway, and NF-kB signaling pathway, resulting in the enhancement of inflammatory cytokine expressions in the transverse colon of C3 KO mice.
Family Poverty in Black and White: Results From a New Poverty Measure

Advances in poverty measurement have opened new opportunities for investigating differences in poverty among racial and ethnic groups. Some researchers have attributed differences in poverty to differences in group characteristics, such as marital status or educational attainment, whereas others have focused on labor market differences or to differential benefits from taxes and transfer payments. This paper brings together all of these approaches to investigate the history of Black–White poverty differentials for families with children from 1980 to 2014. We break the history of the Black–White poverty differential into three “eras”: 1980 to 1992, when the racial differential was largely driven by the business cycle; 1992 to 2002, when the racial differential was reduced substantially; and 2002 to 2014, when the differential could have been strongly influenced by the Great Recession, but was not. For each era, we examine the extent to which the changes in the poverty differential were influenced by changes in tax and transfer payment policy and by changes in family demographic and labor market characteristics. We find that labor market changes and changes in tax credits and transfer payments have strongly influenced the differential, though racial differences in marital structure, family work effort, and heads’ educational attainment also continue to play a role.
Acting “Straight”: Socio-Behavioral Consequences of Anti-Queer Hate Crime Victimization

Abstract Research on the consequences of hate crime victimization primarily focuses on adverse health and economic effects with limited attention devoted to the socio-behavioral impact of crime. Informed by Intersectionality Theory (Crenshaw, 1989) and relying on 400 in-person structured interviews with LGBTQ Latine immigrant victims of crime in Miami, this research finds that 23% of victims had to change housing, 13% began avoiding queer venues/friends, and 35% started acting stereotypically “straight” because of the crime. New immigrant victims were more likely to experience forced relocation due to crime. Victims were more likely to adopt heteronormative behavior/appearance as a result of victimization if they were non-Cuban-American, had higher income, and were more closeted. Findings suggest that coming out can be an important crime control strategy. The paper concludes with a discussion about the benefits and limitations of adopting the intersectionality perspective in quantitative research, and three-stage venue-based sampling used to recruit participants.
Hydrophobic performance of electrospun fibers functionalized with TiO2 nanoparticles

The development of materials with hydrophobic properties has been widely explored in areas such as textiles, healthcare, sports, and personal protective equipment. Hydrophobic properties that arise from nanoparticles (nPs) directly promote other valuable properties, including self-cleaning capabilities, decreased bacterial growth, and increased comfort. In this study, biodegradable poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) nanofibers were functionalized by the incorporation of titanium dioxide (TiO2) nPs to develop water-repellent materials. The membranes were produced through electrospinning, and variables such as the polymer concentration, nP concentration, and needle diameter were optimized to achieve PCL/TiO2 composite fibers with water-repellent capabilities. The nanofibers were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and the water contact angle (WCA). In general, it was observed that the nanofibers presented higher roughness values when TiO2 nPs were present and that this result promoted higher WCA values. The highest WCA value (156°) was obtained for the nanofiber mat produced with 20% weight-to-volume (w/v) PCL and 0.6% (w/v) TiO2.
RECURSOS FITOGENÉTICOS FORESTALES, FORRAJEROS, DE INTERÉS APÍCOLA Y PAISAJÍSTICO NATIVOS DE LA PROVINCIA DE SANTA FE (ARGENTINA)

Santa Fe posee un número signifi cativo de especies nativas con valor real o potencial para la producción agropecuaria, industrial y la protección ambiental. El primer paso para desarrollar una estrategia de uso efi ciente de los recursos genéticos silvestres es el listado de las especies prioritarias a conservar. En este trabajo se analizan los recursos fi togenéticos forrajeros herbáceos, forestales, de interés apícola y paisajístico dada su importancia económica y/o estratégica. Se brinda información de uso en cada categoría y en todas las especies se analiza su distribución geográfi ca por departamentos y se presenta información sobre la conservación de sus semillas. Se priorizaron 138 especies, 29 de las cuales tienen más de un uso (24 de interés forestal, 45 de interés forrajero, 32 de interés apícola y 69 de interés paisajístico). La información que se presenta será de utilidad en el diseño de estrategias de conservación y uso de los recursos fi togenéticos nativos por parte de investigadores y organismos ofi ciales provinciales y nacionales.
Targeted Follow-up of Incidental Lung Nodules: Will the New Nodules in Unscanned Regions Be Missed?

Objective: Targeted computed tomography (TCT) scans a limited part or those parts of the lung with nodules that require follow-up. In order to apply targeted tomography safely, it is important to know the frequency of newly appearing nodules in unscanned regions of lung. We aimed to evaluate the frequency and importance of new pulmonary nodules that appear in patients followed-up for nodules according to Fleischner society guidelines. Methods: A total of 117 patients (women: 54; men: 63; mean age: 55±14 years; range: 30-88 years) who were followed-up for 265 lung nodules were included in this study. The inclusion criteria was presence of at least 1 nodule that was followed-up for at least 6 months with CT. Patients with calcified nodules or known malignancy during initial CT were excluded. Results: The median follow-up time was 22 months (range: 6-80 months) and the median number of follow-up CT scans was 2 (range: 1-5). New nodules appeared only in 6% (7/117) of the patients, of which 5 had nodules that disappeared or decreased in size during follow-up. Conclusion: For patients who were followed-up for pulmonary nodules, the frequency of new nodule formation was low. This should encourage the use of TCT for nodule follow-up. With an appropriate TCT follow-up schedule, patients will receive reasonably low radiation levels without affecting their management.
A Compressive-Sensing Approach for Opportunistic Bistatic SAR Imaging Enhancement by Harnessing Sparse Multiaperture Data

This article introduces a compressive sensing (CS)-based approach for increasing bistatic synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging quality in the context of a multiaperture acquisition. The analyzed data were recorded over an opportunistic bistatic setup including a stationary ground-based-receiver opportunistic C-band bistatic SAR differential interferometry (COBIS) and Sentinel-1 C-band transmitter. Since the terrain observation by progressive scans (TOPS) mode is operated, the receiver can record synchronization pulses and echoed signals from the scene during many apertures. Hence, it is possible to improve the azimuth resolution by exploiting the multiaperture data. The recorded data are not contiguous and a naive integration of the chopped azimuth phase history would generate undesired grating lobes. The proposed processing scheme exploits the natural sparsity characterizing the illuminated scene. For azimuth profiles recovery greedy, convex, and nonconvex CS solvers are analyzed. The sparsifying basis/dictionary is constructed using the synthetically generated azimuth chirp derived considering Sentinel-1 orbital parameters and COBIS position. The chirped-based CS performance is further put in contrast with a Fourier-based CS method and an autoregressive model for signal reconstruction in terms of scene extent limitations and phase restoration efficiency. Furthermore, the analysis of different receiver-looking scenarios conducted to the insertion in the processing chain of a direct and an inverse Keystone transform for range cell migration (RCM) correction to cope with squinted geometries. We provide an extensive set of simulated and real-world results that prove the proposed workflow is efficient both in improving the azimuth resolution and in mitigating the sidelobes.
Release of powdery or granular substances from intact dangerous goods bags during road transport—Analysis of the causes and development of a test concept

The leaks of dangerous goods from actually intact bags detected in the years 2018 to 2020 tend to be at an almost constant high level. These releases of powdery or granular dangerous goods represent violations of the sift‐proofness required in the dangerous goods regulations. This article first analyses the causes. The components of the bags that are affected by leaks are micro‐perforations, joins and closures, in particular internal sleeve valves. A distinction must be made between bags closed in conformity with or contrary to the manufacturer's instructions. The particle release is determined by a number of influencing factors of the filling substance, the packaging and other boundary conditions. Therefore, a comprehensive test concept is developed in this work, which takes all these factors into account. The application of this test concept facilitates the planning of the test setup and the experiments. On this basis, the complex mechanisms involved in the release of solid substances can be systematically investigated in the test laboratory. To prevent releases of powdery or granular substances from intact bags, it is necessary that the user has access to the closing instructions and the relevant properties of the test substance used for the design‐type approval. Further experimental investigations are needed to assess whether filling substances change their properties during transport and whether this enables them to escape.
Broadband folded reflectarray based on single‐layer subwavelength elements using discrete phase control

In this article, a new subwavelength element is introduced into the broadband folded reflectarray antenna (FRA). The element comprises a rectangular split‐ring resonator with two slits and a square patch located in the center of the rectangular ring. It can achieve superior cross polarization conversion (CPC) performance from 16.2 to 26.4 GHz with 1 dB bandwidth of 45.4%, and high orthogonal polarization isolation. Furthermore, changing the positions of two splits of the element can achieve two discrete reflection phases (0° and 180°) with the high CPC efficiency and angular stability. To verify the feasibility, an FRA using the digitally quantized phase distribution method is designed and measured at 22 GHz. The measured results show that the 1 dB gain bandwidth of the proposed FRA is 30.8%, and the maximum aperture efficiency is 15.4%. This superior performance is comparable with the existing FRAs.
A majorization-minimization scheme for L 2 support vector regression

In a support vector regression (SVR) model, using the squared ϵ-insensitive loss function makes the optimization problem strictly convex and yields a more concise solution. However, the formulation of -SVR leads to a quadratic programming which is expensive to solve. This paper reformulates the optimization problem of -SVR by absorbing the constraints in the objective function, which can be solved efficiently by a majorization-minimization approach, in which an upper bound for the objective function is derived in each iteration which is easier to be minimized. The proposed approach is easy to implement, without requiring any additional computing package other than basic linear algebra operations. Numerical studies on real-world datasets show that, compared to the alternatives, the proposed approach can achieve similar prediction accuracy with substantially higher time efficiency in training.
WALANT Hand and Upper Extremity Procedures Performed With Minor Field Sterility Are Associated With Low Infection Rates

Background: The use of minor field sterility in hand/upper extremity cases has been shown to improve workflow efficiency while maintaining patient safety. As this finding has been limited to specific procedures, we investigated the safety of performing a wide array of hand/upper extremity procedures outside the main operating room using minimal field sterility with Wide-Awake Local Anaesthesia No Tourniquet (WALANT) anaesthesia by evaluating superficial and deep infection rates across a diverse series of cases. Methods: This study was a case series conducted between October 2017 and June 2020. Of all, 217 patients underwent hand/upper extremity procedures performed in a minor procedure room via WALANT technique with field sterility. Primary outcome measures include superficial and deep surgical site infections within 14 days post-surgery. Results: Of all, 217 patients were included in this study; 265 consecutive hand/upper extremity operations were performed by a single surgeon, with notable case diversity. The majority of patients (n = 215, 99.1%) did not report or present with signs of infection before or after their operation. We report 0% 14-day and 0.37% 30-day surgical site infection rates for such hand/upper extremity procedures performed in a minor procedure room with field sterility. Conclusion: Hand/upper extremity procedures performed via WALANT technique with field sterility in a minor procedure room are associated with low surgical site infection rates. These rates are comparable to surgical site infection rates for similar surgeries performed in main operating rooms with standard sterilization procedures. Thus, the implementation of this technique may allow for improved workflow efficiency and reduced waste, all while maintaining patient safety.
Airway obstruction due to mucus plug in patients with Organophosphorous poisoning – Atropine the culprit? A case series

Organophoshorous poisoning is a common cause of death in developing countries. These compounds inhibit acetylcholinesterase leading to accumulation of acetylcholine, causing overstimulation of nicotinic and muscarinic receptors. Atropine and oximes are the mainstay of treatment. Atropine helps in countering muscarinic effects and decreasing secretions. It also makes the secretions thick, tenacious and may obstruct the airway. We observed five cases of organophosphorus poisoning being treated with atropine developing sudden respiratory distress attributed to mucus plug obstructing the airway which was confused with intermediate syndrome. After removal of the mucus plug these patients recovered uneventfully.