Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
3D laser scanner based on surface silicon micromachining techniques for shape and size reconstruction of the human ear canal

As technology advances, hearing aids can be packaged into increasingly smaller housings. Devices that fit entirely within the deeper portion of the external auditory canal have been developed, called completely-in-the-canal (CIC). These aids are custom moulded and have high cosmetic appeal because they are virtually undetectable. They also have several acoustic advantages: reduced occlusion effect, reduced gain requirements, and preservation of the natural acoustic properties of the pinna and external ear. However, CIC hearing aids require proper fitting of the hearing aid shell to the subject ear canal to achieve satisfactory wearing comfort, reduction in acoustic feedback, and unwanted changes in the electro-acoustic characteristics of the aid. To date, the hearing aid shell manufacturing process is fully manual: the shell is fabricated as a replica of the impression of the subject ear canal. Conventional impression acquisition method is very invasive and imprecise, moreover the typical post-impression processes made on the ear impression leaves room for error and may not accurately represent the structural anatomy of patient’s ear canal. There are some laser approaches able to perform a 3D laser scanning of the original ear impression but, the entire shell-making process is completely dependent on the ear impression and often is the sole cause of poor fitting shell. Therefore, direct ear canal scanning is the only way to perform accurate and repeatable measurements without the use of physical ear impression. The conventional optical elements are not able to enter in the inner part of the ear and perform a scanning of the cavity. This work is devoted to the direct scanning of human external auditory canal by using electromagnetically actuated torsion micromirror fabricated by micromachining technique as scanner. This is the first ever demonstration of actual scanning of human external auditory canal by a single integral Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS). A novel prototype 3D scanning system is developed together with surface reconstruction algorithm to
The Conquest of Water : The Advent of Health in the Industrial Age

Part 1 Water, purity and hygiene: new knowledge new objectives the triumph of hygiene. Part 2 Mass diffusion: the power of the press the role of the hospital schools and the moulding of attitudes. Part 3 The effects of the conquest: water becomes an industrial product the development of the infrasctructure water in everyday life. Conclusion: the significance of change.
Neuromuscular Retraining in Female Adolescent Athletes: Effect on Athletic Performance Indices and Noncontact Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury Rates

Abstract: While many anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) prevention programs have been published, few have achieved significant reductions in injury rates and improvements in athletic performance indices; both of which may increase compliance and motivation of athletes to participate. A supervised neuromuscular retraining program (18 sessions) was developed, aimed at achieving both of these obj ectives. The changes in neuromuscular indices were measured after training in 1000 female athletes aged 13–18 years, and the noncontact ACL injury rate in 700 of these trained athletes was compared with that of 1120 control athletes. There were significant im provements in the drop-jump test, ( p < 0.0001, effect size [ES] 0.97), the single-leg triple crossover hop ( p < 0.0001, ES 0.47), the t -test ( p < 0.0001, ES 0.64), the multi-stage fitness test ( p < 0.0001, ES 0.57), hamstring strength ( p < 0.0001), and quadriceps strength ( p < 0.01). The trained athletes had a significant reduction in the noncontact ACL injury incidence rate compared with the controls (1 ACL injury in 36,724 athlete-exposures [0.03] and 13 ACL injuries in 61,244 exposures [0.21], respectively,
Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Techniques and Applications

Synthetic Aperture RADAR (SAR) became a well-established and powerful remote sensing technology used worldwide for several applications thanks to the possibility of sensing the Earth surface at night and day and in any weather condition. Recent advances have dramatically raised on SAR monitoring potential by improving spatial resolution, revisit time, swath width, polarimetric capability. Moreover, the present and forthcoming space-borne missions allow SAR imaging at different bands and acquisition modes (e.g. spotlight, wide swath, bistatic, multistatic, geosynchronous). All these advances stimulated the investigation of new processing algorithms, products, and applications able to fully exploit new sensor capabilities (e.g. wide spectral band, short revisit time, multi-angle view), and the large SAR data archive.
Introduction to Environmental Engineering

Part One - Environmental Engineering 1 - Identifying and Solving Environmental Problems What is Environmental Engineering / The Holy Cross College Hepatitis Outbreak / The Disposal of Wastewater Sludge / The Donora Episode / Jersey City Chromium / The Discovery of Biological Wastewater Treatment / The Garbage Barge / Sustainability and Cradle-to-Cradle Design / End Notes Part Two - Fundamentals 2 - Engineering Decisions Decisions Based on Technical Analyses / Decisions Based on Cost-Effectiveness Analyses / Decisions Based on Benefit/Cost Analyses / Decisions Based on Risk Analyses / Decisions Based on Alternatives Assessment / Decisions Based on Environmental Impact Analyses / Decisions Based on Ethical Analyses / Continuity in Engineering Decisions / Problems / End Notes 3 - Engineering Calculations Engineering Dimensions and Units / Approximations in Engineering Calculations / Information Analysis / Problems / End Notes 4 - Material Balances and Separations Material Balances with a Single Material / Material Balances with Multiple Materials / Material Balances with Reactors / Problems / End Notes 5 - Reactions Zero-Order Reactions / First-Order Reactions / Second-Order and Noninteger-Order Reactions / Half-Life and Doubling Time / Consecutive Reactions / Problems / End Notes 6 - Reactors Mixing Model / Reactor Models / Problems 7 - Energy Flows and Balances Units of Measure / Energy Balances and Conversion / Energy Sources and Availability / Problems 8 - Ecosystems Energy and Material Flows in Ecosystems / Human Influence on Ecosystems / Problems / End Notes Part Three - Applications 9 - Water Quality Measures of Water Quality / Assessing Water Quality / Water Quality Standards / Problems / End Notes 10 - Water Supply and Treatment The Hydrologic Cycle and Water Availability / Water Treatment / Distribution of Water / Problems / End Notes 11 - Wastewater Treatment Wastewater / Preliminary and Primary Treatment / Secondary Treatment / Tertiary Treatment / Sludge Treatment and Disposal / Selection of Treatment Strategies / Problems / End Notes 12 - Air Quality Meteorology and Air Movement / Major Air Pollutants / Sources and Effects of Air Pollution / Air Quality Standards / Problems / End Notes 13 - Air Quality Control Treatment of Emissions / Dispersion of Air Pollutants / Control of Moving Sources / Problems / End Notes 14 - Solid Waste Collection of Refuse / Generation of Refuse / Reuse and Recycling of Materials from Refuse / Combustion of Refuse / Ultimate Disposal of Refuse: Sanitary Landfills / Reducing the Generation of Refuse: Source Reduction / Integrated Solid Waste Management / Problems / End Notes 15 - Hazardous Waste Defining Hazardous Waste / Hazardous Waste Management / Radioactive Waste Management / Sustainable Materials Management / Hazardous Waste Management and Future Generations / Problems / End Notes 16 - Noise Pollution Sound / Measurement of Sound / Effect of Noise on Human Health / Noise Abatement / Noise Control / Problems / End Notes 17 - Ethics of Green Engineering Green Engineering / Motivations for Practicing Green Engineering / Conclusions / End Notes
Prognostics, the real issues involved with predicting life remaining

This paper reviews the fundamentals of prognostics with emphasis on the estimation of remaining life and the interrelationships between accuracy, precision and confidence. A distinction is made between the static view of failure distributions derived from historical data and the dynamic view of remaining life derived from condition. The nonstationary nature of prognoses is illustrated using data from a failing SH-60 helicopter gearbox. A method is demonstrated that measures the accuracy and uncertainty of remaining life estimates using example prognostic features. This method isolates the uncertainty attributable to features and their interpretation from the uncertainty due to the random variables that govern the physics of component failure. Results from the example features support a hypothesized trend of improved accuracy and lower uncertainty as remaining life decreases.
Computation of the 1‐dB compression point in radio frequency amplifier circuits using moments analysis

Nonlinear distortion analysis is one of the most computationally challenging aspects in the simulation of radio frequency circuits. Recently, an efficient moments‐based approach to determine the third‐order intercept point from the general harmonic balance equations, without the need to perform a harmonic balance simulation, was presented. In this article, the efficient computation of another important performance figure of merit, that of the 1‐dB compression point, using moments analysis is presented. In addition, the computations of the second‐ and fifth‐order intercept points are also presented. As a result, moments analysis becomes a comprehensive approach for quantifying nonlinear distortion using several key distortion figures of merit with a significant speed‐up over traditional harmonic balance methods. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J RF and Microwave CAE 25:10–20, 2015.
Effect of respiratory muscle strengthening with breathing exercises on Ventilatory functions, aerobic fitness and their association with performance in elite rowers

ObjectiveRowing is one of the most physically demanding endurance sports requiring high levels of ventilation. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of RMT on ventilatory parameters, aerobic fitness and rowing ergometer performance among 20 professional rowers (experimental (n = 11) and control (n = 9) aged 20–35 years in Sri Lanka.ResultsRowers in the experimental group were prescribed a RMT program comprising of breathing exercises while control group was prescribed a general exercise program for a 12 weeks. There were significant improvements in PIF, FVC, and VO2maxin the experimental group after 12-weeks (p < 0.05) while only VO2 max improved non-significantly in the control group (p > 0.05). Compared to the control, PIF improved significantly in the experimental group (p < 0.05). The rowers in the experimental group with higher PIF and VO2max performed better at 2000 m and 5000 m ergometer whereas in the control group, only VO2max was associated with better performance in 5000 m ergometer. This suggests that the RMT program had a significant effect in improving some ventilatory parameters and VO2max of the rowers resulting in better performance.Trial registration: Current Controlled Trials UMIN000040345, 08/05/2020. “Retrospectively registered”
Pyroelectric/electrocaloric energy scanvenging and cooling capabilities in ferroelectric materials

Current needs for clean energy sources aroused the problem of energy scavenging. Significant advances have been achieved in the framework of energy harvesting on solar energy, wind and vibrations (mechanical quantities). Different systems are already available: solar cells, electromechanical conversion for harvesting from vibrations or from mechanical stress (i.e. produced by a person walking or an object movement) [1]. Wasted heat is rarely harvested, mainly because of the very low efficiency of harvesting devices and their large consumption. Pyroelectric materials may be used for energy scavenging, due to their ability to convert temperature variations into usable electric energy. The reverse effect of pyroelectric activity is the electrocaloric effect. The electrocaloric effect (ECE) is a general property of dielectrics to change their temperature under applied electric field at adiabatic conditions. When having heat exchange with an outer medium, it defines the exchanged heat as a function of the applied electric field under isothermal conditions. In the case of ferroelectric materials ECE is strongly correlated with the pyroelectric effect, which gives the change of electric induction for a given temperature variation. The ECE effect may be used for refrigeration devices whereas the pyroelectric effect may be used for temperature/heat sensors or energy harvesting. Electrocaloric materials were the focus of significant scientific interest in the 1960s and 1970s, but were not commercially exploited as the electrocaloric effects were insufficient for practical applications [2]. (1-x)Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3xPbTiO3 (PMN-PT) materials show a quite high pyroelectric and electrocaloric activity [3,4]. However the practical use of such materials is their electric field limitations before electric breakdown. It is in fact limited to 3–5 kV/mm on bulk ceramics, and could be largely increased for fields up to 50–100 kV/mm. Such large electric fields associated with outstanding electrocaloric conversion were obtained on PZT thin films and shown by Mischenko et al. [5] with a predicted controllable temperature of 12 K for 25 V input voltage.
Fabrication and Characterization of Copper Phthalocyanine- Based Field Effect Transistors

Future generations of electronic products will be enabled by flexible electronic circuits, displays, and sensors based on organic active materials, which could eventually reach the mainstream electronics industry. One of such devices is the organic field-effect transistor (OFET), which are three-terminal devices that are comprised of a gate, source, and drain electrode. In this study, we fabricated a bottom-gate bottom-contact OFET device using copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) as a semiconducting layer. CuPc is a commercially available metal complex, a known p-type semiconducting material. Au/Ti electrode is sputtered on Al gated silicon substrate with thermally grown SiO2 dielectric layer. CuPc films were then deposited over the substrate with patterned electrodes by physical vapor deposition at a rate of 0.35 nm/s, recorded by a quartz crystal microbalance at room temperature under a background pressure of 1.21x10 Pa. A thin layer of organic material was also deposited on glass slides and the optical properties of films with different thicknesses were determined by UV-Vis spectrometry and the optical band-gap energy was determined to be 1.64±0.01 eV. The thermal annealing effect on thin-film crystallization morphology was studied with atomic force microscopy (AFM) and contact angle measurement.
Design and Construction of Screw Type Oil Press Equipment)

Compression process is an important step in candlenut oil production, which in this process will be produced candlenut oil through heating and pressing candlenut. Utilization of candlenut oil today more and more, not only in the food industry but also in the cosmetic, paint, as well as fuels alternative. This study was aimed to plan and builda screw mechanical device of candlenut pressing . The study was conducted with literature study , experiment, observation and testing of the equipment . The parameters measured were the effective capacity of the equipment . The results showed that the effective capacity of the oil press was 3,35kg/hour . Key word: candlenut, capacity , postharvest equipment, pressing, effective Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:. 0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
Monitoring of biofilms in the food and beverage industries

Abstract: Monitoring biofilm formation in the food and beverage industries is an important tool not only to detect and evaluate the surface, product and process contamination, but also to minimize the effects of such contamination, to apply timely countermeasures and to assess their efficacy. The present chapter reviews some of the most used monitoring techniques both in laboratorial and in industrial processes. These methodologies are based on different physical principles, which can range from the traditional visual inspection and classical microbiological techniques to more recent approaches based on the propagation of vibration or optical signals. A brief description of those methods will be provided, as well as a discussion about their (laboratorial vs. industrial) applicability. When relevant, the commercially available devices will also be indicated.
Et2 and Multi-Voltage Logic

Traditionally computer systems have been operated completely at a single voltage, which has been 5 volts for over a decade and now appears to be moving towards 3.3 volts. The operating voltage has gnerally been taken as a constant, given by the process and selected by the designers of the manufacturing process. It is clear that the current situation in which we might wish to operate a chip at one voltage although the surrounding circuitry in operated at a different voltage.
Characterising formant trajectories by tracking vocal tract resonances

This article presents a characterisation of formant trajectories based on the tracking of each resonance of the vocal tract. Thanks to an original method called nomograms with decoupled cavities, the optimal constriction location of the area functions of ten prototypical French vowels are given, together with the main affiliations of each formant : the formants affiliated with the back cavity are noted as R 1 , R 3 . while the formants affiliated with the front one are noted as R 2 , R 4 . The typology of the focal points (convergence of formants due to a change of affiliation between formants) is confirmed by an extensive analysis of natural vowel-to-vowel transitions. An original vowel space (R 1 -R 2 ) is then proposed which maximises the distances between vowels and favours the effecting tracking of the vocal tract resonances by assuming an active filtering of R 3 . A simple normalisation of the formant space highlights the promising performance of a speaker-independent vowel indentification system based on such an adaptive filtering. Articulatory and perceptual experiments provide evidence converging towards an effective control of an R 1 -R 3 relation independent of R 2
Impact of Demutualization on Market Quality

The literature on market quality has focused on different perspectives but has overlooked its relationship with governance structure. This study analyzes the impact of a significant change in governance structure; that is demutualization, on market quality. We investigated one hundred thirty-seven non-financial firms listed on Demutualized Pakistan Stock Exchange and found that transaction cost has reduced by demutualization. We used two different proxies for transaction costs such as Thompson and Waller (1986) and Roll (1984) spread. We found that demutualization has a negative and significant impact on both proxies of the transaction cost. We conclude that demutualization has reduced the transaction cost and has improved market quality.
Power quality issues on AC traction systems

It is proposed that power quality in AC railway systems should consider low voltage, high voltage form factor and resonant overvoltage rather than the parameters normally considered for public utilities. Each of the 3 system aspects has a conventional means of compensation and a solution using power electronic systems. The paper describes the potential power quality problem areas on AC traction systems and possible means of compensation. The conclusion is drawn that disturbance levels on AC traction systems are likely to remain higher than disturbance within public electricity supplies to achieve lower capital cost for railway networks.
Towards an inclusive society

Most Western countries and a number of developing countries have taken steps to promote the design of the built environment and products to accommodate the needs of people who, depending on sensitivities, cultural preferences and context, are variously described as having physical, sensory or cognitive impairments, disabilities or handicaps. In some cases, this has been achieved through a demand for a society that is inclusive of people of all abilities and for environments which positively support the notion of an inclusive society. Legislation has been a powerful driver for reducing the degree of outright discrimination, and design and engineering have been a vehicle for providing solutions. A significant contribution to the realization of higher degrees of social inclusion has come from a disproportionately small number of designers and engineers as well as from social workers, demographers, psychologists, facility managers, gerontologists, bioengineers, lawyers and professionals from other disciplines as well as gifted lay-people. They have devoted significant energy to understanding the needs of those individuals whose abilities differ significantly from the norm and who have sought to design products and environments that enhance rather than hinder the performance of these individuals. Often their work has been small-scale, meeting the needs of a specific individual rather than the needs of several people or a group. This has been a ‘bottom-up’ activity where research, development and practice have gone hand in hand but where, because of the absence of a critical mass of specialist professionals, good ideas, effective solutions and sound practice may not have been shared effectively.
An Analysis of Sailors Academic Success in the Navy College Program Distance Learning Partner (NCPDLP) Schools

Abstract : This thesis analyzes the Sailors' academic success in the TA-funded courses taken in the Navy College Program Distance Learning Partnership (NCPDLP) Program partner institutions. This study also investigates the effect of institutional characteristics on the academic success of students. The data files obtained from Navy Education and Training Command (NETC) and Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System are merged to generate the data set used in the analysis. The analysis suggests that Sailors who take courses via Distance Learning (DL) methods in the NCPDLP partner schools have lower course completion rates and lower grade point averages than Sailors who take DL courses in other types of schools. The analysis also indicates that Sailors who enroll in private for-profit schools receive higher grades in TA-funded courses than Sailors who enroll in public or private nonprofit schools.