Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Electro-optic fringe locking and photometric tuning using a two-stage Mach–Zehnder lithium niobate waveguide for high-contrast mid-infrared interferometry

Abstract. We present an optimization process to improve the rejection ratio in integrated beam combiners by locking the dark fringe and then monitoring its intensity. The method proposed here uses the electro-optic effect of lithium niobate in order to lock the dark fringe and to real-time balance the photometric flux by means of a two-stage Mach–Zehnder interferometer waveguide. By applying a control voltage on the output Y-junction, we are able to lock the phase and stay in the dark fringe, while an independent second voltage is applied on the first-stage intensity modulator, to finely balance the photometries. We have obtained a rejection ratio of 4600 (36.6 dB) at 3.39 μm in transverse electric polarization, corresponding to 99.98% fringe contrast, and shown that the system can compensate external phase perturbations (a piston variation of 100 nm) up to around 1 kHz. We also show the preliminary results of this process on wide-band modulation, where a contrast of 38% in 3.25- to 3.65-μm spectral range is obtained. These preliminary results on wide-band need to be optimized, in particular, for reducing scattered light of the device at the Y-junction. We expect this active method to be useful in high-contrast interferometry, in particular, for astronomical spatial projects actually under study.
Reduction of State-to-State Kinetics to Macroscopic Models in Hypersonic Flows

The state-to-state chemical kinetic model, which considers a kinetic equation for each vibrational state of diatomic molecules, has been applied to some supersonic flow regimes and in particular in boundary layer, nozzle expansion, and shock wave. Nonequilibrium vibrational distribution obtained in the calculations shows strong departure from equilibrium-inducing non-Arrhenius global chemical rates, which differ substantially from macroscopic rates commonly used in fluid-dynamic codes. The evolution properties of the distribution have been investigated by a zero-dimensional numerical code in controlled conditions. We are trying to obtain from zero-dimensional results the approach to find appropriate macroscopic rate models to be used in fluid-dynamic codes accounting for the vibrational nonequilibrium. A comparison of analytical fitting of the zero-dimensional data and fluid dynamic global rates has been performed. Nomenclature ci = coefficients for the solution of the master equation Ev = energy of the vth vibrational level k = Boltzmann constant k d = dissociation rate constant k p = rates of the process p
High-dynamic-range camera-based bidirectional reflectance distribution function measurement system for isotropic materials

We present a novel high-dynamic-range (HDR) camera-based bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) measurement system that can measure the reflectance property of isotropic materials. Our developed system can measure the BRDF of highly specular materials much faster than previous systems. It measures highly dense BRDF samples for a wider reflection angle with less noise so that it provides accuracy that is necessary for computer graphics application. To estimate the reflectance of a given material, we perform an absolute photometric calibration for the HDR camera. Our system is verified by checking the Helmholtz reciprocity and comparing the performance with that of previous image-based systems. The capability and efficiency of the developed system is demonstrated by comparing the images generated by measure-and-fit and direct-rendering methods using the measured data of four different isotropic materials.
Compressive sensing in block based image/video coding

Recently, Compressive Sensing (CS) has emerged as a more efficient sampling method for sparse signals. Comparing to the traditional Nyquist-Shannon sampling theory, CS provides a great reduction of sampling rate, power consumption, and computational complexity to acquire and represent sparse signals. In this paper, we propose a new block based image/video compression scheme, which uses CS to improve coding efficiency. In the traditional lossy coding schemes, such as JPEG and H.264, the dominant coding error comes from scalar quantization. The CS recovery procedure can help mitigating the quantization error in the decoding process. We use rate distortion optimization (RDO) for mode selection (MS) between the traditional inverse DCT transform and projection onto convex sets (POCS) algorithm. In our experiment, the new image compression method is able to achieve up to 1 dB gain over standard JPEG.
An Algorithm for Conflict Identification and Feature Displacement in Automated Map Generalization

Study of the human cartographer as a paradigm for automated map design has led to the identification of 12 generalization techniques that can be used in various combinations and levels of application during the map design process. One of those techniques is displacement: a technique applied locally to regions of the map sufficiently dense with features that they are indistinguishable. Prior to displacement, it is necessary to identify these localized areas (spatial conflicts). When features are displaced, a number of aesthetic considerations need to be addressed. Displacement must not create new conflicts, the general geometric and topological properties of the map must remain the same, and localized distortions need to merge smoothly into the areas surrounding the conflicts. This paper discusses an algorithm that identifies and resolves spatial conflicts and meets the above conditions. Implementation is discussed, together with some test results.
Environmental Factors Determining Body Mass Index (BMI) within 9 Months of Therapy Post Bariatric Surgery—Sleeve Gastrectomy (SG)

Treatment of obesity should be multidirectional and include, in addition to bariatric surgery, changing the key factors of lifestyle and eating habits. The study aimed to assess the impact of bariatric surgery and dietary care on anthropometric measurements, blood pressure, changes in lifestyle, and eating habits of patients within 9 months after the procedure, with the selection of environmental factors determining BMI variation. The study included 30 SG patients before surgery (month zero) and at 1, 3, 6, and 9 months after SG. Patients completed a questionnaire regarding age, sex, place of residence, education, professional activity, number of family members, financial situation, family history of obesity, previous forms of therapy, self-assessment of nutritional knowledge, receiving and following nutritional recommendations, eating habits, frequency of body weight control, leisure time. Body weight, height, waist and hip circumference, and systolic and diastolic pressure were measured, and BMI and WHR (Waist to Hip Ratio) were calculated. Within 9 months after the procedure, the patients’ body weight and BMI decreased on average by 26%. Post bariatric surgery, patients changed their eating habits. The influence of bariatric SG surgery and time after surgery was decisive for the normalization of BMI and explained the 33% variation in BMI up to 9 months after the procedure. Other factors important for the normalization of BMI after surgery were: male gender, older age of patients, family obesity (non-modifiable factors), as well as previous forms of therapy related to weight loss before surgery, shortening the intervals between meals and stopping eating at night (modifiable factors). The tested model explained 68% of the BMI variation after SG surgery for all assessed factors. Changes in lifestyle and eating habits in bariatric patients are crucial to maintaining the effect of bariatric surgery.
Ridge Regression based EKF for GPS Navigation under Bad GDOP Conditions

In this paper, ridge regression based extended Kalman filter (EKF) for accurate GPS navigation solution under bad GDOP conditions (ie high GDOP values) is obtained. The effectiveness of the ridge regression based EKF for GPS navigation solution under bad GDOP conditions is illustrated in respect of a typical simulated trajectory.
Mapping cylinder neighborhoods in the plane

We characterize those compact subsets of the plane which have mapping cylinder neighborhoods, describe the neighborhood closures, and show that such neighborhood closures are topologically unique. The proofs employ the notion of prime ends. We also show that if U is a mapping cylinder neighborhood of a pointlike continuum in S3, then U is a 3-cell.
Theoretical Study of Slit Scattering

An expression is derived for the flux of multiply scattered charged particles emerging from a square‐edge collimating slit for a parallel beam at normal incidence. Full allowance is made for the continuous energy loss in the slit material, and the results are compared with those from Courant's theory. The effective increase in aperture is calculated for 50‐MeV protons on elements throughout the periodic table and the optimum materials for collimators are discussed. A computation of the origin on the collimator face of the slitscattered flux from 50‐MeV protons on copper shows that over 90% originate in the first 0.025 cm from the edge, when all energies are detected, and in less than 0.01 cm for energies above 37.5 MeV. The energy distribution is calculated as a function of the angular range accepted. The projected angle distribution, integrated over all energies, is found to have a maximum at about 1.5° for carbon, 4° for copper, and 7° for lead, with 50‐MeV incident protons. The higher energy slit‐scatt.
Detecting weak signals using a fractional Fourier transform-based stochastic matched filter for active sonars

In some cases of active sonars, signals backscattered from targets are very weak, which causes that classic matched filter (MF) cannot guarantee sufficient processing gain of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) for effective detection. It has been reported that stochastic matched filter pulse compression scheme (SMF-PC) makes use of the prior information of transmitted signal and background noise, and performs much better than the classic MF.However, in the case of very low SNR, the range resolution of the SMF is poor, due to the the distortion of signal information. This paper proposes an improved algorithm combining the SMF with fractional Fourier transform (FRFT) for processing linear-modulated frequency signals. Simulation demonstrates that the proposed algorithm has much better range resolution than the reference SMF.
A Likelihood Ratio and Markov Chain Based Method to Evaluate Density Forecasting

In this paper, we propose a likelihood ratio and Markov chain based method to evaluate density forecasting. This method can jointly evaluate the unconditional forecasted distribution and dependence of the outcomes. This method is an extension of the widely applied evaluation method for interval forecasting proposed by Christoffersen (1998). It is also a more refined approach than the pure contingency table based density forecasting method in Wallis (2003). We show that our method has very high power against incorrect forecasting distributions and dependence. Moreover, the straightforwardness and ease of application of this joint test provide a high potentiality for further applications in both financial and economical areas.
Bedside Ultrasound for Hemodynamic Monitoring in Cardiac Intensive Care Unit

Thanks to the advances in medical therapy and assist devices, the management of patients hospitalized in cardiac intensive care unit (CICU) is becoming increasingly challenging. In fact, Patients in the cardiac intensive care unit are frequently characterized by dynamic and variable diseases, which may evolve into several clinical phenotypes based on underlying etiology and its complexity. Therefore, the use of noninvasive tools in order to provide a personalized approach to these patients, according to their phenotype, may help to optimize the therapeutic strategies towards the underlying etiology. Echocardiography is the most reliable and feasible bedside method to assess cardiac function repeatedly, assisting clinicians not only in characterizing hemodynamic disorders, but also in helping to guide interventions and monitor response to therapies. Beyond basic echocardiographic parameters, its application has been expanded with the introduction of new tools such as lung ultrasound (LUS), the Venous Excess UltraSound (VexUS) grading system, and the assessment of pulmonary hypertension, which is fundamental to guide oxygen therapy. The aim of this review is to provide an overview on the current knowledge about the pathophysiology and echocardiographic evaluation of perfusion and congestion in patients in CICU, and to provide practical indications for the use of echocardiography across clinical phenotypes and new applications in CICU.
High-bandwidth acoustic data communication for stand-off identification by autonomous underwater vehicles

Stand-off mine countermeasure (MCM) operations with unmanned systems frequently require user involvement for the interpretation of image data, for classification and identification, and for decision-making during mine disposal. As the transfer of image data usually requires tethering, this leads to cumbersome operating procedures. We have demonstrated a high-bandwidth and quality-of-service (QoS) enabled acoustic data link for communication of live images and meta data from untethered underwater systems to an operator. Novel is the application of QoS diversity principles to the transmission of single messages with both live MCM image data and meta data to operators using wireless acoustic communication signals. The meta data, being high-priority low-volume data such as the system’s position, course and speed, as well as object classification/localization results, are communicated with high reliability on top of the image data that itself may allow some errors (e.g., bad pixels) to remain useful for the operator. For demonstration of the concept, we have full control over an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV), its sensor processing unit and software-defined modem, where the latter includes a 21 kHz bandwidth transducer (carrier @31.5 kHz). The described capability was successfully demonstrated at the NATO REP(MUS) 2021 exercise (Portugal) using an AUV with an optical camera and a side-scan sonar.
MOLECULAR SURVIVAL IN EVOLVED PLANETARY NEBULAE: DETECTION OF H2CO, c-C3H2, AND C2H IN THE HELIX

H2CO, c-C3H2, and C2H have been identified in the neutral envelope of the highly evolved planetary nebula (PN), the Helix (also know as NGC 7293). Emission from these species were detected toward a peak position in CO, 372″ east of the central star, using the facilities of the Arizona Radio Observatory (ARO). C2H and c-C3H2 were identified on the basis of their 3 mm transitions, measured with the ARO 12 m, while five lines of H2CO were observed using the 12 m at 2 and 3 mm and the ARO Submillimeter Telescope at 1 mm. From a radiative transfer analysis of the formaldehyde emission, the molecular material was determined to have a density of n(H2) ∼3 × 105 cm−3, with a kinetic temperature of Tkin ∼20 K. Column densities for C2H, H2CO, and c-C3H2 of Ntot ∼1.4 × 1013 cm−2, 1.1 × 1012 cm−2, and 3 × 1011 cm−2, respectively, were derived, corresponding to fractional abundances relative to H2 of f (H2CO) = 1 × 10−7, f (c-C3H2) = 3 × 10−8, and f (C2H) = 1 × 10−6. The physical conditions found support the notion that molecules in evolved PNe survive in dense clumps in pressure equilibrium, shielded from photodissociation. The presence of H2CO, c-C3H2, and C2H, along with the previously observed species CN, HNC, HCN, and HCO+, indicates that a relatively complex chemistry can occur in the late stages of PN evolution, despite potentially destructive ultraviolet radiation. These molecules have also been observed in diffuse clouds, suggesting a possible connection between molecular material in evolved PNe and the diffuse ISM.
Fluctuations with long-distance correlation in quasi-stationary and transient plasmas of LHD

Electron temperature fluctuations with long-distance correlation have been discovered in LHD. This paper reports the extended observations recently made on the spatiotemporal structure of the long-range fluctuations both in quasi-stationary and transient plasmas. The detailed characteristics or spatiotemporal characteristics of long-range temperature fluctuations are revealed successfully using correlation analysis. Particularly, the dynamics of the long-range fluctuations is investigated to find that the amplitude of the fluctuations decreased and their radial correlation lengths shortened during the transient phase induced by pellet injection. Temporal changes of radial correlation structure and amplitude of fluctuations at the onset of change in the plasma state are discussed.
Population heterogeneity in Plasmodium vivax relapse risk

A key characteristic of Plasmodium vivax parasites is their ability to adopt a latent liver-stage form called hypnozoites, able to cause relapse of infection months or years after a primary infection. Relapses of infection through hypnozoite activation are a major contributor to blood-stage infections in P vivax endemic regions and are thought to be influenced by factors such as febrile infections which may cause temporary changes in hypnozoite activation leading to ‘temporal heterogeneity’ in reactivation risk. In addition, immunity and variation in exposure to infection may be longer-term characteristics of individuals that lead to ‘population heterogeneity’ in hypnozoite activation. We analyze data on risk of P vivax in two previously published data sets from Papua New Guinea and the Thailand-Myanmar border region. Modeling different mechanisms of reactivation risk, we find strong evidence for population heterogeneity, with 30% of patients having almost 70% of all P vivax infections. Model fitting and data analysis indicates that individual variation in relapse risk is a primary source of heterogeneity of P vivax risk of recurrences. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01640574, NCT01074905, NCT02143934.
Protein Characteristics and Bioactivity of Fish Protein Hydrolysates from Tra Catfish (Pangasius hypophthalmus) Side Stream Isolates

Enzymatic hydrolysis is a novel method to recover highly potent bioactive fish protein hydrolysates (FPHs) from fish processing side-streams. The common way of producing FPHs directly from fish side-streams may be inappropriate due to the excess of lipids and pro-oxidants, especially in lipid-rich streams, as obtained from Tra catfish. This study aimed to optimise the hydrolysis conditions for a commercial enzyme (Alcalase® 2.4 L) (enzyme concentrate, temperature, and time) in FPH production from the fish protein isolate obtained from Tra catfish dark muscle (DM-FPI) using the pH-shift method. The degree of hydrolysis (DH), protein recovery (PR), and antioxidant properties, including DPPH radical scavenging activity (DPPH-RSA) and total reducing power capacity (TRPC), were measured to evaluate the effects of the hydrolysis conditions on the FPHs. Optimal hydrolysis was obtained at an enzyme/substrate protein ratio of 3% (v/w) and a hydrolysis temperature of 50 °C for 3 h. The FPHs obtained from different substrates, including DM-FPI, abdominal cut-off (ACO) FPI, and head and backbone blend (HBB) FPI, had similar DHs under these optimum conditions, ranging from 22.5% to 24.0%. However, the FPH obtained from abdominal cut-off isolate (ACO-FPH) showed the highest PR of 81.5 ± 4.3% and the highest antioxidant properties, with a DPPH-RSA of 86.1 ± 1.6% and a TRPC of 6.4 ± 0.4 equivalent mg vitamin C/g protein. The resulting FPHs present a natural source of antioxidants with great potential for food applications, especially the ACO-FPH. In addition, all FPHs had excellent amino acid profiles, indicating strong potential for their use as supplements. Tra catfish protein-rich side-streams can thus be processed into high-value bioactive FPHs using Alcalase for human consumption.
Assignment of the G + and G - Raman bands of metallic and semiconducting carbon nanotubes based on a common valence force field

We propose a model for calculating the phonon frequencies of any $(n,m)$ nanotube by considering explicitly the curvature of the system and the effects of long-range interactions determined by $\ensuremath{\pi}$ electrons. We show that the electron-phonon coupling strength is directly related to the electronic structure of the nanotube and it is the main interaction responsible for the different behavior shown in the Raman spectra by metallic and semiconducting nanotubes. On the basis of the vibrational valence force field derived in this work we propose an assignment of the $G$ band. Moreover, based on symmetry-selection rules, we can state that the LO modes of armchair nanotubes and the TO modes of zigzag nanotubes at ${\mathbf{\ensuremath{\Gamma}}}_{0}$ are silent in the Raman spectra.
Non-Volatile Memory and Synaptic Characteristics of TiN/CeOx/Pt RRAM Devices

In this study, we investigate the synaptic characteristics and the non-volatile memory characteristics of TiN/CeOx/Pt RRAM devices for a neuromorphic system. The thickness and chemical properties of the CeOx are confirmed through TEM, EDS, and XPS analysis. A lot of oxygen vacancies (ions) in CeOx film enhance resistive switching. The stable bipolar resistive switching characteristics, endurance cycling (>100 cycles), and non-volatile properties in the retention test (>10,000 s) are assessed through DC sweep. The filamentary switching model and Schottky emission-based conduction model are presented for TiN/CeOx/Pt RRAM devices in the LRS and HRS. The compliance current (1~5 mA) and reset stop voltage (−1.3~−2.2 V) are used in the set and reset processes, respectively, to implement multi-level cell (MLC) in DC sweep mode. Based on neural activity, a neuromorphic system is performed by electrical stimulation. Accordingly, the pulse responses achieve longer endurance cycling (>10,000 cycles), MLC (potentiation and depression), spike-timing dependent plasticity (STDP), and excitatory postsynaptic current (EPSC) to mimic synapse using TiN/CeOx/Pt RRAM devices.
Warm-fluid description of intense beam equilibrium and electrostatic stability properties

A nonrelativistic warm-fluid model is employed in the electrostatic approximation to investigate the equilibrium and stability properties of an unbunched, continuously focused intense ion beam. A closed macroscopic model is obtained by truncating the hierarchy of moment equations by the assumption of negligible heat flow. Equations describing self-consistent fluid equilibria are derived and elucidated with examples corresponding to thermal equilibrium, the Kapchinskij–Vladimirskij (KV) equilibrium, and the waterbag equilibrium. Linearized fluid equations are derived that describe the evolution of small-amplitude perturbations about an arbitrary equilibrium. Electrostatic stability properties are analyzed in detail for a cold beam with step-function density profile, and then for axisymmetric flute perturbations with ∂/∂θ=0 and ∂/∂z=0 about a warm-fluid KV beam equilibrium. The radial eigenfunction describing axisymmetric flute perturbations about the KV equilibrium is found to be identical to the eigenfunc.