Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Gantry Robot Dynamic Analysis Based on Lagrange’s Motion Equation

The dynamic problem is defined as the way the motion of the robot arises due to the torques and forces applied at the joint by the actuators. The motion undergone by robotic mechanical system should be as, a rule, as smooth as possible, abrupt changes in position, velocity, and acceleration should be avoided. Indeed, abrupt motions require unlimited amounts of power to be implemented, which the motors cannot supply because of their physical limitations. In this paper an analytical solution for the dynamics of 3 DOF gantry robot presented to achieve those goals, so our aims is to model the dynamics of gantry Robot for simple pick and place application. Equations of motion are derived using the Lagrange equations of the second order, the dynamical model of robot was developed, and the gantry robot system was modeled in SOLIDWORKS software environment and it was simulated using ADAMS software. The manipulator is composed by four basic modules defined as module X, module Y, module Z and terminal arm, where is connected the end-effector.
Enhanced Control and Power Management for a Renewable Energy Based Water Pumping System

The paper introduces a comprehensive dynamic analysis for a renewable energy based water pumping system. The complete system components are described in details. The components include a wind turbine power system, a permanent magnet synchronous generator (PMSG), a water pumping system and a battery. The storage system is used to enhance the power delivery under weak wind production which consequently enhances the system reliability. Considering the PMSG as the fundamental power unit in the system, a new predictive control procedure is presented to enhance the PMSG performance. To validate the effectiveness of the proposed control scheme, a detailed comparison is accomplished between the designed controller and other three traditional controllers to evaluate the most effective in between. A power management scheme is constructed to manage the power flow and ensuring a sufficient power delivery to the pumping system. The obtained results are presented and analyzed in details to compare between the dynamics of the four predictive controllers used to manage the generator operation. The results report that the formulated control scheme has the best performance in terms of the reduced fluctuations, low calculation capacity, structure simplicity and low currents THD. The obtained results also approve the validness of the designed power management strategy in balancing the power flow and stabilizing the DC bus voltage as well.
Privacy and Performance in Social Overlay Networks

The core Internet protocols were not designed to protect the privacy of content or the identities of communicating users, thus making censorship and surveillance easy. The same problem persists at higher level protocols, popular peer-to-peer networks are trivial to monitor even for an adversary with limited resources. In fact, recent developments suggest that censorship and surveillance of Internet users is becoming more prevalent over time. This dissertation describes the design, implementation, and evaluation of two systems that can bring us towards a future where censorship and surveillance is hard. OneSwarm is a privacy-preserving data sharing network designed to give users performance comparable to the peer-to-peer networks commonly used today but without revealing their behavior to third party surveillance. Unblock is an overlay network that leverages many of the same building blocks but is designed to help users circumvent censorship of Internet services. Common to both systems is the use of existing social trust between participants to thwart surveillance and censorship respectively. These systems are designed to run on today's Internet and require no changes to core Internet infrastructure or protocols. Measurements of the systems in the wild, and simulations of their behavior at scale, show that they protect user privacy and improve performance over existing alternatives.
A novel method for the determination of mercury in herbal preparation using an inhibitive assay based on the protease papain

Herbal products are a major source of mercury contaminant in the diet of humans. Currently, monitoring of mercury is carried out by instrument such as Flow Injection Mercury System which utilizes the cold vapour atomic fluorescence spectroscopic technique. The handling and operation of these instruments are costly, time consuming and need skilled operators. In this work, the use of the papain assay to determine mercury in digested herbal samples after neutralization is demonstrated. About 20% of the samples tested showed positive results for mercury at levels higher than the maximum permissibility limit (MPL) and the results were validated using FIMS. The papain assay is low in cost, rapid and could be carried out in a microplate format. The papain assay can be the preliminary screening assay and only positive samples are sent for instrumental validation. This marriage between enzyme-based assay and instrumental method could increase monitoring frequency and results could be obtained faster
Experimental analysis of short concrete column under hygrothermo-mechanical accelerated aging

Concrete was considered to be very durable material for a long time. However many constructions have shown degradations during their service life. To ensure safety, stability and serviceability of civil engineering structures, understanding of deterioration processes and their effect on the residual structural load capacity is necessary. This paper is based on the experimental study of short prismatic concrete columns under the hygrothermo-mechanical accelerated aging. To investigate the effects of the exposure conditions on the strength of specimens, combined ultrasonic pulse velocity testing and compression loading testing was used. It can be observed from the results obtained in this work that the ultrasonic pulse velocity measurements agree well with the experimental results obtained from the compression loading testing. Results indicate that in first time, degradation of specimens occurs slightly. After that the degradation becomes notable. It also indicates that the degradation due to the combined effect of the hygrothermo-mechanical aging is higher than when we consider hygrothermal and mechanical process separately
Magnetism and the Trimeron Bond

A review of progress in understanding the Verwey transition in magnetite (Fe3O4) over the past decade is presented. This electronic and structural transition at TV ≈ 125 K was reported in 1939 and has since been a contentious issue in magnetism. Long range Fe2+/Fe3+ charge ordering has been confirmed below the transition from crystal structure refinement, and Fe2+ orbital ordering and formation of trimerons through weak bonding of Fe2+ states to two Fe neighbors has been discovered. This model has accounted for many spectroscopic observations such as the 57Fe NMR frequencies. The trimeron lifetime has been measured, and trimeron soft modes have been observed. The origin of the first to second order crossover of Verwey transitions in doped magnetites has been revealed by a nanoparticle study. Electronic and structural fluctuations are found to persist to temperatures far above TV and local structural distortions track the bulk magnetization, disappearing at the 850 K Curie transition. New binary mixed-valent iron oxides discovered at high pressure are found to have electronic transitions and orbital molecule ground states similar to those of magnetite.
Effects of Capital Control Actions on Cross-Border Trade

The evidence that capital controls adversely affect cross-border trade is debatable. This study proves that capital controls may support international trade by mitigating the negative effect of macroeconomic volatility. We use quarterly data from a sample of 25 emerging countries over the period 2011-2019. Using long- and short-standing capital controls dynamic panel models, and diversifying robust estimations techniques, our results show that capital controls alleviate the adverse effect of the exchange rate, interest rate differential, and inflation volatilities. The long-lasting capital controls «walls» are more effective than short-lasting capital control «gates». Besides, the effects of these controls are asymmetric regarding the financial development level and category of flows for which are applied, inflows or outflows. The study highlights the beneficial role of the macroprudential policy in supporting capital control actions. The results of this study have two main policy implications, the effectiveness of ‘walls’ controls and the importance of macroeconomic policy coordination.
Step-by-Step Acquisition of Cooperative Behavior in Soccer Task

In this research, soccer task is investigated among the numerous tasks of deep reinforcement learning. The soccer task requires cooperative behavior. However, it is difficult for the agents to acquire the behavior, because a reward is sparsely given. Moreover, the behaviors of the allies and opponents must be considered by the agents. In addition, in the soccer task, if the agents attempt to acquire high-level cooperative behavior from low-level movements, such as ball kicking, a huge amount of time will be needed to learn a model. In this research, we conduct experiments in which reward shaping and curriculum learning are incorporated into deep reinforcement learning. This enables the agents to efficiently acquire cooperative behavior from low-level movements in a soccer task. The findings of this research indicate that reward shaping and curriculum learning with a designer’s domain knowledge positively influence the agent’s attempt to acquire cooperative behavior from low-level
Dried Brown Seaweed’s Phytoremediation Potential for Methylene Blue Dye Removal from Aquatic Environments

The dried form of the brown seaweed Sargassum latifolium was tested for its ability to remove toxic Methylene Blue Dye (MBD) ions from aqueous synthetic solutions and industrial wastewater effluents. In a batch adsorption experiment, different initial concentrations of MBD (5, 10, 20, 30, and 40 mg L−1), sorbent dosages (0.025, 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, and 0.5 g L−1), contact time (5, 10, 15, 30, 60, 120 min), pH (3, 5, 8, 10, and 12), and temperature (30, 40, 50, 60 °C) were observed. Dried powder of S. latifolium was characterized before and after adsorption of MBD using different techniques, such as FTIR, SEM, UV visible spectral examination, and BET techniques. The BET surface area suggests the formation of S. latifolium was 111.65 m2 g−1, and the average pore size was 2.19 nm. The obtained results showed that at an MBD concentration of 40 mg L−1, the adsorption was rapid in the first 5, 10, and 15 min of contact time, and an equilibrium was reached in about 60 and 120 min for the adsorption. At the optimum temperature of 30 °C and the adsorbent dose of 0.1 g L−1, approximately 94.88% of MBD were removed. To find the best-fit isotherm model, the error function equations are applied to the isotherm model findings. Both Tempkin and Freundlich isotherm models could appropriate the equilibrium data, as well as the pseudo 2nd order kinetics model due to high correlation coefficients (R2). Thermodynamic and Freundlich model parameters were assessed and showed that the mechanism of the sorption process occurs by an endothermic and physical process. According to the results of the experiments, S. latifolium is a promising environmentally friendly approach for eliminating MBD from the aqueous solution that is also cost-effective. This technology could be useful in addressing the rising demand for adsorbents employed in environmental protection processes.
Molecular Characterization of Small Ruminant Lentiviruses Isolated from Polish Goats with Arthritis

Previous studies revealed that the small ruminant lentivirus (SRLV) population in Poland is highly heterogeneous. All SRLVs detected from Polish sheep and goats so far have belonged to subtypes B1, B2, A1, A5, A12, A13, A16, A17, A18, A23 and A24. However, all characterized strains originated from asymptomatic animals. This is the first study that characterizes the molecular properties of SRLVs isolated from different organs of six arthritic goats. Segments from three genomic regions (gag, LTR and env) were analyzed. In addition, we quantified the SRLV proviral load in the blood and different organs and examined its association with different degrees of histopathological lesions. All sequences obtained from the goats involved in this study were homogeneous, showing an average degree of variability of 4.8%, 3.7% and 8.8% for gag, LTR and env, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the sequences from the analyzed goats were clustered within SRLVs group A and formed a new subtype within this group, tentatively named A27. The histopathological examination of the lung, mammary gland, synovial membranes of joints and brain of the analyzed goats revealed evidence of inflammatory processes associated with SRLV infection, which was confirmed by positive immunohistochemistry assays. No significant correlation was observed between histological features and alterations in the sequences from different tissues. No tissue-specific signature pattern was identified. It was shown that animals with a higher proviral load showed more lesion severity in various SRLV-affected tissues, indicating a positive association between these two parameters. Our results also revealed differences in the SRLV load between animals even though the sequences derived from all of the goats were closely related, suggesting that host factors may restrict and control viral replication. This study provides new information about SRLV variants isolated from arthritic goats; however, more studies, including the isolation and characterization of biological properties of these viruses, should be performed to evaluate their pathogenic potential.
3D Pose Recognition System of Dump Truck for Autonomous Excavator

The purpose of an excavator is to dig up materials and load them onto heavy-duty dump trucks. Typically, an excavator is positioned at the rear of the dump truck when loading. In order to automate this process, this paper proposes a system that employs a combined stereo camera and two LiDAR sensors to determine the three-dimensional (3D) position of the truck’s cargo box and to analyze its loading space. Sparse depth information acquired from the two LiDAR sensors is used to detect points on the door of the cargo box and establish the plane on its rear side. Dense depth information of the cargo box acquired from the stereo camera sensor is projected onto the plane of the box’s rear to estimate its initial 3D position. In the next step, the point cloud sampled along the long shaft of the edge of the cargo box is used as the input of the Iterative Closest Point algorithm to calculate a more accurate cargo box position. The data collected from the stereo camera are then used to determine the 3D position of the cargo box and provide an estimate of the volume of the load along with the 3D position of the loading space to the excavator. In order to demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed method, a mock-up of a heavy-duty truck cargo box was created, and the volume of the load in the cargo box was analyzed.
Do-it-yourself devices : personal fabrication of custom electronic products

Many domains of DIY (do-it-yourself) activity, like knitting and woodworking, offer two kinds of value: the making process itself and using the resulting products in one’s life. With electronics, the sophistication of modern devices makes it difficult to combine these values. Instead, when people make electronics today, they generally use toolkits and other prototyping processes that aren’t well suited to extended use. This dissertation investigates digital fabrication (of both electronic circuit boards and enclosures) as an alternative approach to DIY electronics, one that can support individuals in both making devices and using them in their daily lives. The dissertation explores three questions: (1) What are the scope and limits of the personal fabrication of electronic products? (2) How can we engage people in the personal fabrication of electronic products? (3) Why make electronic products using personal fabrication? These questions are explored through two investigations. The first is a DIY cellphone, including an autobiographical approach exploring my making and use of the device. Also documented are workshops and other dissemination in which others have made their own phones. The second investigation is a six-week workshop in which participants designed and made internet-connected devices. The investigations reveal personal fabrication as a robust, openended, and nuanced means of making devices for use in daily life, but with limitations and constraints imposed by the commercial ecosystem surrounding this DIY practice and by the nature of electronic products. Analysis of the workshops reveals multiple trajectories that people take in these activities; the computational concepts, skills, and practices they develop; and strategies for engaging them. Finally, the investigations reveal multiple values for the personal fabrication of electronic products, including its ability to transform people’s relationships with the technology in their lives. Thesis Supervisor: Mitchel Resnick Title: LEGO Papert Professor of Learning Research Do-It-Yourself Devices Personal Fabrication of Custom Electronic Products
Effects of Monovalent Salt on Protein-Protein Interactions of Dilute and Concentrated Monoclonal Antibody Formulations

In this study, we used sodium chloride (NaCl) to extensively modulate non-specific protein-protein interactions (PPI) of a humanized anti-streptavidin monoclonal antibody class 2 molecule (ASA-IgG2). The changes in PPI with varying NaCl (CNaCl) and monoclonal antibody (mAb) concentration (CmAb) were assessed using the diffusion interaction parameter kD and second virial coefficient B22 measured from solutions with low to moderate CmAb. The effective structure factor S(q)eff measured from concentrated mAb solutions using small-angle X-ray and neutron scattering (SAXS/SANS) was also used to characterize the PPI. Our results found that the nature of net PPI changed not only with CNaCl, but also with increasing CmAb. As a result, parameters measured from dilute and concentrated mAb samples could lead to different predictions on the stability of mAb formulations. We also compared experimentally determined viscosity results with those predicted from interaction parameters, including kD and S(q)eff. The lack of a clear correlation between interaction parameters and measured viscosity values indicates that the relationship between viscosity and PPI is concentration-dependent. Collectively, the behavior of flexible mAb molecules in concentrated solutions may not be correctly predicted using models where proteins are considered to be uniform colloid particles defined by parameters derived from low CmAb.
Use of the cyanobacterium Spirulina platensis in cattle wastewater bioremediation

In the present study, the microalga Spirulina platensis (Arthrospira) was grown in two horizontal photobioreactors (HPBR) under two different irradiances (150 and 270 μmol m-2 s-2). Anaerobically digested cattle wastewater (ACWW) was used as substrate. The experiment was carried out in batches for a period of 8 days. The maximum specific growth rate of 0.347 day-1 and the doubling time of 2.08 days were obtained under the highest illumination of the culture. Dry biomass production reached maximum values between 2.17 g L-1 and 6.52 g L-1, with volumetric biomass productivities between 0.0812 and 0.5578 g L-1 day-1. Productivity per area was equal to 47.97 g m-2 d-1, which is the highest value recorded compared to those found in the literature consulted. As for CO2 biofixation, relevant values for reducing this gas in the atmosphere were obtained, ranging from 128.52 to 882.36 mg L-1 day-1. In terms of organic matter, 16.3-77% of BOD5 and 12.6-61.6% of COD were reduced. In the reduction of TS, TSS and VSS, values of 71.3-78.5%, 79.5-84.4% and 87.0-88.3%, respectively, were reached. NH4+ reduction was 32.5-98.3%, organic nitrogen reduction was 20.3-95.9% and total phosphorus reduction was 33.5-89.9%. The reductions of thermotolerant coliforms were between 71.7% and 99.9%. In view of the results found, it can be considered that the bioremediation of the effluent reached promising efficiencies, with the advantage of producing biomass with potential to obtain bioproducts of relevant economic value
Constructing Synthesized Sheets by Mining Scientific Research Papers: Application to the Biological Domain

This chapter presents a text mining tool for scientiﬁc publications that allows the extraction of textual segments (section, paragraph, sentences, etc.) from a large corpora according to a set of semantic categories (results, methods, hypothesis, etc.). The extracted information is grouped according to their semantic aﬃliation which allows to obtain an organized textual representation called multi-document synthesized sheets
Effect of electronic doping and traps on carrier dynamics in tin halide perovskites

Tin halide perovskites have recently emerged as promising materials for low band gap solar cells. Much effort has been invested on controlling the limiting factors responsible for poor device efficiencies, namely self-p-doping and tin oxidation. Both phenomena are related to the presence of defects; however, full understanding of their implications in the optoelectronic properties of the material is still missing. We provide a comprehensive picture of the competing radiative and non-radiative recombination processes in tin-based perovskite thin films to establish the interplay between doping and trapping by combining photoluminescence measurements with trapped-carrier dynamic simulations and first-principles calculations. We show that pristine Sn perovskites, i.e. sample processed with commercially available SnI2 used as received, exhibit extremely high radiative efficiency due to electronic doping which boosts the radiative band-to-band recombination. Contrarily, thin films where Sn4+ species are intentionally introduced show drastically reduced radiative lifetime and efficiency due to a dominance of Auger recombination at all excitation densities when the material is highly doped. The introduction of SnF2 reduces the doping and passivates Sn4+ trap states but conversely introduces additional non-radiative decay channels in the bulk that fundamentally limit the radiative efficiency. Overall, we provide a qualitative model that takes into account different types of traps present in tin-perovskite thin films and show how doping and defects can affect the optoelectronic properties.
Model predicts catastrophic decline of common bottlenose dolphin (
 Tursiops truncatus
 ) population under proposed land restoration project in Barataria Bay, Louisiana,
 USA

The Barataria Bay Estuarine System (BBES) Stock is one of 31 identified stocks of common bottlenose dolphin ( Tursiops truncatus ) occupying the bays, sounds, and estuaries of the northern Gulf of Mexico (NOAA, 2019). The stock (hereafter “ dolphin population ” ) is centered on Barataria Bay, a shallow (largely <2 m depth) estuarine system in Louisiana, close to the mouth of the Mississippi River (Figure 1). This area was heavily impacted by the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill in April 2010, and a population model was developed to quantify the impact on dolphin population abundance (Schwacke et al., 2017, 2022). As a result of the Natural Resources Damage Assessment arising from the DWH oil spill, many environmental restoration projects have been proposed, one of which is the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion (MBSD) project. The MBSD project proposes to build and operate a channel from the Mississippi River to the upper Barataria Basin (Figure 1) that would deliver seasonally varying quantities of fresh water, sediment, and nutrients in order to rebuild marsh and reduce land loss (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 2021). This fresh water will result in decreased levels of