Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Overview of Advanced Control Trends for Aerospace Missions

The new future missions, such those devoted to planet exploration, require more safe control, with more autonomy, capable for different regimes. There is the need of optimisation. Difficult stages of the mission, such far from Earth rendez-vous, aerocapture, entry and launch, etc., must be achieved. In view of such challenges for the control design, new solutions are being proposed. For instance H-infinity and H2 (mixed) approaches, eigenstructure assignment, dynamic inversion, linear parameter varying control, predictive control, etc. The paper is an overview of these contemporary approaches, with a practical orientation. Advantages and purposes, main technical aspects, and illustrative examples are considered in the paper. The main objective of the paper is to give criteria to judge the applicability of each approach for different aerospace control problems.
Efficient Modeling and Verification of Analog/Mixed Signal Circuits Using Labeled Hybrid Petri nets

Analog circuit design is traditionally done by expert designers in an ad hoc manner heavily dependent on simulation. This methodology has worked successfully for many years, but process variation and design complexity are prompting designers to explore new techniques. Formal methods are being used successfully to aid in the complex validation problem for digital circuits. This dissertation presents formal methods for analog and mixed-signal (AMS) circuits. This dissertation describes the development of a formal model, labeled hybrid Petri nets (LHPNs), appropriate for the modeling and verification of AMS circuits. An LHPN is a Petri net variant capable of modeling both continuous and discrete quantities. Creating an LHPN model of an AXIS circuit by hand is a complicated and error prone exercise that requires expert knowledge. This is unacceptable for practical adoption of the LHPN model and its associated analysis methods. For this reason, this dissertation introduces an automatic LHPN model generation method. The method uses a set of simulation traces and a desired system property to generate an LHPN modeling the behavior of the simulation traces. The model generator can also be used to generate abstract Verilog-AMS or VHDL-AMS models suitable for use in system-level simulations. Formal verification of a property over the entire state space of an LHPN model is complicated by the infinite state of the model. For this reason, the infinite states of the model are grouped into potentially finite groups of equivalent states for verification. Difference bound matrices (DBMs), a restricted form of convex polygons, are used to represent these equivalent classes of infinite states. Reachability analysis using DBMs is very efficient at the cost of exactness. This dissertation presents algorithms for conservative state space analysis and verification of LHPNs. Finally, these methods are demonstrated on several case studies of AMS circuits from both academia and industry. The formal verification methods demonstrate the ability to find bugs missed by standard simulations. The abstract modeling methods show the promise of using automatically generated abstract models by demonstrating up to 40x speedup for some examples.
Transmission Line Matrix in Computational Mechanics

PREFACE INTRODUCTION TLM AND THE 1-D WAVE EQUATION THE THEORY OF TLM: AN ELECTROMAGNETIC VIEWPOINT TLM MODELING OF ACOUSTIC PROPAGATION TLM MODELING OF THERMAL AND PARTICLE DIFFUSION TLM MODELS OF ELASTIC SOLIDS SIMPLE TLM DEFORMATION MODELS TLM MODELING OF HYDRAULIC SYSTEMS APPLICATION OF TLM TO COMPUTATIONAL FLUID MECHANICS STATE OF THE ART EXAMPLES
The Effects of Sign Language Video Location in e-Learning System for the Hearing-impaired

Objective: The purpose of this study is to identify the effects of sign language video location in e-learning system for the hearing-impaired. Background: E-learning education is a good way to resolve the inequality of education for the disabled. Providing a sign language video in e-learning education for the hearing-impaired is very important for their learning. Although the location of sign language video is an important factor in the design of the video, the effect of its location in learning using the e-learning system was not studied. Method: In order to identify the effect of sign language video location on the learning of the hearing-impaired using the e-learning system, the prototypes of the system with different locations were developed. Eighteen people with hearing impairment participated in this experiment. Learning presence, learning immersion, and learning satisfaction were used to measure learning effects with sign language video location. Results: Bottom right position was more preferred through preference evaluation for sign language video location. The learning effect with sign language video location (bottom-left and bottom-right) was not significant. That is, the effects of learning presence, immersion, and satisfaction were not statistically significant with video location. Conclusion: From this study, the following have to be considered in e-learning system design for the hearing-impaired. Although the location of a sign language video is not a significant factor from the experiment, the bottom right position in the design is proposed because learning presence and satisfaction is slightly higher at the bottom right position, and the position is preferred from subjective evaluation. From the analysis of interview data, it was also proposed that the design of a sign language video should be improved for the hearing-impaired. Application: The result of this study can be applied to the e-learning system design for the hearing-impaired.
ADOPTING THE CONVENTIONAL SOFTWARE RELIABILITY GROWTH MODELS: PROBLEMS AND SOME SOLUTIONS

ADOPTING THE CONVENTIONAL SOFTWARE RELIABILITY GROWTH MODELS: PROBLEMS AND SOME SOLUTIONS Lutfiah Ismail Al-Turk and Saman Shahbaz Department of Statistics, King Abdulaziz University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Department of Statistics, COMSATS Institute of IT, Lahore, Pakistan Although traditional software reliability growth models, SRGMs, have been very intensely studied and investigated, there are still many problems that have been responsible for their possible inaccurate predictions in practice. Here, some of these problems and proposed solutions are discussed. We use two enhancement approaches (recalibration and model combination) in order to try to improve the accuracy of predictions when using this conventional type of modelling. These two approaches share the idea of reuse of the original prediction systems, which are obtained from analyzing test data in a more productive way. Numerical examples are presented to investigate actual software failure data are conducted in order to investigate the effectiveness of the two approaches. In these examples we have used two models, Weibull and Burr Type XII with different choices of parameters alongside a base line model. Further, we have used Prequential Likelihood Ratio, u-plot, and y-plot to examine the predictive performance of the underlying models before and after applying the two development approaches. We have shown that if used in isolation the refinement approaches may still yield poor prediction results. However, if model combination is used on the recalibrated models, then stable prediction results can be achieved even for the data that has been collected under less carefully controlled conditions than in typically the case for SRGMs.
On Several Acceleration Techniques for Evolutionary Algorithms Applied to Large Non-linear Constrained Optimization Problems

This paper briefly presents advances in development of efficient Evolutionary Algorithms (EA) for a wide class of large non-linear constrained optimization problems. In particular, two important engineering applications are taken into account, namely residual stress analysis in railroad rails, and vehicle wheels, as well as a wide class of problems resulting from the Physically Based Approximation (PBA) of experimental data. However, the main objective of this research is to develop various means of significant acceleration of the EA-based approach for large optimization problems, and to provide ability to solve problems when standard EA procedure fails. The efficiency of speed-up techniques proposed was examined using several simple but demanding benchmark problems. Results obtained so far are very encouraging and indicate possibilities of further development of acceleration techniques proposed.
Dispatching rules for scheduling in assembly jobshops - Part 1

Research on jobshop scheduling has tended to concentrate on the development of dispatching rules for jobs that are independent, i.e. single-component jobs. However, in real-life situations, many jobs involve assembly operations that require scheduling of multiple components through the jobshop where both serial and parallel operations take place. In this two-part paper, we consider the problem of scheduling in assembly jobshops, i.e. jobshops that manufacture multi-level assembly jobs. The development of new and efficient dispatching rules with a view to address various measures of performance related to flowtime and staging delay of jobs is first undertaken. A new concept, called 'operation synchronization date' is introduced and made use of in the new dispatching rules. The best existing dispatching rules and the proposed dispatching rules are relatively evaluated by an exhaustive simulation study. The results indicate that the proposed rules emerge to be superior to the existing ones for most measures of performance.
The Effect of Teacher Scaffolding vs. Peer Scaffold ing on EFL Learners' Reading Comprehension Development

Scaffolding as an essential concept in sociocultura l theory, has been demonstrated to have an important role in instruction. The primary purpo se of this study was to investigate two types of scaffolding, mainly the possible effects of teacher - and peer scaffolding on EFL learners' reading comprehension. To conduct the study, 30 female EFL learners at pre-intermediate level fro m a language institute in Islamabad Gharb, Kermanshah, were selected and divided in to two groups, receiving teacher and peer scaffolding respectively . All the participants took a pre-test followed by treatment sessions, and the posttest. The results of t-test showed that scaffolding techniques played an effective role on learners' reading comprehensio n development. It was also found that teacher scaffolding appeared to be more successful in impro ving students' reading comprehension in this particular EFL context. Using different scaffolding behaviors, teacher was more successful in mediating learners' reading comprehension. The find ings of the study highlight the fact that teacher and peer scaffolding both can be used as an effecti ve technique to help students to improve their reading comprehension abilities.
Klassen mit bilingualem Sachfachunterricht. Englisch als Arbeitssprache

Der Autor geht zunachst ein auf die Entwicklung des bilingualen Fachunterrichts in den deutschen Bundeslandern. Sodann werden die im Rahmen der DESI-Untersuchungen vorgenommenen Tests vorgestellt und deren Ergebnisse prasentiert. (DIPF/Mar.)
Electromagnetic surface error compensation for reflector antennas using neural network computing

The feasibility of using neural network computing to perform constrained least squares (CLS) surface error compensation has been demonstrated. The major advantage of using the neural-network approach is that, once trained, the large computational overhead associated with the CLS algorithm is overcome and real-time compensation is facilitated. The complex excitations for the surface error compensation were computed using surface data without any field information. Measured field data could, however, also be used to train the network. <<ETX>>
The influence of titanium alloy surface topography on keratinocyte growth and expression of adhesion complex molecules.

Introduction: Transcutaneous Amputation Prosthesis (ITAP) is an alternative for transfemoral amputees to conventional stump-socket prostheses which have many problems. These include: poor fit, stump pressure sores, pain, infections and unnatural gait. ITAP aims to overcome these by being osseointegrated into the femoral medulla with a pin protruding through the skin to which the external prosthesis attaches. Thus, the forces normally encountered by the stump soft tissues are now transferred directly to the skeleton. However, the transcutaneous pin produces a route for infection from the external to internal environment. Therefore, a key feature to the success of the ITAP is to produce a biological seal at the transcutaneous interface. Epithelial cells have been shown to attach to dental transcutaneous titanium devices via hemidesmosomes (HD). 2 Focal contacts (FC) are also important in cell adhesion and to the underlying substratum.3 We grew human keratinocytes on different titanium surfaces to assess their morphology, ability to proliferate and produce HD and FC. Hypothesis: Surface topography influences keratinocytes morphology and proliferative capacity and expression of HD and FC. Materials and Methods: 4 titanium alloy (Ti6Al4V) surface topographies were used (10mm x 4mm discs): polished, machine finished, sandblasted and hydrofluoric acid etched (HF) and a control – plastic thermanox. Surface roughness profiling of titanium discs were measured (Mitutoyo Surftest SV-400). HaCaT keratinocytes were grown on disc surfaces in wells of culture medium at +37oC, 5% CO2 and analysed at 1, 2, 3 and 4 days. Cells were processed to visualise HD with fluorescence microscopy using antibodies to the 6-integrin and plec-tin. Anti-vinculin antibodies were used to visualise FC. Fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) secondary antibodies enabled counting of structures (all product: Sigma-Aldrich, UK). Alamar blue (Serotec, UK) measured cell proliferation and SEM (surface morphology, cell area) and TEM were also performed. Cells grown on polished, machined and thermanox discs supported a regular, confluent layer with many cytoplasmic processes and dividing cells. HF and sandblasted discs grew an irregularly layer with fewer cytoplasmic processes and fewer dividing cells (not quantified). Day 3 TEM revealed HD, FC and desmosomes; cells on polished and thermanox were more closely packed and in layers. Conclusion: Keratinocytes are significantly influenced by titanium surface topography. Smooth polished titanium alloy may be the ideal surface for a transcutaneous pin in the ITAP. Further experiments into isolating favourable biological components needed to encourage keratinocytes to attach onto titanium should be carried out. Results: No significant difference shown in cell proliferation between titanium discs but cells on thermanox grew significantly more (p
Improving the Reliability of the Operating System Inside a VM

Virtualization technology can provide reusability and strong isolation between different virtual machines (VMs). However, there is no effective isolation mechanism inside a VM to solve an operating system’s reliability problems, including driver faults. This paper describes Chariot, an architecture that provides effective and transparent driver isolation inside the VM, achieves fine-grained driver isolation and retains the reusability advantage of virtualization technology. First, Chariot transparently monitors an isolated driver with monitoring wrappers, and establishes an access control table (ACT) in a timely manner that records the driver write permissions. Secondly, Chariot protects the shadow page table of the VM (where the driver resides) in due time to capture its write operations. Next, the ACT examines the correctness of the write operations. Finally, if an illegal write operation is detected, Chariot recovers the faulty driver and prevents the spread of driver faults in the VM. The experimental results show that Chariot effectively isolates more than 90% of injected faults (with performance losses of <20% in most benchmarks) and effectively improves the reliability of the VM. In addition, Chariot can be easily extended to isolate new drivers and ported to other versions of OSs in the virtualization environment.
Study of Middle-box Behavior on Network Layer Protocols

The home gateways typically act as middle-boxes between the internal network of a home user or small enterprise. These middle-boxes often perform various higher-layer functions such as traffic filtering, network address translation (NAT), advanced application layer operations and act as dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) server. While some of these functions such as DHCP are well standardized, some functions such as NAT have only been defined on a more abstract level and the exact operations have not been standardized. These more loosely defined functions are known to have undesired effects on normal protocol functions and hinder the development of new protocols and applications. Therefore, it is important to understand the various characteristics of different middle-boxes deployed all around the world to allow network engineers design protocols that can be deployed in realistic environments that typically include middle-boxes. In this paper, we perform an experimental study on a number of different home gateways focusing on the network layer (Layer 3) functionality, which is responsible for packet forwarding and routing. The experiments include tests on how the home gateways treat various IPv4 packet header fields, including IP options, Explicit Congestion Notification (ECN) and Differentiated Services Code Point (DSCP) fields, and how they treat broadcasted packets.
Linear Dynamic Panel-data Estimation Using Maximum Likelihood and Structural Equation Modeling

Panel data make it possible both to control for unobserved confounders and to include lagged, endogenous regressors. However, trying to do both simultaneously leads to serious estimation difficulties. In the econometric literature, these problems have been addressed by using lagged instrumental variables together with the generalized method of moments, while in sociology the same problems have been dealt with using maximum likelihood estimation and structural equation modeling. While both approaches have merit, we show that the maximum likelihood–structural equation models method is substantially more efficient than the generalized method of moments method when the normality assumption is met and that the former also suffers less from finite sample biases. We introduce the command xtdpdml, which has syntax similar to other Stata commands for linear dynamic panel-data estimation. xtdpdml greatly simplifies the structural equation model specification process; makes it possible to test and relax many of the constraints that are typically embodied in dynamic panel models; allows one to include time-invariant variables in the model, unlike most related methods; and takes advantage of Stata's ability to use full-information maximum likelihood for dealing with missing data. The strengths and advantages of xtdpdml are illustrated via examples from both economics and sociology.
Continuous dependence on parameters in aircraft guidance

As part of the process of automatically guiding an aircraft, we have been successful in using stable inversion to compute a desired bounded state trajectory and corresponding bounded control. In addition to this feedforward control, we must also construct a regulator to address modeling errors and disturbances. With respect to modeling errors we find that the stable inversion procedures used are so accurate that the regulator can assume a simple form, say a linear regulator about the desired trajectory. We report preliminary results on continuous dependence of stable inversion under parameter variations.
Discovering disease associated gene-gene interactions: A two SNP interaction analysis framework

Most common diseases have a heritable component that is influenced by mutations on multiple loci, and by interactions between loci and with the environment. However, traditional genetic analysis techniques have focused on single locus effects. This is mostly due to the polynomial increase in computational capacity needed to attempt multi-loci interaction analyses, and the anticipated loss of power due to multiple testing. In this dissertation, a framework for performing a complete two single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) interaction analysis of high dimensionality genome wide association scans (GWAS) is presented. The implementation of the framework utilizes diverse distributed computational resources to overcome the bottlenecks of each resource, harvesting enough capacity to analyze any of the GWAS in existence today within a reasonable time frame. Algorithmic approaches are proposed to improve the efficiency of the framework and improve its computational performance so that a brute force attack on the problem can be performed. The data is encoded in binary using a lossless algorithm that significantly reduces its size. Computationally efficient data mining measures for the Omnibus and Epistatic interaction effects are proposed and compared to traditional statistical techniques. An algorithm is proposed that optimizes the analyses of multiple response variables within the same GWAS. GenMSA, a multiple sclerosis (MS) dataset, is analyzed using the proposed framework with top results tested for replication using ANZgene, an independent MS, dataset. Some of the top results replicated, implicating SNPs in a region of known association to MS providing evidence to the validity of the proposed framework. Top results are further examined through a proposed approach that enables drilling into these results and studying correlation coefficient between each of the genotype combinations of the SNP and the signal level to each of the main and epistatic effects.
The effect of translation memory databases on productivity

Although research suggests the use of a TM (translation memory) can lead to an increase of 10% to 70%, any actual productivity increase must depends on the TM content. If the target renditions included in the TM database exhibit more free characteristics, this may adversely affect the translator’s productivity. This paper examines how productivity is affected by different kinds of TM databases. A pilot experiment was undertaken to investigate the impact of two different versions of a TM database – free vs. literal TMs. All participants translated the same source text but used different TMs. The results show that in the higher fuzzy-match categories, translators using the less literal TM did not gain as much speed as was the case when using a more literal TM.
Question Generation from Paragraphs at UPenn: QGSTEC System Description

This paper describes the question generation system devel- oped at UPenn for QGSTEC, 2010. The system uses predicate argument structures of sentences along with semantic roles for the question gener- ation task from paragraphs. The semantic role labels are used to identify relevant parts of text before forming questions over them. The generated questions are then ranked to pick nal six best questions.