Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Integrated motion planning and model learning for mobile robots with application to marine vehicles

Robust motion planning algorithms for mobile robots consider stochasticity in the dynamic model of the vehicle and the environment. A practical robust planning approach balances the duration of the motion plan with the probability of colliding with obstacles. This thesis develops fast analytic algorithms for predicting the collision probability due to model uncertainty and random disturbances in the environment for a planar holonomic vehicle such as a marine surface vessel. These predictions lead to a robust motion planning algorithm that finds the optimal motion plan quickly and efficiently. By incorporating model learning into the predictions, the integrated algorithm exhibits emergent active learning strategies to autonomously acquire the model data needed to safely and effectively complete the mission. The motion planner constructs plans through a known environment by concatenating maneuvers based upon speed controller setpoints. A model-based feedforward/feedback controller is used to track the resulting reference trajectory, and the model parameters are learned online with a least squares regression algorithm. The path-following performance of the vehicle depends on the effects of unknown environmental disturbances and modeling error. The convergence rate of the parameter estimates depends on the motion plan, as different plans excite different modes of the system. By predicting how the collision probability is affected by the parameter covariance evolution, the motion planner automatically incorporates active learning strategies into the motion plans. In particular, the vehicle will practice maneuvers in the open regions of the configuration space before using them in the constrained regions to ensure that the collision risk due to modeling error is low. High-level feedback across missions allows the system to recognize configuration changes and quickly learn new model parameters as necessary. Simulations and experimental results using an autonomous marine surface vessel are presented. Thesis Supervisor: Franz S. Hover Title: Assistant Professor
A Success Case of Implementing Sufficiency Economy Concept: Funeral Expenses Reduction Project

Thai government is promoting “Sufficiency Economy” concept for the country’s economic development purpose. “Sufficiency,” according to this concept, means “To lead a reasonably comfortable life, without excess, or overindulgence in luxury, but enough. ” This research selected Tha Toung Luang Sub District as a case study regarding to its successful “Funeral Expenses Reduction Project. ” The objective of this study was to find out how to successfully implement Sufficiency Economy concept to communities. The main methods applied were in-depth interview, participatory observation, and document review. The research results revealed that the key factors that lead to the accomplishment of this project were the impactful opinion leaders, methodology of involving people to participate in the project, and the traditional reciprocal Thai culture.
Scaling Relationship Between the Wavelength of Longitudinal Ridges and the Thickness of Long Runout Landslides on the Moon

The formation mechanism of longitudinal ridges in long runout landslides has been proposed to require ice and/or clay minerals, as low friction materials would allow the spreading of the deposit, causing the development of longitudinal ridges by tensile deformation of the slide. The necessity of ice in the formation of longitudinal ridges has been challenged by the finding that the wavelength of longitudinal ridges is 2–3 times the thickness of the deposit in both ice‐free laboratory experiments on rapid granular flows and in a martian and terrestrial long runout landslide, suggesting a scale‐ and environment‐independent mechanism. We conduct morphometric analysis of the longitudinal ridges in two landslides on the Moon, considered ice‐free throughout its geological history: the Tsiolkovskiy crater landslide, and the Light Mantle avalanche in Taurus‐Littrow Valley. We show that Tsiolkovskiy crater landslide exhibits a scaling relationship between the wavelength of its longitudinal ridges and the thickness of its deposit that is consistent with previous studies, supporting the idea that ice is not a necessary condition for the development of longitudinal ridges. As the Tsiolkovskiy crater landslide is laterally confined, it demonstrates that neither the development of longitudinal ridges nor the occurrence of the scaling relationship between the wavelength of the ridges and the thickness of the deposit depend on the lateral spreading of the deposit. Finally, we use the Light Mantle to test the use of the scaling relationship as a tool to estimate the thickness of the deposit when classical geomorphological methods are not applicable.
İhracat performansı açısından teknolojik yeniliğin önemi: Türkiye imalat sanayi örneği

Technological innovations are important with regard to increasing export performance. However, the results that had been reached in the empirical literature investigating the effects of R&D expenses which is accepted as input of technological innovation on the export performance are not compatible with each other. The purpose of this study is to contribute to the discussion in the literature. Between years 1995–2005, a panel data analysis was used to test the relationship between Turkish manufacturing industries’ exports, and the R&D expenses. It was found that the effect of the R&D expenses on export performance was substantially lagged.
Determining the Value of Contractor Performance Assessment Reporting System (CPARS) Narratives for the Acquisition Process

Abstract : The Department of Defense (DoD) has seen unprecedented growth in spending for service contracts since 1990 (Ellman, Livergood, Morrow, & Sanders 2011) during the same period in which there has been a general reduction in the DoD acquisition workforce. The department is attempting to do more with less, year after year. The level of scrutiny focused upon DoD service contracts by the upper echelons of the DoD, the Government Accountability Office (GAO), and Congress has increased as the spending on service contracts continues to increase relative to both inflation and the percentage of the entire DoD contracting budget (Hart, Stover & Wilhite, 2013). This project focuses on Army service contracts, specifically the narrative section of contractor performance assessment reports. This project builds upon and advances the research conducted and reported in the Naval Postgraduate School MBA research project Management Levers That Drive Services Contracting Success conducted by Hart et al. (2013), which explored the relationship between CPARS objective scores. This report focuses on the quality of narratives in CPARS and their value to the acquisition process. This report used statistical analysis to examine 715 Army service contractor performance reports in CPARS in order to answer the following questions: (1) To what degree are government contracting professionals submitting to CPARS contractor performance narratives in accordance with the guidelines provided in the CPARS user's manual? (2) What is the added value of the contractor performance narratives beyond the value of the objective scores for performance? (3) What is the statistical relationship between the sentiment contained in the narratives and the objective scores for contractor evaluations?
Selectivity of Herbicides Applied in Preemergence and Diuron in Postemergence for Sesame

The expansion of sesame growth has led to one of the biggest challenges in weed management mainly due to the limited options of selective herbicides for the control of eudicots species. This study aimed to evaluate the selectivity of diuron, s-metolachlor or imazethapyr herbicide treatments in isolation, or in a tank mixture, when applied in preemergence only, or association with diuron herbicide sprayed in postemergence during sesame cultivation. Two experiments were carried out under Brazilian Cerrado conditions. In the first experiment, different doses (g ha-1) of diuron (500 and 750), s-metolachlor (480 and 960) and imazethapyr (40 and 80) were applied in preemergence in isolation or in a tank mixture. In the second experiment, doses (g ha-1) of the herbicides diuron (500 and 750) and s-metolachlor (480 and 720) were applied in preemergence isolated or in tank mixture, associated or not with diuron (500 g ha-1) in postemergence. The results indicated that diuron and s-metolachlor applied in isolation or in combination during preemergence are selective to the sesame crop up to the doses of 750 g ha-1 and 720 g ha-1, respectively, and when applied in association with diuron at a dose of 500 g ha-1 in postemergence are also selective for sesame crop.
Effect of In-Row Spacing and Early Cropping on Yield and Dry Weight Partitioning of Three Highbush Blueberry Cultivars the First Two Years After Planting

SUMMARY The effect of early cropping (no blossom removal the first two years) and in-row spacing at 0.45 m and 1.2 m (1.5 ft and 4 ft) are being studied in ‘Duke’, ‘Bluecrop’, and ‘Elliott’ blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum L.) planted in October 1999. No yield was produced on the non-cropped plants in 2000 and 2001. In the early-cropped treatments, yield at 0.45 m was about three times that at 1.2 m in all cultivars in 2000 and 2001. ‘Duke’ and ‘Elliott’ produced the highest yield in 2000. In 2001, yield increased 8 to 16 fold at the 0.45 m spacing, depending on cultivar. Pruning weight per plant was affected by cultivar, in-row spacing, and early cropping. In winter 2000/01, after one year of early cropping, there was no treatment effect on the percentage of fruit buds per lateral. However, in winter 2001/02, early-cropped plants had a lower percentage of fruit buds in ‘Bluecrop’ and ‘Duke’ than plants that were not cropped early. Plants spaced at 0.45 m also had a lower percentage of fruit buds than those at 1.2 m in ‘Duke’ and ‘Elliott’. Total plant dry weight in winter 2001/02 was affected by cultivar and early-cropping. Early cropping reduced plant size in all cultivars.
PENGARUH SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING TWITTER TERHADAP TERBENTUKNYA BRAND IMAGE RESTORAN BURGER GABOH PEKANBARU

The existence of the internet and information communication technologie’s it’s makes the use of new media in marketing communications. The emergence of social media marketing can be used as well as for the interaction to consumers, called social media marketing. One of social media marketing is now popular among businesses including restaurants, namely Twitter. Through 140 characters, tweets of any business can market their business at the same place / make up brand, to be known and remembered in the minds of consumers, and designing the brand communication strategy that is viewed positively by consumers which raises brand image. The purpose of this research is to determine how much the influence of social media marketing Twitter towards the brand image formation of Burger Gaboh Restaurant at Pekanbaru. The theory used in this study is S-O-R theory by Hovland and cyber community theory by Severin and Tankard. The method used in this study is a quantitative method of explanation. Researchers collected data using questionnaires and documentation. The location of this study, in Burger Gaboh Restaurants, located at Suka Terus street 30 Pekanbaru. The number of samples for this study as many 259 respondents, using techniques accidental sampling. In order to know how much the influence these two variables, researchers used a simple linear regression analysis. As for processing test data questionnaire, carried out using the program of Statistics Product anf Service Solution (SPSS) Windows version 20. The result of this study indicate that the alternative hypothesis is accepted. Which means there is a strong the influence of social media marketing Twitter towards the brand image formation of Burger Gaboh Restaurant at Pekanbaru . This result is the regression coefficient values obtained in this study is Y = 0,542 + 0,856 X with significant level of α 0,05. The coefficient of determinations (r2) of 0,714 which means that 71,4% of the influence of social media marketing Twitter towards the brand image formation of Burger Gaboh Restaurant at Pekanbaru. While the remaining 28,6% is influenced by other variables outsides of this study. Keywords : Social Media, Marketing, Brand Image
Catch Up at the Micro-Level: Evidence from an Industry Case Study Using Manufacturing Census Data

In this paper we provide a first attempt to analyse catch up at the micro level, not possible in conventional macro-studies. The Indonesian pulp and paper industry has been selected as case-study because it experienced spectacular investment and growth, becoming one of the world’s largest exporters and producers of paper in the world. We apply stochastic frontier analysis to compare technical efficiency of Indonesian paper mills with Finnish plants, which can be considered as the world technological leaders in the industry. The analysis is performed on a pooled dataset based on manufacturing census data for the period 1975-1997. In the paper we address the following questions: What is the distribution of Indonesian plant performance vis-a-vis the technological frontier? What is the role of entry, exit and survival on catch up? And, what are the characteristics of catching-up plants. Although we find that on average the Indonesian paper industry has closed the gap with the technology frontier during the 1990s, catch up has been a highly localised process in which only a few large establishments have achieved near best-practice performance, while most other plants have stayed behind.
Mentalising and Epistemic Trust

The theory of mentalizing and epistemic trust introduced by Peter Fonagy and colleagues at the Anna Freud Centre has been an important perspective on mental health and illness. This book is the first comprehensive account and evaluation of this perspective. The book explores 20 primary concepts that organize the contributions of Fonagy and colleagues: adaptation, aggression, the alien self, culture, disorganized attachment, epistemic trust, hypermentalizing, reflective function, the p-factor, pretend mode, the primary unconscious, psychic equivalence, mental illness, mentalizing, mentalization-based therapy, non-mentalizing, the self, sexuality, the social environment, and teleological mode. The biographical and social context of the development of these ideas is examined. The book also specifies the current strengths and limitations of the theory of mentalizing and epistemic trust, with attention to the implications for both clinicians and researchers.
Frode helland og Lisbeth Pettersen Wærp, Å lese drama. Innføring i teori og analyse

I Norge liksom i Sverige har det visat sig att det finns ett stort behov av en larobok pa universitetens grundutbildning i dramatikanalys. I Norge ar det mer an 25 ar sedan som en sadan bok kom ut. For fem ar sedan var situationen densamma i Sverige. Frode Hellands och Lisbeth Pettersen Waerps bok A lese drama. Innforing i teori og analyse ar darfor valkommen – inte minst darfor att den som titeln antyder inte bara behandlar analysmetoder utan ocksa tar upp olika dramateoretiska aspekter. (ur artikeln)
Challenges in the Development of a Regulatory Test Procedure for Neck Protection in Rear Impacts: Status of the EEVC WG20 and WG12 Joint Activity

A new European Enhanced Vehicle Safety Committee (EEVC) Working Group, WG20, was given the task to develop test procedures for rear end collisions, with a prime focus on neck injury reduction (whiplash). The work is carried out in collaboration with the EEVC WG12 (Advanced Anthropometry Adult Crash Dummies). WG20 is responsible for the definition of the test conditions and the overall coordination of this activity. WG12 is responsible for the selection of an appropriate crash test dummy and identification of biomechanically based injury criteria with known injury risk functions. WG20 carried out a review of field accident data, clinical data, available sled test methods, biomechanical research on injury causation and human subject dynamic response, proposed injury criteria, available impact dummies, and instrumentation and dummy positioning methods. The findings of the WG20 review provide the basis for the future work of the group and are summarized here. WG20 has a work program to develop and validate a test procedure to assess the geometry of head restraints as a first stage in their approach to whiplash injury mitigation. In the longer term a sled-based dynamic assessment of injury risk or seat performance will be developed and validated. WG12 has defined draft biofidelity requirements for rear impact crash test dummies and will evaluate the available rear impact dummies against these requirements once they are finalized. This paper summarizes the chosen biofidelity requirements and the criteria by which they were selected. It also outlines the further work program of the group to evaluate and validate biomechanically based injury criteria for rear impact crash testing.
Managing the unexpected: Assuring high performance in an age of complexity.

High reliability organizations (HROs) such as ER units in hospitals or firefighting units are designed to perform efficiently under extreme stress and pressure. Using HROs as the model for the 21st century organization, Karl Weick and Kathleen Sutcliffe show readers how to respond to unexpected challenges with flexibility rather than rigidity and to reduce the disruptive effects of change by using tools such as sensemaking, stress reduction, migrating decisions, and labeling. Introducing the powerful new concept of "mindfulness," the authors outline five qualities of the mindful organization and the organizational skills needed to achieve them. Each concept is clearly expressed in vivid case studies of organizations that demonstrate mindful practices in action. A Book in the University of Michigan Business School Series Voted Best HR Book of 2001 by HR.com
The Key to Harnessing the Drive to Learn in Members of “Generation Me”

For us, the term “Digital Natives” represents an overly simplistic portrayal of the younger students enrolled in today’s colleges and universities. Prensky (2001a, b) coined the term “digital natives” to describe a new generation of students who are native speakers in the digital language of the Internet, video games, cell phones, and computers, and distinguished them from “digital immigrants” who are members of an older generation of students and their teachers who were not born into a society where digital technologies were as ubiquitous as they are now. One problem with Prensky’s definition of “digital natives” is that it seriously over-estimates the information literacy of the digital natives as opposed to their technological fluency. As Oblinger and Oblinger (2005) noted: abSTRaCT
Parental Mediation and Excessive Internet Use Behaviour in Teenagers

This study aims to examine the effect of parental mediation on excessive internet use in adolescents. Participants of this study were 327 adolescents aged 15-18 years (139 men, 188 women). Parental mediation and excessive internet use scales were used to measure these variables. This study used quantitative research methods. A simple linear regression analysis technique was used for data analysis. The results showed that there was an influence of parental mediation on the tendency of internet use behavior in teenagers, with an effective contribution of 21%. It shows that parental mediation influences the emergence of excessive internet use behavior in adolescents.
Commodity-Specific Disaggregation of 2002 Freight Analysis Framework Data to County Level in New Jersey

The second generation of the Freight Analysis Framework, known as FAF2, is a continuation of the original Freight Analysis Framework developed by the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration. FAF2 provides trip interchanges for commodity flows between 114 domestic zones, 17 additional international gateways at which imports enter and exports depart the United States, and seven international regions. This paper presents methods for disaggregating the FAF2 data to the county level by developing different disaggregation factors for different commodity types. These new methods are also compared with other disaggregation methods. The objective is to enable state and local governmental agencies to utilize FAF2 commodity origin–destination data for a quick desktop analysis and to devise further strategies in collecting and acquiring local commodity data. The focus area of this study is the state of New Jersey. The study developed and applied different methods to disaggregate FAF2 commodity data down to the New Jersey county level. The results of the disaggregation were then compared with Global Insight's Transearch Database and other disaggregation methods previously developed and presented as part of this study. Findings indicate that no one disaggregation method produces the best results for trip productions and attractions. Disaggregating each commodity using commodity-specific industry employment data yielded the best results in matching the Transearch database for flow origins. However, simple non-commodity-specific factors, such as truck vehicle miles traveled, total employment, or adjusted population data, generally yielded better results in disaggregating flow attractions.
An electrostatically excited 2D-micro-scanning-mirror with an in-plane configuration of the driving electrodes

A novel resonantly excited 2D-Micro-Scanning-Mirror is presented which makes use of an electrostatic driving principle allowing to locate the driving electrodes in the chip plane. The mechanical elements and the mirror plate consist of a 30 /spl mu/m thick single crystal silicon layer. The mirror plate is suspended by a gimbal mounting and can therefore be deflected along two axes. It is shown that a special isolation technique is suitable to separate the electrical potentials on the movable elements and therefore allows to excite the two oscillations independently. The isolation technique is based on the oxidation and polysilicon filling of 1 /spl mu/m wide trenches in the 30 /spl mu/m thick layer of silicon. The influence of the surrounding gas on the coupling of the oscillations is examined. No significant influence is observed. The performance of the novel 2D-Micro-Scanning-Mirror is demonstrated by the generation of various Lissajous patterns by the reflected laser beam. Frequency ratios of 1:1 up to 13:1 are obtained with the presented devices.