Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A THRESHOLD-ACCEPTING METAHEURISTIC METHOD FOR SCHEDULING THE OPERATIONS OF DEHYDRATION PLANTS

ABSTRACT Dehydration plants are broadly characterized by a multi-product nature chiefly attributed to the utilization of different raw materials to be processed sequentially so that demand constraints are met. Processing of raw materials is implemented through a series of preprocessing operations that together with drying constitute the production procedure of a pre-specified programme. The core of the manufacturing system that a typical dehydration plant involves, is scheduling of operations so that demand is fulfilled within a pre-determined time horizon imposed by production planning. The typical scheduling operation that dehydration plants involve can be formulated as a general job shop scheduling problem. The aim of this study is to describe a new metaheuristic method for solving the job shop scheduling problem of dehydration plants, termed as the Backtracking Adaptive Threshold Accepting (BATA) method. Our effort focuses on developing an innovative method, which produces reliable and high quality solutions, requiring reasonable computing effort. The main innovation of this method, towards a typical threshold accepting algorithm, is that during the optimization process the value of the threshold is not only lowered, but also raised or backtracked according to how effective a local search is. BATA is described in detail while a characteristic job shop scheduling case study for dehydration plant operations is presented.
The Effects of VDT Location on User Posture and Comfort: A Field Study

A month-long field study was conducted to determine effects of large-screen VDT placement on user posture, comfort, and preference and to assess recommendations from a laboratory study. Viewing angles of 0 deg and -17.5 deg to center of screen were tested. Results showed effects of monitor placement on head tilt, but not on trunk postures. Total discomfort was greater at 0 deg. At the conclusion of the study, 8 participants elected to work with their monitors in the 0 deg location, 5 chose −17.5 deg, and one preferred a location midway between. For most subjects, these selections did not coincide with total reported discomfort. Together, findings from the laboratory and field studies suggest that computer users, whose primary focus is the monitor, be provided the flexibility to place the VDT in locations of their own choosing, within a viewing angle envelope of 0 to −17.5 deg.
Development of a Portable Electronic Nose for Detection of Cotton Damaged by Nezara viridula (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae)

Stink bugs are significant pests of cotton in the southeastern USA, causing millions of dollars in control costs and crop losses each year. New methods to detect stink bug damage must be investigated in order to reduce these costs and optimize pesticide applications. One such method would be to detect the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted from cotton plants damaged by stink bugs. A portable device was developed to draw VOCs from the head space of a cotton boll over carbon black-polymer composite sensors. From the response of these sensors, this device would indicate if the boll was fed upon by a stink bug or not. The device was 100% accurate in distinguishing bolls damaged by stink bugs from undamaged controls when tested under training conditions. However, the device was only 57.1% accurate in distinguishing damaged from undamaged bolls when tested 24 h after it was trained. These results indicated that this device was capable of classifying cotton as damaged or undamaged by differentiating VOCs released from undamaged or damaged bolls, but improvements in design are required to address sensitivity to fluctuations in environmental conditions.
A comparative study in the semi-active control of isolated structures

A comparative analytical and experimental study of several algorithms for the control of seismically excited floor- and base-isolated structures is pursued in the current study. A hybrid isolation system that is comprised of a bidirectional roller–pendulum system (RPS) and augmented by controllable magnetorheological (MR) dampers is proposed to reduce the potential for damage to structures and sensitive equipment. Bidirectional motions are intelligently ameliorated in real time by the modulation of MR damper resistance. A Bouc–Wen model is adopted in numerical and experimental trials to predict behavior of the MR dampers. Three contrasting control techniques are examined. They include neural network control, LQR/clipped optimal control with variable gains and fuzzy logic control. Each control scheme is a candidate for mitigating the response of a superstructure to near- and far-field seismic loadings. Minimization of displacement and acceleration responses of the structure are considered in the formulation of each approach to control. Results of the numerical and large-scale experimental efforts reveal that the response of the isolated structure is effectively alleviated by all of the considered control methods, although they do not perform equally well. The LQR/clipped optimal controller with variable gains is superior to the other controllers in 50% of the investigated cases, while the fuzzy logic controller performs well for earthquakes with large accelerations. Neural network control is found to be effective in minimizing the acceleration of the superstructure that is subject to moderate excitation.
Framework for Investigation of Level-of-Service Criteria and Thresholds on Rural Freeways

The Highway Capacity Manual prescribes level-of-service (LOS) criteria as a function of traffic density to categorize the operational conditions of both rural and urban freeway sections. This density-based level of service is ideally suited to the assessment of urban freeways when the performance must be optimized to meet high traffic demand. There is, however, some question as to whether density is the appropriate indicator of the quality of service on rural freeways, since drivers may think more in terms of psychological or emotional comfort for freeways, which generally serve long, high-speed trips and rarely experience more than moderate congestion levels. Three specific measures are examined that have at least an intuitive relationship to the concept of driver comfort: (a) acceleration noise, which is a measure of the physical turbulence in the traffic stream; (b) number and duration of cruise control applications, which could serve as a general indication of driver convenience or inconvenience; and (c) percent time spent following, which is already accepted as the basis for determining the level of service on rural two-lane highways. The three candidate measures were estimated for a hypothetical section of rural freeway by simulation, using the CORSIM model. The kinematic relationships of individual vehicles within the traffic stream were estimated by postprocessing the simulation data for each second of operation. All of the measures considered in this study have conceptual appeal. All have produced interesting and potentially usable results with respect to their relationships to traffic volume. Although the simulation results are interesting, further studies focusing on driver opinions, behavior, or field measurements, or all three, would likely be necessary to support the development and recommendation of a specific set of LOS criteria that recognizes the differences between the urban and rural freeway driving environments.
Fast and Real-Time Sensor-Fault Detection using Shannon’s Entropy

In this paper, we aim at improving the change detection techniques by introducing an adaptive thresholding with a sliding time window. In particular, a real-time optimal sliding time window length is implemented without any preliminary learning step as required in conventional sensor-fault detection methods. Based on Shannon’s entropy, our method improves the change detection techniques using an adaptive thresholding. The technique can be applied by any change detection technique based on the generalized likelihood ratio (GLR). To validate the robustness of our approach, two commonly used change detection techniques are considered: the cumulative sum (Cusum) and the exponentially weighted Moving average (EWMA) control charts. Experimental validation is experimentally shown considering real data in the context of collaborative mobile robots. In addition, this experiment leads to a fault-tolerant fusion methodology based on the use of an extended Kalman filter (EKF).
Understanding the Kelvin pin mitigation of the MOSFET turn-on losses by fast-switching and neutralization of the clamp diode

The super-junction MOSFETs enhanced with an additional source, called Kelvin pin (4-lead), are faster than traditional three-terminal MOSFETs (3-lead). Moreover, the former presents a lower increment in the turn-on power losses as the load increases. This paper investigates the phenomenon and explains this behavior. The drain-source voltage waveform of the 3-lead device usually presents a plateau due to the voltage drop across the parasitic inductances during the current rising and to the clamp imposed by the diode until it conducts. The higher current speed of 4-lead involves that the plateau should occur at a lower value of the drain-source voltage, then this voltage takes longer to reach this lockout value. On the other hand, the higher current speed involves a reduced time necessary for the 4-lead device to reach the boost inductor current, thus unclamping earlier the diode. Consequently, the plateau does not occur thus achieving reduced turn-on losses. The plateau extension is small in the 3-lead MOSFET at low current and it increases as the current increases, thus the advantage increases as the current increases. The formulation and argumentation supporting the understanding of this phenomenon can be applied also to faster power devices like the SiC MOSFET and the GaN HEMT.
ECG Signal Reconstruction Using FMCW Radar and Convolutional Neural Network

This paper presents a method for radar-based contactless vital sensing and ECG (ElectroCardioGram) signal reconstruction using deep learning. ECG signal is a typical representation of heartbeat signals. However, its measurement usually requires any contact device, which is not suitable due to discomfort of subjects. Radar system is effective for vital sensing because it can measure small displacement of body surface caused by breathing and heartbeat without contact. On the other hand, most of the methods using radar system are limited to evaluating simple indices such as heart rate and heartbeat interval while subjects or devices are stationary. In this paper, we propose a method for body surface displacement signals using FMCW (Frequency-Modulated Continuous Wave) radar and reconstructing ECG signals using CNN (Convolutional Neural Network). The result of experiments on six healthy males shows the ECG signals are successfully reconstructed. Furthermore, we confirmed that the proposed method can reconstruct signal waveforms even in an environment with low SNR (Signal-to-Noise Ratio).
Analysis and design of boost zero-voltage-transition PWM converter

The analysis and design of a boost zero-voltage-transition (ZVT) PWM power converter is carried out by means of the normalized state-plane-trajectory method. This topology has the advantages of constant switching frequency, soft switching on all the active switches, the fixed voltage stresses under all load situations. The design procedure is demonstrated by using a specific example. Experimental results are given to confirm the authors' analytical work. <<ETX>>
Influence of Interface Degradation on the Performance of Piezoelectric Actuators

An experimental and numerical study was performed to investigate the effects of interface debonding on the performance of piezoelectric (PZT) ceramic actuators for structural health monitoring (SHM) systems. Interface degradation of PZT actuators may occur over time during the in-service life of the structure compromising the performance and reliability of the SHM system. Energy losses and signal changes should be understood to guarantee the reliability of the SHM systems during the life-time of the structure. Here we present the first systematic study on the performance of PZT actuators with a partially degraded interface. The electro-mechanical coupling between PZT actuators and a hosting aluminium plate was found to vary with the interface debonding over a wide frequency range affecting the amplitude and phase of the actuator’s signal. A signal delay and an amplitude decrease were observed for: increasing debonding area, different debond shape, and location underneath the PZT actuators. Changes were found to be dependent on the actuation frequency with respect to the PZT resonance frequency. A spectral element-based code integrated with a coupled electro-mechanical field solver was used to verify the experimental results by simulating the propagation of ultrasonic Lamb waves in an aluminum plate with built-in PZT sensors/actuators.
Evaluation of role of interferon gamma release assays in the diagnosis of latent tuberculosis in human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients

Introduction: Tuberculosis (TB) is the most common opportunistic infection in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected individuals. The risk of eventually developing active TB from latent TB infection (LTBI) is about 10% per year in HIV-positive patients in contrast to 10% lifetime risk in HIV-negative patients. Until recently, the tuberculin skin test (TST) was the only tool available for diagnosing LTBI. Interferon-gamma release assays (IGRAs) were recently developed and address many of the limitations of TST test, especially in immunocompromised state. Aims and Objectives: (1) To determine the prevalence of latent, active pulmonary, and multidrug-resistant (MDR)-TB among HIV-positive patients in and around Aligarh region; (2) sensitivity and specificity of TST and IGRAs for diagnosis of LTBI in HIV positive patients; and (3) to assess drug resistance and mutational patterns of the clinical isolates of MDR-TB in HIV-TB co-infection. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was done on all the patients attended the ICTC centre, JNMC, AMU Aligarh, seropositive for HIV, i.e. 469 (sample size) for the study period of 2 years from October 2015 to October 2017. All 469 HIV-positive patients were screened for latent and active pulmonary TB. Diagnosis of TB (active and latent) was made using clinical, radiological, and microbiological tests. TST and IGRA testing along with CD4 cell counts were also determined. Line probe assay was also done to assess drug resistance and mutational patterns of MDR-TB in HIV patients. Results: In our study, prevalence of HIV infection was 5.04%. Sixty-seven (14.28%) patients were as active TB (HIV-TB co-infection), out of which only one patient (1.49%) was confirmed as MDR-TB, 117 (24.94%) were diagnosed as LTBI. It was also evaluated that IGRA has more sensitivity (75%) and specificity (76%) than TST with sensitivity of 71.7% and specificity 66%. Conclusion: As there is no gold standard test for latent TB, longitudinal follow-up is needed to interpret discordant test results. There is a need to interpret negative QFT results with caution and to test for latent TB at higher CD4 counts, if possible. Interferon gamma assays can become better tool for diagnosis of especially for latent TB. However, more research study required for establish their relevance, especially in immunocompromised states.
Bone health in HIV-infected children on antiretroviral therapy: An Indian study

Aim: The aim of this study is to determine the bone health in HIV-infected children on antiretroviral therapy (ART). Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out in 31 HIV-infected children aged 5–18 years. Each patient underwent testing for serum calcium, phosphorous, alkaline phosphatase, and 25(OH) Vitamin D. Bone mineral density (BMD) was done using a DXA scanner. Patients' z scores for BMD of the lumbar spine and left femoral neck were noted. The factors associated with low BMD were analyzed. Results: Seven (22.6%) children had a low spinal BMD and 6 (19.4%) had low femoral neck BMD. Low serum calcium was seen in 6 (19.4%) patients and high alkaline phosphatase was seen in 15 (48.4%) patients. Low serum 25 (OH) Vitamin D levels were present in 30 (96.8%) patients, whereas all the patients had normal serum phosphorous. Duration of ART in those with low spinal BMD was 4.6 ± 3.4 years as compared to 6.4 ± 3.2 years in those with normal spinal BMD (P = 0.235) and for low left femoral neck BMD was 3.9 ± 2 years as compared to 6.5 ± 3.4 years for those with normal femoral neck BMD (P = 0.031). Mean 25(OH) Vitamin D levels were 8.4 ± 2.8 ng/ml in those with low femoral neck BMD as compared to 13.6 ± 8.3 ng/ml in those with normal femoral neck BMD (P = 0.015). Type of ART did not have any association with low BMD. Conclusion: Over 95% of HIV-infected children have low 25(OH) Vitamin D levels which affect the appendicular BMD. BMD is affected more in children who have been on ART for a shorter time. No particular ART regimen is associated with low BMD.
Progressive recruitment of distal MEC-4 channels determines touch response strength in C. elegans

Touch deforms, or strains, the skin beyond the immediate point of contact. The spatiotemporal nature of the touch-induced strain fields depend on the mechanical properties of the skin and the tissues below. Somatosensory neurons that sense touch branch out within the skin and rely on a set of mechano-electrical transduction channels distributed within their dendrites to detect mechanical stimuli. Here, we sought to understand how tissue mechanics shape touch-induced mechanical strain across the skin over time and how individual channels located in different regions of the strain field contribute to the overall touch response. We leveraged C. elegans’ touch receptor neurons (TRNs) as a simple model amenable to in vivo whole-cell patch clamp recording and an integrated experimental-computational approach to dissect the mechanisms underlying the spatial and temporal dynamics that we observed. Consistent with the idea that strain is produced at a distance, we show that delivering strong stimuli outside the anatomical extent of the neuron is sufficient to evoke MRCs. The amplitude and kinetics of the MRCs depended on both stimulus displacement and speed. Finally, we found that the main factor responsible for touch sensitivity is the recruitment of progressively more distant channels by stronger stimuli, rather than modulation of channel open probability. This principle may generalize to somatosensory neurons with more complex morphologies. Summary Through experiment and simulation, Katta et al. reveal that pushing faster and deeper recruits more and more distant mechano-electrical transduction channels during touch. The net result is a dynamic receptive field whose size and shape depends on tissue mechanics, stimulus parameters, and channel distribution within sensory neurons.
Stable equilibria for bootstrap-current driven low aspect ratio tokamaks

Note: 38th Annual Meeting, APS Division of Plasma Physics, Denver, CO, USA, November 1996, Bull. Amer. Phys. Soc. 41, 1404 (2R27) (1996) Reference CRPP-CONF-1996-032 Record created on 2008-05-13, modified on 2017-05-12
Mechanics and Thermodynamics of Biomembranes

One of the most exciting and rapidly growing areas of research in cell biology today is the structure and function (mechanical and chemical) of cell membranes. Numerous review articles and texts have appeared in the past ten years on the ultrastructure and transport function of biomembranes, but there has been no unifying text outlining the new developments in the continuum mechanics of biomembranes in this same period. This book by Drs. Evans and Skalak is a very welcome and much needed addition to the field. It provides at the same time an excellent tutorial introduction for engineering and physical scientists interested in a continuum mechanical and thermodynamic description of biomembrane systems and a valuable reference text for advanced researchers in the field. Two particular strengths of the presentation are that it ties together the mechanical concepts of deformation, rate of deformation and force resultants with thermodynamic concepts that provide constitutive relations for the material properties of membranes and then relates this theoretical framework to an impressive array of biological membrane experiments that are described in some detail in the last third of the book.
Recognizing Chemical Entity in Biomedical Literature using a BERT-based Ensemble Learning Methods for the BioCreative 2021 NLM-Chem Track

—It is challenging and time-consuming to extract crucial information from biomedical literature, which is often unstructured and noisy. To reduce human effort and increase efficiency, many organizations have invested resources in the research of Natural Language Processing (NLP) technology. In light of this, there are two tasks in the BioCreative VII Track 2 for creating effective NLP downstream applications, namely, Chemical Mention Recognition and Chemical Normalization. In this paper, we propose different ensemble learning methods to integrate multiple BERT pre-trained models for recognizing chemical entities. A dynamic programming-based method is adopted to perform entity linking for normalization. For the Chemical Mention Recognition, we achieved F 1 -scores of 85% (strict) and 91.8% (approximate). Moreover, our model performs very well on the task of Chemical Normalization, with strict F 1 - score of 80.7% and approximate F1-score of 80.2%. Our systems outperform the benchmark and median significantly, and achieve remarkable performances.
Chemical entity recognition and MeSH normalization in PubMed full-text literature using BioBERT

—This paper presents the participation of the SINAI group in Track 2 - NLM-CHEM Full-text Chemical Identification and Indexing in PubMed articles. This challenge aims to identify chemicals located in texts and subsequently assign a unique identifier using the MeSH vocabulary. Detecting chemicals automatically in biomedical texts is a crucial task because current health information systems are not prepared to analyze and extract this knowledge due to the time and cost involved in manual processing. To address this challenge, our group presents different machine learning approaches such as deep learning and Transformer-based models such as BERT. Specifically, we compared the BiLSTM-CRF neural network with different language model inputs and the BERT architecture using the pre-trained BioBERT model. Moreover, for MeSH indexing we have used the Metamap tool. We achieve 87.98% F1 in the Named Entity Recognition task and 75.51% F1 in the Named Entity Normalization task, both in approximate matching.
Affect, Support and Personal Factors: Multimodal Causal Models of One-on-one Coaching

Human one-on-one coaching involves complex multimodal interactions. Successful coaching requires teachers to closely monitor students' cognitive-affective states and provide support of optimal type, timing, and amount. However, most of the existing human tutoring studies focus primarily on verbal interactions and have yet to incorporate the rich aspects of multimodal cognitive-affective experiences. Meanwhile, the research community lacks principled methods to fully exploit complex multimodal data to uncover the causal relationships between coaching supports, students' cognitive-affective experiences, and their stable individual factors. We explore an analytical framework that is explainable and amenable to incorporating domain knowledge. The proposed framework combines statistical approaches in Sparse Multiple Canonical Correlation, causal discovery, and inference methods for observations. We demonstrate this framework using a multimodal one-on-one math problem-solving coaching dataset collected in naturalistic home environments involving parents and young children. The insights derived from our analyses may inform the design of effective technology-inspired interventions that are personalized and adaptive.