Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A metamaterial path towards optical integrated nanocircuits

Metamaterials are known to demonstrate exotic electromagnetic and optical properties. The extra control over manipulation of waves and fields afforded by metamaterials can be exploited towards exploring various platforms, e.g., optical integrated circuits. Nanophotonic integrated circuits have been the topic of past and ongoing research in multiple fields including, but not limited to, electrical engineering, optics and materials science. In the present work, we theoretically study and analyze metamaterial properties that can be potentially utilized in the future design of optical integrated circuits. On this path, we seek inspiration from electronics to tackle multiple issues in developing such layered nanocircuitry. We identify modularity, directionality/isolation and tunability as three useful features of electronics and we theoretically explore mimicking them in nanoscale optics. Using epsilon-near-zero (ENZ) and mu-near-zero (MNZ) properties we propose concepts to transplant some aspects of modular design of electronic passive circuits and filters into nanophotonics. We also exploit ENZ materials to develop “transformer-like” functionality in optical nanocircuits. To bring directional selectivity and isolation to this domain we develop concepts for both spatial filtering of light using ENZ layered structures as well as identifying new regimes of nonreciprocal one-way surface wave propagation on the surface of magneto-optical materials. In order to have tunability in some of the proposed concepts in this work, we numerically study a wire-medium metamaterial whose permittivity can be tuned at will. All the proposed structures have simple geometries and layered structures wherever possible, which are more convenient for analysis, design and future implementation. Degree Type Dissertation Degree Name Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Graduate Group Electrical & Systems Engineering First Advisor Nader Engheta
Scalable (24-140 Gbps) optical data link well adapted for future maskless lithography applications

Maskless lithography based on electron beam parallelization requires well adapted data links, capable of transmitting the corresponding data volume at rates up to the Tbps domain. In this paper we focus on a scalable (24 - 140 Gbps) optical data link, well adapted for future implementation in maskless lithography systems. The link comprises a high-speed data buffer with synchronizable architecture and scalable throughput (N x 24 Gbps), an optical free space transmission solution, a 45 channel low-noise optical receiver chip based on BiCMOS 0.6 micron technology and, finally, a Data Processor & Demux IP core implemented in VHDL.
Exchange Rate Volatility and Macroeconomic Performance in Hong Kong.

In this paper evidence on whether Hong Kong's currency board arrangement, in place since 1983, has affected volatility of real macroeconomic variables is presented. Simple evidence on the relative volatilities of relevant macroeconomic variables pre and post 1983 is presented, before a more formal econometric framework is utilised to examine the linkages between the exchange rate and the real economy. It is found that the currency board period has been one of relative stability in Hong Kong, though it has also been a period where external factors have been relatively benign. Even after controlling for the external environment it is found that the currency board period is one of low macroeconomic volatility.
Work allocation strategies for serial assembly lines under high labour turnover

Labour turnover can be very detrimental to the performance of traditional serial assembly lines. It has been shown that high turnover rates can reduce annual production throughput in serial assembly lines by more than 16% when these lines operate under a balanced work allocation strategy. This paper investigates whether alternative production methods, such as Bucket Brigades, can out-perform traditional lines by utilizing dynamic work allocation and active operator replacement policies in order to absorb better the variability introduced by labour turnover. The study performed was divided into two phases. Phase I consisted of using a simple three-station linear assembly line to compare the performance of the Bucket Brigades method against a traditional line (fixed work allocation, static operator replacement), and a method using fixed work allocation along with a dynamic replacement policy. In Phase II, a six-station serial assembly line was used to compare the performance of Bucket Brigades against the traditional balanced line method. The analyses were based on simulation models that used monthly turnover rates of 0, 6 and 12%. Phase I showed that the Bucket Brigade method outperformed the other two methods consistently when operating under moderate (6%) and high (12%) turnover rates. Phase II demonstrated that the Bucket Brigade method was better than the traditional production method in every instance, including the case with 0% turnover.
Creativity of ‘process’ and ‘product’: the impact of tools?

This paper examines the relationship between creativity domains and computing tools. It reports on the findings of a design computing experiment with 2 groups of subjects while they were engaged with a problem solving design task using two types of CAD tools, non-parametric and parametric-algorithmic. The paper aims to address two questions. Does a more creative process by implication 'correlate' with and yield a more creative product? And does the 'type' of CAD tool deployed by the user impact on the creativity of their product? The findings revealed that creativity of the process correlated significantly with each measure of 'product' creativity, namely: novelty, technical goodness and aesthetic appeal. Factor loading on components confirmed two constructs, one for product creativity and another for process. Additionally a difference in CAD tools produced no statistical 'variance' in creativity of 'product' or process. A regression equation to predict product ratings from creativity process ratings is also presented.
The impact of lean operations on the Chinese manufacturing performance

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of lean operations practice and design on the Chinese manufacturing performance, using lean assessment data from 65 plants in various industries.Design/methodology/approach – Exploratory factor and regression analyses are used to examine the associations among operations practice, production design, and operations performance. Three constructs are developed, two for operations practice (human resources and supply chains) and one for production design.Findings – Factor analysis shows that three factors are sufficient to represent the lean performance dimensions of flow, flexibility, and quality. Regression analysis shows that the lean performance factors are strongly related to operations practice and production system design. Using lean factors and operations practice/design, our results indicate significant gaps in lean manufacturing practices among different industries, with the petroleum and hi‐tech industries performing relatively best.
A grounded theory of women's career under-achievement in large UK construction companies

In response to impending skills shortages and changing employment patterns, the UK construction industry recently has made considerable efforts to attract more women to its professions. However, despite their increasing representation, there are indications that women experience difficulties in developing their careers within the industry. This research investigated the careers of men and women working for large construction companies, in order to establish the gender determined influences on women's career progression. A primarily qualitative methodology was employed for the research, in which career profiles were developed through ethnographic interviews with 41 matched pairs of male and female employees. This allowed the gender specific determinants of careers to be established across a range of different organizations, and from informants at different vocational and life-cycle stages. The analysis resulted in the formulation of a set of eight interrelated theoretical models, from which a theory of women's career development was constructed. The theory reflects the belief that the construction workplace is a competitive and conflictual environment, where women are overtly and covertly discriminated against by men, who use structural systems to undermine their participation. The women interviewed were found to have dealt with these barriers in a way which perpetuated existing work cultures. If reflected throughout the industry, this would suggest the existence of a self-fulfilling cycle of women's continued under-achievement. The paper puts forward the radical proposition that women should not be attracted to the industry unless steps are taken to moderate its exclusionary and discriminatory culture.
Maximum overall efficiency for a solar‐driven gas turbine power plant

A general model for an irreversible solar‐driven Brayton multi‐step heat engine is presented. The model incorporates an arbitrary number of turbines (Nt) and compressors (Nc) and the corresponding reheating and intercooling processes; thus, the solar‐driven Ericsson cycle is a particular case where Nt, Nc → ∞. For the solar collector, we assume linear heat losses, and for the Brayton multi‐step cycle, we consider irreversibilities arising from the non‐ideal behavior of turbines and compressors, pressure drops in the heat input and heat release, heat leakage through the plant to the surroundings, and non‐ideal couplings of the working fluid with the external heat reservoirs. We obtain the collector temperatures at which maximum overall efficiency ηmax is reached as a function of the thermal plant pressure ratio, and a detailed comparison for several plant configurations is given. This maximum efficiency is obtained in two cases: when only internal irreversibilities are considered and when both internal and external irreversibilities (which corresponds to the fully irreversible realistic situation) are simultaneously taken into account. Differences between both situations are stressed in detail. In the fully irreversible realistic case, it is possible to perform an additional optimization with respect to the pressure ratio, ηmax∗ . In particular, this double optimization leads to a valuable increase in efficiency (between 34% and 65%) for a plant with two turbines and two compressors compared to the simple solar‐driven one‐turbine one‐compressor Brayton engine. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Adhesive bonding in composite structures for aerospace applications

In the defense and several other high performance industries, advanced composite materials are continuously used in large volumes to build relatively light and strong structures such as bullet proof vests, lightweight ammunitions, aircraft, spacecrafts, ships and offshore platforms, armored automobiles and bridges etc. An important requirement for the complete design of these practical structures is, design and development of attachment/joining methods as joint designs are very challenging and complex in composites structures. Currently, the three most commonly employed methods of joining are mechanical fastening (those using bolts, nut, staplers, rivets etc), welding and adhesive bonding. Of these three methods, adhesive bonding is the most versatile and is finding wide acceptance in the industrial arena as many dissimilar materials can be joined, problems associated with high stress concentrations around holes in bolted joints can be greatly eliminated, and good sealing can be achieved. In the present research work, the mechanical behavior of adhesively bonded scarf and lap joints comprising carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites and epoxy based adhesives under quasi-static tensile and/or compressive loadings were studied experimentally. A limited amount of numerical verification was carried out as needed. The research project was executed in four phases. In the first phase, test geometries were developed to study the knock-down in the joint strength of adhesively bonded scarf joints (those required for high performance applications) with scarf angle, under both uniaxial compressive and tensile loading conditions. Compressive and tensile specimens were carefully prepared and quasi-static tests were performed to study the joints’ behavior. The test results were simulated numerically using ABAQUS finite element program. The failure modes (adhesive, cohesive and/or adherend failure) in the bonded region were also studied and summarized in the report. vi ATTENTION: The Singapore Copyright Act applies to the use of this document. Nanyang Technological University Library
Methods for activating the decision-making process that is used for controlling flexible manufacturing systems

This paper deals with controlling flexible manufacturing systems (FMS) operating in volatile production environments. Shnits et al. (Shnits, B., Rubinovitz, J., and Sinreich, D., 2004. Multicriteria dynamic scheduling methodology for controlling a flexible manufacturing system. International Journal of Production Research, 42 (17), 3457–3472. ) and Shnits and Sinreich (Shnits, B. and Sinreich, D., 2006. Controlling flexible manufacturing systems based on a dynamic selection of an appropriate operational criteria and scheduling policy. International Journal of Flexible Manufacturing Systems, 18 (1), 1–27. ) developed a multi-criteria dynamic scheduling mechanism for controlling an FMS that can cope with such environments. An important part of this mechanism functioning, which impinges directly on its performance, is the activation of its decision-making process. This study continues the research presented in the above-mentioned papers and proposes different triggering methods for activating the control system decision-making process. The operational conditions for each suggested triggering method were analysed and a comparative analysis between these methods was performed. It was revealed that the highly dynamic triggering method, which activates the decision-making process right before a resource becomes available, outperformed the triggering methods that use a predefined scheduling period.
The Facility Planning and Electric Power Quality of the Saroma Lake Green Microgrid by the Interconnection of Tidal Power Generation, PV and SOFC

Tidal power generation is viewed as a leading green energy approach. It is expected that the use of tidal power generation will become a primary method for local-supply-and-local-consumption energy, similar to photovoltaics and wind power. Because the current produced by tides changes with a definite periodicity, it is straightforward to forecast the production of electricity by tidal power generation. However, to cover the supply-and-demand differences in electric power, an accumulation-of-electricity system or a controllable electric power source is required. Hence, in this paper, the cost and electric power quality of an interconnection system constructed with a solid oxide type fuel cell (SOFC), photovoltaics (PV), and tidal power generators are investigated. By accessing the high-speed tidal current in the lake inlets of the Saroma Lake in Hokkaido, the demand of electric power and heat in a surrounding area are provided by the proposed system. As a result of the estimations of numerical analyses, the facility planning, costs, and electric power quality of the proposed system are identified, and the amount of time required to recover the cost versus the present energy cost is expected to be approximately ten years.
APPROPRIATE DEPTHS OF APPLICATION FOR SCHEDULING CENTER PIVOT IRRIGATIONS

The center pivot irrigator is faced with a problem of determining the appropriate depth of water application to use for management purposes to minimize both yield loss and water quality degradation. The current study builds on the work of Peri, Hart, and Norum (1979), using the normal distribution of application depth and linear yield and economic functions to calculate the appropriate depth of application with known uniformity and user specified economic conditions. A method is also presented to determine the potential savings from improving the uniformity. The optimum applied depth for 60 pivots tested varies from less than 10% to almost twice the mean depth, depending on the system uniformity and the economic and environmental scenario.
A PROCEDURE FOR DETERMINING P-WAVE SPEED IN CONCRETE FOR USE IN IMPACT-ECHO TESTING USING A P-WAVE SPEED MEASUREMENT TECHNIQUE

The dilatational or P-wave speed in concrete is needed in impact-echo testing if the dimensions of the structural elements or the location of flaws are to be determined. Previously, the P-wave speed was determined from cores or from performing a test on a portion of the structure having known dimensions and no flaws. In cases where neither approach was possible, an estimate had to be made of the wave speed. This paper presents the details of a method for independently determining P-wave speeds in concretes by determining the time it takes the P-wave to travel between two points along the surface of a structure. This procedure is more accurate than procedures that involve the use of Rayleigh wave speed measurements, and thus it is a better technique for use in quality control situations and other testing situations where more accurate results are needed.
SRC: Incorporating Geographic Information for Building a Location-based Recommendation System

This study proposes a novel approach for location recommendation based on content-based recommendation algorithms incorporated with geographic information. The study also analyzes the impact of various dimension reduction (DR) methods on the recommendation quality using various baseline approaches. The experiment demonstrates that the proposed approach to content-based location recommendations is feasible and valuable, with potentials for further research.
PENGEMBANGAN PETUNJUK PRAKTIKUM BIOLOGI DAN INSTRUMEN PENILAIAN KINERJA PRAKTIKUM BERBASIS MODEL PEMBELAJARAN KOOPERATIF DAN EFEKTIVITASNYA TERHADAP KEMAMPUAN BERPIKIR KRITIS SISWA SMA/MA KELAS XI

The aims of this study were: 1) to develop a biology practical guidance based on TGT cooperative models equipped with practical performance assessment instrument; 2) to determine the characteristics and suitability of products than have been developed; 3) to know it’s effectiveness in critical thinking abilities on biology subject of students in class XI. Product development process in this study by following Borg and Gall’s Development. The result of the expert validation by 3 validators showed that each of the average score in biology practical guidance based on TGT and practical performance assessment instrument were 4,41 and 4,48 and categorized as “very good”. Limited testing conducted on 10 students with high, medium, and low ability. The result of limited testing showed that each of percentage score average in biology practical guidance based on TGT and practical performance assessment instrument were 82,67% and 83,33% and categorized as “very good”. Field trial testing using a pre-test post-test control group design. The data of critical thinking abilities are tested in this study consist of 5 indicator skills: (1) formulate the problem; (2) recognize the existence of a logical relationship between issues; (3) collect and collate information; (4) asses and evaluate the statement of facts; (5) Make some conclude were needed. Data analysis were performed using two independent sample test formula by SPSS 20 for windows. The analysis showed that the critical thinking abilities for indicator 1, 2, 3, and 5 of experimental group different from the control group, while the fourth indicator not different. Data analysis equipped with calculation of the value of n-gain to determine the effectiveness of learning by using product that have been developed. The result of the data analysis showed that the value of n-gain in experimental groupis equal to 0,71 and categorized as “high”.
Supported Housing in a Small Community: Effects on Consumers, Suggestions for Change

We explore the effects of supported housing on the quality of life and recovery of consumers in a rural community, and also explore how this housing approach could be improved. Data were collected from 16 tenants involved in Supported Housing for Individuals with Mental Illness (SHIMI), located in Nova Scotia. The following themes were identified in the analysis: support, security, normalcy and integration, stability and control, and recovery. Suggestions for improvement include fostering a stronger system of supports, coordinating initiatives to reduce the living costs and build the assets of tenants, and having greater consumer involvement in the initiative.
Travel Time Estimation Based on Neural Network with Auxiliary Loss

Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA) plays an important role in various applications, for instance, scene of order dispatch, estimate price, travel time prediction, route decision, etc. In this project, we propose a new systematical Wide-Deep-Double-Recurrent model with Auxiliary loss (WDDRA), which involves Auxiliary Loss for Link Current Status prediction task. Our extensive evaluations show that WDDRA significantly outperforms the state-of-the-art learning algorithms. And our final ensemble model wins second place on the SIGSPATIAL 2021 GISCUP leaderboard without data augmentation. Our source code is available at:https://github.com/Phimos/SIGSPATIAL-2021-GISCUP-2nd-Place-Solution
Multi-Task Synchronous Graph Neural Networks for Traffic Spatial-Temporal Prediction

Traffic spatial-temporal prediction is of great significance to traffic management and urban construction. In this paper, we propose a multi-task graph Synchronous neural network (MTSGNN) to synchronously predict the spatial-temporal data at the regions and transitions between regions. The method of constructing "multitask graph representation" is proposed to retain the information of regions and transitions that existing works can not reflect. Then our model synchronously captures multiple types of dynamic spatial correlations, models dynamic temporal dependencies and re-weights different time steps to solve the problem of long-term time modeling. In three real data sets, we verify the validity of the proposed model.
Distributed Spatio-Temporal k Nearest Neighbors Join

The rapid development of positioning technology produces an extremely large volume of spatio-temporal data with various geometry types such as point, line string, polygon, or a mixed combination of them. As one of the most basic but time-consuming operations, k nearest neighbors join (kNN join) has attracted much attention. However, most existing works for kNN join either ignore temporal information or consider point data only. This paper proposes a novel and useful problem, i.e., ST-kNN join, which considers both spatial closeness and temporal concurrency. To support ST-kNN join over a huge amount of spatio-temporal data with any geometry types efficiently, we propose a novel distributed solution based on Apache Spark. Specifically, our method adopts a two-round join framework. In the first round join, we propose a new spatio-temporal partitioning method that achieves spatio-temporal locality and load balance at the same time. We also propose a lightweight index structure, i.e., Time Range Count Index (TRC-index), to enable efficient ST-kNN join. In the second round join, to reduce the data transmission among different machines, we remove duplicates based on spatio-temporal reference points before shuffling local results. Extensive experiments are conducted using three real big datasets, showing that our method is much more scalable and achieves 9X faster than baselines. A demonstration system is deployed and the source code is released.