Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Physics-Based Kinematic Modeling of a Twisted String Actuator-Driven Soft Robotic Manipulator

Due to their high tendon-based (muscle-like) linear actuation, large force generation, and good operational bandwidth, twisted string actuators (TSAs) are strongly suited to actuate robotic devices. TSAs have been widely employed in numerous robotic applications; however, their inclusion in soft robots has been limited. This paper presents the modeling of the one-degree-of-freedom kinematics of a soft robotic manipulator driven by TSAs. The manipulator consists of soft silicone that bends in different directions due to the contraction of three TSAs. A physics-based model was developed to predict the bending angle of the soft manipulator. Furthermore, the bending velocity of the soft manipulator was modeled by using the equations derived from the bending angle model. The proposed modeling approaches were experimentally verified to be effective. For example, the proposed model predicted bending angle and bending velocity with mean errors of 1.58◦ (2.63%) and 0.405 ◦/sec (4.31%), respectively.
The retention strategies of employees of IT industries

In the present situation the Retention of Information technology employees in service sector is very difficult. The Human resource department implement different strategies to this these employees to play a key role in designing the policies, practices and strategies, which can enable an organization to retain them to contributing a lot to the business. The study examines the fact of Employee Retention in the IT sector in Bangalore which can help the organizations in this sector to retain their valuable talented employees and choose HR strategies in the attainment of job satisfaction amongst the employees of the industry; extent of employee attrition prevalent; significance of individual, organizational and industry related factors in determining employee retention; correlation between job satisfaction and employee retention; prevalence of Talent Management System and identify different strategies adopted to reduce the monotony of work for the executive positions. The t-test, chi square test and correlation test is used for evaluation of the data.
Modelling and Simulation of PV-Battery Grid-Connected Power System

As the technology advances, there is a tremendous growth in power demand, depletion of fossil fuel resources, a rise in global warming and power crisis in many countries. Owing to this, a photovoltaic-battery hybrid system that is proposed in this research work as a measure to assist the independent power providers to supply a continuous and reliable electricity to a number of households at a low cost of energy. The hybrid system comprises of photovoltaic (PV) system, energy storage facility and utility grid. The PV system is utilized to convert the natural endowed solar resources into electricity with the application of solar panels. The excess electricity generated from the solar panels can be stored with the utilization of a battery system. The battery system is charged by either the solar power via the maximum power point tracking technique (MPPT) module or by the utility grid during off-peak periods. This research work presents the system modelling and MATLAB/Simulink simulations of a grid-connected photovoltaic and battery based hybrid system. The proposed hybrid system can result in significant cost reduction as the electricity bill of the consumer is reduced and promotes an energy balance in the power system.
Best Prosody for News: A Psychophysiological Study Comparing a Broadcast to a Narrative Speaking Style

Studies in different languages have identified a broadcast speaking style, a particular manner that broadcasters have of reading news. This speaking style is characterized by an emphatic intonation with a fast speech rate easily recognizable by listeners. Some authors have stated that messages in this style are not positively perceived by listeners, as it is repetitive and regular, but there is no empirical data to support this conclusion, nor has the style been analyzed with physiological measures. The physiological approach has some advantages, such as a more objective assessment and real-time evaluation. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the effectiveness, adequacy, and physiological response of this broadcast style compared to a narrative pattern. We combined self-report with physiological measures. Fifty-six participants listened to six news pieces in both styles and with two voices, male and female. They had to rate the effectiveness and adequacy of the news while we measured their physiological responses (heart rate and electrodermal activity). The results showed that news conveyed through the broadcast style elicited less cognitive resource allocation and emotional arousal than the narrative pattern, but there were no significant differences in self-report evaluations.
Error Characterization and Correction Techniques for Reliable STT-RAM Designs

The concerns on the continuous scaling of mainstream memory technologies have motivated tremendous investment to emerging memories. Being a promising candidate, spin-transfer torque random access memory (STT-RAM) offers nanosecond access time comparable to SRAM, high integration density close to DRAM, non-volatility as Flash memory, and good scalability. It is well positioned as the replacement of SRAM and DRAM for on-chip cache and main memory applications. However, reliability issue continues being one of the major challenges in STT-RAM memory designs due to the process variations and unique thermal fluctuations, i.e., the stochastic resistance switching property of magnetic devices. In this dissertation, I decoupled the reliability issues as following three-folds: First, the characterization of STT-RAM operation errors often require expensive Monte-Carlo runs with hybrid magnetic-CMOS simulation steps, making it impracticable for architects and system designs; Second, the state of the art does not have sufficiently understanding on the unique reliability issue of STT-RAM, and conventional error correction codes (ECCs) cannot efficiently handle such errors; Third, while the information density of STT-RAM can be boosted by multi-level cell (MLC) design, the more prominent reliability concerns and the complicated access mechanism greatly limit its applications in memory subsystems. Thus, I present a novel through solution set to both characterize and tackle the above reliability challenges in STT-RAM designs. In the first part of the dissertation, I introduce a new characterization method that can accurately and efficiently capture the multi-variable design metrics of STT-RAM cells; Second, a novel ECC scheme, namely, content-dependent ECC (CD-ECC), is developed to combat the characterized asymmetric errors of STT-RAM at 0->1 and 1->0 bit flipping's; Third, I present a circuit-architecture design, namely state-restricted multi-level cell (SR-MLC) STT-RAM design, which simultaneously achieves high information density, good storage reliability and fast write speed, making MLC STT-RAM accessible for system designers under current technology node. Finally, I conclude that efficient robust (or ECC) designs for STT-RAM require a deep holistic understanding on three different levels-device, circuit and architecture. Innovative ECC schemes and their architectural applications, still deserve serious research and investigation in the near future.
Design of 1-GSample/s 9-b BiCMOS track-and-hold amplifier with high linear input stage

In this article, we present a low-power fully pseudo-differential open-loop BiCMOS track-and-hold amplifier (THA) based on the switched emitter–follower (SEF). A high linear unity-gain buffer is designed to act as the input stage of THA for improving the linearity of the THA. The fast turn-off circuit is used to turn off the SEF rapidly; so, the aperture delay of the THA can be shortened. The simulations using TSMC 75 GHz f T 0.35-µm SiGe BiCMOS technology show that the proposed architecture achieves a spurious free dynamic range of 55.52 dB and a signal-to-noise distortion ratio of 54.27 dB for 58.59375 MHz input frequency at 1 G Sample/s. The power dissipation is 45 mW.
Mechanical Properties of briquette by mixing rice and micrometer-sized carbon particles from potato and yam skins

The purpose of this study was to utilize waste potato skins (PS) and yam skins (YS) in the production of briquettes with rice waste as a binder. The basic materials used to utilize waste, especially potato skins (PS), yam skins (YS), and rice waste. Experiments were carried out by mixing and molding carbon particles made from an equal mass ratio of PS and YS with rice as binders (i.e., 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50%). PS and YS were dried, carbonized at 250°C for 3 hours, and sieved to get sizes of 250 μm. To make compact briquettes, the molded materials were pressed with 5.66 Pa. Several characterizations were analyzed, including compressed density, relaxed density, relaxation ratio, percentage of moisture content, burning rate, percentage of water resistance index, percentage of durability index, specific fuel consumption, the puncture test, and the hardness test. The characterization results showed that the prepared briquettes have good quality, and the best was for 10% of adhesive. The best durability index was for briquettes with 30% of adhesive. The compressed density and water resistance index were optimum when using 40% of adhesive. In general, briquettes with a low amount of adhesive have a high-density value, low moisture content, and a long flammability. This research is expected to convey information regarding how to reuse rice waste as an adhesive for briquettes.
Paulownia in China: cultivation and utilization.

The book describes the successful Chinese experience in the useof one tree, Paulownia, in social forestry programmes. Issues covered include: taxonomy and geographic distribution of the species; its growth characteristics and ecology; ecological requirements to its cultivation; breeding and propagation; use of the species in afforestation; intercropping withPaulownia; major diseases and pests; wood properties and utilization of Paulownia.
Supporting virtual teamwork in Collaborative Product Development

The increasing product complexity and the continuous need of improving product quality and services force companies to join into distributed and extended networks. Collaborative product development triggers research toward the development of new methods and tools to manage virtual teamwork to reduce time to market. In this context, the paper proposes a novel approach and a supporting co-design platform to manage interrelations across organisations. Experimentations into four product design chains show improvements in communication, information sharing, knowledge distribution, time saving and easiness of team management. They demonstrate that collaborative product development can be usefully enhanced only if tools and procedures are designed for the specific needs of the virtual network.
Posterior National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale Improves Prognostic Accuracy in Posterior Circulation Stroke

Background and Purpose: The National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) underestimates clinical severity in posterior circulation stroke and patients presenting with low NIHSS may be considered ineligible for reperfusion therapies. This study aimed to develop a modified version of the NIHSS, the Posterior NIHSS (POST-NIHSS), to improve NIHSS prognostic accuracy for posterior circulation stroke patients with mild-moderate symptoms. Methods: Clinical data of consecutive posterior circulation stroke patients with mild-moderate symptoms (NIHSS <10), who were conservatively managed, were retrospectively analyzed from the Basilar Artery Treatment and Management registry. Clinical features were assessed within 24 hours of symptom onset; dysphagia was assessed by a speech therapist within 48 hours of symptom onset. Random forest classification algorithm and constrained optimization were used to develop the POST-NIHSS in the derivation cohort. The POST-NIHSS was then validated in a prospective cohort. Poor outcome was defined as modified Rankin Scale score ≥3 at 3 months. Results: We included 202 patients (mean [SD] age 63 [14] years, median NIHSS 3 [interquartile range, 1–5]) in the derivation cohort and 65 patients (mean [SD] age 63 [16] years, median NIHSS 2 [interquartile range, 1–4]) in the validation cohort. In the derivation cohort, age, NIHSS, abnormal cough, dysphagia and gait/truncal ataxia were ranked as the most important predictors of functional outcome. POST-NIHSS was calculated by adding 5 points for abnormal cough, 4 points for dysphagia, and 3 points for gait/truncal ataxia to the baseline NIHSS. In receiver operating characteristic analysis adjusted for age, POST-NIHSS area under receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.80 (95% CI, 0.73–0.87) versus NIHSS area under receiver operating characteristic curve, 0.73 (95% CI, 0.64–0.83), P=0.03. In the validation cohort, POST-NIHSS area under receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.82 (95% CI, 0.69–0.94) versus NIHSS area under receiver operating characteristic curve 0.73 (95% CI, 0.58–0.87), P=0.04. Conclusions: POST-NIHSS showed higher prognostic accuracy than NIHSS and may be useful to identify posterior circulation stroke patients with NIHSS <10 at higher risk of poor outcome.
Understanding Mental Burden and Factors Associated With Study Worries Among Undergraduate Medical Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is affecting many areas of life and has led to major changes in undergraduate medical education. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, high mental burden of medical students has frequently been reported in the literature. Additional pandemic-specific stressors could exacerbate this situation. This study aimed to assess mental health outcomes among medical students during the first semester after the COVID-19 outbreak and perception of the students on how the learning environment has changed. In May 2020, we conducted a cross-sectional survey among undergraduate medical students at a large medical school in Germany. The survey included validated mental health instruments (Distress Thermometer, Patient Health Questionnaire 4) and self-developed items to examine the perception of the study situation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Open-ended questions were analyzed by conventional content analyses. The response rate was 59.2% (914/1,545). Overall, 61.9% of the students reported distress levels above the cutoff. Year 1 students reported significantly higher levels of distress, anxiety and depression than students during their second to fourth year of studies. 48.3% of the students indicated a decrease in their study motivation since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic with significant differences between study years. The binary logistic regression model showed that male gender, being in study year 2, higher distress scores and higher symptoms of depression were significantly associated with a higher likelihood for experiencing serious worries. In the open-ended questions on current concerns related to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their studies, students most frequently reported concerns about missing relevant practical learning experience, difficulties with self-regulated learning and self motivation as well as study-related worries. Year 4 students reported significantly more worries about the lack of practical training than students from study years 1 to 3. Analysis of gender differences showed that female students reported more frequently diverse worries. In contrast, female students shared more frequently helpful strategies in all the categories compared to male students. Our findings suggest that medical students experience significant levels of distress and mental burden during the COVID-19 pandemic and highlight the need for ongoing psychological and educational support for medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic and after.
Comparative Analysis of a New Hybrid EDOF-Multifocal Diffractive Intraocular Lens with a Trifocal Diffractive Intraocular Lens

Purpose To compare visual acuity, defocus curve and visual quality of life performances of a new hybrid refractive-diffractive intraocular lens (IOL) and a trifocal diffractive IOL. Methods Patients who underwent cataract surgery with bilateral implantation of ZFR00V or TFNT00 IOLs were enrolled in this study. The main outcomes were defined as uncorrected distant, intermediate and near visual acuities (UDVA, UIVA and UNVA, respectively), defocus curve and VF-14 questionnaire aimed for visual performance. Results Fifty patients, of whom 30 had bilateral ZFR00V implantation, were enrolled in the study. Patients with ZFR00V had significantly better UIVA than patients with TFNT00 (0.05 ± 0.03 vs. 0.07 ± 0.04 logMAR, P = 0.02). Defocus curve showed significantly higher visual acuity in intermediate range for ZFR00V IOL between −1.00 and −1.50 dioptres (all P < 0.05). All patients had good visual performance with mean VF-14 scores above 3 points with no significant difference between two IOL models. Spectacle independence was 100% for both distant and near vision in both group of patients. Conclusion Bilateral implantation of ZFR00V in cataract patients shows better intermediate visual acuity scores and similar daily visual performance when compared with trifocal TFNT00 IOL.
Evaluating the Consistency and Continuity of Pixel-Scale Cloud

1Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 5 2 Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, 5825 University Research Court, Suite 4001, 6 College Park, MD 20740. 7 3Science and Technology Corporation, 10015 Old Columbia Road, Columbia, MD 21046 8 4Science Applications International Corporation, 12010 Sunset Hills Road, Reston, VA 20190 9 5NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD. 10 11 12
All-optical microwave bandpass filters implemented in a radio-over-fiber link

An all-optical microwave bandpass filter implemented in a radio-over-fiber (RoF) link is proposed and demonstrated. The filter consists of an optical phase modulator, a length of high birefringence (Hi-Bi) fiber, a 25-km singlemode fiber and a narrow linewidth laser source. Different time delays are achieved when the two orthogonal polarization modes are traveling along the Hi-Bi fiber. The baseband resonance is eliminated by use of the optical phase modulator in combination with the 25-km single-mode fiber serving as a dispersive device. The proposed filter is immune to optical interference because of the orthogonality of the two polarization modes. A two-tap all-optical microwave bandpass filter with a null-to-null bandwidth of 8.7 GHz and a notch rejection level greater than 30 dB implemented in the 25-km RoF link is demonstrated.
Experimental Investigation of Fully Plastic Contact of a Sphere Against a Hard Flat

In this paper we report the experimental investigation to evaluate the published models for the contact of a deformable sphere against a hard flat in the fully plastic contact regime. A new measurement method has been used to measure the contact area. The behavior of the mean contact pressure and the contact area as a function of the contact load are presented. Substantial differences are found between the measurements and the model predictions. A constant value of the mean contact pressure as the load increases is observed, however, the value is lower than the hardness, as often reported. The contact area is found to be a simple truncation of the sphere by a hard flat.
Operations and logistics issues in modular assembly processes: cases from the automotive sector

Purpose – To identify operations and logistics issues which are critical for the operational performance in modular assembly processes.Design/methodology/approach – Based on case studies of Volvo Cars, Toyota, and Saab, the paper identifies operations and logistics issues that are critical for the operational performance of modular assembly processes. The issues are used for extending our understanding of the design and operation of modular assembly processes.Findings – The issues identified concern production planning, deviation handling, assembly flow balance, small unit disadvantages, and module flow control. They reveal that a modular assembly process design brings structural disadvantages related to the dispersion of activities and resource needs. The issues also demonstrate the need for extensive coordination across the interfaces of the decoupled parts of the process.Research limitations/implications – The findings will mainly be relevant for firms that design and produce complex products involving.
Combining a Locally Restricted Anisotropic Spatial Kernel with an ETAS Incomplete Model for Better Forecasts of the 2019 Ridgecrest Sequence

Strong earthquakes cause aftershock sequences that are clustered in time according to a power decay law, and in space along their extended rupture, shaping a typically elongate pattern of aftershock locations. A widely used approach to model seismic clustering is the Epidemic Type Aftershock Sequence (ETAS) model, that shows three major biases: First, the conventional ETAS approach assumes isotropic spatial triggering, which stands in conflict with observations and geophysical arguments for strong earthquakes. Second, the spatial kernel has unlimited extent, allowing smaller events to exert disproportionate trigger potential over an unrealistically large area. Third, the ETAS model assumes complete event records and neglects inevitable short-term aftershock incompleteness as a consequence of overlapping coda waves. These three effects can substantially bias the parameter estimation and particularly lead to underestimated cluster sizes. In this article, we combine the approach of Grimm (2021), which introduced a generalized anisotropic and locally restricted spatial kernel, with the ETAS-Incomplete (ETASI) time model of Hainzl (2021), to define an ETASI space-time model with flexible spatial kernel that solves the abovementioned shortcomings. We apply different model versions to a triad of forecasting experiments of the 2019 Ridgecrest sequence, and evaluate the prediction quality with respect to cluster size, largest aftershock magnitude and spatial distribution. The new model provides the potential of more realistic simulations of on-going aftershock activity, e.g.~allowing better predictions of the probability and location of a strong, damaging aftershock, which might be beneficial for short term risk assessment and desaster response.