Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Impact of Voltage Reduction on Voltage Stability in Emergency Conditions

Voltage reduction is one of the most common measures implemented to increase power reserves in emergency conditions. Since the power consumption of a composite load depends on the voltage, the power demand can be reduced by reducing the distribution voltage. Although the voltage reduction has a positive effect on power system in terms of securing reserve power, it may have a negative impact on the voltage stability in some conditions. Thus, it is necessary to analyze the effect of voltage reduction on the voltage stability. This paper analyzes the effect of voltage reduction on the voltage stability by performing PV analysis in various system conditions, such as base case on light load, heavy load, and contingency cases. In addition, we analyzed the effect of the voltage sensitivity characteristic of loads on the voltage stability.
Sustainable Cities: Transport, Energy, and Urban Form

This paper extends the debate over the ideal of the sustainable city, particularly as it relates to transport, by providing empirical evidence, from five case-study cities in the United Kingdom and one in the Netherlands on the links between urban form and energy consumption in transport. It also links energy use measures to the physical, economic, and social structure of the city to determine whether there are significant relationships. Energy-use measures combine all the characteristics of travel (mode, distance, and frequency), together with occupancy, to give a new set of composite measures of travel. The conclusions reached are mixed in that significant relationships have been found, principally between energy use in transport and physical characteristics of the city, such as density, size, and amount of open space. But comparability problems make it difficult to establish definitive relationships.
Relative Mobility Analysis of a Public Transport Network in Comparison with Car Travel

This work is motivated by the high rate of private car use by commuters in Australian cities. Considering the various benefits of public transport (PT), it is imperative to analyze the shortcomings of the PT networks in comparison to car travel. For this purpose, this work focuses on analyzing the travel time difference between PT and car journeys. This paper presents a methodology to analyze the relative mobility of a PT network in comparison to car travel. The key component of this methodology is the use of two complementary relative mobility metrics that are developed to determine the portions of PT journeys that are inefficient (time-wise) in comparison to car trips. The first metric is the point-to-point relative mobility used to perform spatial distribution analysis, and the second is the PT line relative mobility that evaluates the performance of the PT routes. A demonstration of the methodology is presented by using a case study from Melbourne (Australia). The results of the case study show some inefficient segments of the PT services in several areas, and within the Port Melbourne area in particular. Therefore, this information can be used to assist decision makers to prioritize PT improvements to encourage mode shifts to PT.
Cognitive conflict in learning three-dimensional space station structures

Astronauts train on the ground in normal gravity, in replicas of the space station. Physical constraints force the configuration of these modules on the ground to be different from the configuration of the space station in flight. Based on descriptions of mishaps in human wayfinding (Jonsson 2002), it was hypothesized that the cognitive map of the space station formed from the replicas on the ground could be hard to unlearn. Could the resulting conflict with the actual configuration in flight explain why astronauts lack survey knowledge and often lose track of their orientation? Can they be trained using virtual reality to learn the correct configuration? What makes a configuration hard to learn or unlearn? We studied the ability to learn two realistic and polarized cubic modules in immersive virtual reality. Subjects (n=19) learned these modules first separately, then attached in two different configurations: first a “ground configuration” (GC), then a “flight configuration” (FC). The intrinsic visual verticals of both modules matched in GC, but not in FC, and walls at the interface between the modules were different in the two configurations. Subjects received guided tours of the modules and, through repeated trials, had to predict the location and orientation of one wall (the target), using the wall they were facing. The environment was pseudo-randomly rotated between trials. In the two module environments, subjects were set in the first module and had to place and orient the target wall in the second. The total time to respond to each trial (TTR) and the percent of correct responses (%-correct) were measured. The TTR decreased continuously with time within each virtual environment, but was significantly larger in FC than in GC. %-Correct reached very high values early in the experiment and was significantly but slightly lower in FC than in GC. The target position relative to the subject’s body did not affect performance, but subjects responded significantly faster when they were visually upright than when they were upside-down. Although alternative explanations cannot be ruled out, data collected and subjects’ comments suggest that unlearning the GC cognitive map posed a significant challenge, and that subjects’ knowledge of modules in GC, acquired earlier in the experiment, impeded their learning in FC, at least for the complex FC we used. Results of a Perspective Taking Ability test correlated weakly but significantly with TTR performance in GC, but not in FC. Other tests of spatial skills showed no significant correlation with performance. The effects of motion sickness susceptibility and of gender are also discussed. Supported by NASA Cooperative Agreement NCC 9-58 with the National Space Biomedical Research Institute. Thesis supervisor: Charles M. Oman Title: Director of the Man-Vehicle Laboratory, Senior Lecturer, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
Two-dimensional vortices with background vorticity

• A submitted manuscript is the author's version of the article upon submission and before peer-review. There can be important differences between the submitted version and the official published version of record. People interested in the research are advised to contact the author for the final version of the publication, or visit the DOI to the publisher's website. • The final author version and the galley proof are versions of the publication after peer review. • The final published version features the final layout of the paper including the volume, issue and page numbers.
Efficient development of mass producible MMIC circuits

The state-of-the-art criteria and tools for an efficient development of mass producible MMICs are discussed with reference to a specific development philosophy. The available yield evaluation systems are then critically analyzed and the results of a systematic functional yield evaluation performed on a large number of monolithic circuit components are reported. A statistically meaningful database (including both FET equivalent circuit and S parameters) developed for parametric yield evaluation and yield-driven design centering is described. Through a significant example, the possibility is demonstrated of drastically improving the accuracy of the parametric circuit yield forecasts by using a small set of mutually uncorrelated process dependent parameters and by making reference to a physically based semiempirical FET model. >
Deep Learning based Nonlinear Equalization for DCO-OFDM Systems

In this paper, we propose a deep learning (DL) based nonlinear post equalization (NPE) scheme to deal with the severe channel impairments of direct current biased optical orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (DCO-OFDM). The deep neural network is employed in the NPE to learn the nonlinear channel characteristics of visible light communication (VLC), and then implicitly transform the distorted symbols into the desired bit stream directly. In addition, the traditional solutions and algorithms in terms of channel estimation and symbol de-mapping are also incorporated into the network architecture to accelerate the convergence. The learning and generalization ability of the proposed scheme are investigated by simulations. Results demonstrate that the proposed scheme can efficiently address the nonlinear impairments of VLC channel and then recover the original symbols with comparable performance, which demonstrates the prospect and validity of DL methodology in channel equalization.
Coalinga Fibre: A Short, Amphibole-Free Chrysotile

We previously demonstrated, on the basis of detailed morphological and mor phometric investigations of a lifetime inhalation study of F344 rats exposed to three sizes of chrysotile fibre, that a short, amphibole-free chrysotile from Coalinga, California failed to induce pathological effects whilst the other two, both long fibres from Canada, were both fibrogenic and tumourigenic. Here, we demonstrate that, as one would predict from their size differences, the Coalinga fibre was almost totally cleared whilst the Canadian fibres were largely retained 1 year post exposure. We therefore propose on the basis of these observations that the observed absence of biological effects noted with Coalinga is potentially attributable to its lack of biopersistence.
Strategy and Market Management of New Product Development and Incremental Innovation: Evidence From Italian SMEs

The industrial structure of many European countries is dominated by small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Although SMEs consider the new product development (NPD) process fundamental for success in the global market, the level of formalisation of the innovation process is very low. Moreover, if we consider the SMEs operating in the mature sectors, such as automotive and machines tools, the situation is worrying. The aim of this paper is to analyse in-depth a sample of manufacturing SMEs located in a highly industrialised Italian region (Piedmont), the strategy used both for NPD and for incremental innovation. The latter may often occur, not so much as structured RD the improvements informally suggested by engineers or technicians engaged in the production process; proposals and initiatives coming from users. The methodology in this paper is a longitudinal study which provides a close-up view of the adoption of these non-structured innovation patterns. Although the SMEs located in this area are specialised rather than diversified in their technological competencies and product range, they lack of information about the financial facilities available to the innovation process and marketing capabilities. These generate two effects: the SMEs cannot cope with the RD they cannot fully take advantage from their innovation process. This research aims to offer some useful considerations to the European policy makers and managers in managing NPD and innovation within SMEs.
Automatically Measure the Quality of Infants’ Spontaneous Movement via Videos to Predict the Risk of Cerebral Palsy

Early brain development assessment of infants is very important for infant growth and development. Timely diagnosis of cerebral palsy (CP) can reduce its negative effects. In this article, a novel automatic measurement method was proposed for the early prediction of infant CP with videos toward Prechtl’s general movement assessment (GMA). First, we adopted state-of-the-art human pose estimation method to obtain the 2-D or 3-D posture of the lying infant. After a series of interpolation and filtering, continuous infant’s limb movement curves were obtained. Through appropriate feature extraction, the infant’s limb movement complexity and the movement correlation between the limbs were integrated, and finally a comprehensive evaluation score for evaluating the complexity of the infant’s spontaneous movements was obtained. To verify our score, we did some experiments on a public dataset consisting of 12 real infants’ movements. Our method achieved the state-of-the-art with sensitivity of 100%, specificity of 87.5%, and accuracy of 91.67% on the public dataset whether in 2-D or 3-D posture input. We also collected another 47 cases of infant movement color videos ourselves. And achieved an accuracy of 91.5%, sensitivity of 100%, and specificity of 87.8% on all 59 (12 + 47) subjects. The results show that our score method has a great prospect in assessing the infant’s early brain development. The proposed method can be widely used in the screening of babies in homes and hospitals.
Investigating potency of TMC-126 against wild-type and mutant variants of HIV-1 protease: a molecular dynamics and free energy study

ABSTRACT A detailed computational study was performed to investigate the conformational changes of flap region and the mechanism underlying the binding of the inhibitor TMC-126 to HIV-1 protease (PR1) and its mutant variants through molecular dynamics simulations in conjunction with the molecular mechanics Poisson–Boltzmann (MM-PBSA) free energy calculation. Further, we have studied the effectiveness of the inhibitor against HIV-2 protease (PR2). The MM-PBSA calculation suggests that TMC-126 loses its potency against mutant variants and PR2 compared to wild-type PR1 mainly due to the loss in intermolecular electrostatic interactions. The potency of the inhibitor decreases in the order: wild type PR1 > M46L > MDR20 > I50V > PR2 > V32I > A28S. Our study reveals that the flap of PR1 adopts a semi-open conformation due to the mutation I50V or MDR20. The dissimilar nature of the movement of the flap tip of both monomers is evident from the dynamic cross-correlation map. The protein structural network analysis displays that mutation causes structural rearrangements and changes the communication path between residues. Overall, we believe our study may help explore and accelerate the development of novel HIV-1/HIV-2 protease inhibitors with better potency.
A Comparison of Two Control Methods for Vehicle Stability Control by Direct Yaw Moment

This paper proposes a comparison study of two vehicle stability control methods by direct yaw-moment control (DYC): a PID and a sliding controller. For the purpose of this study, control systems are based solely on vehicle side-slip angle state feedback and the lateral dynamics of the 2 DOF vehicle model are used to establish the desired response. Close-loop dynamics of the PID controller are determined with the pole placement method, and an anti-windup strategy is adopted to respond to the tire’s nonlinear characteristics. The comparison study was performed by computer simulations with a 14 DOF nonlinear vehicle model validated with experimental data. The controllers are evaluated for typical severe manoeuvres on low friction road surfaces. It is found that despite their fundamental differences, the control methods provide comparable performances for the cases studied.
Tailoring Management of Tomato Production to ENSO Phase at Different Scales

The opportunity to benefit from climate prediction arises from the intersection of human vulnerability, climate predictability, and decision capacity. Climate forecasts, like other technical innovations, are not an unambiguous boon to growers. Florida's tomato industry was shown vulnerable to predictable climate variability. This industry is characterized by a small number of decision makers who may have profound influence on aggregate supply, prices, grower's decision capacity, and potential benefits of climate predictions. The objective of this study is to evaluate the potential benefits of ENSO forecast information as a function of the scale of adoption. Using a participatory approach, biophysical modeling, and economic modeling, we estimated the value of ENSO forecasts at the field, farm, and regional scales for Florida's fresh tomato production. Simulated yield reductions in El Nino years relative to neutral years (~20%) compared closely with historical results (~23%). At the field scale, we showed that growers can adjust planting dates to reduce negative impacts of El Nino on yields and increase productivity during La Nina years. Adoption of climate forecast can help growers increase income and reduce costs at the farm scale. At the regional scale, the aggregate forecast value to producers increased with increasing adoption. However, our simulation results suggest that widespread forecast adoption can offset and perhaps eliminate the benefits of forecast adoption to individual tomato growers. Climate forecasts are an emerging technical innovation that may improve productive efficiency for Florida's tomato growers. However, if tomato growers' responses to ENSO forecasts will affect agricultural markets, then growers should consider those market changes when deciding whether to adopt these forecasts. Future development of technology to apply climate forecasts in the tomato industry should focus on strategies to reduce costs rather than to increase tomato production.
A miniature hext‐band bandpass microstrip filter using stepped‐impedance spiral resonators

This article presents a new hext‐band bandpass filter by utilizing the stepped impedance resonator (SIR) spirals along with a miniaturization technique. The design considerations for the proposed counterclockwise convoluted SIR spirals has been discussed thoroughly. The performance of the proposed circuit is verified by simulations and measurements, and a good agreement is observed. The in‐band insertion loss is found to be excellent as compared to related works. The size reduction in the proposed hext‐band design is 30.4%, as compared with previous triple‐ and quad‐band counterparts. Comparatively, its size is also still less than other published triple‐, quint‐, and hext‐band filter designs. Such kind of filters could fairly accommodate hept‐ or oct‐sub‐bands if the discussed design constraints are taken into account. This filter type has the advantage of easily being converted to reconfigurable operation using MEMS or pin diodes at specific locations. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 57:1842–1847, 2015
Evaluation of structural parameters for vehicle crash compatibility

Abstract Several numeric measures have been proposed in the past for the assessment of crash compatibility between two vehicles of dissimilar sizes. These proposed measures are generally intended to quantify the dynamic behavior of the vehicle structure in a crash and they intend to measure either the location of application of vehicle's crash forces, or the peak values of the forces and their distribution pattern such as the co-efficient of variance and homogeneity. This paper presents results for the height of force and for the load distribution patterns for several vehicles from crash tests and from finite element simulations. Results were obtained for crashes against rigid barrier instrumented with two different sizes of load cells to assess the effect of the load cell size on these parameters and on the relationship of these parameters to the vehicle structure. Investigations were also conducted for the case when a deformable face is added to the load cell barrier and results are presented assessing the influence of the deformable face on the measurement of height of force and of load distribution patterns. The relationship between the vehicle structure, the various proposed parameters, their measured values, the inherent errors and the effect on self-protection as well as partner protection in vehicle-to-vehicle crashes are discussed.
Multiobjective Design Optimization of a Cantilevered Ramp Injector Using the Surrogate-Assisted Evolutionary Algorithm

AbstractThe mixing efficiency of the fuel and the supersonic freestream has a great impact on the operation of the scramjet engine because of the very short residence time. In the current study, the cantilevered ramp injector was used to promote mixing of the fuel and the supersonic flow, and the injector’s configuration was optimized by the surrogate-assisted evolutionary algorithm—namely, the nondominated sorting genetic algorithm coupled with the Kriging surrogate model. In the optimization process, the swept angle, the ramp angle, the compression angle, the length of the step, and the diameter of the injector were considered as the design variables, and the mixing efficiency, the total pressure recovery efficiency, and the drag force were taken as the objective functions. Finally, the Pareto front for the multiobjective design optimization results was obtained, and the relationship between the objective functions was explored. The results show that optimized drag force increases with increased mixing .
Microbiological risk assessment and management of shallow groundwater sources in Lichinga, Mozambique

The principal water target of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) is to ensure environmental sustainability by halving the proportion of people without access to safe water by 2015. Although great strides have been made in meeting this challenge since the year 2000, the safety of many of these water supplies remains unknown. Acknowledging the weaknesses of current water quality and hydrogeological means of assuring microbial safety, this paper has the objective of developing improved methods for the assessment and management of microbiological water safety based on a ‘risk’ paradigm. This paper provides evidence for the risk assessment of both conventional aquifer pathways and localised (short circuiting) pathways to 25 wells of three well technology types in Mozambique between 2002 and 2005. * Findings from the research outline improve methods of risk assessment and management by demonstrating that (1) the predominant source of contamination was from animal faeces rather than from latrines/septic tanks, (2) short circuiting is a significant risk to shallow groundwater in developing countries, (3) the use of alternative indicator organisms (e.g. enterococci) may improve risk understanding and (4) the World Health Organisation Water Safety Plans are recommended as an appropriate method of risk management.