Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Texture Detection by Hardware-Friendly Low-Level Preprocessing

The aim of having artificial hands for robots or prosthetics that achieve fluent manipulation requires the efficient management of data from many sensors, and particularly from tactile sensors. Texture recognition is commonly carried out with tactile sensors, and active touch allows the detection of features beyond the limits imposed by the size and spatial resolution of the sensor. This paper assesses the feasibility of two hardware-friendly preprocessing algorithms to detect different textures. The proposed approach is focused on the implementation of simple hardware that can be replicated in the local electronics of a smart sensor to process the data from every force sensing unit or tactel in the tactile array. Experimental results from periodic textures are provided to show the feasibility of the approach. For instance, the processing of the output of a single tactel provides 13.27 mm for a 13 mm wavelength sample, and 1.66 mm for a wavelength of 1.67 mm, when the spatial resolution of the sensor is 3.70 mm. This solution is not enough for non-periodic textures, but provide useful information about the coarseness of the surface.
On the extinction of the single-authored paper : the causes and consequences of increasingly collaborative applied ecological research.

Publisher's copyright statement: This is the accepted version of the following article: Barlow, Jos, Stephens, Philip A. , Bode, Michael, Cadotte, Marc W. , Lucas, Kirsty, Newton, Erika, Nu nez, Martin A. Pettorelli, Nathalie (2018). On the extinction of the single-authored paper: The causes and consequences of increasingly collaborative applied ecological research. Journal of Applied Ecology 55(1): 1-4, which has been published in nal form at https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.13040. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance With Wiley Terms and Conditions for self-archiving.
Age Range Estimation Using MTCNN and VGG-Face Model

The Convolutional Neural Network has amazed us with its usage on several applications. Age range estimation using CNN is emerging due to its application in myriad of areas which makes it a state-of-the-art area for research and improve the estimation accuracy. A deep CNN model is used for identification of people's age range in our proposed work. At first, we extracted only face images from image dataset using MTCNN to remove unnecessary features other than face from the image. Secondly, we used random crop technique for data augmentation to improve the model performance. We have used the concept of transfer learning in our research. A pretrained face recognition model i.e VGG-Face is used to build our model for identification of age range whose performance is evaluated on Adience Benchmark for confirming the efficacy of our work. The performance in test set outperformed existing state-of-the-art by substantial margins.
Key Generation for Zero Steganography Using DNA Sequences

Some of the key challenges in steganography are imperceptibility and resistance to detection of steganalysis algorithms. Zero steganography is an approach to data hiding such that the cover image is not modified. This paper focuses on the generation of stego-key, which is an essential component of this steganographic approach. This approach utilizes DNA sequences and shifting and flipping operations in its binary code representation. Experimental results show that the key generation algorithm has a low cracking probability. The algorithm satisfies the avalanche criterion.
Carrying capacity to preserve biodiversity on ecotourism in Mount Rinjani National Park, Indonesia

Sadikin PN, Arifin HS, Pramudya B, Mulatsih S. 2017. Carrying capacity to preserve biodiversity on ecotourism in Mount Rinjani National Park, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 18: 978-989. Mount Rinjani National Park (MRNP) in West Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia has applied ecotourism which becomes more popular at international and national level. Yet, the MRNP ecotourism faces various problems such as ecotourism resources damage, erosion, or garbage left by ecotourism activities, etc. This study aims to analyze (i) the land suitability for ecotourism based on criteria of tourism object range, land use and land cover, zone type, biodiversity range, and slope, and (ii) carrying capacity of the ecotourism area, the total number of visitors who can enjoy ecotourism attraction based on activities type, total area, capacity days, and turnover factor. The results of the land suitability for ecotourism analysis show that the MRNP ecotourism has been applied on the suitable land for ecotourism, except in Pelawangan Senaru and at the Peak of Mount Rinjani due to its sensitive and fragile area. The carrying capacity assessment using Douglass formula (1982) has counted the visitors for up to 42.527 visitors per year for camping activity. Generally, this value is under the average actual visitors at present, i.e. 44.112 visitors per year. It means the MRNP ecotourism is already exceeded its carrying capacity.
Design of a Two-Bit Magnitude Comparator Based on Pass Transistor, Transmission Gate and Conventional Static CMOS Logic

Since there is a swift technological progress going on in the recent years, semiconductor industry evolved to such an extend that requirement of optimal performance in electronic circuits have become essential. Therefore, there is high requirement of energy efficient fast circuit designs in modern Integrated Circuits (IC). Comparison of two binary digits is one of the fundamental arithmetic operations in Arithmetic Logic Units (ALU) of ICs and processors. A hybrid design approach for implementing a two-bit Magnitude Comparator (MC) has been proposed in this work. The hybrid design consists of three different logic techniques namely: (a) Pass Transistor Logic (PTL), (b) Transmission Gate Logic (TGL) and (c) Conventional Static CMOS Logic (C-CMOS logic). The effectiveness of the proposed design has been compared with 6 state of art two-bit magnitude comparators using Cadence tools in 90 nm technology node. The proposed design showed best perormacne in case of delay and Power Delay Product (PDP) which proved the effectiveness of the design, Moreover, power consumption of the design is also low which makes it highly usable for portable devices that requires low-power consumption.
Test Methodology for Defect-based Bridge Faults

A defect-based bridge fault represents the faulty behavior of an interconnect short defect obtained by SPICE-simulating the two shorted cells with the short defect injected. In this paper, we have developed a framework to automatically extract defect-based bridge faults and utilize commercial ATPG to generate corresponding test patterns for a given design. Defect-based bridge fault model can not only describe the faulty behavior of a short defect precisely but also result in collapsible faults at one shorted cell pair. As a result, using defect-based bridge fault model for ATPG can lead to a significantly smaller bridge-fault test set when compared to conventional 4-way dominance bridge fault model, where four non-collapsible faults at one shorted cell pair are considered for ATPG. Also, some short defects can only be detected by the test set for defect-based bridge faults but not by the test set for 4-way dominance bridge faults with more test patterns. The experimental result based on industrial designs has demonstrated the effectiveness of using defect-based bridge faults for ATPG while showing an affordable runtime on extracting defect-based bridge faults.
Two Extraordinary New Pseudopetiolate Carex Species from Vietnam (sect. Hemiscaposae, Cyperaceae)

Abstract Carex kucyniakii is a poorly known, morphologically unusual Vietnamese sedge (sect. Hemiscaposae, Cyperaceae) that is part of an early diverging lineagewithin the genus. Fieldwork in Lào Cai Province resulted in the rediscovery of this species near its type locality and the detection of significant variation in the morphology of plants in nearby populations. Subsequent morphological andmolecular studies revealed that C. kucyniakii is a complex of three species. These taxa are endemic to the southern slopes of the Hoàng Lien Mountains, in Lào Cai Province, and exhibit extraordinary morphological features including the widest leaves known for any Cyperaceae (pseudopetiolate and up to 12 cm), and for some taxa pink-red inflorescences. Of the three species recognized in the complex, C. kucyniakii is characterized by a combination of glabrous perigynia, scales, and peduncles, while in C. geographica sp. nov. and C. thinii sp. nov. these structures are pubescent/scabrous. In addition, the scales and perigynia in C. kucyniakii are green or brown while those in C. geographica and C. thinii are suffused with pink or red. Differences in pistillate and staminate scale morphology and anther length distinguish the latter two species. The Vietnamese Carex flora contains a high proportion of morphologically exceptional and poorly understood taxa, many from early diverging lineages in the genus. Our findings support the supposition that Indochina and East Asia could be the center of origin for the world's largest flowering plant genus and that the sedge flora of northern Vietnam contains a number of taxonomic novelties still remaining to be discovered.
Gamified Flipped Classroom Learning Approach: A Case Study of AJ University

From the past studies, we know that a well-designed game-based or flipped classroom or gamified flipped classroom learning approaches can enhance student engagement, reduce topic complexity, enable clear task orientation, improve session effectiveness, and increase student satisfaction. We have examined it through our planned course delivery model with its foundation in the gamified flipped classroom learning approach. A six-week IT foundation course delivered to undergraduate students with majors in accounting, finance, marketing, and management. Two groups of students for this study: (1) an experimental group of 62 students with gamified course experience, and (2) a control group of 37 students through traditional learning. We performed a descriptive analysis mixed research approach to compare the results of the experimental with the control groups. The results showed a positive impact of the proposed course delivery model based on formal assessment marking, independent learning behavior, and improved class participation. However, this research has also identified various technological and delivery challenges faced by the participants, including students and teachers.
Preliminary evaluation of a robotic measurement system for the assessment of wrist joint spasticity*

Spasticity is a serious problem that affects a large percentage of patients affected by neurological disorders including stroke, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, traumatic injury. Unfortunately, no reliable assessment method of spasticity is currently available. This is a critical missing tool for a rational, assessment-based approach to rehabilitation of patients with neurological impairment. In this paper we propose a robot-based assessment method, focused on the wrist joint, that could be readily integrated with robot treatment protocols. The method consists of the delivery of small and quick rotational disturbances to one of the Degrees of Freedom (DoF) of the wrist (Flexion/Extension DoF). With the aim of validating its consistency and reliability, the method was preliminary tested on a population of healthy subjects, providing a promising initial operational basis.
Investigation of Rectifier Operation with Harmonic Controlled Input Signals towards Pulse Modulation WiCoPT System

This paper investigates the rectifier operation with harmonic controlled input signals. Compared with continuous wave (CW) input signal, a fundamental signal with odd harmonics increases the output voltage and the RF-DC power conversion efficiency (PCE) of the rectifier by optimizing the amplitudes and phases of the odd harmonics. Analysis to use various pulse waveform signals clarified that the optimal waveform to maximize the PCE of a single shunt rectifier circuit is the square wave signal, and the PCE improvement achieves more than 5points against CW input signal at −3dBm input power. However, experimental results with the fabricated single-shunt rectifier indicate that use of the triangle waveform realizes the most efficient signal for the PCE. That result could be occurred by adjusting the phase of the 3rd harmonic signal in the rectifier.
Identification of a Step-and-Brake Controller of a Human Based on COM-ZMP Model and Terminal Capturability Condition

The goal of this work is to find a plausible mathematical model of a human’s step-and-brake control scheme as the minimum motion unit of skillful locomotive behaviors. A controller designed for biped robots based on the reduced dynamics and minimal conditions to stabilize robots, namely, the terminal capturability was picked up as the primary candidate of the model. Motion loci of the center of mass (COM) and the zero-moment point (ZMP) of a human subject were measured, and control parameters were identified from them. The identification result showed that the model well suited the human’s behavior in spite of its minimal property only with a slight modification taking an asymmetry of the natural falling speed depending on the direction and the inertial torque about COM into account. A contribution of this work over the previous researches which focused on the capturability is that a model of the feedback controller that reproduces the overall dynamic stepping motion process was identified in a mathematically explicit form in it.
TAXONOMIC INVESTIGATION OF FOUR VARIETIES OF MANGIFERA USING MICRO-ANATOMICAL FEATURES

Taxonomic investigation of four varieties of Mangifera was undertaken in this study. The aim was to explore the use of foliar micro-anatomical traits in resolving the lingering systematic challenges associated with this fruit crop. Leaves of four varieties of Mangifera (Big-no-fibre, Julie, Opioro and Small-fibre varieties) were collected across various locations in the North Central part of Nigeria. Eighty (80) permanent slides were prepared from the foliar abaxial and adaxial surfaces following standard microscopic practices. Micrometry was carried out using the calibrated ocular and stage micrometers mounted on the compound microscope. From each specimen, thirteen (13) characters were examined and analysed. Mean values of all characters were computed and analysed using the SPSS software (20.0 versions). Pearson’s correlation matrix was generated to ascertain the association among the characters. Dendrogram was constructed using the Ward’s method to classify the varieties on the basis of their similarities and differences. From the result obtained, the Julie mango had the longest epidermal cell length of 57µm (adaxial) followed by the Smallfibre type with 55. 3µm (abaxial). Stomata and guard cell displayed huge qualitative and quantitative variation among the varieties. Comparison of the abaxial surfaces revealed that the Big-fibre variety had the highest stomatal index (78%) followed by the Opioro variety (62%). Conversely, the Small-fibre recorded the longest guard cells surrounding the stomata (44µm) while the Big-no-fibre had the shortest (30.3µm). Correlation revealed that SLD and ELA are positively correlated by +0.996. From the dendrogram, the Big-no-fibre was a distinct variety clearly delimited from the rest, but the Julie and Opioro types were more closely related than others. On this note, both the Big-no-fibre and Small-fibre may be assigned different varietal nomenclatures under Mangifera indica and solve the challenges associated with the common names. Micro anatomic features taxonomic audit of mangifera varieties successfully investigated in this study is maiden and novel. This is reported for the first time.
Deep Reinforcement Learning for Distributed Dynamic MISO Downlink-Beamforming Coordination

We consider a homogeneous cellular network where a multi-antenna base station (BS) in each cell transmits messages to its intended user over a common frequency band. To improve the system capacity of this multi-cell multi-input single-output (MISO) interference channel, one of the state-of-the-art algorithms, namely, downlink-beamforming coordination, allows all BSs to cooperate with one another to mitigate the effect of inter-cell interference. However, most existing algorithms are suboptimal and impractical in a dynamic wireless environment, due to the high computational complexity and the overhead involved in collecting global channel state information (CSI). In this study, we exploit deep reinforcement learning (DRL) and propose a distributed dynamic downlink-beamforming coordination (DDBC) method with partial observability of the CSI. Each BS is able to train its own deep Q-network and employs appropriate beamformer depending on its environment, which is observed through a designed limited-information exchange protocol. The simulation results show that the proposed DRL-based DDBC method, with a considerably lower system overhead, achieves a system capacity that is very close to that of the fractional programming algorithm with global and instantaneous CSI measurements. In addition, this work demonstrates the potential of utilizing DRL to solve DDBC problems in a more practical manner.
TID Response of Nanowire Field-Effect Transistors: Impact of the Back-Gate Bias

The impact of back-gate bias on the total ionizing dose (TID) response of silicon-on-insulator (SOI) nanowire field-effect transistors (NWFETs) is investigated. The voltage shift induced by TID is studied using different NWFET geometries and as function of the bias applied to the back-gate made of the silicon substrate. Modifications induced on static electrical characteristics, that is, drain current versus gate-to-source voltage <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$I_{\mathrm {D}}(V_{\mathrm {GS}})$ </tex-math></inline-formula> characteristics, are investigated. Experimental results highlight that the bias applied to the back-gate during <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$I{-}V$ </tex-math></inline-formula> measurements strongly impacts the NWFET TID response. At 0 V applied to the back-gate, a usual TID behavior is observed. <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$I{-}V$ </tex-math></inline-formula> curves are shifted to negative <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$V_{\mathrm {GS}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> values, which is consistent with the literature. In contrast, two competing mechanisms are shown when negative biases are applied to the back-gate. <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$I_{\mathrm {D}}(V_{\mathrm {GS}})$ </tex-math></inline-formula> curves are first shifted to positive <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$V_{\mathrm {GS}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> values for low TID before showing a more usual negative TID-induced voltage shifts. This two-step behavior may be attributed to several phenomena. They include either a modification of the net trapped charge sign for several back-gate biases and/or a motion of carriers trapped into the Buried OXide (BOX). The major goal of this article is to identify the mechanism at stake which drives this combined TID/electrostatic behavior.
Design and Implementation of Multilevel Inverters for Fuel Cell Energy Conversion System

Power converter plays a significant role in Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) energy generation systems, which is an alternative of distributed energy generation systems. So there creates a demand for high-quality power conditioning used in PEMFC systems. This article proposes a converter topology as a power interface and also introduced a multilevel inverter topology for various levels of operation. The converter steps up the input voltage to the rated voltage and transforms to the DC bus, the multilevel inverter converts the voltage to AC and feeds to AC loads. In this article, we develop an entire unit stack, which can produce an output with positive and zero sequences. The addition of H-bridge to the fundamental unit known to be an advance cascaded H-bridge multilevel inverter resulting in the formation of all sequences like positive, zero and negative levels. The conventional multilevel inverters are compared with the proposed inverters in terms of switch count, DC sources, diodes, through which the lesser requirement of components in a multilevel inverter is possible to observe, which results in the reduction in cost, dv/dt stress, component space of the driver circuit. With this implementation, the better possibility of control, increase the quality of output, reliability of the inverter with a reduced THD, and stress. The converter output is tested and verified in MATLAB, and the respective results of the different levels like five, seven and fifteen of a single-phase cascaded inverter are tested experimentally and in MATLAB Simulink.
Increasing exercise intensity during outside walking training with a wearable robot

For many neuromuscular conditions including spinal cord injury, physical exercise training is a recommended part of treatment. High intensity exercise has been found to more effectively promote ambulatory function than moderate intensity exercise. To reach optimal intensity levels, fully ambulatory individuals can adjust their walking speed. In contrast, individuals with neuromuscular deficits may not be able to walk, or only at slow speeds that elicit an insufficient cardiovascular response.In our case study with one spinal cord injured patient, we investigated if assistance from a wearable robot, the Myosuit, can increase exercise intensity towards more effective training.During outside uphill-walking trials, assistance from the Myosuit allowed the patient to increase his walking speed by 30 % to 0.48 m/s and increased energy expenditure by 17 % compared to not wearing the suit. An analysis of gait kinematics suggests that the Myosuit facilitated faster walking by replacing missing hip extensor function and promoting a more upright posture. The metabolic equivalents (METS) during walking with the Myosuit of 7.15 indicate a consistently high exercise intensity. In contrast, one of two unassisted trials only reached a moderate intensity (METS < 6). The concurrent increase in speed and energy expenditure when wearing the Myosuit corresponds to a 9 % increase in the efficiency of walking.Our findings show that the Myosuit can increase the efficiency of walking for a user with incomplete spinal cord injury and suggest that the Myosuit can act as a tool to increase the efficacy of movement training.
A Study Protocol to Research and Improve Presence and Vection in VR with a non-Euclidean Approach

While immersive experiences with Virtual Reality are becoming commonplace in industry to provide end-users with a realistic, but safe simulation of real-world situations, an interesting phenomenon occurring when users wear Head-mounted displays is presence. This is defined as the subjective experience of being in one place or environment even when one is physically located in another. A strong sense of presence is essential to ensure that the user feels truly immersed in the virtual world, but most VR environments are unable to create a strong sense of presence due to the way navigation in the environment is implemented, which creates a discontinuity between the perceived motion by the user’s eyes and their inner ear. This paper presents a study protocol and preliminary work aiming to resolve the problem of discontinuity by using non-Euclidean geometry to design and implement a virtual world. As work in progress, the of its effectiveness with users will be shared at the conference.