Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Power Indices for Team Reformation Planning Under Uncertainty

This work is an attempt at solving the problem of decentralized team formation and reformation under uncertainty with partial observability. We describe a model coined Team-POMDP, derived from the standard Dec-POMDP model, and we propose an approach based on the computation of team power indices using the Elo rating system to determine the most fitting team of agents in every situation. We couple this to a Monte-Carlo Tree Search algorithm to efficiently compute joint policies.
Isolated DC-DC Converter utilizing GaN power device for Automotive Application

This paper presents an isolated step-sown DC-DC converter using GaN power device for automotive applications. The works for a power supply from a high voltage main battery with 200V to low voltage auxiliary battery with 13.6V in hybrid electric vehicle. A LLC converter is known as isolated DC-DC converter with high-efficiency. However, when input and/or output voltage considerably fluctuates, efficiency of a LLC resonant converter becomes worse. In order to solve this problem, a DC-DC boost-up converter to mitigate efficiency deterioration for the input and/or output voltage fluctuation is added to a LLC resonant converter. Generally speaking, an additional circuit, the boost-up chopper in this case, also deteriorates the total system efficiency. To avoid the efficiency degradation, discontinuous current mode control and GaN power devices are applied to the boost-up chopper. The DC-DC boost-up converter experimentally achieves 99.03% of conversion efficiency at nominal output so that it has no effect on the total system efficiency. Even though adding a DC-DC boost-up chopper to the LLC resonant converter, a power density expected to 10 W/cc.
Risk factors of future suicide in suicide attempters – A comparison between suicides and matched survivors

The objective of this study was to find risk factors for suicide by looking for clinical and care/treatment consumption differences between 15 hospitalized suicide attempters, who later committed suicide (“completers”), and 15 suicide attempters who did not (“non-completers”), matched according to sex, age and principal diagnosis. Completers had significantly more often attempted suicide after the index admission. After index, completers had received more psychiatric care and treatment than non-completers. Comorbidity was common in both groups of patients. Personality disorders according to the DSM III-R, axis II, Cluster B, however, tended to be more common in the completer group. Increased comorbidity over time could also be seen to a larger extent in completers. In spite of the matching of principal diagnosis, completers tended to have higher Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale ratings than non-completers. They also had significantly higher Suicide Assessment Scale (SUAS) scores. From this study, it is apparent that suicide attempters at risk of future suicide have major and multiple psychiatric problems, which cause difficulties in the care and treatment.
A Low-cost Inchworm-inspired Soft Robot Driven by Supercoiled Polymer Artificial Muscle

This paper presents a novel design of soft locomotion robot inspired by inchworm. This robot is actuated by supercoiled polymer artificial muscle (SCPAM), which are made from low-cost conductive nylon sewing threads. SCPAM generate muscle-like actuation upon heating and cooling, which can be utilized for soft locomotion robot's actuation. The proposed soft robot realizes inching locomotion by introducing friction anisotropy in its legs and contraction provided by SCPAM. Experiments are performed to evaluate the soft robot body's deformation as well as the robot's locomotion velocity when SCPAM are at different power input levels. Results exhibit that the soft robot can achieve locomotion velocity of 0.245 mm/s on the wood ground when SCPAM is powered at 0.16 W/cm. Compared to previous studies utilizing fluidic actuator, shape memory alloy (SMA) or motor & tendon for actuation of soft locomotion robot, SCPAM possesses high power-to-weight ratio, inherent compliance and low cost, making the robot more compact and more suitable for field exploration in contaminated areas. This study shows the potential of this low-cost artificial muscle to be widely used in soft locomotion robots in the future.
An Interleaved 6-Level GaN Bidirectional Converter for Level II Electric Vehicle Charging

On-board battery chargers are a key component of electric vehicles of all types. Conventionally, they may be used to recharge a vehicle’s battery pack, but as they are connected to the grid, they can also be used to provide ancillary grid services, such as reactive power support and longer-term battery-to-grid backup. On-board chargers also represent a potentially significant portion of a vehicle’s weight and can take up considerable volume. This paper discusses the design and implementation of a high power density Level II charger converting between 400 VDC and 240 VAC, utilizing two interleaved flying-capacitor multilevel converter stages combined with a full H-bridge unfolder or active rectifier. The focus of this work is the ac-dc/dc-ac power stage, with the goal of high efficiency and power density. Thus, power factor correction (PFC) control and twice-line-frequency buffering are not discussed or implemented in this work. Experimental results show a peak system efficiency of greater than 98.9%, a power output of 7 kW, and an effective switching frequency at the inductor switch nodes of 720 kHz.
Single Pulse Common-Mode Voltage PWM Scheme to Achieve High Power-Density for Full-SiC Three-level Uninterruptible Power Supply

In this paper, a PWM scheme for three-level full-SiC uninterruptible power supplies (UPSs) has been developed to achieve a high power-density. Two key passive components have been selected for size reduction of the full-SiC UPS; common-mode (CM) EMI filter and dc-link capacitors. To reduce the CM noise, a new vector combination has been proposed based on a synchronous switching of three-phases. The proposed combinations align CM voltage (CMV) to be a single pulse per a switching period. CMV cancellation between a three-level rectifier and inverter can be maximally utilized while a drift of neutral point voltage can be prevented by transition among three combinations. Secondly, to reduce dc-link capacitors, a simple algorithm to compensate neutral point voltage fluctuation has been proposed both for differential-and common-mode output voltage. The proposed algorithm can simply be implemented by a correction on carrier-slopes and injected zero-sequence voltage. The proposed scheme has been verified with 20 kW full-SiC UPS switching at 60 kHz with 146 μF dc-link capacitors.
Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks: A Comprehensive Survey of Routing Protocols

Underwater environments present unique challenges in deploying efficient and reliable networks due to temperature and pressure differential, ambient waves and currents that displaces sensor nodes, inability of using RF channels due to signal loss and other chemical and biological factors that hinder effective underwater communication. Though radio signals have been replaced with acoustic channels due to their longer wavelengths and longer distance of signal propagation, achieving energy efficiency in a sensor network has been a significant challenge. A multitude of proposed routing protocols take into consideration the amount of energy that sensor nodes consume in the network. In this document, we implement and analyze four routing protocols proposed for Underwater Wireless Sensor Network, namely, Hop-by-Hop Dynamic Address Based Routing, Depth-Based Routing, Energy aware Opportunistic Routing and Energy-Efficient Depth-Based Routing. Performance of each routing protocols is simulated on the basis of the number of packets sent to Base Station, number of alive nodes, and number of dead nodes. We have used MATLAB to simulate how water currents affect the performance of each of these routing protocols. Our work enables a better understanding of various underwater routing protocols, their performance and helps network managers to choose an appropriate routing protocol under specific situations.
A Soft Actuator with Tunable Mechanical Configurations for Object Grasping Based on Sensory Feedback

In this paper, we propose a soft actuator embedded with conductive liquid alloy (eGaIn) and Shape Memory Polymer (SMP). The conductive liquid alloy functions as bending sensor as well as pressure sensor. The three segments of the SMP layer can be heated optionally by applying 400mA current to different sections of the conductive silver fiber to achieve tunable stiffness, and enable the soft actuator with variable degree-of-freedom (DoF) configurations. Through real-time feedback of the bending sensor that has been calibrated, we realized proprioception of all mechanical configurations of the soft actuator under free load. We also achieved geometrical feature recognition of different objects while all segments of the actuator were softened. Finally, experimental verification of the prototype was conducted on a variety of objects in condition that the geometrical features were unknown. The results show improved enveloping and reliable grasping performance.
Transcriptome Modifications in Porcine Adipocytes via Toll-Like Receptors Activation

Adipocytes are the most important cell type in adipose tissue playing key roles in immunometabolism. We previously reported that nine members of the Toll-like receptor (TLR) family are expressed in an originally established porcine intramuscular pre-adipocyte (PPI) cell line. However, the ability of TLR ligands to modulate immunometabolic transcriptome modifications in porcine adipocytes has not been elucidated. Herein, we characterized the global transcriptome modifications in porcine intramuscular mature adipocytes (pMA), differentiated from PPI, following stimulation with Pam3csk4, Poly(I:C) or LPS which are ligands for TLR2, TLR3, and TLR4, respectively. Analysis of microarray data identified 530 (218 up, 312 down), 520 (245 up, 275 down), and 525 (239 up, 286 down) differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in pMA following the stimulation with Pam3csk4, Poly(I:C), and LPS, respectively. Gene ontology classification revealed that DEGs are involved in several biological processes including those belonging to immune response and lipid metabolism pathways. Functionally annotated genes were organized into two groups for downstream analysis: immune response related genes (cytokines, chemokines, complement factors, adhesion molecules, and signal transduction), and genes involved with metabolic and endocrine functions (hormones and receptors, growth factors, and lipid biosynthesis). Differential expression analysis revealed that EGR1, NOTCH1, NOS2, TNFAIP3, TRAF3IP1, INSR, CXCR4, PPARA, MAPK10, and C3 are the top 10 commonly altered genes of TLRs induced transcriptional modification of pMA. However, the protein-protein interaction network of DEGs identified EPOR, C3, STAR, CCL2, and SAA2 as the major hub genes, which were also exhibited higher centrality estimates in the Gene-Transcription factor interaction network. Our results provide new insights of transcriptome modifications associated with TLRs activation in porcine adipocytes and identified key regulatory genes that could be used as biomarkers for the evaluation of treatments having immunomodularoty and/or metabolic functional beneficial effects in porcine adipocytes.
Motor primitives are determined in early development and are then robustly conserved into adulthood

Significance We show that major differences in postnatal experience and development do not impact the fundamental deep structure of motor primitives generated in the spinal cords of mammals. We show that the availability of core synergy structures/primitives persists into adulthood. These synergy structures in lumbar spinal cord are revealed to be closely similar among all individuals despite different motor experiences and capabilities [postnatal day 5 (P5) vs. adult transections] after a complete spinal cord transection. This similarity of synergy set after spinal transection could arise, because the synergy circuitry is fully determined at P5, because the circuitry development is equifinal despite the P5 isolation from brain, or because the circuitry plasticity converges on the same synergies after each transection. Motor patterns in legged vertebrates show modularity in both young and adult animals, comprising motor synergies or primitives. Are such spinal modules observed in young mammals conserved into adulthood or altered? Conceivably, early circuit modules alter radically through experience and descending pathways’ activity. We analyze lumbar motor patterns of intact adult rats and the same rats after spinal transection and compare these with adult rats spinal transected 5 days postnatally, before most motor experience, using only rats that never developed hind limb weight bearing. We use independent component analysis (ICA) to extract synergies from electromyography (EMG). ICA information-based methods identify both weakly active and strongly active synergies. We compare all spatial synergies and their activation/drive strengths as proxies of spinal modules and their underlying circuits. Remarkably, we find that spatial primitives/synergies of adult injured and neonatal injured rats differed insignificantly, despite different developmental histories. However, intact rats possess some synergies that differ significantly, although modestly, in spatial structure. Rats injured as adults were more similar in modularity to rats that had neonatal spinal transection than to themselves before injury. We surmise that spinal circuit modules for spatial synergy patterns may be determined early, before postnatal day 5 (P5), and remain largely unaltered by subsequent development or weight-bearing experience. An alternative explanation but equally important is that, after complete spinal transection, both neonatal and mature adult spinal cords rapidly converge to common synergy sets. This fundamental or convergent synergy circuitry, fully determined by P5, is revealed after spinal cord transection.
Fingerprinting of Nitroaromatic Explosives Realized by Aphen-functionalized Titanium Dioxide

Developing sensing materials for military explosives and improvised explosive precursors is of great significance to maintaining homeland security. 5-Nitro-1,10-phenanthroline (Aphen)-modified TiO2 nanospheres are prepared though coordination interactions, which broaden the absorption band edge of TiO2 and shift it to the visible region. A sensor array based on an individual TiO2/Aphen sensor is constructed by regulating the excitation wavelength (365 nm, 450 nm, 550 nm). TiO2/Aphen shows significant response to nitroaromatic explosives since the Aphen capped on the surface of TiO2 can chemically recognize and absorb nitroaromatic explosives by the formation of the corresponding Meisenheimer complex. The photocatalytic mechanism is proved to be the primary sensing mechanism after anchoring nitroaromatic explosives to TiO2. The fingerprint patterns obtained by combining kinetics and thermodynamics validated that the single TiO2/Aphen sensor can identify at least six nitroaromatic explosives and improvised explosives within 8 s and the biggest response reaches 80%. Furthermore, the TiO2/Aphen may allow the contactless detection of various explosives, which is of great significance to maintaining homeland security.
Simulation-Based Testing Framework for Autonomous Driving Development

This paper presents a simulation-based testing and validation framework for ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistant System) and AD (Autonomous Driving) technology development. One of the main challenges in ADAS development is validating the perception, planning, and control algorithms in a closed-loop fashion, where both vehicle dynamics configuration and a wide variety of traffic scenarios are taken into account. This requires extensive testing efforts during the development cycle. Moreover, the designed algorithms should obtain optimal performance toward safety, comfort, and time/fuel optimality. Our contribution is twofold. First, we demonstrate a cosimulation platform for high fidelity vehicle dynamics, sensors and traffic environment modelling, using Siemens Simcenter Amesim and Simcenter Prescan. An interface that facilitates the testing processes and frontloads design verification during the early phases is studied. Second, we present some of our algorithm developments, i.e., deep learning, scene recognition, planning, and control, dealing with different driving scenario types and requirements. The designs are mainly based on the proposed co-simulation framework. Finally, the approach is demonstrated with four different use cases: adaptive cruise control, green wave technology, autonomous valet parking, and double lane change.
Impact of Pharmacological Inhibition of Hydrogen Sulphide Production in the SOD1G93A-ALS Mouse Model

A number of factors can trigger amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), although its precise pathogenesis is still uncertain. In a previous study done by us, poisonous liquoral levels of hydrogen sulphide (H2S) in sporadic ALS patients were reported. In the same study very high concentrations of H2S in the cerebral tissues of the familial ALS (fALS) model of the SOD1G93A mouse, were measured. The objective of this study was to test whether decreasing the levels of H2S in the fALS mouse could be beneficial. Amino-oxyacetic acid (AOA)—a systemic dual inhibitor of cystathionine-β-synthase and cystathionine-γ lyase (two key enzymes in the production of H2S)—was administered to fALS mice. AOA treatment decreased the content of H2S in the cerebral tissues, and the lifespan of female mice increased by approximately ten days, while disease progression in male mice was not affected. The histological evaluation of the spinal cord of the females revealed a significant increase in GFAP positivity and a significant decrease in IBA1 positivity. In conclusion, the results of the study indicate that, in the animal model, the inhibition of H2S production is more effective in females. The findings reinforce the need to adequately consider sex as a relevant factor in ALS.
Empirical Circuit Model for Output Capacitance Losses in Silicon Carbide Power Devices

In recent reports, a variety of power devices, including wide-bandgap transistors, SiC diodes, and Si superjuction MOSFETs, exhibit losses occurring from hysteretic charging and discharging of their output capacitance (COSS for MOSFETs and CJ for Schottky diodes). In many instances and soft-switching power converter applications, these losses are comparable to conduction losses, especially for HF/VHF switching frequencies. Manufacturer SPICE models and datasheets do not report these losses, and are why device power dissipation in simulation significantly contrasts with that in actual converters. However, we propose a viable empirical circuit model that incorporates these losses, with capabilities to integrate into circuit simulation tools such as SPICE. We, in addition, demonstrate the model by comparing device power dissipation in a class-E inverter and class-E rectifier between simulation and implementation.
SentiCon: A Concept Based Feature Set For Sentiment Analysis

Selection and extraction of appropriate numerical features to do sentiment analysis on text data with greater accuracy remain an open problem. In supervised machine learning based sentiment analysis, Term Frequency- Inverse Document Frequency (TF-IDF) scores are used as a feature for classifying polarity of text data. TF-IDF features are a high dimensional representation of the importance of a word in the document. TF-IDF features are sparse and do not consider the correlation among the words which constructs the latent concepts in the document. Latent Semantic Analysis (LSA) removes sparseness of the TF-IDF features by representing it in a low dimensional matrix and extracts those hidden concepts. On the other hand, a natural property of text document is its information content. The quantitative estimation of Parts-of-Speech tags, negation words, sentiment lexicons etc. represent the quality of information shared in a text data. In this work, we propose an approach to generate a concept based domain specific feature set SentiCon by consolidating LSA with the quality of information of the corpus. We have applied Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) on TF-IDF features to find the LSA. We have tested SentiCon with two benchmark datasets IMDB movie review and Epinion Cars, Books datasets using four well-known classifiers - Decision Tree, Random Forrest, Support Vector Machine, and K-Nearest Neighbour classifiers. We have used standard performance measures precision, recall and F-measure to analyze the results.
To Mitigate the LNT Model's Unintended Consequences-A Proposed Stopping Point for as Low as Reasonably Achievable.

While the debate over the linear no-threshold model continues, there's a relatively straightforward step that can be taken to mitigate the unintended consequences of the linear no-threshold model and the application of the as low as reasonably achievable principle-enact a stopping point for as low as reasonably achievable. The National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements defined the negligible individual dose in 1993 as having a value of 0.01 mSv y. Radiation safety professionals overwhelmingly agree that applying the as low as reasonably achievable principle at very low doses, such as those consistent with background radiation levels, is not improving radiation safety of the public or radiation workers. To the contrary, this practice has significant financial and social consequences, and it severely inhibits public communication of radiation risks. To move forward, the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements should increase the negligible individual dose to a more practical value of 0.1 mSv y-the new as low as reasonably achievable stopping point. While radiation research in radiation biology and epidemiology are needed to better understand low-dose health effects below 100 mSv, in the meantime we should apply what we know-i.e., that radiation protection should not include trying to protect people from radiation doses that are consistent with variations in background radiation.
Interior Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor Maximum Torque per Ampere-Position Sensorless Control

This paper proposes a method to realize permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) maximum torque per ampere (MTPA) control in position sensorless mode. The method injects a special signal into the PMSM, which can lead PMSM current response to contain two high frequency components. By extracting and processing these two high frequency components, the rotor position information can be estimated and the MTPA control feature can be acquired. MTPA control experiments with light load in the position sensorless mode are implemented. The experimental results verify the feasibility of the proposed method.