Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sparse Inverse Chirp-Z Transform of S-Parameter Measurements for Time Domain Analysis of Transmission Line

Time-domain analysis of S-Parameters can be performed by converting data collected in the frequency to time domain. Although the use of the Chirp Z Transform approach, a more general Fourier transform tool, flexibilizes data acquisition, the conversion (or inversion) becomes difficult. Most existing methods approximate the Inverse Chirp Z transform by a minimum norm solution, which does not have strong physical support. In this paper, we propose a Sparse Inverse Chirp Z transforms specially crafted for sparse time-domain signals representing spikes generated at impedance discontinuities. The method is verified by comparing time-domain results of SParameters extracted of a cascaded transmission line set to the ones given by ADS Keysight software, showing good agreement in reflection and transmission behavior of the line. Keywords— ICZT, Sparse Analysis, S-Parameters, Timedomain Analysis.
1 Modeling and Control for Fusion Plasma Stabilization by means of a Mechanical ECRH Launcher at TEXTOR

This paper discusses several relevant control aspects, regarding the specific task of feedbackcontrolled stabilization of Neoclassical Tearing Modes (NTMs), for the Electron Cyclotron Resonance Heating (ECRH) installation operated at TEXTOR. The work reported primarily focuses on the mechanics and control of an ECRH launcher system with a 2 rotational degrees of freedom (DOF) steer-able mirror. The dynamics of this instrument are measured and modeled in terms of the equations of motion. Nonlinear system behavior (mainly induced by friction) is characterized. The impact of external disturbances is considered. This system identification procedure allows design and implementation of a cascaded control strategy for improved actuation of the mechanical launcher and also provides information on the physical limitations of the system. The paper additionally presents a proposal, from a control engineering perspective, for development of NTM control scenarios, dedicated to the TEXTOR ECRH installation.
Design and Analysis Method of Alternate Rotor Core for Concentrated Flux – type IPMSM

Motors for automotive chassis components require compact size due to space constraints. Therefore, a rare earth permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) is mainly used as the motor applied to the chassis system. The magnetic concentrated flux-type PMSM with the ferrite magnet is likely to be used as a motor for the chassis system because it can increase the air magnetic flux density as the rare earth PMSM. The most important thing for the design of concentrated flux-type motor is to reduce the flux leakage. In order to reduce the leakage flux, it is necessary to increase the reluctance of main leakage path in the rotor core. Increase in magnetic reluctance of flux path is necessary to reduce the flux leakage. Accordingly, a new rotor structure with a 3-dimensional (3D) magnetic circuit that can reduce leakage flux is proposed in this paper. In order to easily analyze three dimensional complex magnetic circuits, an equivalent 2D3D model was applied to analyze the characteristics.
MECHATRONIC DESIGN OF A TILTING MIRROR SYSTEM

For the design of mechatronic systems, performance is a low frequent issue and most of the time closed loop stability is a high frequent issue. Commonly known as a the mixed sensitivity problem. Performance specification are expressed via the controlled bandwidth. In order to obtain robust stability against higher order dynamics, a relationship, based on the small gain theorem [3], between the required minimum of the frequency of higher order dynamics and the bandwidth can be formulated [5]. The relationship needs adequate 3D system modeling. In this paper modeling and analyses with a multibody approach based on non-linear finite elements is discussed. In this approach only a rather small number of elastic beam elements are needed to model typical components of systems accurately. An example from robotized laser welding, a two axis tilting mirror for laserspot manipulation, will be used to show the basic conceptual mechatronic design and the role of modeling of flexible multibody systems therein.
Testing messages about comparative risk of electronic cigarettes and combusted cigarettes

Introduction Health agencies are grappling with communicating risks of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) compared with combusted cigarettes. This study examined smokers’ responses to two types of comparative risk messages with one type incorporating more negative antismoking elements in the design. Methods In an online experiment, 1400 US adult (18+ years) current smokers and recent quitters were randomised to view one of three comparative risk messages about e-cigarettes (CR messages), one of three comparative risk messages that included more negative antismoking elements in the design (CR− messages) or a control message. Selection of outcomes was guided by the antismoking message impact framework. Multivariate analyses of covariance and logistic regression models analysed effects of messages on message evaluations, e-cigarette-related and cigarette-related beliefs and behavioural intentions. Results Both CR and CR− messages decreased smokers’ intentions to smoke cigarettes, increased intentions to switch to e-cigarettes completely and increased perceptions that e-cigarettes are less harmful than combusted cigarettes. Neither message type increased dual use intentions relative to exclusive e-cigarettes use or smoking cessation. CR messages decreased perceived absolute risks of e-cigarettes and self-exempting beliefs about smoking, whereas CR− versus CR messages produced higher self-efficacy to quit smoking. Conclusion Comparative risk communication might encourage smokers to switch to lower-harm tobacco products. Comparative risk messages with more negative antismoking elements in the design might be particularly effective, because they led to higher self-efficacy to quit smoking. Regulatory agencies may consider using comparative risk messages with more negative antismoking elements to educate the public about lower risk of e-cigarettes.
Performances Analysis of GNSS NLOS Bias Correction in Urban Environment Using a Three-Dimensional City Model and GNSS Simulator

The well-known conventional least squares (LS) and extended Kalman filter (EKF) are ones of the most widely used algorithms in science and particularly in localization with global navigation satellites systems (GNSS) measurements. However, these estimators are not optimal when the GNSS measurements become contaminated by nonGaussian errors including multipath (MP) and nonline-of-sight (NLOS) biases. On the other hand, this kind of ranging measurements errors occurs generally in urban areas where GNSS-based positioning applications require more accuracy and reliability. In this paper, we use additional information of the environment consisting of bias prediction from a three-dimensional (3-D) model and a GNSS simulator to exploit constructively NLOS measurements. We use this 3-D GNSS simulator to predict lower and upper bounds of these biases. Then, we integrate this information in the position estimation problem by considering these biases as additive error and exploiting the bounds to end-up with a constrained state estimation problem that we resolve with existing constrained least squares (CLS) and constrained EKF (CEFK) algorithms. Experimental results using real GPS signals in down-town Toulouse show that the proposed estimator is capable of improving the positioning accuracy compared with conventional algorithms. Theoretical conditions have been established to determine the acceptable bias prediction error allowing better positioning performance than conventional estimators. Tests are conducted then to validate these conditions and investigate the influence of the bias prediction error on the localization performance by proposing new accuracy metrics.
Spectrotemporal Analysis Using Local Binary Pattern Variants for Acoustic Scene Classification

In this paper, we present an approach for acoustic scene classification, which aggregates spectral and temporal features. We do this by proposing the first use of the variable-Q transform (VQT) to generate the time–frequency representation for acoustic scene classification. The VQT provides finer control over the resolution compared to the constant-Q transform (CQT) or short time fourier transform and can be tuned to better capture acoustic scene information. We then adopt a variant of the local binary pattern (LBP), the adjacent evaluation completed LBP (AECLBP), which is better suited to extracting features from acoustic time–frequency images. Our results yield a 5.2% improvement on the DCASE 2016 dataset compared to the application of standard CQT with LBP. Fusing our proposed AECLBP with HOG features, we achieve a classification accuracy of 85.5%, which outperforms one of the top performing systems.
Leveraging Elements of Process Education to Extend Biggs ’ Model of Constructive Alignment for Increasing Learner Achievement

During the academic year 2014-15, a pilot study was conducted to compare the student achievement in a traditional versus a collaborative learning environment in two sections of the same course at a Historically Black College and University (HBCU). The fi nding, a deviation from the conventional evidence, indicated the traditional group’s academic achievement to be slightly higher than the collaborative group’s. The conclusion prompted considerable refl ection about what teaching and learning components may have impacted student achievement of the intended learning outcomes in the collaborative environment. As a result, we propose a process-based theoretical model extending on Biggs’ model of constructive alignment to incorporate essential Process Education’s (PE) principles and practices. The new process model incorporates four pillars of PE supporting student growth, where the concept of student growth involves the process of learning to learn in addition to the achievement of student learning outcomes. The four pillars are: (1) Creating a Quality Learning Environment (2) Instructional Design (3) Facilitation, and (4) Assessment. Further, we suggest this new model is particularly relevant for educators having culturally diverse learners.
Towards Compiling SAC for the Xeon Phi Knights Corner and Knights Landing Architectures: Strategies and Experiments

Xeon Phi is the common brand name of Intel's Many Integrated Core (MIC) architecture. The first commercially available generation Knights Corner and the second generation Knights Landing form a middle ground between modestly parallel desktop and standard server processor architectures and the massively parallel GPGPU architectures. In this paper we explore various compilation strategies for the purely functional data-parallel array language SAC (Single Assignment C) to support both MIC architectures in the presence of entirely resource- and target-agnostic source code. Our particular interest lies in doing so with limited, or entirely without, user knowledge about the target architecture. We report on a series of experiments involving two classical benchmarks, Matrix Multiplication and Gaussian Blur, that demonstrate the level of performance that can be expected from compilation of abstract, purely functional source code to the Xeon Phi family of architectures.
Low Overhead Online Checkpoint for Intermittently Powered Non-volatile FPGAs

Energy harvesting is an attractive way to power future IoT devices since it can eliminate the need for battery or power cables. However, harvested energy is intrinsically unstable. While FPGAs have been widely adopted in various embedded systems, it is hard to survive unstable power since all the memory components in FPGA are based on volatile SRAMs. The emerging non-volatile memory based FPGAs provide promising potentials to keep configuration data during power outages. However, few works have considered implementing efficient runtime intermediate data checkpoint on non-volatile FPGAs. To realize accumulative computation under intermittent power on FPGA, this paper proposes a low-cost design, FC-FPGAs, which utilizes "scan-chain like" flip-flops to track intermediate data. Instead of keeping all on-chip intermediate data, FC-FPGA only targets on necessary data that is labeled by off-line analysis and identified by an on-line tracking circuit. The evaluation shows that compared with state-of-the-art, FC-FPGA can realize accumulative computing and significantly reduce computation time and energy over a wide range of unstable power traces.
Cholesterol sensor ORP 1 L organizes late endosomal contacts with the ER protein VAP that controls Rab 7-RILP-p 150 Glued and late endosomal positioning Submitted

Late endosomes and lysosomes have characteristic intracellular distributions determined by various motor proteins. The Rab7 effector RILP interacts with the oxysterol-binding protein ORP1L and is the receptor for the dynactin subunit p150Glued and associated motor proteins on late endosomes. We show that cholesterol levels in late endosomes determine the conformational of ORP1L. Cholesterol in the cytosolic leaflet of late endosomes is sensed by ORP1L and cholesterol levels are lower in peripheral vesicles than in vesicles residing near the microtubule minus-end. Under low cholesterol conditions, ORP1L conformation induces formation of ER-late endosomal membrane contact sites (ER-LE-MCS). Here the ER protein VAP can interact in trans with the Rab7RILP complex to remove p150Glued and associated motors. As a result, late endosomes move to the microtubule plus-end. Under high cholesterol conditions, as in Niemann-Pick type C disease, this process is prevented resulting in accumulation of late endosomes at the microtubule minus-end due to dynein motor activity. These data explain how cholesterol through ORP1L controls late endosomal positioning in cells. Cholesterol sensor ORP1L organizes late endosomal contacts with the ER protein VAP that controls Rab7-RILP-p150Glued and late endosomal positioning Nuno Rocha, Coenraad Kuijl+, Rik van der Kant+, Lennert Janssen, Diane Houben, Hans Janssen, Wilbert Zwart* and Jacques Neefjes*.
Hybrid Modulation Strategy for IGBT-Based Isolated Dual-Active-Bridge DC–DC Converter

In the IGBT-based bidirectional isolated dual-active-bridge (DAB) dc–dc converter, it is not necessary that the IGBTs of the secondary-side H-bridge inverter (HB2) retain under on state because in this system, the function of synchronous rectification cannot be realized. This paper firstly analyzes the characteristics of the DAB converter with all of the IGBTs of HB2 keeping under OFF state. Its main drawback is that the flow back current in the primary dc side is caused and the current stress is increased. Furthermore, a hybrid modulation strategy is proposed and the control rule of the two inner phase shifts of the primary and secondary H-bridge inverters is determined to eliminate the flow back currents in the entire power range, enhance the maximum transfer power, and achieve a good inductor current characteristic. The experimental results verify the correctness of the theoretical analysis and the feasibility and practicability of the proposed hybrid modulation strategy.
Ant-Pollinator Conflict Results in Pollinator Deterrence but no Nectar Trade-Offs

Direct and indirect negative interactions between ant guards and pollinators on ant-plants are expected for two reasons. First, aggressive ants may deter pollinators directly. Second, pollinators benefit from plant investment in reproduction whilst ants benefit from plant investment in indirect defense, and resource allocation trade-offs between these functions could lead to indirect conflict. We explored the potential for ant-pollinator conflict in a Mexican myrmecophile, Turnera velutina, which rewards ants with extrafloral nectar and pollinators with floral nectar. We characterized the daily timing of ant and pollinator activity on the plant and used experiments to test for direct and indirect conflict between these two groups of mutualists. We tested for direct conflict by quantifying pollinator responses to flowers containing dead specimens of aggressive ant species, relative to unoccupied control flowers. We assessed indirect conflict by testing for the existence of a trade-off in sugar allocation between ant and pollinator rewards, evidenced by an increase in floral nectar secretion when extrafloral nectar secretion was prevented. Secretion of floral and extrafloral nectar, activity of ants and pollinators, and pollen deposition all overlapped in daily time and peaked within the first 2 h after flowers opened. We found evidence of direct conflict, in that presence of ants inside the flowers altered pollinator behavior and reduced visit duration, although visit frequency was unchanged. We found no evidence for indirect conflict, with no significant difference in the volume or sugar content of floral nectar between control plants and those in which extrafloral nectar secretion was prevented. The presence of ants in flowers alters pollinator behavior in ways that are likely to affect pollination dynamics, though there is no apparent trade-off between plant investment in nectar rewards for pollinators and ant guards. Further studies are required to quantify the effect of the natural abundance of ants in flowers on pollinator behavior, and any associated impacts on plant reproductive success.
Validation of the Apple Watch for Heart Rate Variability Measurements during Relax and Mental Stress in Healthy Subjects

Heart rate variability (HRV) analysis is a noninvasive tool widely used to assess autonomic nervous system state. The market for wearable devices that measure the heart rate has grown exponentially, as well as their potential use for healthcare and wellbeing applications. Still, there is a lack of validation of these devices. In particular, this work aims to validate the Apple Watch in terms of HRV derived from the RR interval series provided by the device, both in temporal (HRM (mean heart rate), SDNN, RMSSD and pNN50) and frequency (low and high frequency powers, LF and HF) domain. For this purpose, a database of 20 healthy volunteers subjected to relax and a mild cognitive stress was used. First, RR interval series provided by Apple Watch were validated using as reference the RR interval series provided by a Polar H7 using Bland-Altman plots and reliability and agreement coefficients. Then, HRV parameters derived from both RR interval series were compared and their ability to identify autonomic nervous system (ANS) response to mild cognitive stress was studied. Apple Watch measurements presented very good reliability and agreement (>0.9). RR interval series provided by Apple Watch contain gaps due to missing RR interval values (on average, 5 gaps per recording, lasting 6.5 s per gap). Temporal HRV indices were not significantly affected by the gaps. However, they produced a significant decrease in the LF and HF power. Despite these differences, HRV indices derived from the Apple Watch RR interval series were able to reflect changes induced by a mild mental stress, showing a significant decrease of HF power as well as RMSSD in stress with respect to relax, suggesting the potential use of HRV measurements derived from Apple Watch for stress monitoring.
Ciprofl oxacin Resistance in Neisseria meningitidis , France

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Electroplating Enhanced Silver Nanowire Networks for Transparent Heaters

Electroplating Enhanced Silver Nanowire Networks are successfully applied in transparent heaters that ensure the performance of electronic devices under various environmental conditions. Comparing with the simple heating process, the electroplating method can produce an applicable electrode for transparent heaters within a shorter time. The final Ag NWs film products reach 13.2 ? ·sq-1 at a transmittance of 80% after electroplating for 10 s. Moreover, the core/shell structure promote the working stability of silver nanowire networks under high-temperature (110°C for 2 h). The high-efficiency method could extend the use of Ag NW films in more potential applied conditions, such as transparent heaters, high-power devices, and solar cells.
Practical Attribute-Based Multi-Keyword Search Scheme in Mobile Crowdsourcing

Cloud-based mobile crowdsourcing has been an attractive solution to provide data storage and share services for resource-limited mobile devices in a privacy-preserving manner, but how to enable mobile users to issue search queries and achieve fine-grained access control over ciphertexts simultaneously is still a big challenge for various circumstances. Although the ciphertext-policy attribute-based keyword search technology combining attribute-based encryption with searchable encryption has become a hot research topic, it just deals with equivalent attributes rather than more practical attribute comparisons, like “greater than” or “less than. ” In this paper, we devise a practical cryptographic primitive called attribute-based multi-keyword search scheme to support comparable attributes through utilizing 0-encoding and 1-encoding. Formal security analysis proves that our scheme is selectively secure against chosen-keyword attack in generic bilinear group model and extensive experiments using real-world dataset demonstrate that our scheme can drastically decrease both computational and storage costs.