Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Challenges in the Locomotion of Self-Reconfigurable Modular Robots

Self-Reconfigurable Modular Robots (SRMRs) are assemblies of autonomous robotic units, referred to as modules, joined together using active connection mechanisms. By changing the connectivity of these modules, SRMRs are able to deliberately change their own shape in order to adapt to new environmental circumstances. One of the main motivations for the development of SRMRs is that conventional robots are limited in their capabilities by their morphology. The promise of the field of self-reconfigurable modular robotics is to design robots that are robust, self-healing, versatile, multi-purpose, and inexpensive. Despite significant efforts by numerous research groups worldwide, the potential advantages of SRMRs have yet to be realized. A high number of degrees of freedom and connectors make SRMRs more versatile, but also more complex both in terms of mechanical design and control algorithms. Scalability issues affect these robots in terms of hardware, low-level control, and high-level planning. In this thesis we identify and target three major challenges: (i) Hardware design; (ii) Planning and control; and, (iii) Application challenges. To tackle the hardware challenges we redesigned and manufactured the Self-Reconfigurable Modular Robot Roombots to meet desired requirements and characteristics. We explored in detail and improved two major mechanical components of an SRMR: the actuation and the connection mechanisms. We also analyzed the use of compliant extensions to increase locomotion performance in terms of locomotion speed and power consumption. We contributed to the control challenge by developing new methods that allow an arbitrary SRMR structure to learn to locomote in an efficient way. We defined a novel bio-inspired locomotion-learning framework that allows the quick and reliable optimization of new gaits after a morphological change due to self-reconfiguration or human construction. In order to find new suitable application scenarios for SRMRs we envision the use of Roombots modules to create Self-Reconfigurable Robotic Furniture. As a first step towards this vision, we explored the use and control of Plug-n-Play Robotic Elements that can augment existing pieces of furniture and create new functionalities in a household to improve quality of life.
Emotion Recognition Based on Chaos Characteristics of Physiological Signals

Changes of physiological signals are affected by human emotions, but also the emotional fluctuations are reflected by the body's variation of physiological signal's feature. Physiological signal is a non-linear signal ,nonlinear dynamics and biomedical engineering ,which based on chaos theory, providing us a new method for studying on the parameters of these complex physiological signals which can hardly described by the classical theory. This paper shows physiological emotion signal recognition system based on the chaotic characteristics, and than describes some current applications of chaotic characteristics for multiple physiological signals on emotional recognition.
Calorimetric study of skutterudite ( CoAs 2 . 92 ) and heazlewoodite ( Ni

Calorimetric study of skutterudite (CoAs2.92) and heazlewoodite (Ni3S2) 2 3 JURAJ MAJZLAN1,*, STEFAN KIEFER1, KRISTINA LILOVA2, TAMILARASAN SUBRAMANI2, 4 ALEXANDRA NAVROTSKY2, MAREK TUHÝ3,4, ANNA VYMAZALOVÁ3, DMITRIY A. CHAREEV5,6,7, 5 EDGAR DACHS8, ARTUR BENISEK8 6 1 Institute of Geosciences, Friedrich-Schiller University, Burgweg 11, 07749 Jena, Germany 7 *corresponding author, email: Juraj.Majzlan@uni-jena.de; ORCID: 0000-0002-9151-4394 8 2 School of Molecular Sciences and Center for Materials of the Universe, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 9 85287, USA 10 3 Czech Geological Survey, Geologická 6, 152 00 Prague 5, Czech Republic 11 4 Institute of Geochemistry, Mineralogy and Mineral Resources, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Albertov 6, 12 128 00 Prague 13 5 Institute of Experimental Mineralogy (IEM RAS), 142432 Chernogolovka, Moscow Region, Russia 14 6 Ural Federal University, Ekaterinburg 620002, Russia 15 7 Dubna State University, Dubna 141982 Russia 16 8 Department of Chemistry and Physics of Materials, University of Salzburg, Jakob-Haringer-Strasse 2a, 5020 17 Salzburg, Austria 18 19 ABSTRACT – Nickel and cobalt arsenides, sulfarsenides, and sulfides occur in many 20
Evaluation of MEPDG flexible pavement design using pavement management system data: Louisiana experience

This paper presents a recent study on using the mechanistic–empirical pavement design guide (MEPDG) design software (version 1.1) to evaluate the performance of typical Louisiana flexible pavement structures and compared it to the existing pavement performance data available in the pavement management system. The pavement performance indicators evaluated in this study include fatigue cracking, rutting and International Roughness Index (IRI). In addition to comparing the measured and predicted mean performance, the predicted pavement distresses at certain reliability design levels were also compared with the field variation of distresses extracted from a number of selected projects. The overall comparison results between the measured and predicted pavement distresses showed strong dependency on the pavement structure type considered in this study. Generally speaking, the MEPDG rutting models tended to over-predict the total rutting for Louisiana flexible pavements, whereas both fatigue cracking and IRI models in the MEPDG seemed to be adequate for most projects selected. Finally, a special optimisation approach was introduced to determine a set of preliminary local calibration factors for the MEPDG rutting models for two types of flexible pavements in Louisiana.
Power quality improvement for matrix converter using unified power quality conditioner

This paper proposes a unified power quality conditioner to minimize the power quality impact present in the matrix converter instead of a passive filter. A matrix converter produces significant harmonics and converts non-standard frequency components into load. The proposed approach eliminates the total harmonic distortions (THD) efficiently, and mitigates sag and swell present in the matrix converter′s load voltage. Because of the smaller THD, the harmonic pollution in the power system will be reduced and the power quality will be increased. The proposed approach has been tested and validated on the matrix converter using Matlab/Simulink software. The simulation results are shown to demonstrate the advantages of the proposed scheme.
Tooth Numbering and Condition Recognition on Dental Panoramic Radiograph Images using CNNs

Dentists and medical personnel strive to provide patients with prompt medical services. In the past, Dental Panoramic Radiograph (DPR) was often used to diagnose and understand the dental condition of patients. In recent years, many machine learning and deep learning methods have been applied to medical image recognition problems. Moreover, when combined with deep learning methods, data augmentation and image pre-processing methods can also give positive feedback. This study aims to combine data augmentation and data pre-processing methods with advanced deep learning methods to build an innovative and practical two-phase DPR recognition and classification method to assist dentists in diagnosis. It will help to improve the medical quality of dental services by speeding up and saving valuable physician manpower cost and time. Prior to the two-phase recognition based on several effective Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs), the data augmentation and data pre-processing are processed. In the first phase of this method, the position and numbering of the tooth is automatically classified of 32 tooth positions from the DPR tooth images. In the second phase, the dental conditions are automatically recognized of 6 dental conditions, including orthodontics, endodontic therapy, dental restoration, impaction, implant, and dental prosthesis. The experimental results showed that the trained network, without pre-processing, performed the dental position with an accuracy of 90.93%, and the dental condition with an accuracy of 93.33%. After data augmentation, the accuracy of tooth numbering can be increased to 95.62%, and the accuracy of dental condition can be increased to 98.33%. This is a significant improvement when compared with past research.
Impact of Inter-organizational Relationships on Organizational Learning

Literature on organizational learning has mainly focused on intra-organizational learning with little emphasis on inter-organizational learning. Organizations engage in strategic collaborations with other organizations. To realise the full potential of such relationships, it is very important for organizations to realise how learning may take place in such formal inter-organizational set-ups and understand various modes through which learning can be enhanced. This would foster their long term relationships. The paper explores how inter-organizational relationships foster organizational learning process through experiential and vicarious learning. The paper further explores various factors that impact the extent of learning in inter-organizational relationships.
Scape, Rhizome and Root Anatomy of Polygonatum Species from Turkey

Objective: Polygonatum (Asparagaceae) is a rhizomatous monocotyledon genus that is distributed in the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The genus is represented by 5 species in Turkey (P. glaberrimum, P. latifolium, P. multiflorum, P. verticillatum and P. orientale). Karyological, palynological, phylogenic, chemotaxonomical and some anatomical studies of Polygonatum species have been carried out previously. However, the detailed anatomical features of the scape, rhizome and root of Polygonatum species grown in Turkey have not been examined before and so the aim of this study is to determine their anatomical characteristics. Also, the study compares the species with each other according to obtained anatomical characteristics and comparing them with previous anatomical studies. Materials and Methods: Investigations were carried out on fresh material collected from wild habitats during July 20092012 in Turkey. Cross-sections of scape, rhizome and roots were cut by hand, detailed photographs were taken under a light microscope, and anatomical structures were drawn in detail with an isograph pen. Results: The anatomical structures of Polygonatum species have monocotyledones features. Significant differences between species were observed, such as the number of costas in the scape, number of xylem arms in the root and the types of vascular bundle in the rhizome. Also, the anatomical characteristics of the species were compared with previous anatomical studies. Conclusion: The anatomical features determined by this study will be useful at the species level as well as at the genus and family level. Hence the obtained data will contribute to the literature.
A novel ultra‐wide band bandpass filter with notched band using slotline and microstrip resonators

A novel ultra‐wide band bandpass filter with notched band is presented.Multi‐mode resonator is realized using a stepped‐impedance slotline. The resonator is orthogonally coupled to the microstrip feed lines, and ultra‐wide passband is obtained. Microstrip open loop resonators are loaded on the slotline, and notched band from 5.1 to 5.3 GHz is achieved. The filter is designed, fabricated, and measured. Good agreement is achieved between measured and predicted results. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 53:2949–2951, 2011; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.26430
Quantum effects on the extraction of MOS oxide traps by 1/f noise measurements

1/f noise measurements can be a viable method for the characterization of the oxide state density in MOSFETs, being directly applicable to submicron-scale devices. In this work we address the impact of electron quantization and mobility fluctuations on the analysis of the 1/f noise results, assessing the precision of the approximations usually introduced in the extraction procedure. Numerical models are employed to account for quantization effects, both in the normal and the lateral directions with respect to the Si-SiO/sub 2/ interface. Mobility fluctuations are analyzed by means of a state-of-the-art model for Coulomb-limited mobility. Results are reported for n-MOSFETs with a heavy channel doping. It is found that incomplete knowledge of the spatial location and nature (acceptor- or donor-like) of traps causes a substantial uncertainty in the extracted value of the absolute trap density.
Estimation of Energy Losses in Nanocrystalline FINEMET Alloys Working at High Frequency

Soft magnetic materials are at the core of electromagnetic devices. Planar transformers are essential pieces of equipment working at high frequency. Usually, their magnetic core is made of various types of ferrites or iron-based alloys. An upcoming alternative might be the replacement the ferrites with FINEMET-type alloys, of nominal composition of Fe73.5Si13. 5B9Cu3Nb1 (at. %). FINEMET is a nanocrystalline material exhibiting excellent magnetic properties at high frequencies, a soft magnetic alloy that has been in the focus of interest in the last years thanks to its high saturation magnetization, high permeability, and low core loss. Here, we present and discuss the measured and modelled properties of this material. Owing to the limits of the experimental set-up, an estimate of the total magnetic losses within this magnetic material is made, for values greater than the measurement limits of the magnetic flux density and frequency, with reasonable results for potential applications of FINMET-type alloys and thin films in high frequency planar transformer cores.
Glutathione binding to the plant AtAtm3 transporter and implications for the conformational coupling of ABC transporters

The ATP Binding Cassette (ABC) transporter of mitochondria (Atm) from Arabidopsis thaliana (AtAtm3) has been implicated in the maturation of cytosolic iron-sulfur proteins and heavy metal detoxification, plausibly by exporting glutathione derivatives. Using single-particle cryo-electron microscopy, we have determined structures of AtAtm3 in multiple conformational states. These structures not only provide a structural framework for defining the alternating access transport cycle, but also highlight an unappreciated feature of the glutathione binding site, namely the paucity of cysteine residues that could potentially form inhibitory mixed disulfides with glutathione. Despite extensive efforts, we were unable to prepare the ternary complex of AtAtm3 with bound GSSG and MgATP. A survey of structurally characterized type IV ABC transporters that includes AtAtm3 establishes that while nucleotides are found associated with all conformational states, they are effectively required to stabilize occluded and outward-facing conformations. In contrast, transport substrates have only been observed associated with inward-facing conformations. The absence of structures containing both nucleotide and transport substrate suggests that this ternary complex exists only transiently during the transport cycle.
Methods of palliation for high frequency elasto-acoustic response of truck drivetrain systems

This paper describes high frequency radiated noise from hollow driveshaft tubes, caused by impulsive torque input into the drivetrain system; a phenomenon referred to as clonk. The annoying metallic nature of clonk and its perception as an indication of low quality manufacture has been a major concern to the automobile industry, particularly for heavy vehicles. This has led to a fundamental study of the mechanisms for the initiation of the phenomenon and their causal roots, highlighted in this paper. Various methods of palliation are also indicated and their effectiveness ascertained.
Optimal design of fiber Raman amplifier based on hybrid genetic algorithm

A hybrid genetic algorithm (GA) based on the clustering fitness sharing and the elite replacement is proposed. Our proposed GA can effectively solve the multimodal optimization in the distributed multipump Raman amplifier (DMRA). The optimal results show that, under the conditions of the ON-OFF gain of > 10 dB, the relative gain flatness of 100 nm can be designed from DMRA with five pumps after the optimization of our GA. There are four schemes to realize the required setup parameters in our simulation.
Assessment of adherence, treatment satisfaction and knowledge of direct oral anticoagulants in atrial fibrillation patients

Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are increasingly used for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation. However, little is known about the association between medication adherence, patient satisfaction and treatment knowledge. The objective was to determine patients' DOAC adherence and their treatment satisfaction over time. Furthermore, we respectively investigated possible associations of treatment satisfaction and treatment knowledge in relation to adherence.
Non-Arbitrage Models of Financial Markets

In the first part of the paper, we construct the models of the complete non-arbitrage financial markets for a wide class of evolutions of risky assets.This construction is based on the observation that for a certain class of risky as set evolutions the martingale measure is invariant with respect to these evolutions. For such a financial market model the only martingale measure being equivalent to an initial measure is built. On such a financial market,formulas for the fair price of contingent liabilities are presented. A multi-parameter model of the financial market is proposed, the martingale measure of which does not depend on the parameters of the model of the evolution of risky assets and is the only one.
Hybrid interface of a two-dimensional cubic Hermite curve oversketch and a three-dimensional spatial oversketch for the conceptual body design of a car

A spatial modelling system with a new interface which is optimized for automotive design is proposed in the conceptual modelling phase. In the initial sketch stage to set the volume and the ratio of the car, the automotive styling is created using a two-dimensional plane sketch with an accurate input and a designer-friendly interface. The character lines, which have important implications in the design of the car, are drawn with a curve-based oversketch. The shape of the car is modified using area-based modification. A completed two-dimensional model consists of converting the character lines to a three-dimensional car model. In the three-dimensional spatial oversketch stage, the edge and mesh on the surface are deformed by viewing the three-dimensional shape of the vehicle with various views using a spatial input device and stereoscopic display. Edge-based deformation modifies single or multiple edges while maintaining continuity between the surfaces. A sculpting technique is applied to execute special shapes such as the accent lines and the strake lines. A sketch system which can be used by designers to perform three-dimensional spatial modelling is proposed.
Quick Assessment of Ground Settlement Limits to Restrict Building Damage to “Slight” Category

Earth retaining systems (ERS) are installed in order to facilitate excavations for the construction of underground transport infrastructure. The design and cost of an ERS can be highly dependent on the likely damage to nearby buildings caused by the excavation induced ground settlement. A safe ground settlement limit needs to be established in order to minimize damage to existing buildings. At present there is no direct method to determine the limiting ground settlement for a safe level of building damage. In current design practice a preliminary level of building damage is determined using the estimated ground settlement which is based on the ERS design. An acceptable level of building damage is obtained through an iterative process of redesigning the ERS. This approach results in suboptimal design and cost. It is also time inefficient. This paper presents a new concept of “Settlement Limit Curves”. These curves show the relationships between ground settlement, excavation depth and proximity to the retaining wall for the “Slight” building damage category. Reference to these curves will enable the design engineer to quickly and accurately determine the limiting ground settlement in order to restrict a building to “Slight” damage. The ERS may then be optimally designed using this information. The curves may also be used as a preliminary damage assessment tool to quickly identify en masse, by proximity to the excavation, the buildings that exceed the “Slight” damage category. This function may be interpreted as a middle ground between the commonly used Stage I and II damage assessment procedures. This information may also be used as a guideline for planning the least damaging routes and positions for future underground infrastructure.
"You've modelled and now what?" - Exploring Determinants of Process Model Re-Use

Business process modelling as a practice and research field has received great attention over recent years. Organizations invest significantly into process modelling in terms of training, tools, capabilities and resources. The return on this investment is a function of process model re-use, which we define as the recurring use of process models to support organizational work tasks. While prior research has examined re-use as a design principle, we explore re-use as a behaviour, because evidence suggest that analysts’ re-use of process models is indeed limited. In this paper we develop a two-stage conceptualization of the key object-, behaviour- and socio-organization-centric factors explaining process model re-use behaviour. We propose a theoretical model and detail implications for its operationalization and measurement. Our study can provide significant benefits to our understanding of process modelling and process model use as key practices in analysis and design.
All-Optical Half-Adder and Half-Subtracter Based on Semiconductor Optical Amplifier

In order to overcome the bit-rate limitations caused by Electronic Signal Processing, All-Optical Signal Processing is required. All-Optical Half-Adder and Half-Subtracter can serve as building blocks for All-Optical Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU). In this paper, a demonstration of All-Optical Half-Adder and Half-Subtracter is done operating at 1 Gbps bit rate using Continuous Wave (CW) Lasers as carrier sources and two Semiconductor Optical Amplifiers (SOA) as basic active elements. One of the arithmetic functions realized by this scheme i.e. Borrow Signal (A ¯ B) exhibited Max Q-factor of 21.2046 to achieve error free operation at bit rate of 1Gbps.
What lies underneath: Precise classification of brain states using time-dependent topological structure of dynamics

The self-organising global dynamics underlying brain states emerge from complex recursive nonlinear interactions between interconnected brain regions. Until now, most efforts of capturing the causal mechanistic generating principles have supposed underlying stationarity, being unable to describe the non-stationarity of brain dynamics, i.e. time-dependent changes. Here, we present a novel framework able to characterise brain states with high specificity, precisely by modelling the time-dependent dynamics. Through describing a topological structure associated to the brain state at each moment in time (its attractor or ‘information structure’), we are able to classify different brain states by using the statistics across time of these structures hitherto hidden in the neuroimaging dynamics. Proving the strong potential of this framework, we were able to classify resting-state BOLD fMRI signals from two classes of post-comatose patients (minimally conscious state and unresponsive wakefulness syndrome) compared with healthy controls with very high precision.