Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Statistical Analysis of the Electrothermal Imbalances of Mismatched Parallel SiC Power MOSFETs

Thanks to the increasing availability of silicon carbide (SiC) metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs) with outstanding static and dynamic performances, the number of applications in which these devices are used is rapidly growing. Despite that, the maximum current rating of such devices is usually limited at few hundred amps, which sets an upper bound for the power level at which these transistors can be adopted. A viable solution to this problem consists in paralleling several SiC MOSFETs. However, the design of parallel configurations needs optimization since mismatched performances can cause the enhanced stress of a subset of devices, which can ultimately lead to premature failure of the whole module. In this contribution, several sets of Monte Carlo (MC) electrothermal simulations of parallel SiC MOSFETs are used to systematically relate the deviations of devices and circuit parameters to the resulting uneven power dissipation. To this purpose, a set of relevant parameters is identified and statistically described. Thereafter, the simulation of a 200-kHz synchronous buck converter relying on mismatched parallel MOSFETs is performed as a case study. Eventually, a methodology to derive a guideline for the design of reliable multichip configurations is developed. The methodology is based on the iteration of MC simulations for different tolerances of the parameters.
Innovative and flexible single screw press for the oil extraction of Calophyllum seeds

The oil extraction of Calophyllum seeds using a conventional single screw press leads to an inferior yield and is perceived to be less efficient as well as difficult to operate. An innovative and flexible single screw press was, therefore, designed and investigated in this study to solve these problems. Moreover, the effects of the seeds’ moisture content, pressing temperature and seeds’ feed rate on the oil yield and quality were identified to determine the optimal oil extraction performance from the Calophyllum seeds. The study found that the seeds’ moisture content, pressing temperature and seeds’ feed rate generally affected the oil yield. The yield indeed improved as the pressing temperature and the seeds’ feed rate increased respectively from 45 to 75°C and 1.5 to 5 kg·h–1. The oil yield also ameliorated as the seeds’ moisture content rose from 1.7 to 12.8%, but it was optimal when the seeds’ moisture content was 5.5%. The best oil yield of 80.6% was, thus, obtained with the seeds’ moisture content of 5.5%, a pressing temperature of 75°C and the seeds’ feed rate of 5 kg per h. Although the quality of the crude oil was poor with a high viscosity (³ 94 mm2·s–1) and high acid value (³ 48 mg KOH/g), its density, saponification and iodine values were acceptable. After the oil refining process by degumming and neutralisation, its quality improved and met the Indonesian Biofuel Standards, except for its viscosity.
Quality checking and expression analysis of high-throughput small RNA sequencing data

The advent of high-throughput RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) methods have made it possible to sequence transcriptomes for the cell-wide identi�cation of small non-coding RNAs (sRNAs) and to assess their regulation using di�erential expression analysis by comparing two or more di�erent conditions. During an analysis of a typical set of sRNA sequencing (sRNA-seq) libraries, a large variety of tools and methods are used on the dataset in order to understand the data's quality, content, and to summarise the knowledge gained from the entire analysis. Many of the tools available to do this were created for mRNA sequencing (mRNA-seq) datasets. In this thesis, we present and implement a processing pipeline that can be used to assess the quality and the di�erential expression of sRNA-seq datasets over two or more di�erent conditions. We then utilise aspects of this pipeline in various sRNA-seq experiments. Firstly, we combine our pipeline with current tools for miRNA identi�cation to assess the regulation of miRNAs during larval caste di�erentiation in a novel genome; the European bumblebee (Bombus terrestris). Secondly, we explore the di�erential expression during cell stress of all classes of sRNAs using two cell lines in humans. We also �nd that a speci�c protein, Ro60, is required for the expression of mRNA-derived sRNAs during stress, similar to the way in which sRNAs derived from Y RNAs are regulated. Finally, we utilise our understanding of sRNA mapping patterns, alongside current tools for miRNA identi�cation, to search for functional miRNAs and other sRNAs in the novel genomes of two diatoms. The lack of canonical miRNA predictions in this study has repercussions for the evolutionary theory behind miRNAs. The implementation of our pipeline for sRNA-seq data provides an interactive and quality controlled work ow that can be used to process a dataset from raw sequences to the results of several di�erential expression experiments for all identi�ed sRNA classes within a sequenced transcriptome.
CEPF Western Ghats Special Series : Diversity and distribution of anurans in Phansad Wildlife Sanctuary (PWS), northern Western Ghats of India

In global consequences of rapidly changing climate and increased amphibian population decline, mapping amphibian diversity in biodiversity hotspots is essential. In this study we have systematically studied anurans of Phansad Wildlife Sanctuary in terms of species diversity, population structure, threat status and distribution. We recorded a total of 22 anuran species, of which 11 species are endemic to Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot. Family Dicroglossidae was found to be more species-rich. Spatial and temporal variation in anuran diversity was observed by using Shannon diversity and evenness indices. Most of the endemic and threatened anuran species are found to be associated with evergreen undisturbed forest patches. Habitat parameters like humidity, forest type, canopy coverage, riparian canopy coverage, stream persistence and litter depth are found to be major variables governing species diversity and distribution. Major anthropogenic threats to amphibians of Phansad Wildlife Sanctuary are discussed along with future conservation objectives. With range extension of species like Fejervarya caperata and Minervarya sahyadris further north in the Western Ghats, taxonomic ambiguities recorded during study are discussed briefly.
Lattice Defects and Their Influence on the Mechanical Properties of Bulk Materials Processed by Severe Plastic Deformation

Processing of metallic materials by Severe Plastic Deformation (SPD) leads to the formation of many lattice defects (e.g., vacancies, dislocations, twin faults and grain boundaries). In this paper, the characteristic features of the defect structure in SPD-processed bulk metallic materials are overviewed. The influence of the material properties, such as the melting point, stacking fault energy and solute content, as well as the SPD-processing conditions (e.g., SPD route and applied hydrostatic pressure) on the type and densities of defects is discussed in detail. In addition, the effect of lattice defects on the mechanical strength of SPD-processed materials is oveviewed. [doi:10.2320/matertrans.MF201909]
Femtosecond Laser Pulses Amplification in Crystals

This paper describes techniques for high-energy laser pulse amplification in multi-PW femtosecond laser pulses. Femtosecond laser pulses can be generated and amplified in laser media with a broad emission spectral bandwidth, like Ti:sapphire crystals. By chirped pulse amplification (CPA) techniques, hundred-Joule amplified laser pulses can be obtained. Multi-PW peak-power femtosecond pulses are generated after recompression of amplified chirped laser pulses. The characteristics and problems of large bandwidth laser pulses amplification in Ti:sapphire crystals are discussed. An alternative technique, based on optical parametric chirped pulse amplification (OPCPA) in nonlinear crystals, is presented. Phase-matching conditions for broad bandwidth parametric amplification in nonlinear crystals are inferred. Ultra-broad phase matching bandwidth of more than 100 nm, able to support the amplification of sub-10 fs laser pulses, are demonstrated in nonlinear crystals, such as Beta Barium Borate (BBO), Potassium Dideuterium Phosphate (DKDP), and Lithium Triborate (LBO). The advantages and drawbacks of CPA amplification in laser crystals and OPCPA in nonlinear crystals are discussed. A hybrid amplification method, which combines low-medium energy OPCPA in nonlinear crystals with high energy CPA in large aperture laser crystals, is described. This technique is currently used for the development of 10-PW laser systems, with sub-20 fs pulse duration and more than 1012 intensity contrast of output femtosecond pulses.
Study on a new recognition method of pointer meters

This paper,based on the theory of pointer meters and standard recognize technique. issued a new recognize technique,which was ground on the maximum gradient comparing subtraction method. The function process of this new technique was introduced by elabo-rating certain arithmetic of the key segments of the very method. Furthermore,some experiment results as well as the analysis demonstrate the optimization strategy.
Ecg Monitoring Of A Cardiac Patient Using Embedded System

This paper presents a novel method to alert a cardiac patient using an embedded system. This system is chosen, based on factors such as processing speed and portability, to reliably monitor the ECG signal of the patient. Based on minimum processing time required and compatibility with the processor, an algorithm has been selected for processing of the ECG signal. Since QRS complexes are predominant in the ECG signal, the algorithm is used to detect the same. Using first order differentiation, Hilbert transform of the signal, and adaptive thresholding, the algorithm detectsQRS complexes in the signal. Further, onapplying a second threshold on the detected QRS complex, R peaks are located accurately. When an abnormal ECG signal is detected, the chosen processor Raspberry piis interfaced with a buzzer which generates an alert. The algorithm provides diminished P and T peaks, amplifies QRS peaks, and in addition motion artifacts and noise are greatly reduced. The algorithm is validated on a set often 10s recordings which are taken from MIT/ BIH Arrhythmia database. The results are compared with the corresponding annotations of database, a sensitivity of 97.73% and a detection error rate of 4.52% was obtained. KeywordsDER, ECG, HT, QRS Complex, Sensitivity.
A Performance-oriented Resource Allocation Algorithm with Insertion and Duplication for IaaS Clouds

The innate characteristics of a cloud computing environment make itself attractive for running applications with large scale data, as a user can utilize a number of high performance computing virtual machine instances without maintenance cost. The performance of executing an application in a cloud computing environment depends on a resource allocation policy that schedules an input task graph onto virtual machine instances. In this paper, we propose a novel resource allocation policy that considers characteristics of an input task graph and virtual machine instances of a cloud computing environment. And also, we propose a new task insertion method that also considers an execution finish time of a child task of the inserted task. Simulation experiments with task graphs from standard task graph project show that the proposed algorithm outperforms conventional algorithms in terms of normalized total execution time.
Fast Track Initiation Algorithm in Clutter Environments Based on Hough Transform and Logic

Track initiation is the key problem of target tracking. The paper presents a new track initiation algorithm which is based on Hough transform (HT) and logic-based track initiator. In the new method, HT is used first to eliminate clutters, so as to produce a environment of low false alarm. And then tracks are initiated by using the 3/4 logic-based method. Simulation shows that the proposed method in this paper is effective in fast track initiation and is superior to HT based track initiator and logic based track initiator.
A 4,500‐Year‐Long Record of Southern Rocky Mountain Dust Deposition

Dust emissions from southwestern North America (Southwest) impact human health and water resources. Whereas a growing network of regional dust reconstructions characterizes the long‐term natural variability of dustiness in the Southwest, short‐term fluctuations remain unexplored. We present a 4.5‐millennia near‐annual record of dust mass accumulation rates from the southern Rocky Mountains, CO. Using microscanning X‐ray fluorescence and a geochemical end‐member mixing model, the record confirms dust increased with human disturbance beginning around 1880 CE, reversing a long‐term decreasing trend potentially related to changes in effective moisture, wind, and vegetation. However, increases in dust mass accumulation rates do not correspond to years or periods of drought, as characterized by tree rings. This result suggests sediment supply and transport mechanisms have a strong influence on dust deposition. The record shows the Southwest is naturally prone to dustiness; however, human disturbances have a large influence on dust emissions, which can be mitigated by changing land use.
Reverse Execution With Constraint Solving

The typical debugging experience is an iterative process of setting breakpoints, running the program and inspecting the state until the source of the bug is identified. When re-executing the program is not guaranteed to reproduce the faulty execution path, the final state and the system logs can be used to mentally construct a model of the execution. By contrast, debugging by going backward in time, i.e. the ability to reverse-execute the program, can be considered the most intuitive and easy-to-use alternative. We show an efficient approach to reverse execution, which sacrifices the full replay ability in favor of portability and a lighter memory footprint. We treat the execution trace as a set of constraints, and use an SMT solver to navigate the trace and restore data values. Depending on how the solver performs on constraint sets corresponding to multiple test runs, we decide where to instrument the code to save intermediate values, for a faster replay.
The use of the hollow cylinder apparatus to study stress paths relevant to railway track foundations

This paper presents and discusses results from a series of hollow cylinder tests, carried out to investigate the effects of principal stress rotation on the resilient response of soils in stress paths relevant to railway track foundations. Four sand-clay mixes, typical of the gradation of an in situ railway track foundation, were investigated. The aim of the research was to investigate the magnitudes of shear stress cycles for which the associated cyclic rotations of the principal stress direction may have a significant effect on the long-term stability of a railway track foundations.
Regional Differences in Sea Level Rise Between the Mid‐Atlantic Bight and the South Atlantic Bight: Is the Gulf Stream to Blame?

Recent studies appear to show that a “hot spot” for accelerated sea level rise (SLR) shifted around 2010 from the Mid‐Atlantic Bight (MAB) to the South Atlantic Bight (SAB) and south Florida. The role of the Gulf Stream (GS) in this shift was thus investigated. The findings show that in the ~15–20 years before, SLR was accelerating in the MAB due to weakening and southward shifting of the GS. After 2010, however, SLR started slowing down in the MAB due to strengthening and northward shifting of the GS. Thermosteric effects seen in altimeter data indicate a warming trend south of 35°N that started around 2010 and contributed to increased SLR south of Cape Hatteras. However, in the MAB, after the GS separated from the coast, the warming of the Subtropical Gyre and cooling of nearshore waters resulted in an opposite SLR response and strengthening of the GS front. Oscillations with periods of 2–5 years dominated the GS flow and coastal sea level variability, but the GS in the MAB is often out of phase with the GS in the SAB due to eddies and recirculation gyres. These oscillations can create temporal changes in SLR rates that are ~10 times larger than the long‐term trend, so recent changes in the local “hot spot” may not be interpreted as a sign of a shift in the long‐term trend, but more likely a temporal shift associated with interannual and decadal variations in the North Atlantic.
Wireless Sensor Networks: Concepts, Applications, Experimentation and Analysis

This book focuseson the principles of wireless sensor networks (WSNs), their applications, and their analysis tools, with meticulous attention paid to definitions and terminology. This book presents the adopted technologies and their manufacturers in detail, making WSNs tangible for the reader. In introductory computer networking books, chapter sequencing follows the bottom-up or top-down architecture of the 7-layerprotocol. This book addresses subsequent steps in this process, both horizontally and vertically, thus fostering a clearer and deeper understanding through chapters that elaborate on WSNconcepts and issues. With such depth, this book is intended for a wide audience; it is meant to be a helper and motivator for senior undergraduates, postgraduates, researchers, and practitioners. It lays out important concepts and WSN-relate applications; uses appropriate literature to back research and practical issues; and focuses on new trends. Senior undergraduate students can use it to familiarize themselves with conceptual foundations and practical project implementations. For graduate students and researchers, test bedsand simulators provide vital insights into analysis methods and tools for WSNs. Lastly, in addition to applications and deployment, practitioners will be able to learn more about WSN manufacturers and components within several platforms and test beds.
High-Resolution Lightning Detection and Possible Relationship with Rainfall Events over the Central Mediterranean Area

Lightning activity is usually associated with precipitations events and represents a possible indicator of climate change, even contributing to its increase with the production of NOx gases. The study of lightning activity on long temporal periods is crucial for fields related to atmospheric phenomena from intense rain-related hazard processes to long-term climate changes. This study focuses on 19 years of lightning-activity data, recorded from Italian Lightning Detection Network SIRF, part of the European network EUCLID (European Cooperation for Lightning Detection). Preliminary analysis was dedicated to the spatial and temporal assessment of lightning through detection in the Central Mediterranean area, focusing on yearly and monthly data. Temporal and spatial features have been analyzed, measuring clustering through the application of global Moran’s I statistics and spatial local autocorrelation; a Mann–Kendall trend test was performed on monthly series aggregating the original data on a 5 × 5 km cell. A local statistically significant trend emerged from the analysis, suggesting possible linkage between surface warming and lightning activity.
FPGA Implementation of Reduced Precision Redundancy Protected Parallel Fir Filters

In Signal processing and Communication systems, Digital Filters are widely used for computational purposes. These filters must be protected from induced faults. For these systems, filters must be implemented in such a way as to achieve fault tolerance so that reliability is improved. Many techniques have been proposed that exploit filter structures and properties. As technology scales, complex systems use many filters. In those complex systems, some of the filters operate in parallel. Parallel Filters are those filters whose impulse response is same for different inputs that produce different outputs. In this paper Finite Impulse Response (FIR) filters are used. Different techniques like Triple Modular Redundancy (TMR) technique which add redundancy to the logic, Error Correction Codes (ECCs) using Hamming Code, Decimal Matrix Code (DMC), etc have been proposed. In this paper, a new method called Reduced Precision Redundancy (RPR) which is an extension of TMR technique have been proposed. This paper illustrates the RPR protection method applied for Parallel FIR filters and compares with the TMR and ECC methods in terms of implementation cost, delay, power and ease of correcting the faults. This design is simulated in Modelsim and Xilinx Isim and implemented in FPGA Virtex-5 kit. It is shown that RPR is preferred when multi-bit error occurs.
The Impact of Private Drinking Water Wells and Animal Feeding Operations on the Incidence of Acute Gastroenteritis in Maryland: A Mixed Methods Approach

Title of Dissertation: THE IMPACT OF PRIVATE DRINKING WATER WELLS AND ANIMAL FEEDING OPERATIONS ON THE INCIDENCE OF ACUTE GASTROENTERITIS IN MARYLAND: A MIXED METHODS APPROACH Rianna Teresa Frederika Murray, Doctor of Philosophy, 2019 Dissertation directed by: Dr. Sacoby M. Wilson, Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health More than 44.5 million people in the United States (approximately 14% of the population) rely on private domestic wells as their primary source of drinking water. The water quality of private wells is not regulated at the state or federal level, leaving homeowners with wells responsible for the safety of their water. Meanwhile, each year, an estimated 48 million people in the U.S. are sickened, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die of gastrointestinal (GI) illnesses caused by microorganisms that are typically transmitted through contaminated food. Given that the potential of private wells as a non-foodborne transmission pathway for these microorganisms is not well understood, my dissertation evaluated these relationships, as well as characterized the quality of private well water in Maryland. My objectives were to: 1. ) Investigate the water quality of private wells in Maryland and the effect of animal feeding operations on this water quality using fecal indicator bacteria; 2. ) Investigate associations between the prevalence of private wells and the incidence of campylobacteriosis in Maryland at the zip code level using data from the FoodNet active surveillance System; and 3. ) Investigate associations between the prevalence of private wells and the incidence of salmonellosis in Maryland at the zip code level using FoodNet data. My findings demonstrated that 43.2% of private wells tested in Maryland did not meet at least one federal health-based drinking water standard. Additionally, my data showed that the prevalence of private wells in Maryland is a risk factor for the incidence of campylobacteriosis and salmonellosis in the coastal counties of the state. The presence of broiler chicken operations in a zip code is also a risk factor for campylobacteriosis and salmonellosis in coastal counties. These findings provide evidence for the strengthening of private well water regulations and for improving education and outreach to private well owners on proper maintenance and testing for their wells. THE IMPACT OF PRIVATE DRINKING WATER WELLS AND ANIMAL FEEDING OPERATIONS ON THE INCIDENCE OF ACUTE GASTROENTERITIS IN MARYLAND: A MIXED METHODS APPROACH
Phonological patterns in BEG-raising

Prevelar raising, or the raising of /E/ before voiced velars, has been treated as a sound change that applies uniformly across relevant lexical items. Using self-reported responses from 434 participants, this paper shows that prevelar raising is more likely to occur if the velar is word-final (beg, leg) or intervocalic (negative, legacy) while raising is significantly less likely to occur when the velar is followed by a sonorant (pregnant, regulate), especially if that sonorant is a liquid (negligent, segregate). The set of words containing /Eg/ is more heterogeneous than previously reported, suggesting that there are language-internal factors that must be controlled for when studying prevelar raising.