Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A PRACTICAL EVALUATION OF ROBUST CONTROLLERS DESIGNED WITH VARIANTS OF THE LQG / LTR METHOD

In this paper we investigate the design of robust fixed parameter controllers, designed using the TFL/LTR (Target Feedback Loop/Loop Transfer Recovery) technique using two controller structures that will be evaluated with sets of specifications for the robust stability and performance of a laboratory helicopter model with three degrees of freedom. This helicopter is an underactuated nonlinear system, having three degrees of freedom and two actuators. The laboratory model was produced by Quanser Consulting and simulates typical behaviors of an aircraft in a helicopter "tiltmotor" configuration with rigid body motion. It allows the evaluation of various techniques for multivariable control. The dynamics of the helicopter can be described by a 6th order model taking as state variables the angles of travel φ, ele ation ψ and pitchθ and associated rates. The first structure considered in the evaluation is, the LQG/LTR compensator, used as a reference for performance evaluation. The second structure is a variation of the LQG/LTR method, which uses the "Gain-Scaled Kalman Filter" (GSKF) to obtain desired dynamics and the "Amplified Linear Quadratic Regulator" (ALQR) for loop recovery as well as consequent determination of the compensator which guarantees the attainment of dynamics as close as possible to the desired dynamics. For both techniques, designed compensators shall solve the problem of stable tracking of reference trajectories, ensuring performance and robust stability, in spite of disturbances, noise and unmodeled dynamics, including unstructured modeling errors in high frequencies. Finally, we present experimental results obtained with the application of the two robust compensators for tracking problems of the helicopter with three degrees of freedom.
The Effect of Anti-Tobacco Warning Messages on Psychological Reactance and Smoking Behaviour

Abstract According to the theory of Psychological Reactance, anti-tobacco warning messages are perceived as a threat to individual’s freedom to choose among behavioral alternatives which may elicit resistance to desirable behavioural change. Similar to the previous studies, we have investigated the psychological effects of text-only; graphic and text together warning messages; and to take a step further we also examined anti-smoking public service announcements which are official government interventions that combine information with fear appeals. The findings show that smokers who were exposed to those public service announcements experienced significantly more reactance than the other participants.
EFFECT OF DIETARY GARLIC OR FENUGREEK ON CHOLESTROL METABOLISM IN LAYING HENS

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the potential for dietary garlic and fenugreek to influence overall performance, egg quality and egg yolk cholesterol concentrations in laying hens. Sixty, 31-wk-old, Lohmann Brown laying hens (20 hens per treatment) were fed diets supplemented with 0 (control), 2% garlic or 2% fenugreek up to 35 weeks of age (during treatment) then, all hens were fed the control diet for four weeks (post treatment). There were no differences (P> 0.05) among treatment groups in body weight, body weight gain, egg rate, egg weight, egg mass, feed intake and feed conversion ratio per kg or dozen of eggs either during or post treatment. Also, in the entire experiment little effects were observed in egg composition and egg quality traits as a response to dietary garlic or fenugreek. Dietary garlic at 2% increased yolk weight and Haugh units and decreased albumen weight percentages of the egg post treatment at 37 weeks of age (P < 0.05). Also, either dietary 2% garlic or 2% fenugreek increased (P < 0.05) yolk color at 33 weeks of age. However, serum and egg yolk cholesterol concentrations were reduced significantly during and post treatment. Furthermore, low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-cholesterol) was reduced (P < 0.01) by dietray garlic and fenugreek during and post treatment except for fenugreek group at the end of the experiment. However, high density lipoprotein (HDL-cholesterol) was increased (P < 0.001) by dietary garlic and fenugreek during and post treatment except at 39 weeks of age post treatment. It can be concluded that either dietary garlic or fenugreek at 2% level have benificial effects on cholesterol metabolism that resulted in a reduction in serum and egg yolk cholesterol, serum LDL-cholesterol concentrations and an increase of serum HDL-cholesterol in laying hens without affecting hen productivity or egg quality.
Reconfigurable Sound Wave Filter bank with Low Power 16-channel bank core with Adaptive Band for Hearing Aids

Hearing impaired people have their own hearing losscharacteristics and listening preferences. Therefore hearing aid system should become more natural, humanized and personalized, which requires the filter bank in hearing aids provides flexible sound wave so that patients are likely to use the most suitable scheme for their own hearing compensation strategy. In this paper, a reconfigurable sound wave filter bank is proposed. We describe a 16-channel critical-like spaced, highstop band attenuation ( 60 dB, 109th 16-order), micro power (247.5 W@1.1 V, 0.96 MHz), small integrated circuit (IC) area (1.62 mm2@0.35m CMOS) finite impulse response filter bank core for power-critical hearing aids. We achieve the low-power and small IC area attributes by our proposed common preComputational unit to generate a set of pre-calculated intermediate values that is shared by all 16 channels. We also take advantage of the consecutive zeros in the coefficients of the filter channels, allowing the multiplexers there in to be simplified Keywords— Filter bank, finite-impulse response (FIR) digitalfilters, hearing aids, low power, nonuniform bandwidth.
Deposition of Ceramic Nanaoparticles on In-plane Electrodes at Low Frequencies

In this paper, deposition of ceramic nanoparticles on in-plane electrodes under the influence of AC electric fields is investigated. Particles are dispersed in a non-aqueous suspension and the frequency range is between 0.01 Hz ot 10 kHz. Analysis of the particle response to the applied field is a difficult task due to the mutual effect of electricand hydrodynamic force which are present in the system. In this work, however, we show the possibility of dividing the frequency range into four domains with four distinct governing mechanisms. Possible mechanisms are suggested and dominant forces are determined for each domain. In situ optical microscopy observations as well as numerical calculations are used for three dimensional visualization of nanoparticles ́ movement dispersed in liquid medium. New applications such as micro-patterning and sorting ceramic particles are introduced for the first
Bit – Accurate Simulation of Convolution – Based Filtering on Reconfigurable Hardware

In 3D cone–beam reconstruction of modern medical scanners, the most time– consuming preprocessing step is typically represented by a 1D shift–invariant filtering of the projection data. In order to meet the processing requirements of state–of–the–art medical scanners, we have implemented the convolution–based filtering step in hardware using Field–Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) technology. A significant downside to our FPGA–based approach is that it is no longer possible to use floating–point arithmetic, as is the case for conventional CPU–based implementations. Consequently, it is necessary to realize the whole processing chain of the convolution using fixed– point numbers instead. In order to simulate the effects of fixed–point calculations on the accuracy of the final numerical results, we have developed a highly flexible and bit–accurate software prototype of the hardware design. It covers both the FFT routines as well as different scaling strategies of the involved fixed–point data types. In this paper, we will demonstrate our simulation methodology and present results for the convolution–based filtering, employing various scaling approaches and bit widths in the different computation stages. Finally, we arrive at a satisfying configuration for the FPGA–based implementation. Our simulation results reveal that the numerical results delivered by the selected implementation are sufficiently accurate in comparison to a reference code based on double–precision floating–point arithmetic. Department of Computer Science, Institute of Pattern Recognition, D–91058 Erlangen, Germany Siemens Medical Solutions, Components Division (CO), D–91052 Erlangen, Germany Department of Computer Science, Institute of Pattern Recognition, D–91058 Erlangen, Germany
GC-MS ANALYSIS OF PHYTOCHEMICAL FROM PSIDIUM GUAJAVA LINN LEAF EXTRACT AND THEIR INVITRO ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITIES

In the present study, hot water, methanol, chloroform, hexane, ethyl acetate and acetone extracts of Psidium guajava leaves were extracted. The phytochemicals such as, saponins, tannins, flavonoids, alkaloids, carbohydrate, terpenoid and phenolic compound were determined in ethyl acetate extract. All six leaf extracts were used for antibacterial activity studies. Among the tested solvent, ethyl acetate extract showed more activity against most of the tested organisms. This extract showed high inhibition zone against Entrobacter sp. (15 mm), Proteus vulgaris (19 mm), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (15 mm) and S. aureus (18 mm). The methanol extract showed considerable activity (20 mm) against E. coli than other solvent. Acetone and ethyl acetate extract showed potential activity against Candida albicans, however, all tested extracts showed very little activity against Aspergillus sp. The GC-MS analysis confirmed the presence of compounds such as, 2-Isopropoxyethylamine, Bicyclo(7.2.0)undec-4-Ene,4,11,11-Trimethyl-8-methylene-, Caryophyllene, Alpha-Farnesene, Trans-Z,alphaBisaboleneepoxid Alpha-bisabolol, β-carotene, Propanoic acid, 2-(Aminooxy)and 2,4,6-Cycloheptatrien-1one,3,5-Bis-Trimethylsilyl.
HOW DOES TRADE OPENNESS AFFECT WOMEN ’ S JOB OPPORTUNITIES AND EARNINGS IN CAMEROON ?

This study empirically assesses the relationship between increased openness to international trade (resulting from trade liberalization) and changes in employment opportunities and earnings for men and women in Cameroon. More specifically, the study aims to answer the following two questions: (a) Does increased trade openness improve women’s employment opportunities relative to those of men? and (b) What are the effects of increased trade openness on the wage gender gap? The empirical analysis uses two sources produced by Cameroon’s National Institute of Statistics: the 2005 and 2010 waves of the Employment and Informal Sector Survey, and trade statistics from the Supply and Use Tables. The methodology consists of: (a) comparing the evolution of trade indicators and women’s employment shares in different sectors of the economy, and (b) estimating wage equations for men and women, and then decomposing the wage gap in order to identify whether and how exposure to trade can account for the component not explained by observable differences in labour market characteristics. Three indicators were used to capture trade openness: import penetration, export intensity, and trade share. The results show that openness to trade did not lead to the expansion of exports in sectors where most women work, and seems not to have increased women’s job opportunities. On the other hand, trade openness narrowed the gender wage gap. The study concludes by proposing specific measures that should be implemented to help women benefit from opportunities created by trade liberalization, and to head off threats posed by trade liberalization to development and poverty alleviation. These measures should take into consideration the important role played by the informal sector in Cameroon’s economy.
Evapotranspiration and Crop Coefficient of Okra under Subsurface Drip with and without Plastic Mulch

Field experiments using lysimeters were conducted in sub-humid climatic condition to estimate water balance parameters, regional crop coefficient development and to evaluate yield response of okra crop under subsurface drip (SSD) irrigation with and without plastic mulch. In the year 2016, total crop evapotranspiration under SSD with and without plastic mulch was 403 and 512 mm respectively, whereas in 2017 it was 363 and 468 mm respectively. Average crop coefficient of okra was 0.31, 0.42, 0.68, 0.77 and 0.48 measured under SSD with plastic mulch condition, and 0.51, 0.72, 0.92, 0.93 and 0.53 without plastic mulch. High yield of okra with minimum crop evapotranspiration was observed under SSD with plastic mulch treatment due to lower irrigation water requirement, minimum evaporation and less weed transpiration under plastic film compared to nonmulch condition.
Probabilistic Optimization with Latent Search for Automatic Model Selection

We tackle the problem of automatic model selection: given a large class of models and a data set, we propose a new procedure to select the best model according to some pre-defined, possibly very expensive, model selection criterion. Although our approach is general, we focus on the class of models defined by the families of kernel combinations in Gaussian Processes (GP). We tackle this problem by making use of a new latent variable probabilistic model, a Kernel Grammar Variational Autoencoder (KG-VAE) that we use to embed the model space into some low dimensional continuous manifold. This provides a coherent Euclidean representation of the kernel combinations and a direct way of navigating the kernel space more efficiently in a Bayesian optimization (BO) fashion. The key aspect of this approach is that kernel combinations can be generated off-line by using a context-free grammar that can be used to produce the input data used to train the KG-VAE. Some experiments illustrate the utility of this approach.
Mathematical modelling and simulation of an adjustable-stiffness spring

J.M. Chacón , A. González Rodríguez , A. Donoso , A.G. González Rodríguez (d) (a) ETSII, Institute of Applied Mathematics in Science and Engineering, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Spain. (b) ETSII, Department of Applied Mechanics, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Spain. (c) ETSII, Department of Mathematics, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Spain. (d) ETSII, Department of Electronic Engineering and Automation, Universidad de Jaén, Spain.
NUMERICAL SIMULATIONS OF BLAST LOADS FROM NEAR-FIELD GROUND EXPLOSIONS IN AIR

Numerical simulations of air blast loading in the near-field acting on the ground have been performed. A simplified blast model based on empirical blast loading data representing spherical and hemispherical explosive shapes has been simulated. Conwep is an implementation of the empirical blast models presented by Kingery and Bulmash, which is also implemented in the commercial code LS-DYNA based on work done by Rahnders-Pehrson and Bannister. This makes it possible to simulate blast loads acting on structures representing spherical and hemispherical explosive shapes of TNT with reasonable computational effort as an alternative to the SPH and Eulerian model. The CPU time for the simplified blast model is however considerably shorter and may still be useful in time consuming concept studies. Reasonable numerical results using reasonable model sizes can be achieved not only for modelling near-field explosions in air but most areas of geotechnical. Calculation was compared with blast SPH and Eulerian model.
Immunopathology and Infectious Diseases The CD 40-CD 40 L Pathway Contributes to the Proinflammatory Function of Intestinal Epithelial Cells in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

In inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) are involved in the outbalanced immune responses toward luminal antigens. However, the signals responsible for this proinflammatory capacity of IECs in IBD remain unclear. The CD40/CD40L interaction activates various pathways in immune and nonimmune cells related to inflammation and was shown to be critical for the development of IBD. Here we demonstrate CD40 expression within IECs during active IBD. Endoscopically obtained biopsies taken from Crohn’s disease (n 112) and ulcerative colitis patients (n 67) consistently showed immunofluorescence staining for CD40 in IECs of inflamed ileal or colonic mucosa. In noninvolved mucosa during active disease, tissue obtained during Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis in remission and biopsies from healthy controls (n 38) IECs almost entirely lacked CD40 staining. Flow cytometry and RT-PCR analysis using different intestinal epithelial cell lines (HT29, SW480, and T84) showed IFNto effectively induce CD40 in IECs. Cells were virtually unresponsive to LPS or whole E. coli regarding CD40 expression. In addition, a moderate induction of CD40 was found in response to TNF, which exerted synergistical effects with IFN. CD40 ligation by CD40L-transfected murine fibroblasts or soluble CD40L increased the secretion of IL-8 in IFNpretreated HT29 cells. Our findings provide evidence for the epithelial expression and modulation of CD40 in IBD-affected mucosa and indicate its involvement in the proinflammatory function of IECs. (Am J Pathol 2010, 176:1816–1827; DOI: 10.2353/ajpath.2010.090461)
Management Team Internationalization and Firm Performance The Mediating Role of Foreign Market Entry

0 this paper develops a multi-dimensional construct of top management team (tMt) internationalization reflecting TMT ability to deal with challenges of managing firm foreign operations in the process of ongoing globalization. 0 Drawing upon upper echelons and firm internationalization theories, the relationships between TMT internationalization, foreign market entry and performance are empirically investigated in a sample of 165 Swiss listed companies. 0 The results confirm the validity of the multi-dimensional construct and suggest that TMT internationalization leads to subsequent foreign market entries, which in turn are positively related to firm performance.
Adaptive Session Duration for Efficient Pooling of Time and Space in Content Delivery

The availability of a wide variety of access technologies provides endusers (clients) with access to more than one communication network. In addition, service/content replication has become a trivial approach in overlay networks to provide a high availability of data and better Quality of Service (QoS). In this paper, we consider a multi-homed client seeking a replicated service/content in a Content Distributed Network (CDN), and we propose an adaptive model to improve the content distribution. This model is applied at the application level in a fully distributed way. It takes advantage of the connections “multiplicity” at both client and server sides in order to improve the content distribution. It consists of simultaneously downloading the requested content from the “best” server available through each client network interface. This is achieved in multiple sessions having adaptive durations estimated based on the passive measurement of network performance. In order to ensure the confidentiality of the content download, we enhance the model with an encryption scheme. Our measurement results show that our model is able to pool efficiently the network capacity over the space and time by improving considerably the latency.
Human factors applications of On-Train-Data-Recorders

On-train-data-recorders (OTDR) are increasingly equipped on modern trains to capture information on train operations, including speed, distance travelled, faults recorded, and GPS coordinates. Although their primary purposes are accident investigation and fault management, the OTDR also capture a range of signals that may be directly or indirectly related to driver performance, including all control actions taken by the driver. This paper explores the possible human factors applications of these data.
A randomized controlled e ff ectiveness trial of training strategies in cognitive processing therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder : Impact on patient outcomes

This randomized controlled hybrid implementation/effectiveness trial aimed to compare the impact of three different models of training and consultation by examining the PTSD treatment outcomes achieved by therapists who were learning a front-line recommended psychotherapy for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT; Resick, Monson, & Chard, 2017). Therapists (N=134) were randomized into one of three conditions after attending a standard CPT training workshop: No Consultation with delayed feedback on CPT fidelity, Standard Consultation involving discussion and conceptualization of cases without session audio review, and Consultation Including Audio Review, which included a review of segments of audiorecorded CPT sessions. Across all training conditions, the patients treated by these therapists (N=188) evidenced statistically significant reductions in PTSD symptoms, (d=−0.95 to −1.78), comorbid symptoms and functioning (d=−0.27 to −0.51). However, patients of therapists in the Standard Consultation condition (ΔPTSD= 19.64, d=−1.78) experienced significantly greater improvement than those in the No Consultation condition (ΔPTSD= 10.54, d=−0.95, ΔDEV=6.30, ΔParms= 2, p= .043). This study demonstrates that patients who receive evidence-based psychotherapy for PTSD in routine care settings can experience significant symptom improvement. Our findings also suggest that to maximize patient benefit, therapist training should include consultation, but that audio review of sessions during consultation may not be necessary, at least for structured protocols. Implications for implementation, including the reduction of burden and cost of post-workshop support, are discussed.
GRAPHENE NANOCOMPOSITES : A STUDY ON THE FAILURE BEHAVIOR AND SCALING

This work proposes an investigation on the scaling of the structural strength of polymer/graphene nanocomposites. To this end, fracture tests on geometrically scaled Single Edge Notch Bending (SENB) specimens with varying contents of graphene were conducted to study the effects of nanomodification on the scaling. It is shown that, while the strength of the pristine polymer scales according to Linear Elastic Fracture Mechanics (LEFM), this is not the case for nanocomposites, even for very low graphene contents. In fact, small specimens exhibited a more pronounced ductility with limited scaling and a significant deviation from LEFM whereas larger specimens behaved in a more brittle way, with scaling of nominal strength closer to the one predicted by LEFM. A study on a large bulk of literature data confirmed that this is not a salient feature of polymer/graphene nanocomposites only but also of several other nanocomposites. It is shown that most of the specimen sizes investigated in the literature belong to the transitional region between ductile and brittle behavior where LEFM cannot characterize the fracturing behavior.
Biogeographical Origins of Hawaiian Diplopterygium pinnatum by Long Distance Wind Dispersal

111 This study was designed to investigate a possible biogeographical origin and mechanism of dispersal of the Hawaiian fern Diplopterygium pinnatum. Molecular phylogenetic analyses were conducted on trnL-F and rbcL, cpDNA regions, for seven species of the genus Diplopterygium and three outgroups. Maximum parsimony and maximum likelihood analyses were used for phylogenetic reconstruction. Three hypotheses were tested: that the ancestor of D. pinnatum originated from 1) an IndoPacific source and traveled to Hawaii via the jet stream, 2) an American source and traveled to Hawaii via the trade winds, or 3) an Austral source and traveled to Hawaii by a combination of an intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) shift, Hadley cell air movement, and the trade winds. The two methods of reconstruction, maximum parsimony and maximum likelihood, produced similar trees with similar support. The second hypothesis was rejected and the first and third hypotheses cannot be distinguished.