Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Using Augmented Reality and Tangible User Interfaces in a primary school learning situation

The use of ICT in the Norwegian education system is encouraged, and is believed to have positive effects on the pupils learning outcome. However the use is often limited to writing and reading, and the potential of ICT systems in education is not taken advantage. This thesis looks at implementing an alternative interaction paradigm to the widely used mouse and keyboard approach. Augmented reality is used for providing a tangible user interface for the pupils. The justification for the positive aspects of introducing this tangible approach is grounded in developmental and educational theory, as well as previous work using tangible user interfaces and augmented reality in an educational context. Collaborative aspects, and how AR can encourage it, has been one of the main focuses throughout the thesis. Contact was made with a primary school, more specific a 6th grade class. An AR application was developed, based on theoretical background. An early test using a simple AR application was conducted, however the further developed and more advanced application was not user tested due development taking more time than estimated. Based on reviewed related work and the results from the initial user test, there are indications that AR can offer positive aspects in an educational context.
Process for fabricating dense, chips-first MCMs with thinned die

There is a continual push in the microelectronic industry for denser packaging both in footprint area and total volume. We present a robust process for fabricating chips first multi-chip modules (MCMs). The process incorporates the use of die that are thinned to six mils and subsequently placed to within 130 μm (0.005) of each other. The placement accuracy is +/-13 μm (0.0005) and can be maintained through curing. This allows us to use fixed drill files and masks with 75 μm (0.003) capture pads. The six mil die are surrounded with a polyimide windowpane to create a planar surface on which to construct the interconnect. A polyimide dielectric layer is then laminated on top of the die, blind vias are laser drilled to the die, and a Ti/Cu/Ti interconnect structure is then built over the die. Subsequent layers are then built up, with the interconnect residing above the die. When modules are diced out, the overall area is only slightly larger than the combined area of the die. Total module thickness for a four level module is typically 560 μm (0.022). We also will present thermal shock data for our interconnect structure.
Specific trans-synaptic interaction with inhibitory interneuronal Specific trans-synaptic interaction with inhibitory interneuronal neurexin underlies differential ability of neuroligins to induce neurexin underlies differential ability of neuroligins to induce functional inhibitory synapses functio

Synaptic transmission depends on the matching and alignment of presynaptically released transmitters and postsynaptic neurotransmitter receptors. Neuroligin (NL) and Neurexin (Nrxn) proteins are trans- synaptic adhesion molecules that are important in validation and maturation of specific synapses. NL isoforms NL1 and NL2 have specific functional roles in excitatory and inhibitory synapses, respectively,butthemolecularbasisbehindthisdistinctionisstillunclear.WeshowherethattheextracellulardomainofNL2confersitsuniqueabilitytoenhanceinhibitorysynapticfunctionwhenoverexpressedinrathippocampalpyramidalneurons,whereasNL1nor-mallyonlypromotesexcitatorysynapses.ThisspecificityisconferredbypresynapticNrxnisoforms,asNL1canalsoinducefunctionalinhibitorysynapseconnectionswhenthepresynapticinterneuronsectopicallyexpressanNrxnisoformthatbindstoNL1.Ourresultsindicatethat trans- synaptic interaction with differentially expressed presynaptic Nrxns underlies the distinct functions of NL1 and NL2, and is sufficient to induce functional inhibitory synapse formation.
Managing Florida's Fracture Critical Bridges - Phases I & II

Based on the definition given in the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials Load and Resistance Factor Design (AASHTO LRFD) Bridge Design Specifications, twin steel box-girder bridges are classified as bridges with fracture critical members (FCMs), in which a failure of a tension member is expected to lead to a collapse of the bridge. However, a number of such bridges with either a partial or full-depth crack in one girder have been reported and are still providing service without collapsing. The main objective of this research project is to understand the behavior of twin steel box-girder bridges and to develop methods for evaluating their redundancy level in the event of the fracture of one tension member. The research project included an experimental investigation on a small-scale steel twin box-girder bridge, field testing of a full-scale twin box-girder, analysis of existing research and design data, and an extensive amount of numerical analyses carried out on calibrated 3-D nonlinear finite element models. The results from this study provide in-depth understanding of twin steel box-girder bridge behavior before and after a fracture in the tension member occurs. In addition to the experimentally verified finite element method, the report also proposes a simplified method for evaluating the performance of twin steel box-girder bridges and provides a list of important factors that could control the reserve capacity of the damaged bridge. A result of this project is the development of a comprehensive roadmap for assessing the redundancy of twin steel box-girder bridges in which the elements of the roadmap are identified, and solutions for several of the steps are provided. The development of solutions for remaining steps of the roadmap is proposed for a future research.
Embedded NVM technology at BEOL for 14nm FinFET and beyond

As the FinFET technology is state-of-art CMOS platform at 14nm node and beyond, the embedded non-volatile memory (NVM) technologies need to be fully compatible at front-of-line (FEOL) or back-of-line (BEOL), e.g. Phase-Change-RAM (PCRAM), Resistive-RAM (RRAM), Magnetic-RAM (MRAM), and Nanotube-RAM (NRAM). Each NVM technology at BEOL has its own challenges in program power/energy/speed, thermal stability, read/write stability, endurance, scalability, read/write margins, and degradation by Oxidation, thus, a combination of the NVM technologies at BEOL may offer new applications with capability of stacking-up into 3D array. The CNT-based logic and spin-based logic circuits can be integrated in BEOL and lead to powerful 3D-monolithic integration for new applications with high performance and low power.
Microwave module design with HeraLock HL2000 LTCC

The free-sintered LTCC manufacturing process is a cost-effective approach for building complex electronic modules, especially when good RF performance is needed. The x-y shrinkage and the shrinkage variation that occurs during the firing of standard LTCC is a limitation of this technology for large format manufacturing processes and can cause problems with precision microwave structures. Although several techniques for controlling the x-y shrinkage with constrained sintering have been developed, these additional processes tend to complicate the manufacturing process. HeraLock 2000 LTCC tape (patent pending) is formulated to yield the benefits of constrained sintering techniques with a free-sintered process. While standard LTCC has x-y shrinkage similar to the shrinkage in the z-axis, free-sintered HeraLock 2000 densifies primarily in the z-axis, leaving near-zero shrinkage in the x and y directions. The HeraLock 2000 tape is lead-free and cadmium-free with fired properties appropriate for microwave devices requiring low-loss at frequencies up to at least 6 GHz as well as automotive and general-purpose packaging applications. The effect ofvarious firing profile variations on the shrinkage of HL2000 is discussed. Mobile residual glass affects LTCC tapes to varying degrees; these effects will be discussed in the context of conductor and post-fired resistor performance. An overview of microwave material testing with the HL2000 material set will also be shown. The benefits of the HeraLock 2000 material system for existing applications as well as for entirely new module designs will be described. The self-constrained tape has unique advantages for building cavity structures and integrating passive components. New fiber optic packaging structures are also enabled.
Research on slow-scale bifurcation phenomenon of PFC cascade converter

This study reports a new slow-scale bifurcation phenomenon in linear frequency of power factor correction (PFC) cascade converters, which will offer a useful design reference for PFC power application. Compared with the resistive loads analysed before, the stability of PFC cascade converters is studied, which are more complex but practical. This study has introduced the research method that the secondary efficient point-of-load converter can be equivalent to a constant power load. Based on this method, the small-signal model of the whole system is constructed and the characteristic equations are thus derived. Subsequently, the stable boundary is determined when the coefficients of the characteristic equations are positive according to Routh–Hurwitz stability criterion. Furthermore, the time-domain waveforms and phase portraits between the output voltage and the inductor current are given according to numerical simulation and experimental results at different points. Meanwhile, the total harmonic distortion and the fast Fourier transform diagrams are compared to reveal the influence of the bifurcation phenomenon on power quality of the system. The results provide useful information of parameter space for the design and operation of the converter in the desired fundamental stable regime.
Decentralised nonlinear H∞ control for stability enhancement in power systems

A method for designing the decentralised H∞ excitation control of a generator in power systems is presented. The proposed controller is utilised to damp inter-area oscillations and enhance power system stability. The decentralised controller design procedure for nonlinear systems is presented using the Hamilton-Jacobi inequality approach. The control is local or decentralised, in the sense that the controller depends only on the information available locally. The effectiveness of the proposed decentralised H∞ controller is demonstrated through digital simulation studies on a two-machine power system. The digital simulation studies are conducted using the PSCAD/EMTDC software package. The simulation results show that the controller contributes significantly to the damping of inter-area oscillations and the enhancement of power system stability under a wide range of operating conditions.
Analysis and design of an optimized asymmetrical half-bridge DC-DC converter

In this paper, the analysis and design of an optimized asymmetrical half-bridge DC-DC converter (AHBC) is presented. The optimal turns ratios for the transformer are achieved for the limited duty ratio range. In order to ensure the realization of ZVS in operation, the required interlock delay time for the switches gate signals and the transformer leakage inductance are properly calculated. The design considerations are discussed, the results from simulation and experiment, which verify the analysis, are also presented. With the analysis, the actual operation of the optimized AHBC converter can be predicted in practical applications.
Spatial Economics Model Predicting Transport Volume

Abstract It is extremely important to predict the logistics requirements in a scientific and rational way. However, in recent years, the improvement effect on the prediction method is not very significant and the traditional statistical prediction method has the defects of low precision and poor interpretation of the prediction model, which cannot only guarantee the generalization ability of the prediction model theoretically, but also cannot explain the models effectively. Therefore, in combination with the theories of the spatial economics, industrial economics, and neo-classical economics, taking city of Zhuanghe as the research object, the study identifies the leading industry that can produce a large number of cargoes, and further predicts the static logistics generation of the Zhuanghe and hinterlands. By integrating various factors that can affect the regional logistics requirements, this study established a logistics requirements potential model from the aspect of spatial economic principles, and expanded the way of logistics requirements prediction from the single statistical principles to an new area of special and regional economics.
Hip joint contact forces calculated using different muscle optimization techniques

The goal of this study was to calculate muscle forces using different optimization techniques and investigate their effect on hip joint contact forces in gait and sit to stand. These contact forces were compared to measured hip contact forces [3]. The results showed that contact forces were overestimated, especially when muscle forces were calculated using computed muscle control. For static optimization, results were closest to measured contact forces. Also, differences between measured and calculated contact forces were dependent on the movement analyzed.
The virtual element method for Discrete Fracture Network flow and transport simulations

We discuss several issues concerning the application of the Virtual Element Method (VEM) to the flow in fractured media modeled by the Discrete Fracture Network (DFN) model. Due to the stochastic nature of the computational domains, several geometrical complexities make the computations very challenging. The geometrical flexibility provided by the Virtual Element Method can be exploited to mutually couple local problems, either by resorting to a Mortar approach, or by allowing for the global conformity of the local meshes, while keeping the computational cost under control. We describe these two approaches in detail and we test them on a realistic test case, showing the viability of the two approaches.
Shielding and Mutual Coupling Efiect of Ground Penetrating Radar Antenna

This paper discusses the shielding and mutual coupling efiect of ground penetrat- ing radar (GPR) antenna for buried object detection. In this study, bi-static radar system is considered. The antenna used in this system is designed at wide operational frequency, 0.5GHz to 3.0GHz. To observe the shielding efiect and mutual coupling between antennas, two antennas with the same operating frequency are placed in an individual shielded box. The study is accom- plished using Computer Simulation Technology (CST) software. The antenna is designed using substrate Taconic TLY-5 with dielectric constant of 2.2 and thickness of 1.57mm. The study and discussion includes the simulated results of radiation pattern, re∞ection coe-cient and gain.
Airline and railway disintegration in China: the case of Shanghai Hongqiao Integrated Transport Hub

Abstract In China, the need to integrate the air and rail networks has been identified and dozens of transport hubs that include air and HSR links have been built or are planned. In this research, which is complementary to Chen and Lin, the level and potential for air–rail integration at Shanghai Hongqiao Integrated Transport Hub is examined and analyzed. The results show that despite the excellent infrastructure the actual level of integration is low, while the potential benefits from such integration could be very large. It seems that in China the main barrier for air–rail integration is institutional and stems from the institutional (and cultural) division between air and rail transport and from the importance placed on promoting competition almost at any cost – both of these barriers can be said to be ‘imported’ to China from (especially) the U.S. and Europe. But with the infrastructure for air–rail integration in place, the potential to realize such an integration is far greater. A move away from the uni-modal governance and planning of transport can open the door not only to air–rail integration but to the creation of a truly integrated transport system in China.
The evolution of a localized disturbance in a laminar boundary layer. Part 2. Strong disturbances

Navier–Stokes calculations were performed to simulate the evolution of a moderate-amplitude localized disturbance in a laminar flat-plate boundary layer. It was found that, in accordance with previous results for linear and weakly nonlinear disturbances, the evolving disturbance consists of two parts: an advective, or transient portion which travels at approximately the local mean velocity, and a dispersive wave portion which grows or decays according to Tollmien–Schlichting instability theory. The advective portion grows much more rapidly than the wave portion, initially linearly in time and, in contrast to the weak-disturbance case, gives rise to two distinct nonlinear effects. The first is a streamwise growth of the disturbed region producing a low-speed streak, bounded in the vertical and spanwise directions by intense shear layers. The second nonlinear effect is the onset of a secondary instability on the vertical shear layer formed as a result of spanwise stretching of the mean vorticity and giving rise to oscillations in the v- and w-components with a substantially smaller spatial scale than that of the initial disturbance. The effect of initial spanwise scale is assessed by calculating the disturbance for three different cases in which the spanwise scale and the initial disturbance amplitude were varied. It was found that the resulting perturbation depends primarily on the initial distribution of v in each plane z = const. , but is approximately independent of the spanwise scale.
Surface heat transfer coefficient measurement by immersed temperature sensor and inverse modelling

Abstract A transient surface heating or cooling process of a solid is considered. A procedure for the determination of surface temperature and surface heat flux density during such a process is presented using a submersed temperature sensor in the solid. From this measured temperature the surface temperature and surface heat flux density are calculated by inverse process modelling. This method is prone to errors since measurement errors are amplified in the inverse process modelling and can thus easily become unacceptably large. The LSQR regularisation algorithm is optimised for fast performance as well as less memory requirement and applied to the inverse problem solution. The proposed method allows to simulate an experimental setup and to determine the accuracy of the results gained from the simulated experiment. This is essential for the determination of the accuracy of a planned or existing test facility. The influence of process parameters like sensor depth, sensor noise level, sampling rate, heat flux density amplitude and cooling/heating process duration is investigated. In most cases it is very important to carefully adjust the process parameters in order to obtain reliable and accurate results. Additionally the proper selection of the regularisation parameter required for the inverse problem solution is analysed.
A Novel Sandwich ELASA Based on Aptamer for Detection of Largemouth Bass Virus (LMBV)

Largemouth bass virus (LMBV) is a major viral pathogen in largemouth bass culture, usually causing high mortality and heavy economic losses. Accurate and early detection of LMBV is crucial for diagnosis and control of the diseases caused by LMBV. Previously, we selected the specific aptamers, LA38 and LA13, targeting LMBV by systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX). In this study, we further generated truncated LA38 and LA13 (named as LA38s and LA13s) with high specificity and affinities and developed an aptamer-based sandwich enzyme-linked apta-sorbent assay (ELASA) for LMBV diagnosis. The sandwich ELASA showed high specificity and sensitivity for the LMBV detection, without cross reaction with other viruses. The detection limit of the ELASA was as low as 1.25 × 102 LMBV-infected cells, and the incubation time of the lysate and biotin labeled aptamer was as short as 10 min. The ELASA could still detect LMBV infection in spleen lysates at dilutions of 1/25, with good consistency of qRT-PCR. For the fish samples collected from the field, the sensitivity of ELASA was 13.3% less than PCR, but the ELASA was much more convenient and less time consuming. The procedure of ELASA mainly requires washing and incubation, with completion in approximately 4 h. The sandwich ELASA offers a useful tool to rapidly detect LMBV rapidly, contributing to control and prevention of LMBV infection.
At Home and on the Brink: U.S. Parents’ Mental Health during COVID-19

Though the COVID-19 pandemic required significant changes and adaptations for most Americans, parents faced acute challenges as they had to navigate rapidly changing schooling and child care policies requiring their children to spend more time at home. This study examines the effects of COVID-19 school and workplace policies as well as environmental and economic characteristics on parental mental health, worry, hopelessness, and anxiety. Using data from four waves of the Socio-Economic Impacts of COVID-19 Survey and regression analysis, we explore associations between parents’ mental health, worry, hopelessness, and anxiety and school learning environment, child grade and learning disability, employment characteristics, and sociodemographic factors. We find that having a child attend a private school or school with above average instructional quality was associated with better mental health of parents. Hybrid schooling options offering both in-person and online learning was associated with poor parental mental health, as was working from home. Being female or experiencing job or income loss were associated with worse mental health while having older children, a bachelor’s degree, or high income were associated with better mental health. Results can help inform school and workplace family supports as well as opportunities to reduce mental health strains at home from various policy options.
Capital Assets and Rural Resilience: An Analysis of Texas Communities Impacted by Hurricane Harvey

Past studies have consistently shown that rural communities are less resilient to disasters than their urban counterparts. However, the specific factors associated with low resilience have not been sufficiently explored. This study seeks to advance our understanding of rural resilience by evaluating disaster recovery from a capitals perspective, focusing on the individual and collective resources that support adaptation to disturbance. Using data from 108 resident interviews in four Texas municipalities affected by Hurricane Harvey, rural and urban capital asset losses and gains are analyzed using a mixed-methods approach. The findings indicate that rural communities have greater physical capital losses, of housing in particular, while urban communities have greater institutional capital losses. Social capital gains were prevalent in all cases but highest in the rural communities. These findings have implications for targeting capacity-building efforts in rural communities to more effectively support disaster recovery and resilience.