Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Design, implementation and control of rehabilitation robots for upper and lower limbs

We present two novel rehabilitation robots for stroke patients. For lower limb stroke rehabilitation, we present a novel self-aligning exoskeleton for the knee joint. The primal novelty of the design originates from its kinematic structure that allows translational movements of the knee joint on the sagittal plane along with the knee rotation. Automatically adjusting its joint axes, the exoskeleton enables a perfect match between human joint axes and the device axes. Thanks to this feature, the knee exoskeleton is not only capable of guaranteeing ergonomy and comfort throughout the therapy, but also extends the usable range of motion for the knee joint. Moreover, this adjustability feature significantly shortens the setup time required to attach the patient to the robot, allowing more effective time be spend on exercises instead of wasting it for adjustments. We have implemented an impedance-type concept of the knee exoskeleton, experimentally characterized its closed-loop performance and demonstrated ergonomy and useability of this device through human subject experiments. To administer table top exercises during upper limb stroke rehabilitation, we present a novel Mecanum-wheeled holonomic mobile rehabilitation robot for home therapy. The device can move/rotate independently on its unlimited planar workspace to provide assistance to patients. We have implemented two different concepts of holonomic mobile platform based on different actuation and sensing principles: an admittance-type mobile robot and a mobile platform with series elastic actuation. The admittance-type robot is integrated with virtual reality simulations and can assist patients through virtual tunnels designed around nominal task trajectories. The holonomic platform with series elastic actuation eliminates the need for costly force sensors and enables implementation of closed loop force control with higher controller gains, providing robustness against imperfections in the power transmission and allowing lower cost drive components to be utilized. For contour following tasks with the holonomic platforms, we have synthesized passive velocity field controllers (PVFC) that ensure coordination and synchronization between various degrees of freedom of the patient arm, while letting patients to complete the task at their own preferred pace. PVFC not only minimizes the contour error but also ensures coupled stability of the human-in-the-loop system.
Die Vorhersehbarkeit des Verformungsmoduls / Modulus of Deformation Predictability

Der Beitrag praesentiert die Ergebnisse von Messungen der Abhaengigkeit zwischen dem kalifornischen Tragfaehigkeitswert CBR als Berechnungsgroesse und dem Verformungsmodul als Kontrollgroesse der Deformation des fertigen Fahrbahnplanums von Verkehrswegen. Die vorliegenden Ergebnisse wurden im Rahmen von Forschungsarbeiten des Zentrums fuer Verkehrsforschung (Centrum dopravniho vyzkumu - CDV, Tschechische Republik) gewonnen, und zwar sowohl bei Messungen in situ als auch im Laboratorium in der geotechnischen Versuchsgrube, die Messungen im natuerlichen Massstab ermoeglicht. Weiterhin werden die genannten Ergebnisse mit denen einer aehnlichen Untersuchung verglichen, die an der Technischen Universitaet Muenchen vorgenommen wurde. Zwar hatte diese ein anderes Ziel und verwendete eine andere Messmethode, doch gibt ein Vergleich der Ergebnisse der Arbeiten beider Forschungsstellen nichtsdestoweniger viele neue Forschungsanstoesse und ist ein weiterer Beitrag zum Erkenntnisstand der Problematik der Vorhersehbarkeit des Verformungsmoduls. ABSTRACT IN ENGLISH: The paper presents results of the relationship measurement between the California Bearing Ratio (CBR) as a design quantity and modulus of deformation as a testing quantity of the deformation characteristics of the realized pavement subgrade. The presented results have been received from the tests done in situ and on the Geotechnical Laboratory Testing Field which permits full-scale testing of soils in frame of research works in the CDV - Transport Research Centre (Czech Republic). In the same time the paper compares the mentioned results with outputs of similar research carried out at the Munich Technical University (Germany). However the German research had rather different target and methodology, the confrontation of the results of the research works done at both research institutions is inspiring and contributing to state-of-the-art of the deformation modulus predictability. (A)
Analysis and Design of Protocols for Clustering in Mobile Ad Hoc Networks

Communication in mobile ad hoc networks (MANET) without having any fixed infrastructure has drawn much attention for research. The infrastructure based cellular architecture sets up base stations to support the node mobility. Thus, mapping the concepts of base stations into MANET could meet its challenges like limited battery power, scalability, available band width etc.This leads to the design of logical clusters, where the cluster heads in every cluster play the role of base station. The cluster heads also form the virtual back bone for routing the packets in the network. In this thesis, simulation based survey has been made to study the strengths and weaknesses of existing algorithms that motivated for the design of energy efficient clustering in MANET. Neighbour Detection Protocol (NDP) has been designed to help the nodes to probe their immediate neighbours. In this protocol, every node broadcasts its own information to the network, so that it is received by a node that lies within its transmission range. The receiver senses its neighbours and updates its neighbour table from time to time. This protocol is validated through simulation by using Colour Petri Nets (CPN) prior to its implementation. Topology Adaptive Clustering Algorithm (TACA) has been proposed, that uses the node mobility and its available battery power for calculating the node weights. A node having the highest weight among its immediate neighbours declares itself as the volunteeer cluster head. As the current head consumes its battery power beyond a threshold, non-volunteer cluster heads are selected locally. The algorithm aims to utilise the battery power in a fairly distributed manner so that the total network life time is enhanced with reduced cluster maintenance overhead. During the process of clustering, some isolated heads without having any members are formed. This increases the delay in communication as the number of hops in the routing back bone is increased. A ransmissiion Range Adjustment Protocol (TRAP) has been proposed, that allows the isolated nodes to adjust their ranges to remain connected with existing cluster heads. The results show that, TRAP reduces the delay in communication by reducing the number of cluster heads in the network. Validation for the base protocol NDP and algorithm TACA are made through simulation by using the CPN tools. Each of the proposed work is evaluated separately to analyse their performances and compared with the competent results.
Sacred vs. secular mindfulness meditation: the influence of presentation priming on therapeutic effectiveness

ABSTRACT Mindfulness is a traditional, spiritual Buddhist practice that has entered the mainstream of applied psychology and become secularised. This study examined the differential influence of the presentation priming of mindfulness meditation—as either a “sacred Buddhist practice” or a “scientifically proven tool”—on its therapeutic effectiveness in a general sample of college students. ANCOVA were run using outcome pretest scores as the covariates and outcome posttest scores as the dependent variables. Results indicated a main effect of condition on depression, anxiety, stress, negative affect, positive affect, happiness, and optimism—suggesting that both mindfulness conditions were therapeutically effective compared to the control condition. Follow-up pairwise comparisons showed that the secular intervention was significantly more effective than the sacred intervention for increasing happiness—suggesting differential therapeutic effectiveness as a function of priming. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.
HELICOPTER DOWNWASH BLAST EFFECTS STUDY

Abstract : Field tests were conducted with operational helicopters at Fort Rucker, Ala. , and at the Waterways Experiment Station to determine downwash velocity profiles. In addition, tests utilizing scale-model rotor blades were made at the WES over wet and dry sands and a dry lean clay, and over a chemically stabilized soil, plastic-impregnated soils, and lightweight ground covers (membranes) to determine modelscale velocity profiles and air velocities at the ground surface required to dislodge and move particles of various types of soil, the size of soil area requiring protection for various VTOL aircraft, and the effectiveness of membranes and soil stabilization in preventing dust- cloud formation.
Assessing the spatial impacts of multi-combination vehicles on an urban motorway

Multi-combination vehicles (MCVs) in urban areas impact on productivity, safety, infrastructure, congestion and the environment. However, psychological effects of MCVs on other drivers may also influence the positioning of vehicles and congestion. A literature review revealed little information on the psychological effects of heavy vehicles on other road users. This research can be used to quantify some psychological impacts of MCVs. A testing program was undertaken on the Gateway Motorway to observe passenger car behaviour around MCVs in a lateral and longitudinal sense. Video footage was collected on a four lane divided urban motorway section which was level, straight and away from any off/on ramps. It experiences high traffic volumes with a one-way AADT of approximately 33,500. The route is currently designated for B-doubles, which is the most common MCV in urban areas. In a lateral sense, the research showed that passenger car behaviour changes around heavy vehicles (prime mover semi-trailer combination and B-doubles); however, there is no statistical difference in passenger car behaviour around semi-trailers and B-doubles. Longitudinally it was found that, even though passenger cars shy away from B-doubles more than semi-trailers, B-doubles are still more efficient in a spatial sense since they carry more freight. The outcomes of this research indicate that there is no further psychological impact on passenger cars, when travelling around B-doubles compared with semi-trailers. Where the results identified longitudinal behaviour changes, it was still concluded that B-doubles were more efficient at transporting freight when the passenger car equivalent (PCE) per tonne of freight was considered. Tracking ability testing was undertaken in a rural area to determine the lateral spatial requirements of three different MCVs. The rural testing was considered appropriate since parts of the urban network have similar characteristics to rural networks. A model was developed as a part of this project to process the data collected by Haldane (2002), but results could not be relied upon due to poor quality data.
The Importance of Project Manager’s Soft Competence on IT Project Success: An Exploratory Study in the Banking Context

The high failure rate of IT projects has continued for more than three decades. The premise of this research is that IT project success depends not only on technical skills and knowledge (such as in civil engineering) but also on the “soft” aspects such as project manager’s competence to effectively interact with various stakeholders and align the project with their expectations. This research examines the most critical IT project manager’s soft competences required for IT project success in the banking industry. The findings from multiple case studies and survey analysis will have significant implications for both research and practice in the field of IT project success, IT investment and development of IT professionals, especially in the banking sector. (Initial findings from the first case study interviews are shown in Appendix 1
The design of cove: a collaborative ocean visualization environment

Ocean observatories, exemplified by the NSF Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI), aim to transform oceanography from an expeditionary to an observation-based science. To do so, new cyberinfrastructure environments are helping scientists from disparate fields jointly conduct experiments, manage large collections of instruments, and explore extensive archives of observed and simulated data. However, such environments often focus on systems, networking, and databases and ignore the critical importance of rich 3D interactive visualization, asset management, and collaboration needed to effectively communicate across interdisciplinary science teams. This dissertation presents the design, implementation, and evaluation of an interactive ocean data exploration system designed to satisfy the unmet needs of the multidisciplinary ocean observatory community. After surveying existing literature and performing a multi-month contextual design study that included input from scientists at multiple institutions, I propose a set of guidelines for the system's user interface and design. Motivated by these guidelines and informed by close collaboration with multidisciplinary ocean scientists, I then present the Collaborative Ocean Visualization Environment (COVE), a new data exploration system that combines the ease of use of geobrowsers, such as Google Earth, with the data exploration and visualization capabilities of sophisticated science systems. To validate COVE'S design, I evaluated its capabilities in three ways. (1) User studies showed that it works efficiently for expert and novice data explorers as well as visualization producers and consumers. (2) Multiple real-world science deployments, both on land and at sea, saw it replace existing systems for observatory design, provide faster and more engaging planning and data analysis for science teams, and enhance mission preparation and navigation for the ALVIN research submarine. (3) An analysis of COVE over local, server and cloud-based resources indicated that its flexible work partitioning architecture is essential for real-world observatory data analysis and visualization tasks.
ANSI Standard Contribution 2003-325: On the Optimality of Iterative Waterfilling in DSL

The iterative waterfilling algorithm was recently presented and demonstrates the large gains that can be achieved through the use of Dynamic Spectrum Management (DSM). In this contribution we evaluate the optimality of iterative waterfilling in various scenarios by comparison with the Optimal Spectrum Management (OSM) algorithm. OSM determines the theoretically optimal transmit spectra for the modems within a network thereby allowing them to achieve the maximum possible bitrates. We show that in many scenarios, the potential benefits of DSM can be even larger than those already demonstrated by iterative waterfilling. This demonstrates the huge potential of DSM and motivates further work in the area.
Generation and Organization of Behaviors for Autonomous Robots

In this thesis, the generation and organization of behaviors for autonomous robots is studied within the framework of behavior-based robotics (BBR). Several different behavioral architectures have been considered in applications involving both bipedal and wheeled robots. In the case of bipedal robots, generalized finite-state machines (GFSMs) were used for generating a smooth gait for a (simulated) five-link bipedal model, constrained to move in the sagittal plane. In addition, robust balancing was achieved, even in the presence of perturbations. Furthermore, in simulations of a three-dimensional bipedal robot, gaits were generated using clusters of central pattern generators (CPGs) connected via a feedback network. A third architecture, namely a recurrent neural network (RNN), was used for generating several behaviors in a simulated, one-legged hopping robot. In all cases, evolutionary algorithms (EAs) were used for optimizing the behaviors. The important problem of behavioral organization has been studied using the utility function (UF) method, in which behavior selection is obtained through evolutionary optimization of utility functions that provide a common currency for the comparison of behaviors. In general, the UF method requires the use of simulations. Thus, an important part of this thesis has been the development of a general-purpose software library (UFLib) implementing the UF method. In order to study the properties of the UF method, several behavioral organization problems, mostly involving wheeled robots, have been considered. Most importantly, it was found that the UF method greatly simplifies the search for solutions to a wide variety of behavioral organization problems and requires a minimum of hand-coding. Furthermore, the results show that the use of multiple simulations (for the evaluation of a robot) significantly improves the ability of the robot to select appropriate behaviors. For the EA, it was found that the standard crossover procedure, which swaps entire utility functions between individuals, performed at least as well as several modified operators, and that the mutation rate should be set so as to generate around three parameter modifications per individual. Finally, some early results are presented concerning the use of the UF method in connection with a robot intended for transportation and delivery.
Design of a high IIP2 2.4GHz RF Front-end

This master thesis presents the design of a high IIP2 direct-conversion receiver front-end, consisting of a LNA and I- and Q-channel mixers. The front-end is implemented in a 0.18 μm technology with 1.8V supply voltage. Problems that are especially severe for direct-conversion receivers are presented; 1/f-noise, DC offset, and second-order nonlinearity, with particular attention to the latter. Methods to improve the IIP2 are presented and explored in the design of the front-end. The complete front-end has -19.7 dBm IIP3, 4 dB noise figure, and consume 7.4mA of current from a 1.8V supply. Through mixer load tuning an IIP2 of more than +48 dBm is achieved for the front-end.
Solar energy in agriculture.

General Preface (B.A. Stout). Preface to Volume 4 (B.F. Parker). 1. Techniques of Estimating Incident Solar Radiation (D.G. Colliver). 2. Photovoltaic System Design (L. Rosenblum). 3. Agricultural Applications of Photovoltaic Systems (A. Ratajczak and W.J. Kaszeta). 4. Solar-Thermal Design (B.F. Parker). 5. Solar Water Heating (D. Faiman). 6. Production Solar Greenhouses (L.D. Albright). 7. Animal Housing: Solar Application (J.A. DeShazer and G.R. Bodman). 8. Water Desalination (A.I. Kudish). 9. Solar Grain Drying (H.M. Keener). 10. Design of Solar-Heated Forage Dryers (B.F. Parker). 11. Solar Fruit Drying (E.J. Carnegie). 12. Solar-Heated Lumber Kilns (R.A. Plumptre). 13. Solar Curing of Specialty Crops (J.M. Bunn). 14. Free Convection Dryers (R. Corvalan and W. Zambrano). 15. Solar Thermal Water Pumping (R. Burton). List of Contributors. List of SI Units and Conversion Factors to SI, compiled by V.H. A.M. Oosterbaan. Subject Index
Generalized Prediction of Shock in Intensive Care Units using Deep Learning

Shock is a major killer in the ICU and machine learning based early predictions can potentially save lives. Generalization across age and geographical context is an unaddressed challenge. In this retrospective observational study, we built real-time shock prediction models generalized across age groups and continents. More than 1.5 million patient-hours of novel data from a pediatric ICU in New Delhi and 5 million patient-hours from the adult ICU MIMIC database were used to build models. We achieved model generalization through a novel fractal deep-learning approach and predicted shock up to 12 hours in advance. Our deep learning models showed a receiver operating curve (AUROC) drop from 78% (95%CI, 73-83) on MIMIC data to 66% (95%CI, 54-78) on New Delhi data, outperforming standard machine learning by nearly a 10% gap. Therefore, better representations and deep learning can partly address the generalizability-gap of ICU prediction models trained across geographies. Our data and algorithms are publicly available as a pre-configured docker environment at https://github.com/SAFE-ICU/ShoQPred.
Arsenite efflux limits microbial arsenic volatilization

Background: Arsenic (As) methylation is regarded as a potential way to volatize and thereby remove As from the environment. However, most microorganisms conducting As methylation display low As volatilization efficiency as As methylation is limited by As efflux transporters as both processes compete for arsenite [As(III)]. In the study, we deleted arsB and acr3 from Rhodopseudomonas palustris CGA009, a good model organism for studying As detoxification, and further investigated the effect of As(III) efflux transporters on As methylation. Results: Two mutants were obtained by gene deletion. Compared to the growth inhibition rate (IC50) [1.57±0.11 mmol/L As(III) and 2.67±0.04 mmol/L arsenate [As(V)] of wildtype R. palustris CGA009, the As(III) and As(V) resistance of the mutants decreased, and IC50 value of the R. palustris CGA009 ∆arsB mutant was 1.47±0.02 mmol/L As(III) and 2.12±0.03 mmol/L As(V), respectively, and that of the R. palustris CGA009 ∆acr3 mutant was 1.21±0.07 mmol/L As(III) and 1.76±0.12 mmol/L As(V), respectively. The As volatilization rate of R. palustris CGA009 ∆arsB and R. palustris CGA009 ∆acr3 was 7.36 and 10.46 times higher than that of the R. palustris CGA009 at 100.0 µmol/L As(III) when incubated for 12 h, respectively, and 7.21 and 10.30 times higher than that of the R. palustris CGA009 when incubated with 25.0 mol/L As(V), respectively. At 25.0 mol/L As(III), low doses of methylarsonate [MAs(V)] and dimethylarsonate [DMAs(V)] were detected in both the wild type and in the deletion mutant strains. In addition, the content of As(III) in the medium changed significantly with the order being R. palustris CGA009 > R. palustris CGA009 ∆arsB > R. palustris CGA009 ∆acr3, indicating that Acr3 displayed the highest As(III) efflux rate. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that As efflux transporters were shown to be a remarkable intrinsic factor limiting As volatilization efficiency, and As volatilization rate could be significantly improved by deleting genes encoding microbial As efflux transporters. Our study provided an explanation for the often low rate of microbial As methylation and an effective strategy for screening microorganisms with high As volatilization.
Direct Teaching and Playback Algorithm for Peg-in-Hole Task using Impedance Control

Industrial manipulators have been mostly used in large companies such as automakers and electronics companies. In recent years, however, demands for industrial manipulators from small and medium-sized enterprises are on the increase because of shortage of manpower and high wages. Since these companies cannot hire robot engineers for operation and programming of a robot, intuitive teaching and playback techniques of a robot manipulator should replace the robot programming which requires substantial knowledge of a robot. This paper proposes an intuitive teaching and playback algorithm used in assembly tasks. An operator can directly teach the robot by grasping the end-effector and moving it to the desired point in the teaching phase. The 6 axis force/torque sensor attached to the manipulator end-effector is used to sense the human intention in teaching the robot. After this teaching phase, a robot can track the target position or trajectory accurately in the playback phase. When the robot contacts the environment during the teaching and playback phases, impedance control is conducted to make the contact task stable. Peg-in-hole experiments are selected to validate the proposed algorithm since this task can describe the important features of various assembly tasks which require both accurate position and force control. It is shown that the proposed teaching and playback algorithm provides high positioning accuracy and stable contact tasks.