Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Two-Stage Optimization of a Reconfigurable Asymmetric 6-DOF Haptic Robot for Task-Specific Workspace*

Parallel mechanisms (PMs) are commonly used for developing haptic devices due to low inertia, high rigidity and precision. However, limited workspace impedes their application for task-oriented robotic therapy which generally requires large motion ranges. To solve this problem, first, a PM- based reconfigurable asymmetric 6-DOF haptic interface was presented, and then a two-stage optimization method was proposed to make the robot implement two kinds of task-specific workspaces including gross motor tasks (GMTs) and fine motor tasks (FMTs). Optimization of this robot was conducted to pursue a compact size and high accuracy. The global conditioning index (GCI) and the occupied area of the robot were selected as the evaluation indices, where the GCI was derived using a dimensionally homogeneous Jacobian matrix. A multi-objective optimization method based on the genetic algorithm (GA) was utilized. The actual design parameters were finally defined from solutions of the Pareto front. The proposed two-stage optimization method provides a feasible solution for determining task-specific robotic workspace of the reconfigurable mechanism.
Using Artificial Neural Networks to Support the Decision-Making Process of Buying Call Options Considering Risk Appetite

During the COVID-19 pandemic, uncertainty has increased in many areas of both business supply and demand, notably oil demand and pricing have become even more unpredictable than before. Thus, for companies that buy large quantities of oil, effective oil price risk management is crucial for business success. Nevertheless, businesses’ risk appetite, specifically willingness to accept more risk to achieve desired business benefits, varies significantly. The aim of this paper is to deepen the analysis of the effectiveness of employing artificial neural networks (ANNs) in hedging against oil price changes by searching for buy signals for European WTI (West Texas Intermediate) crude oil call options, while taking into account the level of risk appetite. The number of generated buy signals decreases with increasing risk appetite, and thus the amount of capital necessary to buy options decreases. However, the results show that fewer buy signals do not necessarily translate into lower returns generated by networks in a given class. Thus, higher levels of return on the purchase of call options may be obtained. The conducted analyses clearly proved that ANNs can be a useful tool in the process of managing WTI crude oil price change risk. Using the analyzed network parameters, up to 29.9% of the theoretical maximum possible profit from buying options every day was obtained in the test set. Furthermore, all proposed networks generated some profit for the test set. The values of all indicators used in the analyses confirm that the ANNs can be effective regardless of the level of risk appetite, so in this respect they may be described as a universal decision support tool.
Real Business Cycle Theory-A Systematic Review

In the past few decades, real business cycle theory has developed rapidly after the initiation of Kydland and Prescott in 1982. It has grown substantially as an independent literature and served as a widely recognized framework for studies of the economy at business cycle frequencies. It has enjoyed great success for its ability to replicate most of the observed characteristics of U.S. aggregate economic activity after WWII. Over the years, different extensions to and modifications of the real business cycle model have been proposed by many researchers. In the mean time, various criticisms and challenges have been exposed to the theory from different perspectives. Recently, new developments have been undergoing a constructive process and emerging questions are being considered to improve the empirical performance of the theory. To celebrate the theory, several works have been devoted to a comprehensive survey of the literature, represented by King and Rebelo (1999). Efforts have been also made to discuss open questions in the literature in an attempt to suggest future studies, such as Rebelo (2005). However, a systematic review of the real business cycle theory involving different perspectives to compact the literature into a narrative representation seems currently unavailable. This paper tries to fill the gap.
Photographic study of discharge development and high-current arc modes in vacuum

Photographic studies of discharge development and arc modes were done for high-current arcs between cup (contrate) contacts at a fixed contact gap (10 mm). The peak value of the applied AC arc current half-wave ranged from a few kA to 24 kA. Photographs of the arc were taken with a high-speed framing camera at 10000 frames/s. Three main arc modes are distinguished: diffuse; diffuse with local discharge concentrations near the electrode, and constricted with a stationary anode spot. The authors showed a tendency of the anode spot to locate inside the cup. This effect is typical for various sorts of contacts with cup. The authors stressed the harmful influence of the constricted arc with a stationary anode spot in the bottom of the cup on current interrupting and magnetic fields generation by the contrate contact.
Kidney transplantation past and present.

The first human-to-human kidney transplant was performed in 1933 in Ukraine, but it was not until 1954 that the first successful kidney transplant was carried out. The operation was performed in Boston, led by Joseph Murray (1919–2012) (1). It was just two years later that Professor Leif Efskind (1904–87) at Rikshospitalet carried out Norway's first kidney transplant (2). In the period 1960–62, four more patients received a kidney transplant at Rikshospitalet, but they all died after 14–40 days due to sepsis or organ rejection. The first successful kidney transplant in Norway was performed at Ullevål Hospital in 1963 (2).
The determination of the boundaries between continuous and discontinuous conduction modes in PWM DC-to-DC converters used as power factor preregulators

The determination of the boundaries between both modes of conduction (continuous and discontinuous) in PWM DC-to-DC switching converters used as power factor preregulators is studied. When a DC-to-DC switching converter works as a power factor preregulator, its operation point is constantly changing because both the DC voltage conversion ratio and the load 'seen' by the converter are constantly changing in each half-sinusoid of the line voltage (input voltage of the converter). Under these conditions, the conduction mode cannot be directly determined. The boundaries between both conduction modes in each angle of the half-sinusoidal input voltage are determined. The conditions for always operating in continuous or in discontinuous conduction modes are determined as well. The results have been verified in several prototypes and simulations. <<ETX>>
Functional Ex Vivo Testing of Alveolar Monocytes in Patients with Pneumonia-Related ARDS

Biomarkers of disease severity might help with individualizing the management of patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). During sepsis, a sustained decreased expression of the antigen-presenting molecule human leucocyte antigen-DR (HLA-DR) on circulating monocytes is used as a surrogate marker of immune failure. This study aimed at assessing whether HLA-DR expression on alveolar monocytes in the setting of a severe lung infection is associated with their functional alterations. BAL fluid and blood from immunocompetent patients with pneumonia-related ARDS admitted between 2016 and 2018 were isolated in a prospective monocentric study. Alveolar and blood monocytes were immunophenotyped using flow cytometry. Functional tests were performed on alveolar and blood monocytes after in vitro lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation. Phagocytosis activity and intracellular tumor necrosis factor (TNF) production were quantified using fluorochrome-conjugated-specific antibodies. Ten ARDS and seven non-ARDS control patients were included. Patients with pneumonia-related ARDS exhibited significantly lower HLA-DR expression both on circulating (p < 0.0001) and alveolar (p = 0.0002) monocytes. There was no statistically significant difference observed between patient groups (ARDS vs. non-ARDS) regarding both alveolar and blood monocytes phagocytosis activity. After LPS stimulation, alveolar (p = 0.027) and blood (p = 0.005) monocytes from pneumonia-related ARDS patients had a significantly lower intracellular TNF expression than non-ARDS patients. Monocytes from pneumonia-related ARDS patients have a deactivated status and an impaired TNF production capacity but display potent phagocytic activity. HLA-DR level expression should not be used as a surrogate marker of the phagocytic activity or the TNF production capacity of alveolar monocytes.
Frailty among Older Adults and Its Distribution in England

Information on the spatial distribution of the frail population is crucial to inform service planning in health and social care. To estimate small-area frailty prevalence among older adults using survey data. To assess whether prevalence differs between urban, rural, coastal and inland areas of England. Using data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA), ordinal logistic regression was used to predict the probability of frailty, according to age, sex and area deprivation. Probabilities were applied to demographic and economic information in 2020 population projections to estimate the district-level prevalence of frailty. The prevalence of frailty in adults aged 50+ (2020) in England was estimated to be 8.1 [95% CI 7.3–8.8]%. We found substantial geographic variation, with the prevalence of frailty varying by a factor of 4.0 [3.5–4.4] between the most and least frail areas. A higher prevalence of frailty was found for urban than rural areas, and coastal than inland areas. There are widespread geographic inequalities in healthy ageing in England, with older people in urban and coastal areas disproportionately frail relative to those in rural and inland areas. Interventions aimed at reducing inequalities in healthy ageing should be targeted at urban and coastal areas, where the greatest benefit may be achieved.
A REVIEW PAPER ON TELEHEALTH MONITORING SYSTEM

The expeditious growth of trade and industries nowadays gives rise to frenetic life style which in consequence induces pessimistic sentiments. The hectic life style in conjunction with these negative emotions ensue anxiety, hypertension and increased probability of coronary diseases. Telehealth monitoring system is developed using sensor node deployed in the vicinity of human body to take the physiological parameter of the body and use of information and technology to transmit it to a distant medical center. This paper presents the overview of the existing methods implemented in Telehealth care system. It also presents the estimation of signal strength with varying distance of heart beat monitoring system based on ZigBee transmission, which is done by using Hanback ZigBex module.
An Active Foot-Ankle Prosthesis With Biomechanical Energy Regeneration

A unique, robust, robotic transtibial prosthesis with regenerative kinetics was successfully built and a 6-month human subject trial was conducted on one male below-the-knee amputee under linear walking conditions. This paper presents the quasistatic system modeling, DC motor and transmission modeling and analyses, design methodology, and model verification. It also outlines an approach to the design and development of a robotic transtibial prosthesis. The test data will show that the true power and energy requirement predicted in the modeling and analyses is in good agreement with the measured data, verifying that the approach satisfactorily captures the physical system. The modeling and analyses in this paper describes a process to determine an optimal combination of motors, springs, gearboxes, and rotary to linear transmissions to significantly minimize the power and energy consumption. This kinetic minimization allows the downsizing of the actuation system and the battery required for daily use to a self-portable level.
Citation entity recognition method using multi‐feature semantic fusion based on deep learning

The effective entity recognition method can quickly and accurately identify the citation entity to facilitate citation comparison, thereby reducing the occurrence of academic fraud and other behaviors. But there is no very effective way to solve this problem till now. In recent years, neural network models for named entity recognition (NER) have shown better performances on general domain datasets. After the multi‐feature citation dataset is created, the article proposes contextual multi‐feature embedding (CMFE) method for word embedding which use multi‐feature to enhance semantic and use CNN to get multi‐level feature. Based on CMFE, a multi‐feature semantic fusion model (MFSFM) is proposed. It designs the multi‐convolution kernel mixed residual CNN module to obtain local attention information and enhance the sensitivity of the entity boundary information. The BiLSTM and LSTM is used for timing learning. The experimental results of Chinese citation datasets and Chinese–English mixed citation datasets show that CMFE can better represent semantics, and MFSFM can perform citation entity recognition well. Finally, the experimental results of CONLL2003 dataset show that it is general on NER.
A study on antenna gain degradation due to digital phase shifter in phased array antennas

We studied antenna gain degradation of phased array antennas due to phase quantization by digital phase shifters, where the amplitude weighting for element excitation and the losses in the phase shifters were taken into account. By adding a phase offset to the ideal analog phase shifts before they are quantized, the degradation can be varied as a result of the change in the phase errors due to quantization. It was shown that the amplitude weighting and losses greatly affected the peak‐to‐peak variation of the degradation and they must be taken into account to obtain the optimum phase offset that gives the least degradation in actual phased array antennas using digital phase shifters. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett, 2011; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.26145
Direct observation of particle kinematics in biaxial shearing test

Biaxial shearing tests on dual-sized, 2d particle assemblies are conducted at several confining pressures. The effect of particle angularity, an important mesoscale shape descriptor, is investigated at the macro and micro levels. Macroscopically, it is observed that assemblies composed of angular particles exhibit higher strengths and dilations. The difference observed in bulk behavior due to particle angularity can be explained reasonably by considering particle-level mechanisms. A novel 2D image analysis technique is employed to estimate particle kinematics. Particle rotation results to be a key mechanism strongly influenced by particle shape determining the overall granular behavior. Unlike circular particles, angular ones are more resistant to rotations due to stronger interlocking and consequently exhibit higher strengths.
Fullwave analysis of three and four-port rectangular waveguide junctions

An efficient and accurate technique for the analysis of three- and four-port rectangular waveguide junctions is presented. The technique is based on a generalization of the admittance matrix concept of circuit theory and yields a multimodal description of junctions by means of their generalized admittance matrix. The elements of this matrix are analytically obtained. The multimodal description of three- and four-port junctions allows us to link them with other junctions and/or discontinuities by considering the interactions of the fundamental and higher order modes, thus achieving a fullwave characterization of composite structures. The technique is verified by comparing its results with available measurements of E- and H-plane T-junctions. The E-/H-plane three-port junction which is seldom used, is also analyzed. Finally, the four-port structure magic-T is considered and an analysis of the relative convergence problem for this structure is presented. >
Shielding effectiveness of a rectangular enclosure with a rectangular aperture

An analysis is presented of the shielding effectiveness (SE) of a rectangular enclosure with an aperture in one face. The enclosure is treated as a length of rectangular waveguide and the aperture as a length of coplanar strip transmission line. Theoretical values of SE agree with measurements for a range of enclosures, apertures and frequencies. The variation of SE with position in the enclosure is also correctly predicted.
Design and implementation of a novel sliding mode sensing architecture for capacitive MEMS accelerometers

We propose novel feedback control and sensing schemes based on sliding mode control (SMC) for closed-loop micro-accelerometers as alternative digital control architectures to sigma–delta (ΣΔ) approaches. The under-damped micro-device has been designed in Coventorware, fabricated in SOIMUMPs (25 µm thick structural layer) technology and experimentally characterized using a Polytec MSA-500 (micro-system analyzer) equipment. To verify the system architecture robustness, the application of SMC is extended to an over-damped accelerometer model. In either case, the SMC demonstrates the repositioning of the proof mass to null position; however, the over-damped model exhibits shorter transition time (15 ms for 1g acceleration) due to the increased damping. In addition to that, we extend the usage of SMC beyond the classical actuation problem to a novel sensing problem where we demonstrate the extraction of the external acceleration measurement from the switching behavior along the sliding surface. An optimized fixed-point implementation is targeted on a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) using rapid prototyping methodology, where the new proposed method has been compared for reference with a control scheme that employs a ΣΔ modulator. The SMC-based architecture is advantageous in terms of hardware complexity, and the control of the number of degrees of freedom required by an inertial measurement unit can be accommodated on a low-cost FPGA device. SMC offers a sound theoretical framework for the nonlinear control of inertial sensors.
Map-Aided Train Navigation with IMU Measurements

Autonomous train navigation using only a low-cost MEMS IMU and a track map is considered in this paper. The approach is designed for urban rail or subway environments where GNSS measurements are unreliable or unavailable, and is intended as a baseline against which more complex sensor fusion approaches can be compared to ensure the consistency of the estimates. The estimator exploits the track motion constraint and information about position and velocity derived from centripetal acceleration and angular velocity measurements to improve the dead-reckoning solution and keep error and uncertainty bounded. In experimental validation over a 6 km run of a subway train during commuter service, the proposed approach had a maximum error of 6.0 m, validating the approach as an independent estimator.
The Moderator Role of Gender and Socioeconomic Status in the Relationship Between Metacognitive Skills and Reading Scores

The aim of this study was to examine the moderator role of gender and socioeconomic status (SES) factors in the relationship between students' metacognitive skills and reading performance. The sample of the study was 6890 students in the age group of 15 years-old who participated in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) in 2018 from Turkey. 3396 of the participants (49.30%) were female and 3494 (50.70%) of them were male. Of the participants, 2273 (32.99%) were classified as low, 2273 (32.99%) as medium and 2344 (34.02%) as high socioeconomic level. Moderator effects were tested with the multi-group structural equation modelling approach. Results revealed that SES and gender moderated the relationship between metacognitive skills and reading when controlling for other variables. Female students scored lower than male students in low and medium SES group, however they scored higher in the high SES group even after controlling for metacognitive skills, liking reading, and self-concept of perception of competence and difficulty. This means gender differences in reading scores were largely driven by SES. Therefore, the effect of these two factors should be taken into consideration while working on metacognition and reading. Moreover, it was advised to integrate training of metacognitive strategies in school curriculum and encourage reading engagement in order to reduce the effect of those factors.
Coherency Management: Using Enterprise Architecture for Alignment, Agility, and Assurance

This paper represents a significant point of evolution in thought and practice about the design and management of complex enterprises that often exist in highly dynamic, sometimes chaotic operating environments. The paper asserts that Coherency Management is the primary outcome goal of Enterprise Architecture (EA); that the architecture of enterprises should be formalized and promote coherency; and the best way to do this is to adopt EA as the ongoing, overarching method for abstracting, analyzing, designing, and re-engineering new and existing enterprises - regardless of the market, industry, or government sector that the enterprise belongs to. EA is about more than technology as it now has strategic and business dimensions - all of which must align to create agility and assurance in promoting transformation and delivering value. The paper discusses three modes of EA, namely Foundation Architecture, Extended Architecture and Embedded Architecture, that represent progression in thought and practice, with emphasis that the modes are independent but not necessarily mutually exclusive. The paper also discusses how collectively these influence enterprise coherency. The paper concludes by elaborating the ways and approaches to assess organizational coherence.
Prediction of tensile strength of fused deposition modeling (FDM) printed PLA using classic laminate theory

The application of Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) is restricted due to limited information about the mechanical properties of printed parts. Therefore, it is required to determine the mechanical properties of the FDM properties to avail the full benefit of the FDM process. In the present study, Classic Laminate Theory (CLT) has been employed at the different configurations of layer thickness and raster width. The required elastic constant of material for CLT has been experimentally obtained through FDM printed Polylactic Acid (PLA) unidirectional specimens at 0°, 45° and 90° for different combinations of layer height and raster width. For these different combinations of layer height and raster width, constitutive models were developed to predict the tensile properties of the PLA parts. Tensile strength of the FDM printed bi-directional specimens has been experimentally obtained to validate the proposed CLT model results. The experimental tensile strength data is in good agreement with the data predicted by the proposed CLT model. Higher tensile strength and modulus were achieved with 0° raster angle compared to 90° raster angle. In the case of a bi-directional printed specimen, higher tensile strength was obtained with 45°/-45° raster angle followed by 30°/-60° and 0°/90° raster angle.
Application of sliding observer to sensorless permanent magnet synchronous motor drive system

This paper proposes a new control method for shaft sensorless permanent magnet synchronous motor drive systems. The rotor position and speed are estimated by using a sliding observer with only stator voltage and current measurements. The observer structure and its design method are discussed. The simulation results of the overall system are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach. <<ETX>>