Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The si-sio, interface – electrical properties as determined by the metal-insulator-silicon conductance technique

Measurements of the equivalent parallel conductance of metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) capacitors are shown to give more detailed and accurate information about interface states than capacitance measurements. Experimental techniques and methods of analysis are described. From the results of the conductance technique, a realistic characterization of the Si–SiO 2 interface is developed. Salient features are: A continuum of states is found across the band gap of the silicon. Capture cross sections for holes and electrons are independent of energy over large portions of the band gap. The surface potential is subject to statistical fluctuations arising from various sources. The dominant contribution in the samples measured arises from a random distribution of surface charge. The fluctuating surface potential causes a dispersion of interface state time constants in the depletion region. In the weak inversion region the dispersion is eliminated by interaction between interface states and the minority carrier band. A single time constant results. From the experimentally established facts, equivalent circuits accurately describing the measurements are constructed.
Functional properties of edible insects: a systematic review

Abstract Consumption of edible insects has been widely suggested as an environmentally sustainable substitute for meat to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, the novel research field for edible insects relies on the content of bioactive ingredients and on the ability to induce a functional effect in humans. The goal of this manuscript is to review the available body of evidence on the properties of edible insects in modulating oxidative and inflammatory stress, platelet aggregation, lipid and glucose metabolism and weight control. A search for literature investigating the functional role of edible insects was carried out in the PubMed database using specific keywords. A total of 55 studies, meeting inclusion criteria after screening, were divided on the basis of the experimental approach: in vitro studies, cellular models/ex vivo studies or in vivo studies. In the majority of the studies, insects demonstrated the ability to reduce oxidative stress, modulate antioxidant status, restore the impaired activity of antioxidant enzymes and reduce markers of oxidative damage. Edible insects displayed anti-inflammatory activity reducing cytokines and modulating specific transcription factors. Results from animal studies suggest that edible insects can modulate lipid and glucose metabolism. The limited number of studies focused on the assessment of anti-coagulation activity of edible insects makes it difficult to draw conclusions. More evidence from dietary intervention studies in humans is needed to support the promising evidence from in vitro and animal models about the functional role of edible insect consumption.
Modular, pinched DC-link and soft commutated three-level inverter

A modular soft-commutation scheme is proposed for three-level inverters. The DC-link voltages are pinched to a neutral point when the PWM pattern changes. Two mirror-symmetric quasi-resonant sub-circuits are specially designed as the inverter's optional module. New features include modularity, fewer component counts and lower voltage ratings, reduced common-mode and balanced link-capacitor voltages. The effect of the neutral line current on the synchronization of zero voltage swings of the upper and lower resonant banks has been analyzed.
Target Detection Based on Edge-Aware and Cross-Coupling Attention for SAR Images

Due to the existence of speckle noise, background clutter, backscattering points, and geometric distortion of some targets in synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images, extracting multiscale and multilocation targets accurately is still a great challenge. To tackle these problems, a novel target detection method based on edge-aware and cross-coupling attention for SAR images is proposed in this letter. By enhancing the dependencies between targets in different locations, bridging the gap between different feature maps, and assisting the targets’ detection through cross-coupling with the edge-aware network, the performance of detecting multiscale targets in complex SAR images can be improved significantly. Specifically, residual spatial pyramid pooling (RSPP) and mixed pooling module (MPM)-based convolution block attention module (MCBAM) are combined in the decoding part to promote coupling between networks. Besides, the semi-dense connection is adopted in the encoding part based on residual convolution block (RCB), which can improve the ability of multiscale feature extraction and promote the acquirement of high-resolution features with strong semantic information. Experiments are conducted on the SAR oil tank dataset (OTD) and SAR residential area dataset (RAD). We compare our model with a traditional method and CNN-based algorithms. The experimental results verify that our model outperforms the competing models in both pixel level and geometric segmentation accuracy.
Visual Properties of Striae Distensae of Chinese Women

Background: Striae Distensae (SD) or stretch marks are manifestations of epidermal atrophy that would arise from a combination of hormonal factors and mechanical stretching and that are characterized by distinct microstructural features. The objective of this in vivo study was to investigate the biophysical properties of recent versus old SD in a Chinese population. Methods: A cohort of 110 Chinese women, aged between 21 and 45 years old, were recruited. Fifty-five presented recent and inflamed SD while the other 55 volunteers suffered old and scarred SD. Morphological characteristics and anatomical distribution of the SD were evaluated by a trained expert. Contrast, entropy and anisotropy of SD were obtained from cross-polarized images and skin glossiness was computed from parallel and cross-polarised images. Spectrocolorimetric data were used to calculate colour and estimate chromophores concentration in SD and in adjacent normal skin. Results: They mainly on the (93.6% of women), the thighs (72.7%) and the hips (83.6%). The recent SD are significantly darker (L*) and redder (a*) than old ones. These colour differences correlate to a higher concentration of skin chromophores in recent SD. Texture contrast is also more important in recent SD but old SD are brighter while there in no differences in skin texture complexity nor in the directional properties between recent and old SD. Conclusion: The visual contrast of SD can be related to chromophore distribution (recent) or light scattering (old).
Design and analysis of a generalised n-stage current-mode multiphase switched-capacitor converter

A new closed-loop generalised scheme for an n-stage current-mode multiphase switched-capacitor converter (CMSC) is proposed by combining multiphase operation and pulse-width-modulation (PWM) control for step-up DC–DC conversion and output current regulation. The CMSC is composed of n-voltage doublers and one constant current source in series. The n-voltage doublers are in charge of boosting output voltage, and combined with multiphase operation to provide voltage gain of 2 n at most. The current source is adopted mainly for supplying a constant current at the output terminal, and combined with PWM to reinforce output regulation as well as robustness to source/loading variation. The relevant theoretical analysis and design include: an n-stage CMSC model, steady-state/dynamic analysis, power efficiency, source lower bound, voltage conversion ratio, output ripple, capacitance and current source selection, closed-loop control and stability. Finally, the closed-loop CMSC is simulated, and the hardware implementation is realised and tested. All the results are illustrated to show the efficacy of the proposed scheme.
Understanding the psychological therapy treatment outcomes for young adults who are not in education, employment, or training (NEET), moderators of outcomes, and what might be done to improve them

Abstract Background To determine: whether young adults (aged 18–24) not in education, employment or training (NEET) have different psychological treatment outcomes to other young adults; any socio-demographic or treatment-related moderators of differential outcomes; and whether service-level changes are associated with better outcomes for those who are NEET. Methods A cohort was formed of 20 293 young adults treated with psychological therapies in eight Improving Access to Psychological Therapies services. Pre-treatment characteristics, outcomes, and moderators of differential outcomes were compared for those who were and were not NEET. Associations between outcomes and the following were assessed for those that were NEET: missing fewer sessions, attending more sessions, having a recorded diagnosis, and waiting fewer days between referral and starting treatment. Results Those who were NEET had worse outcomes: odds ratio (OR) [95% confidence interval (CI)] for reliable recovery = 0.68 (0.63–0.74), for deterioration = 1.41 (1.25–1.60), and for attrition = 1.31 (1.19–1.43). Ethnic minority participants that were NEET had better outcomes than those that were White and NEET. Living in deprived areas was associated with worse outcomes. The intensity of treatment (high or low) did not moderate outcomes, but having more sessions was associated with improved outcomes for those that were NEET: odds (per one-session increase) of reliable recovery = 1.10 (1.08–1.12), deterioration = 0.94 (0.91–0.98), and attrition = 0.68 (0.66–0.71). Conclusions Earlier treatment, supporting those that are NEET to attend sessions, and in particular, offering them more sessions before ending treatment might be effective in improving clinical outcomes. Additional support when working with White young adults that are NEET and those in more deprived areas may also be important.
Development of electroless Ni/Au plated build-up flip chip package with highly reliable solder joints

Along with the trend towards miniaturization and higher density for electronic equipment, the demand for high density multilayer packaging substrates has increased. A build-up process with electroless Ni/Au plating is a recent area of industry focus to meet the challenging new high density substrate requirements. Surface mount technologies such as Ball Grid Array (BGA) and flip chip assembly are mainstream applications that benefit from build-up substrates. Meanwhile, because of the finer geometry on external pads, reliability issues such as solder joint cracking due to thermal expansion mismatch between the package, chip and printed circuit board have become an area of major concern. Electroless Ni-P/Au plating has previously shown lower reliability at solder joints but the mechanism and the cause for the lower reliability has not been verified, and its analysis and evaluation method have not been fully investigated. In this study, we developed a reliability-improved electroless Ni/Au plated build-up flip chip BGA and clarified the mechanism for solder joint cracking by focusing on the plating conditions of external pads which significantly influence solder joint reliability and its solderability. The areas we improved were mainly related to plating: plating process condition, plating layer formation, plating surface condition, and alloy condition after solder reflow. Electroless Ni-P/Au plating achieved 100% within solder fracture mode at ball shear test by optimizing surface roughness on Cu routing patterns, phosphorus content/thickness/surface conditions, immersion Au plating types, and final cleaning process. We also confirmed the necessity for careful attention on the backend processes including cleaning after Au plating, in order to avoid solderability deterioration. Furthermore, we exposed the mechanism for the solder joint deterioration due to the backend processes including cleaning after Au plating, by analyzing corrosion interface between Ni and Au, and formation on Ni and Sn alloy.
CHIQUITA1 maintains temporal transition between proliferation and differentiation in Arabidopsis thaliana

Body size varies widely among species, populations, and individuals depending on the environment. Transitioning between proliferation and differentiation is a crucial determinant of final organ size, but how the timing of this transition is established and maintained remains unknown. Using cell proliferation markers and genetic analysis, we show that CHIQUITA1 (CHIQ1) is required to maintain the timing of the transition from proliferation to differentiation in Arabidopsis thaliana. Combining kinematic and cell lineage tracking studies, we found that the number of actively dividing cells in chiquita1-1 plants decreases prematurely compared to wild type plants, suggesting CHIQ1 maintains the proliferative capacity in dividing cells and ensures that cells divide a certain number of times. CHIQ1 belongs to a plant-specific gene family of unknown molecular function and physically and genetically interacts with three close members of its family to control the timing of proliferation exit. Our work reveals the interdependency between cellular and organ-level processes underlying final organ size determination. Significance Timing of the transition between proliferation and differentiation is fundamental for determining the final size of organs and organisms. In agriculture, controlling organ and organism size can influence key agronomic traits such as yield and biomass. Dwarfism prevents lodging and was the trait responsible for the Green Revolution. Today, more sophisticated traits are needed for generating crops that are both resilient and sustainable. Revealing the molecular mechanisms that control the temporal transition between proliferation and differentiation will help unlock the potential of next-generation crops. Here, we report that CHIQUITA 1 in Arabidopsis thaliana is needed to maintain the proper timing of the transition between proliferation and differentiation in leaves and roots.
Tunable SIW Cavity Backed Active Antenna Oscillator

A substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) cavity backed active slot antenna oscillator is proposed, the operation frequency of which can be tuned by means of a properly connected varactor. The cavity backed structure permits overcoming potential problems such as heat dissipation and unwanted surface wave modes in large array implementations, and may provide better phase noise performance. The use of SIW technology permits a cost-effective fabrication process and simple implementation at millimetre-wave frequency, for radar and communication applications. Full-wave FEM-based analysis is used for the design of the radiating structure, while harmonic balance and transient simulations are employed in the design of the active antenna oscillator and in the study of the stability of its steady-state solutions. Tunable active antenna prototypes have been implemented and measured.
Research of Aerodynamic Noise Prediction of High-Speed Train

Under the background of China rapid development of high-speed train, this paper aims at prediction of the aerodynamic noise of train, which plays a key factor for controlling the train noise. In order to develop the prediction model of the aerodynamic noise of train, first the finite and boundary element theory are utilized to calculate the fluctuation pressure of the motion train; then Statistical Energy Analysis (SEA) model of the train noise is built and the SEA parameters are calculated. Based on the above models, the prediction method of aerodynamic noise of train is developed to calculate the train noise with train velocity.
A Maximum Torque per Ampere Control Strategy

In this paper, a new control strategy is proposed which is simple in structure and has the straightforward goal of minimizing the stator current amplitude for a given load torque. It is shown that the resulting induction motor efficiency is reasonably close to optimal and that the approach is insensitive to variations in rotor resistance. Although the torque response is not as fast as in field-oriented control strategies, the response is reasonably fast. In fact, if the mechanical time constant is large relative to the rotor time constant, which is frequently the case, the sacrifice in dynamic performance is insignificant relative to FO strategies. I. INTRODUCTION Field-oriented (FO) induction motor drive systems provide an ability to rapidly and accurately control the electromagnetic torque (l-21. A disadvantage is that in order to maintain a fast speed-of-response, it is necessary to operate at rated flux even at low values of torque. Thus, the efficiency and power factor can be quite poor at low torques, regardless of rotor speed. Addition- ally, accurate knowledge of the rotor resistance is necessary requiring on-line sensing and adaption approaches (2). An extensive amount of research has also been conducted in the areas of optimum efficiency control of induction motor drive systems (3-83. It has long been recognized that for a given torque and speed, it is possible to adjust the slip frequency so as to min- imize resistive and core losses thus maximizing the efficiency of the induction motor. Due to the complexity of the loss models, optimization was either performed numerically with the calcu- lated optimum slip stored in a look-up table E3-51 or using on- line search techniques (6-81. A disadvantage of the table-look-up approach is the necessity of accurate machine parameters which vary from one machine to another. Disadvantages of on-line search approaches include their complexity and their potential to exhibit hunting. In this paper, a new control strategy is proposed which is simple in structure and has the straightforward goal of minimiz- ing the stator current amplitude for a given load torque. It is shown that the resulting induction motor efficiency is reasonably
A novel robust FPGA routing switch box design for ultra low power applications

Fabrication cost of application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) is exponentially rising in deep submicron region due to rapidly rising non-recurring engineering cost. Field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) provide an attractive alternative to ASICs but consume an order of magnitude higher power. There is a need to explore ways of reducing FPGA power consumption so that they can also be employed in ultra low power (ULP) applications instead of ASICs. Subthreshold region of operation is an ideal choice for ULP low-throughput FPGAs. The routing of an FPGA consumes most of the chip area and primarily determines the circuit delay and power consumption. There is a need to design moderate-speed ULP routing switches for subthreshold FPGA. This article proposes a novel subthreshold FPGA routing switch box (SB) that utilises the leakage voltage through transistor as biasing voltage which shows 69%, 61.2% and 30% improvement in delay, power delay product and delay variation, respectively, over conventional routing SB.
Modeling and Analysis of a Tubular Oscillating Permanent-Magnet Actuator

An improved analytical model is developed to predict the electromagnetic performance of a single-phase tubular oscillating permanent-magnet actuator. The analytically predicted thrust force, flux linkage, and back-electromotive-force coefficient of an actuator equipped with a quasi-Halbach magnetized mover are compared with the results deduced from finite-element analyses and measurements. In addition, the influence of mover back iron is investigated, the loss of the prototype actuator is estimated, and the optimal design parameters, viz., the optimum ratio of the axial lengths of the radially and axially magnetized ring magnets and the optimum mover-diameter-to-stator-diameter split ratio, are identified.
Prediction of friction capacity of driven piles in clay using the support vector machine

The support vector machine (SVM) is an emerging machine learning technique where prediction error and model complexity are simultaneously minimized. This paper examines the potential of SVM to predict the friction capacity of driven piles in clay. This SVM is firmly based on the statistical learning theory and uses the regression technique by introducing accuracy (e) insensitive loss function. The results are compared with those from a widely used artificial neural network (ANN) model. Overall, the SVM showed good performance and is proven to be better than ANN model. A sensitivity analysis has been also performed to investigate the importance of the input parameters. The study shows that SVM has the potential to be a useful and practical tool for prediction of friction capacity of driven piles in clay.
Three-Dimensional Sound Field Analysis Using Compact Explicit-Finite Difference Time Domain Method with Graphics Processing Unit Cluster System

In this study, the compact explicit-finite difference time domain (CE-FDTD) method is applied to the three-dimensional sound field analysis to reduce computer resources. There are various derivative schemes in the CE-FDTD method. They are first examined theoretically to evaluate the numerical accuracy. As a theoretical result, it is found that the interpolated wide band (IWB) scheme has the widest bandwidth in which the cut-off frequency is in agreement with the Nyquist frequency. The calculation performance is theoretically estimated, then experimentally evaluated with the graphics processing unit cluster system. As a result, it is found that the memory usage of the IWB scheme is less than one-third of that of the standard leapfrog (SLF) scheme to achieve the same cut-off frequency. It is also found that the calculation time of the IWB scheme with the shared memory is about 19% compared with that of the SLF scheme with the graphics processing unit (GPU) cluster system. The impulse response is calculated for a large room with a volume capacity of about 4500 m3 in which the sampling rate was 40 kHz. It is confirmed that the three-dimensional sound field with the natural reverberation can be calculated by the IWB scheme.
POWER ASSIST WEAR FOR UPPER LIMB DRIVEN BY SHEET-LIKE PNEUMATIC RUBBER MUSCLE

Along with declining birthrate and a growing proportion of elderly, to increase the number of people who requires nursing is anticipated. As a result, the shortage of the workers in medical welfare field is serious concerns in Japan. Then, if the wearable power assist device can be developed, many people can live independent life with a slight degree of assist. The purpose of this study is to develop a power assist wear to assist an activity of daily living of aged or disabled person. For the actuator, it is required to have a compact, light-weight and flexibility. Developed sheet-like curved type pneumatic rubber muscle is made of rubber band and has a high affinity for human skin. In this paper, the characteristics of the sheet-like curved type pneumatic rubber muscle and the power assist wear are described.