Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Impact of Voltage Regulation of Multiinfeed VSC-HVDC on Power System Stability

Due to the anticipated proliferation of HVDC links up to and beyond 2020 into transmission systems, it is expected that in some locations, two or more HVDC links will be installed with a short electrical distance between them and will form a multiinfeed (MI)-HVDC scenario for the system. The control and operation of MI-HVDC systems are of particular concern for weak grids such as that likely to be found in the North of Scotland network. It is shown that the ac voltage regulation in the VSC-HVDC link may adversely affect the dynamic performance of the host weak ac system under the MI-HVDC scenario. To overcome this identified limitation associated with the ac voltage controller in the VSC-HVDC link, a new controller modification conforming to the grid code is proposed in this paper. Furthermore, this paper presents a robust control design method for ac voltage control using the fractional order (FO) control design theory. The influences of the proposed FO-based ac voltage controller are assessed alongside various voltage controllers for the representative North Scotland system. It is shown that the FO-based ac voltage controller has favorable effects on the dynamic behavior of weak ac systems with MI-HVDC.
The Portuguese intra-industry tradeand the labor market adjustment costs: The SAH Again

This paper provides an empirical test of the SAH (Smooth Adjustment Hypothesis) using data from Portugal. According to SAH, intra-industry trade leads to relatively lower adjustment costs in comparison to inter-industry trade. The paper tests the SAH by using a dynamic panel data analysis that takes into account lagged effects of changes in the MIIT (Marginal Intra-Industry Trade) index. The regressions use the absolute change in the total employment in a given industry as a proxy for trade adjustment costs. The main results imply that a higher MIIT leads to lower adjustment costs in the same year. More specifically, the coefficients of the MIIT index are negative and statistically significant in all regressions. These results provide support for the SAH. In addition, the coefficients of the lagged MIIT indicators (one or two period) are mostly positive but not significant throughout. These findings highlight the importance of lagged trade indicators in affecting labor reallocation outcomes and thus adjustment costs.
Semiotics, Design Character Language

This paper is a continuation from papers presented at previous PDE, EPDE and SEED conferences. The paper will outline research being developed by the Creative Design Research Group and taught on design courses, in the School of Design, Engineering and Computing at Bournemouth University. The main aim of this paper is to describe the potential of semiotics to instil an aesthetic character in a design. The paper will illustrate how this can support the education and development of product and engineering design students in creative aesthetic design, to influence new perspectives in design education. The paper will refer to and define semiotics theories and describe how these can relate to the design of commercial products. This includes arrangement of aesthetic design media and composition of colour, texture, shape and form to create expressive character. The principles embody both analysis and deconstruction, along with synthesis and reconstruction. The paper will make direct correlations between aesthetic media and design language and will refer to application in the design industry.
Treatment of Pseudoarthrosis of Long Bones with the Decortication Method Using Platelet−Derived Growth Factor Leczenie stawów rzekomych kości długich metodą dekortykacji z użyciem płytkopochodnego czynnika wzrostu

Background. Disturbances in the union of bone fractures, particularly in the form of pseudoarthrosis, are prolong the time of treatment, which has a measurable influence on costs and is also connected with serious difficulty and even invalidism of the patient. Despite considerable progress in the field, failures in the treatment of pseudoarthro− sis are still the subject of studies and scientific descriptions in orthopedics and the traumatology of the movement organ. Many methods which assist in or stimulate the union processes as well as advances in methods of fracture stabilization are the result of these studies. Objectives. Evaluating the results of treating pseudoarthrosis of the long−bone shafts of the arm by decortication, stable osteosynthesis using autogenic bone, implants, and platelet−derived growth factor (PDGF). Material and Methods. Ten patients with pseudoarthrosis of long−bone shafts were treated by the decortication method using autogenic implants of spongy substance and platelet−derived growth factor in the years 2004 to 2005 at the Clinic of Traumatology and Hand Surgery of Silesian Piasts University of Medicine in Wroclaw. Examination of the patients consisted of subjective and objective examinations as well as additional examinations (radiological, arteriographic, and scintiscanning). The Stewart and Hundley classification was employed in the clinical and subjective evaluation of the patient. To evaluate the control X−rays of the union, the radiological eval− uation according to the division of Hammer was used. Intrasurgical examination was documented with photo− graphic pictures. The classification of Weber and Cech was used for classifying pseudoarthrosis. Results. Bone union was observed in 9 of the 10 cases. Very good results were achieved in 5 patients, 3 patients finished therapy with a good result, and 1 with a satisfactory result. The mean time of achieving bone union was 4.6 months. Five patients achieved bone union after four months, 2 patients after five months, and 2 patients after 6 months. Conclusions. Surgery with the decortication method using PDGF gives very good results in treating long−bone pseudoarthrosis. A faster time of achieving bone union was observed in patients treated with the decortication method with autogenic rich−platelet gel. Little bleeding and faster healing of the injury was observed (Adv Clin Exp Med 2006, 15, 5, 843–849).
Input current shaper based on the series connection of a voltage source and a loss-free resistor

A new input current shaper is proposed in this paper. The operating principle is based on the connection of a voltage source and a loss-free resistor (LFR) between the input rectifier and the bulk capacitor in a conventional switching-mode power supply with no power factor correction. Both the voltage source and the LFR are obtained as an additional output from the power converter's transformer. This additional output is a forward-type scheme with one extra inductor. With the final topology, a good tradeoff between capacitor voltage, re-cycling energy and harmonic content can be established in order to comply with IEC 1000-3-2 at different power levels.
Ethnobotanical Studies on Dwarf Palm (Nannorhops ritchieana (Griff.) Aitchison) and Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) in Dera Ismail Khan, KPK, Pakistan

This paper is based on research work conducted during 2008-2010 in Dera Ismail Khan (D. I. Khan) District, Pakistan, to investigate Socio-Economic Impacts of Dwarf Palm (Nannorhops ritchieana) and Date Palm (Phoenix dactylifera) on the local inhabitants. A questionnaire for data collection of Dwarf Palm was designed and local people were interviewed. The main Dwarf Palm (Mazri) areas are lying between the Koh-i-Surkh and Marwat hill and yielding about 1000 tons of mazri leaves annually. Date Palm plantations are concentrated in Paniala, Paharpur, Chawdwan and Dhakki. The prominent varieties grown in the area are Dhakki, Shakri, Gulistan, Zaidi, Hillawi, Basra, Azadi and khudarawi. Dhakki Dates are well-known among all other varieties. Total area under dates cultivation in the district is 100,000 hectares, with total production of 11,000 tons dates. An average yield of Dhakki-Dates y-1 ranges from 6500 to 7000 tons i.e., 75% of the total production of dates in the area and dried dates production ranges from 800 - 1000 tons·year-1. A significant population is involved in processing of mazri and date palm leaves to prepare different products. Dates have a tremendous potential for economic uplift of the people. But growers face limitations and challenges regarding lack of information about customers and markets, harvesting, processing, and packaging techniques and infrastructure for producing good quality fresh dates. Fruit dropping in date palm particularly in Dhakki variety has become a serious concern. More than 70% date fruits drop before maturity. If production and processing constraints are properly handled, this may have significant socio-economic impact on local inhabitants.
Iron (III) chloride, Aluminium chloride and Zinc chloride as Catalysts in the Synthesis of Tetrahydropentagamavunon-0

Tetrahydropentagamavunon-0 (THPGV-0), an analog of tetrahydrocurcumin, has chemical name as 2,5-bis(4'-hydroxy-3'-methoxybenzyl)-cyclopentanone. It can be synthesised from pentagamavunon-0 (PGV-0, 2,5-bis(4'-hydroxy-3'-methoxybenzylidene)-cyclopentanone). The hydrogenation reaction was applied in this synthesis and it was catalysed by palladium on carbon which yielded THPGV-0 in moderate yield. In seeking for a cheap catalyst, the different catalysts was applied in this hydrogenation reaction. The reaction condition was changed by using different catalysts other than palladium on carbon. Among Palladium/carbon (Pd/C) 10 %, Iron (III) chloride (FeCl 3 ), Aluminium chloride (AlCl 3 ) dan Zinc chloride (ZnCl 2 ) only reaction catalysed by Pd/C gave THPGV-0. While others gave products like the side products when Pd/C used. Structure elucidation was carried out by using spectroscopic method. The obtained products from the reaction by using FeCl 3 , and AlCl 3 as catalysts are 1,3-bis(4'-hydroxy-3'-methoxybenzyl)cyclopentane and 2,5-bis(4'-hydroxy-3'-methoxybenzyl) cyclopentanol and by using ZnCl 2 as catalyst is 1,3-bis(4'-hydroxy-3'-methoxybenzyl)cyclopentane. Keywords: Iron (III) chloride, Aluminium chloride, zinc chloride, tetrahydropentagamavunon-0
Using an ICN Approach to Support Multiple Controllers in OpenFlow

Information Centric Networking (ICN) is an innovative direction for next generation networks. It is a concept of networking paradigm which is considered as a new technique for future search activities. ICN is based on caching contents in several nodes and replicating these contents. It provides contents requested by users from the nearest node instead of creating a communication channel between sender and receiver just for calling information. This paper aims to scale OpenFlow network in traffic engineering by reducing number of transactions, predicting and pre-populating flow entries using the ICN approach. In addition, the paper shows the advantages of implementing ICN designs within OpenFlow. The proposed approach aims to implement ICN concepts to enhance OpenFlow network. This will enable the deployment of networking solutions in the existing network infrastructure and will lead to more flexibility in OpenFlow network. In addition, OpenFlow will have a global management view for all connected networks managed by different controllers. The proposed solution can fulfill current management and utilization of network demands. The paper then debates the implementation of ICN’s design and features based on Software Defined Networking (SDN). Index Term— Named Data Object; Information Centric Networks; Software-Defined Networks; Next Generation Network.
Dealing with Complexity through Advanced Control Techniques

The control of complex dynamic systems, both in their behavior and in their mission, goes through the implementation of multi-loop control architectures based on information about the system internal state and from the environment, as well as on the mission plan state. This results in systems that are becoming increasingly autonomous, for which requirements in terms of safety and reliability, as well as expected performance, are increasingly high. Research works developed at ONERA in the field of control for autonomous systems cover all levels of the control architectures, which are basically structured with respect to temporal aspects, as well as the level of abstraction that they entail for the system dynamic. We will consider them in this paper by increasing level. We will discuss the advances achieved recently in the robust control techniques of uncertain dynamic systems generally implemented at the lower control level and we will discuss their extensions to consider input and output constraints, as well as the hybrid nature of most of the systems considered. To design "task" level control primitives that take place just above the previous control loops, we will introduce sensor-based robust and non-linear control techniques. These are based on information on the environment extracted from exteroceptive sensors, to adapt system behavior to uncertainties and perturbations. Multi-sensor and/or multi-objective controls will be discussed in this particular context. We will also present several recent results in the field of trajectory tracking based on visual navigation techniques in complex environments, which combine objectives and constraints within the same control architecture. We will discuss how model predictive control (MPC) techniques and advanced optimization techniques can be used for solving the resulting control problems. In addition, we will discuss several ongoing developments of these methods by exploiting distributed model predictive control techniques (DMPC) and predictive control of hybrid systems. Finally, integration with the control architectures at the upper level of reactive, predictive and distributed planning capabilities will be proposed to accommodate time constraints and uncertainties in decision.
LS-Decomposition for Robust Recovery of Sensory Big Data

The emerging Internet of Things (IoT) systems are fueling an exponential explosion of sensory data. The major challenge to effective implementation of IoT systems is the presence of <italic>massive missing data entries, measurement noise, and anomaly readings</italic>, which motivates us to investigate the robust recovery of sensory big data. In this paper, we propose an <italic>LS-decomposition</italic> approach that decomposes a sensory reading matrix as the superposition of a <underline>L</underline>ow-rank matrix and a <underline>S</underline>parse anomaly matrix. First, based on data sets from three representative real-world IoT projects, i.e., the IntelLab project (indoor environment), the GreenOrbs project (mountain environment), and the NBDC-CTD project (ocean environment), we observe that anomaly readings are ubiquitous and cannot be ignored. Second, we prove that the convex surrogate of the LS-decomposition problem guarantees bounded recovery error under proper conditions. Third, we propose an accelerated proximal gradient algorithm that converges to the optimal solution at a rate that is inversely proportional to the square of the number of iterations. Evaluations on the above three data sets show that the proposed scheme achieves (relative) recovery error <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\leq 0.05$</tex-math><alternatives> <inline-graphic xlink:href="wang-ieq1-2763170.gif"/></alternatives></inline-formula> for missing data rate <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\leq 50$</tex-math><alternatives> <inline-graphic xlink:href="wang-ieq2-2763170.gif"/></alternatives></inline-formula> percent and almost exact recovery for missing data rate <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\leq 40$</tex-math><alternatives> <inline-graphic xlink:href="wang-ieq3-2763170.gif"/></alternatives></inline-formula> percent, while previous methods have (relative) recovery error <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$0.04\! \sim\! 0.15$</tex-math><alternatives> <inline-graphic xlink:href="wang-ieq4-2763170.gif"/></alternatives></inline-formula> even at only 10 percent missing data rate.
Transcripts Associated with Non‐Acclimated Freezing Response in Two Barley Cultivars

Plants subjected to spring freezes are usually not acclimated sufficiently long to confer tolerance to sub‐zero freezing stress in contrast to fall‐grown plants which experience an acclimation period. Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) periodically suffers from late spring freezes in areas throughout the world, with significant yield loss. We examined the response of ‘Dicktoo’ and ‘Keunal’ barley varieties to non‐acclimated freezing (NAF) (−3°C) at the jointing stage using the barley22K Affymetrix GeneChip to measure transcript abundances. Dicktoo was tolerant of NAF freezing for a longer period of time than Keunal, and had substantially more variable microarray probesets under the NAF treatment. Three hundred and thirteen probesets were selected as responsive genes to NAF based on their differential response in Dicktoo vs. Keunal. Seventy‐one of these probesets had homology‐based annotations, with 49 of them showing reduced transcript levels in Dicktoo NAF vs. Dicktoo control, Keunal control, and Keunal NAF treatments, and 22 showing increased transcript levels. Transcription factors, circadian related genes, and other genes involved in photoperiod response were represented among the probesets upregulated in Dicktoo NAF compared to Keunal NAF, while genes involved in RNA metabolism and water and sugar transport were downregulated. The transcriptome response of both Dicktoo and Keunal to NAF also differed from acclimation‐based freezing treatments, with 43% of Dicktoo NAF and 37% of Keunal NAF probesets unique.
Background Neutron Radiation in the Vicinity of Varian Clinac-2300 Medical Accelerator Working in the 20 MV Mode

The neutron fluences and the mean energies of neutrons on the treatment couch, on walls in the accelerator bunker were determined for the Varian Clinac-2300 linac working in the 20 MV mode. Measurements as well as Monte Carlo calculations were applied in the investigations. The measured thermal and epithermal fluences normalized to the central-axis maximum 20 MV X-ray dose determined in the water phantom are between 0.7 and 1.8 · 10 cm Gy in the treatment room whereas the values from the simulation are from 0.46-1.93 · 10 cm Gy. The neutron fluence decreases significantly in the maze to be 0.09 · 10 cm Gy (thermal neutrons) and 0.01 · 10 cm Gy (epithermal neutrons) on the surface of the door. The mean energy of the undesired neutrons is of the order of some hundred keV and it decreases significantly in the maze to be 0.6eV on the door surface. Additionally, the neutron effective dose to patients was estimated for three values of the source-surface distance (SSD) to be 2.4mSv (SSD=100cm), 1.7mSv (SSD=150cm) and 0.8mSv (SSD=220cm) per Gy at Dmax determined at SSD = 100cm (radiation field 10x10 cm).
SARDOS: Self-Adaptive Reaction Against Denial of Service in the Internet of Things

Denial of Service (DoS) is a common and severe security issue in computer networks. Typical DoS attacks overload servers with bogus requests, induce them to worthlessly commit resources, and even make them unable to serve legitimate clients. This is especially relevant in Internet of Things scenarios, where servers are particularly exposed and often equipped with limited resources. Although most countermeasures focus on detection and mitigation, they do not react to dynamically adapt victims' behavior, while at the same time preserving service availability. This paper presents SARDOS, a reactive security service that leverages detection mechanisms from different communication layers, and adaptively changes the operative behavior of victim servers while preserving service availability. We experimentally evaluated SARDOS with a prototype implementation running on an underclocked Raspberry Pi server. Our results show that, when running SARDOS, a server under attack displays considerably lower memory and CPU usage, while still ensuring (best-effort) fulfillment of legitimate requests.
Teacher Candidates’ Learning Gains: The Tale of Two Co-Teachers

Co-teaching during the student teaching experience has been given increased attention among researchers and teacher educators. Co-teaching facilitates an apprenticeship arrangement that encourages modeling of classroom practice for the candidate and provides a chance to implement directly what is being learned. This qualitative study explored teacher candidates’ learning gains using the co-teaching model for student teaching. Teacher candidates were able to see more clearly the dynamics of how a classroom works and the process by which teachers plan lessons, implement curriculum, and manage the many duties of a classroom teacher.
Emergency preparedness for long lasting releases – source terms

The Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear power plant (NPP) accident has demonstrated the possibility of long-lasting releases of radionuclides from a damaged NPP over several weeks. The objective of this paper is to provide long lasting potential environmental source terms (ST) for the typical reactor units that are being in operation in various European countries. The main aim is to provide environmental ST for testing of the current off-site nuclear emergency planning in European countries with accident scenarios based on lessons learned from the Fukushima accident and to derive recommendations how to improve the current planning. There are described the environmental ST's for three, the most frequent, reactor types – Pressurizer Water Reactor (PWR), Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) a and VVER-440 (VVER = Russian acronym for PWR) that are under operation in Germany, Slovakia, Finland and Spain, but they can be considered as typical for NPP's under operation in another European countries, too.
Exploring Students' Perceptions About English Learning in a Public University

This manuscript reports the final findings of an exploratory, descriptive case study that aimed at exploring the perceptions of a group of English as a foreign language students in a public university regarding their English learning and the commitment level through the process. A questionnaire, a survey, and the teacher’s diary were the instruments used to gather data. The results showed the way the participants study and learn English, their most common learning styles and study strategies. Additionally, they revealed some students’ low levels of commitment and autonomy, and some indifference as regards English, too.
EFFECT OF DIFFERENT ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS ON THE FIBER DEVELOPMENT OF IN VITRO CULTURED COTTON OVULES

The outer epidermal layer of the cotton ovule may differentiate in vitro to form a mass of white fluffy fibers in an appropriate liquid medium. The in vitro cultured fibers provide a model for studying not only the cellular physiology and development mechanism but also generate a key resource for promoter evaluation in developing fibers. However, the potential uses of in vitro cultured ovules are restricted due to the frequent problem of bacterial and fungal contamination. In this study, the effect of Ampicillin, Gentamicin and Sodium Azide on cotton fiber development was observed at various concentrations (100 µg/mL, 50 µg/mL and 0.5 µg/mL respectively) which were added in the media as contamination controlling agents. The in vitro grown ovules were evaluated at 5, 10, 15 and 20 DPA (days post anthesis) for fiber length, percent viable ovules producing fiber, ovules fresh weight and ovules dry weight. It was observed that ovules grown on the media containing either Gentamicin or Sodium Azide were unable to initiate normal number of fiber cells. Addition of Ampicillin to cultures enhanced the fiber length, ovule weight and percentage of viable ovules with fibers. The inhibitory effect of Gentamicin on fiber growth was reversible, when ovules were transferred to Gentamicin -free medium within 3 days after culture initiation. However, Sodium Azide resulted in irreversible fiber development inhibition. These results indicate that Ampicillin was not only efficient to control contamination but also enhanced the fiber and ovule development process.