Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Designing an Optimal Reset Controller for TS Fuzzy Systems

This study considers the problem of designing a reset dynamic output feedback controller (R-DOFC) for continuous-time nonlinear dynamics modeled by a Takagi–Sugeno (TS) fuzzy form. The exponential convergence of the closed-loop system state trajectories to the equilibrium point is satisfied by designing the fuzzy dynamic output feedback controller (DOFC) without reset action via the linear matrix inequality (LMI) technique. After that, by developing an optimization problem, the after-reset value is designed by using system output measurements at each reset time. In this approach, a genetic algorithm is adopted to minimize the proposed cost function of certain transient performances to achieve the best reset time instants. Moreover, sufficient conditions for choosing the DOFC after-reset value are formulated in the form of LMIs. The proposed reset fuzzy DOFC is applied to two nonlinear systems. The merits of the proposed reset DOFC are demonstrated by comparing the obtained results with those of other approaches.
Young Adults’ Willingness to Engage in Climate Change Activism: An Application of the Theory of Normative Social Behavior

ABSTRACT Guided by the theory of normative social behavior (TNSB), the current survey examined factors associated with climate change activism in a young adult population (N = 627). Consistent with the TNSB, young adults showed greater intention to engage in consumer and conventional climate change activism if they viewed it to be common (descriptive norm) and accepted (injunctive norm) among their peers, if they perceived positive benefits of activism (outcome expectations), and if they identified as a climate activist (ego involvement). Results supported the TNSB’s proposed interaction between descriptive norm and similarity for both types of activism. Theoretical implications for the TNSB and practical implications for promoting climate change activism among young adults are discussed.
Association Among Lipid Accumulation Product, Chinese Visceral Obesity Index and Diabetic Retinopathy in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background and Aim Obesity often coexists with diabetes, especially abdominal obesity, recognized as a risk factor for diabetic complications. Diabetic retinopathy (DR), as one of the most common microvascular complications of diabetes, may be associated with these indices. Lipid accumulation product (LAP) and Chinese visceral obesity index (CVAI) are novel visceral obesity indicators, which have been proven to be an influential factor predicting type 2 diabetes (T2DM). However, the correlation among LAP, CVAI, and DR still lacks systematic research in T2DM. The study aimed to explore the relationship among LAP, CVAI levels in different DR stages of T2DM patients and the diagnostic efficacy of LAP and CVAI for DR. Methods A total of 263 participants were recruited in this cross-sectional study. We enrolled 169 patients with T2DM, divided into the non-DR group (NDR, n = 61), non-proliferative DR group (NPDR, n = 55), and proliferative DR group (PDR, n = 53). And we also enrolled 94 healthy control participants. We collected demographic, anthropometric, and biochemical data on each subject. LAP and CVAI are calculated according to different formulas for men and women. Results Compared with the control group, LAP and CVAI were significantly higher (P < 0.05). After adjusting for confounding factors, LAP (OR: 1.029, 95CI%: 1.010–1.049, P < 0.05), WC (OR: 1.073, 95CI%: 1.009–1.141, P < 0.05) and CVAI (OR: 1.017, 95CI%: 1.000–1.033, P < 0.05) were all associated with an increased risk of DR. Furthermore, increased LAP (OR: 1.020, 95% CI: 0.100–0.290) is associated with DR severity (P < 0.001). Moreover, the LAP had the most significant area under the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve (AUC) (AUC = 0.728, 95% CI: 0.653–0.804). Conclusion A high LAP is associated with an increased risk of DR in T2DM patients, and the LAP index appears to be a good predictor of DR risk and severity in patients with T2DM, compared with BMI, WC, and CVAI.
A full X‐band CMOS amplifier with wideband class‐E harmonic matching

A fully integrated medium power amplifier operating over the entire X‐band is demonstrated in a 0.11‐μm CMOS technology. A double‐resonance technique is used for wideband input matching. At the output load, wideband class‐E harmonic matching is performed for up to the third harmonic frequency to achieve high output power and efficiency. The amplifier exhibits measured small‐signal gain exceeding 7.6 dB over a wide 3‐dB bandwidth from 7.6 to 13.7 GHz. The output power and power added efficiency (PAE) are higher than 10.7 dBm and 15%, respectively, at the entire X‐band (8–12 GHz). The peak PAE is 20.2% with an output power of 12.4 dBm at 10 GHz. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 57:645–649, 2015
Incremental 2D Grid Map Generation from RGB-D Images

In this paper, we extend RGB-D SLAM to address the problem that sparse map-building RGB-D SLAM cannot directly generate maps for indoor navigation and propose a SLAM system for fast generation of indoor planar maps. The system uses RGBD images to generate positional information while converting the corresponding RGBD images into 2D planar lasers for 2D grid navigation map reconstruction of indoor scenes under the condition of limited computational resources, solving the problem that the sparse point cloud maps generated by RGB-D SLAM cannot be directly used for navigation. Meanwhile, the pose information provided by RGB-D SLAM and scan matching respectively is fused to obtain a more accurate and robust pose, which improves the accuracy of map building. Furthermore, we demonstrate the function of the proposed system on the ICL indoor dataset and evaluate the performance of different RGB-D SLAM. The method proposed in this paper can be generalized to RGB-D SLAM algorithms, and the accuracy of map building will be further improved with the development of RGB-D SLAM algorithms.
Stationary frame current regulation of PWM inverters with zero steady-state error

Current regulators for AC inverters are commonly categorized as hysteresis, linear PI, or deadbeat predictive regulators, with a further sub-classification into stationary ABC frame and synchronous d-q frame implementations. Synchronous frame regulators are generally accepted to have a better performance than stationary frame regulators, as they operate on DC quantities and hence can eliminate steady-state errors. This paper establishes a theoretical connection between these two classes of regulators and proposes a new type of stationary frame regulator, the P+Resonant regulator, which achieves the same transient and steady-state performance as a synchronous frame PI regulator. The new regulator is applicable to both single-phase and three phase inverters.
TAG MANAGEMENT ARCHITECTURE AND POLICIES FOR HARDWARE-MANAGED TRANSLATION LOOKASIDE BUFFERS IN VIRTUALIZED PLATFORMS

of Dissertation Presented to the Graduate School of the University of Florida in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy TAG MANAGEMENT ARCHITECTURE AND POLICIES FOR HARDWARE-MANAGED TRANSLATION LOOKASIDE BUFFERS IN VIRTUALIZED PLATFORMS By Girish Venkatasubramanian August 2011 Chair: Renato J. Figueiredo Major: Electrical and Computer Engineering The use of virtualization to effectively harness the power of multi-core processors has emerged as a viable solution to meet the growing demand for computing resources, especially in the server segment of the computing industry. However, two significant issues in using virtualization for performance-critical workloads are: 1. the overhead of virtualization, which adversely impacts the performance of such virtualized workloads, and 2. the ”noise” or variation in the performance of these virtualized workloads due to the platform resources being shared amongst multiple virtual machines (VMs) . Thus, improving the performance of virtualized workloads and reducing the performance variations introduced by the sharing of platform resources are two challenges in the field of virtualization. Meeting these challenges, specifically in the context of hardware-managed Translation Lookaside Buffers (TLBs), forms the theme of this dissertation. To understand the performance impact of the TLB and to investigate the performance improvement due to various architectural modifications, a suitable simulation framework is imperative. Hence, the first contribution of this dissertation is developing a full-system execution-driven simulation framework supporting the x86 ISA and detailed TLB functional and timing models. Using this framework, it is observed that the performance of typical server workloads are reduced by as much as 8% to 35% due to the TLB misses on virtualized platforms, compared to the 1% to 5% reduction on non-virtualized
Age-specific effects of ozone on pneumonia in Korean children and adolescents: a nationwide time-series study

OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to estimate the age-specific effects of 8-hour maximum ozone levels on pneumonia in children and adolescents. METHODS We performed quasi-Poisson regression analyses for individuals of 0-4 years, 5-9 years, 10-14 years, and 15-19 years of age using nationwide time-series data from the Korea (2011-2015). We constructed distributed lag linear models employing a generalized difference-in-differences method and controlling for other air pollutants. RESULTS A 10.0-parts per billion increase in 8-hour maximum ozone levels was associated with a higher risk of hospital admissions due to pneumonia at 0-4 (relative risk [RR], 1.02; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.01 to 1.03) and 5-9 years of age (RR, 1.06; 95% CI, 1.04 to 1.08), but not at 10-14 (RR, 1.01; 95% CI, 0.98 to 1.04) or 15-19 years of age (RR, 1.01; 95% CI, 0.97 to 1.06). The association between ozone and hospital admissions due to pneumonia was stronger in cool seasons (from November to April) than in warm seasons (from May to October), but was similar between boys and girls. CONCLUSIONS Short-term exposure to ozone was associated with a higher risk of pneumonia at 0-4 years and 5-9 years of age, but not at 10-14 years or 15-19 years of age. Our findings can help identify vulnerable periods, determine the target populations for public health interventions, and establish air pollution standards.
Impact of COVID-19: Identifying the Barriers in Ophthalmology Training

Introduction: Actions taken to carry out sustainable practice in ophthalmology during the COVID-19 pandemic have put the training process at an impasse. There is an enormous reduction in surgical volume and patient care by residents. In this article the authors discuss the primary challenges faced by ophthalmology residents during the pandemic and propose potential solutions. Purpose: To investigate the obstacles ophthalmology residency training has faced during the COVID-19 pandemic and discuss the viable methods that can be adapted to create a sustainable training atmosphere. Design: A review of current ophthalmology training practices to recognize lacunas in the system that limit the training of residents during the pandemic. Methods: A review of recent trends in ophthalmology training, PubMed Central query for training in ophthalmology and the author’s exhaustive experience in surgical and clinical training has been utilized to assess the current training scenario. Results: Actions taken to carry out sustainable practice in ophthalmology during the COVID-19 pandemic have put the training process at an impasse. There is an enormous reduction in surgical volume and patient care by residents. Conclusion: Although several pedagogical innovations were adopted to continue the training during the pandemic, there is still a need to realize the emergent nature of the problem and embrace alternative methodology to continue quality training in ophthalmology.
Connectivity and giant component in random distance graphs

Various different random graph models have been proposed in which the vertices of the graph are seen as members of a metric space, and edges between vertices are determined as a function of the distance between the corresponding metric space elements. We here propose a model $G=G(X, f)$, in which $(X, d)$ is a metric space, $V(G)=X$, and $\mathbb{P}(u\sim v) = f(d(u, v))$, where $f$ is a decreasing function on the set of possible distances in $X$. We consider the case that $X$ is the $n\times n \times \dots\times n$ integer lattice in dimension $r$, with $d$ the $\ell_1$ metric, and $f(d) = \frac{1}{n^\beta d}$, and determine a threshold for the emergence of the giant component and connectivity in this model. We compare this model with a traditional Waxman graph. Further, we discuss expected degrees of nodes in detail for dimension 2.
Electrical and Electrochemical Sensors Based on Carbon Nanotubes for the Monitoring of Chemicals in Water—A Review

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) combine high electrical conductivity with high surface area and chemical stability, which makes them very promising for chemical sensing. While water quality monitoring has particularly strong societal and environmental impacts, a lot of critical sensing needs remain unmet by commercial technologies. In the present review, we show across 20 water monitoring analytes and 90 references that carbon nanotube-based electrochemical sensors, chemistors and field-effect transistors (chemFET) can meet these needs. A set of 126 additional references provide context and supporting information. After introducing water quality monitoring challenges, the general operation and fabrication principles of CNT water quality sensors are summarized. They are sorted by target analytes (pH, micronutrients and metal ions, nitrogen, hardness, dissolved oxygen, disinfectants, sulfur and miscellaneous) and compared in terms of performances (limit of detection, sensitivity and detection range) and functionalization strategies. For each analyte, the references with best performances are discussed. Overall, the most frequently investigated analytes are H+ (pH) and lead (with 18% of references each), then cadmium (14%) and nitrite (11%). Micronutrients and toxic metals cover 40% of all references. Electrochemical sensors (73%) have been more investigated than chemistors (14%) or FETs (12%). Limits of detection in the ppt range have been reached, for instance Cu(II) detection with a liquid-gated chemFET using SWCNT functionalized with peptide-enhanced polyaniline or Pb(II) detection with stripping voltammetry using MWCNT functionalized with ionic liquid-dithizone based bucky-gel. The large majority of reports address functionalized CNTs (82%) instead of pristine or carboxyl-functionalized CNTs. For analytes where comparison is possible, FET-based and electrochemical transduction yield better performances than chemistors (Cu(II), Hg(II), Ca(II), H2O2); non-functionalized CNTs may yield better performances than functionalized ones (Zn(II), pH and chlorine).
Interconnections between Governance and Socioeconomic Conditions: Understanding Sub-Saharan African Challenges

Given that challenges facing sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries on the issue of socioeconomic development have been identified as critical to strengthening the inherent link between governance and socioeconomic conditions, this study examines the interconnections between governance and SSA socioeconomic conditions. With a focus on 25 countries between 2005 and 2019, the analysis is based on Panel-Corrected Standard Error (PCSE) and System-GMM estimations, and panel causality test.Results show that SSA seems not to have the means of effective governance to spur improved socioeconomic conditions. Findings indicate that the pervasiveness of institutional problems in many SSA countries has been responsible for the poor socioeconomic condition in the region.Furthermore, it is equally found that governance quality and socioeconomic conditions are mutually reinforcing, suggesting that they influence each other. An improvement in socioeconomic conditions could result in better governance. On the other hand, the quality of governance is viewed as a vital ingredient in achieving needed socioeconomic development outcomes. Thus, it is suggested that there is need for SSA countries to streamline governing system towards engendering improved well-being. The introduction and implementation of transformative policies through effective governance are also necessary for ensuring critical structural changes and increased social service provision. Overall, there should be a proactive identification of ineffective policies and procedures by policymakers to enhance meaningful impact in the region.
Joint Information and Energy Transfer of SWIPT-Enabled Mobile Users in Wireless Networks

Extremely high reliability and energy efficiency are crucial in sixth generation (6G) mobile networks to accommodate the diverse range of end-user devices in the era of the Internet of Everything. The concept of simultaneous wireless information and power transfer (SWIPT) has been emerged as a promising solution to boost the reliability of wireless communication systems through prolonging the battery lifetime by harvesting energy from the received radio-frequency signals. In this paper, we propose a low complexity threshold-based pair switching (TbPS) technique for SWIPT in the context of large-scale cellular networks, where the multiple-antenna mobile users (MUs) employ maximum ratio combining technique and adopt the random waypoint model. Under the TbPS technique, a subset of MU’s antennas is allocated for information decoding (ID), only when their post-combiner signal-to-interference ratio, exceeds a certain threshold, while the remaining antennas are allocated for energy harvesting (EH). Contrary to traditional approaches which assume the existence of either uncorrelated or fully correlated interference, our proposed technique takes into consideration the interference correlation between nearby antennas. In order to further alleviate the inter-cell interference and energy consumption, we propose a traffic load-based sleeping (TLbS) technique in the context of finite-area network deployments, where lightly-loaded cells switch into sleep mode. By leveraging tools from stochastic geometry, we derive analytical expressions for the ID, EH as well as joint ID and EH success probability of MUs based on the proposed techniques. Our results demonstrate the optimal parameters (i.e., antenna selection and traffic load threshold) of our proposed techniques, that maximize the joint ID and EH success probability. Finally, it is shown that, by properly selecting the threshold values, both the proposed TbPS scheme and TLbS mechanism outperform the conventional techniques in terms of the SWIPT capability of the MUs.
CIRCUMFERENTIAL PRESSURES ON A FIXED VERTICAL CYLINDER IN WAVES

Information on wave-induced circumferential pressure profiles is important for the buckling analysis of weight-optimised vertical columns used in floating deep water platforms. The paper presents experimental measurements and an analytical study of the wave-induced pressure distributions around a stationary, large diameter, vertical column for surface Keulegan-Carpenter numbers in the range 1 to 4.1. The wave-induced pressure profiles were measured using an instrumented 0-218 m dia. cylinder subjected to regular waves generated in a laboratory flume. For surface Keulegan-Carpenter numbers between 3 and 4, flow separation occurred at the cylinder, but vortex shedding did not take place. The circumferential pressure distributions were dominated by second harmonic velocity-related components at a wave crest or trough and first harmonic inertial components during the remainder of the wave cycle.
Human and Companion Animal Proteus mirabilis Sharing

Proteus mirabilis is an important pathogen that is associated with urinary tract infections. This study aims to determine the colonization and sharing of P. mirabilis between healthy companion animals and humans that are living together and to evaluate the clonal relatedness of the fecal and clinical stains. Eighteen households (24 humans, 18 dogs, 8 cats) with at least one human–animal pair were studied. Fecal samples were plated onto MacConkey and Hektoen agar and P. mirabilis PFGE analysis (NotI; Dice/UPGMA; 1.5% tolerance) was conducted for the households with multiple positive participants. Antimicrobial-resistance was tested according to CLSI. The fecal P. mirabilis pulse-types were compared with uropathogenic clinical strains (n = 183). Forty-nine P. mirabilis were isolated from eight households. The percentage of colonization in the dogs (44.4%, n = 8/18) was significantly higher (p = 0.0329) than in the humans (12.5%, n = 3/24). Three households had multiple colonized participants. One human–dog pair shared related P. mirabilis strains, which clustered with a clinical strain of animal origin (82.5%). One fecal P. mirabilis strain, from a dog, clustered with two human community-acquired clinical strains (80.9%, 88.9%). To our knowledge, this is the first report of dogs and humans living in close contact and sharing related P. mirabilis strains. The high frequency of colonization in the dogs underlines their possible role as P. mirabilis reservoirs for humans and other dogs.
Testing a Unified Model of Task-specific Motivation: How teachers appraise three professional development activities

This article tests the tenability of a Unified Model of Task-specific Motivation (UMTM). The UMTM integrates task-specific components from several theories of motivation. Core of the model are four interacting but relatively independent types of valences. Affective and cognitive valences represent feelings while doing an activity and thoughts about the value of its consequences respectively; both affective and cognitive valences can be positive and negative, hence calling for approach and avoidance motivation respectively. The interaction between these four types of valences results in a valence appraisal that influences readiness for action. Task-specific antecedents, autonomy, feasibility, social relatedness and subjective norm, influence valences. 441 Primary school teachers provided judgments of all components of the model except social relatedness for three imaginary professional learning activities. The three activities were framed as a school board decided, a team decided and a personally decided learning activity. Structural equation modelling showed that for each activity a separate model was needed. How valences influenced readiness for action was specific to each activity. In the board and team decided activities, for instance, readiness for action appeared to be based predominantly on cognitive valences, while in the personally decided activity affective and cognitive valences showed a more balanced contribution. Regarding task-specific antecedents, however, the picture was less clear. Nevertheless, the UMTM proved to offer rich possibilities for the explanation of complex motivational phenomena and promises a significant reduction of the superabundance of theories that encumbers motivation research.