Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Access For all to eLearning

The paper describes the authors' work (in collaboration with others) to establish a new technological paradigm for delivering access to e-Learning to all persons, including disabled students. The new paradigm complements a content-oriented approach to accessibility but shifts the balance and responsibility for determining access needs of an individual from the producer, supplier or author of e-Learning system and content towards the individual and the individual's supporting technological and human agents. Thus, instead of a producer or supplier effectively saying with technology "I know what you need" a learner will say "this is what I need". Firstly the topic is introduced and set in context. Then an overview is given of the roles of the pertinent metadata specifications: personal needs and preference profiles (PNP) [1]; and digital resource descriptions (DRD) [2](using the ISO terminology). An account is given of the work to develop and standardise these. A key implementation of Content Personalisation (CP), based on these metadata standards is taking place in the EU4ALL project. The project is introduced; its approach to CP outlined and implementation challenges are described. Concluding comments are made highlighting key points from the paper and noting the state-of-the-art.
Real-World Process Design for Mechanical Engineering Students: A Case Study of PBL in DIT

Engineering education deals primarily with calculating quantitative performance of engineering objects, such as machines, circuits or dams, and with designing variations of these objects. However when engineering graduates enter the workforce they must be able to do a great deal more than solve the technical problems taught in engineering school [1]. More specifically they will need to deal with a great range of problems some of which are not technical engineering problems at all. Examples of such problems include working as part of a larger group, project management, negotiation, component sourcing and an awareness of the multi-disciplinary nature of engineering. Such real-world engineering problems force graduate engineers to draw on their professional and personal resourcefulness, adapt to on-the-job pressure, cope with people problems and broaden their knowledge base. Increased competition and high labour costs put pressure on engineering graduates to contribute to companies as soon as they enter the workplace and reduces the time available to graduates to develop these skills on-the-job. To help students develop real-world engineering skills as part of their engineering education the Mechanical Engineering Department in Dublin Institute of Technology (DIT) three years ago introduced Problem Based Learning (PBL). This paper describes a PBL module for Third Year Mechanical Engineering students at DIT designed to help students refine their soft skills in addition to a deeper understanding of their technical skills. This approach, developed by Kelleher, gives students the opportunity to develop a range of experiences which will prepare them to contribute to their employer on entry to the company.
Visual search and VDUs

This wide-ranging study explored various parameters of visual search in relation to computer screen displays. Its ultimate goal was to help identify factors which could result in improvements in commercially available displays within the 'real world’. Those improvements are generally reflected in suggestions for enhancing efficiency of locatabolity of information through an acknowledgement of the visual and cognitive factors involved. The thesis commenced by introducing an ergonomics approach to the presentation of information on VDUs. Memory load and attention were discussed. In the second chapter, literature on general and theoretical aspects of visual search (with particular regard for VDUs) was reviewed. As an experimental starting point, three studies were conducted involving locating a target within arrays of varying configurations. A model concerning visual lobes was proposed. Two text-editing studies were then detailed showing superior user performances where conspicuity and the potential for peripheral vision are enhanced. Relevant eye movement data was combined with a keystroke analysis derived from an automated protocol analyser. Results of a further search task showed icons to be more quickly located within an array than textual material. Precise scan paths were then recorded and analyses suggested greater systematicity of search strategies for complex items. This led on to a relatively 'pure' search study involving materials of varying spatial frequencies. Results were discussed in terms of verbal material generally being of higher spatial frequencies and how the ease of resolution and greater cues available in peripheral vision can result in items being accessed more directly. In the final (relatively applied) study, differences in eye movement indices were found across various fonts used. One main conclusion was that eye movement monitoring was a valuable technique within the visual search/VDU research area in illuminating precise details of performance which otherwise, at best, could only be inferred.
Thin-layer silicon-on-insulator high-voltage PMOS device and application

We present a thin-layer silicon-on-insulator (SOI) high-voltage PMOS device structure and measured performance characteristics. The all-implanted device structure supports voltage by multi-dimensional depletion from a combination of implanted surface pn junctions and MOS capacitor structures formed with multi-level dielectric deposition and metallization. A graded-doped body region has been optimized for application voltages from 100-600 V, and the structure has been evaluated in applications including high-voltage level shifting, low-dissipation bias networks, and high-voltage high-frequency class AB power output stages. The integrated high-voltage PMOS device structure enables low-power, high voltage, and high-speed complementary circuit topologies to be realized in a thin-layer SOI process flow, improving circuit efficiency and expanding the application base for thin-layer technology.
A non-quadratic criterion for stability of forced oscillations

A new test for stability of forced oscillations in nonlinear systems is applied to a marginally stable plant of the second order with a saturated PID-control and a harmonic reference signal. The range of its frequencies and amplitudes that guarantee stability of the forced oscillations is found. This result is used for stability analysis of an aircraft roll angle control system.
Constructing consistent work-life histories: a guide for users of the British Household Panel Survey

This paper assembles existing documentation about the data available from the British Household Panel Survey (BHPS) that can be used to create consistent and complete work-life histories for respondents. It discusses some of the practical and conceptual challenges in deriving consistent work histories from the BHPS data, and documents aspects of the data and its manipulation. It brings together summaries of how other researchers have dealt with the challenges. It also serves to document a newly derived dataset of consistent work life histories. The material in this paper should be seen as a complement to the BHPS Work-Life History files available though the UK Data Archive. It provides background information on the many issues that were dealt with in the creation of those files. The current paper is intended to assist users of the BHPS to understand the inevitable tradeoffs involved in deriving consistent work-life histories, and to make a well-informed judgement about strengths and weaknesses of the Data Archive files for any specific form of analysis. It also provides guidance for enthusiastic users who wish to derive their own versions of the files.
Bibliography of Breakdown Effects in Semiconductors.

Abstract : The bibliographies presented in Appendices A and B of the subject report represent a Collection of technical documents and articles treating subjects related to conduction processes and failure mechanisms in bipolar semiconductors exposed to high amplitude electrical transients. The sources cited in Appendix B deal more directly with the failure phenomenology involved in the damage. Appendix A is divided into sections treating reverse bias processes and forward bias processes. Each of those sections is divided into parts for articles directly related to the topic, indirectly related to the topic, and peripherally related to the topic. Entries in each part are alphabetized according to author. Appendix B is divided into sections treating reverse bias failure, forward bias failure, interconnection failure, and general causes of failure. Each section includes separate parts for materials directly, indirectly, or peripherally related to the topic. Entries in each part are alphabetized according to author. (Author)
Discrete approximations of detonation flows with structured detonation reaction zones by discontinuous front models: A program burn algorithm based on detonation shock dynamics

In the design of explosive systems the generic problem that one must consider is the propagation of a well-developed detonation wave sweeping through an explosive charge with a complex shape. At a given instant of time the lead detonation shock is a surface that occupies a region of the explosive and has a dimension that is characteristic of the explosive device, typically on the scale of meters. The detonation shock is powered by a detonation reaction zone, sitting immediately behind the shock, which is on the scale of 1 millimeter or less. Thus, the ratio of the reaction zone thickness to the device dimension is of the order of 1/1,000 or less. This scale disparity can lead to great difficulties in computing three-dimensional detonation dynamics. An attack on the dilemma for the computation of detonation systems has lead to the invention of sub-scale models for a propagating detonation front that they refer to herein as program burn models. The program burn model seeks not to resolve the fine scale of the reaction zone in the sense of a DNS simulation. The goal of a program burn simulation is to resolve the hydrodynamics in the inert product gases on a grid much coarser than that required to resolve a physical reaction zone. The authors first show that traditional program burn algorithms for detonation hydrocodes used for explosive design are inconsistent and yield incorrect shock dynamic behavior. To overcome these inconsistencies, they are developing a new class of program burn models based on detonation shock dynamic (DSD) theory. It is hoped that this new class will yield a consistent and robust algorithm which reflects the correct shock dynamic behavior.
Development of Process Specifications for Improving the Surface Finish in the Steel Grinding Operation

An aviation firm was facing the problem of 40-50% rework in the components made from nitriding steel. A high grade of surface finish (0.1 mum max.) is required for the mating parts to prevent early wear of the part. A study on 6 machining parameter was conducted using the statistical design of experiment technique. Study helped in determining the optimum process specifications. The results of the confirmatory trial show a consistent high performance centred around . 05 mum against the previous performance of 0.2-0.25 mum. A fractional factorial experiment using the orthogonal array layout developed by Taguchi has helped in establishing the robust process conditions for improving the surface finish of precise mating components. 40-50% of costly rework is eliminated, delay in delivery of components to the assembly line is avoided. The firm saves one million rupees per annum as a result of total elimination of rework.
Broadband achromatic polarization insensitive metalens over 950 nm bandwidth in the visible and near-infrared

Peng Sun (孙 朋), Mengdie Zhang (张梦蝶), Fengliang Dong (董凤良), Liefeng Feng (冯列峰), and Weiguo Chu (褚卫国) 1 Tianjin Key Laboratory of Low Dimensional Materials Physics and Preparing Technology, Department of Applied Physics, School of Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China 2 Nanofabrication Laboratory, CAS Key Laboratory for Nanophotonic Materials and Devices, CAS Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing 100190, China 3 Center of Materials Science and Optoelectronics Engineering, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
Extraction of spectral features of signals under the noisy environment using modification rules and weighting function

This Paper describes the method for effective extraction of spectral features of signals under the noisy environment. Further examination showed that extraction of the features of signals under the noisy environment is possible using modification of spectral envelopes by rule. In this modification method, vanished valleys of spectral envelopes under the noisy environment are recovered. However, the incorrect valleys are sometimes added and the obtained envelopes have bad influences on performance of systems using these features. In this paper, smoothing functions are used for avoiding wrong spectral valleys by rule and the improvement of performance for extraction of spectral features is shown. Four kinds of smoothing functions are defined and evaluated. Experimental results of pattern recognition using proposed spectral parameters are presented.
Effectiveness of Inquiry Training Model over Conventional Teaching Method on Academic Achievement of Science Students in India

This study investigated the effectiveness of Inquiry Training Model over conventional teaching method in teaching physical science at the secondary level of science students. A total of 100 students participated in the study. The author selected the randomized groups, pre-test post-test design in true experimental design. Results revealed a statistically significant effect of Inquiry Training Model (ITM) over conventional teaching method on Academic achievement of students. Based upon the achievement test in physical science (ATPS), teaching of physical science through Inquiry Training Model is more effective than the teaching through the Conventional Method at the secondary level. The ITM model may be advocated as a better tool than the conventional method for teaching Physical Science. However, the work carried out is having certain limitations such as the unit of lesson-plans based on Physical Science was specified only 4 sub-units.
Analysis of Sales Promotion Effects on Household Purchase Behavior

textabstractLinda H. Teunter was born in 1972 in Doetinchem, The Netherlands. She attended the secondary school "Gemeentelijke Scholengemeenschap Doetinchem" in Doetinchem, The Netherlands, from 1984 to 1990. She studied econometrics at the University of Groningen, where she graduated in 1995 on her Master's thesis "Benefit segmentation for the Norwegian mobile telephony market", for which she spent six months in Oslo. Next she started as a Ph.D. candidate at the Faculteit Bedrijfskunde/Rotterdam School of Management of the Erasmus University Rotterdam. She performed research on the effects of sales promotions on household purchase behavior. Linda Teunter has given presentations on this subject in both Europe and North America. During her Ph.D. period, she has given lectures to students about methodology and sales promotions. Furthermore, she has played an active role in several Ph.D. councils. Since September 1999, Linda Teunter is assistant professor of statistics at the Faculteit Bedrijfskunde/Rotterdam School of Management.
The advent of 3-D package age

The three-dimensional (3D) package is one type of multi-die package (MDP). Unlike most MDPs, the dice inside 3D packages are stacked vertically. Although it is not a new concept, 3D packaging has not been widely implemented in mass production until recent years (Sidharth et al. 2000; Gannamani et al. 1999; Kada, 1999). Advanced portable products that require high spatial density as well as performance are driving this technology into a new age. However, without a solid and manufacturable assembly technology, 3D packages will still be too costly to be implemented. In this paper, the challenges in 3D packaging assembly such as backgrinding, die-attach, wire bonding and overmolding are investigated. Also, the cost-performance trade-offs of various 3D packages are discussed.
Using Support Vector Machines for Automatic Mood Tracking in Audio Music

In this paper we propose a solution for automatic mood tracking in audio music, based on supervised learning and classification. To this end, various music clips with a duration of 25 seconds, previously annotated with arousal and valence (AV) values, were used to train several models. These models were used to predict quadrants of the Thayer’s taxonomy and AV values, of small segments from full songs, revealing the mood changes over time. The system accuracy was measured by calculating the matching ratio between predicted results and full song annotations performed by volunteers. Different combinations of audio features, frameworks and other parameters were tested, resulting in an accuracy of 56.3% and showing there is still much room for improvement.
Multistage Dual-Attention Guided Fusion Network for Hyperspectral Pansharpening

Deep learning, especially the convolutional neural network, has been widely applied to solve the hyperspectral pansharpening problem. However, most do not explore the intraimage characteristics and the interimage correlation concurrently due to the limited representation ability of the networks, which may lead to insufficient fusion of valuable information encoded in the high-resolution panchromatic images (HR-PANs) and low-resolution hyperspectral images (LR-HSIs). To cope with this problem, we develop a hyperspectral pansharpening method called multistage dual-attention guided fusion network (MDA-Net) to fully extract the important information and accurately fuse them. It employs a three-stream structure, which enables the network to incorporate the intrinsic characteristics of each input and correlation among them simultaneously. In order to combine as much information as possible, we merge the features extracted from three streams in multiple stages, where a dual-attention guided fusion block (DAFB) with spectral and spatial attention mechanisms is utilized to fuse the features efficiently. It identifies the useful components in both spatial and spectral domains, which are beneficial to improving the fusion accuracy. Moreover, we design a multiscale residual dense block (MRDB) to extract dense and hierarchical features, which improves the representation power of the network. Experiments are conducted on both real and simulated datasets. The evaluation results validate the superiority of the MDA-Net.
Cyclic stretch-induced VEGF expression is mediated by TGF-β in retinal pigment epithelial cells

Background: Vitreomacular adhesion (VMA) has been theorised to be a prospective risk factor for anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) therapy. The mechanisms underlying VMA are not fully understood. Therefore, we investigated whether exposure to cyclic stretch was associated with increasing VEGF and related signalling pathways in vitro. Methods: A cyclic stretch model of adult retinal pigment epithelial cell line-19 (ARPE-19) was conducted using a Flexcell-5000 strain system at a regimen of 10% prolongation stretch (1/2 sine, 1Hz). We observed the effect of cyclic stretch on VEGF and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) by using western blot and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for 3 h, 6 h, 9 h and 12 h. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to measure the secretion of VEGF in the supernatant. To quantitatively detect the angiogenesis capacity of VEGF in vitro, tube formation assay was performed. The effects of TGF-β receptor I inhibitor SB335242 on stretch-induced VEGF protein expression and secretion were evaluated by western blot and ELISA. Components of the p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) in the stretch group were analysed using western blot. Results: We discovered that cultured ARPE-19 undergoing cyclic stretch significantly increased VEGF and TGF-β in a time-dependent manner and tube formation. Stretch-induced VEGF expression was inhibited by TGF-β receptor I inhibitor SB335242. In vitro, we also verified P38 MAPK and JNK expression. In western blot analysis, mechanical stretch evaluated P38 and JNK protein expression. Conclusion: In this study, we first demonstrated that cyclic stretch induces the increasing VEGF through TGF-β in RPE cells. Mechanical stretch stimulates VEGF in a time-dependent manner and maintains angiogenesis ability. It is thus possible that RPE cells under mechanical stretch, such as VMA, may generate high levels of TGF-β. Sequentially, the overexpressed TGF-β stimulates VEGF production, triggering CNV events and aggravating wAMD. Keywords: Mechanical cyclic stretch; vascular endothelial growth factor; retinal pigment epithelium; transforming growth factor-beta; mitogen-activated protein kinase; vitreomacular adhesion.
Winding Losses in High-Current, High-Frequency Transformer Foil Windings with Leakage Layer

High-frequency, high-power transformers are becoming of increasing importance. Such transformers often use foil windings because of their superior thermal properties. Transformers in resonant converters require a specific leakage inductance. The specific leakage inductance value can be obtained by implementation of so called leakage layer. The leakage layer might not influence only the leakage inductance value but also the losses in winding foils. The influence of the leakage layer geometry on the winding losses is discussed in this paper. FEM simulations are used to analyse the influence of several leakage layer configurations and the results are compared with the performance of transformer prototypes. The investigation showed that the leakage layer spanning the whole width of the winding window gives the best results with a relatively simple shape of the layer.
Optimal siting and sizing of intermittent distributed generators in distribution system

Intermittent distributed generators (IDGs), such as distributed wind turbine generator (WTG) and photovoltaic generator (PVG), have been developing rapidly in recent years. The output power of WTG and PVG highly depends on the wind speed and illumination intensity, respectively. There always exist correlations among the wind speed, illumination intensity, and bus load, which could have significant influence on the determination of siting and sizing of IDGs in distribution system. Given this background, a chance‐constrained‐programming‐based IDGs planning model, which can take into account the correlations, is developed in this paper. Latin hypercube sampling technique and Cholesky decomposition are introduced to handle the correlations. A Monte Carlo simulation‐embedded multi‐population differential evolution algorithm is employed to solve the developed model. Case studies carried out on the Baran & Wu 33‐bus distribution system verify the feasibility of the developed model and effectiveness of the proposed solving methodology. © 2015 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.