Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of Michigan Multi-Axle Trucks on Pavement Distress: Volume I – Literature Review and Analysis of In-Service Pavement Performance Data

With the adoption of the new mechanistic-empirical pavement design method and the employment of axle load spectra, the question of evaluating the pavement damage resulting from different axle and truck configurations has become more relevant. In particular, the state of Michigan is unique in permitting several heavy truck axle configurations that are composed of up to 11 axles, sometimes with as many as 8 axles within one axle group. Thus, there is a need to identify the relative pavement fatigue damage resulting from these multiple axle trucks. The unconfined compression cyclic load test with loading cycle that simulate different axle/truck configurations was used to examine their relative effect on permanent deformation of an asphalt mixture. Five different axle configurations and five different truck configurations were studied. Indirect tensile tests were used for studying fatigue cracking of flexible pavements. The laboratory investigation indicates that the rutting damage due to different axle configurations is approximately proportional to the number of axles, indicating that the damage per load carried is constant for individual axles. However, the same is not necessarily true for trucks with different axle configurations. The fatigue life of a typical plain concrete mixture under different truck axle configurations was determined directly from a cyclic four point beam test by using load pulses that are equivalent to the passage of an entire axle group. Full scale slab testing was performed to study joint deterioration in jointed plain concrete pavements. The laboratory investigation indicates that the fatigue damage due to different axle configurations increases with increasing number of axles within an axle group for a given stress ratio.
A novel indirect control methodology for load-leveling of space heating appliances

Demand Side Management (DSM) programs provide utility companies with amethod to shift consumer electricity usages away from peak electricity hours. DSMprograms use alternative appliance usage schemes that maintain their usefulness whileproviding ancillary services for utilities. This thesis aims to develop a linear controlmethodology that can provide signi cant ancillary services for utilities without re-ducing customer comfort.A prototype enclosure was built and equipped with a heater and thermalmeasuring equipment. Data was collected during a 17 hour temperature regulationexperiment using a bang-bang controller similar to those commonly used for residen-tial heating control. An experimental thermal system identi cation methodology wasdeveloped for online system identi cation. First and second order mathematical mod-els were developed for thermal system identi cation. The mathematical models werecalibrated using data collected experimentally and used to estimate the net thermalresistance and capacitance using system identi cation techniques.The enclosure system model was also used to determine if peak power couldbe reduced by slowly varying loads utilizing a di erent type of controller. Two di er-ent linear control techniques (using K-Factor and PI approaches) and the associatedpower electronics circuitry were implemented and tuned in PSpice platform. Both controller systems successfully leveled the load and reduced the peak power demand.Finally the prototype enclosure was modi ed to include a linear controller us-ing an available DC power supply and a buck converter power stage. The PI controlscheme was used with a 60  phase margin for smoother and faster settling charac-teristics. The phase margin was acquired using appropriate linear approximation ofsystem transfer functions. The temperature response of the experimental system wascompared to theoretical responses.
Fast bilateral filter for edge-preserving smoothing

Edge-preserving lowpass filters are a valuable tool in several image processing tasks, including noise reduction and dynamic range compression. A high-quality algorithm is the bilateral filter, but its computational cost is very high. A fast but approximate implementation was introduced by Durand and Dorsey. Introduced are two modifications in this technique which allow further acceleration and a significant increase in quality.
Analysis of Electromagnetic Compatibility Between Radar Stations and 4 GHz Fixed-Satellite Earth Stations

The susceptibility of 3700– to 4200–MHz fixed–satellite service earth stations to interference from radar signals, and the mechanisms by which such interference can occur, are examined. It is shown that interference can occur even if all currently applicable NTIA and FCC spectrum engineering requirements for radar emissions and earth station receiver systems are satisfied. It is further shown that while most interference problems can be resolved by installing appropriate radio frequency (RF) filtering on either the radar transmitter RF output or the earth station RF input, determination of the system that requires filtering depends critically upon the interference coupling mechanism. Methods for determining the interference coupling mechanism are presented.
Use of FBG sensors for the monitoring of cultural heritage structures and monuments Impiego dei sensori FBG per il monitoraggio di beni di interesse storico artistico

ABSTRACT. Fiber Bragg Grating sensors (FBG) are widely used for monitoring the stress states of engineering structures. Due to their fundamental features, primarily their small size, which enables minimal interference with the physical characteristic being measured and the element under investigation, and the very high sensitivity, up to 0.1  (microstrain) for the mechanical deformation and up to 0.1 ° C for temperature changes, these sensors are particularly suitable for long term, real time, observation, of structures at risk, from modern civil buildings to historical and cultural heritage structures. Purpose of this paper is to show two applications of FBG sensors, one on a bronze statues, where were found cracks during the restoration phase. The second application is related to the use of an FBG sensors system to monitor some cracks detected in one of the towers of the Aurelian walls in Rome. In both applications, FBG sensors were applied on cracks, in order to check the deformations induced by known loads applied, on the damaged as well as on the undamaged parts, to evaluate risk that the presence of such cracks represents for the integrity of the statue, for the first case, and for the Aurelian walls for the second case, in the near future. The paper describes the obtained results, suggesting the FBG sensors as a nondestructive investigative tool for a range of key applications on historical heritage interests.
The Simulation and Research of Chaos in Current-Controlled Boost DC / DC Converter

For the non-linear phenomena of the switching power supply, the discrete mathematical model of current-controlled Boost DC/DC converter has been presented in this paper, according to the switch maps. The results of simulation and experiment are derived, and the variable is the current of inductor. The accuracy of the model has been verified by the results of simulation and experiment which reveales the DC / DC converters from the bifurcation and eventually to the phenomenon of chaos. The theoretical basis using or avoiding chaos is provided for the power supply design.
Adaptive Millimeter-Wave and THz Antenna Devices Based on Dielectric Elastomer Actuators

Dynamic reconfiguration of antenna devices is becoming a prime need in emerging telecommunication and remote sensing systems operating in the portion of the electromagnetic (EM) spectrum spanning from millimeter-wave (MMW) to terahertz. Different techniques and materials are currently available for the implementation of a given EM reconfiguration in antenna systems at microwaves andMMW, such as semiconductors, RF-MEMS, Liquid Crystal, and ferroelectrics. However, a common feature to all these technologies is the significant increased loss and complexity with regard to the devices fixed counterpart. Both loss and complexity further increase when high-performance reconfiguration capabilities are addressed atMMWand above, constituting a major limitation to the future deployment of dynamically controllable systems. Advanced performance, low-complexity and low-cost are, therefore, the cornerstones in the development of new technologies for antenna reconfiguration. In this framework, the main objective of this thesis is to contribute to the advancement of low-cost and efficient technologies enabling antenna reconfiguration capabilities fromMMWto THz frequencies. Within this scope, it is proposed the analysis, design and implementation of mechanically reconfigurable devices using dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs). DEAs are an emerging technology that possesses unique properties, and represents a potential alternative to conventionalmechanical reconfiguration schemes. DEAs are especially attractive for their large strain combined with low-costmaterials and fabrication, analog control and near-zero DC power consumption. These characteristics make them particularly suited to the realization of low-cost and low-loss reconfigurable antennas. The high potential of DEAs for the realization of adaptive devices is experimentally validated by the development of different prototypes operating atMMWand THz frequencies: i) a very low-loss true-time-delay phase shifter operating at Ka-band; ii) a Ka-band reconfigurable reflectarray with 1-D beam-scanning capability; iii) a stretchable and beam-scanning THz reflectarray exhibiting the uncommon potential for the implementation of conformal or reconfigurable devices based on mechanical stretching. The designs and concepts demonstrated in this thesis pave the way for the evolution of new DEA-based reconfigurable devices resulting in low-cost, low loss and compact structures.
Modelling and simulation of underwater vehicles

The paper describes an integrated computer simulation package for underwater automation. Underwater vehicles are the main tools in exploring and exploiting subsea resources. As a result of the high cost of off shore tests, computer simulation has gained absolute priority in the process of designing control architectures for unmanned underwater vehicles, and efficient and reliable simulations programs are needed. The main focus of the paper is to the description of a general model for underwater vehicles dynamics, and its implementation as a modular structure in the context of an integrated environment for the development and testing of guidance and control system for underwater autonomous vehicles.
Epigenetics underpins phenotypic plasticity of protandrous sex change in fish

Abstract Phenotypic plasticity is an important driver of species resilience. Often mediated by epigenetic changes, phenotypic plasticity enables individual genotypes to express variable phenotypes in response to environmental change. Barramundi (Lates calcarifer) are a protandrous (male‐first) sequential hermaphrodite that exhibits plasticity in length‐at‐sex change between geographic regions. This plasticity is likely to be mediated by changes in DNA methylation (DNAm), a well‐studied epigenetic modification. To investigate the relationships between length, sex, and DNAm in a sequential hermaphrodite, here, we compare DNAm in four conserved vertebrate sex‐determining genes in male and female barramundi of differing lengths from three geographic regions of northern Australia. Barramundi first mature as male and later sex change to female upon the attainment of a larger body size; however, a general pattern of increasing female‐specific DNAm markers with increasing length was not observed. Significant differences in DNAm between males and females of similar lengths suggest that female‐specific DNAm arises rapidly during sex change, rather than gradually with fish growth. The findings also reveal that region‐specific differences in length‐at‐sex change are accompanied by differences in DNAm and are consistent with variability in remotely sensed sea temperature and salinity. Together, these findings provide the first in situ evidence for epigenetically and environmentally mediated sex change in a protandrous hermaphrodite and offer significant insight into the molecular and ecological processes governing the marked and unique plasticity of sex in fish.
The Situation of Households on the Energy Market in the European Union: Consumption, Prices, and Renewable Energy

Energy plays a crucial role in the modern world. The acquisition and consumption of energy is unfortunately associated not only with economic development or the facilitation of everyday life, but also with a negative impact on the environment. To prevent these, measures are being taken which are part of a broad programme referred to as sustainable energy development (SED). A special place among energy consumers is occupied by households, as access to energy is a fundamental factor affecting the quality of life. The aim of this paper is to look at and assess the current situation of the household sector in the EU energy market in the context of SED and to point out similarities and differences between EU countries. The analysis considers factors based on SED indicators: final energy consumption per capita, energy prices offered to households, and the share of renewable energy in household energy consumption. The k-means method was used as a research tool. The results obtained indicate first of all that the EU countries are highly differentiated in terms of the analysed factors. It can be said that these differences result not only from the wealth of a given country, geographical location, or natural possibilities to use renewable energy sources, but mainly from the energy policies implemented in individual countries.
Urban water demand forecasting and uncertainty assessment using ensemble wavelet‐bootstrap‐neural network models

A new hybrid wavelet‐bootstrap‐neural network (WBNN) model is proposed in this study for short term (1, 3, and 5 day; 1 and 2 week; and 1 and 2 month) urban water demand forecasting. The new method was tested using data from the city of Montreal in Canada. The performance of the WBNN method was compared with the autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) and autoregressive integrated moving average model with exogenous input variables (ARIMAX), traditional NNs, wavelet analysis‐based NNs (WNN), bootstrap‐based NNs (BNN), and a simple naïve persistence index model. The WBNN model was developed as an ensemble of several NNs built using bootstrap resamples of wavelet subtime series instead of raw data sets. The results demonstrated that the hybrid WBNN and WNN models produced significantly more accurate forecasting results than the traditional NN, BNN, ARIMA, and ARIMAX models. It was also found that the WBNN model reduces the uncertainty associated with the forecasts, and the performance of WBNN forecasted confidence bands was found to be more accurate and reliable than BNN forecasted confidence bands. It was found in this study that maximum temperature and total precipitation improved the accuracy of water demand forecasts using wavelet analysis. The performance of WBNN models was also compared for different numbers of bootstrap resamples (i.e., 25, 50, 100, 200, and 500) and it was found that WBNN models produced optimum results with different numbers of bootstrap resamples for different lead time forecasts with considerable variability.
The analysis of a mixed steam-gas aero derivativeturbine

An analysis is done by the use of thermodynamics for an aero derivative gas turbine which utilizes steam injection to increase its efficiency. This type of cycle is known as the steam injected gas turbine cycle. The main purpose of this research was to develop a better understanding of how optimal cycle efficiency is reached, for which the steam of injection is generated by use of the turbine exhaust heat. A model has been developed using the software Engineering Equation Solver to simulate the simple gas turbine, steam generation and effects after steam injection. Input parameters for the model are taken for the GE LM6000 turbine as provided by General Electric. Turbine property results are compared with literature for validation and show the same characteristic behaviour. Several parameter influences are visualized and explained. It has been found that this type of cycle shows a very specific point where the efficiency is the highest. By using steam injection for the chosen turbine and parameters an efficiency gains of around 11% and power augmentation of 45% is possible to be achieved.
An Ergonomic Assessment of Manual Planting Pinus Radiata Seedlings

Abstract This report summarises findings of an ergonomic evaluation of manual planting under three different site conditions. Heart rate data were collected and analysed using several heart rate indices. The three sites did not differ greatly, producing mean working heart rates that ranged from 132.7 bt.min-1 (± 16.2) to 134.9 bt.min-1 (± 13.8). Results indicate that manually planting Pinus radiata seedlings on all three sites can be classified as “hard continuous work” or “very heavy work”. Planters maintained similar mean working heart rates for all three sites by decreasing productivity as planting conditions became more difficult. Body part discomfort was only experienced when planting on pasture, where slight to severe discomfort was reported 48% of the time. Hazard occurrence was low for all three site conditions.
Matrix converter technology in doubly-fed induction generators for wind generators

Wind generator technologies have been widely researched and documented. Modern wind generator systems are now being implemented with an output power of up to 5 MVA. They adopt power electronic control systems which allow the system to operate with a wide range of turbine shaft speeds, as well as with Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) algorithms to maximise the energy delivery to the power system. Despite the extensive development, maximum power transfer from the total available power in the wind gusts to the grid is limited by the mechanical and electrical losses in the generation process. A Doubly-Fed Induction Generator (DFIG) uses a two stage power converter process in the rotor circuit which contributes to the electrical losses in the system. By adopting a Matrix Converter (MC), the electrical losses may be reduced as the power conversation is conducted as a single stage process. This thesis presents existing variable speed generator technologies with a focus on DFIG systems. Based on this research, an alternative design for a DFIG control system using an MC is developed and analysed. The work begins with the presentation of existing DFIG systems using back-toback PWM converters connected between the rotor circuit and the grid. The study examines MC technology and the application of current commutation techniques to MC systems. A non-ideal MC model and commutation controller is developed in the PSCADr / EMTDC environment. Simulation and analysis are conducted on the MC system connected to a passive load to determine its suitability for application in DFIG systems.
Packaging aspects of the Jitney parallel optical interconnect

The Jitney parallel optical interconnect is a prototype 20-channel wide, low cost data link, designed for operation at speeds up to one Gbyte/s over distances approaching 100 meters. The package is based on (1) an inexpensive overmolded leadframe, (2) passive optical alignment, and (3) plastic molded parts. The packaging challenges in the fabrication of the components, their assembly, and in the achievement of the performance goals are described.
Government at a Glance 2019

Government at a Glance provides reliable, internationally comparative data on government activities and their results in OECD countries. Where possible, it also reports data for Brazil, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, India, Indonesia, the Russian Federation and South Africa. In many public governance areas, it is the only available source of data. It includes input, process, output and outcome indicators as well as contextual information for each country.
Three-Level DC-DC Converter: Four Switches V smax =V in /2, TL Voltage Waveform before LC Filter

Novel TL DC-DC Converter is proposed, which utilized four series connected switching device and two blocking capacitors to provided middle electrical levels. The voltage stress on each switch is V in /2. Three levels can be applied before output inductor, and as a result the value of output inductance can be reduced to 1/2 compared with traditional Full Bridge DC-DC converter. With output frequency double control the value of output inductance can be reduced 50% further as conventional TL converter. The principle of operation and the dc characteristics of the new converter are analyzed and verified on a 100W experimental prototype.
Analytical evaluation of the asymptotic impedance matrix of a uniaxial substrate with roof-top functions

An asymptotic technique is presented to solve the asymptotic part of the impedance matrix in the spectral domain for printed circuit structures on a uniaxial substrate by using roof-top subdomain expansions. The infinite double integral of the asymptotic part of the impedance matrix is reduced to a finite one-dimensional integral by performing the integral transform technique. The efficiency and accuracy of the proposed method are compared with those of the conventional method, and it is demonstrated that the proposed method reduce the computation and improve the accuracy for the anisotropic uniaxial case.
Load modification: a unified approach for generating-capacity reliability evaluation and production-cost modelling

The paper illustrates a unified probability technique entitled the `load-modification method' to evaluate generating-capacity reliability. The method is essentially a process of modifying a given load-duration curve with a generating-capacity distribution to give an equivalent load model. The technique presented has the unique ability of maintaining the identity of each individual generating unit in the system throughout the calculation process. This makes the method capable of incorporating the limited energy characteristics of hydro stations or other facilities in the analysis. The technique developed has also been utilised to incorporate load-forecast uncertainty considerations and extended to include interconnected systems in the evaluation. The paper describes and illustrates the approach in single and interconnected systems by simple numerical system examples. Selected studies using the IEEE reliability test system are conducted to illustrate the application of the method.
The application of self-validation to wireless sensor networks

Self-validation is a valuable tool for extending the operating range of sensing systems and making them more robust. Wireless sensor networks suffer many limitations meaning that their efficacy could be greatly improved by self-validation techniques. We present two independently developed data analysis techniques and demonstrate that they can be applied to a wireless sensor network. Using an acoustic ranging application we demonstrate an improvement of more than ten-fold in the uncertainty of a single measurement where multiple sensor readings are appropriately combined. We also demonstrate that of the two methods for determining a largest consistent subset one is more rigorous in dealing with correlation, and the other more suited to time-series data.