Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mission planning and navigation support for lunar and planetary exploration

When mankind returns to the moon and eventually voyages to Mars, the ability to effectively carry out surface extra-vehicular activities (EVAs) will be critical to overall mission success. This thesis investigates improving planetary EVAs via a support system to enable optimized mission operations. In order to develop a robustly effective aid capable of performing under the high time pressure, risk, and uncertainty inherent in space exploration, key surface operation factors are examined to understand to best fit role of automated support within complex, changing exploration situations. A detailed characterization of the makeup and challenges of planetary surface EVAs was used to establish a specific framework for maximizing the productivity of these missions. Recognizing the need for automated support in achieving such optimal performance, the presentation of methods by which all pertinent mission factors may be quantitatively modeled led to creation of a comprehensive automated mission support architecture. Based on this analysis and motivated by ongoing field testing, a prototype mission support system was developed with twofold intent: both for pre-mission planning and simulation as well as for real-time explorer navigation and re-planning. The prototype presents an intuitive interface where controllers may quickly represent a broad range of mission parameters and scenarios in order to determine a best course of action for immediate execution. Specifically, this system optimizes explorer traverses with respect to given cost functions via a novel implementation of the A* search algorithm. Developed plans may further be linked to a global positioning system to empower real-time team navigation. Through the completion of experimental EVA simulations involving physical explorers on a remote terrain jointly controlled by a multi-university team, the developed system was shown to robustly respond to situational updates and contingencies to maintain optimal mission performance in near real-time, offering enhanced functionality where preceding systems fell short. The analysis closes with a discussion on the opportunities for such a system as well as potential areas for further improvement. Thesis Supervisor: Dava J. Newman Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics & Engineering Systems Director, Technology and Policy Program
Inductance calculations; methods and equations

Methods for calculating the external inductance of parts of a transmission line are compared. The differences and resemblances of these basic methods are discussed. Closed form equations for several structures, as found in the literature, are given. Furthermore, closed form relations for flat rectangular conductors, with holes or slits, different shapes, are developed and compared with results, if available, presented in the literature. We are particularly interested in the effective external inductance of a part of a transmission line because this inductance is the main cause of a ground noise (or drop, shift, lift) voltage, leading to common mode radiation.
Improved 10GBase-LX4 limiting amplifier in a low-cost 0.18 μm CMOS technology

This work overcomes the limitations of a previous work by using three high frequency compensation techniques: polezero cancellation, shunt-peaking and downscaling. By considering these strategies, a fully integrated limiting amplifier in a low-cost 0.18 μm CMOS digital process is introduced. This design improves the original design without inductors and without local multi-feedback loops obtaining a compact, stable and robust design perfectly intended for low-voltage applications.
Multiple Mode Vibration Suppression in Controlled Flexible Systems

Prior research has led to the development of input command shapers that can reduce residual vibration in single- or multiple-mode flexible systems. We present a method for the development of multiple-mode shapers which are simpler to implement and produce smaller response delays than previous designs. An MIT / NASA experimental flexible structure, MACE, is employed as a test article for the validation of the new shaping method. We examine the results of tests conducted on simulations of MACE. The new shapers are shown to be effective in suppressing multiple-mode vibration, even in the presence of mild kinematic and dynamic non-linearities.
Grid integration and smart grid implementation of emerging technologies in electric power systems through approximate dynamic programming

A key hurdle for implementing real-time pricing of electricity is a lack of con-sumers’ responses. Solutions to overcome the hurdle include the energy management system that automatically optimizes household appliance usage such as plug-in hybrid electric vehicle charging (and discharging with vehicle-to-grid) via a two-way com-munication with the grid. Real-time pricing, combined with household automation devices, has a potential to accommodate an increasing penetration of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. In addition, the intelligent energy controller on the consumer-side can help increase the utilization rate of the intermittent renewable resource, as the demand can be managed to match the output proﬁle of renewables, thus making the intermittent resource such as wind and solar more economically competitive in the long run. One of the main goals of this dissertation is to present how real-time retail pricing, aided by control automation devices, can be integrated into the wholesale electricity market under various uncertainties through approximate dynamic programming. What distinguishes this study from the existing work in the literature is that whole-sale electricity prices are endogenously determined as we solve a system operator’s economic dispatch problem on an hourly basis over the entire optimization horizon. This modeling and algorithm framework will allow a feedback loop between electricity prices and electricity consumption to be fully captured. While we are interested in a near-optimal solution using approximate dynamic programming; deterministic linear programming benchmarks are use to demonstrate the quality of our solutions.The other goal of the dissertation is to use this framework to provide numerical ev-idence to the debate on whether real-time pricing is superior than the current ﬂat rate structure in terms of both economic and environmental impacts. For this pur-pose, the modeling and algorithm framework is tested on a large-scale test case with hundreds of power plants based on data available for California, making our ﬁndings useful for policy makers, system operators and utility companies to gain a concrete understanding on the scale of the impact with real-time pricing.
Evaluation Of The I-110 Corridor Smart Card Demonstration Project

This report presents an evaluation of the Phase II Smart Card Demonstration Project, the goal of which is to develop a transit fare payment system for commercialization that will improve transit efficiency and effectiveness. The major focus of the project is the testing of selected technologies in revenue service. Two types of fare payment cards were selected: a contactless radio frequency (RF) card and a contact card. The advanced fare payment system includes passenger transaction units installed on buses and the associated control and communications system. The evaluation covers the following areas: functional performance of hardware and software components, impacts on transit management, operations and efficiency, transit passenger responses and perceptions, and institutional and organizational issues related to the planning and implementation of the Field Operational Test.
An analysis of mobile information and communications technologies in Telecom Namibia: an integration architecture

The purpose of this study is to analyze Mobile Information Communications Technologies (M-ICT) usage and recommend an integration architecture to Telecom Namibia (TN). The major problem of the research was the current usage of mobile technologies and the benefits of integration M-ICT in TN. The specific objectives are to assess the risk posed by the usage of mobile technologies to TN and to recommend suitable integration architecture for M-ICT in TN. The study is a quantitative research which investigates the current usage levels and possible use cases of M-ICT by TN employees. The positivist research strategy was used for the quantitative non-experimental research survey that includes the gathering and analysis of quantitative data for the study. The data received from respondents was captured in Survey Tracker software, extracted in . SAV file format and imported into SPSS for further analysis. The responses to all items was classified and tabulated in different categories using the IBM SPSS 20 software. The coded data was analyzed by means of One-Way Anova at significance level of . 05 in order to determine the relationship of the variables. Significant variables to the study were identified and interpreted accordingly and where possible linked to literature review to gain a full understanding from both primary research data and secondary research. The finding of the study showed that there is a high risk of sensitive information leaking from the company due to corporate data being accessed from mobile device. It is
Estimates for L^1-vector fields with a second order condition

An estimate on the integral of the product of a vector field f ∈ L(R ;R2N−1) and a function u ∈ W (R ) when f satisfies a condition involving the sum of some secondorder derivatives. This generalizes a previous result concerning vector fields whose divergence is a summable function [1, 3]. A relationship between this inequality and a Korn–Sobolev inequality of Strauss [2] is established.
Toward the end of the MOSFET roadmap : investigating fundamental transport limits and device architecture alternatives

MOSFET scaling and performance has progressed rapidly in recent years, with physical gate lengths for electrostatically sound devices reaching 30 nm or below: near the prospective scaling limits for traditional bulk MOSFETs. This work investigates several key issues for this "end of roadmap" regime. Focus is on understanding the limitations to carrier velocity in MOSFET inversion layers as channel lengths are scaled well below 100 nm, and on relaxing these limits through architectural alternatives to bulk MOSFETs. It has been proposed that drain current is ultimately limited by the rate at which carriers can be thermally injected from the source into the channel. In this work it is shown that commonly used techniques for experimentally determining carrier velocity are insufficient to determine how close modem MOSFETs operate to this ballistic or "thermal limit". A new technique is proposed, and applied to two advanced industry technologies with deep-sub-100-nm channel lengths. It is shown that a IV NMOS technology with Leff < 50 nm operates at no more than-40% of the limiting thermal velocity. Furthermore, no indication is found that continued scaling is bringing us closer to the thermal velocity limit. Via simulation, the relationship between mobility and scaling is investigated for bulk silicon NMOSFETs and FDSOI (Fully-Depleted Silicon-On-Insulator) alternatives, focusing on the 50 and 25 nm Leff generations. Scaling of bulk MOSFETs well below 100 nm Leff requires heavy channel doping, leading to degraded low-field mobility. Provided that the gate workfunction is used to determined the threshold voltage, FDSOI devices do not suffer from this trade-off, by virtue of the fact that their channel can be undoped. It is shown that single-gate FDSOI is, accordingly , an attractive alternative down to 50 nm Leff. For deeper scaling, double-gate FDSOI should have approximately a 3X mobility advantage over bulk NMOS. With careful determination of channel length, inversion-layer charge, and series resistance, it is possible to study experimentally the relation between channel length and mobility in deep-sub-100-nm MOSFETs. With the aid of inverse modeling techniques, evidence is found that in the very shortest modern MOSFETs, mobility is less then would be expected from "universal" mobility , and independent of transverse field. This may be indicative of a transition in the dominant scattering mechanism, from surface-to Coulomb-scattering. 3 The relevance of low-field mobility to the performance of deep-sub-100-nm MOSFETs is not well understood. In this work this relationship is studied experimentally: mobility (with low …
Molecular signature of gastric cancer progression in clinical using whole genome sequencing and the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) analysis

Background: The stomach adenocarcinoma (STAD) is one of the most common malignancies and the 5-year survival rate of patients is very low. Therefore, clarify the whole mechanism of STAD in the molecular biology level is an urgent need to get a better prognostic outcome of STAD patients. Methods: Two gastric cancer and two adjacent tissues from two STAD patients were subjected to whole genome sequencing (WGS). Based on the comparison of the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and our own WGS data of STAD, the survival prognosis and the shared single nucleotide variant (SNV) were analyzed. Results: W e identified a total of 1,191 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between gastric cancer and adjacent tissues which are mainly enriched in the DNA replication, cell adhesion, digestive tract development, and serine-type peptidase activity pathway or related functions. Moreover, high levels of proline rich 15 like (PRR15L), human riboflavin transporter-3 (SLC52A3) and spindle and kinetochore associated complex subunit 1 (SKA1) were positively correlated with the high survival rate . The amplifications in 9p, 17q, 19q, and deletions in 4q, 6p, and 18q were more significant than other chromosomes. In addition, TTN, MUC16, and FLG showed the expression changed in most samples in TCGA STAD data and our own samples. Conclusions: PRR15L and SLC52A3 were the potential prognostic biomarkers for STAD. TTN, MUC16, and FLG were upregulated and related to cancer development in STAD, these genes may serve as potential targets for gene therapy in STAD.
MICROSCOPIC USE-WEAR ANALYSIS: A Basic Introduction on How to Reconstruct the Functions of Stone Tools

All remains produced by humans are called artefacts. For prehistoric archaeologists the most important artefacts were made of stone. Stones are usually hard and resistable, especially those used by prehistoric men to make tools. While most organic materials may disappear during time, under "regular" geological conditions stone tools will last over millions of years. Thus, they contain most of the informations archaeologists get from prehistoric life. Over 99% of the time span humans exist, stones played a major role to fulfill almost all functions necessary for subsistence. They were used for cutting, scraping, carving, boring, grinding and more. All the functions today metal is used for were formerly done with stones. The first stone tools which appear at least 3 million years ago had a simple design and were made from pebbles or rocks. Beside flakes they are so-called choppers or chopping tools. Because of some disadvantages, especially the less to control cleavage, prehistoric humans learned to choose silicate rocks like quartzite, radiolarite, chert or flintstone. They showed both great hardness and sharpness and good cleavage qualities.
Association of Escherichia Coli 0157:H7 in Flocs: Role of Extracellular Polymeric Substances and Fate of Pathogenic Organisms

In North America, Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7 has been frequently associated with outbreaks of food-borne and water-borne infection. The association of E. coli O157:H7 to flocs is hypothesized to be a potential mechanism of transport and survival in natural environments. This study examines this hypothesis with a focus on the role of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) and on E. coli O157:H7 survival/pathogenicity in an aquatic environment. The floc characterization experiment indicted that EPS play a significant role in floc stability. The EPS distribution experiment revealed abundant hydrophobic protein throughout the floc, which contributed to floc stability and microbial adhesion. In examining the survivability of E. coli O157:H7 in a low nutrient water sample for 10-day incubation, more floc-adherent E. coli O157:H7 survived than the free-living form since EPS provided protection, nutrients and stable sites for survival. Surviving E. coli O157:H7 exhibited both decreased host adhesion ability and ª-actinin accumulation; however, their infection ability was not affected. This suggests that low nutrient levels did not affect pathogenicity over 10 days in this study.
WebCT supported preparation for cytology practical classes in veterinary science

We have implemented on-line learning activities for cytology based on the understanding that flexible and adaptable learning situations which engage students to participate in and contribute to a learning community are the primary goal of education (Collis and Moonen 2001; Palloff and Pratt 1999). A flexible and interactive approach to learning in cytology aims to address specifically students’ preparation for practical classes and their development of graduate attributes. Furthermore, the development of a learning community in the first three weeks of the degree assists in the first year transition from secondary to tertiary education.
Pioneering Spirit: Examining the Motives and Experiences of Non-SBAE Students Majoring in Agricultural Education

With the national shortage of school-based agricultural education (SBAE) teachers and subsequent shortage of skilled workers in food, agriculture, and natural resources careers, more expansive recruitment and retention efforts are needed. Traditionally, preservice teachers in agricultural education originate from within SBAE, yet, some non-SBAE students still find their way to the agricultural education major with a desire to become SBAE teachers. The purpose of this bounded single case study was to understand the lived experiences of non-SBAE high school students majoring in agricultural education; specifically, the motives for majoring in agricultural education and the unique challenges associated with it. Documents were collected and interviews and observations over the course of one year were utilized to gather and analyze data. Researchers identified four major themes emerging from the data: a) Non-SBAE students are motivated by altruistic, intrinsic, and extrinsic values (three subthemes); b) non-SBAE pre-service teachers face common and unique challenges (two subthemes); c) faculty support is critical for persistence in the major; and d) non-SBAE students approach their career with uncertainty and caution. Implications and recommendations related to recruitment of youth and retention of non-SBAE preservice agriculture teachers are discussed.
Coupled simulation of ground shaking and tsunami for mega-thrust subduction earthquakes

A novel framework for concurrently simulating strong motions and tsunami waves is developed. It explicitly considers the dependency of both hazard processes on common source characteristics. The earthquake source properties are modeled stochastically, incorporating various sources of uncertainties. The developed computational procedure is applied to the Mw9 2011 Tohoku, Japan earthquake. Numerical examples of the coupled simulations of strong motion and tsunami highlight the major impact of source characteristics on strong motion and tsunami hazard parameters. The investigations also provide valuable insights in understanding the spatial impact of cascading earthquake hazards. Such an advanced numerical tool is necessary for assessing the performance of buildings and coastal infrastructure that are subjected to cascading hazards triggered by large subduction earthquakes.
Evaluation of a Variable Rate Application System for Site-Specific Weed Management

The objective of this study was to evaluate the ability of a conventional spray system adapted for VRA to successfully apply herbicides in a site-specific manner. A tractor mounted, VRA spraying system was constructed with commercially available equipment during the spring of 2003. The sprayer was equipped with 568 L tank and a 7.6 m boom with Spraying Systems Turbo TeeJet 11002, 11003, and 11004 nozzles mounted on 15, three-position nozzle bodies spaced 51 cm. The sprayer controller was a Raven SCS 440 with serial interface. To attain automatic product shutoff, the controller used a fast-close control valve placed on the 2.5 cm main product line located after the flow meter. A sprayermounted radar was used to monitor speed. A Trimble AgGPS 132 using Coast Guard differential correction communicated the sprayer’s location to a CompaqTM IpaqTM 3850 running Farmworks Farm Site Mate VRA software. Farm Site Mate VRA transmitted recommended rates from a prescription map to the sprayer controller and logged actual application data. Field studies were conducted during 2003 and 2004 on nine different fields throughout Kansas using a reduced rate preemergence and/or postemergence VRA with prescribed rates being applied by changing sprayer volume. Errors associated with the VRA were noted. The VRA sprayer was calibrated to center the 1.5 to 2.8 m transition zone between the 7.6 by 7.6 m grid cells. Usually the transition zone consisted of a smooth increase or decrease in herbicide rate, except a rate spike was noted in situations when the prescribed rate changed from off to on. Additionally, heavy residue and/or plant canopy interfered with the radar’s ability to determine speed resulting in increased or decreased application rates. Even with these errors, research results demonstrated that weed patches could be managed using commercially available VRA technology.
Time domain measurement of complex-permittivity and complex permeability of materials

Time domain measurement of complex permittivity and complex permeability is considered. Two methods are presented for measuring. measuring in the 2 to 18 GHz frequency band using a horn antenna and measuring in a coaxial waveguide. Some modifications of measurement scheme for the determination of permittivity and permeability are presented and considered, the required formulas obtained in every case. The measurement results of the complex permittivity and complex permeability for some types of probes are presented.