Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Energy detection of unknown deterministic signals

By using Shannon's sampling formula, the problem of the detection of a deterministic signal in white Gaussian noise, by means of an energy-measuring device, reduces to the consideration of the sum of the squares of statistically independent Gaussian variates. When the signal is absent, the decision statistic has a central chi-square distribution with the number of degrees of freedom equal to twice the time-bandwidth product of the input. When the signal is present, the decision statistic has a noncentral chi-square distribution with the same number of degrees of freedom and a noncentrality parameter λ equal to the ratio of signal energy to two-sided noise spectral density. Since the noncentral chi-square distribution has not been tabulated extensively enough for our purpose, an approximate form was used. This form replaces the noncentral chi-square with a modified chi-square whose degrees of freedom and threshold are determined by the noncentrality parameter and the previous degrees of freedom. Sets of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves are drawn for several time-bandwidth products, as well as an extended nomogram of the chi-square cumulative probability which can be used for rapid calculation of false alarm and detection probabilities. Related work in energy detection by J. I. Marcum and E. L Kaplan is discussed.
Modeling of Crack Depths in Digital Images of Concrete Pavements Using Optical Reflection Properties

Digital image-based automated pavement crack detection and classification technology has seen vast improvements in the recent years. Although crack lengths and widths can be evaluated using state-of-the-art software with a reasonable accuracy, no reported evidence is found in extending this technology to evaluate crack depths. As a supplement to the existing technology, additional information relevant to pavement crack severity could be revealed by the optical modeling of the image formation process and the subsequent analysis of the variation in pixel intensity profiles within images. A preliminary study was carried out to model the digital image formation of cracked concrete pavements based on the bidirectional reflection distribution function. This study was specifically focused on the optical modeling of shallow longitudinal and transverse cracks as well as joints of concrete pavements using the variation of reflection properties at surface discontinuities. Surface discontinuities were considered to b.
Analysis of disturbance observer-based control systems via spherical polynomials

Robustness analysis of disturbance observer (DOB)-based control systems under parametric uncertainty is addressed in this study. A spherical polynomial family-based approach is adopted to analyse how much uncertainty can be tolerated, and to capture a unified framework for different cases including non-minimum phase plant and different nominal and perturbed plant structures. Results are validated using the value set concept for spherical polynomial families. The study has shown that if the relative degrees of the perturbed plant and the nominal plant are equal, then robustness is achievable even if the plant model is low order. Although non-minimum phase zeros limit the selection of DOB bandwidth, the robustness margin can be exactly determined for a given DOB bandwidth. Furthermore, it is shown that when the plant numerator and denominator have uncertain parameters, the robustness margin is not increased as with the DOB filter bandwidth in general.
Generation curtailment to manage voltage constraints in distribution networks

The issue of congestion management in distribution networks by considering a methodology for generation curtailment due to voltage constraints is addressed. The curtailment is based on the contribution of generators to the constraints as quantified by voltage-sensitivity factors. It has been shown that generation curtailment following a simple proportionality rule is not efficient and some alternatives, which give a more efficient outcome, have been proposed. Influence of network losses on the curtailment rules has also been shown. The considerations have been illustrated using two simple 11 kV networks
The nature of defect size distributions in semiconductor processes

The combination of a small static random access memory (SRAM) and a test element group (TEG) has been shown to be an effective yield monitor for VLSI. Defects at all process levels are easily isolated, detected, and characterized through bit mapping and visual inspection. This not only provides an effective means for defect control at all process levels but also provides a unique opportunity to study the defect size distribution as a function of process and level. Defect size distributions have been measured for various process levels using a 1.25- mu m CMOS SRAM/TEG yield monitor. These data have been analyzed with nonlinear regression techniques and show that the best-fit model for the defect distribution is bimodal and not a simple inverse power law, as is usually thought. The nature of the bimodal distribution has been examined on a level-by-level basis as well as on a sublevel basis in terms of specific process operation. Evaluated in this manner, the resulting defect distribution is clearly shown to be highly dependent on the facility, process, and processing equipment. Near best-fit models with simple inverse power laws show smaller power law defect distributions than are generally presented in the literature. The implications of these results with regard to yield modeling for product and technology projections are discussed. <<ETX>>
Incremental Value of Genotype Bins over the HAS-BLED Score for the Prediction of Bleeding Risk in Warfarin-Treated Patients with Atrial Fibrillation

Background This study aimed to analyse the role of the HAS-BLED score with the addition of genotype bins for bleeding risk prediction in warfarin-treated patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Methods and Results Consecutive patients with AF on initial warfarin treatment were recruited. For each patient, CYP2C9∗3 and VKORC1-1639 A/G genotyping was performed to create 3 genotype functional bins. The predictive values of the HAS-BLED score with or without the addition of genotype bins were compared. According to the carrier status of the genotype bins, the numbers of normal, sensitive, and highly sensitive responders among 526 patients were 64 (12.17%), 422 (80.23%), and 40 (7.60%), respectively. A highly sensitive response was independently associated with clinically relevant bleeding (HR: 3.85, 95% CI: 1.88–7.91, P=0.001) and major bleeding (HR:3.75, 95% CI: 1.17–11.97, P=0.03). With the addition of genotype bins, the performance of the HAS-BLED score for bleeding risk prediction was significantly improved (c-statistic from 0.60 to 0.64 for clinically relevant bleeding and from 0.64 to 0.70 for major bleeding, P < 0.01). Using the integrated discriminatory, net reclassification improvement, and decision curve analysis, the HAS-BLED score plus genotype bins could perform better in predicting any clinically relevant bleeding than the HAS-BLED score alone. Conclusions Genotypes have an incremental predictive value when combined with the HAS-BLED score for the prediction of clinically relevant bleeding in warfarin-treated patients with AF.
E6.4 - H2S detection utilizing percolation effects in copper oxide

A new type of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) sensor based on a (chemical) phase transformation in copper oxide (CuO; p-type semiconductor) is presented. Layers of electrospun copper oxide fibers show dosimeter-type behavior if exposed to highly diluted H2S at operating temperature of 170 °C. The conductance of these layers remains nearly constant for a certain time period (latency time) after which the conductance increases over several orders of magnitude. The latency time shows a linear dependence on the reciprocal H2S concentration; consequently the layers are acting as dosimeter. The presented sensor shows a switching point at a dose of ca. 210 ppm*s. The effect is reversible; operating the fiber network at 350 °C in air leads to a recovery of the initial conductance; higher doses can therefore be detected by cyclic operation mode. As could be shown the observed behavior is due to the formation of copper sulfide clusters (CuS; degenerate p-type semiconductor) on the outer face of the CuO-fibers. As long as the CuS clusters are disjunct the conductance is not changed effectively. After reaching a critical CuS cluster concentration (percolation threshold) a percolation network is formed. The conductance increases as a function of time and follows a power law for several orders of magnitude, which is in accordance with theoretical model.
Trust in researchers and researchers' statements in large carnivore conservation

1. Human– wildlife interactions occur when humans and wildlife overlap in the same landscapes. Due to the growing human population, the number of interactions will continue to increase, and in some cases, develop further into social conflicts. Conflicts may occur between people disagreeing about wildlife conservation or arguing over which wildlife management measures should be taken. Social con - flicts between humans are based on different attitudes, values and land-use aspi - rations. The success of solving these social conflicts strongly depends on building trust between the public, stakeholders, authorities and researchers, as trust is fundamental to all communication and dialogue. 2. Here we have examined how trust in large carnivore research differs within a geo - graphically stratified sample of the Norwegian population. The comprehensive survey, including 2,110 respondents, allows us to explore how people perceive factual statements about large carnivores depending on the source of these state - ments. Specifically, the respondents were given multiple statements and asked to judge them in terms of meaning
A New Integrated Active EMI Filter Topology With Both CM Noise and DM Noise Attenuation

Integration of electromagnetic interference (EMI) filters is a good idea to further decrease the volume and weight of a power converter. However, the conventional research articles mainly focus on the integration of passive components or planar printed circuit board structures. This article proposes a new integrated active EMI filter (AEF) topology. It can attenuate both common-mode (CM) and differential-mode (DM) noise at the same time. Different from the traditional discrete CM AEFs and DM AEFs, noise sensing and cancelation of this proposed topology are performed simultaneously. The working principle and special features of this topology are analyzed in detail. Based upon the theoretical analysis, the insertion loss of this integration topology is close to the traditional separated CM AEFs or DM AEFs. Besides fewer components and dc power supply are demanded. A prototype is built and tested through experiments. Experimental results derived on standard test board and practical converter show good agreement to theoretical analysis.
Driver's fatigue detection based on yawning extraction

The increasing number of traffic accidents is principally caused by fatigue. In fact, the fatigue presents a real danger on road since it reduces driver capacity to react and analyze information. In this paper we propose an efficient and nonintrusive system for monitoring driver fatigue using yawning extraction. The proposed scheme uses face extraction based support vector machine (SVM) and a new approach for mouth detection, based on circular Hough transform (CHT), applied on mouth extracted regions. Our system does not require any training data at any step or special cameras. Some experimental results showing system performance are reported. These experiments are applied over real video sequences acquired by low cost web camera and recorded in various lighting conditions.
Differential Second Primary Malignancy Occurrence After Breast Cancer According to HER2 Status: A Population-Based Study

Purpose Our study aims to analyze the association between HER2 status of breast cancer (BC) and second primary malignancy (SPM) occurrence. Materials and Methods Based on BC patients registered between 2010 and 2018 in the NCI SEER database, we utilized standardized incidence ratio (SIR) and Poisson regression to quantify SPM occurrence compared with the general population. Then, adjusted for competing death risk, cumulative incidence function and Gray’s test were adopted to estimate the probability of SPM. Subsequent proportional subdistribution hazards regression was executed to identify the HER2 status impact on SPM risk. Finally, survival analysis was performed. Results A total of 409,796 first BC patients were included and 18,283 were identified with at least one SPM. The SIR of SPM after HER2+ BC was significantly lower than HER2- BC (1.03 vs 1.13; RR, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.88–0.96; p<0.001). The predominantly declining SPM risk was only observed for second BC (RR, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.82–0.96; p=0.003) and lung cancer (RR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.74–0.95; p=0.007). Furthermore, competing risk analysis verified the protective effect of HER2 positivity status on SPM occurrence. The 5-year cumulative incidence of SPM following HER2+ and HER2- BC were 4.09% and 5.16%, respectively (p<0.001). In addition, among patients suffering from SPM, HER2 positivity status contributed to better overall survival. Conclusion It is demonstrated that HER2+ BC patients had lower SPM incidence, which was remarkable for second BC and lung cancer.
Experiments for seismic damage detection of a RC frame using ambient and forced vibration records

This paper presents an experimental study conducted on a two‐story RC frame that was progressively damaged until it reached a significant structural damage. The RC frame was subjected to increasing dynamic load stages typical of growing‐intensity earthquake ground motions. The frame was excited with a testing pendulum, which is a device that excited the structure attached to the pendulum platform with a harmonic motion along one horizontal direction at selected frequencies. For each damage level, ambient and forced vibration tests were performed, and dynamic properties of the frame were estimated. It was possible to characterize the damage level of the RC frame in terms of the simple statistical correlation between a pair of frequency response functions obtained for the initial damage condition and the subsequent stages. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Perceptions of Tornadoes, Tornado Warnings, Safety Actions, and Risk: Effects on Warning Response Among Undergraduates in Nebraska

Few studies show how university students perceive and respond to tornado warnings, or how they gain tornado-related knowledge. Lacking in the literature are investigations of how perceptions of tornado risk may influence actions. Using two separate surveys and two large samples of undergraduates enrolled in the University of Nebraska, the author determined significant relationships between student demographics, perceptions, and response actions. Incorrect perceptions were found, such as overpasses and southwest corners of buildings being safe, and cities being invulnerable to tornadoes. International students, especially, assumed cities were safe from tornadoes. Students had a tendency to confirm their risk instead of initially sheltering. Females and international students sheltered relatively often, but chose unsafe locations. Those who used traditional auditory warning sources and perceived lower false alarm rates sheltered more often. Prior experience did not significantly influence actions, but it did influence risk perception. Parents and school were the most popular knowledge sources for domestic students, while friends were popular for international students. Parents may establish better knowledge and safety habits, while friends and popular culture as knowledge sources may result in students sheltering less often and perceiving a higher false alarm rate. Most domestic students correctly identified safe areas in which to shelter, and correctly knew warnings were issued by meteorologists, but less knew who was responsible for sounding sirens or the precise meaning of a warning polygon. International students who reported having some tornado education made safer sheltering decisions and were more likely to have safety plans. These results, combined with students themselves claiming a need for better tornado information, implies more thorough tornado education on university campuses is warranted. Personalization of risk, dispelling local myths, and education of those new to tornado-prone locations should be emphasized. i Acknowledgements I would like to thank my advisor, Dr. Van Den Broeke, for accepting me a graduate student, his initiation of this project, and constant encouragement along the way. I appreciate the constructive comments given to me by my committee members, Dr. Arthurs and Dr. Anderson. Their suggestions along with Dr. Van Den Broeke's made this research stronger than it otherwise would have been. I couldn't have done this without my family and friends. I wish to thank my husband Joe and my parents Ted and Twyla for supporting me along this journey. It took a lot of patience, encouragement, and humor on their part, and it is greatly appreciated. My fellow …
Self-scheduling robust pitch rate control based on multi-model eigenstructure assignment and guardian maps robustness assessment

Abstract This paper describes a synthesis approach of a robust self-scheduled controller for the longitudinal pitch rate control system of a business jet aircraft. A fixed architecture controller with five tunable gains is sought in order to satisfy a set of constraints or handling qualities in the presence of mass and center of gravity uncertainties. On a nominal flight case, a set of satisfactory gains is found using eigenstructure assignment. The robustness of the controller against parametric uncertainty is then tested using guardian maps. In order to further improve the first controller robustness, a multi-model eigenstructure assignment is performed. A self-scheduled controller is computed to cover all mass and center of gravity variations. It is shown using Guardian Map theory that the final controller satisfies all the design criteria even when mass and center of gravity vary.
POLYMER-BASED OPTICAL PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD (O-PCB) AS A POTENTIAL PLATFORM FOR VLSI MICROPHOTONIC INTEGRATION

We introduce the concept of optical printed circuit board (O-PCB) and discuss the issues regarding the miniaturization, interconnection, and integration of polymer-based photonic devices with a view to using it as a potential platform for VLSI microphotonic integration. We present new approaches to miniaturize and integrate some examples of microphotonic devices and examine the considerations regarding the design, fabrication, and characterization for miniaturization and integration for O-PCB application. Devices that we have used for our study include mode conversion adaptors, micro-ring resonator devices, multimode interference devices, arrayed waveguide gratings. Scaling rules are also discussed.
Register variation in school EFL textbooks

This study applies additive Multi-Dimensional Analysis (MDA) (Biber 1988) to explore the linguistic characteristics of ‘school English’ or ‘textbook English’. It seeks to find out how text registers commonly featured in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) textbooks differ from comparable registers found outside the EFL classroom. To this end, a Textbook English Corpus (TEC) of 43 coursebooks used in European schools is mobilised. The texts from six textbook register subcorpora and three target language corpora are mapped onto Biber’s (1998) ‘Involved vs. Informational’ dimension of General English. Register accounts for 63% of the variance in these dimension scores in the TEC. Additional factors such as textbook level, series and country of publication/use only play a marginal role in mediating textbook register variation. Textbook dialogues score considerably lower than the Spoken BNC2014, whereas Textbook Fiction scores closest to its corresponding reference Youth Fiction Corpus. Pedagogical and methodological implications are discussed.
Robust Three-Microphone Speech Source Localization Using Randomized Singular Value Decomposition

Direction-of-arrival (DOA) estimation is a fundamental technique in array signal processing due to its wide applications in beamforming, speech enhancement and many other assistive speech processing technologies. In this paper, we devise a novel DOA technique based on randomized singular value decomposition (RSVD) to improve the performance of non-uniform non-linear microphone arrays (NUNLA). The accurate and efficient singular value decomposition of large data matrices is computationally challenging, and randomization provides an effective tool for performing matrix approximation, therefore, the developed DOA estimation utilizes a modified dictionary-based RSVD method for localizing single speech sources under low signal-to-noise ratios (SNR). Unlike previous methods developed for uniform linear microphone arrays, the proposed approach with L-shaped three microphone setup has no ‘left-right’ ambiguity. We present the performance of our proposed method in comparison to other techniques. The demonstrated experiments shows at-least 20% performance improvement using simulated data and 25% performance improvement using real data when compared with similar DoA estimation techniques for NUNLA. The proposed method exploits frame-based online time delay of arrival (TDOA) measurements which facilitates the proposed algorithm to run on real-time devices. We also show an efficient real-time implementation of the proposed method on a Pixel 3 Android smartphone using its built-in three microphones for hearing aid applications.
Sensor-Driven Online Coverage Planning for Autonomous Underwater Vehicles

At present, autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) mine countermeasure (MCM) surveys are normally preplanned by operators using ladder or zig-zag paths. Such surveys are conducted with side-looking sonar sensors whose performance is dependent on environmental, target, sensor, and AUV platform parameters. It is difficult to obtain precise knowledge of all of these parameters to be able to design optimal mission plans offline. This research represents the first known sensor driven online approach to seabed coverage for MCM. A method is presented where paths are planned using a multiobjective optimization. Information theory is combined with a new concept coined branch entropy based on a hexagonal cell decomposition. The result is a planning algorithm that not only produces shorter paths than conventional means, but is also capable of accounting for environmental factors detected in situ. Hardware-in-the-loop simulations and in water trials conducted on the IVER2 AUV show the effectiveness of the proposed method.