Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Low-Complexity Path Planning Algorithm for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in Complicated Scenarios

Existing algorithms on path planning with obstacles for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) suffer from high computational complexity and unpredictability when the considered scenario is complicated. In this paper, we propose a novel path-planning algorithm for UAVs, which relies on continuously updating virtual regional field and its local gradients. The information of target regions and obstacles is incorporated in a virtual regional field. The algorithm circumvents the large number of variables to be optimized, and does not rely on any black boxes with unpredictable outputs. Real data show that the proposed algorithm can design a path with high coverage rate of the target region in a certain time duration, and guides the UAV to bypass the obstacles. The approach based on the regional field provides an option for low-cost hardwares, and reveals insights into the problem of path planning.
Formation Mechanism and Cohesive Energy Analysis of Metal-Coated Graphene Nanocomposites Using In-Situ Co-Reduction Method

Nanocomposite powders based on metal-coated graphene were synthesized using an in-situ co-reduction method in order to improve wettability and interfacial bonding between graphene and metal. Graphene oxide (GO) of 2~3 atomic layers was synthesized using the Hummer’s method with graphite as a raw material and then dispersed into a dispersing agent solution mixed with N-Methyl pyrrolidone and deionized water to form a homogeneous GO suspension, which was finally added into electroless plating solutions for the reduction process. Copper-coated graphene (Cu@graphene) and nickel-coated graphene (Ni@graphene) were synthesized using this one-step and co-reduction method by mixing salt solutions containing metal ions and GOs into the plating solution. The Cu ions or Ni ions were adsorbed and bonded onto the edges and surfaces of graphene, which was reduced from the GOs using a strong reducing agent of ascorbic acid or sodium borohydride. Crystalline Cu particles with an average size of about 200 nm were formed on the surface of graphene, whereas amorphous or nanocrystalline Ni particles with an average size of 55 nm were formed on the surface of graphene. Distribution of these metal particles on the graphene is homogeneous and highly dispersed, which can effectively improve the sinterability of composite powders. Cohesive energy distribution between graphene and metal interface was analyzed using first-principle calculation method. Formation mechanism of metal coated graphene was identified to be that both the GO and metal ions were simultaneously reduced in the reducing agents and thus a chemical bonding of graphene/metal was formed between the metal particles and graphene.
QBF-Based Post-Silicon Debug of Speed-Paths Under Timing Variations

Speed-path debugging at the post-silicon stage due to timing variations is a challenging problem in designing high-performance digital circuits. In this paper, we propose an efficient and scalable method for automatic speed-path debugging which is based on quantified Boolean formulas (QBF) to detect multiple erroneous paths when taking into account the timing variations. We have proposed new gate-level timing variation and path slowdown models which enable us to formulate such a debugging problem as a QBF problem. The results on the ISCAS’85 and ISCAS’89 benchmarks show that our method enjoys on average 52.4% decrease in the size model, and 63.1% decrease in debugging time in comparison with existing methods. Moreover in situations where existing methods due to the size explosion of abundant copies cannot be applied, the proposed method detects erroneous gates in a reasonable runtime.
Riccati Observer Design for Pose, Linear Velocity and Gravity Direction Estimation Using Landmark Position and IMU Measurements

This paper revisits the problem of estimating the pose (i.e. position and attitude) of a robotic vehicle by combining landmark position measurements provided by a stereo camera with measurements of an Inertial Measurement Unit. The distinguished features with respect to similar works on the topic are two folds: First, the vehicle's linear velocity is not measured neither in the body frame nor in the inertial frame; Second, no prior knowledge on the gravity direction expressed in the inertial frame is required. Instead both the linear velocity and the gravity direction are estimated together with the pose. Another innovative feature of the paper relies on the idea of over-parametrizing the gravity direction vector evolving on the unit 2-sphere $S^{2}$ by an element of SO(3) so that the error system in first order approximations can be written in an “elegant” linear time-varying form. The proposed deterministic observer is accompanied with an observability analysis that points out an explicit observability condition under which local exponential stability is granted. Reported simulation results further indicate that the observer's domain of convergence is large.
A compact terahertz CW HCN dual laser and its stability control

A compact terahertz continuous wave (CW) discharge-pumped Hydrogen cyanide (HCN) dual laser has been developed for better signal to noise ratio and higher time resolution, with active power and intermediate frequency (IF) control. The output power of about 1~10 mW on the 0.89 THz line has been obtained with 1 m long and 50 mm inner diameter dual discharge-pumped wave-guides laser. An output-power and IF feedback control system is applied to the HCN dual laser for output power and IF stability. This feedback system consists of two stepping motors, a piezoelectric ceramics (PZT), a PLC, a supervisory computer and the corresponding control program. The whole feedback control system can successful in stabilizing the power of the laser around 1~10 mW and the IF at around 1MHz in several hours.
Nonlinear Model Predictive Control for Systems with State-Dependent Switches and State Jumps Using a Penalty Function Method

In this work, we propose a real-time algorithm of nonlinear model predictive control (NMPC) for a class of switched systems with state-dependent switches and state jumps based on the continuation/GMRES (C/GMRES) method. This approach utilizes the characteristic of NMPC that the optimal solution changes continuously with respect to time and optimizes control input and switching instants simultaneously by updating them at each sampling time. To avoid difficulty in updating the solution based on the C/GMRES method and to construct a simple algorithm, we treat the switching condition by using a penalty function method. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method using a numerical simulation of a compass-like biped walking robot, which contains state-dependent discrete events.
Process Mining – the Enhancement of Elements Industry 4.0

The paper is focused on the importance of business processes and its management in the concept of fourth industrial revolution and the introduction of group of emerging techniques supporting this field. In fact, the whole concept of the Industry 4.0 is laying on business processes. The management of the processes will have a significant impact on the value added, effectiveness and efficiency of organizations involved in the Industry 4.0. The process-centric approach is necessary not only for management of the manufacturing processes, but also for the management of non-manufacturing processes. The newly emerging group of techniques used in business process management as well suited tools for the management of the processes at the operational level is called process mining and we believe it might enhance Industry 4.0 in many of its aspects. The paper is structured as follows. In the first sections, we introduce the concept of Industry 4.0 and demonstrate the importance of processes for the concept. In next section, we introduce the group of techniques called process mining and in the closing section we demonstrate the usability of process mining. Finally, we present and discuss our results supporting the advantages of process mining and their suitability for Industry 4.0 idea.
Characterization of Sphingomyelin Phosphodiesterase Expression in Bumblebee (Bombus lantschouensis)

Abstract Sphingomyelin phosphodiesterase (SMPD) is a hydrolase that plays a major role in metabolic reactions involving sphingomyelin. Here, we describe an analysis of the cDNA sequence and gene structure of SMPD in bumblebee (Bombus lantschouensis). The expression of SMPD in different tissues and at different developmental stages and reproductive statuses was examined by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The results showed that the SMPD cDNA has a length of 2000 bp and contains an open reading frame (ORF) of 1,801 nucleotides that encodes a polypeptide of 599 amino acids. The full-length SMPD gene is 4228 bp and contains eight exons and seven introns. A comparative analysis revealed that the SMPD gene sequence in B. lantschouensis shares high sequence identity with those in other Bombus species. The SMPD gene is expressed broadly in various tissues and presents higher transcript levels in the ovary, midgut, and epidermis and thoracic tissues. Among the different developmental stages, the highest expression of SMPD was detected at the Pw pupal stage (pupae with an unpigmented body cuticle and white eyes), and the expression of this gene decreased from the Pp (pupae with pink eyes) to the Pdd (dark-eye pupae with a dark-pigmented cuticle) stages. In addition, SMPD expression was significantly upregulated after female egg laying. In conclusion, our results show that the bumblebee SMPD gene might play a key role at the Pw developmental stage and in female oviposition.
Determination of macro, micro, trace essential, and toxic elements in Garcinia cambogia fruit and its anti-obesity commercial products.

BACKGROUND Garcinia (Clusiaceae) species are traditionally used as flavoring agents in curries and to cure several human health complications. This study investigated 31 macro, micro, and trace elements in microwave-assisted digested samples of Garcinia cambogia fruit and its anti-obesity commercial products by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometric (ICP-MS) techniques. The methods were also validated using the coefficient of determination (R2 ), limits of detection and quantification (LOD, LOQ), precision (CV%), analysis of certified reference materials, spiking recovery experiments, and participation in an accredited laboratory proficiency test organized by Food Analysis Performance Assessment Scheme (FAPAS). RESULTS Quality assurance confirmed that the methods were efficient and in accordance with criteria set by the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC). In the elemental analysis, the analyzed macro, micro, and trace essential elements were present in appreciable concentrations, which could meet the human nutritional requirements. Traces of toxic elements were within safe limits. CONCLUSION From the results of the current study, the fruit and its commercial products could be considered potential sources of mineral elements without posing any threats to consumers. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.
Escaping the professional silo: an escape room implemented in an interprofessional education curriculum

ABSTRACT Communication skills among healthcare professionals are a necessary component in ensuring quality outcomes for patients. This report describes the design and curricular implementation of an interprofessional escape room, an innovative way to promote communication and positive team dynamics among students. In this interactive, serious game, teams of approximately eight interprofessional participants were provided with a fictitious patient case in a simulated hospital environment. Within a 45-minute time limit, students needed to use objects in the room to solve a series of puzzles to successfully complete the room by addressing all the patient’s needs. A facilitated debrief following the activity allowed participants to reflect on their communication skills and teamwork during the experience. A total of thirty students across seven professions piloted the activity, and 181 students across five professions participated in the activity as part of an academic course. Feedback from students was collected on a seven-point Likert scale and revealed the value of an interprofessional escape room in academia. This report, which describes what appears to be the first interprofessional health care escape room within an IPE curriculum, demonstrates the value of the escape room in encouraging teamwork, facilitating communication, and promoting interprofessionalism.
Optimization of Tetrapolar Impedance Electrodes in Microfluidic Devices for Point of Care Diagnostics using Finite Element Modeling

Electrophoresis is widely applied in the field of biochemistry and molecular biology. Tetrapolar electrical impedance sensing (TEIS) has been shown capable of replacing the conventional detection technology in order to develop a point of care electrophoretic analyzer. Besides the advantages of reduced influence of electrode polarization, TEIS is affected by sensitivity distribution depending on the electrode design. A well reported practice outside of electrophoresis, systematic investigation of the effects of sensitivity distribution on the TEIS in microfluidic devices has not been conducted. Here we utilize finite element modeling, backed by experimental results, to optimize the sensor design within an electrophoretic separation device. Numerous sensor designs were validated regarding detectability, sensitivity and spatial resolution. The results show, that minimizing the distance between the central/pick-up electrodes increases sensitivity and spatial resolution whereas the distance between the central electrodes and the outer electrode do not influence sensitivity and spatial resolution.
Comparison of nonparametric analysis of variance methods: A vote for van der Waerden

ABSTRACT For two-way layouts in a between-subjects analysis of variance design, the parametric F-test is compared with seven nonparametric methods: rank transform (RT), inverse normal transform (INT), aligned rank transform (ART), a combination of ART and INT, Puri & Sen's L statistic, Van der Waerden, and Akritas and Brunners ANOVA-type statistics (ATS). The type I error rates and the power are computed for 16 normal and nonnormal distributions, with and without homogeneity of variances, for balanced and unbalanced designs as well as for several models including the null and the full model. The aim of this study is to identify a method that is applicable without too much testing for all the attributes of the plot. The Van der Waerden test shows the overall best performance though there are some situations in which it is disappointing. The Puri & Sen's and the ATS tests show generally very low power. These two and the other methods cannot keep the type I error rate under control in too many situations. Especially in the case of lognormal distributions, the use of any of the rank-based procedures can be dangerous for cell sizes above 10. As already shown by many other authors, nonnormal distributions do not violate the parametric F-test, but unequal variances do, and heterogeneity of variances leads to an inflated error rate more or less also for the nonparametric methods. Finally, it should be noted that some procedures show rising error rates with increasing cell sizes, the ART, especially for discrete variables, and the RT, Puri & Sen, and the ATS in the cases of heteroscedasticity.
Sertraline in symptomatic chronic breathlessness: a double blind, randomised trial

Does sertraline provide symptomatic relief for chronic breathlessness in people with advanced disease whose underlying cause(s) are optimally treated? 223 participants with chronic breathlessness (modified Medical Research Council breathlessness scale ≥2) who had optimal treatment of underlying cause(s) were randomised 1:1 to sertraline 25–100 mg (titrated upwards over 9 days) or placebo for 4 weeks. The primary outcome was the proportion who had an improvement in intensity of current breathlessness >15% from baseline on a 100-mm visual analogue scale. The proportion of people responding to sertraline was similar to placebo for current breathlessness on days 26–28 (OR 1.00, 95% CI 0.71–1.40) and for other measures of breathlessness. Quality of life in the sertraline arm had a higher likelihood of improving than in the placebo arm over the 4 weeks (OR 0.21, 95% CI 0.01–0.41; p=0.044). No differences in performance status, anxiety and depression, or survival were observed. Adverse event rates were similar between arms. Sertraline does not appear to provide any benefit over placebo in the symptomatic relief of chronic breathlessness in this patient population. Chronic breathlessness generates suffering late in life. In this setting, titrated sertraline had similar benefits and harms to placebo in an adequately powered, multi-site, double blind, randomised controlled trial at 4 weeks. http://ow.ly/iWtH30mcMYK
Agonistic Games: Multiperspective and Unsettling Games for a Social Change

Historical narratives of conflict typically revolve around heroes and villains or perpetrators and victims. However, this dichotomy of events and people into good and evil greatly reduces the extent to which the past can be analysed, explained, and understood. To truly understand the actions that lead to conflict, one must appreciate the dense network of relationships between social agents, each with their own personal motivations and ideals. A contemporary political viewpoint capturing this multiperspectivity is that of Agonism. Focusing on the characters and events, Agonism emphasises the socio-cultural interactions and relationships between all agents involved including bystanders and, crucially, perpetrators. We discuss two 'Games for a Social Change' that we have developed to promote an Agonistic view: Endless Blitz and Umschlag '43. We describe the games themselves, and the framework of memory studies that informs our work.
Readiness to Teach Secondary Mathematics: A Study of Pre-Service Mathematics Teachers’ Self-Perceptions

This study evaluated pre-service teachers’ (PSMTs) perceptions of their own readiness to teach secondary mathematics. The study was conducted at an Australian university across two campuses, in different states. Specifically, PSMTs’ perceptions of their preparedness were explored in terms of mathematical content knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge, and mathematical knowledge for teaching. Findings indicate that while the majority of participants feel that they have the requisite content knowledge to confidently teach Lower School secondary mathematics, further training is required to develop their content and pedagogical knowledge, especially for upper secondary mathematics.
Distributed Control of Hybrid AC/DC Microgrids: from Synchronous to Asynchronous Algorithms

Hybrid AC/DC microgrids (MGs) have become a promising manner for better interconnection of various kinds of distributed generators that are inherently AC or DC electric sources. This paper addresses the distributed asynchronous power control problem of hybrid microgrids, considering imperfect communication due to non-identical sampling rates and communication delays, etc. To this end, we first formulate the optimal power control problem of MGs and devise a synchronous algorithm. Then, we analyze the impact of asynchrony on optimal power control and propose an asynchronous iteration algorithm based on the synchronous version. By introducing a random clock at each iteration, different types of asynchrony are fitted into a unified framework, where the asynchronous algorithm is converted into a fixed-point problem, leading to a convergence proof. We further provide an upper bound estimation of the time delay in communication. Finally, a benchmark MG is utilized to verify the effectiveness and advantages of the proposed algorithm.
Puheessa esiintyvistä riittävyyden verbeistä norjansuomalaisilla nuorilla

Tässä artikkelissa tarkastellaan, millaisia riittävyyden verbejä Oslon seudulla asuvat kuusi 12–23-vuotiasta kaksi- ja monikielistä norjansuomalaista nuorta käyttävät spontaanissa puheessaan. Nuoret ovat oppineen suomen ensikielenään (L1) ja norjan toisena kielenä (L2). Artikkelissa pohditaan myös, miten informanttien kielenkäyttöaktiivisuus heijastuu riittävyyden verbien käyttöön kielikontaktitilanteessa. Tutkimusaineisto koostuu neljästä haastattelusta. Norjansuomalaisten informanttien verbikonstruktioiden käyttöä tarkastellaan suhteessa verrokkiryhmän vastaavaan käyttöön. Verrokkiryhmä koostuu samanikäisistä Suomessa asuvista informanteista. Teoreettisesti tutkimus pohjautuu kielenoppimista koskevaan käyttöpohjaiseen (usage-based) lähestymistapaan, jossa kielen rakenteet kehittyvät käytössä. Tutkimus on luonteeltaan kvalitatiivinen. Tulokset osoittavat, että norjansuomalaiset nuoret käyttävät puheessa vain muutamia riittävyyden verbejä. He käyttävät kuitenkin enimmäkseen samoja verbejä kuin suomensuomalainen verrokkiryhmä. Voida-verbin ohella useimmin esiintyvät verbit ovat päästä ja pystyä. Kaksikielisten informanttien välillä on yksilöllisiä eroja, jotka johtuvat erityisesti suomen kielen käyttöaktiivisuudesta. Melko tavallisten verbien pienten semanttisten erojen omaksuminen on vaikeaa kontekstissa, jossa kieltä käytetään vain muutamien ihmisten kanssa. Aineisto osoittaa, että informantit käyttävät kompleksisia suomen kielen verbikonstruktioita pääasiassa suomen yleiskielen mallin mukaisesti. Muutama esimerkki nostaa kuitenkin esiin toisen kielen vaikutuksen. Verbs of sufficiency in spontaneous speech among Finnish-Norwegian adolescents The aim of the present study is to investigate what kind of verbs of sufficiency six young Finns aged 12–23 living in the greater Oslo area in Norway use in spontaneous speech. The six subjects have learned Finnish as their L1 and Norwegian as L2. The article also discusses how the speakers’ language use is reflected in their use of verbs of sufficiency in a language context situation. The primary data consists of four audio-recorded interviews with six bilingual and multilingual Finnish-Norwegian adolescents. Their use of verbs is compared with that of Finnish L1 speakers of the same age. The study is based on the usage-based approach to language learning, where constructions develop in language use. The analysis of the data is qualitative. The results show that Finnish-Norwegian subjects use only a few verbs of sufficiency. However, they mostly use the same verbs as native speakers. The most frequent verbs beside voida are päästä and pystyä. There are individual differences between the bilingual subjects, which is due in particular to how actively they use the Finnish language. Adopting rather small semantic differences of fairly common verbs is difficult in a context where the language is used by only a few people. The data indicates that complex Finnish modal verb constructions are used with only a few deviations from the spoken patterns of native Finnish speakers. However, some examples reveal the influence of the L2.
Does the change of hypertension guidelines actually affect our reality?

The advantage of the modern era is that doctors nowadays all over the world have the opportunity to diagnose disease and treat it under the same conditions. Unfortunately, not all diagnostic tools and treatment options are available worldwide, but at least there is some common frame that doctors should follow in wide range of disease. Guidelines are updated regularly and it is always expected that new recommendations will resolve the most of issues from the previous. However, it often does not occur. Perhaps our expectations are too high.