Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Superconducting fault current limiter (SFCL) for a power electronic circuit: experiment and numerical modelling

In this article, the superconducting fault current limiter (SFCL) explores its relatively new application: the power electronic circuit. The investigation of this compact-size SFCL involves both the experiments and numerical modelling. A bifilar-shape resistive-type SFCL was used in a DC-DC power conversion circuit, for the purpose of suppressing the overwhelming fault current by 3 different types of faults: the input fault, output fault, and switch fault. The numerical modelling of SFCL used an electromagnetic-thermal coupled finite-element method (FEM) model based on the H -formulation. For these 3 types of faults with the 100 ms fault duration, good agreement was found between the experiments and simulations. Both the experiment and modelling method were used to test the SFCL performance with different fault durations (50 ms vs 100 ms). For some severe fault conditions (e.g., higher fault current and longer fault duration) that experiments were difficult or unable to realise, the FEM modelling of SFCL was used to simulate the performance. Overall, the FEM modelling of SFCL can well match the SFCL experiment, and has the advantage of showing more information such as the current distribution and temperature. Both the SFCL experiments and numerical modelling offer new results and novel concepts of SFCL investigation, which can be helpful for the design of future SFCLs and the compact protection schemes for power electronic devices.
Educators in Search of the Fine Line between Use and Misuse of New Technologies

classrooms in a way that promotes learning? What do their young students already know about ICT? What does too much ICT look like in the classroom? [7] Educators vary in their opinions regarding ICT use due to their diverse background experience. For illustration, when comparing teachers’ use of computer programs, teachers in Slovakia use ICT more to review the acquired knowledge, whereas in England they develop comprehension and creativity [8]. Finnish teachers regard digital competency as being so important as their ability to speak their mother tongue [9]. The currently youngest generation of learners has been massively influenced by ubiquitous technology. Due to their developmental cognitive and moral immaturity, decisions about the intensity of their use of ICT lies on the shoulders of their educators who have grown up in a different, pre-globalized world. These adults are often not aware of their insufficiently substantiated approach to their use of ICT in teaching. To become sufficiently informed requires considering various viewpoints, ranging on a continuum from techno-sceptic to techno-utopian. Responsible decisions about the ethical use of ICT can be reached only after considering the issues of the power of ICT as well as the need of coherent research of young learners’ needs and teachers’ capabilities. The authors share the results of research in various countries. They propose some solutions to this ethical problem, ones they consider suited to reflexive education.
Tiny Neural Network Pipeline for Vocal Commands Recognition @Edge

: Vocal analysis and speech recognition have been a challenge for the research community for a long time. The widespread of deep learning approaches, the availability of big datasets and the increasing computational capabilities of processors, have contributed to achieve disruptive results in this field. Most of the high performing existing speech recognition systems are available as cloud services. Other systems are hybrid, with some parts on the cloud and some modules running on the microcontroller. One of the challenges is to realize high performing speech recognition systems running on the edge, where the edge is an integrated platform, composed by a processing unit, a bank of memory and a power unit. In this paper is proposed an end-to-end deep learning approach to recognize a set of vocal commands able to work on an edge IoT node. Tests have been performed on a tiny platform and the study with different settings is reported.
Cerebral Arterial Circulation: 3D Augmented Reality Models and 3D Printed Puzzle Models

The field of augmented reality (AR) and three-dimensional (3D) printing are rapidly growing with many new potential applications in medical education and pedagogy. In this chapter, we have used 3D AR and 3D printed models of the cerebral arterial circulatory system, created by us to simplify concept learning. Various cerebral circulation diseases pertaining to ophthalmology can be explained in detail for immersive learning, with the help of various 3D models, for structures such as the circle of Willis, cavernous sinus, various cranial nerves, cerebrum, cerebellum and the eye. These models not only help in cognitive understanding of cerebral circulation diseases but also aid in diagnosing them with better conviction. Ophthalmologists, sometimes being the first responder, have a vigilant role to play with a heightened awareness of these cerebral arterial circulation diseases, which are not only vision-threatening but life-threatening too. This chapter summarizes the construction and holistic application of these 3D ophthalmology-related arterial cerebral circulation models in AR and 3D printing.
The effective periodic homogeneous metamaterials for infinite complementary dielectric slab characteristics

A comparison of balanced and unbalanced backward wave dispersion relations and the constitutive electromagnetic effective parameters of dielectric constant, magnetic permeability are obtained. In the balanced case, the initial transmission line lies in left handed (LH) medium and the next to cut-off frequency of higher order regions transmission line becomes in right-handed (RH) medium. In the unbalanced case, there are a tiny reject band displays due to the attenuations. It is also desirable for metamaterial parameters extraction properties should behave in antiresonance behaviour in the band gap regions. The proposed extraction technique shows the suitable results for dual negative magnetic permeability and electric permittivity that match with the theory. To demonstrate the infinite wave investigations, there are four unit cell of complementary split- ring resonators (CSRRs) microstrip implementation is obtained and the equivalent lumped element circuit is analyzed. The theory and experiment result exhibits excellent agreement that ensures minimum loss and electrical small size due to less than wavelength dimensions.
Application of Fuzzy Expert Systems in IT Project Management

The available statistics show the growing influence of the IT market on the world economy over the last decade. According to expert information, this situation will continue, despite the IT sector’s economic crises, uneven development, and periodic fluctuations. The need to involve fuzzy expert systems (ES) in the IT field is stated, based on the high uncertainty level due to specifics of IT project management. The hypothesis of embedding ES in an IT company’s business process management to increase the efficiency of operational and strategic decisions is tested. The structure of ES is offered, built on the basis of fuzzy logic using a combined model of the semantic network and implication rules. The operation of the system is demonstrated in the example of managing an IT company’s current business processes to maximize its profits. Comparing the conclusions of the ES with the historical decisions of a real company demonstrates the feasibility of implementing the ES. The operation of the developed ES, using the knowledge base formed on the basis of 30 Ukrainian IT companies, confirmed the effectiveness of its use as a tool to support management decisions and increase the IT sector’s financial performance.
Thinking Outside the Triangle: Using Foresight in Project Environments to Deliver a Resilient Tomorrow

To fail to imagine the future is to fail to be part of it. The failure of traditional approaches to planning suggests the need for an alternative underlying paradigm, in which decision-makers are equipped with a holistic and long horizon perspective about tomorrow in order to make better decisions today and deliver future-ready and resilient portfolios. The author claims that a future oriented approach, applied to the realm of projects, programs and portfolios, can be a suitable answer. The paper presents Project Portfolio Foresight as a distinct construct and describes the particularities, impact and limitations of Foresight in the three layers of project environments – portfolio, program, and project. Being a starting point for managers and practitioners interested in how the future can be taken into account for increased gains of resilience in the management of a portfolio of projects, the paper calls for project portfolio management to not just consider current business requirements and constraints but also the future of business and the business of the future.
hibayes: An R Package to Fit Individual-Level, Summary-Level and Single-Step Bayesian Regression Models for Genomic Prediction and Genome-Wide Association Studies

With the rapid development of sequencing technology, the costs of individual genotyping have been reduced dramatically, leading to genomic prediction and genome-wide association studies being widely promoted and used to predict the unknown phenotypes and to locate causal or candidate genes for animal and plant economic traits and, increasingly, for human diseases. Developing newly advanced statistical models to improve accuracy in predicting and locating for the traits with various genetic architectures has always been a hot topic in those two research domains. The Bayesian regression model (BRM) has played a crucial role in the past decade, and it has been used widely in relevant genetic analyses owing to its flexible model assumptions on the unknown genetic architecture of complex traits. To fully utilize the available data from either a self-designed experimental population or a public database, statistical geneticists have constantly extended the fitting capacity of BRM, and a series of new methodologies have been proposed for different application scenarios. Here we introduce hibayes, which is the only one tool that can implement three types of Bayesian regression models. With the richest methods achieved thus far, it covers almost all the functions involved in genetic analyses for genomic prediction and genome-wide association studies, potentially addressing a wide range of research problems, while retaining an easy-to-use and transparent interface. We believe that hibayes will facilitate the researches conducted by human geneticists, as well as plant and animal breeders. The hibayes package is freely available from CRAN at https://cran.r-project.org/package=hibayes.
Private Security Companies and Local Populations : An Exploratory Study of Afghanistan and Angola

This paper looks at how local populations perceive Private Security Companies (PSCs) and what the impact of their activities may be on peoples’ every day lives, examining the two country cases, Afghanistan and Angola. The role and effects of PSCs have been discussed from various angles in the past but little attention has been paid to the perspectives of the local population. The goal of this exploratory study is to provide some tentative insights into the perceived positive and negative, direct and indirect impact of PSCs on the local population. One of the central findings from the two cases is the overall negative view of those interviewed towards PSCs. The study suggests that PSCs contribute to a sense of distrust and insecurity. Among the main reasons for this are an overall lack of transparency regarding PSCs, with respect to hiring practices, mandates, identification, accountability, and supervision; the heavy armament of PSCs; and lacking regulation (respectively lacking implementation) of security companies. The paper offers some recommendations, how the concerns of the local population could be better addressed. Das vorliegende Working Paper untersucht anhand der beiden Landerbeispiele Afghanistan and Angola wie lokale Bevolkerungen private Sicherheitsfirmen (PSCs) wahrnehmen und welchen Einfluss ihre Aktivitaten auf das Alltagsleben der Bevolkerung haben. Die Rolle und die Auswirkungen von PSCs wurden in den letzten Jahren aus verschiedenen Blickwinkeln analysiert, aber bislang wurde der Perspektive der lokalen Bevolkerung nur wenig Beachtung geschenkt. Das Ziel dieser explorativen Studie ist es, einige erste Einblicke in die wahrgenommen positiven und negativen, direkten und indirekten Wirkungen von PSCs auf die lokale Bevolkerung zu erfassen. Eines der Hauptergebnisse der beiden Fallstudien ist, dass PSCs in uberwiegend negativem Licht betrachtet werden. Die Resultate legen nahe, dass PSCs zu einem Gefuhl der Unsicherheit und des Misstrauens beitragen. Die zentralen Grunde dafur sind unter anderem die schwere Bewaffnung der PSCs, fehlende Kennzeichnungen sowie die generell mangelhafte Transparenz der PSCs bezuglich ihrer Mandate und bei der Rekrutierung. Weiter werden die fehlende Rechenschaftspflicht und Aufsicht sowie die ungenugende Regulierung (beziehungsweise deren mangelhafte Umsetzung) von privaten Sicherheitskraften kritisiert. Die Arbeit entwickelt abschliessend einige Empfehlungen, wie die Bedenken der Bevolkerung besser berucksichtigt werden konnen.
Aboriginal Consultation for the Ontario Mining Act Modernization Process: Varying Perceptive on Whether the Consultation Process Works

Attempts to engage Aboriginal peoples in resource and environmental management decision-making process, for the most part, have been characterized as tokenism (Bowie 2007). This has left Aboriginal peoples frustrated and disillusioned. This thesis uses a theory of civil engagement, Arnstein's ( 1 969) ladder of citizen participation, as a framework to interpret the level of Aboriginal consultation conducted during the Ontario Mining Act Modernization (MAM) process. This case study gauged the current state of public participation practices by examining Aboriginal peoples' participation and influence in decision making. In August 2008 the Ontario Ministry of Northern Development Mines and Forests (MNDMF) initiated a consultation process to modernize the Mining Act. The MAM sought to find a balance between the wants of the mining industry, Aboriginal peoples, environmental organizations and private landowners. My case study focused solely on the consultation processes conducted with Aboriginal communities and organizations between August 2008 and December 201 0. To gain insight into this process I did a documentation review and I conducted 26 interviews with Ontario political leaders, Aboriginal leaders, lawyers, elders, economic developmental officers and MNDMF staff. My analysis found the MAM Aboriginal consultation was flawed and I positioned the level of participation in decision making ranging from Informing to Partnership rungs on Arnstein's ladder. Arnstein's framework was not entirely compatible to judge Aboriginal consultation in Ontario. I added detail to the ladder to make it more pertinent for Aboriginal case studies in resource management. I provide recommendations to improve consultation processes, such as, setting realistic timeframes, addressing capacity issues and including Aboriginal peoples in designing the consultation process. Unfortunately, I am doubtful they will be instituted because of the different interpretations of treaties and a governmental lack of interest in power sharing. I believe until such time as the provincial government is prepared to make major systemic changes to how they interact with Aboriginal peoples, consultation processes will remain unsatisfactory from an Aboriginal and citizen engagement perspective. Consequently, civil activism and legal action will be options for Aboriginal groups in the push to change specific legislation. Area of Research: Arnstein 's ladder, natural resource management, Crown 's duty to consult and accommodate, Aboriginal consultation, Ontario, mining
Pyrolysis-GC/MS, A Powerful Analytical Tool for Additives and Polymers Characterization

Analytical Pyrolysis technique hyphenated to GC/MS is used to obtain structural information of macromolecules. The composition and relative abundance of the pyrolysis products are characteristic for a given polymer and their determination allows the identification of materials that cannot be determined otherwise. In the present work different examples are presented in which different pyrolysis techniques are used, such as pulsed, fractional and sequential pyrolysis, working with polymer solutions, cold injection in split or narrow band mode or thermochemolysis. Specially useful is serial pyrolysis which is performed in two or more steps. Initially, volatile compounds are thermally extracted from the sample at a relatively low temperature (thermal desorption), and then the same sample is pyrolyzed at a higher temperature.
Polymer–Nickel Composite Filaments for 3D Printing of Open Porous Materials

Catalysis has been a key way of improving the efficiency-to-cost ratio of chemical and electrochemical processes. There have been recent developments in catalyst materials that enable the development of novel and more sophisticated devices that, for example, can be used in applications, such as membranes, batteries or fuel cells. Since catalytic reactions occur on the surface, most catalyst materials are based on open porous structures, which facilitates the transport of fluids (gas or liquid) and chemical (or electrochemical) specific surface activity, thus determining the overall efficiency of the device. Noble metals are typically used for low temperature catalysis, whereas lower cost materials, such as nickel, are used for catalysis at elevated temperatures. 3D printing has the potential to produce a more sophisticated fit for purpose catalyst material. This article presents the development, fabrication and performance comparison of three thermoplastic composites where PLA (polylactic acid), PVB (polyvinyl butyral) or ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) were used as the matrix, and nickel particles were used as filler with various volume fractions, from 5 to 25 vol%. The polymer–metal composites were extruded in the form of filaments and then used for 3D FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) printing. The 3D printed composites were heat treated to remove the polymer and sinter the nickel particles. 3D printed composites were also prepared using nickel foam as a substrate to increase the final porosity and mechanical strength of the material. The result of the study demonstrates the ability of the optimized filament materials to be used in the fabrication of high open porosity (over 60%) structures that could be used in high-temperature catalysis and/or electrocatalysis.
A Prototype E-Society Portal: Using a Semantic Model to Represent Sustainability Aspects of Highway Projects to Local Communities

More than any other industry, the infrastructure has a direct impact on our communities and quality of life. There is a need to utilize the compendium of information technology research and applications to investigate how to engage local communities in the design and configuration of such projects. Systems are needed to explain to communities the various elements of projects, who is sponsoring them, who has the decision powers to develop and approve such components and, more importantly, the impacts of various design options on sustainability. This paper developed an ontology for sustainability in highway construction. An ontology is a conceptual semantic model that attempts to capture human knowledge (both explicit and tacit) in a consistent manner. Ontologies include three main elements: a taxonomy (common vocabulary presented in concept trees), set of relationships (linking concepts across trees) and axioms (limitation/constraints on the behavior of concepts). The ontology was used to develop a portal for broadcasting highway design features to local communities. By browsing through the portal, a user can learn about project elements, the impacts of each element on sustainability issues, who is sponsoring such element and what efforts have been made to reduce any impacts of such elements on local communities.
Role of Integrins in Modulating Smooth Muscle Cell Plasticity and Vascular Remodeling: From Expression to Therapeutic Implications

Smooth muscle cells (SMCs), present in the media layer of blood vessels, are crucial in maintaining vascular homeostasis. Upon vascular injury, SMCs show a high degree of plasticity, undergo a change from a “contractile” to a “synthetic” phenotype, and play an essential role in the pathophysiology of diseases including atherosclerosis and restenosis. Integrins are cell surface receptors, which are involved in cell-to-cell binding and cell-to-extracellular-matrix interactions. By binding to extracellular matrix components, integrins trigger intracellular signaling and regulate several of the SMC function, including proliferation, migration, and phenotypic switching. Although pharmacological approaches, including antibodies and synthetic peptides, have been effectively utilized to target integrins to limit atherosclerosis and restenosis, none has been commercialized yet. A clear understanding of how integrins modulate SMC biology is essential to facilitate the development of integrin-based interventions to combat atherosclerosis and restenosis. Herein, we highlight the importance of integrins in modulating functional properties of SMCs and their implications for vascular pathology.
Small Objects Manipulation in Immersive Virtual Reality

In this pilot study, we analyze how the user approaches the manipulation of small virtual objects using different technologies, such as the HTC Vive controllers, the Leap Motion, and the Manus Prime haptic gloves. The aim of the study is to quantitatively assess the effectiveness of the three devices in a pick-and-place and simple manipulation task, specifically the assembling of a three-dimensional object composed of several mechanical parts of different shapes and sizes. 12 subjects perform the proposed experiment in a within-subjects study. We measured the total time to complete the entire task, the partial timing and the errors as the number of objects lost, to understand which are the most difficult actions. Moreover, we analyze the user feelings with the User Experience Questionnaire (UEQ), and the System Usability Scale (SUS). Both timing measurements and user experience reveal the weaknesses of the gloves, which suffer from problem in correctly tracking the thumb, thus in allowing grasping actions. Controllers are still a good compromise, though some fine tasks could not be correctly performed. The vision-based solution of the Leap Motion is appreciated by users, and it is stable enough to perform the given task.