Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Cognitive Robotic Disassembly Sequencing For Electromechanical End-Of-Life Products Via Decision-Maker-Centered Heuristic Optimization Algorithm

iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS . vii TABLE OF CONTENTS . viii LIST OF TABLES . x LIST OF FIGURES . xii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION . 1 1.1 Research Problem and Scope . 1 1.2 Research Motivation . 3 1.3 Contributions . 11 CHAPTER 2: BACKGROUND AND LITERATURE REVIEW . 14 2.1 Tabu Search (TS), Genetic Algorithm (GA), Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Simulated Annealing (SA) Literature Survey . 14 2.2 Design of Experiments (DOE) Literature Survey . 23 2.3 Task Allocation Literature Survey . 25 2.4 Serverless Architecture Literature Survey . 28 CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH PLAN . 31 3.1 Disassembly Sequence Problem Mathematical Foundation . 32 CHAPTER 4: IMPLEMENTATION AND RESULTS . 35 4.1 Implementation of the Tabu Search and Genetic Algorithm Models . 35 4.2 Implementation of the Tabu Search and Genetic Algorithm Models . 40 4.3 Implementation of the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Simulated Annealing (SA) Models . 46 4.4 Simulated Annealing (SA) Computation Requirements and Performance Models 61 CHAPTER 5: ROBUST DESIGN USING ORTHOGONAL ARRAYS . 64
Spatial Context-Based Local Toponym Extraction and Chinese Textual Address Segmentation from Urban POI Data

Georeferencing by place names (known as toponyms) is the most common way of associating textual information with geographic locations. While computers use numeric coordinates (such as longitude-latitude pairs) to represent places, people generally refer to places via their toponyms. Query by toponym is an effective way to find information about a geographic area. However, segmenting and parsing textual addresses to extract local toponyms is a difficult task in the geocoding field, especially in China. In this paper, a local spatial context-based framework is proposed to extract local toponyms and segment Chinese textual addresses. We collect urban points of interest (POIs) as an input data source; in this dataset, the textual address and geospatial position coordinates correspond at a one-to-one basis and can be easily used to explore the spatial distribution of local toponyms. The proposed framework involves two steps: address element identification and local toponym extraction. The first step identifies as many address element candidates as possible from a continuous string of textual addresses for each urban POI. The second step focuses on merging neighboring candidate pairs into local toponyms. A series of experiments are conducted to determine the thresholds for local toponym extraction based on precision-recall curves. Finally, we evaluate our framework by comparing its performance with three well-known Chinese word segmentation models. The comparative experimental results demonstrate that our framework achieves a better performance than do other models.
Simultaneous Wireless Information and Power Transfer by Continuous-Phase Modulation

A new concept of simultaneous wireless information and power transfer (SWIPT) is proposed, based on multiplexing a continuous-phase modulated (CPM) information transfer signal and a multitone power transfer (PT) signal. The tones of the PT signal have frequencies falling into low-power sub-bands and/or spectral null frequencies of the CPM signal. Therefore, the interference of the PT signal to the CPM signal is minimized and, simultaneously, the CPM and PT signals can be separated by the corresponding complementary filters in the receiver. Numerical evaluations show that the proposed PT signal design practically entails a negligible loss of CPM detection performance.
Wood Image Real-Time Segmentation Algorithm Based on Video Processing

Wood processing machine detects the quality of each wood that goes into the machine continuously. Segmentation process is required through real-time to crop each image, so that there will be no redundant especially wood objects were missed or did not succeed to be cropped. This paper discussed the segmentation algorithm which designed to crop image of wood. This paper also measures the impact of distance between the object and also the impact of velocity wood object which passed. The result shows that to achieve 100% accuracy is required the distance between wood objects longer than 8cm. The distance value is influenced by the system computing time and the speed of wood object that moves.
A Sidelink-Aided Approach for Secure Multicast Service Delivery: From Human-Oriented Multimedia Traffic to Machine Type Communications

To date, group-oriented communications have been mainly exploited for delivering multimedia services in human-oriented communications while, in future fifth generation (5G) cellular networks, objects will be the main target. Internet of Things (IoT) will undoubtedly play a key role in 5G networks, wherein massive machine-type communications (mMTC) feature a use case as crucial as challenging since cellular IoT connections are predicted to grow heavily in the next future. To boost capacity and energy efficiency, the 5G network can leverage device-to-device (D2D) communications which are recognized as an effective offloading technique. This is achieved thanks to the fact that, in legacy D2D communications, data are directly sent from one device to another, avoiding the crossing of the network. Obviously, the distributed nature of such a communication paradigm and the inherent broadcast nature of the wireless channel make it necessary to think how to secure the so called “sidelink” transmissions. This work proposes a protocol for the efficient and reliable management of multicast services in a 5G-oriented IoT scenario, in which security is a crucial requirement to be met. The proposed protocol is tailored to Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) and makes use of D2D communications with the aim of improving network efficiency and optimizing network resource utilization. In addition, cyber security and social trustworthiness mechanisms are exploited to secure D2D communications.
Effects of data quality vetoes on a search for compact binary coalescences in Advanced LIGO’s first observing run

The first observing run of Advanced LIGO spanned 4 months, from 12 September 2015 to 19 January 2016, during which gravitational waves were directly detected from two binary black hole systems, namely GW150914 and GW151226. Confident detection of gravitational waves requires an understanding of instrumental transients and artifacts that can reduce the sensitivity of a search. Studies of the quality of the detector data yield insights into the cause of instrumental artifacts and data quality vetoes specific to a search are produced to mitigate the effects of problematic data. In this paper, the systematic removal of noisy data from analysis time is shown to improve the sensitivity of searches for compact binary coalescences. The output of the PyCBC pipeline, which is a python-based code package used to search for gravitational wave signals from compact binary coalescences, is used as a metric for improvement. GW150914 was a loud enough signal that removing noisy data did not improve its significance. However, the removal of data with excess noise decreased the false alarm rate of GW151226 by more than two orders of magnitude, from 1 in 770 yr to less than 1 in 186 000 yr.
1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 Increases In Vitro Vascular Calcification by Modulating Secretion of Endogenous Parathyroid Hormone–Related Peptide

Background—A significant association between vascular calcification and osteoporosis has been noted, suggesting that calcium homeostasis is important in vascular calcification as well as in osteoporosis. Moreover, results of our previous studies suggest that calcium-regulating hormones such as parathyroid hormone–related peptide (PTHrP) may modulate vascular calcification. Therefore, we hypothesized that 1α,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 [1,25(OH)2D3] may have a direct impact on the calcium-regulating system of vascular smooth muscle cells, resulting in deposition of calcium in vascular wall. Methods and Results—We investigated the effect of 1,25(OH)2D3 on in vitro calcification by bovine vascular smooth muscle cells (BVSMCs). 1,25(OH)2D3 dose dependently increased BVSMC calcification and alkaline phosphatase activity. 1,25(OH)2D3 also decreased secretion of PTHrP by BVSMCs in a dose-dependent manner and depressed its gene expression. Furthermore, exogenous PTHrP (fragment 1-34) antagonized the stimulatory effect.
Latency Optimization for Cellular Assisted Mobile Edge Computing via Non-Orthogonal Multiple Access

In this article, we investigate the cellular assisted mobile edge computing (MEC) via non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA), where a group of edge-computing users (EUs) exploit NOMA to simultaneously offload their computation-workloads to an edge-server (ES), and conventional cellular-user (CU) allows the EUs to reuse its authorized frequency channel for the NOMA-transmission. We firstly characterize the transmit-powers of the CU and EUs and then formulate a joint optimization of the EUs’ offloaded computation-workloads, offloading-duration (i.e., how long for reusing the CU's channel), as well as the ES's computation-resource allocations (for processing different EUs’ offloaded workloads), with the objective of minimizing the overall-latency in completing all EUs’ computation-requirements, subject to the CU‘s and EUs’ limited power and energy capacities as well as the ES's limited computation-resource capacity. Despite the strict non-convexity of the formulated joint optimization problem, we propose an efficient algorithm to compute the optimal offloading solution. With the optimal offloading solution for the scenario of one CU, we further investigate the scenario of multiple CUs and investigate the optimal pairing of the EUs for reusing different CUs’ channels for computation-offloading. Taking into account the coupling effect due to the ES's limited computation-resource, we formulate a joint optimization of the EU-pairing and the ES's capacity allocation of the computation-resource for accommodating different EU-pairs. Despite the difficulty due to the mixed binary and non-linear non-convex programming of the formulated problem, we propose an efficient layered algorithm for solving the problem. Numerical results are provided to validate the accuracy of our proposed algorithms. We also show the performance advantage of our NOMA-assisted offloading in comparison with conventional orthogonal multiple access (OMA) based computation offloading.
Masquerading Techniques in IEEE 802.11 Wireless Local Area Networks

The airborne nature of wireless transmission offers a potential target for attackers to compromise IEEE 802.11 Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN). In this dissertation, we explore the current WLAN security threats and their corresponding defense solutions. In our study, we divide WLAN vulnerabilities into two aspects, client, and administrator. The client-side vulnerability investigation is based on examining the Evil Twin Attack (ETA) while our administrator side research targets Wi-Fi Protected Access II (WPA2). Three novel techniques have been presented to detect ETA. The detection methods are based on (1) creating a secure connection to a remote server to detect the change of gateway’s public IP address by switching from one Access Point (AP) to another. (2) Monitoring multiple Wi-Fi channels in a random order looking for specific data packets sent by the remote server. (3) Merging the previous solutions into one universal ETA detection method using Virtual Wireless Clients (VWCs). On the other hand, we present a new vulnerability that allows an attacker to force the victim’s smartphone to consume data through the cellular network by starting the data download on the victim’s cell phone without the victim’s permission. A new scheme has been developed to speed up the active dictionary attack intensity on WPA2 based on two novel ideas. First, the scheme connects multiple VWCs to the AP at the same time-each VWC has its own spoofed MAC address. Second, each of the VWCs could try many passphrases using single wireless session. Furthermore, we present a new technique to avoid bandwidth limitation imposed by Wi-Fi hotspots. The proposed method creates multiple VWCs to access the WLAN. The combination of the individual bandwidth of each VWC results in an increase of the total bandwidth gained by the attacker. All proposal techniques have been implemented and evaluated in real-life scenarios. Keywords– Wi-Fi Security; Virtual Wireless Client; Wi-Fi Traffic Shaping; Evil Twin Attack, Wireless Protected Access
RADAR: automated task planning for proactive decision support

ABSTRACT Proactive Decision Support aims at improving the decision making experience of human decision-makers by enhancing the quality of the decisions and the ease of making them. Given that AI techniques are efficient in searching over a potentially large solution space (of decision) and finding good solutions, it can be used for human-in-the-loop scenarios such as disaster response that demand naturalistic decision making. A human decision-maker, in such scenarios, may experience high-cognitive overload leading to a loss of situational awareness. In this paper, we propose the use of automated task-planning techniques coupled with design principles laid out in the Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) community for developing a proactive decision support system. To this extent, we highlight the capabilities of such a system RADAR and briefly, describe how automated planning techniques help us in providing the varying degrees of assistance. To evaluate the effectiveness of the different capabilities, we conduct ablation studies with human subjects on a synthetic environment for making an interactive plan of study. We found that planning techniques like plan validation and suggestions help to reduce planning time (objective metrics) and improves user satisfaction (subjective metrics) compared to expert human planners without any support.
Seleclting Middleware for N-tier applications

This paper describes middleware for n-tier architecture, describes how this middleware is meeting the unique demands of Internet applications and e-commerce, and suggests selection guidelines to assist business managers in choosing appropriate types of middleware for n-tier systems that will meet their internet needs. Different types of middleware provide the functionality for addressing many distinct and disparate problems arising from the distributed processing associated with n-tier systems. This paper associates the type of middleware with the nature of the system being developed. Thie Internet has grown at a pace so rapid that technology has struggled to keep up. A communications medium that not long ago was read-only, text based-advertising has blossomed into full-scale client-server transaction processing. The conventional technologies that make client-S£;rver computing possible are limited in meeting the needs of the Internet. The purpose of this piapfjr is to describe the enabling technologies of n-tier architecture, describe how middleware is meeting the unique demands of Internet applications and e-commerce, and suggest selection guid(;lii].es that can assist business managers in choosing the correct mix of building blocks for nlier systems that meet their internet needs. Middleware is the enabling technology that has allowed web architects to develop threeitier Etnd n-tier systems, overcoming many problems and limitations inherent in two-tier systems. Many definitions of middleware have been published. It has been defined as, "a vague term that covers all the distributed software needed to support interactions between clients and servers" (Edwards, Harkey, and Orfali, 1999, p. 44), and, as "a layer of software that enables communi­ cations between software components regardless of the programming language in which the INTRODUCTION MIDDLEWARE THE ENABLING TECHNOLOGY
Psychological Associations of Poststroke Fatigue

Background and Purpose—Fatigue is common after stroke but has no effective treatments. Psychological interventions improve fatigue in other conditions by targeting psychological factors such as mood. If psychological factors correlate with fatigue in stroke, this would justify the development of similar interventions for poststroke fatigue (PSF). We used systematic review and meta-analysis to determine psychological associations of PSF. Methods—We systematically searched for studies that reported psychological associations of PSF. We used odds ratios (ORs) to estimate the strength of associations and random-effects modeling to calculate summary estimates of ORs. We used stratified meta-analysis to investigate the impact of study design and conducted sensitivity analyses limited to studies that excluded patients with clinical depression and to studies that used depression scales without fatigue items. Results—Thirty-five studies (n=9268) reported the association between PSF and ≥1 psychological factor. For.
A clinical study of generalised peritonitis and its management in a rural setup

Background: Generalised Peritonitis is a common surgical emergency and its treatment remains a challenge despite advances in surgical techniques, antimicrobial therapy and intensive care support. The commonest etiological factors are perforation of hollow viscus and appendicitis. The aim was to study the most common cause of perforation peritonitis, associated risk factors, modes of clinical presentation, management, postoperative complications, and comorbid conditions influencing the morbidity and mortality in rural set up.Methods: 50 patients of peritonitis of over 10 years of age managed in our institution from July 2015 to November 2016 were studied and followed up on a three-monthly basis for a period varying from 12 months to 2 years with an average of 18 months.Results: Appendicular perforation was the most common cause of peritonitis followed by peptic ulcer perforation. Perforation peritonitis constituted 26% of total emergency operations performed with a male to female ratio of 2.84:1 and age between 41-50 years. Patients presenting within 24 hours of perforation had an uneventful recovery whereas those presenting after 24 hours had significant postoperative complications. The serum CRP levels provided as good prognostic marker. It remained high in complicated cases. Out of 56% complication rate, wound infection was the commonest.Conclusions: Early diagnosis and surgical intervention plays a crucial role in early recovery, though the end result depends on many factors like age of the patient, degree of peritoneal contamination and presence of comorbid diseases. This study also highlights the role of CRP as a serum prognostic marker.
Instrumented rocker-bogie chassis design and net traction estimation

This thesis presents the mechanical design of a rocker-bogie mobility system for the Canadian Space Agency's 30 kg Kapvik micro-rover. The design of the wheel drive system, a planetary differential mechanism, the integration of single-axis force sensors above the wheel hubs, structural analysis of the rocker and bogie links, and the crosshill and uphill-downhill static stability are outlined. The development of a net traction estimation algorithm is also presented. The algorithm uses multiple Unscented Kalman Filters to estimate drawbar pulls, resistive torques, wheel normal loads, wheel slips, wheel-terrain contact angles, and several other states in normal operation using on-board rover sensors. Polynomial fits to the estimated data are used to successfully recreate models of drawbar pull and resistive torque as functions of normal load and slip. A two-dimensional multibody dynamic simulation of Kapvik traversing rolling terrain is used to validate the efficacy of the algorithm.
Understanding the biomechanical risk factors ofpatellofemoral pain (PFP) in military individuals

Patellofemoral pain (PFP) is one of the major sources of chronic knee pain in young athletes, affecting one in four individuals. To progress further in this field, prospective studies are therefore needed in order to gain a better understanding of the biomechanical risk factors of PFP and to develop future treatment and prevention strategies. With this in mind, the main purpose of the present PhD thesis is to prospectively examine individuals’ lower limb movements with two-dimensional (2D) video analysis and muscle strength with a handheld dynamometer (HHD) in order to screen for PFP development, in addition to other lower limb injuries. Therefore, a systematic review and meta- analysis in addition to three studies were conducted within this thesis to investigate the factors involved in the development of PFP. In the first study, 15 healthy subjects (6 male and 9 female) participated in a reliability study (within-day, between-day, intra-rater, and inter-rater reliability) of 2D frontal plane projection angle (FPPA) and hip adduction (HADD) angle. They also participated in a validation study for 2D motion analysis against the gold standard of three-dimensional (3D) motion analysis. In the second study, eight healthy male subjects participated in a between-day reliability and validity study for 2D analysis and HHD strength tests against the gold standard of 3D analysis, using Qualysis Track Manager (QTM) system and an isokinetic dynamometer for the measurements of lower limb kinematics (FPPA, Q-angle, HADD, knee flexion, ankle dorsiflexion, and rearfoot angle) and strength (hip abductors and knee extensors). The main study was undertaken with 315 healthy male infantry cadets and recruits from King Abdul- Aziz Military Academy (KAMA) and two other basic military training centres in Saudi Arabia. Lower limb kinematics and muscle strength were measured during running (RUN), single leg squatting (SLS), and single leg landing (SLL) in the first week of training, and were followed up over the participants’ 12 weeks of basic military training for the occurrence of PFP and other lower limb injuries. Participants who developed PFP had a significantly greater FPPA and Q-angle during SLS, SLL, and RUN, as well as a significantly greater HADD during SLS and SLL, than participants who did not develop PFP. In addition, the injured group had significantly lower knee extensor and hip abductor muscle strength during the baseline assessment when compared to the noninjured group. The logistic regression revealed that FPPA during SLL significantly predicts the development of PFP. Therefore, this appears to be a suitable method for screening of PFP risk before joining basic military training.
Distributed Evaluation of Subgraph Queries Using Worst-case Optimal and Low-Memory Dataflows

We study the problem of finding and monitoring fixed-size subgraphs in a continually changing large-scale graph. We present the first approach that (i) performs worst-case optimal computation and communication, (ii) maintains a total memory footprint linear in the number of input edges, and (iii) scales down per-worker computation, communication, and memory requirements linearly as the number of workers increases, even on adversarially skewed inputs. Our approach is based on worst-case optimal join algorithms, recast as a data-parallel dataflow computation. We describe the general algorithm and modifications that make it robust to skewed data, prove theoretical bounds on its resource requirements in the massively parallel computing model, and implement and evaluate it on graphs containing as many as 64 billion edges. The underlying algorithm and ideas generalize from finding and monitoring subgraphs to the more general problem of computing and maintaining relational equi-joins over dynamic relations.