Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Overview of Maximum Power Point Tracking Techniques for Photovoltaic Energy Production Systems

Abstract—A substantial growth of the installed photovoltaic systems capacity has occurred around the world during the last decade, thus enhancing the availability of electric energy in an environmentally friendly way. The maximum power point tracking technique enables maximization of the energy production of photovoltaic sources during stochastically varying solar irradiation and ambient temperature conditions. Thus, the overall efficiency of the photovoltaic energy production system is increased. Numerous techniques have been presented during the last decade for implementing the maximum power point tracking process in a photovoltaic system. This article provides an overview of the operating principles of these techniques, which are suited for either uniform or non-uniform solar irradiation conditions. The operational characteristics and implementation requirements of these maximum power point tracking methods are also analyzed to demonstrate their performance features.
Using Golay complementary sequences for multi-mode ultrasonic operation

In many of the recent array ultrasonic applications, acquisition rate is a crucial issue. Many of those applications are even impractical due to the sequential nature of ultrasound systems scanning. Obviously, one way of increasing this rate is the use of multi-mode operation. This paper introduces the basic aspects of multi-mode ultrasonic operation based on pulse compression techniques by means of binary sequences in a BPSK modulation scheme, and the advantages of Golay sequences, in multi-mode operation with respect to m-sequences, mostly used in recent works. Finally, some results of simulations using four modes simultaneously and a hardware architecture for testing these results are shown.
The Relation between Effective Temperature and Thermal Sensation Vote in Tropical Vernacular Houses

One of the factors to enable energy efficiency in buildings is creating thermal comfort for the occupants of buildings so that the artificial vaporization is not required. The thermal sensation vote (TSV) is an indicator in analyzing the occupants’ satisfaction on the thermal comfort of their buildings. Some climate variables that relate to the TSV include air temperature, humidity, and wind speed. The three variables can be combined into a variable using a psychrometric chart. The combined variable is known as an effective temperature. The present research aims at analyzing the connection between effective temperature and TSV in vernacular houses in the tropical mountain and beach locations and comparing the results of the analysis. The quantitative method was employed in the research by measuring the variables of climate using a thermal measuring instrument. The TSV was measured with ASHRAE (American Standard of Heating, Refrigerating, Air-Conditioning Engineer)’s seven-point sensation scale. The measurement was carried out in transitional periods from the dry season to the wet season. Interpretation of graphs and charts was made for analysis based on the variable of effective temperature. The results of the research indicated that there was a connection between effective temperature and TSV. The effective temperature in vernacular houses in tropical mountain locations tended to be lower, and therefore the cool thermal sensation had the greatest percentage of TSV. Meanwhile, the effective temperature in tropical beach locations tended to be high, and therefore the warm thermal sensation had the greatest percentage. In a neutral scale, the percentage of TSV in tropical mountain locations was greater than that of TSV in tropical beach locations. Therefore, it is concluded that the occupants of vernacular houses in tropical mountain location felt more comfortable than those of vernacular houses in tropical beach locations.
Filosax: A Dataset of Annotated Jazz Saxophone Recordings

The Filosax dataset is a large collection of specially com-missioned recordings of jazz saxophonists playing with commercially available backing tracks. Five participants each recorded themselves playing the melody, interpreting a transcribed solo and improvising on 48 tracks, giving a total of around 24 hours of audio data. The solos are annotated both as individual note events with physical timing, and as sheet music with a metrical interpretation of the timing. In this paper, we outline the criteria used for choosing and sourcing the repertoire, the recording process and the semi-automatic transcription pipeline. We demon-strate the use of the dataset to analyse musical phenomena such as swing timing and dynamics of typical musical ﬁg-ures, as well as for training a source activity detection system and predicting expressive characteristics. Other potential applications include the modelling of jazz improvisation, performer identiﬁcation, automatic music transcription, source separation and music generation.
Prevalence of Internet Addiction and its Association with Self Perceived Life Quality in Shenzhen Adolescents

Background: Internet Addiction is a newly emerging issue for adolescents globally. Previous literature suggested a tangled relationship between Internet Addiction, depressive mood and lower subjective and objective ratings in Quality of Life. However, the independent relationship between Internet Addiction and Quality of Life was less discussed. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Shenzhen adolescents to address the independent associations between Internet Addiction and 4 domains of Quality of Life (physical, psychological, social relation and environmental domains), in order to further guide the prevention and intervention for IA. Associations were calculated using linear regression models before and after the adjustment for the existence of depressive mood and confounding demographic factors. Result: The prevalence of Internet Addiction in Shenzhen was 23.2%. Engaging with Internet Addiction resulted in significant decrease in Quality of Life score in physical domain (B = -0.87, p<.001) and psychological domain (B = -0.40, p = 0.011) as well as insignificant decrease in social relation domain (B = -0.36, p = 0.063) and increase in environmental domain (B = 0.02, p = 0.906). Conclusion: Although Quality of Life is considered to be related to many factors, Internet Addiction on its own had a significant impact on lower subjective life satisfaction overall, especially in psychical and psychological wellbeing. Key Words:Internet Addiction, Quality of Life, Adolescents, Depressive mood, Chinese
Littoral Combat Ship Open Ocean Anti-Submarine Warfare

Abstract : This capstone explored the littoral combat ship (LCS) and its potential to fulfill the anti-submarine warfare (ASW) mission for open ocean escort of high value assets. A systems engineering approach was used to develop requirements and implement modeling and simulation through a clearly defined prime directive and concept of operations, measures of effectiveness, and measures of performance. The effort was concentrated on the detection, identification and tracking variables of the ASW mission kill chain with an emphasis on active sonar. Data was entered into a Zwicky morphological box and a Pugh matrix to assess candidate solutions in an analysis of alternatives. To address Department of Defense fiscal constraints, the LCS will allow coverage for a wider spectrum of anti-submarine threats in a theoretically less costly platform than traditional nuclear submarines. The ability for the U.S. Navy to maintain its open ocean dominance now and into the foreseeable future will depend on new and innovative threat capability designs. The modular concept of the LCS platform and its agile performance make it a candidate to satisfy a lower cost ASW mission platform while addressing the changing complexity of threat detection, identification and tracking of enemy subsurface threats. Network fusion and connectivity, integrated sensor capabilities and an eccentric mix of subsurface and aerial surveillance may be combined to meet the requirements for a reliable ASW platform. The LCS could provide ASW escort capability to allow high value units or non-combatants the ability to safely transit the open ocean.
Computer programmes for circle and strip loads on layered anisotropic media

THIS REPORT CONTAINS DESCRIPTIONS AND LISTINGS OF FIVE COMPUTER PROGRAMS WHICH CALCULATE ALL COMPONENTS OF STRESS, STRAIN AND DISPLACEMENT IN EITHER AN ELASTIC HALF-SPECE OR A SYSTEM OF HORIZONTAL ELASTIC LAYERS. THE LOADING ON THE UPPER SURFACE OF THE ELASTIC SYSTEM IS EITHER APPLIED TO AN INFINITE STRIP, GIVING RISE TO PLANE STRAIN CONDITIONS, OR TO A CIRCULAR AREA. A WIDE RANGE OF DIFFERENT LOADS HAS BEEN CONSIDERED, AND THE PROPERTIES OF THE ELASTIC LAYERS CAN BE EITHER ISOTROPIC, CROSS-ANISOTROPIC OR IN PLANE STRAIN CASES, ORTHORHOMBIC. THESE PROGRAMS HAVE PRACTICAL APPLICA- TION IN THE SOIL AND ROCK ENGINEERING STUDY OF WHEEL LOADS ON ROAD PAVEMENTS AND THE DESIGN OF FOUNDATIONS. /AUTHOR/
A non-linear traffic flow-based queuing model to estimate container terminal throughput with AGVs

Efficient handling of containers at a terminal can reduce the overall vessel sojourn times and minimise operational costs. The internal transport of containers in these terminals is performed by vehicles that share a common guide path. The throughput capacity of a terminal may increase by increasing the number of vehicles; however, simultaneously congestion may reduce the effective vehicle speed. We model this situation accurately using a traffic flow-based closed queuing network model. The vehicle internal transport is modelled using a load-dependent server that captures the interaction between the number of vehicles in a transport segment and the effective vehicle speed. Using a non-linear traffic flow model, we show that the throughput reductions due to vehicle congestion can be as large as 85%. Hence, the effect of vehicle congestion during internal transport cannot be ignored. The model can also be used to determine the appropriate number of vehicles required to achieve the required terminal throughput by explicitly considering the effect of vehicle congestion.
The Memoirs of N. Batzaria: The Young Turks and Nationalism

The most important and undoubtedly the most fateful period in Ottoman history is the Young Turk or Union and Progress era in 1908–18. The final disintegration of the Ottoman empire, the rise of independent states in the Middle East, the intensification of conflicts over Macedonia, the full emergence of Turkish and Arab nationalisms, the start of the Muslim anti-imperialist mobilization through struggle in Libya in 1911, and other events of vital importance in the social and political history of the area occurred during the Young Turk era. It was a historical watershed which marked simultaneously the end of an imperial form of political organization in the Middle East and the beginning of a new political existence in the form of national states. The Young Turks affected profoundly the course of history among the peoples of the Middle East and the Balkans. Moreover the Young Turks were the first group in the Ottoman state to approach the social, political, and cultural transformation of their society in the spirit of modern politics. Yet the Young Turks remain the least studied and understood and the most distortedly portrayed power group in the history of the Balkans and the Middle East. Most of the existing works on the Young Turks, consisting mainly of memoirs, were written by their authors to credit themselves with political roles and achievements which did not always correspond to reality.
Locating and Characterizing Unexploded Ordnance Using Time Domain Electromagnetic Induction

Abstract : A technique for interpreting Time Domain Electromagnetic (TEM) Data was proposed in "Detecting Unexploded Ordnance with Time Domain Electromagnetic Induction" (Pasion, 1999). An approximate forward modeling for the TEM response of compact metallic objects, an inversion for recovering model parameters, and relationships between model parameters and a target's physical parameters were established. These findings were combined to form an algorithm for locating and determining the approximate shape of a buried target
hPMSCs protects against aging-induced oxidative damage of CD4+ T cells through activating Akt-mediated Nrf2 antioxidant signaling

Background: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) was considered as regenerative therapeutic approach in both acute and chronic diseases. However, whether MSCs regulate the antioxidant metabolism of CD4+ T cells and weaken immunosenescence remains unclear. Here, we reported the protective effects of hPMSCs in aging-related CD4+ T cell senescence and identified the underlying mechanisms using a D-gal induced mouse aging model.Methods: In vivo study, 40 male C57BL/6 mice (8 weeks) were randomly divided into four groups: control group, D-gal group, hPMSC group and PBS group. In in vitro experiment, human naive CD4+ T (CD4CD45RA) cells were prepared using a naive CD4+ T cell isolation kit II and pretreated with the Akt inhibitor LY294002 and Nrf2 inhibitor ML385. Then, isolated naive CD4+ T cell were cocultured with hPMSCs for 72 h in the absence or presence of anti-CD3/CD28 Dynabeads and IL-2 as a mitogenic stimulus. Intracellular ROS changes were detected by flow cytometry. The activities of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and catalase were measured by colorimetric analysis. The senescent T cells were detected SA-β-gal stain. The expression of aging related proteins were detected by Western blotting, RT-PCR and confocal microscopy.Results: We found that hPMSC treatment markedly decreased the ROS level, SA-β-gal positive cells number, senescence-associated secretory phenotype (IL-6 and OPN) expression and aging-related protein (P16 and P21) expression in senescent CD4+ T cells. Furthermore, hPMSC treatment effectively upregulated Nrf2 nuclear translocation and the expression of downstream target genes (HO-1, CAT, GCLC and NQO1) in senescent CD4+ T cells. Moreover, in vitro studies revealed that hPMSCs attenuated CD4+ T cell senescence by upregulating the Akt/GSK-3β/Fyn pathway to activate Nrf2 functions. Conversely, the antioxidant effects of hPMSCs were blocked by the Akt inhibitor LY294002 and Nrf2 inhibitor ML385 in senescent CD4+ T cells.Conclusions: Our results indicate that hPMSCs attenuate D-gal induced CD4+ T cell senescence by activating Nrf2-mediated antioxidant defenses and that upregulation of Nrf2 by hPMSCs is regulated via the Akt/GSK-3β/Fyn pathway.
Amal Graafstra- The Do-It-Yourselfer RFID Implantee: The culture, values and ethics of hobbyist implantees

This paper provides insights into the culture, values and ethics of do-it-yourself microchip implantees. Microchip implantees are people who have opted to bear a radio-frequency identification (RFID) device beneath their skin for particular electronic applications. This paper uses a single case study of the most prominent hobbyist microchip implantee, Mr Amal Graafstra of the United States, to explore the preliminary motivations for being implanted, the actual chip experience, and the subsequent repercussions of being an implantee. The data for this paper was collected using two main techniques, a primary interview with the case subject, complemented by secondary documentary evidence available mainly in online form. The outcomes of the paper indicate that hobbyist implantees are for the greater part, particularly ethically aware of the information and communication technology (ICT) implications as well as being technically competent individuals. Surprisingly the research found that do-it-yourself implantees are usually critical of commercial subscription implant applications and value highly the ideas of consent, choice, and the ability for consumers to opt-in or out of given applications.
Wave patterns in thin film flows

The application of a systematic strategy to the problem of falling liquid films is shown to lead to systems of equations of reduced dimensionality that capture the physical mechanisms quite faithfully, helping us to enlighten the observed dynamics by isolating the important physical effects. Additionally, a regularization procedure applied in the approach pushes away the validity range of a consistent three-field modeling of film flows in parameter space by reducing the degrees of the dangerous nonlinear terms. Having at one’s disposal reliable low-dimension models, one is able to undergo a systematic numerical analysis at low cost (in terms of CPU time). Consequently, complex wave patterns such as herringbone patterns, synchronously deformed fronts, V-shape solitary waves observed in various experimental data can be recovered. In this paper, we specifically compare our model to recent and well-controlled experiments by Park & Nosoko [AIChE J., 49, 2715 (2003)].
Compensation of voltage sag and flicker during thermal power plant turbo-expander operation by dynamic voltage restorer

Summary The application of the turbo-expander in the auxiliary service system of Neka power plant in Iran causes considerable voltage sag, which is very dangerous to the auxiliary service system. To reduce the voltage sag, the dynamic voltage restorer (DVR) is proposed. The auxiliary service system and main substation of the power plant with compensators are simulated by Power System Computer Aided Design (PSCAD/EMTDC) software. The application of the static synchronous compensator in different scenarios is discussed, and the results are compared with the results of the application of the DVR, which has a new topology and minimum injection power control strategy. It is shown that the results of the DVR application are better in all tested scenarios. Also, the economic assessment shows that the payback period is reduced to half in case of using DVR instead of static synchronous compensator. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A 6.6‐kV transformerless cascade PWM STATCOM. Experimental verification by a three‐phase 200‐V, 10‐kVa laboratory system

This paper deals with a 6.6‐kV transformerless STATCOM cascading multiple single‐phase H‐bridge PWM converters in each phase. The AC voltage of the STATCOM is almost sinusoidal, so that it requires no harmonic filter. Each converter is equipped with a capacitor and a voltage sensor on the DC side, which are electrically isolated from each other. The STATCOM has the capability of self‐starting and voltage‐balancing without any external power supply or equipment. Experiments using a three‐phase 200‐V, 10‐kVA laboratory system, along with computer simulations, are carried out to confirm the viability and effectiveness of the STATCOM. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 170(1): 55–64, 2010; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley. com). DOI 10.1002/eej.20822
Developing a process for supply chain risk management

In today's competitive markets, companies look for any advantage they can build over their competitors. A number of companies recognize that supply chain excellence is an opportunity to create such an advantage. A superior supply chain provides manufacturing flexibility, fast on-time delivery, and lower cost products than those of a lesser competitor. Risk management concepts are beginning to be applied to supply chains in ever-broadening scope. Companies reliant on their supply chains now seek innovative ways to manage risk to the supply chain and ensure its smooth operation. Implementing a risk management process for the supply chain can generate long term value for a company by improving continuity of supply and component quality. By identifying risks to the supply of necessary components and then assessing the risk of each component's availability and quality, it is possible to gain a comprehensive understanding of the risk to the supply chain for a given product or product family. This understanding of the risk to the supply chain allows managers to make decisions based on the expected costs and assists them in determining the appropriate risk mitigation activities. Thesis Supervisor: Charles G. Sodini Title: Clarence J. LeBel Professor, EECS Thesis Supervisor: Roy E. Welsch Title: Professor of Statistics & Mgmt Science, Dir CCREMS This page has been intentionally left blank.
Sensor-based interior modeling

Robots and remote systems will play crucial roles in future decontamination and decommissioning (DD there is also an increasing number of commercial reactors whose useful lifetime is nearly over. To reduce worker exposure to radiation, occupational and other hazards associated with D&D tasks, robots will execute much of the work agenda. Traditional teleoperated systems rely on human understanding (based on information gathered by remote viewing cameras) of the work environment to safely control the remote equipment. However, removing the operator from the work site substantially reduces his efficiency and effectiveness. To approach the productivity of a human worker, tasks will be performed telerobotically, in which many aspects of task execution are delegated to robot controllers and other software. This paper describes a system that semi-automatically builds a virtual world for remote D&D operations by constructing 3-D models of a robot`s work environment. Planar and quadric surface representations of objects typically found in nuclear facilities are generated from laser rangefinder data with a minimum of human interaction. The surface representations are then incorporated into a taskmore » space model that can be viewed and analyzed by the operator, accessed by motion planning and robot safeguarding algorithms, and ultimately used by the operator to instruct the robot at a level much higher than teleoperation. « less
Using an accelerometer sensor to measure human hand motion

Microfabricated accelerometer sensors have been developed to measure acceleration in a variety of applications, including automobile airbag crash sensors and seismic activity monitors. For this thesis a three-dimensional accelerometer sensor has been created for measuring involuntary human hand motion. The sensor uses three single-axis accelerometers fabricated at the MIT Microsystems Technology Laboratory (MTL). The size and mass of the sensor were limited to avoid altering hand motion being measured. The MTL fabricated accelerometers have a proof mass restricted to motion along a single axis and constrained by angular springs. Acceleration of the sensor forces displacement of the proof mass, and the displacement is sensed using differential capacitors. The accelerometer dies were packaged in leadless chip carriers (LCCs), and the LCCs were arranged in a three-axis configuration. A circuit was constructed to convert the differential capacitance signal into an analog signal and then into a digital signal before being read into a computer. The data acquisition program allows real-time analysis of the acceleration data, as well as storage of the data for more sophisticated subsequent analysis. There are several sources of error in the accelerometer sensor system that limit the accuracy of measurement. Analog electrical noise limits the precision to ± 2.5 mg. There is a nonlinearity between the acceleration input and the analog voltage output of at least ± 7 mg. A third error source is cross-sensitivity, arising from movement in accelerometer proof masses from acceleration perpendicular to the intended axis of motion, and is 3.75% with this accelerometer sensor. The three-dimensional accelerometer sensor has been demonstrated in the intended application of measuring human hand motion. Thesis Supervisor: Charles G. Sodini Title: Professor of Electrical Engineering