Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Design of feedback control laws for switching regulators based on the bilinear large signal model

A method is presented for the design of feedback control laws based on the bilinear large-signal model of switching regulators. The resulting system guarantees a satisfactory stability region in the state space, and meets the requirements of larger damping on transient responses with smaller feedback control energy. Large signal transient responses are simulated and compared with the results obtained by R.W. Erickson et al. (see IEEE Power Electronics Specialist Conference Record, p.167-77 (1982)). <<ETX>>
Globalt læringsmiljø om et globalt problem – en beskrivelse af et tværvidenskabeligt online kursus om klimaforandringer

" This is a great course! It really puts climate change into perspective. It takes time and effort to read the literature and to participate in discussions, but it's also fun and the learning outcome is huge " (Citat fra studerende pa online kurset Climate Change Impacts, Adaptation and Mitigation 2009) I 2008 opnaede Det Biovidenskabelige Fakultet ved Kobenhavns Universitet (LIFE) stotte fra VTU's e-laeringspulje til udvikling af tre online kurser (Ministeriet for Videnskab, Teknologi og Udvikling, 2007). Denne artikel beskriver udviklingen af et af kurserne, nemlig det forste tvaervidenskabelige online-kursus om klimaforandringer pa Kobenhavns Universitet. Kurset "Climate Change - Impacts, Adaptation and Mitigation" er et 15 ECTS (European Credit Transfer Accumulation System) kandidatkursus, der udbydes af LIFE i taet samarbejde med det Naturvidenskabelige Fakultet og det Juridiske Fakultet ligeledes ved Kobenhavns Universitet, samt University of California (Berkeley), Australian National University og Dansk Meteorologisk Institut. Kurset er et af de fa danske eksempler pa dedikeret engelsksproget online-undervisning pa universitetsniveau og kan folges af kandidatstuderende og efteruddannelsesstuderende fra hele verden med en relevant bachelorgrad inden for naturvidenskab, samfundsvidenskab og humaniora. Kurset lober over 18 uger inklusiv eksamen, og arbejdsbelastningen svarer til et halvtidsstudium. Over 20 undervisere er inddraget i at udvikle og gennemfore kurset, herunder fire medforfattere til den fjerde hovedrapport fra FN's Klimapanel. Kurset blev udviklet i 2008/2009, gennemfort forste gang i 2009, anden gang i 2010, og der er allerede stor sogning pa kurset, der afholdes igen i 2011.
Economic well-being and self-placements on a Left-Right scale: evidence from undergraduate students in seven countries

ABSTRACT Despite its conceptual and empirical ambiguities, the Left-Right distinction of political preferences is a widely used tool in academic debates on voting and party behaviour, coalition formation and political culture. In a novel contribution to scholarship on the social construction of ideological identities, we investigate the context-dependent nature of the association between different conceptualizations of economic well-being and political orientations along a Left-Right scale. Our theoretical framework distinguishes economic well-being into a materialist and post-materialist dimension, and derives its hypotheses from Social Modernization Theory. Using multivariate analyses with original survey data from 3,449 undergraduate students in Bolivia, Brazil, Italy, Kenya, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK, our results show clear patterns and large effect sizes in the association between respondents’ macro-economic context and their micro-level ideological orientations. In non-high-income countries, respondents’ Left-Right self-placements correlate with a materialist conceptualization of economic well-being, which centres on assessments of their family’s real-life economic status. In high-income countries, by contrast, respondents’ Left-Right self-placements are associated with a post-materialist conceptualization of economic well-being that is based on normative judgements about inequality aversion.
A 1-17-GHz InGaP-GaAs HBT MMIC analog multiplier and mixer with broad-band input-matching networks

An InGaP-GaAs heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) analog multiplier/mixer monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) is developed that adopts a Gilbert-cell multiplier with broad-band input-matching networks to widen the bandwidth up to 17 GHz. This MMIC was fabricated using a commercially available 6-in InGaP-GaAs HBT MMIC process. It achieved a measured sensitivity of above 1100 V/W for an analog multiplier and a conversion gain of better than 9 dB for a mixer. It also demonstrated a lower corner frequency and noise than that of an InP HBT analog multiplier. The measured low-frequency noise was 10 nV/sqrt(Hz), which is about half of that of an InP HBT analog multiplier with a similar architecture. The corner frequency of the low-frequency noise was roughly estimated to be 15 kHz. The measured performance of this MMIC chip with gain-bandwidth-product (GBP) of 47 GHz rivals that of the reported GaAs-based analog multipliers and mixers. The high GBP result achieved by this chip is attributed to the HBT device performance and the broad-band input-matching network.
‘Just right’ urbanism? Beyond communitarian ideals in Stockholm’s compact neighbourhoods

ABSTRACT This article investigates the widely implemented compact neighbourhood type and aims to stimulate fresh thinking in Anglo-American urban enquiry by building on the work of Massey and others to illuminate relational complexities between sociality and space. The authors present findings from research in Stockholm, which reveal spatial porosity and novel social meanings existing between polarised notions of connectedness and separateness. Such insights may be overlooked without adequate recognition of agency in relational investigations. Thus, renewed emphasis on agential capacity in both people and built form would benefit planning efforts. The neighbourhoods investigated foster patterns of “just right” (lagom) urbanity in which individuals find temporary reprieve and sociospatial mediation amidst wider metropolitan challenges. Future research could determine if neighbourhoods situated elsewhere foster similar interrelations, and – if so – what impacts on human well-being result. The authors urge theorists to undertake more-than-relational research in other contexts and with other neighbourhood types.
Projected area measurement of complex 3D objects based on point cloud data

In this paper, a novel method for measuring the projected area of complex 3D objects based on lidar point cloud data is present. To solve the problem of partial data missing in the process of collection, a method of combining Moving Least Squares (MLS) and greedy projection triangulation algorithm for 3D surface reconstruction is proposed. Combined with the MLS method, the problem of greedy projection triangulation method that it requires the point cloud density to change uniformly is made up. The surface data obtained by this method is smoother and the number of holes is reduced, so that the final projected area calculated is much more accurate. The point cloud display platform is written in C++ under Win10 environment. We select PCL to render point clouds and grids and use VTK framework to implement visual interface, which can display the algorithm results of this article.
Respiratory Effort Signal Based Sleep Apnea Detection System Using Improved Random Forest Classifier

This work aims to develop a minimally obtrusive simple system for the automatic detection and classification of sleep apnea (SA) events using the single-channel abdomen respiratory effort signal (Abd RES) taken from the ISRUC sleep database. The discrete wavelet transform energy, time domain respiratory rate variability and the Shannon entropy features are extracted from the Abd RES to build a classifier system. The performance of linear multi-class support vector machine (SVM) and random forest (RF) classifiers is compared for the application. Furthermore, an improved random forest (IRF) classifier is proposed, which is a combination of data re-sampling, RF algorithm and threshold moving method. It is designed to deal with the imbalance in the input dataset for better classification results. Various systems are designed using individual feature sets, but classification accuracy increases when feature sets are combined. A maximum accuracy of 89.66% is achieved with the IRF based system using reduced feature set obtained by principal component analysis. Thus, the proposed method can provide an effective, economical and accessible screening tool for SA.
Information architecture for supply chain quality management

As quality requirements play a crucial role in supply chain management (SCM), enterprises require appropriate information architecture to address evolving supply chain needs. Information architecture for supply chain quality management has drawn much attention from the research community and the industry in recent years. Recent research explores the role of service-oriented architecture (SOA), RFID, agent, workflow management, and the Internet of Things (IoT) as an enabler of real-time quality management and control in the supply chain. This paper attempts to analyse the current state of the art in information management for supply chain quality management, reviewing the current research and development in information architecture for supply chain quality management, and highlighting some of the key technologies that have the potential to significantly improve the performance of supply chain quality management. It is our hope that this paper will motivate the supply chain quality management community in deploying the technologies along with their breakthroughs with the objective of realising automated supply chain quality management.
Physiotherapy for large airway collapse: an ABC approach

Large airway collapse (LAC) describes the phenomenon of excessive, abnormal, inward movement of the large airways (i.e. trachea and/or main bronchi and/or bronchus intermedius) occurring during the expiratory phase of the respiratory cycle. It is an increasingly well-recognised problem and a prevalent comorbidity in other chronic respiratory conditions (e.g. COPD and asthma). LAC is associated with pervasive respiratory features such as a barking cough, exertional dyspnoea and an increased propensity to lower respiratory tract infection. These symptoms are unpleasant, and patients are often limited in their daily life and their function. The pathophysiology of this condition impairs airway clearance and can cause breathlessness and exercise intolerance, due to a loss of airway patency during expiratory flow. Dysfunctional adaptations to breathing and coughing may further amplify symptoms. This article provides, for the first time, clinically focused physiotherapeutic intervention advice based on our understanding of the pathophysiology of LAC, to support conservative management. It uses the available evidence from LAC, transferable evidence from other conditions and knowledge based on clinical experience. It proposes a practical “ABC model” to ensure physiotherapy assessment and treatments are centred around optimising three key clinical areas: Airways, including airway clearance and cough; Breathing, including breathlessness and breathing pattern; and Capacity for exercise, including an assessment of functional exercise ability. Large airway collapse causes debilitating symptoms of cough, retained secretions, exercise intolerance and breathlessness. This review describes the key role that physiotherapy plays in the conservative management of this condition. https://bit.ly/3pADTUp
The efficacy of executive function interventions in children with autism spectrum disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis

ABSTRACT Introduction Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) experience difficulties in Executive Functions (EFs) performance. However, the efficacy of EF intervention needs to be further investigated. Objective To evaluate the efficacy of different EF interventions in children and adolescents with ASD. Methods A systematic review and meta-analysis were carried out according to PRISMA guidelines. Relevant databases including PubMed, PsycINFO, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched up to November 2019. Papers included in the study have the following characteristics: randomized controlled trial or quasi-experimental design and published in English or Spanish. Results After the elimination of duplicates, 949 were screened. Among these, six were included in the systematic review. The main approaches for EF in ASD were computer-based interventions, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and assisted-animal therapy. Statistically significant results (p = 0.003) were found in using exergames. Conclusion Different approaches can be used for improving EF intervention, with positive effects on working memory, behavior, and flexibility.
Eficiência do uso da água para girassol cultivado em sistema hidropônico sob estresse salino

In order to identify alternatives for the use of saline water in agricultural production, the effects of the use of brackish water in the preparation of the nutrient solution for the cultivation of sunflower (cv. EMBRAPA 122-V2000) were studied in hydroponic system on consumption and efficiency of water use for the production of achenes and biomass. A completely randomized design was used, analyzed in a 5x2 factorial scheme with three replications. The factors studied were five levels of salinity of nutrient solution (1.7 - control; 4.3; 6.0; 9.0; and 11.5dS m-1) and two plant densities - one or two plants per vessel. It was concluded that the water consumption of sunflower is a variable sensitive to the salinity of the nutrient solution, especially after the fourth week of crop, and that the efficiency of water use in the production of achenes and biomass of sunflower is greater when the plant density increases from one to two plants per vessel, even under saline stress.
Effect of Additional Buoyancy Swimsuits on Performance of Competitive Swimmers

When in water, the Centers of Buoyancy (CoB) and Mass (CoM) of the human body are positioned cranially and caudally, respectively. With increasing distance between these centers, the sinking torque of the lower limbs increases, with a subsequent decrease in swimming performance due to increased drag. To clarify the effect of additional buoyancy swimsuits on swimming performance. The subjects were eight competitive male swimmers of mean ±SD age 21±2 years. Swimming performance was compared between Conventional (CS) and Additional Buoyancy Swimsuits (ABS). CoM and CoB were identified on land and in water, respectively, with the swimmers maintaining a horizontal posture. CoM was measured by the reaction board method. CoB was calculated as the force exerted in the vertical direction accompanied by changes in inspiratory volume. Swimming velocity and Blood Lactate (BL) concentration value during 200 m front crawl in trials at four different speeds (curve test) were recorded as swimming performance. No significant difference in inspiratory volume was observed between CS and ABS (small effect size, d=0.28). The distance between CoM and CoB was significantly shorter for CS than ABS (p < 0.001; large effect size, d=1.08). Both swimming velocity at BL of 4 mmol·L-1 and maximal effort were significantly faster for ABS (p < 0.042; 0.008), with large effect size (d=0.91; 0.98). However, there was no significant difference in maximal BL between CS and ABS (small effect size, d=0.37). ABS improves swimming performance by streamlining the horizontal posture.
The use of eddy current arrays as a replacement for dye-penetrant inspection of generator and exciter end-rings

With reduced inspection time and recoverable inspection data, eddy current array technology is the future of surface crack detection on power station components. Generator and exciter end-rings will soon reap the benefits of accurate surface crack detection using eddy current array solutions from RWE npower. Accurate defect mapping, quick and complete data recovery, relative defect size information and rapid data acquisition are just a few of the drivers behind the switch away from fluorescent dye-penetrant inspections.
Impact of 20-MeV /spl alpha/-ray irradiation on the V-band performance of AlGaAs pseudomorphic HEMTs

The irradiation damage in Si-planar-doped AlGaAs pseudomorphic HEMT's integrated in 50 GHz monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMIC's) and subjected to 20-MeV /spl alpha/ and /spl gamma/-ray irradiation is studied. Both the static and the high frequency device parameters have been analyzed. It is shown that the drain current and the effective mobility decrease after irradiation, while the threshold voltage shifts in a positive direction. The degradation of the device performance increases for higher fluence. The decrease of the mobility is thought to result from the scattering of channel electrons by the induced lattice defects and also from the decrease of the electron density in the two dimensional electron gas (2DEG) region. Moreover, the noise figure increases with increasing fluence, while the gain decreases. After 150/spl deg/C post-irradiation thermal annealing for 15 min, the noise figure and gain for 1/spl times/10/sup 12/ /spl alpha//cm/sup 2/ recovers by 67 and 19%, respectively.
TO STAY OR NOT TO STAY: AN EMPIRICAL MODEL FOR PREDICTING TEACHER PERSISTENCE

ABSTRACT Teacher persistence has been a growing issue in recent decades. This raises the problem of the sustainability of the teaching workforce, the professionalism of working teachers and preserving the quality of education. In this study we aim to create and test an empirical model that makes it possible to predict teachers’ plans to remain in or leave the profession. Proceeding from earlier research, this study focuses on investigating the role of motivations, job demands, and school climate as potential factors of teacher retention. A sample of 373 teachers responded to an electronic questionnaire compiled using questions from FIT-Choice, Norwegian Teacher Self-Efficacy Scale, and the Delaware School Climate Survey. Structural equation modelling was applied to find the model that predicts teachers’ plans to remain in or leave the profession. The findings revealed two main factors – the combination of perceived teaching ability and intrinsic motivation, and job security – that have a positive impact on plans to continue teaching. Perceived teaching ability and intrinsic motivation, in turn, is affected by relations with students and maintaining discipline in class. Emotional exhaustion and workload impacting the latter, predict the risk of attrition. Contrary to earlier research, age and years of teaching experience appeared to be unrelated to plans to continue teaching.
VITA-an autonomous road vehicle (ARV) for collision avoidance in traffic

Describes results of the autonomous Daimler-Benz test vehicle VITA (vision technology application). The basic structure of the vehicle is introduced. The computer vision based applications, ranging from lane keeping, obstacle detection, stop+go and lane change to intersection control are briefly explained. Ongoing research work in the Daimler-Benz PROMETHEUS subproject is mentioned. <<ETX>>
An approach to analyze logistic outsourcing problem in medium‐scale organization by CFPR and VIKOR

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to make out a complete solution to logistic outsourcing problem in a medium‐scale organization by using consistent fuzzy preference relation (CFPR) and vlsekriterijumska optimizacija i kompromisno resenje (VIKOR) method.Design/methodology/approach – The initial approach to this research was to develop a comprehensive framework for logistic outsourcing problem and selection of most appropriate third party logistic (3PL) provider.Findings – It has been found that the organization should outsource logistic activities. The alternatives (3PL providers) have also been ranked and the fifth 3PL provider has been termed as best third party logistic provider.Research limitations/implications – The parameters selected for this study and developed framework are applicable only to a medium‐scale organization manufacturing automobile parts in northern India.Originality/value – This is probably the first time that an attempt has been made to apply the two‐phase methodology approach.
New expression for the resonance frequency of an E‐shaped microstrip patch antenna

The resonance frequency of an E‐shaped microstrip antenna has been calculated by equating its area to an equivalent area of a rectangular microstrip patch antenna. A new expression for effective dielectric constant is developed for the E‐shaped microstrip patch antenna. The new expression of resonance frequency is used to calculate the results, which are in good agreement with the measured and published results. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 48: 1561–1563, 2006; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.21700
Comparison of Herbal Agents with Sodium Hypochlorite as Root Canal Irrigant: A Systematic Review of In Vitro Studies

During endodontic treatment, eliminating microorganisms from the root canals should be considered with utmost importance. Before filling the canal, every effort should be made to ensure optimal shaping and adequate disinfection of the root canal system. This systematic review aimed to compare the efficacy of herbal agents with sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) in reducing the microbial load while used as a root canal irrigant. The research question in the present study was to assess “Is there a significant difference in reducing microbial load comparing sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) and herbal agents. ” Electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science) were searched from their start dates to November 2020 using strict inclusion and exclusion criteria and reviewed following PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. Only in vitro studies comparing herbal agents with NaOCl regarding antimicrobial efficiency were included. Two reviewers independently assessed the included article. 825 articles were obtained from an electronic database. Twenty papers were included for review of the full text. Eleven papers were excluded because they did not meet the inclusion criteria. Finally, nine articles were included in the systematic review. The present systematic review was at the in vitro level; therefore, the result cannot translate the exact clinical conditions. This systematic review concludes that herbal agents cannot be used as a main irrigant for canal disinfection.
Soil Cover and Wind Erosion

ABSTRACT WIND erosion on agricultural lands can be reduced if the soil surface is protected with crop residues. In evaluating the influence of residues on wind erosion, previous research has expressed residues of various crops as an equivalent of flat, small grain. This becomes difficult as the density of the residue changes with weathering, or as crops other than the major cultivated crops are grown. Soil losses due to wind erosion were determined by covering various percentages of the soil surface with simulated flat residues (wood dowels 3.1 to 25.4 mm in diameter). Covering 20% of the soil surface reduced soil losses 57%, and a 50% cover reduced soil losses 95%. The expression SLR = 1.81 e-°°72% scdescribes the relationship between soil loss ratio (SLR) and percent soil cover (% SC) with a correlation coefficient of —0.94 (soil cover limits 8 to 80%). The cover can be any nonerodible material such as large clods, gravel, cotton gin trash, or any diameter stick between 3.1 and 25.4 mm. Percent soil cover is easily measured in the field or can be estimated with a minimum of training and experience.