Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A versatile output stage for implantable neural stimulators

Neural stimulators have the potential of becoming very important devices for the treatment of a wide variety of diseases. One of the major problems with existing stimulators is the limited waveform adjustability. This precludes the use of sophisticated stimulation programs and thereby affects the efficacy of the therapy applied. Another issue is the limitted implantability of the device, resulting in long subcutaneous wires. Because of these two reasons a new type of stimulator is required. Electrodes implanted in neural tissue are modeled using a highly non linear model with a capacitive nature. It is however shown that the response of the electrode tissue interface can be modeled accurately enough using a linear capacitive model. The physical process associated with the stimulation of neural tissue essentially comprises lifting up the tissue potential above (or below) a certain threshold value. This means that stimulation essentially is the injection of a particular amount of charge into the tissue in order to lift the potential of the tissue. Furthermore the injected charge needs to be canceled precisely in order to prevent tissue damage. First a system level design of a complete stimulator system is presented. This design includes the possibility of feedback: based on the brain activity recorded by electrodes a certain stimulation pattern is applied. After the system definition the design of the output stage, responsible for injecting the stimulation pattern into the tissue, is treated. Most existing stimulators use a current based architecture in which the charge is controlled by enabling the stimulator for a certain amount of time. Voltage based stimulation however is shown to have a higher power efficiency. A novel type of voltage based architecture is proposed using indirect current feedback of the tissue current. Using a current integrator with a very high dynamic range the injected charge can be controlled very precisely, while any arbitrary voltage waveform can be used for stimulation. Circuit simulations prove the feasibility of the approach and show a charge mismatch in the order of 0.1% is possible, paving the way to full charge balancing. Furthermore, they predict correct functionality over all process corners, including mismatch. The system only uses a singleended supply and the quiescent power consumption of the system is less than 17 ? W. Therefore it can be concluded that the novel approach for the output stage design proposed in this thesis allows the use of a very versatile stimulator; any arbritrary waveform can be injected while assuring charge balancing. Furthermore power consumption is minimized in order to relax the requirements for the battery and thus improve the implantability of the system.
Model Predictive Control Education using a Rapid Prototyping Industrial Platform

The recent advances in implementation methods and in the efficiency of computing devices increased the interest of industry inusing model predictive control (MPC) methodologies in control applications characterized by fast dynamics. In order to cope withsuch a growth of interest, control designers who are adequately trained for the MPC design practice are needed. In this regard,suitable experimental activities must be set up inside the educational programmes involving MPC subjects. In this paper, rapidprototyping (RP) environments play a role of primary relevance in testing and performing MPC design iterations on a real-timesystem. This view introduces a flexible RP tool for MPCs developed on a National Instruments industrial device. It is aimed atallowing students with basic knowledge of predictive control theory, to train their ability in the design of MPC controllers bymeans of a ‘learn-by-doing’ approach. Experimental practice on a magnetic levitation system as well as a student assessment andsurvey data are presented to show the effectiveness of the proposed MPC RP environment.
High-Efficiency FCME-Based Noise Power Estimation for Long-Term and Wide-Band Spectrum Measurements

Statistics in terms of spectrum occupancy are useful for efficient and smart dynamic spectrum sharing, and the statistics can be obtained by long-term and wide-band spectrum measurements. In this paper, we investigate noise floor (NF) estimation for energy detection (ED)-based long-term and wide-band spectrum measurements since the NF estimation heavily affects the ED performance and eventually the accuracy of the statistics in terms of spectrum occupancy. Specifically, we address the following NF estimation problems simultaneously for the first time in the spectrum measurement field: (1) slow time-varying property of the NF, (2) frequency dependency of the NF, (3) the NF estimation in the presence of the signal, and (4) the computational cost of the NF estimation. Firstly, we apply Forward consecutive mean excision (FCME) algorithm-based NF estimation to deal with the above three problems ((1), (2) and (3)) successfully. Second, we propose and apply an NF level change detection on top of the FCME algorithm-based NF estimation to deal with the fourth problem. The proposed NF level change detection exploits the slow time-varying property of the NF. Specifically, only if the significant NF level change is detected, the FCME algorithm-based NF estimation is performed to reduce the redundant NF estimations. In numerical evaluations, we show the efficiency and the validity of the NF level change detection for the NF estimation problems, and compare the NF estimation performance with the method without the NF level change detection.
Techniques and Practices in the Training of Digital Operator Skills

Abstract : This report presents research on classroom training practices in Army Battle Command System courses. The investigation examined a sample of institutional courses using observation and classification techniques. Three learning theories--behaviorist, cognitive, and constructivist--guided the collection and analysis of data. Cognitive and behaviorist training techniques were observed somewhat more frequently than constructivist techniques. The frequency of training techniques depended on the type of course (operator vs. leader orientation), instructor style, and progression across days. The discussion offers potential improvements in the areas of training techniques, program of instruction, training environment, and instructional innovation. The report is intended for use by training designers and developers, digital trainers, and training managers working in institutional settings.
The customer perceived value of the ecodesign of mobile telephones

With clear trends in the way human activity impacts on the natural environmentand a rapid increase in consumption, the need environmental considerations inproduct development is today more pressing than ever. From a businessperspective, it is important to understand the effects and mechanisms ofgreening products.The purpose of this study, performed at the AF EcoDesign Center, is to add tothe body of knowledge regarding environmentally conscious productdevelopment. The customer value of ecodesign is investigated through a casestudy of mobile telephones. The issue is studied from a product developmentand business aspect. In addition, the results of an antecedent project regardingthe re design of a mobile phone applying ecodesign methodology are evaluated.The study employs a mixed-method approach combining qualitative andquantitative research. A cognitivistic approach to customer value is taken andvalue attributes examined through focus groups, Kano analysis and conjointanalysis. Quantitative data was collected using a web survey.The investigation concludes that for mobile phones and the studied population,ecodesign does facilitate customer value. However actions implemented atproduct attribute level must be supported by green brand positioning.From a company perspective, consumers express preference towardsecodesigned mobile phones but the majority are unwilling to pay a premium. Acredible, clear message must be communicated. Company-wide actionsencompassing the entire product range must be taken for the company to gainmaximum benefit. There are also opportunities to take a leading position as agreen producer.
The Tele-Earthwork System Best Adapted to Remote Operated Construction Equipment

The Tele-Earth Work System is intended to ensure the safe performance of a series of earthwork, from the excavation of soil to the loading, transportation and disposal of the excavated soil, through remote control steered from a centralized control room located away from the working areas , by using a variety of field monitors which display stereophotographs and computer graphics of pieces of unmanned heavy construction equipment in operation at construction site, which are transmitted from communication relay vehicles. In the operation of construction equipment through remote control, advising the operators of the status of the equipment and their surrounding conditions accurately is essential. With these information judged overall, the working environment similar to that of manned equipment operation can be accomplished, through efficient operation of remote operated equipment as well. Actual field operation included breaking rocks. with a breaker, digging up soil by using a hydraulic shovel, gathering excavated material with a bulldozer, and loading it on dump trucks for disposal at an off-site yard. This. paper describes how a series of the operations of these unmanned equipment were remote-controlled from a control room located more than 100 meters away from the project site.
Pattern recognition for electric power system protection

The objective o f this research is to demonstrate pattern recognition tools such as decision trees (DTs) and neural networks that will improve and automate the design o f relay protection functions in electric power systems. Protection functions that will benefit from the research include relay algorithms for high voltage transformer protection (TP) and for high impedance fault (HIF) detection. A methodology, which uses DTs and wavelet analysis to distinguish transformer internal faults from other conditions that are easily mistaken for internal faults, has been developed. Also, a DT based solution is proposed to discriminate HIFs from normal operations that may confuse relays. Both methods have been verified with simulation data generated by the Electromagnetic Transients Program. Compared with traditional methods, both show better performance. After being trained with a large number o f carefully selected features, the desired DTs can obtain an accuracy o f greater than 95%. Further, no special equipment is necessary; the DT-based controller only needs the standard relay input signals sampled at 1920 Hz. So far, no one has applied the same methodologies to solve these problems. Even though some future work with experimental data is needed to make the methods more convincing for utilities, the research has already shown that pattern recognition is a promising direction in developing power system protection algorithms.
Dynamic structures of control and generativity in digital ecosystem service innovation: the cases of the Apple and Google mobile app stores

Understanding complex dynamics of digital ecosystem service innovation is of key strategic interests of many firms. For example, the primary challenge for the mobile phone industry has been recently transformed from one of joint handset device and telecommunication service innovation towards one of global digital ecosystem development. Apple and Google have as new entrants gained a lucrative share of the market and competitors such as the Nokia-Microsoft alliance, RIM, and HP/Palm are all seeking to compete through their own proprietary ecosystems. The aim of this paper is to understand the structures underpinning the seemingly complex and emergent actions when stakeholders engage in service innovation in digital ecosystems and applies narrative analysis on a large corpus of web articles to understand service innovation within Apple and Google's digital ecosystems and applies narrative analysis on a large corpus of web articles to understand service innovation within Apple and Google's digital ecosystems. This identifies a set of core generative and controlling actions, the underlying structural relationships between these actions, and a discussion of strategies for combining these actions. Our results show the interactive nature of service innovations in a digital ecosystem.
Optimizing Air Force Depot Programming to Maximize Operational Capability

Abstract : The Air Force wants to improve the link between resources and weapons system readiness by reducing costs, improving risk-based decision making, and balancing costs with performance. With that in mind, RAND Project Air Force developed a linear programming model linking Depot Purchased Equipment Maintenance to operational capability. This thesis examined that model, provided an alternate model, and then developed a new model that determined the minimum cost necessary to maintain the force structure. The utility of using the models using Weapon System Sustainment (WSS) and additional sources of data for aircraft and engine inventories was evaluated and critiqued. While every WSS requirement has a cost, the vast majority do not have quantities associated with them. Using the sources outlined for aircraft and engine inventories does not match up with WSS data. Aircraft inventory data is more specific than the WSS data requirements. Engine inventories are managed by engine type, not by aircraft. Many engines serve multiple aircraft, and many aircraft require multiple engines. The combined result is that using WSS data to process these models and obtain meaningful results is not possible at this time.
Sullivanesque: Urban Architecture and Ornamentation

"Sullivanesque" offers a visual and historical tour of a unique but often overlooked facet of modern American architecture derived from Louis Sullivan. Highly regarded in architecture for inspiring the Chicago School and the Prairie School, Sullivan was an unwilling instigator of the method of facade composition--later influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright, William Gray Purcell, and George G. Elmslie--that came to be known as "Sullivanesque". Decorative enhancements with botanical and animal themes, Sullivan's distinctive ornamentation mitigated the hard geometries of the large buildings he designed, coinciding with his "form follows function" aesthetic. Sullivan's designs offered solutions to problems presented by new types and scales of buildings. Widely popular, they were also widely copied, and the style proliferated due to a number of Chicago-based interests, including the Radford Architectural Company and several decorative plaster and terra-cotta companies. Stock replicas of Sullivan's designs manufactured by the Midland Terra Cotta Company and others gave distinction and focus to utilitarian buildings in Chicago's commercial strips and other confined areas, such as the downtown districts of smaller towns. Mass-produced Sullivanesque terra cotta endured as a result of its combined economic and aesthetic appeal, blending the sophistication of high architectural art with the pragmatic functionality of building design. Masterfully framed by the author's photographs of Sullivanesque buildings in Chicago and throughout the Midwest, Ronald E. Schmitt's in-depth exploration of the Sullivanesque tells the story of its evolution from Sullivan's intellectual and aesthetic foundations to its place as a form of commercial vernacular. The book also includes an inventory of Sullivanesque buildings.
Kinetic and ecotoxicological evaluation of the direct orange 26 dye degradation by Fenton and solar photo-Fenton processes

The presence of color in textile effluents has been studied because of the need for more effective treatments. Therefore, advanced oxidative processes (AOP) have been used in the degradation of dyes, as well as in the conversion of organic matter. This study evaluated the degradation of the direct orange 26 textile dye by Fenton and photo-Fenton processes (with natural solar radiation). A statistical analysis, based on factorial 23 indicated the best working conditions, being: [H2O2] = 100 mg·L-1 and pH 3-4, for both AOP in that the [Fe] = 1 e 5 mg·L-1, for photo-Fenton and Fenton, respectively. The results of the kinetic studies demonstrated a good fit to the nonlinear kinetic model proposed by Chan and Chu, with values of R2 > 0,996 (photo-fenton) and R2 > 0,939 (Fenton). The tests performed to evaluate the chemical oxygen demand indicated conversions of 62.05% (Fenton) and 66.41% (photo-Fenton). Finally, the ecotoxicity study indicated that the post-treatment samples were non-toxic to the bacteria Escherichia coli and Proteus mirabilis but showed growth inhibition for Lactuca sativa (Fenton and photo-Fenton) seeds and for Brassica juncea and Portulaca grandiflora (Fenton).
Material and Energy Balances for Methanol from Biomass Using Biomass Gasifiers

The objective of the Biomass to Methanol Systems Analysis Project is the determination of the most economically optimum combination of unit operations which will make the production of methanol from biomass competitive with or more economic than traditional processes with conventional fossil fuel feedstocks. This report summarizes the development of simulation models for methanol production based upon the Institute of Gas Technology (IGT) ''Renugas'' gasifier and the Battelle Columbus Laboratory (BCL) gasifier. This report discusses methanol production technology, the IGT and BCL gasifiers, analysis of gasifier data for gasification of wood, methanol production material and energy balance simulations, and one case study based upon each of the gasifiers.
Practical Play of the Dice Game Pig

The object of the jeopardy dice game Pig is to be the first player to reach 100 points. Each turn, a player repeatedly rolls a die until either a 1 is rolled or the player holds and scores the sum of the rolls (i.e., the turn total). At any time during a player’s turn, the player is faced with two choices: roll or hold. If the player rolls a 1, the player scores nothing and it becomes the opponent’s turn. If the player rolls a number other than 1, the number is added to the player’s turn total and the player’s turn continues. If the player instead chooses to hold, the turn total is added to the player’s score and it becomes the opponent’s turn. In our original article [Neller and Presser 2004], we described a means to compute optimal play for Pig. However, optimal play is surprisingly complex and beyond human potential to memorize and apply. In this paper, we mathematically explore a more subjective question: What is the simplest human-playable policy that most closely approximates optimal play? While one cannot enumerate and search the space of all possible simple policies for Pig play, our exploration will present interesting insights and yield a surprisingly good policy that one can play by memorizing only three integers and using simple mental arithmetic. [excerpt]
Chemometrics and Molecular Modeling applied to coumarin derivatives as potential multitarget inhibitors in Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Chemometrics and Molecular Modeling applied to coumarin derivatives as potential multitarget inhibitors in Mycobacterium tuberculosis Jéssika de Oliveira Viana , Mayara Santos Maia , Gabriela Cristina Soares Rodrigues , Marcus Tullius Scotti , Luciana Scotti a,b a Program of Natural and Synthetic Bioactive Products (PgPNSB), Health Sciences Center, Federal University of Paraíba, João Pessoa-PB, Brazil; E-mail: viana_jess@hotmail.com b Teaching and Research Management University Hospital, Federal University of Paraíba, Campus I, 58051-900, João Pessoa-PB, Brazil
Using Hybrid Deep Learning Models of Sentiment Analysis and Item Genres in Recommender Systems for Streaming Services

Recommender systems are being used in streaming service platforms to provide users with personalized suggestions to increase user satisfaction. These recommendations are primarily based on data about the interaction of users with the system; however, other information from the large amounts of media data can be exploited to improve their reliability. In the case of media social data, sentiment analysis of the opinions expressed by users, together with properties of the items they consume, can help gain a better understanding of their preferences. In this study, we present a recommendation approach that integrates sentiment analysis and genre-based similarity in collaborative filtering methods. The proposal involves the use of BERT for genre preprocessing and feature extraction, as well as hybrid deep learning models, for sentiment analysis of user reviews. The approach was evaluated on popular public movie datasets. The experimental results show that the proposed approach significantly improves the recommender system performance.
Introduction to the history of communication : evolutions & revolutions

An Introduction to the History of Communication: Evolutions and Revolutions that provides a comprehensive overview of how human communication has changed and is changing. Focusing on the evolutions and revolutions of six key changes in the history of communication - becoming human; creating writing; developing print; capturing the image; harnessing electricity; and exploring cybernetics - the author reveals how communication was generated, stored, and shared. This ecological approach provides a comprehensive understanding of the key variables that underlie each of these great evolutions-revolutions in human communication. Designed as an introduction for history of communication classes, the text examines the past, attempting to identify the key dynamics of change in these human, technical, semiotic, social, political, economic, and cultural structures, in order to better understand the present and prepare for possible future developments.
Polymeric Nanoparticles for Breast Cancer Therapy: A Comprehensive Review

Breast cancer is a leading death cause in women globally. Since therapeutic products do not yet approach the tumor tissue at adequate levels; therefore, nanoparticle-based chemotherapy has been explored nowadays. Implementing nanotechnology to the treatment of breast cancer renders chemotherapy very successful and efficacious but far less toxic. In this review article, literature about polymeric nanoparticles applications in breast cancer was retrieved from PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar databases. This review paper briefly addresses molecular targets in breast cancer's pathophysiology, drawbacks of current therapies for breast cancer, and polymeric nanoparticles as an evolving breast cancer chemotherapy that includes benefits, critical characteristics, and passive and active tumor targeting via polymeric nanoparticles. An outline of progression in polymeric nanoparticles for breast cancer treatment reports in current publications; patents available and clinical trials conducted for breast cancer in the last few years have been reviewed briefly.