Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comprehensive Investigation and Evaluation of Cogging Torque Suppression Techniques of Flux-Switching Permanent Magnet Machines

To obtain the best comprehensive performance of the flux-switching permanent magnet (FSPM) machines, six cogging torque suppression techniques based on rotor-side including skewing, step-skewing, notching, pairing, right-angle chamfering, and cos-chamfering rotors are investigated in this article. First, suppression mechanisms of the rotor techniques are classified into two categories and analyzed through general air-gap field modulation theory (AFMT). Then, based on finite element analysis (FEA), cogging torque waveforms of the FSPM machine by each technique are predicted to evaluate cogging torque suppression effectiveness, and the reasons and differences of cogging torque reduction are explained from the perspective of air gap magnetic field harmonics. Next, electromagnetic performances are calculated and compared, including saliency ratio (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$R_{\mathrm{ sa}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>), back electromotive force (EMF), torque, and rotor robustness. Furthermore, a system-level theoretical analysis for cogging torque suppression of FSPM machines is conducted to disclose the common nature of different techniques. According to six key factors, namely, cogging torque suppression rate (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$R_{\mathrm {ct}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>), per unit saliency ratio [<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$R_{\mathrm {sa}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>(p.u.)], fundamental proportion (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$P_{f}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>) of back EMF, torque retention rate (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$R_{\mathrm {tr}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>), torque ripple suppression rate (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$R_{\mathrm {trs}}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>), and torque ripple robustness [<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$R_{\text {ob}}(T_{\mathrm {rip}})$ </tex-math></inline-formula>], a more comprehensive rotor design idea (or general design guideline) is provided for machine researchers and designers. Finally, prototype experiments concerning a 12s/10p FSPM machine with four rotor techniques are conducted. The results can provide a significant reference for cogging torque suppression techniques of FSPM machines.
An RFS Time-Frequency Model for Decomposing Chirp Modes With Dynamic Cross, Appearance, and Disappearance

In this article, the decomposition and retrieval of the chirp modes with dynamic cross, appearance, and/or disappearance in a signal are formulated as a process of tracking time-frequency (TF) trajectories. Analyses show that the amplitude and frequency evolutions of each chirp mode in the signal can be described by polynomial prediction models. When all these evolutions are viewed as state equations, it is illustrated that the random appearance and/or disappearance of these modes will make the state equations into a state random finite set (RFS). If the amplitudes and frequencies obtained by the short-time spectrum of the signal are taken as the measurements of the state equations, a measurement RFS model in the presence of data association and detection uncertainties is coined when the statistical properties of the existing and newborn chirp modes as well as the noise/clutter are taken into consideration. So, an RFS TF model for tracking the TF trajectories in a signal is established. It is then demonstrated that a modified probability hypothesis density filter can be used to infer the amplitude and frequency posterior distributions of the chirp modes in the signal when the intensity of the RFS states is modeled as a Gaussian mixture. Numerical simulation experiments verify the effectiveness of our model and analytical results. Meanwhile, a superior performance is achieved especially for the high readability, extractability, and decomposability of instantaneous frequency trajectories with dynamic cross, appearance, and disappearance in a signal.
Determining the mode-field diameter of single-mode optical fiber: An interlaboratory comparison

The National Bureau of Standards, in cooperation with the Electronic Industries Association, conducted an interlaboratory measurement comparison among fiber manufacturers. Evaluated were transverse splice offset, near-field, far-field, and variable aperture far-field methods for determining mode-field diameter. Measurements were performed on five single-mode fibers at both 1300- and 1550-nm wavelengths. At 1300 nm, agreement was fairly good with the average one standard deviation being 0.15 μm for mode-field diameters in the 8-11 \mu m range. Distinct systematic differences among various techniques were observed at 1550 nm where mode distributions are not as Gaussian.
Growth and characterization of large-diameter, lithium-free ZnO single crystals

Large-diameter, lithium-free ZnO single-crystal substrates of high crystalline quality will enable development and commercialization of high-performance ZnO-based semiconductor devices, such as UV and visible light emitting diodes (LEDs), UV laser diodes and solar-blind UV detectors for variety of applications. We have recently developed a novel crystal growth technique for producing lithium-free ZnO single crystal boules of 1 inch in diameter. We also fabricated ZnO single crystal wafers in sizes up to 1 inch in diameter. Chemical purity, crystalline defects, and electrical resistivity of ZnO single crystals were analyzed. Results from crystal growth and material characterization are presented and discussed. Our research results suggest that the novel crystal growth technique is a viable production technique for producing ZnO single crystals and substrates for semiconductor device applications.
Optimization RGB-D 3-D Reconstruction Algorithm Based on Dynamic SLAM

This article proposes a robust dynamic feature segmentation simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) 3-D reconstruction algorithm based on the dynamic segmentation framework of DynaSLAM in order to realize the SLAM system mapping in the dynamic environment of intelligent robots. The algorithm employs the method of feature point reextraction to solve the problem of an insufficient number of original feature points. In the preprocessing stage, the optimized epipolar geometry model is designed in this article, and the image is segmented jointly with Mask R-CNN. At the point cloud postprocessing stage, a kernel principal component analysis (PCA) is used to reduce noise, and then, this article designs a dynamic filtering method based on octree for further processing. This processing effectively eliminates additional dynamic outliers. The results of experiments on TUM and Bonn datasets show that this algorithm achieves more than 10% better attitude estimation accuracy than the DynaSLAM algorithm in a highly dynamic environment and has advantages over the state-of-the-art (SOTA) algorithms.
The Effect of Preconditioning Temperature on Gas Permeability of Alkali-Activated Concretes

Alkali-activated materials (AAM) are binders that are considered an eco-friendly alternative to conventional binders based on Portland cement. The utilization of industrial wastes such as fly ash (FA) and ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) instead of cement enables a reduction of the CO2 emissions caused by clinker production. Although researchers are highly interested in the use of alkali-activated concrete (AAC) in construction, its application remains very restricted. As many standards for hydraulic concrete’s gas permeability evaluation require a specific drying temperature, we would like to emphasize the sensitivity of AAM to such preconditioning. Therefore, this paper presents the impact of different drying temperatures on gas permeability and pore structure for AAC5, AAC20, and AAC35, which contain alkali-activated (AA) binders made from blends of FA and GGBFS in slag proportions of 5%, 20%, and 35% by the mass of FA, respectively. The preconditioning of samples was performed at 20, 40, 80, and 105 °C, up to the obtainment of constant mass, and then gas permeability was evaluated, as well as porosity and pore size distribution (mercury intrusion porosity (MIP) for 20 and 105 °C). The experimental results demonstrate up to a three-percentage-point rise in the total porosity of low-slag concrete after 105 °C in comparison to 20 °C, as well as a significant increase in gas permeability, reaching up to 30-fold amplification, contingent upon the matrix composition. Notably, the alteration in pore size distribution, influenced by the preconditioning temperature, exhibits a substantial impact. The results highlight an important sensitivity of permeability to thermal preconditioning.
Measures of Conditional Linear Dependence and Feedback between Time Series

Abstract Measures of linear dependence and feedback for two multiple time series conditional on a third are defined. The measure of conditional linear dependence is the sum of linear feedback from the first to the second conditional on the third, linear feedback from the second to the first conditional on the third, and instantaneous linear feedback between the first and second series conditional on the third. The measures are non-negative and may be expressed in terms of measures of unconditional feedback between various combinations of the three series. The measures of conditional linear feedback can be additively decomposed by frequency. Estimates of these measures are straightforward to compute, and their distribution can be routinely approximated by bootstrap methods. An empirical example involving real output, money, and interest rates is presented.
Pubic Osteomyelitis in a Young Athlete

We describe a case of pubic osteomyelitis in a 17-year-old Japanese male. The patient presented with acute left groin pain and left lower quadrant pain. He was evaluated at another hospital where pelvic X-ray/computed tomography was normal, and laboratory testing revealed only high C-reactive protein. Pelvic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) on day three showed inflammation of the pubic attachment of the rectus abdominis muscle. Furthermore, a pelvic MRI performed 10 days after onset revealed a high signal on T2 short-TI inversion recovery in the left pubic bone, which was not found in the previous MRI, leading to a diagnosis of left pubic osteomyelitis. Symptoms improved rapidly after antibiotic therapy, and treatment was completed after six weeks. When a young athlete presents with fever and acute inguinal pain, osteomyelitis of the pubic bone should be considered as a differential diagnosis. This case report emphasizes the importance of taking a sports history during the interview and performing a repeat MRI for the early diagnosis of osteomyelitis of the pubic bone.
The projection factor, period–radius relation, and surface–brightness colour relation in classical cepheids

Context. The projection factor ( p -factor) is of crucial importance in linking radial velocity variations to radius variations in radially variable stars such as RR Lyrae of Cepheids. In turn, this is a crucial ingredient in the Baade-Wesselink method in obtaining distances to these stars using a surface–brightness (SB) colour relation. Aims. Our aim is to establish a relation between the p -factor and pulsation period based on six cepheids with interferometrically measured angular diameter variations and known distances. As a by-product, a period–radius (PR) relation is derived which in turn is used to derive the p -factor and distance for two stars. In addition, the data allows calibration of the SB colour relation. Methods. Literature values of the V -band, K -band and radial velocity curves are collected and fitted with Fourier series. For stars with known distances and measured angular diameters as a function of the pulsation phase, values for the radius and the p -factor can be obtained. A PR relation is derived based on five stars. For two cepheids, this PR relation is used to determine the radius and then solve for the p -factor and the distance. From the Fourier series, the V and K values at the times of the angular diameter measurements are derived, and the SB colour relation can be established. Allowance is made for the recent discovery of circumstellar material around some cepheids which influences both the derived angular diameters and the colours. Results. The PR relation derived is: log R = 0.686 log P + 1.134, slightly shallower than recently discussed PR-relations in the literature but in agreement with theory. Based on a total of eight stars with periods in the range 5–35 days there is no evidence that the p -factor depends on period, and the best-fitting constant value is p = 1.27 ± 0.05. The SB relation derived is log $\theta_0$ = 0.275 ($V-K$) 0 + 0.524, in excellent agreement with that derived by Kervella et al. (2004b, A&A, 428, 587).
Physics teachers’ conceptions of equity: Access and achievement

Physics teachers’ definitions of equity inform how they identify inequity and take action to transform it. In this paper, we adapted Gutiérrez’s equity framework from mathematics education research to physics education research. The framework defines equity in terms of four dimensions: access, achievement, identity, and power. We used this equity framework to characterize the equity conceptions shared by 23 teachers who participated in an equity-focused professional development. We found that the access and achievement dimensions of equity are popular with teachers compared to the identity and power dimensions, and that teachers share a common understanding of conceptions of access and achievement in ways that is consistent with educational literature and discourses.
Evaluation, Description and Magnitude of Readmission Phenomenon in Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Pisana (AOUP) for Chronic-Degenerative Diseases in the Period 2018–2021

Background: Readmissions are hospitalizations following a previous hospitalization (called index hospitalization) of the same patient that occurred in the same facility or nursing home. They may be a consequence of the progression of the natural history of a disease, but they may also reveal a previous suboptimal stay, or ineffective management of the underlying clinical condition. Preventing avoidable readmissions has the potential to improve both a patient’s quality of life, by avoiding exposure to the risks of re-hospitalization, and the financial well-being of health care systems. Methods: We investigated the magnitude of 30 day repeat hospitalizations for the same Major Diagnostic Category (MDC) in the Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Pisana (AOUP) over the period from 2018 to 2021. Records were divided into only admissions, index admissions and repeated admission. The length of the stay of all groups was compared using analysis of variance and subsequent multi-comparison tests. Results: Results showed a reduction in readmissions over the period examined (from 5.36% in 2018 to 4.46% in 2021), likely due to reduced access to care during the COVID-19 pandemic. We also observed that readmissions predominantly affect the male sex, older age groups, and patients with medical Diagnosis Related Groups (DRGs). The length of stay of readmissions was longer than that of index hospitalization (difference of 1.57 days, 95% CI 1.36–1.78 days, p < 0.001). The length of stay of index hospitalization is longer than that of single hospitalization (difference of 0.62 days, 95% CI 0.52–0.72 days, p < 0.001). Conclusions: A patient who goes for readmission thus has an overall hospitalization duration of almost two and a half times the length of the stay of a patient with single hospitalization, considering both index hospitalization and readmission. This represents a heavy use of hospital resources, about 10,200 more inpatient days than single hospitalizations, corresponding to a 30-bed ward working with an occupancy rate of 95%. Knowledge of readmissions is an important piece of information in health planning and a useful tool for monitoring the quality of models of patient care.
Biologically Realistic Behaviors From a Superconducting Neuron Model

In previous work, we introduced the “Josephson junction neuron,” a superconducting circuit that can reproduce some important properties of biological neurons like action potentials and refractory periods. Circuits of Josephson junction neurons have very fast dynamics and operate fully in parallel, and large simulations would be possible with them that are not feasible using traditional computers. Here, we show that this model reproduces 15 common dynamical behaviors of individual cortical spiking neurons for various choices of the intrinsic circuit parameters, while 4 more behaviors can be produced by also including a sinusoidal bias current, giving a total of 19. Behaviors such as single spike response, tonic (periodic) spiking only when stimulated, bursting, tonic bursting, frequency adaptation, and subthreshold oscillations are some of the common behaviors seen. Even bistability of periodic firing and quiescent modes are possible. This suggests that Josephson junction neurons could be fabricated and used to simulate biologically realistic neural circuits, networks, and perhaps even larger regions of the brain.
VRI PHOTOMETRY : AN ADDENDUM.

A comparative study of photometric observations made using the Johnson VRI (1965) and Cousins RI (1980) color systems is presented. The R and I passbands of the different versions of the Johnson system used in published studies are compared, considering both S1-based and S20-GaAs-based bandpasses. Discrepancies are attributed to the Balmer lines, the Paschen discontinuity and reddening in hot stars, and luminosity and abundance-related metal-line and molecular-band absorption differences in late-type stars. Data obtained with the different Johnson systems are evaluated by comparing precise Cousins-system measurements of the same stars, and linear transformations are developed for converting and comparing data. The color indices of Argue (1967) and Jacobson (1970) are also treated. The results of spectral-response tests on two RCA 31034-02 GaAs tubes are presented in an appendix.
High resolution ECG filtering using adaptive Bayesian wavelet shrinkage

This paper outlines a Bayesian wavelet shrinkage denoising approach for High Resolution ECG (HRECG) filtering. The authors' proposed filtering method comprises three basic steps: the dyadic Wavelet Transform (WT) computation, the shrinkage of the wavelet coefficients using adaptive Bayesian rules, and the reconstruction of the denoised signal through the inverse WT. An automatic, level-dependent scheme is designed to estimate the shrinkage functions, using a maximum likelihood procedure across the WT coefficients from the ensemble of available beats. The performance evaluation using controlled simulation experiments revealed that the present technique outperforms the wavelet soft and hard-thresholding methods in preserving the high-frequency components of the QRS complex.
Testing for increasing mean inactivity time

In this paper, a new nonparametric testing method for increasing mean inactivity time class is proposed; and a comparison between the proposed test and two other related ones in the literature is conducted through evaluating the asymptotic Pitman efficiency. Furthermore, Edgeworth expansion is employed to improve the accuracy of the convergence rate of the test statistic. Some numerical results are also presented to demonstrate the performance of the testing method.
An exploratory study of exercise behaviours and barriers to participation in people with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease: a focus on resistance training

The aim of this study was to explore and describe the exercise behaviours and barriers in people with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT), with a particular focus on resistance training (RT). Ninety-four Australian adults with a diagnosis of CMT completed an online survey. Fifty-seven percent of respondents reported performing some form of RT each week. Those performing RT engaged in more aerobic activity (P≤0.01) and were involved in longer periods of structured exercise (P<0.01) compared to those not performing RT. The RT group was more likely to perceive their exercise levels as acceptable (P<0.01), that following a program was important (P=0.02), and that exercise is beneficial (P=0.04). The RT group were more likely to have been advised to exercise (P=0.02). Common barriers to exercise were fatigue (64.9%), pain (57.4%), motivation (51.1%), and time (46.8%). RT status did not influence the type of barriers experienced. Weekly RT time was positively associated with exercise satisfaction (r=0.43, P<0.01) and walking distance prior to resting (r=0.29, P=0.04). The findings suggest that positive exercise experiences, advice, assistance from a trainer, and potentially greater resources may influence participation in RT for people with CMT.
Real-World Study on Effectiveness of Molnupiravir and Nirmatrelvir–Ritonavir in Unvaccinated Patients with Chronic Respiratory Diseases with Confirmed SARS-CoV-2 Infection Managed in Out-Patient Setting

While molnupiravir (MOV) and nirmatrelvir–ritonavir (NMV-r) were developed for treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 infection, there has been a lack of data on the efficacy among unvaccinated adult patients with chronic respiratory diseases, including asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and bronchiectasis. A territory-wide retrospective cohort study was conducted in Hong Kong to investigate the efficacy of MOV and NMV-r against severe outcomes of COVID-19 in unvaccinated adult patients with chronic respiratory diseases. A total of 3267 patients were included. NMV-r was effective in preventing respiratory failure (66.6%; 95% CI, 25.6–85.0%, p = 0.007), severe respiratory failure (77.0%; 95% CI, 6.9–94.3%, p = 0.039) with statistical significance, and COVID-19 related hospitalization (43.9%; 95% CI, −1.7–69.0%, p = 0.057) and in-hospital mortality (62.7%; 95% CI, −0.6–86.2, p = 0.051) with borderline statistical significance. MOV was effective in preventing COVID-19 related severe respiratory failure (48.2%; 95% CI 0.5–73.0, p = 0.048) and in-hospital mortality (58.3%; 95% CI 22.9–77.4, p = 0.005) but not hospitalization (p = 0.16) and respiratory failure (p = 0.10). In summary, both NMV-r and MOV are effective for reducing severe outcomes in unvaccinated COVID-19 patients with chronic respiratory diseases.
Adaptive block-based disparity estimation algorithm using object disparity homogeneity

In this paper, effective algorithms for stereoscopic video coding and multi-view coding which are used in 3DAV coding are proposed. In the proposed algorithm, we refer to disparity vectors of adjacent blocks as parameters of the predictor for the disparity vector of current block. Disparity vectors of adjacent blocks extend the usability of the homogeneity. In an object, adjacent block disparities are very similar. These similar vectors result to reduce computational power. Block matching algorithm sometimes gives reconstructed image distortion. In multi-view system, this happens usually in occlusion region or region around edges. Partially matched block needs to divide blocks in quad blocks or smaller blocks to reduce this distortion. Coarse to fine hierarchical algorithm is able to get rid of noise from incorrect matching of a pixel based matching algorithm. And it also reduces computational complexity in finding matched block or pixel. There may be overall luminance difference between multi-view images caused by viewer positions. This problem can be solved by block recursive matching algorithm(BRMA). Experimental results show that this algorithm gives under 80% of calculation load and better image quality at over 0.6dB of PSNR in tested images comparing with symmetric BMA.