Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
AAPP: An Accelerative and Adaptive Path Planner for Robots on GPU

Optimal path planning is one of the major bottlenecks for the effective navigation of robots working towards accomplishing complex missions. To overcome the bottleneck and support efficient applications, this paper presents <monospace>AAPP</monospace>, an accelerative and adaptive path planner based on RRT*, a popular path planning algorithm, on GPU, to alleviate four main performance limitations, i.e., bandwidth limitation, load imbalance, high computing complexity, and the choice of parameters. First, <monospace>AAPP</monospace> employs a data storage structure, named simplified compressed sparse rows (SCSR), to compress the large-scale map data and increase the utilization of bandwidth. Second, to exploit the computing performance of GPU, we propose a two-layer parallel framework for RRT* based on SCSR format, named TLRRT*, by using the dynamic parallelism technique. Third, aiming at the problems of parallel load imbalance and high computing complexity in TLRRT*, we further design a two-stage parallel framework, named TSRRT*, that fully exploits hardware heterogeneity (CPU/GPU) by scheduling tasks on CPU and GPU adaptively. Finally, we present optimizations for <monospace>AAPP</monospace> to adaptively select execution schemes and parameters. Experimental results on a heterogeneous CPU/GPU machine show that <monospace>AAPP</monospace> yields the speedup up to <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$22.72\times$</tex-math><alternatives><mml:math><mml:mrow><mml:mn>22</mml:mn><mml:mo>. </mml:mo><mml:mn>72</mml:mn><mml:mo>×</mml:mo></mml:mrow></mml:math><inline-graphic xlink:href="li-ieq1-3248274.gif"/></alternatives></inline-formula> over the RRT* algorithm. Compared to the state-of-the-art, <monospace>AAPP</monospace> can handle large-scale datasets and obtain feasible solutions with shorter trajectory lengths.
Swiss roll ensemble homogenization by full‐wave simulations

This paper investigates a magnetic metamaterial, built from so‐called Swiss rolls, by means of full‐wave simulations.After determining the resonance frequencies of a single Swiss roll, the macroscopic material parameters of an ensemble of Swiss rolls are determined by S‐parameter retrieval, using a bianisotropic model, that does not assume reciprocity a priori. As a result, the macroscopic permeability, permittivity, and magnetoelectric coupling coefficients are obtained as a function of frequency. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 53:2268–2274, 2011; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.26257
A back-to-back rectangular-patch antenna fed by a CPW

The configuration of a back-to-back rectangular-patch antenna fed by a coplanar waveguide (CPW) is proposed. The characteristics of the proposed antenna element were clarified by experiments. The radiation patterns and input impedances were measured as parameters of the widths of the rectangular patch and the substrate. Experimental results for an array antenna using the proposed back-to-back rectangular-patch antenna element are described. Good omnidirectional radiation patterns and input impedance characteristics were obtained. The proposed array antenna is suitable for microcellular, wireless LAN, and indoor radio systems.
Decentralized receding horizon control with communication bandwidth allocation for multiple vehicle systems

In this paper, a decentralized receding horizon control (DRHC) for a group of cooperative vehicles is investigated where the communication bandwidth is limited. This gives rise to a DRHC problem with communication delays. A new approach is proposed to vary the communication bandwidth for each vehicle, subject to network bandwidth constraints, in order to improve the cooperation performance. In the DRHC approach, each vehicle predicts its future trajectory over a prediction horizon and the neighboring vehicles exchange their predicted trajectories at each sample time to maintain the cooperation objectives. A delayed DRHC architecture is formulated that explicitly accounts for the inter‐vehicle communication delays. Then a bandwidth allocation algorithm is proposed for the delayed DRHC formulation. The key idea with the proposed approach is that each vehicle minimizes an error bound due to the mismatch between the delayed and updated neighbor's trajectories. This allows a dynamic bandwidth allocation to optimize the group performance. Simulation of formation of a group of vehicles is used to demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Challenges and Potential of N-polar GaN HEMT for beyond 5G Wireless Network

This paper describes the advantages of N-polar GaN HEMT by comparing device characteristics with those of Ga-polar HEMT. The N-polar GaN HEMT epi-structure, which was designed for RF devices, was grown on 4-inch semi-insulating SiC substrate by MOCVD with smooth surface morphology and low sheet resistance non-uniformity of 1.2%. This paper reports, for the first time, N-polar HEMTs which were fabricated using the same 4-inch wafer process facilities and our manufacturing expertise for commercial Ga-polar GaN HEMTs. The reported N-polar GaN HEMT achieved drain current density of 1.74 A/mm and drain conductance of less than 40 mS/mm. Both of these are superior to Ga-polar GaN HEMT. Using hafnium oxide-based dielectrics, high-k gate insulators were developed and achieved a relative permittivity of 17. N-polar GaN HEMTs with these high-k gate insulators were fabricated and these devices reached a sufficient level to be used for high frequency RF power amplifiers. These results indicate that N-polar GaN HEMTs will be the key technology for next generation high power and high frequency power amplifiers.
Up-Scaling Fuel Hazard Metrics Derived from Terrestrial Laser Scanning Using a Machine Learning Model

The characterisation of fuel distribution across heterogeneous landscapes is important for wildfire mitigation, validating fuel models, and evaluating fuel treatment outcomes. However, efficient fuel mapping at a landscape scale is challenging. Fuel hazard metrics were obtained using Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) and the current operational approach (visual fuel assessment) for seven sites across south-eastern Australia. These point-based metrics were then up-scaled to a continuous fuel map, an area relevant to fire management using random forest modelling, with predictor variables derived from Airborne Laser Scanning (ALS), Sentinel 2A images, and climate and soil data. The model trained and validated with TLS observations (R2 = 0.51 for near-surface fuel cover and 0.31 for elevated fuel cover) was found to have higher predictive power than the model trained with visual fuel assessments (R2 = −0.1 for the cover of both fuel layers). Models for height derived from TLS observations exhibited low-to-moderate performance for the near-surface (R2 = 0.23) and canopy layers (R2 = 0.25). The results from this study provide practical guidance for the selection of training data sources and can be utilised by fire managers to accurately generate fuel maps across an area relevant to operational fire management decisions.
Full-Scene Defocus Blur Detection With DeFBD+ via Multi-Level Distillation Learning

Existing defocus blur detection (DBD) methods generally perform well on a single type of unfocused blur scene (e.g., foreground focus), thereby suffering from the performance degradation for the other types of unfocused blur scenes. In this paper, we present the first exploration on full-scene DBD, and propose a separate-and-combine framework to achieve excellent performance for diverse defocus blur scenes. We firstly structure full-scene DBD dataset (named as DeFBD+) through collecting more types of unfocused blur scenes (e.g., background focus, full focus and full out of focus) with pixel-level annotations. Then, to avoid performance degradation caused by mutual interference from local feature representation and global content perception, we implement a pixel-level DBD network and an image-level DBD classification network to learn these two abilities separately. After that, we propose an isomeric distillation mechanism to combine these two abilities. Extensive experiments show that the proposed approach achieves superior performance compared with state-of-the-art methods.
Nuts, Energy Balance and Body Weight

Over several decades, the health benefits of consuming nuts have been investigated, resulting in a large body of evidence that nuts can reduce the risk of chronic diseases. The consumption of nuts, being a higher-fat plant food, is restricted by some in order to minimize weight gain. In this review, we discuss several factors related to energy intake from nuts, including food matrix and its impact on digestibility, and the role of nuts in regulating appetite. We review the data from randomized controlled trials and observational studies conducted to examine the relationship between nut intake and body weight or body mass index. Consistently, the evidence from RCTs and observational cohorts indicates that higher nut consumption does not cause greater weight gain; rather, nuts may be beneficial for weight control and prevention of long-term weight gain. Multiple mechanisms likely contribute to these findings, including aspects of nut composition which affect nutrient and energy availability as well as satiety signaling.
A Markov Process Model of the Number of Years Spent in Major League Baseball

We treat the number of years spent in major league baseball as a random variable and estimate probability distributions for this random variable through the use of recursive formulae. Distributional characteristics, including major league baseball worklife expectancies, are estimated for players by age and current activity status in the major leagues. Data from a recent time period (1977-2007) are used to calculate current characteristics of time spent in major league baseball. However, the contemporaneous nature of our data leads to censoring because many players in our data set had not completed their major league careers by the end of 2007. We deal with censoring through a Markov process model that captures transitions between activity and inactivity in major league baseball.
Separation of the Schrödinger operator with an operator potential in the Hilbert spaces

The object of this article is to study the separation of the Schrödinger operator A of the form with operator potential V(x) ∈ C 1 (Rn , L (H 1)), in the Hilbert space H = L 2(Rn , H 1), where L (H 1) is the space of all bounded linear operators on H 1 and is the Laplace operator in Rn . Moreover, we study the existence and uniqueness of the solution of the Schrödinger equation in the space H.
DC Charge Accumulation Characteristics of 11 kV Polymeric Insulator

The properties of the silicon rubber polymeric insulators are prone to be affected by the accumulation of surface charges. The present work aims to measure the surface charge accumulation on the sheds of an 11 kV polymeric insulator due to the applied voltage for various time durations. The charges deposited on the surface of the insulator will increase with voltage and with time and reaches saturation after a specific time. The insulator is energized for a predetermined time, and the charges on the sheds close to the electrodes are measured within 10 seconds after switching off the supply using an electrometer. The surface charge density is computed using the Finite Element Analysis tool and compared with the experimental values.
An Online Rotor Flux Estimation Technique Based on Intermittent Stator De-Energization for Rotor Temperature Estimation of Permanent Magnet Machines

Temperature monitoring of the permanent magnet (PM) is crucial for a reliable operation of PM machines. Overheating is the main reason leading to demagnetization of PM, which may lead to catastrophic failures. Nevertheless, direct measurement of the temperature of the PM on rotor is difficult for PM machines. Based on the linear correlation between the PM temperature and flux, a novel method is proposed in this article for PM temperature online monitoring utilizing the backelectromotive force of one specific phase, which is acquired through intermittent de-energization of the stator winding during the motor's normal operation. Matched with the estimated speed derived through a sliding window algorithm, the precise PM flux and corresponding temperature estimation can be obtained. Simulation and experimental tests are conducted to verify the accuracy and feasibility of the proposed method. It is shown that this method is capable of providing online monitoring of PM temperature with errors less than 4.5 °C, which is feasible in most applications. The advantage of the proposed method is its nonintrusiveness, i.e., no additional temperature sensor or modification is required inside the PM machine.
The Role of Glutamatergic Gene Polymorphisms in the Clinical Phenotypes of Schizophrenia

Background: Personal variations in genetic risk for schizophrenia relate to its phenotypic heterogeneity—both in disorder development and clinical manifestations. Abnormal glutamatergic neurotransmitter system functioning is integrated in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. Methods: A sample of 805 Russian schizophrenia patients from the Siberian Federal region was investigated. We examined the association of 39 single nucleotide polymorphisms in eight genes (GRIN2A, GRIN2B, SLC1A2, SLC1A3, SLC17A7, GRM3, GRM7, and GRM8) involved in the glutamatergic system with the development of clinical heterogeneity of schizophrenia. The MassARRAY Analyzer 4 was used for genotyping. Results: GRIN2A rs11644461, rs8057394 and GRIN2B rs7313149 are associated with the continuous type of schizophrenia. The GRIN2A rs8057394*G allele is a relative risk factor (p = 0.019) for developing the continuous type of schizophrenia. We found a nominally significant association between negative symptoms of schizophrenia and SLC17A7 rs62126236. The SLC17A7 rs62126236*T allele has a protective effect (p = 0.039) against predominant negative symptoms in schizophrenia. The total Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) scores were significantly associated with GRIN2A rs9788936 after adjusting for multiple testing (p = 0.001). Conclusions: In this study the contribution of the glutamatergic gene polymorphisms to the clinical heterogeneity of schizophrenia has been demonstrated.
Medication Adherence to Psychotropic Medication and Relationship with Psychiatric Symptoms among Syrian Refugees in Turkey: A Pilot Study

Background: Due to experiencing traumatic and stressful events, refugees are at risk of having mental disorders. The refugees might need to use psychotropic agents to treat mental disorders. It is essential to understand this population’s adherence rate to psychotropic medication. Aim: This study aimed to evaluate adherence to psychotropic medication and the relationship with psychiatric symptoms among Syrian refugees in Turkey. Method: The study design was descriptive and correlational. The study was conducted with 55 Syrian refugees attending a community health center in southern Turkey. The data was collected with General Medication Adherence Scale–Arabic Version (GMAS–AR) and Brief Psychiatric Inventory (BPI). Results: 78.2% (n: 43) of the participants’ medication adherence was poor, and a significant negative and weak correlation was found at 0.01 level between GMAS–AR and BPI (r: −0.37). According to multiple linear regression analysis, the model with gender and BPI was significant, and this model explained 19% of GMAS–AR total points (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Mental health professionals should test the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions that increase adherence to treatment for the cultural characteristics of societies.
Evaluation of Early Warning Scores on In-Hospital Mortality in COVID-19 Patients: A Tertiary Hospital Study from Taiwan

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) remains a global pandemic. Early warning scores (EWS) are used to identify potential clinical deterioration, and this study evaluated the ability of the Rapid Emergency Medicine score (REMS), National Early Warning Score (NEWS), and Modified EWS (MEWS) to predict in-hospital mortality in COVID-19 patients. This study retrospectively analyzed data from COVID-19 patients who presented to the emergency department and were hospitalized between 1 May and 31 July 2021. The area under curve (AUC) was calculated to compare predictive performance of the three EWS. Data from 306 COVID-19 patients (61 ± 15 years, 53% male) were included for analysis. REMS had the highest AUC for in-hospital mortality (AUC: 0.773, 95% CI: 0.69–0.85), followed by NEWS (AUC: 0.730, 95% CI: 0.64–0.82) and MEWS (AUC: 0.695, 95% CI: 0.60–0.79). The optimal cut-off value for REMS was 6.5 (sensitivity: 71.4%; specificity: 76.3%), with positive and negative predictive values of 27.9% and 95.4%, respectively. Computing REMS for COVID-19 patients who present to the emergency department can help identify those at risk of in-hospital mortality and facilitate early intervention, which can lead to better patient outcomes.
Atlantic Hurricane Season of 2009

AbstractThe 2009 Atlantic season was marked by below-average tropical cyclone activity with the formation of nine tropical storms, the fewest since the 1997 Atlantic hurricane season. Of these, three became hurricanes and two strengthened into major hurricanes (category 3 or higher on the Saffir–Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale). In addition, there were two tropical depressions that did not reach storm strength. The numbers of tropical storms and hurricanes were below the long-term averages of 11 named storms and 6 hurricanes, although the number of major hurricanes equaled the long-term average of 2. Many of the cyclones remained relatively weak. Only one tropical cyclone, Tropical Storm Claudette, made landfall in the United States, although Ida affected the northern Gulf Coast as a tropical storm before moving inland as an extratropical cyclone. Hurricane Bill and Tropical Storm Danny indirectly affected the East Coast by producing high surf, rip currents, and beach erosion; Bill also produced tropical sto.
Oxide TFTs with S/D-contacts patterned by high-resolution reverse-offset printed resist layers

Besides the metal oxide thin film transistors (TFTs) in flat-panel displays that are fabricated using vacuum-processes, there is a growing interest in the fabrication of metal oxide TFTs by means of scalable, low-cost solution and printing processes for applications such as flexible displays and biosensors. Although devices with printed semiconductor and gate insulator can exhibit good electrical performance, source/drain-contacts (S/D) printed from silver (Ag) nanoparticles (NPs) typically suffer from deteriorated electrical characteristics and stability problems. On the other hand, metals providing good contacts, such as aluminum (Al), titanium (Ti) and molybdenum (Mo), cannot be formed as air-stable NPs. To overcome these issues, we have developed a patterning method based on high-resolution reverse-offset printing (ROP) of a sacrificial polymer resist layer. ROP delivers patterns with micrometer-level resolution and steep sidewalls, which are ideal for patterning vacuum-deposited metal contacts at high resolution via lift-off process. Solution-processed indium oxide (In2O3) TFTs were successfully fabricated by using ROP lift-off process for patterning of gate and S/D-electrodes using Al. The fabricated In2O3-based TFTs with Al S/D-contacts exhibit good uniformity, constant mobility (μ sat) ∼ 2 cm2 (V s)−1 over a wide range of width/length-ratios (W/L) and almost zero turn-on voltage (V on) ∼ −0.2 V. TFTs down to 5 µm channel lengths were successfully patterned. Further development of the fabrication process could lead to flexible fully-print-patterned high-resolution TFT backplanes for flexible displays, biosensors, photosensors and x-ray detectors.
A 29-dBm, 34% PAE E-Band Dual-Input Doherty Power Amplifier Using 40-nm GaN Technology

A low E-band dual-input two-stage Doherty power amplifier is demonstrated using 40-nm T-gate GaN technology. Power-dependent biasing is used to enhance efficiency, with zero bias current of the auxiliary amplifier in backoff while the same bias is applied to both main and auxiliary amplifier at full power to achieve high output power and efficiency. Using the Ozen lumped-element Doherty combiner design technique, the effects of FET parasitic components are minimized. In on-wafer testing, the fabricated MMIC achieves PAE of 34% at output power of 25 dBm (backoff case) and at 29 dBm (full power case) at 71 GHz.
Depletion of Paraoxonase 1 (Pon1) Dysregulates mTOR, Autophagy, and Accelerates Amyloid Beta Accumulation in Mice

Paraoxonase 1 (PON1), a homocysteine (Hcy)-thiolactone detoxifying enzyme, has been associated with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), suggesting that PON1 plays an important protective role in the brain. To study the involvement of PON1 in the development of AD and to elucidate the mechanism involved, we generated a new mouse model of AD, the Pon1−/−xFAD mouse, and examined how Pon1 depletion affects mTOR signaling, autophagy, and amyloid beta (Aβ) accumulation. To elucidate the mechanism involved, we examined these processes in N2a-APPswe cells. We found that Pon1 depletion significantly downregulated Phf8 and upregulated H4K20me1; mTOR, phospho-mTOR, and App were upregulated while autophagy markers Bcln1, Atg5, and Atg7 were downregulated at the protein and mRNA levels in the brains of Pon1─/─5xFAD vs. Pon1+/+5xFAD mice. Pon1 depletion in N2a-APPswe cells by RNA interference led to downregulation of Phf8 and upregulation of mTOR due to increased H4K20me1-mTOR promoter binding. This led to autophagy downregulation and significantly increased APP and Aβ levels. Phf8 depletion by RNA interference or treatments with Hcy-thiolactone or N-Hcy-protein metabolites similarly increased Aβ levels in N2a-APPswe cells. Taken together, our findings define a neuroprotective mechanism by which Pon1 prevents Aβ generation.
How does family support influence digital immigrants' extended use of smartphones? An empirical study based on IT identity theory

The number of digital immigrants using new technologies such as smartphones is rapidly increasing. However, digital immigrants still struggle to actually use and benefit from digital technology. This article examines the role of family support in digital immigrants' use of more smartphone functions based on information technology (IT) identity theory. We surveyed 241 digital immigrants who owned smartphones and used structural equation modeling (PLS‐SEM) for analysis. We examined the contributing roles of family support for digital immigrants' IT identity and extended use behavior. Family cognitive and emotional support can shape IT identity by improving the smartphone‐related experience. Family support has a positive impact on digital immigrants' self‐efficacy, embeddedness, perceived usefulness, and perceived enjoyment of using a smartphone. Positive usage experience can also facilitate the establishment of IT identity, which is a key predictor of smartphone use behavior. A strong IT identity also promotes extended use behavior. We discuss the contributions and implications of our findings.