Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Technology adoption through games at Rio de Janeiro State: improving students' digital aptitude

Factors impacting technology adoption encompass technical, organizational, and human issues. This paper shows two projects that aim to develop students’ digital aptitude by promoting a culture change from a game prejudiced environment into a habitat of technology-prone users. The first project, Ti-Games Maricá, took place three years ago, encompassing 50 schools in Maricá, in the State of Rio de Janeiro, and consisted of a school versus school game tournament, a series of workshops, talks, and other activities involving games. The research’s main goal was to observe the impact of games in schools on increasing students’ self-esteem and professional perspectives in technological fields. Another goal was to improve the use of technology in schools beyond administrative tools, attending to one of BNCC’s recommendations. Based on the massive popularity of electronic games as a hobby for young Brazilians perceived in this previous project, the EducaTech-RJ project, on the other hand, consists of workshops that involve students on the theme “culture and digital literacy with a focus on computer games. ” The target audience is all the secondary schools of Rio de Janeiro State, engaging 1231 schools. The project aims to increase student's awareness of the possibilities of adopting, manipulating, and creating technology. The workshops are also an opportunity to collect data about technology adoption and envision technology as an educational tool in schools.
Prediction of Agoraphobia Disease Based on Machine Learning

Agoraphobia has become a fairly frequent disorder in today's environment. Agoraphobia is a spectrum of mental diseases characterized by strong dread and anxious feelings. The majority of individuals are completely oblivious of the problem. It's critical to detect it early on so that doctors can provide better treatment and avoid it from becoming a major issue. Recently, machine learning algorithms have been employed to analyze patient records in order to spot anomalies by modeling human thought or forming logical inferences. In this study, we strive to detect agoraphobia in the early stages. The basic theories and uses of machine learning algorithms in identifying anxiety kinds are also reviewed in this article. We primarily employed three feature selection techniques as well as a range of classification algorithms. The Naive Bayes, Random Forest, Decision Tree, KNN, and Support Vector Machine(SVM) are some of the categorization algorithms we utilize. After putting the Random Forest classification technique to the test, it was found to have greater accuracy of 98.02 percent than any other classification method that now is used.
Integrating Impedance Control and Nonlinear Disturbance Observer for Robot-Assisted Arthroscope Control in Elbow Arthroscopic Surgery

Robot-assisted arthroscopic surgery is transforming the tradition in orthopaedic surgery. Compliance and stability are essential features that a surgical robot must have for safe physical human-robot interaction (PHRI). Surgical tools attached at the robot end-effector and human-robot interaction will affect the robot dynamics inevitably. This could undermine the utility and stability of the robotic system if the varying robot dynamics are not identified and updated in the robot control law. In this paper, an integrated frame-work for robot impedance control and nonlinear disturbance observer (NDOB)-based compensation of uncertain dynamics is proposed, where the former ensures compliant robot behavior and the latter compensates for dynamic uncertainties when necessary. The combination of impedance controller and NDOB is analyzed theoretically in three scenarios. A complete simulation and experimental studies involving three common conditions are then conducted to evaluate the theoretical analyses. A preliminary $p$HRI application on arthroscopic surgery is designed to implement the proposed framework on a robotic surgeonassist system and evaluate its effectiveness experimentally. By integrating impedance controller with NDOB, the proposed framework allows an accurate impedance control when dynamic model inaccuracy and external disturbance exist.
An analysis of the frequency distribution function and dielectric and scattering properties, using the orthogonalised-moments method

The orthogonalised-moments method is an exact and simple method that has been developed recently to determine the coefficients of the continued-fraction representation of the density of electronic states. The spectral densities of perfect systems, of systems with topological defects and of disordered systems can also be determined with accuracy. Furthermore, the combined densities and the contribution of the one-phonon and two-phonon processes to the infrared absorption and Raman scattering can be simply determined for any type of system. These results are illustrated via applications to several models: perfect chains, chains with defects, disordered chains and the model used in the study of the dynamics of trans-polyacetylene.
SNR Enhancement for BOTDR With Spatial-Adaptive Image Denoising Method

A spatial-adaptive image denoising (SAID) method is proposed to enhance the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of Brillouin optical time domain reflectometer (BOTDR) without deterioration of spatial resolution. Through analyzing the principle of denoising, the spatial-adaptive denoising network structure is constructed, which can effectively reduce noise and avoid over-smoothing. Moreover, a high-similarity dataset generation method is designed to further enhance the denoising effect. The SAID method is experimentally implemented on two-dimension Brillouin gain spectrum matrix over a 25.1 km-long optical fiber with the spatial resolution of 2 m. The experimental results show that the SNR enhancement of SAID method is 21.92 dB, and the data processing time is only 2.48 s. Whereas the SNR enhancement of conventional 10000 times trace averaging method is merely 9.98 dB, but the data processing time is increased to 174.52 s. Therefore, it is demonstrated that the SAID method has obvious advantages in SNR enhancement and data processing speed without deteriorating the spatial resolution of BOTDR.
Homology-Class Guided Rapidly-Exploring Random Tree For Belief Space Planning

In this work, an efficient homology guided belief space planning method for obstacle-cluttered environments is presented. The proposed planner follows a two-step approach. First, a h-signature guided rapidly-exploring random tree (HRRT) algorithm is proposed to provide nominal trajecto-ries in different homology classes by constructing homology aware sub-trees in a parallel manner. The HRRT planner is extended to a h-signature guided RRT* algorithm, where an inter-homology-class rewire procedure is proposed, increasing the probability of discovering homology classes in narrow space/passages. The iLQG-based belief space planning algorithm is then employed to find locally optimal trajectories minimizing uncertainties in each homology class.
Control Charts Based on Principal Components

The efficiency and security of the complex technical and information systems is ensured by means of monitoring their current state. A method is proposed to automatically detect the moment when a certain boundary state is exceeded by characteristic features based on the principal component analysis of the control charts. The method can make full use of the multidimensional detection of the system disorder. The principal component analysis was used to make new uncorrelated components that successively maximize variance. Finding principal components reduces solving an eigenvalue/eigenvector problem. The control charts of original data and principal component were calculated to show that principal component control charts are more reliable when correlated data are considered. The method of using principal component control charts can provide an independent numerical assessment of the characteristic indicators of the quality of the process and determine its disorder even when these indicators are correlated. The article provides a numerical example to illustrate the proposed method.
Three-Dimensional Dynamic Running with a Point-Foot Biped based on Differentially Flat SLIP

This paper presents a novel framework for point- foot biped running in three-dimensional space. The proposed approach generates center of mass (CoM) reference trajectories based on a differentially flat spring-loaded inverted pendulum (SLIP) model. A foothold planner is used to select touch down location that renders optimal CoM trajectory for upcoming step in real time. Dynamically feasible trajectories of CoM and orientation are subsequently generated by a simplified single rigid body (SRB) model based model predictive control (MPC). A task-space controller is then applied online to compute whole- body joint torques which embeds these target dynamics into the robot. The proposed approach is evaluated on physical simulation of a 12 degree-of-freedom (DoF), 7.95 kg point-foot bipedal robot. The robot achieves stable running at at varying speeds with maximum value of 1.1 m/s. The proposed scheme is shown to be able to reject vertical disturbances of 8 N. s and lateral disturbance of 6.5 N. s applied at the robot base.
Sensor-Based Reconstruction of Slender Flexible Beams Undergoing Large-scale Deflection

This paper presents a model-based approach to reconstructing the large deformations of slender flexible beams through strain-gauge deflection sensors. Using the principal axes decomposition of structural compliance, a closed-form kinetostatics model can be obtained to characterize the non-linear force-deformation behavior of the flexible beams under-going large-scale deflection. Owing to analytical derivation of the system Jacobian, the efficient Newton-Raphson method is employed to determine the equilibrium configuration of the flexible beams, as well as the corresponding reaction force. To verify the correctness and effectiveness of the proposed method, an experimental apparatus is built up, on which a variety of experiments are conducted. The results show that for a 300 mm long beam, the tip position can be predicted with an accuracy of 1.27 mm, 4.42 mm, and 1.17°, respectively, for the x, y directions and rotation. Accordingly, the estimation errors for the planar forces and torque are 0.075 N (3.33%), 0.155 N (14.23%), and 0.027 Nm (26.84%), respectively.
Printing gloss effects in a 2.5D system

An important aspect for print quality assessment is the perceived gloss level across the printout. There exists a strong relationship between the surface roughness of a printout and the amount of specular reflection which is perceived as gloss variations. Different print parameters influence the surface roughness of the printouts such as the paper substrate, the type of inks and the print method. The lack of control over the print’s surface roughness may result in artefacts such as bronzing and differential gloss. Employing a 2.5D or relief printing system, we are able to control the printout roughness by manipulating the way the ink is deposited in a layer-by-layer basis. By changing the deposition time in between two layers of white ink and the order on which the pixels are printed, we achieve different gloss levels from a matte to a glossy appearance that can be controlled locally. Understanding the relationship between different printing parameters and the resulting gloss level allows us: to solve differential gloss artefacts (to obtain a print with a full gloss or matte finish) and to use the local gloss variations to create reflection effects in the printouts. Applications related to security printing have also been explored. Our results showed a reduced level of gloss toward a matte appearance as the ink deposition time between the layers was increased, allowing more time for the ink to dry between passes. We measured the gloss levels using a gloss meter and a psychophysical experiment was conducted to validate our measurements and observations.
Topology optimized multi-material self-healing actuator with reduced out of plane deformation

Recent advances in soft robotics in academia have led to the adoption of soft grippers in industrial settings. Due to their soft bending actuators, these grippers can handle delicate objects with great care. However, due to their flexibility, the actuators are prone to out-of-plane deformations upon asymmetric loading. These undesired deformations lead to reduced grasp performance and may cause instability or failure of the grip. While the state-of-the-art contributions describe complex designs to limit those deformations, this work focuses on a complementary path investigating the material distribution. In this paper, a novel bending actuator is developed with improved out-of-plane deformation resistance by optimizing the material distribution in multi-material designs composed of two polymers with different mechanical properties. This is made possible by the strong interfacial strength of Diels-Alder chemical bonds in the used polymers, which have a self-healing capability. A Solid Isotropic Material with Penalization (SIMP) topology optimization is performed to increase the out-of-plane resistance. The actuator is simulated using FEA COMSOL in which the (hyper) elastic materials are simulated by Mooney-Rivlin models, fitted on experimental uniaxial tensile test data. This multi-material actuator and a reference single material actuator were manufactured and modeled. Via experimental characterization and validation in FEA simulations, it is shown that the actuator out-of-plane stiffness, characterized by the in-plane bending angle and out-of-plane bending angle, can be increased by an optimized multi-material composition, without changing the geometrical shape of the actuator.
Thermal Stresses in Chiral Elastic Beams

The chiral effects cannot be described by means of the classical thermoelasticity. In the context of the linear theory of Cosserat thermoelasticity we study the deformation of a chiral beam subjected to a prescribed thermal field. This paper points out the importance of the generalized plane strain problem in the analysis of thermal stresses in chiral elastic beams. First, we investigate the effects of a thermal field which is linear in the axial coordinate. It is shown that this temperature variation produces extension, bending, torsion, flexure and a plane deformation. Then, we study the deformation of the beam when the thermal field is a polynomial of degree m (m > 1) in the axial coordinate. The solution is reduced to the solving of some two-dimensional problems. The method is used to solve the problem of a circular cylinder subjected to a temperature that is independent of the axial coordinate.
Robustness-based Synthesis for Stochastic Systems under Signal Temporal Logic Tasks

We develop a method for synthesizing control policies for stochastic, linear, time-varying systems that must perform tasks specified in signal temporal logic. We build upon an efficient, sampling-based framework that computes the probability of the system satisfying its specification. By exploiting the properties of linear systems and robustness score in temporal logic specifications, we obtain sample-efficient gradients of the satisfaction probability with respect to con-troller parameters. Therefore, by applying gradient descent we obtain locally optimized controllers that maximize the chances of satisfying the specification. We demonstrate our approach through examples of a mobile robot and a mobile manipulator in simulation.
Synchrotron Radiation Facilities in Korea: Pohang Light Source and Future XFEL Project

The Pohang Light Source (PLS) at the Pohang Accelerator Laboratory (PAL) is a third-generation light source, the only synchrotron radiation facility in Korea, and the fifth machine of its kind in the world (see Figure 1). In 1988, PAL was organized for the construction of the PLS. Ground-breaking was celebrated in 1991, and PLS construction was completed in 1994. In 1995, the PLS opened two beamlines to public users. The PLS was initially operated at 2.0 GeV in 1995. Since 2002, the energy of the electron beam has been upgraded to 2.5 GeV (see Table 1 for the principal parameters of PLS). Remarkable increases in the number of beamlines, users, and scientific results have been achieved since the opening of the PLS in 1995. Two or three beamlines have been added each year for the past 15 years, and as of February 2009 we have in total 27 beamlines in operation and 3 beamlines under construction, which will be completed by the end of 2009 (Figures 2 and 3).
Tactile-Guided Dynamic Object Planar Manipulation

Planar pushing is a fundamental robot manipulation task with most algorithms built upon the quasi-static as-sumption. Under this assumption the end-effector should apply force on the pushed object along the full moving trajectory. This means that the target position must lie in the robot's workspace. To enable a robot to deliver objects outside of its workspace and facilitate faster delivery, the quasi-static assumption should be lifted in favour of dynamical manipulation. In this work, we propose a two-staged data-driven manipulation method to hit an unknown object to reach a target position. This expands the reachability of the manipulated object beyond the robot's workspace. The robot equipped with a tactile sensor first explores for the stable pushing region (SPR) on the given object by using a gain-scheduling PD control with the contact centre estimated to maintain full contact between the object and the end-effector. In the second stage, a learning-based approach is used to generate the impulse the object should receive at the SPR to reach a target sliding distance. The performance of proposed method is evaluated on a KUKA LBR iiwa 14 R820 robot manipulator and a XELA tactile sensor.
Environmental Transformations Enhancing Dignity in an Acute Psychiatric Ward: Outcome of a User-Driven Service Design Project

Objectives: The goal of the current project was to enhance the feeling of dignity for patients in the seclusion unit in an acute psychiatric ward through environmental design changes and to evaluate the effect of the refurbishment. Background: Treating people with dignity is essential in all health-related work and important for our mental health. Hospital architecture and design signal values that can promote dignity. Patients who must spend time in seclusion are at their most vulnerable mental state and the often worn-down like environment can challenge the feeling of dignity. How environmental design can promote dignity in seclusion units have not been studied. Methods: To reach suggestions for design changes enhancing dignity, we used service design that included a broad user group. The effect of design changes was evaluated by a questionnaire answered by the nursing staff during a 4-week period pre- and post refurbishment and included a control group. Results: The design concepts agreed upon were a welcoming atmosphere, contact with nature, room for privacy, close contact with staff, and a designated smoking area inside the unit. The evaluation found that the environmental design changes significantly supported the patients in their situation and the staff in their work. Conclusion: We conclude that dignity design concepts are highly applicable also in an acute psychiatric setting and improve the situation of secluded mental health patients, which is much needed. Findings align with other environmental changes in psychiatric wards that improve the patients’ well-being and reduce aggression.
Modeling the Labeling Index Distribution: An Application of Functional Data Analysis

Abstract This article presents exploratory data analytic methodology for visualizing and summarizing data that can be represented as individual-specific curves. We propose a simplified form of functional data analysis. A nonparametric scatterplot smooth is applied to each individual's data, followed by a principal components analysis of the smoothed data. We then display the individual smooth curves in an array organized by principal component scores. The display suggests interpretable summary measures. The methodology is applied to the measurement of proliferative activity, a biomarker for colon cancer risk. We use the summary measures in the analysis of a pilot study clinical trial.
Classification(s) of Cervical Deformity

Cervical spine deformities (CSD) are complex surgical issues with currently heterogenous management strategies. The classification of CSD is still an evolving field. Rudimentary classification schemas were initially proposed in the late 20th century but were largely informal and based on the underlying etiology (i.e. , postsurgical, traumatic, or inflammatory). The first formal classification schema was proposed by Ames et al. in 2015 who established a standard nomenclature for describing these deformities. This classification system established 5 deformity descriptors based on curve apex location (cervical, cervicothoracic, thoracic, craniovertebral junctional, and coronal deformities) and 5 deformity modifiers which helped surgeons utilize a standard language when discussing CSD patients. Koller et al. in 2019 subsequently established a classification system for patients with rigid cervical kyphosis based on regional and global sagittal alignment. Most recently, Kim et al. in 2020 proposed an updated classification system utilizing dynamic cervical spine imaging to guide surgical treatment of CSD patients. It identified 4 major groups of deformities – (1) those with “flat-neck” deformities caused by cervical lordosis T1 slope mismatch; (2) those with focal kyphotic deformities between 2 cervical vertebrae; (3) those with cervicothoracic deformities caused by large T1 slope; and (4) those with coronal deformities. Group 2 deformities most often required combined anterior-posterior approaches with short constructs, and group 3 deformities most often required posterior-only approaches with 3-column osteotomies.
Spin glasses: Experimental facts, theoretical concepts, and open questions

This review summarizes recent developments in the theory of spin glasses, as well as pertinent experimental data. The most characteristic properties of spin glass systems are described, and related phenomena in other glassy systems (dielectric and orientational glasses) are mentioned. The Edwards-Anderson model of spin glasses and its treatment within the replica method and mean-field theory are outlined, and concepts such as "frustration," "broken replica symmetry," "broken ergodicity," etc., are discussed. The dynamic approach to describing the spin glass transition is emphasized. Monte Carlo simulations of spin glasses and the insight gained by them are described. Other topics discussed include site-disorder models, phenomenological theories for the frozen phase and its excitations, phase diagrams in which spin glass order and ferromagnetism or antiferromagnetism compete, the Ne\'el model of superparamagnetism and related approaches, and possible connections between spin glasses and other topics in the theory of disordered condensed-matter systems.