Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Taguchi Methods: A Hands-On Approach

American industry is now realizing that applying Dr. Genichi Taguchi's now-famous quality-engineering techniques can improve their products and produce substantial savings in cost and time. Until now, it has been difficult to find a clear explanation of the key terms and principles of Taguchi's methods. In Peace's book, industrial engineers will discover a practical, readable guide that demonstrates Taguchi techniques step-by-step. Unique coverage of the different types of quality characteristics ensure that readers will understand how to measure and choose options when applying this technology. The book focuses on one of Taguchi's core techniques, "Design of Experiments", which helps engineers test their products and processes and design robust products at the lowest possible cost. Case studies illustrate Taguchi methods at work in a varietyof situations.
Quasi-Static Tensile Properties and Damage Mechanism of Three-Dimensional Angle-Interlock Woven Composites

The uniaxial tensile properties of three-dimensional angle-interlock woven composites (3DAWCs) under quasi-static loading were investigated in this paper. The samples were manufactured into dog-bone shape and tested on Material Test System 810.23. The strain-stress curves in warp direction indicating the Young’s moduli, maximum stress and maximum strain are achieved from the uniaxial tensile test. The effects of microstructure and damage morphology of 3DAWC under quasi-static tension are discussed. Furthermore, we will focus on the energy absorption mechanism from the view of tensile failure mode. The material parameters of 3DAWC in warp direction can be evaluated for developing quantitative approach to design polymer matrix composite structures.
International Space Station Robotic Systems Operations - a Human Factors Perspective

Assembly and maintenance of the International Space Station (ISS) relies heavily on the use of extravehicular robotic systems. When fully assembled the ISS robotics complement will include three main manipulators, two small dexterous arms, and a mobile base and transporter system. The complexity and mobility of the systems and limited opportunities for direct viewing of the Space Station's exterior makes telerobotic operations an especially challenging task. Although fundamental manipulator design, control systems, and strategies for autonomous versus manual control vary greatly between the systems, commonality in the design of workstation controls and displays is considered essential to enhance operator performance and reduce the possibility of errors. Principal human factors opportunities are associated with workstation layout, human-computer interface considerations, adequacy of alignment cues for maintenance of safe approach corridors during mating tasks, spatial awareness challenges, integration of supplemental computer graphic displays to enhance operator global situational awareness, and training methodologies for preservation of critical skills during long-duration missions.
Precise steering of particles in electroosmotically actuated microfluidic devices

Title of dissertation: PRECISE STEERING OF PARTICLES IN ELECTROOSMOTICALLY ACTUATED MICROFLUIDIC DEVICES Satej V. Chaudhary, Doctor of Philosophy, 2010 Dissertation directed by: Professor Benjamin Shapiro Department of Aerospace Engineering In this thesis, we show how to combine microfluidics and feedback control to independently steer multiple particles with micrometer accuracy in two dimensions. The particles are steered by creating a fluid flow that carries all the particles from where they are to where they should be at each time step. Our control loop comprises sensing, computation, and actuation to steer particles along user-input trajectories. Particle positions are identified in real-time by an optical system and transferred to a control algorithm that then determines the electrode voltages necessary to create a flow field to carry all the particles to their next desired locations. The process repeats at the next time instant. Our method achieves inexpensive steering of particles by using conventional electroosmotic actuation in microfluidic channels. This type of particle steering has significant advantages over other particle steering methods, such as laser tweezers. (Laser tweezers cannot steer reflective particles, or particles where the index of refraction is lower than that of the surrounding medium. More sophisticated optical vortex holographic tweezers require that the index of refraction does not differ substantially from that of the surrounding medium.). In this thesis, we address three specific aspects of this technology. First, we develop the control algorithms for steering multiple particles independently and validate our control techniques using simulations with realistic sources of initial position errors and system uncertainties. Second, we develop optimal path planning methods to efficiently steer particles between given initial and final positions. Third, we design high performance microfluidic devices that are capable of simultaneously steering five particles in experiment. (Steering of up to three particles in experiment had been previously demonstrated [1].) PRECISE STEERING OF PARTICLES IN ELECTROOSMOTICALLY ACTUATED MICROFLUIDIC DEVICES by Satej V. Chaudhary Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of the University of Maryland, College Park in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy 2010 Advisory Committee: Dr. Benjamin Shapiro, Chair/Advisor Dr. Robert Sanner Dr. Christopher Cadou Dr. Alison Flatau Dr. Howard Elman, Dean’s Representative c © Copyright by Satej V. Chaudhary 2010
Capacity of adaptive free-space optical channel using bi-directional links

ABSTRACT Free space optical (FSO) communication experiences severe fading due to optical scintillation in long-range links. Adaptive schemes based on channel variation can utilize the channel capacity efficiently. In this paper, we propose a truncated variable rate adaptive scheme for FSO channel. We determined the improvement in channel capacity for perfect channel side information (CSI) at the transmitter and receiver using M-ary pulse position modulation (M-PAM) format. We also determined the improvement in capacity for an erroneous feedback channel using one link of a correlated bi-directional FSO link as a feedback link to the transmitter. Both synthetic and experimental channel samples are used to determine the gain. For perfect CSI we have 1-2 dB improvement in channel capacity compared to non-adaptive schemes using 2-PAM and 4-PAM modulation. For an erroneous feedback channel the improvement depends on the channel correlation coefficient. With medium to high correlation it gives good capacity improvement.
The flexible bandpass filter on polyimide substrate for wireless communications systems

A coplanar waveguide flexible filter based on the polyimide substrate was fabricated by self-metallization technology. The measured results indicate that the central frequency of the proposed filter is 2.5 GHz, the minimum insertion loss is −0.71 dB and the return loss is better than −20 dB. To test the conformal characteristics of the filter, bending and folding tests were performed. The test results show that the measured and simulated results are basically the same when the filter is bent and folded. The flexible filter fabricated by self-metallization technology is expected to be one of the components of future flexible wireless communication systems.
Project and Engineering Management Certification

This paper summarizes the requirements for eight major project management (PM) certificates—including new program management, risk assessment, and scheduling management certificates—and two major engineering management certificates that are offered in the United States by professional societies. We provide information on the number of people holding the certification, eligibility to obtain the certification, exam format, cost for the certification, and contact information for the organization offering the certification. We also include information about societies outside the United States that offer PM certifications in 83 countries. Finally, we discuss international PM certifications offered by a U.S.-based organization. Many organizations are starting to require certifications for their project and program managers. This paper will help readers decide what certifications are applicable and the requirements for obtaining a specific certificate.
Network Modelling for Evaluation of Mechanical Properties of Cellulose Fibre Fluff

A network mechanics model for cellulose fibre fluff is proposed. 2D and 3D versions of the model have been implemented and the influence of various micro-level parameters on the global mechanical performance has been determined by means of computer simulations. Model networks composed of bonded fibres of arbitrary distribution in length, curvature, cross-section, stiffness and strength were investigated. The bonds were modelled as non-linear coupling elements representing stick-slip performance. The bonds were arbitrarily distributed in stiffness and strength. The fibres were arranged in a random structure according to an arbitrary orientation distribution. The network geometry was periodic, enabling a cell under observation to be regarded as one of many identical cells making up a global structure. Periodic boundary and loading conditions were used to obtain relevant results, even in the case of small network cells. The networks were analysed by means of the finite element method, and homogenized mechanical properties such as stress versus strain performance, initial anisotropic 2D and 3D stiffness properties, strength and fracture energy were calculated. Fracture localization and geometric quantities, such as the number of bonds and active part were also studied. Simulations showed that a cell 1.2 times the fibre length is sufficient for calculation of the initial stiffness values. The dependence of initial stiffness on fibre and bond stiffness, network density, fibre curl, fibre orientation and fibre length was studied. Fracture simulations showed that bond ductility is a very important parameter for 2D networks, giving a stronger and more ductile network. The influence on fracture of network density, fibre length and fibre orientation distribution was also examined. A comparison was made between 3D network simulation results and experimental results for cellulose fibre fluff. Reasonable agreement was observed up to peak stress. Analysis of the post-peak stress performance requires that size dependence due to strain localization and heterogeneity in the material, be taken into consideration. The models enable systematic analysis and design of network structures. The 2D version has the advantage of requiring less computer capacity, but in order to be able to draw quantitative conclusions regarding cellulose fibre fluff it is advisable to use the 3D version.
Implementation of Transformational Leadership on Lecturer Satisfaction and Performance in FKIP Darma Agung University Medan

Implementation of transformational leadership to job satisfaction and lecturer performance at FKIP Darma Agung University Medan is very necessary to be done by a leader in an institution or organization. Research on the implementation of transformational leadership on job satisfaction and lecturer performance at FKIP Darma Agung University Medan has been conducted. This research is in the form of an empirical study at FKIP Darma Agung University Medan. The purpose of this study is to look at the implementation of transformational leadership on job satisfaction and lecturer performance at FKIP Darma Agung University Medan. From the results of the study, the role of transformational leadership becomes very important in the success of an organization for the performance of its subordinates. This research is in the form of a descriptive study with a sample of 60 permanent lecturers from FKIP Darma Agung University Medan. The technique used in conducting this research was to give a questionnaire to all respondents to be filled and collected. From the results of tabulation of research data on work satisfaction indicators obtained by 81.36% and for performance indicators obtained by 82.40%. From the results of this study, it was concluded that the implementation of transformational leadership on job satisfaction and lecturer performance at FKIP Darma Agung University Medan was very good.
Miniaturised branch-line balun with bandwidth enhancement

A miniaturised branch-line balun with bandwidth enhancement is investigated. The improved performance is achieved by meandering the branches and attaching a quarter-wavelength stub at the upper right corner of the conventional branch-line balun. Centred at 1.5 GHz, the introduced balun is optimally designed and validated by experiments. A circuit size of 20% is achieved as compared to the conventional type, and good electrical performance is observed.
Optimization of Hedging Rules for Reservoir Operations

Reservoir operations play an important role in water resources planning and management. During periods of drought, when inflows to the reservoir are low, it may not be possible to satisfy the target delivery (planned demand), and shortage occurs. Reservoir hedging rules, which include a set of rule curves and rationing factors, are used to guide the operation under such a situation. In particular, hedging rules are employed to balance the current shortage in supply with future storage to avoid severe water shortages in the future. In general, hedging rules are determined at the planning stage, or at the early stage of a reservoir’s operating life. However, after years of operation, the reservoir system, as well as the demand characteristics, may change. Hence, it becomes necessary to reevaluate and update the existing hedging rules to incorporate changes that have taken place. The purpose of this paper is to devise new hedging rules for an existing multireservoir system. An original mixed-integer nonlinea.
Economic UPS structure with phase-controlled battery charger and input-power-factor improvement

A new single-phase uninterruptible power supply (UPS) scheme is proposed. Its advantages when compared with existing UPSs are: no transferring time, high efficiency, low implementation cost and high power density. It mainly consists of a minimised power converter which is capable of providing specified constant output voltage, a phase-controlled battery charger, and input-power-factor improvement. The experimental results of the developed prototype show a superior performance.
P-SMOTE: One Oversampling Technique for Class Imbalanced Text Classification

The importance of mining patents to support product design has been recognized, because patents are the major information source to support innovation and contain novel ideas, which usually cannot be found in published academic papers. In patent text mining, a basic issue is patent classification. However, automatic patent classification is difficult. One potential cause of the difficulty is the imbalanced dataset i.e. the interested positive class is minor while uninterested negative class is major. To alleviate the problem of imbalanced dataset and improve the performance of a Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifier, this study proposes P-SMOTE, a new oversampling technique which focuses on the blank spaces along positive borderline of a SVM. The proposed technique was firstly investigated on Reuters-21578, which is a standard text classification dataset. Then, P-SMOTE was applied to a design patent document dataset. It was observed that a SVM classifier with P-SMOTE, compared to a SVM classifier only, successfully achieved better results.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Restoration strategy for power distribution networks using optimal supervisory control

To find restoration strategies for power distribution networks (PDNs), the methodology of optimal supervisory control is applied. Allowing for the contingencies of the PDN, the authors introduce a discrete event system (DES) and assign the penalties of the states and the costs of the events of the DES. To assign the penalties and the costs, the authors assess the static security of the PDN through load flow calculations and find the loads to be supplied under the contingencies. After introducing the DES and assigning the penalties and the costs, the authors obtain the restoration strategies for the considered contingencies of the PDN using the optimal supervisor design algorithm.
Current-Source Converter for AC Motor Drives

The employment of current-source concepts in thyristor converters to obtain adjustable frequency and adjustable current waveforms is presented. The use of a dc filter choke and a current feedback loop to produce a regenerative current source is explained. The simplified inverter commutation circuit made possible by the current-source technique is also discussed. Finally, a brief review of the inherently rugged current-source converter's ability to provide wide range control of an ac induction motor is given.
A High Step-up DC-DC Converter Based on the Voltage Lift Technique for Renewable Energy Applications

High gain DC-DC converters are getting popular due to the increased use of renewable energy sources (RESs). Common ground between the input and output, low voltage stress across power switches and high voltage gain at lower duty ratios are desirable features required in any high gain DC-DC converter. DC-DC converters are widely used in DC microgrids to supply power to meet local demands. In this work, a high step-up DC-DC converter is proposed based on the voltage lift (VL) technique using a single power switch. The proposed converter has a voltage gain greater than a traditional boost converter (TBC) and Traditional quadratic boost converter (TQBC). The effect of inductor parasitic resistances on the voltage gain of the converter is discussed. The losses occurring in various components are calculated using PLECS software. To confirm the performance of the converter, a hardware prototype of 200 W is developed in the laboratory. The simulation and hardware results are presented to determine the performance of the converter in both open-loop and closed-loop conditions. In closed-loop operation, a PI controller is used to maintain a constant output voltage when the load or input voltage is changed.
A series—parallel redundant reliability system for cellular manufacturing design

This paper presents a novel, multi-objective mixed-integer programming model for designing a cellular manufacturing system (CMS) that minimizes the total cost and maximizes the overall system reliability. In general, it is impossible to avoid production interruptions while handling machine breakdowns. In this situation, changing the process route dynamically can provide a quick response to meet production requirements. By assuming alternative process plans for operation—part requirements, the concept of the ‘reliable route’ proposed in the literature is extended. In a redundant reliability system with a series—parallel configuration, each reliable route is associated with an operation of a part (i.e. an operation—part) as a parallel subsystem. This route consists of a number of units or alternative machines allocated to cells in such a way that parts are processed with the maximum reliability for a given period of time. When an alternative machine breaks down, unprocessed parts are transferred to the next predetermined machine on the reliable route in order to complete their processes. While the reliable route approach increases the overall system reliability, the operational costs of the system also increase. To assess the present proposed model as a useful decision tool for the manager, various numerical examples are solved and analysed. Finally, the related computational results are reported.
Low patch-rank image decomposition using alternating minimization algorithms

Cartoon-texture image decomposition, which refers to the problem of decomposing an image into a cartoon part and a texture component, is one of the most fundamental problems in image processing. In this paper, we are concerned with the low patch-rank enhanced image decomposition model, which is a convex but nonsmooth optimization problem that could not be solved directly by traditional gradient-based optimization algorithms. Accordingly, we introduce two unconstrained reformulations to the underlying low patch-rank optimization model. Furthermore, by exploiting favorable structures of the resulting reformations, we propose two easily implementable alternating minimization algorithms, whose subproblems have closed-form solutions. Compared to the state-of-the-art multi-block alternating direction method of multipliers and its variants, our proposed algorithms enjoy simpler iterative schemes and lower memory requirements for saving computing time. A series of numerical experiments further support the promising performance of the proposed approaches.
The Efficacy Of Complete Mesocolic Excision With Central Vessel Ligation Technique On Lymph Nodes And Safety Margins Compared With Conventional Surgery For Colon Cancer Treatment

Background: The prevalence of colon carcinoma is fairly limited in Egypt, but it has a high fatality incidence. Colon carcinoma is a significant public health issue globally. Objectives: This study aimed to determine if complete mesocolic excision (CME) with main vessel ligation approach yields an oncologically better outcome in terms of lymph nodes and safety margins compared to traditional operation for colon carcinoma. Patients and methods: A prospective observational research that was conducted in the General Surgery Department of the Assiut University Hospitals between 2019 and 2021. Results: Twenty-nine patients performed conventional surgery (non-CME group) and other twenty-nine patients performed CME with sharp separation of the supplying vasculature's (central vessel ligation, CVL) and the embryological planes (CME group). Substantially improved outcomes were noted regarding safety margin clearance and lymph node output (CME group: 22.5 vs. non-CME group:12, P<0.0001) and lymph node ratios (CME group: 0.03 vs. non-CME group: 0.22; P<0.0001). Conclusion: When carried out in accordance with the right embryological plans and by trained practitioners, CME seems to be a safe therapy. The lymph node ratios are also affected since it offers superior specimens with a larger lymph node output. Therefore, it should be researched and implemented more often to use CM with CVL.
Comparative study of frame-corewall and frame tube structural systems based on environmental cost

Arising from people's concern on global warming, structural engineers have to pay close attention to the environmental cost component in their structural designs. The structural framework contributes about 20% of the total emissions of the building in the life cycle according to a study in the United Kingdom. In the actual design process, there is no effective method of calculating the environmental cost for structural engineers and structural engineers ignore environmental effects of the structure at most times. This paper introduces the environmental cost index of embodied carbon as well as research and engineering applications. The comprehensive structural system selection method proposed by the paper, which combines life cycle assessment method, Inventory of Carbon and Energy (ICE) database and abatement model, considers both economic and environmental costs that take emission reduction cost into account. The method is applied to a high-rise building in Xi’an to compare structural schemes of frame-corewall and frame tube based on environmental cost, and conclusion is drawn that structural system of frame tube is better than the frame-corewall one when emission reduction cost is considered. This paper provides not only a reference for similar projects to compare different structural systems in the comprehensive perspectives of environment and economy, but also a guide for structural engineers to contribute to a more sustainable building and environment.