Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Numerical and experimental investigation of Johnson–Cook material models for aluminum (Al 6061-T6) alloy using orthogonal machining approach

This research focuses on the study of the effects of processing conditions on the Johnson–Cook material model parameters for orthogonal machining of aluminum (Al 6061-T6) alloy. Two sets of parameters of Johnson–Cook material model describing material behavior of Al 6061-T6 were investigated by comparing cutting forces and chip morphology. A two-dimensional finite element model was developed and validated with the experimental results published literature. Cutting tests were conducted at low-, medium-, and high-speed cutting speeds. Chip formation and cutting forces were compared with the numerical model. A novel technique of cutting force measurement using power meter was also validated. It was found that the cutting forces decrease at higher cutting speeds as compared to the low and medium cutting speeds. The poor prediction of cutting forces by Johnson–Cook model at higher cutting speeds and feed rates showed the existence of a material behavior that does not exist at lower or medium cutting speeds. Two factors were considered responsible for the change in cutting forces at higher cutting speeds: change in coefficient of friction and thermal softening. The results obtained through numerical investigations after incorporated changes in coefficient of friction showed a good agreement with the experimental results.
Lung Cancer in the French West Indies: Role of Sugarcane Work and Other Occupational Exposures

Objective: To study the role of occupational exposures in lung cancer risk in the French West Indies, with special attention to some specific activities, such as sugarcane work, that can only be studied in a limited number of populations. Methods: We used data from a population-based case-control study that included 147 incident lung cancer cases and 405 controls. Smoking history and a detailed occupational history with a description of tasks and substances were collected by questionnaire during face-to-face interviews. Odds ratios (OR) adjusted for sex, age, region, smoking status and cigarette pack-years and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were estimated by unconditional logistic regression. Results: Significantly increased risks of lung cancer were found in sugarcane farm workers (OR=2.7; 95% CI 1.1-6.6) and more generally in the sugarcane growing sector (OR=2.5; 95% CI 1.0-6.3) and to a lesser extent in rum production. Elevated risks of lung cancer were also observed among other agricultural workers, painters, warehouse porters, labourers, maintenance and motor vehicle repair workers. Exposure to herbicides in sugarcane cultivation was associated with an increased risk of lung cancer (OR=2.6; 95% CI 0.9-7.6). Conclusion: These results showed that occupational exposures contributed to lung cancer risk in the French West Indies, and highlighted the role of exposures related to sugarcane work.
Self-Interference Cancelation in Frequency-Domain Chipless RFID Readers

Frequency-domain chipless RFID readers hold tremendous promise as a low-cost solution for mass production of this technology. However, the strong self-jamming signal leakage, from the transmitter to the receiver, significantly degrades the sensitivity of the reader. As a result, the maximum reading range of the system is diminished. To address this issue, we studied the sources of interference signals in the system and proposed a method to significantly reduce them. An ultrawideband compensator, over the wide frequency range of 4.3 to 7.3 GHz, was designed and implemented. This method realized an interference isolation better than 40, 55, and 55 dB in single-antenna, dual-polarized antenna, and two-antenna readers, respectively. A noticeable 25-dB excessive isolation to that of the conventional architecture which should help to bring this technology closer to commercial adoption.
3D adaptive motion vector coding integrated with block-based adaptive interpolation filter

Since fractional pixel accuracy motion compensation precisely expresses the motion information, it is widely used for improving coding efficiency in the International Standard video coding methods for the MPEG and H.26x series. When the motion accuracy is ascertained more precisely, motion information becomes more exact, and consequently, prediction efficiency can be improved. The problem, however, is that the amount of bits for expressing large motion increases. Accordingly the adaptive interpolation filter (AIF) method, which changes the filter characteristics for half-pixel positions on quarter-pixel motion compensation, was proposed. This technique also changes the image at quarter-pixel positions and makes the motion accuracy more precise. In conventional studies, the AIF method was used per frame or macroblock that was not the motion compensation block, because the overhead problem of filter indication has never been resolved. In this paper, we propose the 3D motion vector coding technique with the block-based adaptive interpolation filter. This method integrates filter indication into motion vector coding and predicts the filter indication adaptively, so that it reduces the overhead of filter indications. In this method, the filter is changed per motion compensation block so that the prediction efficiency is improved per motion compensation block. We also demonstrate in simulations that this method achieves higher coding efficiency than the normal H.264 coding method. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Syst Comp Jpn, 35(14): 10–20, 2004; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/ scj.20125
Sliding Mode Control Scheme for a CLLC Resonant Converter

In this paper, a comprehensive sliding mode control (SMC) loop design for a CLLC resonant converter is proposed. The major objectives of the proposed SMC are to improve the converter dynamics and to achieve a tight output voltage regulation with respect to any parameter variations and external disturbances. The sliding surface coefficients are selected to ensure both large- and small-signal stability for the robustness of the converter under different operating conditions. Furthermore, system dynamic performances considering the error dynamics and overshoots are investigated. To validate the proposed algorithm, a hardware prototype of a bi-directional CLLC resonant converter for plug-in electric vehicle applications is developed and tested up to 1 kW, and the effectiveness of the proposed control solution is verified by the load transients and start-up tests. At a 100% step-change in load power, the SMC achieves 1 ms settling time, which is approximately 0.9 ms faster than the conventional proportional integral control strategy.
Optimal Control and Design of Bipedal Robots with Compliance

The purpose of this paper is to present an interesting area of appplication for modern optimal control techniques in robotics. Optimal control can significantly improve the control of bipedal walking motions, in particular by an optimal exploitation and an appropriate tuning of compliance. Two optimization methods for gait generation and three bipedal robot models are used to highlight three aspects: optimally tuned elastic elements significantly reduce energy consumption for locomotion, produce natural-looking gaits, and enhance the open-loop stability of the gait. It is concluded that optimization of compliance in legged robots is a promising approach towards dynamic, energy-efficient locomotion. Zusammenfassung Dieser Beitrag zeigt eine interessante Anwendung moderner Optimalsteuerungstechniken im Bereich der Robotik. Mit Hilfe der Optimierung kann die Steuerung und Regelung von zweibeinigen Laufrobotern drastisch verbessert werden, insbesondere durch eine optimale Nutzung der elastischen Elemente. Es werden zwei Optimierungsansätze und drei Robotermodelle betrachtet, um die folgenden drei Hypothesen zu diskutieren: Mit optimal eingestellten Elastizitäten in den Gelenken kann der Energieverbrauch signifikant reduziert werden, es entstehen natürlich aussehende Bewegungen und die Stabilitätseigenschaften der Trajektorien können verbessert werden. Es wird gezeigt, dass die Optimierung der Elastizitäten ein vielversprechender Ansatz zur Realisierung dynamischer, effizienter Fortbewegung zweibeiniger Roboter ist.
Review on various authentication schemes and attacks on connected vehicles

Connected cars are comfortable to drivers. But it also threat to humans. Connected vehicles share data like street safety, traffic analysis, road administration information like café, hospital, etc utilizing intruded on web availability and it is time delicate. Connected vehicles allow drivers and passengers to connect to the outside world while on the road. Security is the primary challenge for automakers and other stakeholders, because connected vehicles rely on wireless and cellular communication interfaces. Information should be protected from intruders. The communications between connected vehicles should be a trusted one. Safety is the primary focus of connected cars and the intruders should be identified and the intruders and falsified nodes can be identified by authentication schemes. In VANET vehicles react as indicated by the data got from the opposite end, so it is very vital that the data spreading in the framework is valid and produced by a genuine client. But there are many pitfalls in various authentication schemes. Privacy of the connected vehicles should be while sharing information and also information shared between connected vehicles should be an authenticated one. So still it a major challenge in connected vehicles due to the special characteristics like mobility, time sensitive, etc. This survey discussed the various authentication schemes and the various attacks related to that. Based on the survey, future directions of the secured trusted communications of connected vehicles have been discussed. The aim of this survey is to identify secured authentication techniques for a trusted communication.
Design of a fragment‐type UHF RFID tag integrated into printed circuit board

A conformal radio frequency identification tag antenna can be integrated into printed circuit board (PCB) is presented. The simulation and experiment results indicate that the proposed tag can be reached as being applied on stacked PCB boards or separated PCB board. The design area of the proposed tag is 6 × 46 mm, which is small enough for most PCB boards. And it is also proved that the proposed tag can be used in PCB boards with different thicknesses. The maximum read range is measured to be 2.7 and 3.5 m as the tag is deployed on stacked PCB boards and separately placed PCB boards.
UNDERSTANDING CRITICAL VARIABLES CONTRIBUTING TO COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES OF INTERNATIONAL HIGH-SPEED RAILWAY CONTRACTORS

This article is devoted to identifying and explaining the critical variables contributing to competitive advantages in international High-Speed Railway (HSR) projects from the contractor’s perspective. A total of 24 variables were identified by the literature review and a pilot study. An international questionnaire survey was performed to obtain professional opinions from both practitioners and the academy. The 24 variables were ranked and clustered into 6 factors using exploratory factor analysis. Furthermore, a case study of the Early Train Operator project of the California HSR was carried out by the survey, interview, and first-hand data. The results indicated that the top six ranked variables are (1) None Accident History, (2) Eligibility & International Criteria, (3) Contract Reputation, (4) Marketing Strategy, (5) Risk Management Capability, and (6) Technical Responsiveness. Furthermore, the 24 variables are grouped into six dimensions: Glocalization, Marketing, Safety, Economics, Technology, and Responsibility. The case study indicated that the factor framework was suitable and tractable for the application. The findings of this paper could (1) assist international HSR contractors in obtaining a better understanding of the deeper determinates of competitive advantages and (2) serve as a valuable reference for developing their competitive advantages in the international HSR market.
Stress Response Analysis of Concrete Pavement Under Tire of Heavy Vehicle

Abstract This article illustrates the applicability of the Finite Element Method (FEM) in the analysis of multi-layer concrete pavement systems subjected to tire loading of a heavy vehicle. For the purpose of simplifying the interaction of the interaction system, it is appropriate to divide the system into two separate independent subsystems, the vehicle and the pavement. For this reason, 2-dimensional interaction model of the contact vehicle-obstacle and 3-dimensional FEM model of the concrete pavement were created. A several constitutive material models, such as linear elastic model, are applied in the analysis to describe the behaviour of the pavement structure. The numerical results from the first computational model can be used as the input for the second calculation phase. The concrete pavement represents a standard pavement, which is used for the regular road structures in road engineering. FEM modelling of the pavement can be used for the direct estimation of the pavement response without performing time and cost expensive field experiments. Calculations were performed in software ADINA using FEM method.
Sprawl and mega-events: Economic growth and recent urban expansion in a city losing its competitive edge (Athens, Greece)

In the new context of contemporary cities, local competitiveness for financial resources has grown more than ever, resulting in cities characterised by important socioeconomic transformations. Earlier studies addressed the relation between urban expansion, socioeconomic development and mega-events only for specific areas and types of urban growth, often overlooking the role of mega-events in fuelling urban sprawl. As the host of the 2004 Olympic Games, Athens, Greece is a paradigmatic example for emerging cities hosting mega-events due to the close interconnection between the Olympics, infrastructure development and urban sprawl. This article connects the latent relationship between economic expansion driven by the Olympic Games and laissez-faire urbanism to the long-term unregulated urban expansion characterising Athens’s development. By providing room for the original wave of sprawl, the resulting socioeconomic context is interpreted as a signal of the weakness of the “competitive city” framework in poorly planned and long-deregulated urban contexts such as Athens. A comprehensive analysis of recent phases of economic growth and discontinuous urban expansion thus provides further insight into understanding sprawl processes in today’s cities, and helps distinguish the morphological patterns and socioeconomic dynamics that characterise urban expansion during sequential cycles of economic expansion and recession.
ParCS-S2: Park Cleaning Swarm Supervision System - Position Paper

The research presented in this paper is a collaborative project that is jointly developed by the Mugen Company and the MUSE (Mobility, Ubiquity, Security) research group at LaBRI. Its goal is to combine a Multi-Unmanned Systems (UMS) mission designed, validated and developed at LaBRI, with monitoring and supervision tools developed at Mugen.
Untrusted under threat: on the superior bond between trustworthiness and threat in face-context integration

ABSTRACT The face is a powerful source to make inferences about one’s trustworthiness. Recent studies demonstrated that facial trustworthiness is influenced by the level of threat conveyed by the visual scene in which faces are embedded: untrustworthy-looking faces are more likely judged as untrustworthy when shown in threatening scenes. Here, we explore whether this face-context congruency effect is specific to the negative pole of the threat-trust domain. Experiment 1 (N = 89) focused on the differential impact of positive vs. negative face-context congruency within the domains of threat and trust. Negative congruency (i.e. untrustworthy-looking faces in threatening contexts) led to more extreme attributions as opposed to positive congruency (i.e. trustworthy-looking faces in reassuring contexts). Experiment 2 (N = 120) replicated these findings by further showing their domain-specificity. The negativity bias was found in the threat-trust domain, but not when extroverted- vs. introverted-looking faces appeared in happy vs. sad context scenes. Experiment 3 (N = 154, pre-registered) replicated the pattern observed in Experiment 1 while controlling for the extent to which both threatening and reassuring context stimuli were related to the human action. We discussed the theoretical implications of these results for understanding how contextual information is integrated into the evaluation of facial trustworthiness.
University Student Attitudes Toward Persons With a History of Adult Sexual Violence and Their Correlates With Policy, Treatment, and Management

Empirical evidence suggests that postsecondary students are disproportionately impacted by sexual violence. Further evidence suggests that most persons convicted of crimes involving sexual violence return to the community, and that social factors, including public policy and community members’ attitudes and perceptions, are key determinants of successful reintegration among these persons. Taken together, these observations suggest that students’ perspectives should be considered in discourse related to reintegration. The current study aimed to assess the attitudes of a university undergraduate sample toward men convicted of adult sexual violence as well as their level of support for various community-based policies to manage this population upon release from custody. Participants (N = 333) completed a survey battery comprising measures of three dimensions of attitudes toward persons who have sexually offended, perceptions of recidivism and treatment response, and support for various incapacitation/control (IC) and rehabilitative/reintegration (RR)-based policies. Results varied depending on the dimension of attitudes measured, with the affective component appearing to be the most markedly negative. Participants endorsed a mixture of IC and RR policies, with attitudinal measures predicting policy endorsement controlling for relevant demographic variables. The results provide a framework for future research surveying a more representative sample of the Canadian public, while also providing useful information for policymakers relying on community support to reduce sexual offending.
GENET and Tabu Search for Combinatorial Optimization Problems

Constraint satisfaction problems are combinatorial optimization problems which involve finding an assignment to a set of variables that is consistent with a set of constraints. In this paper the use of two local search techniques, namely GENET and Tabu Search for constraint satisfaction optimization problems and partial constraint satisfaction problems is investigated. These methods are compared by application to a difficult partial constraint satisfaction optimization problem, namely the Radio Links Frequency Assignment Problem (RLFAP).
Phase Separation of Heterogeneous Nuclear Ribonucleoprotein A1 upon Specific RNA‐Binding Observed by Magnetic Resonance

Abstract Interaction of heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A1 (hnRNP A1) with specific single‐stranded RNA and its relation to liquid‐liquid phase separation (LLPS) were studied in vitro by magnetic resonance based on site‐directed spin labelling. An ensemble model of dispersed hnRNP A1 in the absence of RNA was derived from distance distributions between spin labelled sites and small angle X‐ray scattering. This model revealed a compact state of the low‐complexity domain and its interaction with the RNA recognition motifs. Paramagnetic relaxation enhancement NMR spectroscopy confirmed this interaction. Addition of RNA to dispersed hnRNP A1 induced liquid‐droplet formation. Such LLPS depended on RNA concentration and sequence, with continuous wave EPR spectroscopy showing an influence of RNA point mutations on local protein dynamics. We propose that an interplay of sequence‐specific RNA binding and LLPS contributes to regulation of specific RNA segregation during stress response.
‘It was like being hit with a brick’: a qualitative study on the effect of clinicians’ delivery of a diagnosis of eye disease for patients in primary and secondary care

Objectives To explore patients’ experiences of getting a diagnosis of eye disease, the psychological impact of this and how this could be improved. Design An exploratory qualitative interview study using a narrative approach and inductive methods. Setting This study was conducted with patients who had attended ophthalmic appointments in primary and secondary care and in opticians located in the South of England. Participants 18 people diagnosed with eye disease in England. Results Four themes were identified: the convoluted process of being diagnosed, the impact of clinicians’ words, the search for information and reflections on what could be improved. The prolonged wait for a definitive diagnosis was a source of frustration and anxiety for many patients. Professionals’ words and tone when delivering a diagnosis sometimes affected a patient’s view of their diagnosis and their later ability to come to terms with it. Patients were desperate for information, but many felt they were not provided with sufficient information at the time of diagnosis and did not know whether to trust information found online. Participants felt the provision of a hospital liaison service and/or counselling could mitigate the impact on patients and families. Conclusions Interactions with clinicians can have a lasting impact on how a diagnosis is experienced and how well the patient is able to come to terms with their visual impairment. Receiving little or no information left patients feeling lost and unsupported. This led them to search for information from less reliable sources. Clinicians should consider how they communicate a diagnosis to patients, how and when they offer information about diagnosis and prognosis and where possible signpost patients to additional support systems and counselling services as early as possible.
The quest for more food

Description Rice yield is increased by boosting nitrogen uptake and photosynthesis Enhancing photosynthesis is regarded as one of the most promising avenues for increasing crop yield (1). Accordingly, substantial focus has been drawn to this challenge, with several breakthroughs holding great potential (2). A common feature of these successes is that they have targeted metabolic processes, altering the rate and/or the path of metabolite flow through the plant to achieve higher rates of photosynthesis. However, on page 386 of this issue, Wei et al. (3) report an alternative approach. They show that photosynthesis and yield can be improved in rice by overexpressing a transcriptional regulator that promotes the expression of yield-associated genes. This highlights that there is a substantial latent capacity for enhancing photosynthesis hidden in the genomes of plants. Moreover, this latent capacity is present in abundance even in plants subjected to thousands of years of improvement through plant breeding.