Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Development of a Bioreactor for the Tissue Engineering of Anterior Cruciate Ligaments

The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is a major ligament within the knee joint. Its role is to provide stability and maintain the physiological kinetics and kinematics of the joint. ACL injuries are common as a result of sporting and traffic accidents and current therapeutic options do not fully restore the joint kinetics and kinematics. As such, patients often suffer from increased joint laxity and joint pain following an ACL reconstruction and this can lead to secondary problems such as osteoarthritis. It is believed that improving the ACL graft could help restore the normal kinetics and kinematics of the knee joint and hence postpone or prevent the onset of primary and secondary problems. Tissue engineering has the potential to provide functional tissue to repair or replace injured or diseased tissues in the patient. The ACL is a tissue which could benefit from such developments and thus improve the success of the reconstruction. However, the ACl is a complex structure made up of a highly orientated collagen hierarchy which experiences three dimensional loading in vivo. For an engineered tissue to be functional it is necessary for this orientated structure to be replicated. The appropriate structure is achieved by replication of the in vivo ACL strain pattern which requires combined tensile and torsional loading. Current custommade and commercially available bioreactors have not been able to fully replicate this motion with the necessary feedback and monitoring of mechanical parameters. The aim of this project was to develop a novel bioreactor with physiological mechanical conditioning for the tissue engineering of an anterior cruciate ligament. A bioreactor capable of applying complex tensile and torsional loading to a developing ACL was designed, manufactured and validated. The bioreactor which has been developed is a novel research tool which allows the effect of a number of parameters to be investigated in a 3D loading environment. It can be used for the engineering of connective tissues such as ligaments and tendons and has the potential to be adapted for use with other musculoskeletal tissues such as bone. It could also be used for research to understand the processes involved in the growth and development of tissues.
A new experimental setup for studies on wake flow instability and its control

A new experimental setup for studies on wake flow instability and its control, which has been designed and manufactured, is introduced and described. The main body is a dual-sided flat plate with an elliptic leading edge and a blunt trailing edge. Permeable surfaces enable boundary layer suction and/or blowing that introduce the feature of adjusting the inlet condition of the wake created behind the plate. This, in combination with a trailing edge that is easily modified, makes it an ideal experiment for studies of different control methods for the wake flow instability. Additionally, a vortex detection program have been developed in order to detect, analyse and compare small-scale vortical structures in the wake behind the plate for different inlet conditions and control methods applied to the wake flow. Instantaneous velocity fields behind a cylinder subjected to suction or blowing through the entire cylinder surface have been analysed with this program. The results of the analysis show that the major change for different levels of blowing or suction is the location of vortices while the most common vortex size and strength are essentially unchanged.
Energy loss and efficiency of power transmission belts

A selection of belt type and construction from industrial, automotive, and agricultural applications was tested and compared for idling loss and power transmission efficiency. Data are documented for Vee, joined-V, V-ribbed, and synchronous belt types and for cogged, plain, and laminated V-belt constructions. The level of energy savings achieved by the replacement of plain-base wrapped V-belts with cogged V-belts is emphasized. Belt efficiency, slip, and temperature dependence on the basic drive parameters of torque, sheave diameter, belt tension, and contact angle is reported.
Lung Nodules Detection and Classification Using Convolution Neural Network

-Lung cancer is one of the most dangerous types among the other type of cancer because is leading to death. The doctors face many difficulties to interpret and identify the cancer from CT-scan images. Therefore, computer aided using image processing and machine learning can be useful for early detection lung nodules and classify to benign or malignant with highly accuracy, less effort and reasonable time. In this proposal convolution neural network suggested to detect and identify the nodules and classify to benign or malignant. Network trained on more than 5000 images and tested with 606 images. The results were highly promised and the network classified all the tested images.
Predicting COVID-19 Dynamics Using SEIR-PADC Model

There are a number of derivates of SIR type models developed in mathematics community with 5 to 8 ordinary differential equations to include detailed mechanisms. These models have included exposed, deceased, super-spreader, symptomatic and asymptomatic infected and hospitalized populations; but are mathematically complex and cumbersome. These methods rarely used actual clinical data in details and usually fitted with one or maximum two major clinical data. In this paper, we introduce SEIR-PADC model to include exposed, deceased, super-spreader and critical populations and divide infected population to symptomatic and asymptomatic. SEIR-PADC model is a set of 8 ordinary differential equations with 12 unknown coefficients. Along with, we used an optimization algorithm in MATLAB to find best fit coefficients to 5 set of COVID-19 data in Kuwait. Our focus is to track trends of COVID-19 in coming days. Initial conditions for 8 populations and initial guess values for 12 unknown coefficients are found in a way to best fit COVID-19 data. We used 136 days of COVID-19 data in Kuwait and obtained solutions to cumulative populations rather than daily population. Predictions for 5 different population of COVID-19 in Kuwait using SEIR-PADC model are promising and are discussed here.
Towards integrated vehicle system design: electrification of components

The change in the vehicle market in the last decades has posed increased challenges from the design perspective. Newly developed vehicles should cope with more strict emission regulations, have a decreased fuel consumption and in the same time have advanced performance and be costly convenient. The trend of electrification of components and hybridization of power trains can be observed in multiple transportation sectors, all being driven by market objectives (as fuel economy, pollution or limited resources). In the attempt to develop “greener” cars, research is being conducted for new technologies, power-train architectures and control design. To find the optimal design of a hybrid vehicle is a complex optimization problem. As motivated in more detail in [1], the choice of the optimization algorithm and the definition of the problem will strongly influence the resulting power train. In this presentation, an overview of the global challenges in optimal hybrid vehicle design is presented. Furthermore, examples are given on how these challenges have been addressed so far, what hybrid topologies are commonly used and how are these separated by transportation sectors. By widening the analysis to multiple transportation sectors, it can be concluded that these research questions (in general, the search of optimal design parameters) are acknowledged, yet not addressed or developed properly in an integrated way. Beside the main components that are used for vehicles propulsion, also important energy consumptions are given by the auxiliaries present in the system. These, as for example, the power steering pump, or the air conditioning compressor, can be electrified and controlled for fuel economy. Some examples will be shown where significant improvement can be gained by looking at these auxiliaries. The possibility to tackle multiple variables during optimization, as the power train topology or component sizes, has already proven to be beneficial in contrast with individual optimization of the design layers (control, sizes, topology and technology). Following this reasoning we are aiming to build a tool/method that can in an integrated way, address multiple layers. First steps in how can this be done are discussed in this presentation. The results presented here show the importance of optimization in design, and more, the difficulty brought by the big dimensions of the search space. Future work of this research involves the analysis and development of an integrated optimal design for commercial vehicles.
High accuracy path tracking of a four-wheel-steering all-terrain vehicle on a slippery slope.

In this paper, automatic path tracking of a four-wheel-steering vehicle in presence of sliding is adressed. The attractive feature of such a steering system is that, despite of sliding phenomena, both lateral and angular deviations can be explicitly controlled. Indeed, previous research has demonstrated that high-precision path tracking on a low grip terrain can be achieved with two-wheel-steering vehicles. However, in that case, only the lateral deviation is satisfactorily close to zero, the angular deviation is non null in order to compensate for sliding effects. In this paper, previous adaptive control laws are extended to the case of four-wheel-steering mobile robots with the aim to servo both lateral and angular deviations. Relying on an extended kinematic model, a backstepping control approach, considering successively front and rear steering control, has been designed. Actual experiments have been carried out on a low adherent sloping terrain with a four-wheel-steering vehicle equipped with a single RTK-GPS. They demonstrate the capabilities of the proposed control law and its robustness in actual all-terrain conditions.
Differential effects of monotony versus fatigue on driving performance and the effectiveness of various detection methods: Implications for road safety in the ACT

Background Situational driving factors, including fatigue, distraction, inattention and monotony, are recognised killers in Australia, contributing to an estimated 40% of fatal crashes and 34% of all crashes . More often than not the main contributing factor is identified as fatigue, yet poor driving performance has been found to emerge early in monotonous conditions, independent of fatigue symptoms and time on task. This early emergence suggests an important role for monotony. However, much road safety research suggests that monotony is solely a task characteristic that directly causes fatigue and associated symptoms and there remains an absence of consistent evidence explaining the relationship. Objectives We report an experimental study designed to disentangle the characteristics and effects of monotony from those associated with fatigue. Specifically, we examined whether poor driving performance associated with hypovigilance emerges as a consequence of monotony, independent of fatigue. We also examined whether monotony is a multidimensional construct, determined by environmental characteristics and/or task demands that independently moderate sustained attention and associated driving performance. Method Using a driving simulator, participants completed four, 40 minute driving scenarios. The scenarios varied in the degree of monotony as determined by the degree of variation in road design (e.g., straight roads vs. curves) and/or road side scenery. Fatigue, as well as a number of other factors known to moderate vigilance and driving performance, was controlled for. To track changes across time, driving performance was assessed in five minute time periods using a range of behavioural, subjective and physiological measures, including steering wheel movements, lane positioning, electroencephalograms, skin conductance, and oculomotor activity. Results Results indicate that driving performance is worse in monotonous driving conditions characterised by low variability in road design. Critically, performance decrements associated with monotony emerge very early, suggesting monotony effects operate independent of fatigue. Conclusion Monotony is a multi-dimensional construct where, in a driving context, roads containing low variability in design are monotonous and those high in variability are non-monotonous. Importantly, low variability in road side scenery does not appear to exacerbate monotony or associated poor performance. However, high variability in road side scenery can act as a distraction and impair sustained attention and poor performance when driving on monotonous roads. Furthermore, high sensation seekers seem to be more susceptible to distraction when driving on monotonous roads. Implications of our results for the relationship between monotony and fatigue, and the possible construct-specific detection methods in a road safety context, will be discussed.
Optimal design of glass grid shells with quadrilateral elements by means of a genetic algorithm

Abstract In this paper a constructional problem related to grid-shells design is approached as an optimisation problem and an evolutionary solution technique is proposed. The construction of glass grid-shells, when only four sides cladding elements are used, requires to check the planarity of each element, it means that the four corner points have to belong to the same plane. This requirement can be satisfied by generating the grid surface in specific ways (Schlaich and Bergermann [2]), but when the design involves truly free form shapes, a procedure of optimisation able to reduce the non planarity of each element can be applied. The proposed one is based on the use of a genetic algorithm and has been applied to a benchmark and to a real case, in order to evaluate the efficiency of the procedure and the goodness of the solution. Introduction The design of complexes structures involves not only complexes analyses and verifications but even the solution of constructional problems. Especially in free form architecture, when members and elements shapes are not regular, many manufacturing problems have to be solved, in order to make the construction efficient and to reduce costs. In recent years, due to the large diffusion of numeric control machine tools, the production problems transformed into design problems and a the process of manufacturing needs to be managed almost completely at the design time. The effect on architecture is the growth of free form projects, made possible by a strong industrialisation and prefabrication of the components, but non necessarily in the sense of a request of standardisation. Hence the design of free form architecture usually involves the search of optimal solutions of design problems and the development and use of robust and flexible computational tools, as the one presented in this paper, can give a significant contribution.
Toward an Integrated Policy Framework

Policymakers often face difficult tradeoffs in pursuing domestic and external stabilization objectives. The paper reflects staff’s work to advance the understanding of the policy options and tradeoffs available to policymakers in a systematic and analytical way. The paper recognizes that the optimal path of the IPF tools depends on structural characteristics and fiscal policies. The operational implications of IPF findings require careful consideration. Developing safeguards to minimize the risk of inappropriate use of IPF policies will be essential. Staff remains guided by the Fund’s Institutional View (IV) on the Liberalization and Management of Capital Flows.
Vertical displacement measurement using fibre Bragg grating (FBG) sensors for structural health monitoring of bridges

This thesis developed a practical, cost effective, easy-to-use method for measuring the vertical displacements of bridges using fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors, which includes the curvature and inclination approaches. These approaches were validated by the numerical simulation tests on a full scale bridge and the laboratory-based tests. In doing so, a novel frictionless FBG inclination sensor with extremely high sensitivity and resolution has also been developed and validated.
LIGHT OF THE CHARGE BRIGADE

This article discusses why Toyota has become a leader in electric car design with its Prius model, now being made at the rate of 1000 cars per month. The Japanese Government is deliberately attempting to cut urban pollution in Japan by offering tax concessions, one of which directly benefits users and operators of hybrid electric cars. It is significant that Toyota does not plan to market the Prius outside Japan. In the Prius, Toyota has found an ingenious and realistic engineering solution. It has used various new technologies to reduce the weight of the car and its main components and systems. The rolling resistance of its tyres has been minimised to reduce power demand by 5-8%. The Toyota Hybrid System (THS) uses a 1.5l petrol engine, with 42.5kW power at 4000rpm, and a battery-powered permanent magnet synchronous electric motor with up to 30kW over 940-2000rpm. The petrol engine is the car's main power source. It is used out of town, whereas the battery is used for urban driving. The complex electronic control unit controls the transmission system, which also includes a reduction gear; it is designed for maximum efficiency. A monitor on the dashboard displays warning information, energy usage, and recovery status. A special complex control unit ensures that the traction battery pack retains a constant charge.
Rapid prototyping of a manipulator mechanism using hardware in the loop (HIL) simulators and comparing the results

In this paper dynamic and static analysis of five bar linkage mechanism are studied using different engineering software. The results are compared with each other and it's attempted to optimize the mechanism to perform an accurate action such as drawing a complicated path. This methodology leads us to analyze, design and implement robot control design very fast. It is solely rely on hardware in the loop (HIL) method.
'Don't Throw the Baby Out with the Bath Water': Network Failures and Policy Challenges for Cluster Long Run Dynamics

Cluster policies have been recently called into question in the aftermath of several empirical evidences. Disentangling how market and network failures arguments play together in cluster policy design, we look for more robust micro foundations of network structuring in clusters. Our aim is to show that, in spite of this growing skepticism, new opportunities for cluster policy exist. They require moving their focus from the “connecting people” one best way that gets through the whole of cluster policy guidelines, to more surgical incentives for R&D collaborations, which favor suited structural properties of local knowledge networks along the life cycle of clusters.
A Semi-autonomous Wheelchair Navigation System

Many mobility impaired users are unable to operate a powered wheelchair safely, without causing harm to themselves, others, and the environment. Smart wheelchairs that assist or replace user control have been developed to cater for these users, utilising systems and algorithms from autonomous robots. Despite a sustained period of research and development of robotic wheelchairs, there are very few available commercially. This thesis describes work towards developing a navigation system that is aimed at being retro-fitted to powered wheelchairs. The navigation system developed takes a systems engineering approach, integrating many existing open-source software projects to deliver a system that would otherwise not be possible in the time frame of a master’s thesis. The navigation system introduced in this thesis is aimed at operating in an unstructured indoor environment, and requires no a priori information about the environment. The key components in the system are: obstacle avoidance, map building, localisation, path planning, and autonomously travelling towards a goal. The test electric wheelchair was instrumented with the following: a laptop, a laser scanner, wheel encoders, camera, and a variety of user input methods. The user interfaces that have been implemented and tested include a touch screen friendly graphical user interface, keyboard and joystick.
Designing a Simulation Framework for Vehicular Ad hoc Network Applications

With a spread of mobile devices, the growing trend of integrating wireless communications technologies into transportation systems is advanced. In particular, vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs) enable vehicles to share traffic information that they have through intervehicle communications. This research focused on the design of an integrated transportation and communication simulation framework to build an environment that is more realistic than previous studies developed for studying VANETs. Developing a VANET-based information model, this research designed an integrated transportation and communication simulation framework in which these independent simulation tools not supporting High Level Architecture (HLA) were tightly coupled and finely synchronized. As a case study, a VANET-based traffic information system was demonstrated based on a real road network and real traffic data. The experiment results showed that the simulation framework was well integrated. The simulation framework designed in this study is expected to contribute to developing the environment to experiment a wide range of VANET applications.
Investigation Of Ion Current Signal In A Modern Automotive Diesel Engine

INVESTIGATION OF ION CURRENT SIGNAL IN A MODERN AUTOMOTIVE DIESEL ENGINE by Rojan Mathew George May 2014 Advisor: Dr. Naeim Henein Major: Mechanical Engineering Degree: Master of Science Research is driven towards finding an alternative or extender to the conventional diesel fuel for compression ignition engines. Such alternative fuels have wide ranges of physical and chemical properties which is not suitable for CI engines. Therefore, experimental investigation to understand the effects of different fuels on engine performance, combustion, and emissions are necessary. A complete understanding of ion current signal during heterogeneous diesel combustion has not yet been made. Implementation of ion current signal as a feedback in diesel engines, during all operating conditions needs further research and understanding. This thesis covers the investigation of ion current signal characteristics as well as combustion, auto-ignition and engine out emission characteristics during the operation of modern high speed diesel engine using ULSD. Furthermore, the study covers the effect of using different fuels such as JP-8 and Sasol-IPK on a multi cylinder, direct injection diesel engine. Comparative results of three fuels are presented considering ULSD as a baseline fuel. This work aims to identify the possibility of using jet fuels in a modern automotive diesel engine without any modifications. Ion current signal characteristics during the operation with the three fuels and its correlations with combustion parameters and emissions are presented.