Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Self-manipulation and dynamic transitions for a legged robot

SELF-MANIPULATION AND DYNAMIC TRANSITIONS FOR A LEGGED ROBOT Aaron M. Johnson Daniel E. Koditschek How can we make a robot that can go anywhere on its own? This thesis presents several new behaviors on the RHex robot that greatly increase the variety of obstacles that it can overcome, including vertical jumps, flips, leaps onto and across ledges, aerial reorientations, and proprioceptively– aware behaviors. These behaviors inspire new tools to model and understand their transitional nature, wherein it is no longer useful to think of each step as being an equal part of a steady state gait. Legged robots will necessarily experience a variety of changing contact conditions as they locomote in complex environments epitomized by the rocky, sandy desert. Drawing on the much more mature literature of robot manipulation, this thesis presents the new modeling paradigm of “self–manipulation” that formally generates analytical equations of motion across all contact states. The framework is amenable to many ubiquitous simplifying assumptions (such as rigid bodies, plastic impact, persistent contact, Coulomb friction, and massless limbs) to reduce the complexity of these models despite the obvious physical inaccuracies that each incurs. Nevertheless the models capture enough of the physical world to represent the challenges confronting interesting behaviors in a qualitatively correct manor, including the effects of impulsive transitions between the various contact modes. More than numerical simulation, our goal is the distillation of these physically parametrized models into formal design insights (platform design, behavior design, and controller design), utilizing a variety of analytical and numerical methods. These behaviors are only possible with a robot designed to be both robust and powerful, and they make use of the unique capability of legged machines to interact with the environment in varied and, possibly, unpredictable ways. Careful actuator modeling is needed to achieve such acrobatic results, and so this thesis presents a spectrum of motor sizing tasks to ensure that the platform is up to the task. These tools are used to gain insight into various dynamic transitions for RHex, and we conjecture that their generalization will be of importance for a broad class of legged robots operating in remote and unstructured terrain.
Present status of Salmonella Typhi in different age groups hospitalized patients in Duhok City, Iraq.

Typhoid fever is still recognized as one of the most important global health problem. Salmonella species are the main cause of typhoid fever that causes health threat in developing countries. The purpose of this study was to find out the prevalence and the risk factors of Salmonella Typhi from people presenting with fever to Azadi general hospital, Duhok, Iraq. A total of 2323 patient blood samples (992 males and 1331 females) were collected through the period January 2017 to December 2017. Serologicproved typhoid fever for Salmonella Typhi was diagnosed by Widal test. Out of 2323 blood samples, 824 (35.47%) were diagnosed as serologic-proved typhoid fever. The highest percentage (37.3%) of typhoid fever was recorded at age group 21–30 years and the less prevalence was at age group more than 51 years (29%) (p=0.4036). No significant differences was found in frequency of typhoid fever in males (35.4%) and females (35.5%) (p=0.9387). The incidence of typhoid fever in June (39%) was significantly higher than the incidence rate in other months of the year (p=0.0086). Typhoid fever has a considerable challenge to public health. The age group 21-30 years is the vulnerable group for typhoid fever. The typhoid fever is independent of sex and it is a seasonal disease with the majority of cases occurring is the June. Awareness should be created in young generation related to polluted water and hygienic food to eradicate this particular infection. Hence, health education classes play an important role in to reduce the infection rate.
The effect of multimodal data sources in parallel on the accuracy and reliability of optical motion capture of human subjects

Optical motion capture is a powerful tool for human motion analysis. However, an intrinsic limitation of this method is its dependence upon line of sight, which when occluded, prevents measurement of position, resulting in data loss and failure of trajectory tracking. The thesis aims to investigate whether sources of inertial measurement can be used in tandem with passive optical motion capture data, to obtain improvement beyond conventional measures in tracking and occlusion recovery of human motion data. A novel method is developed, where a conventional optical motion capture system is augmented with miniature inertial sensors. These two measurement modalities are integrated via a forward kinematic and sensor model, which facilitates the reconstruction and tracking of occluded marker trajectories. The method is validated using “gold standard” trajectory data obtained experimentally from a human subject. By synthetically degrading this data using a model of line of sight, the reconstructor is tested over a range of conditions conducive to occlusion. Following testing of trajectory data with up to 30% loss to occlusion, the method is shown to be capable of tracking marker position with 100% reliability. Additionally, trajectory data is recovered with useful accuracy (average ~8mm), demonstrating an improvement by a factor of ~10 over conventional interpolation methods. A restriction of the method is its reliance upon future trajectory data for reconstruction of occlusion, which prohibits real-time applications.
Evaluation Methodology and Systematic Selection of Microcontrollers for Delfi-n3Xt Nanosatellite

Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science CE-MS-2010-07 The success of Delfi-C3 made it possible to define a complete roadmap of nanosatellite missions. As with Delfi-C3 multidisciplinary teams of students from Aerospace Engineering and Electrical Engineering Faculties will be involved. The first satellite is Delfin3Xt (pronounced as delfi next). In the design of the Delfi-n3Xt nanosatellite, power consumption and performance are the major criteria. One of the important investigations that has to be done is to find the most suitable microcontroller for this satellite in order for it to successfully accomplish its mission. Based on the mission specifications of the Delfi-n3Xt nanosatellite and its requirements, a study will be done on the commercially available microcontrollers. A selection will be made between them and based on the result, the best candidate will be chosen. Therefore an evaluation methodology is proposed. This methodology is based on the requirements of this satellite. For each requirement, a criterion will be defined and a weight (depending on on its importance) will be associated with it. Every microcontroller receives points, based on how well it fulfills a compared criterion. By the end, a ranking system will be formed to order the microcontrollers. The goal of this system would be to assign scores to each MCU based on their points, to find the most suitable microcontroller for this project. The microcontrollers will be selected and their general characteristics and specifications will be discussed. Following the steps provided in the evaluation methodology, the microcontrollers will be compared in each criterion, with a discussion on their differences. They will get evaluated and will receive points. By the end, the ranking system will be applied and the microcontroller with the highest score will be chosen as the final microcontroller. After the evaluation, a measurement board using the same microcontroller will be designed, built and tested. The test results will be briefly described. This board would be widely useful for creating and testing different flight software modules for the satellite. More precisely, it includes communication within the satellite (between modules), satellite with the ground station, reading payload data within the satellite and other necessary programs. Evaluation Methodology and Systematic Selection of Microcontrollers for Delfi-n3Xt Nanosatellite
Renal cell carcinoma with a pelvicalyceal system tumor thrombus: a case report

Background Renal cell carcinoma (RCCs) is the most common malignancy of the kidney. When RCC progresses, it is known to form tumor thrombus in the renal vein and/or inferior vena cava. However, RCC does not normally form tumor thrombus in the pelvicalyceal system. Case presentation A 56-year-old man presented to our department for the treatment of a renal tumor with asymptomatic gross hematuria. In a dynamic CT study, contrast enhancement revealed a tumor suspected to be RCC, but atypical finding as a tumor thrombus that filled the pelvicalyceal system was also observed. Nephroureterectomy was performed, and the tumor was diagnosed histopathologically as clear cell RCC and papillary RCC. Conclusion We report a rare case of RCC directly invading the pelvicalyceal system as a thrombus mass, with no microscopic individual tumor implants in the pelvicalyceal system wall, invasion of the renal vein, or invasion of adjacent organs. To our knowledge, only six such cases have been reported in English literature, and as a result, very few theories explaining pelvicalyceal system invasion have been presented. This highlights the signiﬁcance of adding invasion of the pelvicalyceal system as part of the most recent, updated tumor metastases classiﬁcation.
State of the Art and Practice: Cellular Probe Technology Applied in Advanced Traveler Information Systems

Advanced Traveler Information System (ATIS) is one of the important components of Intelligent Transportation System Architecture, and cellular probe technology is regarded as a promising detection technology for the next generation traffic data collection system. Within the recent years cellular location technology develops very fast. The accuracy of mobile location has been remarkably improved, which provides the possibility of using cellular probes to give a fairly good estimate of travel time in urban, suburban, and rural regions. This paper tries to introduce the latest progress of wireless location technology, summarize the existing simulation work and field tests in both academic field and industrial field, propose one general system architecture of cellular probe traffic system, present several critical issues in the developing of such an application system and preliminary test results from one operational system, and finally provide several suggestions and recommendations for deploying such a system.
Elements of brain design for autonomous agents

These Ecole polytechnique federale de Lausanne EPFL, n° 1373 (1995) Reference doi:10.5075/epfl-thesis-1373Print copy in library catalog Record created on 2005-03-16, modified on 2016-08-08
Internal Versus External Heat Integration: Operational and Economic Analysis

In this paper we compare internally heat integrated (HIDiC) with state of the art vapour recompression (VR) distillation column on the basis of two criteria: economics and oper-ability for a propylene-propane splitter. A two-step (model-based) procedure was followed consisting of a steady-state optimization followed by a dynamic optimization. First the design of HIDiC was optimized with respect to annualized cost (steady-state optimization). Next the control of both VR and HIDiC were optimized with respect to operability for a given disturbance scenario (dynamic optimization). The results showed that HIDiC can save 14% in annualized cost compared to VR (safe estimate), but at the cost of operability. Adding only a small percentage of the nominal duty of VR results in much better operability of HIDiC. It is to be expected that model predictive control will improve operability to a degree possibly beyond VR.
Selective Dry Etch for Defining Ohmic Contacts for High Performance ZnO TFTs

Abstract : Recently, gigahertz RF performance has been demonstrated in zinc oxide (ZnO) TFT. However, the need arises for sub-micron channel length (Lc) dimensions to extend these results into X-band frequency range of operation. This thesis is a pioneering effort identifying device access materials to be selectively etched to ZnO via plasma-assisted etch (PAE) to avoid processing limitations from traditional optical lithography channel definition methods. A subtractive etch process using CF4/O2 gas mixture was completed with various Ohmic contact materials to ZnO providing foundational research upon which nano-scale, high-frequency ZnO thin-film transistors (TFTs) could be fabricated. Molybdenum, tantalum, titanium tungsten 10-90, and tungsten metallic contact schemes to ZnO are investigated for their etch selectivities to ZnO and etch profiles. Tungsten displayed promising device scalability results with excellent aspect ratio and 200nm Lc. A new semiconductor-semiconductor contact interface to ZnO using nc-Si is initially reported with 15mA/mm current density and 18mS/mm transconductance. Nc-Si also displays promising scaling results through the subtractive etch process defined with e-beam lithography. Results included 157nm channel length, high aspect ratio, and high extrapolated current density of nearly 1A/mm at 100nm Lc and gate and drain voltages of 10V.
Multiphysics Simulation: Electromechanical System Applications and Optimization

This book highlights a unique combination of numerical tools and strategies for handling the challenges of multiphysics simulation, with a specific focus on electromechanical systems as the target application. Features: introduces the concept of design via simulation, along with the role of multiphysics simulation in todays engineering environment; discusses the importance of structural optimization techniques in the design and development of electromechanical systems; provides an overview of the physics commonly involved with electromechanical systems for applications such as electronics, magnetic components, RF components, actuators, and motors; reviews the governing equations for the simulation of related multiphysics problems; outlines relevant (topology and parametric size) optimization methods for electromechanical systems; describes in detail several multiphysics simulation and optimization example studies in both two and three dimensions, with sample numerical code.
Can teamwork skills be assessed fairly in higher education

Teamwork is widely acknowledged as an essential skill for students in higher education to prepare them to the real-life team working environments (Lynch, Heinze 2007). But, it is not easy to assess team working skills (Cooper and Heinze 2007). Moreover, some authors such as Hyland and Johnson (1998) argue that transferable, generic, core, key skills cannot exist outside of a context, but should be replaced by curriculum experiences which are not structured enough to be assessed adequately. Teamwork is also full of pitfalls for students, making each individuals’ experience unique. This paper reports on findings from three years of action research on a team project based learning environment at a Higher Education Institution. It is followed by a discussion at a workshop aiming to address some of the common issues of teamwork and assessment. Particular attention is given to “fair” assessment of teamwork and strategies to make the assessment a “fair” process, drawing on experience of one of the schemes run in the Salford Business School. The findings highlight that issues of passengers, selection of team leaders and team composition have a direct link in relation to fair assessment. Moreover, it is argued that to make the assessment process “fair” assessment is to be undertaken continuously throughout the team working process. Assessment has to ideally focus on the project deliverables as well as the process the team members engage in and finally that peer assessment, which allows all team members to reflect on their own and the performance of their peers, can be an effective means of assessment.
MEMS sensors for wall shear stress and flow vector measurement

The accurate measurement of airflows is an important area of experimental aerodynamics. MEMS technology has been applied to the measurement of wall shear stress and freestream velocity vectors. Existing methods of measuring wall shear stress vary greatly and have different strengths and weaknesses, making them each applicable to specific situations. Probes designed for measuring 3D velocity components are relatively large in diameter, introducing significant disturbances into the airflow. The tip diameters of such probes are typically of the order of several millimetres and the minimum diameter is around 1 mm. A sensor for measuring wall shear stress, consisting of a surface fence structure 5 mm long, 750 μm high and 20 μm thick was developed. The fence, and main body on which it was mounted, were fabricated from the photo-definable polymer SU8 with an integrated gold resistive strain gauge to measure the pressure-induced deflection. Wind tunnel testing gave a voltage output of 0.18 mV for a shear stress of approximately 0.35 Pa. This concept was then adapted and an in-plane cantilever sensor was developed. The cantilever sensor was manufactured from SU-8 with an integrated resistive strain gauge of NiCr. The pressure-induced deflection of the cantilever, calibrated by the integrated strain gauge, could be related to the wall shear stress on the surface. The sensor gave a response of 9.6x10(^-4) (mV/V) μm under mechanical deflection. For a 2 mm long, 400 μm wide cantilever when tested on a flat plate in a wind tunnel, a response of 1 mV for a shear stress of 0.35 Pa was seen. Four cantilever sensors were arranged orthogonally to create a new type of probe for measuring flow direction and velocity, which could also measure total pressure. The probe was shown to be able to measure these variables and with further development had the potential to allow the fabrication of a smaller probe tip than that possible by conventional methods.
Study on the Color-Compensation Effect of Hybrid Orange-Red Quantum Dots in WLED Application

Quantum dots (QDs) as emerging light-converting materials show the advantage of enhancing color quality of white light-emitting diode (WLED). However, WLEDs employing narrow-emitting monochromic QDs usually present unsatisfactory color rendering in the orange region. Herein, orange-red emitting polychromic hybrid QDs (hybrid-QDs) are developed through mixing CdSe/ZnS based orange QDs (O-QDs) and red QDs (R-QDs) to compensate the orange-red light for WLEDs. We investigated the effect of self-absorption and fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) process in hybrid-QDs on the spectral controllability and fluorescent quenching in WLEDs. The concentration and donor/acceptor ratios were also taken into account to analyze the FRET efficiency and help identify suitable hybrid-QDs for color compensation in the orange-red light region. As the result, the optimized hybrid-QDs effectively improve the color rendering index of the WLED compared with monochromatic QDs at the same color coordinates.
Towards improved speech recognition for resource poor languages

In recent times, the improved levels of accuracy obtained by Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) technology has made it viable for use in a number of commercial products. Unfortunately, these types of applications are limited to only a few of the world’s languages, primarily because ASR development is reliant on the availability of large amounts of language specific resources. This motivates the need for techniques which reduce this language-specific, resource dependency. Ideally, these approaches should generalise across languages, thereby providing scope for rapid creation of ASR capabilities for resource poor languages. Cross Lingual ASR emerges as a means for addressing this need. Underpinning this approach is the observation that sound production is largely influenced by the physiological construction of the vocal tract, and accordingly, is human, and not language specific. As a result, a common inventory of sounds exists across languages; a property which is exploitable, as sounds from a resource poor, target language can be recognised using models trained on resource rich, source languages. One of the initial impediments to the commercial uptake of ASR technology was its fragility in more challenging environments, such as conversational telephone speech. Subsequent improvements in these environments has gained consumer confidence. Pragmatically, if cross lingual techniques are to considered a viable alternative when resources are limited, they need to perform under the same types of conditions. Accordingly, this thesis evaluates cross lingual techniques using two speech environments; clean read speech and conversational telephone speech. Languages used in evaluations are German, Mandarin, Japanese and Spanish. Results highlight that previously proposed approaches provide respectable results for simpler environments such as read speech, but degrade significantly when in the more taxing conversational environment. Two separate approaches for addressing this degradation are proposed. The first is based on deriving better target language lexical representation, in terms of the source language model set. The second, and ultimately more successful approach, focuses on improving the classification accuracy of context-dependent (CD) models, by catering for the adverse influence of languages specific phonotactic properties. Whilst the primary research goal in this thesis is directed towards improving cross lingual techniques, the catalyst for investigating its use was based on expressed interest from several organisations for an Indonesian ASR capability. In Indonesia alone, there are over 200 million speakers of some Malay variant, provides further impetus and commercial justification for speech related research on this language. Unfortunately, at the beginning of the candidature, limited research had been conducted on the Indonesian language in the field of speech science, and virtually no resources existed. This thesis details the investigative and development work dedicated towards obtaining an ASR system with a 10000 word recognition vocabulary for the Indonesian language.
Chip Wires: Scaling and Efficiency

Recent years have seen an increase in the importance of on-chip wires, as they have slowed down and gates have sped up. This dissertation takes a close look at the story of wire scaling. It forecasts wire and gate characteristics from the Semiconductor Industry Association roadmap and combines them into performance metrics, showing how the ratio of wire delays to gate delays scales slowly for scaled-length wires and grows rapidly for fixed-length wires. This duality of “fast local wires” contrasted with “slow global wires” affects how we approach VLSI designs. First, CAD place-and-route tools must improve to keep up with growing die complexity and more local blocks gathered on a chip. Second, modular architectures can effectively exploit the dual nature of wires, using wide global buses of high bandwidth to offset long wire latencies. Using such wide and long global buses can burn a great deal of power, especially if built with traditional delay-optimal CMOS repeaters. Traditional repeaters can be sized and spaced to save about 30% in energy for only a 10% delay penalty. Because this 30% of energy savings is not a lot, techniques for running global wires at a reduced voltage can be very important. These include NMOS drivers, overdrive pre-emphasis, and voltage pre-equalization. Using these circuit techniques offers an order-of-magnitude in energy savings for no effective slowdown. Experimental results on a 180nm testchip validate this 10x savings in energy over 10mm long on-chip buses, running at 1 token per 10 gate delays. Further experimental data shows receiver input offsets under 90mV, with input offset compensation leading to residual input uncertainties of around 15mV.