Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Improvement of McKibben Artificial Muscle with Long Stroke Motion and Its Application

The actuators required for a wearable system need to be flexible so as not to injure the body. The purpose of this study is to develop a flexible and lightweight actuator which can be safe enough to be attached to the human body. In the previous study, a new type of McKibben artificial muscle that had a long stroke of more than 80 % of its original length was proposed and tested. However, the damages on the tube of the actuator were found. They are caused by a large friction between the slide stage and the tube. Therefore, the life time of the actuator becomes shorter. In this paper, the improved McKibben actuator which consists of a McKibben artificial muscle on the market (FESTO Co. Ltd.), steel balls as a cylinder head and two pairs of slide stages is proposed and tested. The slide stage has steel balls set on the inner bore of the stage to decrease the friction. The steel ball in the McKibben actuator is held by two pairs of slide stages from both sides of the ball. As a result, the minimum driving pressure of the improved actuator decreases about 68 % compared with that of the previous one. The actuator can realize both pushing and pulling motion even if it has flexibility. By using these properties of the actuator, the various rehabilitation devices were proposed and tested.
Electromagnetic human vibration energy harvester comprising planar coils

An electromagnetic energy harvester for vibrations generated by the human body is proposed. The proposed energy harvester comprises a magnetic spring and inductive components. It is preferred to use the magnetic spring for human body vibrations, which are aperiodic in a very low frequency domain. The inductive components are composed of planar coil layers. The use of a planar coil reduces the size of the harvester, and the multilayer structure of the planar coil enhances its transduction efficiency. The harvester generated electrical energy in a frequency domain ranging from 1 to 15 Hz, and its output power was 430 µW. When the harvester was applied to the human body, the output power was 500 µW.
Optimum ways of the warpage of injection products based on genetic algorithm

This paper introduces the warpage, which is the common defect for the injection products. It will greatly influence the external quality and the operation performance. The warpage of products is also connected with the plastic material and moulding material, including the structure of products and moulding, as well as the shaping parameter and so forth. Its research and analysis has aroused great concern. However, the research on warpage is still far behind the practical production nowadays. This article is based on the optimum ways according to the recent research at home and abroad. Meanwhile it approaches a through study from the angle of key technology concerning warpage of mathematics analytical moulding and numerical simulation, as well as from the experimental analytical perspective. Also in this article, the warpage is optimized based on GA, and the cause on warpage is analyzed and optimization parameter is achieved, thus it gives us some rational suggestion on warpage.
Mapping and Characterization of HCMV-Specific Unconventional HLA-E-Restricted CD8 T Cell Populations and Associated NK and T Cell Responses Using HLA/Peptide Tetramers and Spectral Flow Cytometry

HCMV drives complex and multiple cellular immune responses, which causes a persistent immune imprint in hosts. This study aimed to achieve both a quantitative determination of the frequency for various anti-HCMV immune cell subsets, including CD8 T, γδT, NK cells, and a qualitative analysis of their phenotype. To map the various anti-HCMV cellular responses, we used a combination of three HLApeptide tetramer complexes (HLA-EVMAPRTLIL, HLA-EVMAPRSLLL, and HLA-A2NLVPMVATV) and antibodies for 18 surface markers (CD3, CD4, CD8, CD16, CD19, CD45RA, CD56, CD57, CD158, NKG2A, NKG2C, CCR7, TCRγδ, TCRγδ2, CX3CR1, KLRG1, 2B4, and PD-1) in a 20-color spectral flow cytometry analysis. This immunostaining protocol was applied to PBMCs isolated from HCMV− and HCMV+ individuals. Our workflow allows the efficient determination of events featuring HCMV infection such as CD4/CD8 ratio, CD8 inflation and differentiation, HCMV peptide-specific HLA-EUL40 and HLA-A2pp65CD8 T cells, and expansion of γδT and NK subsets including δ2−γT and memory-like NKG2C+CD57+ NK cells. Each subset can be further characterized by the expression of 2B4, PD-1, KLRG1, CD45RA, CCR7, CD158, and NKG2A to achieve a fine-tuned mapping of HCMV immune responses. This assay should be useful for the analysis and monitoring of T-and NK cell responses to HCMV infection or vaccines.
In situ thickness monitor for conducting films

A microwave probe for measuring the thickness of conducting films has been fabricated and characterized. A difference of up to 20 dB has been demonstrated between the two extrema of very small and infinitely large sheet resistivity for conducting films deposited on Si. Since the return loss will change by this amount as film thickness is increased from zero, simulation results indicate that the probe should be very effective in measuring the thickness of typical adhesion layers/diffusion barriers in VLSI and as an end-point detector in metal etching. <<ETX>>
A Layered Middleware for OT/IT Convergence to Empower Industry 5.0 Applications

We are still in the midst of Industry 4.0 (I4.0), with more manufacturing lines being labeled as smart thanks to the integration of advanced ICT in Cyber–Physical Systems (CPS). While I4.0 aims to provision cognitive CPS systems, the nascent Industry 5.0 (I5.0) era goes a step beyond, aiming to build cross-border, sustainable, and circular value chains benefiting society as a whole. An enabler of this vision is the integration of data and AI in the industrial decision-making process, which does not exhibit yet a coordination between the Operation and Information Technology domains (OT/IT). This work proposes an architectural approach and an accompanying software prototype addressing the OT/IT convergence problem. The approach is based on a two-layered middleware solution, where each layer aims to better serve the specific differentiated requirements of the OT and IT layers. The proposal is validated in a real testbed, employing actual machine data, showing the capacity of the components to gracefully scale and serve increasing data volumes.
Molecular and Haematological Characteristics of alpha-Thalassemia Deletions in Yogyakarta Special Region, Indonesia.

Background alpha-Thalassemia is caused primarily by deletions of one to two alpha-globin genes and is characterized by absent or deficient production of alpha-globin protein. The South-East Asia (SEA) deletion, 3.7-kb and 4.2-kb deletions are the most common causes. The present study aimed to observe the molecular characteristics of this common alpha-Thalassemia deletions and analyse its haematological parameter. Methods Blood samples from 173 healthy volunteers from thalassemia carrier screening in Yogyakarta Special Region were used. Haematological parameters were analysed and used to predict the carrier subjects. Genotype of suspected carriers was determined using multiplex gap-polymerase chain reaction and its haematological parameters were compared. The boundary site of each deletion was determined by analysing the DNA sequences. Results Seventeen (9.8%) of the volunteers were confirmed to have alpha-Thalassemia trait. Of these, four genotypes were identified namely -α3.7/αα (58.8%), -α4.2/αα (5.9%), -α3.7/-α4.2 (5.9%) and - -SEA/αα (29.4%). The 5' and 3' breakpoints of SEA deletion were located at nt165396 and nt184700 of chromosome 16, respectively. The breakpoint regions of 3.7-kb deletion were 176-bp long, whereas for 4.2-kb deletion were 321-bp long. The haematological comparison between normal and those with alpha-Thalassemia trait genotype indicated a significant difference in mean corpuscular volume (MCV) (p< 0.001) and mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH) (p< 0.001). As for identifying the number of defective genes, MCH parameter was more reliable (p= 0.003). Conclusion The resultant molecular and haematological features provide insight and direction for future thalassemia screening program in the region.
The allometry and dynamics of carbohydrate and nitrogen in vegetative organs and the relationship to cotton yield

Abstract Cotton genotypes contrasting in time to maturity are supposed to have different dynamics of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N), which might impose considerable influence on lint yield. The objective of the study was to determine the difference of C N status in cotton plant due to diverse growth period and its relationship to reproductive output. Two Near-isogenic cotton lines differing in growth period (4003-10 and 4003-6) were employed to investigate the allometry and dynamics of total nonstructural carbohydrate (TNC) and total N over roots, stems, and leaves, and reproductive biomass in 2017 and 2018. Compared to the later maturing line (LML 4003-6), the earlier maturing line (EML 4003-10) allocated proportionally more TNC to roots at given leaf TNC per plant, and thus recorded greater starch and TNC concentrations in roots, which can account for greater root to shoot ratio at late reproduction stage. Likewise, proportionally more N was allocated to roots at given leaf N content in EML, and in turn resulted in less nitrogen transport to shoots and smaller N uptake efficiency, but greater internal N use efficiency. Root N content per plant during the reproductive period was a key contributor to the reproductive output of EML.
Optical Performance Monitoring for Intra-LP-Mode Dispersion in Weakly-Coupled Mode-Division Multiplexed Systems

Weakly-coupled mode-division multiplexing (MDM) technique based on linearly-polarized (LP) modes in ultralow-modal-crosstalk few-mode fiber (FMF) has been considered as a promising candidate for capacity enhancement of next-generation optical transmission systems. Similar to polarization mode dispersion in single-mode fibers (SMFs), signals in weakly-coupled FMFs suffer from the impacts of intra-LP-mode dispersion (ILMD) for both degenerate and non-degenerate LP modes.In this paper, we propose an effective method for ILMD monitoring in weakly-coupled MDM systems. The ILMD evaluation method for degenerate LP modes is designed by the analysis of channel transfer matrix in a digital coherent receiver. Then the ILMD monitoring scheme is experimentally validated for all the 6 LP mods in a weakly-coupled FMF. The influences of chromatic dispersion, optical signal to noise ratio and inter-LP-mode crosstalk to the method are also investigated.
Intrusion Detection System for network security in synchrophasor systems

Synchrophasor systems will play a significant role in next generation Smart Grid monitoring, protection and control. However, these systems also introduce a multitude of potential vulnerabilities and cyber threats from malicious attackers or disgruntled employees, which may cause erroneous situational awareness or severe damage. This paper proposes a Synchrophasor Specific Intrusion Detection System (SSIDS) for malicious cyber attacks and unintended misuse. The SSIDS involves a heterogeneous whitelist and behaviour-based approach to detect known and unknown attacks. The paper investigates and simulates reconnaissance, Man-in-the-Middle (MITM) and Denial-of-Service (DoS) attacks against a practical synchrophasor system that is used to validate the effectiveness of the proposed SSIDS detection tool. In contrast to previous research in this area that generally has investigated known attacks, this research actively considers the operational features of the IEEE C37.118 protocol and presents a more comprehensive and general solution to deal with not only known attacks but also unknown attacks.
A microwave measurement procedure for a full characterization of ortho-mode transducers

Ortho-mode transducers (OMTs) are key components in both dual-polarized antenna feed systems for telecommunication and radioastronomy applications. The evaluation of the overall system performance requires the measurement of the return loss, isolation, and cross-coupling levels of the OMTs. In this paper, a novel technique for the microwave measurements of the full 4/spl times/4 scattering matrix of such devices is reported, which is based on different measurements at the single-polarized ports.
Los Sistemas Productivos, el Aprendizaje Interno y los Resultados del Área de Producción de Baldosas-Cerámicas

El objetivo de la investigacion es comprobar la validez del modelo universal de gestion en la estrategia de produccion en el sector de fabricantes de pavimentos y baldosas ceramicas espanoles. El trabajo se centra en las decisiones de infraestructura, y pretende resaltar el efecto de los recursos internos y externos sobre la ventaja competitiva del area de produccion de las empresas. Los datos utilizados corresponden a 76 empresas espanolas fabricantes de pavimentos ceramicos. Los resultados obtenidos permiten comprobar que en este sector los recursos implantados guardan poca relacion con las prioridades manifestadas. Ademas, se demuestra que la ventaja competitiva esta mas explicada por el aprendizaje interno que por las practicas de produccion implantadas.
SimHumalator: An Open-Source End-to-End Radar Simulator for Human Activity Recognition

Radio-frequency-based noncooperative monitoring of humans has numerous applications ranging from law enforcement to ubiquitous sensing applications such as ambient assisted living and biomedical applications for nonintrusively monitoring patients. Large training datasets, almost unlimited memory capacity, and ever-increasing processing speeds of computers could drive forward the data-driven deep-learning-focused research in the abovementioned applications. However, generating and labeling large volumes of high-quality, diverse radar datasets is an onerous task. Furthermore, unlike the fields of vision and image processing, the radar community has limited access to databases that contain large volumes of experimental data. Therefore, in this article, we present an open-source motion capture data-driven simulation tool, SimHumalator, that can generate large volumes of human micro-Doppler radar data in passive WiFi scenarios. The simulator integrates IEEE 802.11 WiFi Standards (IEEE 802.11 g, n, and ad) compliant transmissions with the human animation data to generate the micro-Doppler features that incorporate the diversity of human motion characteristics and the sensor parameters. The simulated signatures have been validated with experimental data gathered using an in-house-built hardware prototype. This article describes simulation methodology in detail and provides case studies on the feasibility of using simulated micro-Doppler spectrograms for data augmentation tasks.
Nonequilibrium Continuum Traffic Flow Model with Frozen Sound Wave Speed

Results are presented from a recent study on a variation of a new non-equilibrium continuum traffic flow model in which traffic sound speed is constant. Hence this model is called the frozen-wave model. This model resembles the Payne–Whitham model but avoids the “back-traveling” of the latter. For this frozen-wave model, the Riemann problem is analyzed for its homogeneous system, two numerical solution methods are developed to solve it, and numerical simulations are carried out under both stable and unstable traffic conditions. These results show that under stable conditions, the model behaves similarly to the Payne–Whitham model. However, under unstable traffic conditions, it has nonphysical solutions or no solutions when a vacuum problem occurs. This study, on the one hand, provides a more complete picture of the properties of this frozen-wave model and reduces the risk of improper applications of it. On the other hand, it also highlights the need to adopt a density-dependent sound speed.
Target-Mass Grasping of Entangled Food Using Pre-Grasping & Post-Grasping

Food packing industries typically use seasonal ingredients with immense variety that factory workers manually pack. For small pieces of food picked by volume or weight that tend to get entangled, stick or clump together, it is difficult to predict how intertwined they are from a visual examination, making it a challenge to grasp the requisite target mass accurately. Workers rely on a combination of weighing scales and a sequence of complex maneuvers to separate out the food and reach the target mass. This makes automation of the process a non-trivial affair. In this study, we propose methods that combines 1) pre-grasping to reduce the degree of the entanglement, 2) post-grasping to adjust the grasped mass using a novel gripper mechanism to carefully discard excess food when the grasped amount is larger than the target mass, and 3) selecting the grasping point to grasp an amount likely to be reasonably higher than target grasping mass with confidence. We evaluate the methods on a variety of foods that entangle, stick and clump, each of which has a different size, shape, and material properties such as volumetric mass density. We show significant improvement in grasp accuracy of user-specified target masses using our proposed methods.
Macroeconomic News and Risk Exposure to Foreign Exchange Rate Evidence from Chinese Listed Firms

ABSTRACT This paper estimates the exchange rate exposure of Chinese listed firms across industries and tests whether their risk exposure to foreign exchange rates is shaped by macroeconomic news. Using a sample of 2321 Chinese listed firms from 2007 to 2020, we use six alternative models to estimate firms’ exposure to foreign exchange risk and their variations following macroeconomic news. We find that the risk exposure to foreign exchange rates significantly responds to macroeconomic news. The response is larger to news about GDP and international trade, and the response is particularly strong during the times of the Global Financial Crisis, the US-China trade war and the outbreak of COVID-19. Across different currencies, firms are more sensitive to the US dollar exchange rate risk. Across different industries, firms in technology-intensive industries are more sensitive to foreign exchange risk. Overall, the findings in this paper shed light upon the risk management of multinational firms in emerging markets.
Agent Modeling In Decision Support System: A Case Study In A Base Hospital System

Health practitioners are studying different techniques to provide quality patient care and to prevent injuries in the hospitals, which motivate the ground work to model such a complex system with the objective to understand the chief social factors leading to injury. The underlying social factors such as socialization, task scheduling, domain knowledge and path finding contribute to the day-to-day activity of the health practitioners and agents in social models which ultimately affect their performance. The aim of this study is to outline the objective decision support elements in mission critical human social models and critically examine the influence of those factors on the system. The outcome of this research leads to a development of more realistic artificial agents in a social complex modeling for the better understanding of the system’s behavior.
Enhancement of hydrogen evolution reaction kinetics in alkaline media by fast galvanic displacement of nickel with rhodium – from smooth surfaces to electrodeposited nickel foams

Energy-efficient hydrogen production is one of the key factors for advancing the hydrogen-based economy. Alkaline water electrolysis is the main route for the production of high-purity hydrogen, but further improvements of hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) catalysts are still needed. Industrial alkaline electrolysis relies on Ni-based catalysts, and here we describe a drastic improvement of HER activity of Ni in alkaline media using several model catalysts for HER obtained upon nickel surface modification in aqueous solution of rhodium salts, when a spontaneous deposition of rhodium takes place based on the chemical displacement reaction 3Ni + 2Rh3+ = 3Ni2+ + 2Rh. In the case of smooth Ni-poly electrodes, HER activity surpasses the activity of Pt-poly already after 30 s of exchange with Rh. SEM analysis showed that Rh is uniformly distributed, while surface roughness changes within 10%, agreeing with electrochemical measurements. Furthermore, XPS analysis has shown effective incorporation of Rh in the surface, while DFT calculations suggest that hydrogen binding is significantly weakened on the Rh-modified Ni surfaces. Such tuning of the hydrogen binding energy is seen as the main factor governing HER activity improvements. The same galvanic displacement protocols were employed for nickel foam electrodes and electrodeposited Ni on Ti mesh. In both cases, somewhat longer Rh exchange times are needed to obtain superior activities than for the smooth Ni surface, but up to 10 min. HER overpotential corresponding to −10 mA cm−2 for nickel foam and electrodeposited Ni electrodes, after modification with Rh, amounted to only −0.07 and −0.09 V, respectively. Thus, it is suggested that a fast spontaneous displacement of Ni with Rh could effectively boost HER in alkaline media with minor cost penalties compared to energy saving in the electrolysis process.
A Reconfigurable High-Speed Stereo-Radiography System for Sub-Millimeter Measurement of In Vivo Joint Kinematics

Relative motions within normal and pathological joints of the human body can occur on the sub-millimeter and sub-degree scale. Dynamic radiography can be used to create a rapid sequence of images from which measurements of bone motion can be extracted, but available systems have limited speed and accuracy, limit normal subject movement, and do not easily integrate into existing traditional motion capture laboratories. A high-speed stereo radiography (HSSR) system is described that addresses these limitations. The custom radiography system was placed on a standalone reconfigurable gantry structure designed to allow freedom of subject movement while integrating into an existing motion capture laboratory. Validation of the system and measurement of knee kinematics of subjects during gait confirmed the ability to record joint motion with high accuracy and high-speed.