Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Feasibility study of an FM-CW SAR system

There is an increasing interest in low-cost, high-resolution imaging radar systems to be operated from small and maybe even unmanned platforms. Existing imaging systems are generally too heavy for small platforms, or too expensive in day-to-day use to be applied in small-scale civil applications. Combining the compactness of FM-CW radar systems and the high azimuth resolution of SAR systems, an FM-CW SAR sensor could be of interest for small-scale applications. The feasibility of FM-CW SAR in the field of airborne earth observation is being investigated in a new research project. The research activities will concentrate on two main subjects: the system design and the development of special SAR processing algorithms, which take the characteristics of FM-CW radar signals into account. A demonstrator, based on commercially available components, will be built. This demonstrator should prove the feasibility of FM-CW SAR systems and provide test <data to validate the processing algorithms. From the system models can be concluded that, using off-the-shelf technology, the performance of the demonstrator will be limited. This is not considered a problem since the demonstrator is used just to show the feasibility of FM-CW SAR. Main difficultics are the phase noise, especially for larger ranges, the low clutter-to-noise ratio, and the possible azimuth ambiguities.
Index Profile Reconstruction of Ti: LiNbO3 Structures and Loss Bending Evaluation from Near-Field Measurements

Index profiles of Ti:LiNbO 3 waveguides can efficiently be reconstructed by measuring the near-field patterns for different waveguide widths. By this, bending losses of curved waveguides can accurately be predicted. The validity of this method is verified by comparing calculated bending losses with those measured for fabricated semicircular waveguides of different bending radius
Characterization, modelling and performance evaluation of CMOS integrated multielectrode tunable capacitor (MTC)

This paper describes the characterization, modelling and evaluation of multielectrode micromechanical structures. Firstly, results of interferometric inspection and electrostatic measurements of fixed–fixed beams with various anchor designs are presented. These data, combined with finite element (FE) analysis of anchor compliance, are used to extract the elastic modulus and residual stress for a thin film aluminium structural layer. Secondly, a multielectrode tunable capacitor (MTC) is presented. The device consists of a suspended top plate and split bottom electrode. The ‘leveraged bending’ method is examined for extending the tuning range (TR) of such a capacitor. FE simulation of the MTC up to pull-in instability for each drive electrode configuration indicates a TR varying from 1000% to 40% in the range of stress from 0 to 45 MPa. An analytical model for the pull-in voltage of the MTC taking into account partial and/or multielectrode configuration, non-ideal anchors, field fringing and plane strain is presented. The analytical and FE simulations are validated with measured data.
Métriques de distorsion pour l'analyse comparative de schémas de filigranage 3D

Three-dimensional image quality assessment causes new challenges for a wide set of applications and particularly for emerging 3-D watermarking schemes. New metrics have to be drawn for the distortion measurement from an original 3-D surface to its deformed version. Such metrics are necessary namely in the case of a watermarking scheme to determine whether a distortion is acceptable or not. We propose two complementary strategies to tackle this issue. First, we propose a global perceptive metric based on the analysis of the differences between correspondent 2D views of the original and deformed versions of the 3D model. We show that the mutual information criterion better captures slightly perceptible distortions to which watermarking schemes must resist. Secondly, we focus on local deformations by estimating the distortion energy, extending works on distortion minimization for planar and spherical parameterizations. Finally results of both methods are discussed and compa! red to the state of the art.
Manoeuvres of spacecraft with flexible appendage in obstacle environment

This paper presents a collision avoidance control scheme for position and large angle manoeuvres of spacecraft with flexible appendage in obstacle environment. Firstly, the method of Lagrange equation is used to model the spacecraft with beam-type appendage. Secondly, independent position and attitude controllers are designed by only using the state of spacecraft as feedback information, without any need to measure the elastic deformation of the beam-type appendage. And then, collision avoidance based on real-time distance information is achieved by applying additional artificial repulsive force and torque to the spacecraft. Bounding boxes in the form of superquadric surfaces are exploited to compute the distance between bodies, and the scheme accounts for not only the geometric shape of the obstacle but also that of the spacecraft with flexible appendage. Finally, the effectiveness of proposed control scheme is demonstrated by numerical case studies.
Wave Run Up and Reflection on Tridimensional Virtual Breakwater

Wave Run Up and Reflection on Tridimensional Virtual Breakwater The paper provides some results of a new procedure (CAD and CFD) to analyze the hydrodynamic aspects of the interactions between virtual maritime emerged breakwaters and regular waves. The structure is modeled into numerical domain, very much like the real world or the physical laboratory testing, by overlapping individual three-dimensional elements (AccropodeTM), and the computational grid is fitted so as to provide enough computational nodes within the flow paths.
NanoScan SMPS – A Novel, Portable Nanoparticle Sizing and Counting Instrument

A novel instrument, the NanoScan SMPS (TSI 3910), is introduced here that provides the capability of employing well-established Scanning Mobility Particle Sizing (SMPS) technology in a format that can be easily utilized in the field. The use of a non-radioactive unipolar charger, radial Differential Mobility Analyzer (rDMA) and isopropanol-based Condensation Particle Counter (CPC) removes transport and application restrictions on occasion encountered with current SMPS technology. The NanoScan SMPS was compared initially to a TSI component SMPS reference system using several sizes of monodisperse silver particles. A further comparison was completed with polydisperse NaCl and Emery Oil particles. A linearity test for the instrument was performed by comparison to the ultra-fine butanol CPC (TSI 3776) as concentration reference. Subsequently, in-vehicle measurements during a freeway journey between two German cities were made to provide an example of everyday exposure to nanoparticles while driving. Coupling continuous in-vehicle measurements with GPS technology enabled an easy on-route characterization of particle size distributions, allowing source appointment of measurements, identification of evident hotspots as well as a variety of other sources of interest. Finally, the NanoScan SMPS was applied to different processes within a production test facility. Here direct comparisons between ventilation (background) and in the breathing zone were made. These measurements demonstrated the variation between the nature of the nanoparticles in the ventilation system from those within the breathing zone. During all tests the NanoScan SMPS was found to provide data that compares very well with that of the reference SMPS. It also showed a clear linearity with the CPC measurement up to concentrations as high as 106 particles/cm3. In conclusion, the NanoScan SMPS was found to be a reliable tool for nanoparticle sizing and counting in applications where current SMPS instruments would prove to be challenging.
How and when do mobile media demands impact well-being? Explicating the Integrative Model of Mobile Media Use and Need Experiences (IM3UNE)

Using mobile media can be both detrimental and beneficial for well-being. Thus, explaining how and when they elicit such effects is of crucial importance. To explicate boundary conditions and processes for digital well-being, this article introduces the Integrative Model of Mobile Media Use and Need Experiences (IM³UNE). Instead of assuming mobile media to be pathogenic, the IM³UNE offers a salutogenic perspective—it focuses on how we can stay healthy when using mobile media ubiquitously in daily life. More specifically, the model assumes that both the satisfaction and the frustration of basic psychological needs are key underlying mechanisms linking demanding mobile media use to well-being. However, the impact of these mechanisms is contingent on how users perceive, appraise, act on, and make sense of mobile media demands according to their global orientation to life (i.e., their sense of coherence, SOC). Integrating prior work, we theoretically link mindfulness, self-control, and meaningfulness to SOC's central facets, arguing that they represent crucial personal resources required to cope with mobile media demands. Thus, the offers an integrative framework, guiding further research towards a more nuanced study of mobile media’s effect on well-being.
Decision Making in Health Care Diagnosis: Evidence From Parkinson's Disease Via Hybrid Machine Learning

Health care is a complex system that demands critical decision making, especially in the diagnosis of various conditions in patients. To minimize possible errors in diagnosis, an emerging technology, machine learning (ML), is being effectively used. ML classifiers can be used to proactively diagnose the medical conditions, which are identified based on the presence or absence of specific characteristics of the diseases. Therefore, in this article, we demonstrate how ML can be used to determine Parkinson's disease (PD) and thereby, provide early diagnosis using nonclinical data of the patients. Novel ensembles are developed in this article to improve the diagnostic capability and the experimental results show that the improved versions of artificial neural network (ANN) could yield 13.4% more accurate results compared with the traditional ANN classifier. PD is considered a challenging medical condition, owing to its global relevance and complexity in diagnosis. Moreover, the early detection of PD is instrumental for patient recovery, and any lapses in diagnosis can lead to an immeasurable loss to patients. Also, the study has developed an effective diagnostic tool for PD and detects the disease at an early stage using the voice data of individuals, and this will aid in making better clinical decisions related to PD, thus rendering better health services.
Fully-integrated Planar Transformer with a Segmental Shunt for LLC Resonant Converters

This paper presents two topologies which provide high leakage inductance in shunt-inserted integrated magnetic transformers. These differ from conventional designs by replacing the low-permeability magnetic shunt of a planar transformer with high-permeability magnetic shunt segments, separated by many small air gaps. This approach results in a shunt with the same bulk permeability as the conventional design, while using lower cost and readily available magnetic materials such as ferrite. A modelling and design approach which can estimate the leakage and magnetising inductances precisely is provided for each topology. Theoretical analysis is presented and verified using finite-element analysis and experimental implementation. AC resistance analysis for both transformer topologies is also presented. In addition, an LLC resonant converter is built to verify the performance of the proposed fully-integrated magnetic transformers in practice. It is shown that the proposed topologies can integrate all three magnetic components of an isolated LLC resonant converter in a single planar transformer, which reduces the converters volume and cost.
3D drift diffusion and 3D Monte Carlo simulation of on-current variability due to random dopants

In this work Random Discrete Dopant induced on-current variations have been studied using the Glasgow 3D atomistic drift/diffusion simulator and Monte Carlo simulations. A methodology for incorporating quantum corrections into self-consistent atomistic Monte Carlo simulations via the density gradient effective potential is presented. Quantum corrections based on the density gradient formalism are used to simultaneously capture quantum confinement effects. The quantum corrections not only capture charge confinement effects, but accurately represent the electron impurity interaction used in previous \textit{ab initio} atomistic MC simulations, showing agreement with bulk mobility simulation. The effect of quantum corrected transport variation in statistical atomistic MC simulation is then investigated using a series of realistic scaled devices nMOSFETs transistors with channel lengths 35 nm, 25 nm, 18nm, 13 nm and 9 nm. Such simulations result in an increased drain current variability when compared with drift diffusion simulation. The comprehensive statistical analysis of drain current variations is presented separately for each scaled transistor. The investigation has shown increased current variation compared with quantum corrected drift diffusion simulation and with previous classical MC results. Furthermore, it has been studied consistently the impact of transport variability due to scattering from random discrete dopants on the on-current variability in realistic nano CMOS transistors. For the first time, a hierarchic simulation strategy to accurately transfer the increased on-current variability obtained from the ‘ab initio’ MC simulations to DD simulations is subsequently presented. The MC corrected DD simulations are used to produce target $I_D-V_G$ characteristics from which statistical compact models are extracted for use in preliminary design kits at the early stage of new technology development. The impact of transport variability on the accuracy of delay simulation are investigated in detail. Accurate compact models extraction methodology transferring results from accurate physical variability simulation into statistical compact models suitable for statistical circuit simulation is presented. In order to examine te size of this effect on circuits Monte Carlo SPICE simulations of inverter were carried out for 100 samples.
EXPERİMENTAL DETERMINATION OF HEAT RISE AND SAR OCCURED BY 900 MHz EM RADIATION ON HUMAN BRAIN BY USING BRAIN PHANTOM MODEL

In this study, heat rise in brain tissue on 900 MHz radiation has been investigated by using phantom model of human brain. Brain equivalent tissue, by considering various exposure possibilities at 900 MHz has been exposed to RFR (Radio Frequency Radiation) at certain periods. When RFR were used, results of heat rise have been logged to computer. Eventually, for human head exposed to 900 MHz cellular phone, expected thermal effects caused by absorbed EM energy was examined by using model.
Problems of house energy rating (HERS) in warm-humid climates

A building thermal response simulation method was developed in Australia by the CSIRO, starting in the 1950s and released as CHEETAH in 1986. This became the 'engine' of the NatHERS (National House Energy Rating Scheme) by 1995. NatHERS works well in the southern states of the country, where the primary use of energy is for heating. The paper first explores the problems of using this scheme for energy rating in the warm-humid climates of northern Australia. The contradictory requirements of air conditioned and open, ventilated 'free-running' houses are examined. Then the recent modifications to the program are outlined and the new version re-named AccuRate is described. The continued hostility to any such rating or regulation relating to thermal performance is discussed and the problem is illustrated by an actual example.
A SIMULATION STUDY OF ENERGY UTILISATION IN A VARIABLE LINK LENGTH 3 DOF REVOLUTE ARTICULATED MANIPULATOR

Determination of manipulator link lengths is one of the important criteria in robotic design. The purpose of this study is to find the minimum energy utilization for a 3 DOF revolute articulated manipulator to perform certain point-to-point task by varying the link lengths of the manipulator. The lengths of the second and third link of the developed manipulator can be varied accordingly. The investigation of energy for different link length combinations is carried out theoretically. In the simulation, the work-energy method is constituted in order to determine the average mechanical energy of the manipulator. The simulation shows that, different trajectory of motions results in different link length combinations that could give optimum average energy utilization. Results of the simulations shows that, improvement of mechanical energy utilization could be achieved by having variable link length of manipulator rather than having fixed length of manipulator’s arms.
Student learning in an electric circuit theory course: critical aspects and task design

Understanding time-dependent responses, such as transients, is important in electric circuit theory and other branches of engineering. However, transient response is considered difficult to learn since familiarity with advanced mathematical tools such as Laplace transforms is required. Here, we analyse and describe a novel learning environment design, the problem-solving lab, for learning transient response. This design merges problem-solving classes and labs, allowing students to engage in deep learning through the integrated use of tools like paper and pencil, MATLAB®, simulations, and experiments. A key element in this design is the systematic use of variation in line with variation theory. We describe critical features for learning transient response, and ways to facilitate the establishment of links between the ‘worlds’ of theories/models and objects/events for students. We contend that an integrated use of tools, and systematic use of variation, is crucial for learning and establishing these links.
Robust and energy-efficient explicit pulse-triggered flip-flops in 28nm FDSOI technology for ultra-wide voltage range and ultra-low power circuits

The explosion market of the mobile application and the paradigm of the Internet of Things lead to a huge demand for energy-efficient systems. To overcome the limit of Moore’s law due to bulk technology, a new transistor technology has appeared recently in industrial process: the fully-depleted silicon on insulator, or FDSOI. In modern ASIC designs, a large portion of the total power consumption is due to the leaves of the clock tree: the flip-flops. Therefore, the appropriate flip-flop architecture is a major choice to reach the speed and energy constraints of mobile and ultra-low power applications. After a thorough overview of the literature, the explicit pulse-triggered flip-flop topology is pointed out as a very interesting flip-flop architecture for high-speed and low-power systems. However, it is today only used in high-performances circuits mainly because of its poor robustness at ultra-low voltage. In this work, explicit pulse-triggered flip-flops architecture design is developed and studied in order to improve their robustness and their energy-efficiency. A large comparison of resettable and scannable latch architecture is performed in the energy-delay domain by modifying the sizing of the transistors, both at nominal and ultra-low voltage. Then, it is shown that the back biasing technique allowed by the FDSOI technology provides better energy and delay performances than the sizing methodology. As the pulse generator is the main cause of functional failure, we proposed a new architecture which provides both a good robustness at ultra-low voltage and an energy efficiency. A selected topology of explicit pulse-triggered flip-flop was implemented in a 16x32b register file which exhibits better speed, energy consumption and area performances than a version with master-slave flip-flops, mainly thanks to the sharing of the pulse generator over several latches.
Broadband high frequency differential coupler

This paper describes the design methodology of a broadband, high frequency differential coupler. The output signal of this differential coupler is proportional to the difference of 2 input ports, i.e. proportional to the differential signal of the 2 inputs. This signal is made using a hybrid structure. The overall performance of this differential coupler and the hybrid structure is characterized by the differential coupling factor and by the common mode rejection ratio. A pair of broadband impedances are used to scale the 2 incoming signals with 2 complex coefficients. A symmetric structure of two identical broadband directional couplers and a symmetric power combiner are used afterwards to obtain the differential signal. The high bandwidth of both the terminations, the directional couplers and the power combiner make it possible to obtain a differential coupling factor and a common mode rejection ratio which is frequency insensitive over several decades. Measurements demonstrate a differential coupler with a bandwidth of more than 3 decades.
Recruitment, training and Turnover: Another Call Centre Paradox

Purpose – There appear to be many paradoxes within the management of the growing call centre sector. The purpose of this paper is to consider one of these paradoxes, the extensive recruitment and training regimes in workplaces that are faced with very high levels of turnover. Design/methodology/approach – This research is of a single worksite, a call centre of a public utilities company. The research method was non-participant observation over a seven-month period coupled with ten interviews with key personnel. Findings – It was found that the organisation was able to offset the costs of training and recruitment through internal transfers within the larger organisation. Research limitations/implications – It is a single site study, hence, while of substantial depth the findings are not generalisable. More broad based research is required in the area. Practical implications – A useful source of information for practitioners in call centres, as well as researchers in the area of recruitment, training and call centres. Originality/value – This paper provides a valuable insight into an area of call centres that has not been adequately investigated; that of recruitment and training employees for emotional labour.
Training Dismounted Soldiers in Virtual Environments: Route Learning and Transfer.

Abstract : The U.S. Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences (ARI) is conducting a research program with the goal of using virtual environments (VE) to train dismounted soldiers. To accomplish this goal, the conditions necessary for transfer of training from VE to real world environments must be identified. This paper describes an experiment in which a VE computer model of a large office building is used to train spatial knowledge as it relates to learning routes through that building. This task is especially relevant to mission rehearsal of a hostage rescue attempt or other missions performed by Special Operations Forces. Sixty college students studied directions and photographs of landmarks for a complex route, then rehearsed the route using either the VE model, the actual building, or verbal directions and photographs. Everyone was then tested in the actual building. Building-trained students made fewer wrong turns than did VE-trained students, who in turn made fewer wrong turns and took less time to traverse the route than did verbally trained students. The results indicate that individuals can learn how to navigate through real world places by training in a virtual environment.