Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Homing by acoustic ranging to a single beacon

Homing and docking capabilities are essential in many autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) applications. The paper tackles the homing problem, leaving aside the actual docking of the vehicle. Homing is often performed by means of acoustic sensors providing the bearing of the beacon to be reached in the vehicle frame. This measurement, combined with the vehicle's heading, is used directly to steer the AUV towards the goal. The algorithm described in the paper only uses acoustic range measurements to the beacon. The difficulties of this approach are due to the fact that a single range measurement does not completely constrain the beacon's position in the vehicle frame nor does it define the direction to follow. In addition, range measurements are noisy and sometimes spurious, and underwater currents affect dead-reckoning measurements. The AUV has then to maneuver, filter the range measurements and estimate the underwater current in order to maintain an estimation of the beacon's position. The homing procedure consists of obtaining an initial estimate of the beacon's position and of the underwater current components by appropriate maneuvers. The initial estimates are further refined during the actual displacement towards the beacon by means of a Kalman filter.
Event formation and separation in musical sound

This thesis reviews psychoacoustic and neurophysiological studies that show how the human auditory system is capable of hearing out one source of sound from the mixture of sounds that reaches the ear. A number of cues are used for identifying which parts of the spectrum originate with a single source: common onset, the beginning of sound energy at different frequencies at one time; harmonicity, the arrangement of the partials of a tone into a harmonic series; common frequency variation, the motion of partials in frequency at the same relative rate; common spatial location; and several others. A multistage architecture is described for early auditory processing. After the input sound signal is transduced into a map of neural firings in the cochlea, filters extract the various cues for source separation from the cochlear image. The model uses these cues to group local features into single sound events and further groups events over time into sound sources. The implemented model groups parts of the spectrum together over time to make separate sound events, using principles and constraints present in natural auditory systems. The model includes filters for detecting onsets and frequency variation in sound. These filters are tuned to work on musical sounds. Their output is used to find and separate notes in the signal, producing time-frequency images of the parts of the sound determined to belong to each event. This processing is applied to musical sounds made up of several notes played at a time, revealing the strengths and weaknesses of the computational model. The thesis offers directions for future work in computational auditory modelling.
A Single-Stage Three Phase CT-Type MLI for Grid Integration and for Supplying Critical Loads

Power system reliability and resiliency involves availability of uninterrupted power supply to loads. With ever-increasing natural and man-made disturbances in power grid, the need of alternate renewable based source of supply is gaining more attention. This paper presents an efficient renewable energy-based single stage configuration for standalone application to provide uninterrupted power supply to critical loads in case of grid power interruption. This configuration can also be used for grid integration during peak load demand of power. The advancement in research of Multilevel Inverter (MLI) relating to high voltage with high power energy control enabled increased use of MLI in renewable energy, especially PV and fuel cell-based systems. The renewable energy-based configuration proposed in this paper uses Cross T-Type (CT-Type) MLI which provides quality output power from solar PV, fuel cell etc. Moreover, the absence of any DC-DC converter reduces complexity and makes the system more economical for grid integration. The overall system performance improves compared to existing methods in terms of total harmonic distortion (THD), total standing voltage (TSV), number of levels, number of components requirement and efficiency.
Redox Dysregulation in Aging and COPD: Role of NOX Enzymes and Implications for Antioxidant Strategies

With a rapidly growing elderly human population, the incidence of age-related lung diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) continues to rise. It is widely believed that reactive oxygen species (ROS) play an important role in ageing and in age-related disease, and approaches of antioxidant supplementation have been touted as useful strategies to mitigate age-related disease progression, although success of such strategies has been very limited to date. Involvement of ROS in ageing is largely attributed to mitochondrial dysfunction and impaired adaptive antioxidant responses. NADPH oxidase (NOX) enzymes represent an important enzyme family that generates ROS in a regulated fashion for purposes of oxidative host defense and redox-based signalling, however, the associations of NOX enzymes with lung ageing or age-related lung disease have to date only been minimally addressed. The present review will focus on our current understanding of the impact of ageing on NOX biology and its consequences for age-related lung disease, particularly COPD, and will also discuss the implications of altered NOX biology for current and future antioxidant-based strategies aimed at treating these diseases.
Usability Evaluation of Telepresence Interfaces for Older Adults

Telepresence has the potential to assist older adults to stay socially connected and to access telehealth. Telepresence was initially created for office use, thus the usability of telepresence for older adults remains unknown and there is a lack of design recommendations, particularly those with an emphasis on users’ age-related needs and limitations. To bridge the gap, this study assessed two telepresence user interfaces (UIs). One UI was designed to mimic common features founds in commercially available telepresence systems. Another UI was designed based on design guidelines for older adults. Each UI was integrated to a virtual driving environment created via Unity. To assess the usability of both UIs, thirty older adults participated in usability testing. Questionnaires and semi-structured interview were administered following each UI test sessions. Results of this study provide insight on what usability features are critical for the aging population to use telepresence, such as high color contrast, automated controls, and consistent icons.
A Gyroless Algorithm with Multi-Hypothesis Initialization for Projectile Navigation

Projectiles are subjected to a high acceleration shock at launch (20,000 g and higher) and can spin very fast. Thus, the components of onboard navigation units must therefore withstand such constraints in addition to being inexpensive. This makes only a few inertial sensors suitable for projectiles navigation. Particularly, rate gyroscopes which are gun-hardened and have an appropriate operating range are not widely available. On the other hand, magneto-resistive sensors are inexpensive and can satisfy both gun-hardening and operating range requirements, making them an alternative for angular estimation in guided projectiles. This paper presents a gyroless navigation algorithm for projectiles. The lack of gyroscope is handled by the usage of attitude kinematics computed over past attitude estimates of the filter, coupled with a measurement model based on magnetometer and GPS observations of the attitude. The observability of the attitude when considering non-calibrated magnetometers and its dependency on the initialization is addressed. Then, to cope with the initialization dependency of the filter, we proposed a multi-hypothesis initialization algorithm. In terms of performance, the algorithm is shown to provide a high-rate navigation solution with an interesting performance.
How to Diagnose and Treat CD5-Positive Lymphomas Involving the Spleen

Patients with CD5-expressing lymphomas presenting with splenomegaly are frequently diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. The most important differential diagnosis is mantle cell lymphoma, both in its classical and leukemic, non-nodal forms, given its prognostic and therapeutic implications. Other small B-cell neoplasms that frequently involve the spleen and occasionally express CD5 include the splenic marginal zone lymphoma, hairy cell leukemia and, rarely, lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma. The frequency of CD5 positivity depends in part on the sensitivity of the detection methods employed. Usually, a combination of morphological, immunophenotypic and molecular findings allows for a precise sub-classification of CD5-positive, low-grade B-cell lymphomas of the spleen. Some of these tumors may display a mixture of small and larger B cells, raising the possibility of more aggressive lymphomas, such as diffuse large B-cell lymphomas (DLBCL). Approximately 5–10% of DLBCL are CD5-positive and some may manifest as primary splenic lesions. When available, the morphology of DLBCL in the splenic tissue is distinctive and a leukemic picture is very rare. In conclusion, the appropriate morphological and clinical context assisted by flow cytometry panels and/or immunohistochemistry allows the differential diagnosis of CD5-positive, non-Hodgkin, B-cell lymphomas involving the spleen.
On the performance of some NSFD methods for a 2-D generalized Burgers–Huxley equation

In this work, we construct four finite difference schemes in order to discretize a 2-D generalized Burgers–Huxley equation. Two explicit non-standard finite difference methods are initially proposed and termed as NSFD1 and NSFD2. To improve the results, a modification to NSFD1 is made using the technique of remainder effect, scheme is termed as NSFD3 and an implicit non-standard finite difference is also constructed. We considered three different regimes for the parameters controlling advection, diffusion and reaction in other to test efficacy of the methods. The performance of the four methods is compared by computing absolute errors, relative errors, L and L errors and CPU time. All the four schemes constructed are novel and the derivation of time-splitting non-standard finite difference methods is not very common.
Medium access control in vehicular networks based on the upcoming IEEE 802.11p standard

In this paper, initial simulations are presented showing that the upcoming IEEE 802.11p standard is not suitable for traffic safety applications requiring reliable, low-delay communication between vehicles. The medium access control procedure is one of the most important parts in the design of delay-constrained communication systems, and emerging vehicle safety applications put new stringent demands on timely and reliable delivery of data packets. The medium access procedure used in 802.11p is carrier sense multiple access, which is inherently unsuitable for time-critical data traffic since it is contention-based and cannot provide a finite upper bound on the time to channel access. The simulation results indicate that with IEEE 802.11p, channel access cannot be granted in a manner that is sufficiently predictable to support reliable, low-delay communications between vehicles on a highway.
Lamb Meat Quality and Carcass Evaluation of Five Autochthonous Sheep Breeds: Towards Biodiversity Protection

Simple Summary The biodiversity protection represents a challenge of the agenda ONU 2030 for Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). Autochthonous sheep breeds, including Altamurana, Bagnolese, Gentile di Puglia, Laticauda and Leccese, reared in continental Southern Italy, are strongly affected by extinction risk; thus, it is urgent to find new solutions to valorise their products and obtain sustainable and smart food from local farms. The objective of the present study was to assess the lamb carcass commercial quality, chemical and fatty acid composition of Altamurana, Bagnolese, Gentile di Puglia, Laticauda and Leccese autochtonous sheep breeds. Data on EU Mediterranean classification showed that the carcasses from both Bagnolese and Laticauda breeds were classified in the heaviest category C. Moreover, breed can influence the meat fatty acids profile, which is resulted rich in conjugated linoleic acid with good nutritional properties; thus, lambs’ meat from autochthonous sheep breeds can be considered interesting for human consumption. The present study can help to protect the biodiversity of livestock heritage of Southern Italy and open a new field for the valorisation and promotion of their derived products. Abstract In the present study, the evaluation of the carcasses and meat quality, in terms of chemical composition and fatty acid profile, of lambs from five autochthonous sheep breeds (Altamurana, Bagnolese, Gentile di Puglia, Laticauda, and Leccese) reared in continental Southern Italy, were studied. All the carcasses were evaluated according to the EU Mediterranean classification system for carcasses weighing less than 13 kg. Meat chemical composition and fatty acids profile were assessed on both loin and leg commercial cuts. Fatty acid composition of loin resulted in differences among breeds, displaying lower values of saturated fatty acid in Altamurana, Bagnolese, and Leccese breeds and the highest content of polyunsaturated fatty acid in the Altamurana breed. Principal component analysis grouped lamb according to fatty acid content and to conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), omega n-3 and n-6 fatty acids; thus, Altamurana, Bagnolese, and Leccese breeds are characterized by the highest values of CLA content. Our data demonstrated that lamb meat from autochthonous breed has good carcass quality and the content of CLA, n-3, and n-6 was valuable for human consumption; therefore, the valorisation of local meat quality can help to avoid the extinction of the autochthonous breed offering to the market and consumer’s high nutritive products.
A review of origami applications in mechanical engineering

This is an overview of current research in origami applied to mechanical engineering. Fundamental concepts and definitions commonly used in origami are introduced, including a background on key mathematical origami findings. An outline of applications in mechanical engineering is presented. The foundation of an origami-based design procedure and software that is currently available to aid in design are also described. The goal of this review is to introduce the subject to mechanical engineers who may not be familiar with it, and encourage future origami-based design and applications.
Does BERT Understand Idioms? A Probing-Based Empirical Study of BERT Encodings of Idioms

Understanding idioms is important in NLP. In this paper, we study to what extent pre-trained BERT model can encode the meaning of a potentially idiomatic expression (PIE) in a certain context. We make use of a few existing datasets and perform two probing tasks: PIE usage classification and idiom paraphrase identification. Our experiment results suggest that BERT indeed can separate the literal and idiomatic usages of a PIE with high accuracy. It is also able to encode the idiomatic meaning of a PIE to some extent.
Measurements of the material properties of live marine organisms and their influence on acoustic scattering

Accurate acoustic interpretation of zooplankton scattering data requires a reliable knowledge of the material properties of the zooplankton. The lack of ability in predicting or measuring in situ material properties of these marine animals greatly affects and limits the capability to estimate the zooplankton biomass acoustically. To provide in situ measurements of the material properties, a new apparatus, the Acoustic Properties Of zooPlankton, (APOP) was developed. The system combines acoustic and resistivity measurements and can be used for in situ applications. This system can be operated under various environmental conditions (temperature and pressure). In addition, a new method (dual-density) of measuring density of live zooplankton is presented. A series of laboratory and in situ measurements were made on various marine organisms using the APOP system. The results from these measurements suggest that the material properties obtained from laboratory measurements, even if they are accurate and reliable under certain environmental conditions, may vary significantly in the ocean under different environmental conditions. Therefore, to correctly model and interpret the zooplankton acoustic survey data, one needs to take into account the variations in zooplankton material properties as a function of the environmental conditions, or oceanographic parameters.
Energy, Sodium, Sugar and Saturated Fat Content of New Zealand Fast-Food Products and Meal Combos in 2020

This study aimed to benchmark the healthiness of the New Zealand (NZ) fast-food supply in 2020. There are currently no actions or policies in NZ regarding the composition, serving size and labeling of fast food. Data on serving size and nutrient content of products was collected from company websites and in-store visits to 27 fast-food chains. For each fast-food category and type of combo meal, medians and interquartile ranges were calculated for serving size and energy, sodium, total sugar, and saturated fat per serving. Nutrient contents/serving were benchmarked against the United Kingdom (UK) soft drinks levy sugar thresholds and targets for salt for away from home foods, the NZ daily intake guidelines for energy, sodium, and saturated fat, and the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendation for free sugars. Analyses were conducted for the 30.3% (n = 1772) of products with available nutrition information and for 176 meal combos. Most (n = 67; 91.8%) sugar-sweetened drinks would qualify for a UK soft drink industry levy and 47% (n = 1072) of products exceeded the relevant UK sodium target. Half of the meal combos provided at least 50.3% of the daily energy requirements and at least 88.6% of the maximum recommended intake of sodium. Fast-food products and combo meals in NZ contribute far more energy and negative nutrients to recommended daily intake targets than is optimal for good health. The NZ Government should set reformulation targets and serving size guidance to reduce the potential impact of fast- food consumption on the health of New Zealanders.
The Effects of Practice on Navigation Performance and Mental Workload with a Mirror-In-The-Sky Map

Some previous research using a new augmented reality map display called Mirror-in-the-Sky (MitS) showed that performance was worse and mental workload (MWL) greater with MitS relative to a track-up map for navigation and wayfinding tasks. The purpose of the current study was to determine—for both MitS and track-up map—how much performance improves and MWL decreases with practice in a simple navigation task. We conducted a three-session experiment in which twenty participants completed a route following task in a virtual environment. Task completion times and collisions decreased, subjective MWL decreased, and secondary task performance improved with practice. The NASA-TLX Global ratings and Detection Response Task Hit Rates showed a larger decrease in MWL with MitS than the track-up map. Additionally, means for performance and workload measures showed that differences between the MitS and track-up map decreased in the first session. In later sessions the differences between the MitS and track-up map were negligible. As such, with practice performance and MWL may be comparable to a traditional track-up map.
Hotel2vec: Learning Hotel Embeddings from User Click Sessions with Side Information

We propose a new neural network architecture for learning vector representations of items with attributes, specifically hotels. Unlike previous works, which typically only rely on modeling of user-item interactions for learning item embeddings, we propose a framework that combines several sources of data, including user clicks, hotel attributes (e.g., property type, star rating, average user rating), amenity information (e.g., if the hotel has free Wi-Fi or free breakfast), and geographic information that leverages an hexagonal geospatial system as well as spatial encoders. During model training, a joint embedding is learned from all of the above information. We show that including structured attributes about hotels enables us to make better predictions in a downstream task than when we rely exclusively on click data. We train our embedding model on more than 60 million user click sessions from a leading online travel platform, and learn embeddings for more than one million hotels. Our final learned embeddings integrate distinct sub-embeddings for user clicks, hotel attributes, and geographic information, providing a representation that can be used flexibly depending on the application. An important advantage of the proposed neural model is that it addresses the cold-start problem for hotels with insufficient historical click information by incorporating additional hotel attributes, which are available for all hotels. We show through the results of an online A/B test that our model generates high-quality representations that boost the performance of a hotel recommendation system on a large online travel platform.
On-Device Streaming Transformer-Based End-to-End Speech Recognition

This work is the ﬁrst attempt to run streaming Transformer-based end-to-end speech recognition on embedded scale IoT systems. Recently there are many researches on online Transformer-based speech recognition such as a contextual block encoder [1] and a block-wise synchronous beam search [2]. Based on them we designed a novel fully-streaming end-to-end speech recognition method using Transformer. By ef-ﬁciently utilizing a connectionist temporal classiﬁcation network to detect symbol and sentence boundaries, we make de-coder in streaming manner. Moreover, by using the optimized model structure, the proposed method could be deployed on a low-power edge device such as Raspberry Pi 4B with the high accuracy and the small latency. With the experiments with Librispeech corpus, the methods achieved word error rates of 3.76% and 9.25% respectively. Also the recognition speed is measured in two aspects; the real-time factor and the user perceived latency. The system is evaluated to have 0.84 xRT and the average latency of 0.75 ± 0.62 seconds on Raspberry Pi 4B.
Low Power and Low area based Dual Power Lines for—A CMOS Receiver Design

: Today there are many more designing are available for a CMOS receiver. Not only their effectively work and circuit complexity increases. For limiting of I/O pins reducing individual nodes and increases proportionally nodes. This problem address by proposing power line communications (PLCs) at the designing level, specifically the dual use of power pins and power distribution networks for application/ observation of simulated data as well as delivery of power. In this paper we simulate and proposed the PLC receiver the transmission of data with super imposing power lines. The main design objective of the proposed PLC receiver is the unique design operation under variations and droops of the supply voltage with increased high data speed. The proposed PLC receiver is designed in CMOS 0.18-μ m technology under a supply voltage of 1.8V. The simulation results show that the receiver can capable to send data rate is 1 Gb/s. The receiver can dissipate total static power is 1.302mW under 1.8 V supply.The threshold value is set to 0.55 mV (or 2.5% of the supply voltage) and the signal values are interpreted as logic