Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Comparative efficiency assessment and strategic benchmarking of smartphone providers with data envelopment analysis

The purpose of this study is to conduct comparative efficiency assessment and strategic benchmarking of smartphone providers. Data envelopment analysis (DEA) is useful in examining competitive patterns of products and services. Since smartphone products are moved away from functional devices into platform products and services, the new business model focuses on perpetual dynamic value deployment beyond hardware functionality of products. In this research, DEA is utilised as a strategic decision support tool that measures the extent of firm efficiencies based on multiple year performance outcomes. DEA efficiency trend in particular is a significant indicator of a company's near future sustainability. This study is the first attempt of benchmarking smartphone industry where short-term strategy and rapid innovation precedes long term tactics and incremental improvement.
Low Temperature Wafer Level Au-Au Bonding for Heterogeneous Integration

A low-temperature wafer-level solid-solid thermo-compression bonding structure using Au-Au metal is proposed in this paper. Two wafers with gold micro-bumps were bonded at 230°C by thermo-compression. In order to improve bonding quality, an O2 plasma surface pretreatment method was proposed to activate and increase hydrophobicity of the bonding metal. As a result, well performance and reliability are demonstrated through bonding interface analysis and electrical test, indicate that low temperature Au-Au bonding with fine-pitch bumps and high interconnects density is a promising method for future high density wafer level packaging and heterogeneous integration.
Control Method and Operational Impact of Decoupling AC and DC Powers During a Frequency Event in the Modular Multilevel Converter Using Internal Energy Storage

This paper presents a control scheme intended to manage the embedded energy storage capabilities of Modular Multilevel Converters (MMC) in order to facilitate frequency support. We expand upon existing research performed on Grid Forming algorithms for MMCs by allowing a tunable, temporary, disconnect between the AC and DC power through the use of energy stored within the Sub-Modules. This disconnect acts as a power buffer between the AC and DC networks to prevent propagation of faults and prepare a possible coordinated response from the other actors of the High Voltage Direct Current network. This buffer function causes the Sub-Module energy to temporarily drain in order to provide a rapid increase in power export from the converter, followed by a corresponding increase in power received across the DC link. In this study, we explore the limits of synchronising power that an MMC can provide for a given set of initial parameters by examining the stack current, stack voltage and stored energy; concluding that a standard MMC can act as a power buffer for a duration in the cycle time-range but potentially for longer, depending on embedded energy storage and frequency dips.
Energy Efficient and Compact RF High-Power Amplifiers

The main objectives of this thesis are to improve the energy efficiency and physical form-factor of high-power amplifiers in base station applications. As such, the focus of this dissertation is placed on the outphasing amplifier concept, which can offer high-efficiency, good linearity and excellent opportunities for system integration. With this mind set, various outphasing concepts have been studied at different levels of abstraction, starting from their fundamental operation, to very detailed efficiency and bandwidth considerations. In order to enable the future package integration of complete RF high-power amplifiers and transmitter lineups, dedicated design techniques for very compact and high-power magnetic components have been developed utilizing low-cost wire bonding techniques. Using these techniques, a very low-loss, high-current RF transformer concept was introduced that allows straight forward power scaling in RF amplifiers. Next, to demonstrate the practical use of these low-loss magnetic components with their related design flow, two very compact high-power class-E branch amplifiers were realized and tested. Expanding on these initial works, one of the key demonstrators of this thesis was a "70W fully packaged-integrated GaN outphasing amplifier", which represents a remarkable combination of high-efficiency, high-output power with a very small form factor. Finally, to facilitate the future integration of advanced switchmode outphasing systems in a single package, the design of high-voltage CMOS drivers was discussed and demonstrated. These devices can provide the essential physical link between the final PA stages with the intelligence of the forgoing TX chain, which is typically implemented in standard low-voltage CMOS technologies.
An Optimal Energy Management System for Marine Hybrid Power Systems

This paper proposes an optimal control strategy for the energy management system (EMS) of marine hybrid power systems with the objective of reducing operational expenses (OPEX) and environmental emissions. Here, the OPEX includes main parameters such as the fuel consumption, degradation, and maintenance of diesel engines. The engines as the maintenance- intense devices in the power systems are expensive to operate not only due to the fuel cost, but also the cost of maintenance and overhaul. Hence, better engine management will improve the overall system efficiency and reliability. In the proposed method, the engine operation is further improved in terms of running hours and transient loading. The optimization algorithm is designed based on mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) considering the physical constraints of the engine-generators and battery-related limits. The developed EMS is then tested with a real ship profile by the different cases of with and without battery and with various battery capacities. The results show the effectiveness of the proposed EMS to improve the operation of the hybrid power system for a stable, efficient, and reliable ship operation.
Aircraft Trajectory Determination with Three-dimensional Radar Data

The current study outlines the design of a Kalman filter for tracking and trajectory reconstruction using 3D radar data. A brief discussion of the dynamical model of aircraft motion is presented, and an insight of the measurement model as well. The paper includes some reconstructed trajectories but also some assessments performed to the algorithm, showing how corrupted data affect the predicted trajectory.
Exploring Fidelity in School-Based Mindfulness Programs

A small but growing body of research on school-based mindfulness programs (SBMPs) has demonstrated benefits for students’ cognitive and affective functioning and overall wellbeing. Yet, lack of fidelity in SBMP implementation may diminish these programs’ purported benefits. This commentary presents 4 current challenges that need to be addressed so that questions of whether and how mindfulness improves student functioning can be clarified and implementation of programs can be strengthened and sustained. These challenges include coming to consensus on the definition and intention of mindfulness training, balancing adherence with flexibility in SBMP delivery, determining the role SBMP teachers’ mindfulness experience plays in program fidelity, and delineating distinctive features of mindful pedagogy. Some suggestions for addressing each of these challenges are provided.
A Dual-Circularly Polarized Antenna with Wide-Beamwidth

In this paper, a novel dual-circularly polarized antenna with wide-beamwidth is proposed. Firstly, the working principle about dual-polarized CP generation of the septum circular polarizer is investigated. Secondly, the electric-field distributions from the outside of the waveguide antenna with and without the shorting ring is studied, aiming to extend its half-power beamwidth (HPBW). Finally, the proposed antenna is simulated and verified, which demonstrates that the HPBW of our proposed antenna can be obviously increased up by loading the shorting ring on the outside of the waveguide. The simulated results show that its HPBW is enhanced from 72° to 127° by loading the shorting ring.
Rapid Diplexer Design for High Isolation of Fundamental and 2nd-Harmonic Spectrums

A novel diplexer is rapidly facilitated with integration of a hybrid coupler and two quarter wavelength short stubs, which enables high isolation of its fundamental and 2nd-harmonic spectrums while sustaining the original directionally-coupling operation characteristic. For practical validation, a microstrip diplexer ($\varepsilon_{\mathrm{r}}=3.66,\ \mathrm{h}=0.508\ \text{mm}$) operation at 2.45/4.9 GHz is constructed and tested. The measurements of the proposed integration are in good agreement with advanced design system (ADS) simulations, which brings a prospect for linearity prediction of local oscillator power source during I/Q modulation.
A randomised leader progression model for backflashover studies

Insulation coordination models are an essential part of power system studies and are used to determine the risk of damage to plant during abnormal conditions such as those experienced when lightning strikes the power system. One model used to predict the performance of an overhead line when hit by lightning examines the likelihood of a backflashover; the breakdown of an insulator coordination gap due to a rise in tower potential in comparison to a phase conductor. A backflashover model has many components that must be accurately modelled including the lightning strike, the tower, the shield wire/phase conductors, the insulator coordination gaps and the tower earthing system. Of all of these, the only two significant challenges are the accurate modelling of the insulator coordination gaps and the tower earthing system (the soil ionisation mechanism in particular). This paper focuses on the simulation of the insulator coordination gap for which available models range from a simple voltage controlled switch to the more complex leader progression model (LPM). The paper details the use of experimental data to produce a modified LPM in which certain model parameters are randomly varied. The development of this model using laboratory data is detailed, as is the effect that using this model has on the results of two insulation coordination studies that relate to backflashovers. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Emerging technologies and their potential for generating new assistive technologies

ABSTRACT Limited access to assistive technology (AT) is a well-recognized global challenge. Emerging technologies have potential to develop new assistive products and bridge some of the gaps in access to AT. However, limited analyses exist on the potential of these technologies in the AT field. This paper describes a study that aimed to provide an overview of emerging technological developments and their potential for the AT field. It involved conducting a gray literature review and patent analysis to create an overview of the emerging enabling technologies that may foster the development of new AT products and services and identify emerging AT applications. The analysis identified seven enabling technologies that are relevant to the AT field. These are artificial intelligence, emerging human-computer interfaces, sensor technology, robotics, advances in connectivity and computing, additive manufacturing and new materials. Whilst there are over 3.7 million patents related to these enabling technologies, only a fraction of them – 11,000 patents were identified in the analysis specifically related to AT (0.3%). The paper presents some of the promising examples. Overall, the results indicate that there is an enormous potential for new AT solutions that capitalize on emerging technological advances.
Integrated Multi-satellitE Retrievals for GPM (IMERG) Technical Documentation

28 April 2015 NOAA reprocessed the global IR data for 10 UTC 26 April through 14 UTC 27 April due to dropped images, however there is no straightforward way to re-do the Early and Late Runs, so that period should display somewhat lower quality in the regions that lack IR input. 17 April 2015 IMERG Early and Late Runs ceased when CPC Global 4 km Merged IR data dropped out, starting 17 UTC 14 April due to processing issues at NOAA, and were caught up after the data returned around 11 UTC 17 April. 8 April 2015 End of TMI data 1 April 2015 Initial release of IMERG Late Run (V03D); beta release of Day-1 IMERG Early Run. 13 March 2015 Beta release of Day-1 IMERG Late Run. 20 January 2015 Revised release of IMERG Final Run (V03D). 16 January 2015 Initial release retracted due to minor inconsistencies in “missing” values. 15 January 2015 Initial release of IMERG Final Run (V03D). 4 December 2014 Beta release of Day-1 IMERG Final Run for Early Adopters.
Deep Reinforcement Learning from Self-Play in No-limit Texas Hold'em Poker

Imperfect information games describe many practical applications found in the real world as the information space is rarely fully available. This particular set of problems is challenging due to the random factor that makes even adaptive methods fail to correctly model the problem and find the best solution. Neural Fictitious Self Play (NFSP) is a powerful algorithm for learning approximate Nash equilibrium of imperfect information games from self-play. However, it uses only crude data as input and its most successful experiment was on the in-limit version of Texas Hold’em Poker. In this paper, we develop a new variant of NFSP that combines the established fictitious self-play with neural gradient play in an attempt to improve the performance on large-scale zero-sum imperfect information games and to solve the more complex no-limit version of Texas Hold’em Poker using powerful handcrafted metrics and heuristics alongside crude, raw data. When applied to no-limit Hold’em Poker, the agents trained through self-play outperformed the ones that used fictitious play with a normal-form single-step approach to the game. Moreover, we showed that our algorithm converges close to a Nash equilibrium within the limited training process of our agents with very limited hardware. Finally, our best self-play-based agent learnt a strategy that rivals expert human level.
Study on signs of defects in the image of the surface of flat-rolled products

Currently, more and more challenges of modern industrial enterprises require an increase in the reliability of the information on the quality of products. This becomes possible when using digital technologies to assess the quality of products. The cited publication discusses the technology for recognizing defects in the surface of sheet products in images obtained from cameras of the strip inspection system during rolling. The authors proposed a classification of the signs of defects in the image and highlighted the most significant of them also suggested using geometric, optical and spectral features for images of flat-rolled products containing defects of different classes. The research results at this stage, obtained during the processing of digital images, showed that to identify a defect and reduce false-positive and false-negative alarms of the automated defect identification system, it is required to conduct a study of interval estimates and make decision-making rules based on intersection and merging of intervals; introduce additional classes that allow the introduction of signs that characterize the irregularity of the shape of defects and the characteristic location; the use of new technologies of soft computing will reveal the hidden patterns of the manifestation of defects in the images of the surface of the steel strip.
A hybrid full-Lagrangian technique for the static and dynamic analysis of magnetostatic MEMS

Magnetostatic microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) are based on the electromagnetic interactions between magnetic microstructures and active (coils) or passive (permanent magnets) magnetic field sources. They offer distinct advantages at the micrometer scale in strength, polarity and distance of actuation, when compared to other methods of actuation in MEMS. For proper understanding and detailed exploration of magnetostatic MEMS, it is important to have a reliable and efficient physical level simulation tool. In this paper, we propose an efficient technique, namely the hybrid full-Lagrangian technique for the static and dynamic analysis of magnetostatic MEMS. In this technique, the magnetostatic analysis needed to compute the magnetostatic force acting on the microstructure is performed using a hybrid BIE/Poisson approach. The Poisson equation is solved for the interior magnetostatic domains and the boundary integral equation (BIE) formulation of the potential equation is solved for the exterior magnetostatic domain and the different domains are coupled through interface conditions. A Lagrangian description of all the physical domains (magnetostatic, mechanical and fluidic) is used to eliminate geometry updates and rediscretization. The Lagrangian formulation along with the hybrid approach makes the proposed technique much more efficient than conventional tools for the analysis of magnetostatic MEMS. The new technique is used to simulate several magnetostatic MEMS switches and relays and validated by comparing numerical simulation results with experimental data. Dynamic analysis of a magnetostatic MEMS switch is performed using the new technique.
Use of biomaterials in corneal endothelial repair

Human corneal endothelium (HCE) is a single layer of hexagonal cells that lines the posterior surface of the cornea. It forms the barrier that separates the aqueous humor from the rest of the corneal layers (stroma and epithelium layer). This layer plays a fundamental role in maintaining the hydration and transparency of the cornea, which in turn ensures a clear vision. In vivo, human corneal endothelial cells (HCECs) are generally believed to be nonproliferating. In many cases, due to their nonproliferative nature, any damage to these cells can lead to further issues with Descemet’s membrane (DM), stroma and epithelium which may ultimately lead to hazy vision and blindness. Endothelial keratoplasties such as Descemet’s stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK) and Descemet’s membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DEK) are the standard surgeries routinely used to restore vision following endothelial failure. Basically, these two similar surgical techniques involve the replacement of the diseased endothelial layer in the center of the cornea by a healthy layer taken from a donor cornea. Globally, eye banks are facing an increased demand to provide corneas that have suitable features for transplantation. Consequently, it can be stated that there is a significant shortage of corneal grafting tissue; for every 70 corneas required, only 1 is available. Nowadays, eye banks face long waiting lists due to shortage of donors, seriously aggravated when compared with previous years, due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, there is an urgent need to find alternative and more sustainable sources for treating endothelial diseases, such as utilizing bioengineering to use of biomaterials as a remedy. The current review focuses on the use of biomaterials to repair the corneal endothelium. A range of biomaterials have been considered based on their promising results and outstanding features, including previous studies and their key findings in the context of each biomaterial.
Protein Tunnel Reprojection for Physico-Chemical Property Analysis

Cavities are crucial for interactions of proteins with other molecules. While a variety of different cavity types exists, tunnels in particular play an important role, as they enable a ligand to deeply enter the active site of a protein where chemical reactions can undergo. Consequently, domain scientists are interested in understanding properties relevant for binding interactions inside molecular tunnels. Unfortunately, when inspecting a 3D representation of the molecule under investigation, tunnels are difficult to analyze due to occlusion issues. Therefore, within this paper we propose a novel reprojection technique that transforms the 3D structure of a molecule to obtain a 2D representation of the tunnel interior. The reprojection has been designed with respect to application-oriented design guidelines, we have identified together with our domain partners. To comply with these guidelines, the transformation preserves individual residues, while the result is capable of showing binding properties inside the tunnel without suffering from occlusions. Thus the reprojected tunnel interior can be used to display physico-chemical properties, e.g., hydrophobicity or amino acid orientation, of residues near a tunnel’s surface. As these properties are essential for the interaction between protein and ligand, they can thus hint angles of attack for protein engineers. To demonstrate the benefits of the developed visualization, the obtained results are discussed with respect to domain expert feedback.
Changes in the filtration function of the spleen after surgery following traumatic organ injuries

The spleen is an unpaired peripheral organ of lymphoid hematopoiesis and immune defense. Currently, one of the urgent problems of surgery is control of bleeding caused by the damage to the parenchymal organs of the abdominal cavity associated with injuries resulting from home-related and traffic accidents, natural disasters and terrorist acts. These conditions, based on the data from the World Health Organization studies conducted in cooperation with the Harvard Center for Prospective Studies, are a common cause of death among people of working age. The incidence of splenic injuries among all closed injuries of the abdominal cavity is from 15,5 to 30 %, and a mortality rate is between 7 % and 26 %. [1]. Traumatic injuries occur in all age groups, but the peak incidence is observed in adolescence and in the middle age group (15 — 35 years) [2], which emphasizes the socio-economic importance of the problem. The tactics in the treatment of splenic injuries is determined by the degree of traumatic injury, the patient's condition during the operation, and The incidence of splenic injuries among all closed injuries of the abdominal cavity is from 15.5 to 30.0 %, and a mortality rate is between 7 % and 26 %. The tactics in the treatment of splenic injuries is determined by the degree of traumatic injury, the patient's condition during the operation, and a concomitant pathology. Studies of tissue regeneration of the operated spleen allow identifying two main options for its regeneration, associated with the nature of blood circulation in the preserved part.
Six–Sigma: the evolution of 100 years of business improvement methodology

Humankind has always felt a need to improve its condition right since it first came on this planet. Agriculture and athletics are two outstanding examples of the benefits of a constant focus on improvement. Since the early 1900s, there has been a focus on improvement of business performance. Statistical thinking and methods have played a key role in business improvement as they have in agriculture and athletics. Approaches to business improvement have evolved and grown over the years and today the process–focused, statistically–based Six–Sigma methodology is being used by companies such as GE, Honeywell, Motorola, DuPont, American Express, Ford and many others ? large and small ? to improve business performance. This article traces the evolution of business improvement methodology and the use of statistical thinking and methods in improving business performance. It is shown how Six–Sigma has evolved to include the best features of the improvement methods that have come before it. A case study of reducing newspaper errors is included to illustrate the use of Six–Sigma tools and methods.