Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of channel estimation errors on the performance of two MPSK detection schemes subject to Rayleigh fading

This paper presents a performance analysis of two MPSK detection schemes for flat Rayleigh fading channels with imperfect channel estimation. Closed-form expressions for the bit error probability (BEP) of both schemes are presented considering QPSK modulation and for higher level MPSK modulation, such as 8PSK, 16PSK and 32PSK, the BEP is obtained by simulation. It is shown that they present the same error probability even in the absence of ideal channel estimation and a complexity analysis is carried out to determine the best scheme in terms of the number of operations (multiplications, divisions, subtractions and comparisons) executed by each detector.
Assessment and treatment of dizzy patients in primary health care.

Dizziness is a common reason for visits to primary health care, especially among elderly patients. From a physiotherapeutic perspective, this thesis aims to study the assessment and treatment of dizzy patients in primary health care. Interventions in papers I, III and IV comprised a vestibular rehabilitation programme. In paper I, patients with multisensory dizziness were randomized to intervention group or control group. At follow-up after six weeks and three months, the intervention group had improved their postural control while the control group had deteriorated. In paper II, the diagnostic panorama at a primary health care centre was studied, as well as balance measures and self-perceived handicap because of dizziness. Patients with multisensory dizziness performed more poorly on the balance measures than the other groups. Subjects 66 years or older had more disturbances in balance, but lower level of self-perceived handicap. The level of self-perceived handicap did not correlate with any of the balance measures. In paper III, patients with dizziness caused by whiplash associated disorder were randomized to intervention group or control group. At follow-up after six weeks and three months, the intervention group had improved in both balance measures and self-perceived handicap. In paper IV, patients with multisensory dizziness were studied. An intervention group was compared to a control group regarding balance measures, self-perceived handicap and the proportions of patients who fell. At the follow-up after three months, the intervention group had improved in two balance measures. There were no differences between the two groups in the proportions of patients who fell. This thesis indicates vestibular rehabilitation as a feasible treatment for dizzy patients in primary health care. Since primary health care is considered the appropriate level of medical care for the majority of dizzy patients, this is also where vestibular rehabilitation is best provided, preferably by a trained physiotherapist.
Subtle cavus foot: prevalence of associated injuries Pé cavo sutil: prevalência de lesões associadas

Objective: To identify the prevalence of ankle and foot disorders in patients with subtle cavus foot (SCF). Methods: This was a retrospective case series. Patients with lower limb disorders who upon clinical examination were also diagnosed with SCF were evaluated. Patients diagnosed with disorders that could lead to this deformity, such as trauma sequelae and neurological disorders, and those with the presence of cavovarus foot with severe deformity were excluded. Correlations between ankle and foot disorders and the presence of SCF were evaluated. Results: A total of 119 patients (67 males/52 females) were evaluated, totalling 238 feet. One hundred forty-one feet had subtle cavus, and 97 feet had physiological alignment. Of the 141 SCF, 76 feet were right feet, and 65 were left feet. Twenty-two patients had bilateral SCF. One hundred forty complaints were identified, which led to 18 diagnoses: ankle instability (37 cases/26.2%), peroneal tendon tendinopathy (31 cases/22.0%), plantar fasciitis (18 cases/12.8%), Achilles tendon tendinopathy (10 cases/7.1%), osteochondral talar lesion (7 cases/5.0%), mechanical metatarsalgia (6 cases/4.3%), hallux sesamoid disorders (5 cases/3.5%), Morton’s neuroma (5 cases/3.5%), hallux valgus (5 cases/3.5%), pain in the lateral side of the foot (4 cases/2.8%), anterior impact (3 cases/2.1%), pain in the medial side of the tibia (2 cases/1.4%), plantar plate injury (2 cases/1.4%) and other disorders with a prevalence <1%. Conclusion: We found a clear correlation between SCF and acute and chronic ankle instability, peroneal and Achilles tendon tendinopathy and plantar fasciitis. Level of Evidence IV; Therapeutic Studies; Case Series.
Creating a Systems Engineering Distance Learning Experience

Abstract : This thesis investigated alternative online distance learning exercises that can emulate the learning experiences achieved through the conventional physical hands-on systems engineering laboratory or related team project efforts. The proposed approach uses a modified case study methodology to facilitate a structured discussion of system engineering principles. Instead of a detailed narrative to extract learning points in a traditional case study, these exercises are designed to enable the students to fill in the system engineering learning points in a cultural reference. A series of exercises templates has been created and using the M*A*S*H television program as the cultural reference, and an initial series of exercises have been created to demonstrate the concept. These exercises were created to provide a single reference for multiple exercises during the introduction to system engineering classes. By using the same reference throughout the first class, the students will leverage prior familiarity with the topic to reinforce system engineering learning points. By revisiting the same example in classes later in the program, continuity across the program s class will be highlighted, and the systems engineering learning principles will be demonstrated in a common cultural reference, in this case a historically referenced fictional environment. The two primary objectives of this thesis were to 1) create and document the process for creating future system engineering case studies using a popular cultural reference, and 2) create an initial set of case study exercises that reinforces the systems engineering learning points. A series of 13 case study exercises have been created to meet these objectives.
Managing industrialization: a resource interaction perspective

Researchers continue to seek understanding of industrialization as a state managed process. How to create and implement new industries based on advanced knowledge is on the policy agenda of many advanced nations. Measures that promote these developments include national capacity building in science and technology, the formation of technology transfer systems, and the establishment of industrial clusters. What these templates often overlook is an analysis of use. This chapter aims to increase the understanding of the processes that embed new solutions in structures from an industrial network perspective. The chapter describes an empirical study of high-technology industrialization in Taiwan that the researcher conducts to this end. The study shows that the Taiwanese industrial model is oversimplified and omits several important factors in the development of new industries. This study bases its findings on the notions that resource combination occurs in different time and space, the new always builds on existing resource structures, and the users are important as active participants in development processes.
A new soft-switched, thyristor-based, regenerative, quasi-resonant, current regulated inverter

A variety of soft-switching techniques have been proposed to reduce the switching losses and EMI problems that occur with higher switching frequencies in hard-switched converters. In this paper, a new, quasi-resonant, soft-switched, three-phase inverter is presented which uses 12 thyristors as the power electronic switches, and hence has potential for use in high-power applications. The converter is fully current-regulated, suitable for high-performance motor drive applications, and is capable of 4-quadrant operation to allow regeneration back into the DC supply. The operation and the control of the inverter are described in detail and simulation and experimental results are presented.
A Rationale for Backprojection in Spotlight Synthetic Aperture Radar Image Formation

This note on backprojection for spotlight synthetic aperture radar image formation is mainly pedagogic in purpose and is intended to be accessible. The presentation from first principles is elementary and detailed, beginning with the wave equation and melding wave notions with signal processing notions using a compact and consistent notation throughout. A reflection model is developed including a general expression for the receiver signal, which does not depend on a particular transmitted waveform. Then, the signal is specialized to monochromatic waves to show how waves and the Fourier transform fit together. In the end, the signal is once again generalized so that the theory works for any signal type. Backprojection is shown to reconstruct the wave field that was lost by sampling it at only one point, the receiving antenna. After specializing some details to the synthetic aperture radar geometry, the Projection Slice Theorem is introduced late, after an understanding of the underlying principles is obtained. Computational aspects are considered and it is seen that backprojection and direct Fourier inversion, also known as the polar format algorithm, are fundamentally the same, differing only in some implementation details, albeit significant ones, thus overturning the notion that backprojection is not a Fourier process. Those who might benefit from this article include people who have worked in this field and who seek a somewhat different point of view from the usual presentation, people in other fields who are unfamiliar with some of the engineering concepts involved, and signal processing engineers who appreciate a bit of wave theory.
New Directions in Streaming Algorithms

Large volumes of available data have led to the emergence of new computational models for data analysis. One such model is captured by the notion of streaming algorithms: given a sequence of N items, the goal is to compute the value of a given function of the input items by a small number of passes and using a sublinear amount of space in N. Streaming algorithms have applications in many areas such as networking and large scale machine learning. Despite a huge amount of work on this area over the last two decades, there are multiple aspects of streaming algorithms that remained poorly understood, such as (a) streaming algorithms for combinatorial optimization problems and (b) incorporating modern machine learningtechniques in the design of streaming algorithms. In the first part of this thesis, we will describe (essentially) optimal streaming algorithms for set cover and maximum coverage, two classic problems in combinatorial optimization. Next, in the second part, we will show how to augment classic streaming algorithms of the frequency estimation and low-rank approximation problems with machine learning oracles in order to improve their space-accuracy tradeoffs. The new algorithms combine the benefits of machine learning with the formal guarantees available through algorithm design theory.
Enabling Technologies for Effective Deployment of Internet of Things (IoT) Systems

The demand for IoT (Internet of Things) systems that encompass cloud computing, the multitude of low power sensing and data collection electronic devices and distributed communications architecture is increasing at an exponential pace. With increasing interests from different industrial, business and social groups, in the near future it will be necessary to support massive deployment of diverse IoT systems in different geographical areas. Large scale deployment of IoT systems will introduce challenging problems for the communication designers, as the networking is one of the key enabling technologies for the IoT systems. Major challenges include cost effective network architecture, support of large area of coverage and diverse QoS (Quality of Service) requirements, reliability, spectrum requirements, energy requirements, and many other related issues. The paper initially reviews different classes of IoT applications and their communication requirements. Following the review, different communications and networking technologies that can potentially support large scale deployment of IoT systems for different industrial, business and social applications are discussed. The paper then concentrates on wireless networking technologies for IoT systems with specific focus on deployment issues. The deployment discussion concentrates on different IoT systems QoS and networking requirements, cost, coverage area and energy supply requirements. We introduce a sustainable low cost heterogeneous network design using short range radio standards such as IEEE 802.15. 4/Zigbee, IEEE 802.11/WLAN that can be used to develop a wide area networks to support large number of IoT devices for various applications. Finally the paper makes some general recommendations towards sustainable network design techniques for future IoT systems that can reduce the OPEX and CAPEX requirements.
Analyzing Velocity Profiles in Density Current

In this paper, velocity profiles were analyzed under different conditions such as bed slope, discharge and concentration of density current, and water entrainment. Experiments were carried out in a tilting flume with the density currents being provided using salt and water solution. Results showed that the above mentioned factors have significant effects on the velocity profile characteristics. Dimensionless velocity profiles were also provided and compared for sub-critical, critical and supercritical flow conditions and the results showed that for supper critical conditions the velocity profiles are generally thicker due to the more ambient water entrainment. The coefficients of velocity profile equations were also derived for the jet and wall zones, which showed good agreements with the experimental measurements. Relative values of the velocity profile characteristics were also calculated in order to have a better understanding about the velocity profile structure.
On the Leakage between Arithmetic Components of DES Algorithm

Security of cryptographic embedded devices has become a prevalent concern, especially since the introduction of Differential Power Analysis (DPA) by Paul Kocher et al. In the past years, many efforts have been made to improve the resistance against Side Channel Attack (SCA) of cryptographic devices. Among the countermeasures, masking is a typical and efficient strategy. However, a number of effective attacks on masked cryptographic devices have been developed in recent years, and this paper continues this line of research. On theory, a DES with a masking scheme is secure under first order SCA, but we dig out a new leakage problem which makes it possible to attack a masked DES without using higher-order power analysis. Concretely, we perform a first-order correlation power analysis based on the leakage relationship between two different arithmetic components of DES. And the reason for this leakage is analyzed and verified by us through simulation and real card attacks. Keywords—Data Encryption Standard (DES); Differential Power Analysis (DPA); Side Channel Attack (SCA); Leakage between components; Masking; Smartcards.
New zero voltage switching DC converter with flying capacitors

A new soft switching converter is presented for medium power applications. Two full-bridge converters are connected in series at high voltage side in order to limit the voltage stress of power switches at Vin/2. Therefore, power metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) with 600 V voltage rating can be adopted for 1200 V input voltage applications. In order to balance two input split capacitor voltages in every switching cycle, two flying capacitors are connected on the AC side of two full-bridge converters. Phase-shift pulse-width modulation (PS-PWM) is adopted to regulate the output voltage. Based on the resonant behaviour by the output capacitance of MOSFETs and the resonant inductance, active MOSFETs can be turned on under zero voltage switching (ZVS) during the transition interval. Thus, the switching losses of power MOSFETs are reduced. Two full-bridge converters are used in the proposed circuit to share load current and reduce the current stress of passive and active components. The circuit analysis and design example of the prototype circuit are provided in detail and the performance of the proposed converter is verified by the experiments.
Cell-based array for deep sub-micron technologies

In this thesis I explore transistor topologies for high density cell-based arrays that allows for dense computation blocks, small memory cells, and strong signal drivers. This involves simulating different circuit types with HSPICE to determine ideal transistor sizes. Using Magic and the results of the HSPICE simulations, I explore transistor topologies with different ratios of nFets to pFets. An analysis on the technology shows important characteristics for digital systems and how they relate to the explored transistor topologies. Thesis Supervisor: Christopher J. Terman Title: Senior Lecturer
Impact of systematic data collection on training control room crews

The paper covers potential improvements in the performance of individuals, crews and training program to be gained from improved data collection and analysis. A key element in the systematic approach to training (SAT) is the use of feedback to improve the quality of performance. What is proposed is a more organized approach to satisfy the feedback requirement based on better methods of data collection and analysis. A change to the program would require not only data collection improvements, but also more time spent in analyzing the results and designing scenarios to test the crews over a range of conditions. The paper covers the data collection needs, analysis processes, scenario designs and benefits obtained by this process. The paper also discusses experiences with use of the simulator data collection and analysis. Analysis of the data should lead to continuous improvement in the performance of the crews.
Quantum Optomechanics with Silicon Nanostructures

Mechanical resonators are the most basic and ubiquitous physical systems known. In on-chip form, they are used to process high frequency signals in every cell phone, television, and laptop. They have also been in the last few decades in different shapes and forms, a critical part of progress in quantum information sciences with kilogram-scale mirrors for gravitational wave detection measuring motion at its quantum limits, and the motion of single ions being used to link qubits for quantum computation. Optomechanics is a field primarily concerned with coupling light to the motion of mechanical structures. This thesis contains descriptions of recent work with mechanical systems in the megahertz to gigahertz frequency range, formed by nanofabricating novel photonic/phononic structures on a silicon chip. These structures are designed to have both optical and mechanical resonances, and laser light is used to address and manipulate their motional degrees of freedom through radiation pressure forces. We laser cool these mechanical resonators to their ground states, and observe for the first time the quantum zero-point motion of a nanomechanical resonator. Conversely, we show that engineered mechanical resonances drastically modify the optical response of our structures, creating large effective optical nonlinearities not present in bulk silicon. We experimentally demonstrate aspects of these nonlinearities by proposing and observing ``electromagnetically induced transparency'' and light slowed down to 6 m/s, as well as wavelength conversion, and generation of nonclassical optical radiation. Finally, the application of optomechanics to longstanding problems in quantum and classical communications are proposed and investigated.
SIMPLEV: A simple electric vehicle simulation program, Version 1.0

An electric vehicle simulation code which can be used with any IBM compatible personal computer was written. This general purpose simulation program is useful for performing parametric studies of electric vehicle performance on user input driving cycles. The program is run interactively and guides the user through all of the necessary inputs. Driveline components and the traction battery are described and defined by ASCII files which may be customized by the user. Scaling of these components is also possible. Detailed simulation results are plotted on the PC monitor and may also be printed on a printer attached to the PC. This report serves as a users` manual and documents the mathematical relationships used in the simulation.
Designing an effective hybrid Transactional Memory system

Multi-core chips are now commonplace in server, desktop, and even embedded systems; however, they create an inflection point for mainstream software development. To benefit from the additional performance offered by multi-core chips, application developers have to develop parallel programs and deal with cumbersome issues such as synchronization tradeoffs and deadlock avoidance. In this setting, Transactional Memory (TM) has surfaced as a promising technique to simplify shared-memory parallel programming. Recent years have seen the proposals of several different TM systems; however, most TM systems have been evaluated using microbenchmarks, which may not be representative of any real-world behavior, or individual applications, which do not stress a wide range of execution scenarios. To address this problem, I introduce the Stanford Transactional Applications for Multi-Processing (STAMP), the first comprehensive benchmark suite for evaluating TM systems. STAMP consists of eight benchmarks and represents several application domains, covers a wide range of transactional execution cases, and ports easily to many types of TM systems. Using STAMP, I evaluate TM implementations based on hardware (HTM) and software (STM), and propose Signature-accelerated Transactional Memory (SigTM), a new hybrid TM system that combines the advantages of HTM and STM. SigTM uses small hardware signatures to accelerate the execution of software transactions, and thus presents a high-performance, flexible, and low-cost design. Moreover, SigTM is the first hybrid TM system to provide semantic guarantees between transactional and non-transactional code blocks.
Support forces in a synchronized rotating spring-mass system and its electromagnetic equivalent

This paper deals with the dynamic analysis for the calculation of the support forces in a rotating elastic rod when subjected to simple types of axial forces. For simplicity the model starts with a linear straight spring and a lumped mass and expands into a distributed system. The analysis shows a shift in the natural frequency of the support forces, due to rotation and additional axial oscillations, these are highly influenced by both the axial and the shear forces, which are induced by the centripetal and Coriolis forces, respectively. Based on this finding, the paper shows that it is not possible to take advantage of the inertial forces and create long-term inertial thrust, even if the rotation is synchronized with the shifted natural frequency. The discussion includes extensions into the electromagnetic realm by comparing the mechanical system with its electrical equivalent.