Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Integrated concurrent multi-band radios and multiple-antenna systems

This thesis presents a unique view on radio systems that can simultaneously function at multiple frequency bands. These radios offer a higher data-rate and robustness in addition to the added functionality in the performance of wireless systems. Our treatment includes the definition of such novel radios, formulation of their singular characteristics, proposition for transceiver architectures, and invention of circuit blocks. Various transceiver architectures for this new class of concurrent multi-band radios are proposed. The results for an integrated concurrent dual-band receiver operating at 2.4 GHz and 5.2 GHz frequency bands for wireless networking applications are presented. Meticulous frequency-planning results in a high level of integration and a low power design for the concurrent receiver. Several new circuit concepts including the concurrent multi-band low-noise amplifier are demonstrated in this design. A general class of these concurrent multi-band amplifiers is investigated with numerous implementations of integrated concurrent dual-band and triple-band amplifiers. A theoretical treatment of nonlinear oscillators with multi-band resonator structures is also offered. It is shown that given certain nonlinearities these oscillators can generate multi-frequency outputs. The phase-noise of such negative-resistance oscillators with general resonator structure is addressed. By providing a link between the stored and dissipated energies of a network and its associated circuit parameters, useful interpretations of resonator quality factor are derived. With the aid of this analysis and the previously developed phase-noise models, dependencies of phase-noise on the resonator structure are derived. Based on our theoretical results, enhanced resonators with higher quality factor providing a superior oscillator phase-noise are proposed. Finally, in order to enhance the performance of wireless systems by exploiting the spatial properties of the electromagnetic wave, multiple-antenna radios in phased-array configuration are investigated. The phased-array technology results in higher immunity to unwanted interference and therefore achieves a superior overall system capacity in a shared environment. The first fully integrated multiple-antenna receiver targeting the 24 GHz ISM band using silicon technology is presented. The phased-array radio at 24 GHz is a cheap solution for high data-rate WLAN, as well as for fixed wireless broadband access applications.
Embedding value: perspectives on a foundation level course in arts and humanities

The number of learners opting to study on a foundation level programme at universities in England has risen sharply over the last few years. Foundation level courses at university represent a vital opportunity for learners to progress to undergraduate courses, especially those learners from areas where participation in higher education has been traditionally very low. This paper offers a reflection on the foundation level course delivered at LJMU’s School of Humanities and Social Science, which has featured on the institutional prospectus since 2017. The tutors reflect on the adjustments that have been made to both the organisation and delivery of teaching, underlined by the development of an inclusive and open learning community. Based on the authors’ experiences, it is argued that foundation level courses at university are well calibrated to support the UK government’s levelling up agenda and, ahead of the 2021 Spending Review, the paper is therefore a counterpoint to recommendations made on the foundation level programme in the Augar Review of post-18 education funding.
Preparation and Application of Grapheme

Graphene is a kind of new carbon material with isomer. Its basic structure is composed of six carbon atoms in closed loop structure. In order to make graphene with excellent properties in practical application, people have proposed various methods of preparing grapheme. Graphene shows promising applications in solar cell. This paper introduced preparation and applications of graphene in the high-tech fields.
Extraction, preparation and an assessment of the activity of carboxymethyl polysaccharide from Panax japonicus

Abstract A response surface method (RSM) was employed to optimize polysaccharide extraction from Panax japonicus (PJPS). Also, carboxymethyl substitution of PJPS (CM-PJPS) was studied using a response surface methodology. A three-variable Box–Behnken design (BBD) methodology was applied. RSM analyses revealed that conditions that maximized polysaccharide yield were as follows: a liquid-to-material ratio 22:1, an extraction temperature of 83.99 °C and an extraction duration of 2.32 h. Under optimum extraction conditions, the average absorbance value of PJPS was 0.6001, and the purity of PJPS was 98.2%. A quadratic regression model for CM-PJPS was obtained via BBD. The optimum extraction conditions for the process were determined to include a 1.38 h reaction time, 1.24 g monochloroacetic acid (MCA) and a reaction temperature of 52.85 °C. Under optimum extraction conditions, the average degree of CM-PJPS substitution was 0.9733. The structure of the PJPS was examined by means of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). CM-PJPS exhibited the strongest anti-oxidant activity in vitro. In addition, CM-PJPS inhibited Skov3 and A2780 cancer cell proliferation. Our data revealed that CM-PJPS is a promising natural antioxidant with potential value as a food supplement and for treatment of cancer.
Discriminative Action Recognition Using Supervised Latent Topic Model

We present a discriminative learning method for human action recognition from video sequences. Our model combines a bag-of-words component with supervised latent topic models. The supervised latent Dirichlet allocation (sLDA) topic model, which employs discriminative learning using labeled data under a generative framework, is introduced to discover the latent topic structure which is most relevant to action categorization. We test our algorithm on two challenging datasets. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of our algorithm.
Dual-branch reed for resonant cavity wind energy harvester with enhanced performances

A structure of dual-branch piezoelectric unimorph reed with the resonant cavity of a harmonica to harvest wind energy for the wireless sensor networks was introduced in this paper. After the experiments and simulation analysis, a new mathematical model was established for further research on this structure. The vibration of the reed in the resonant cavity was dealt with as the damping forced vibration of a triangular pulse excitation. This model well explained why the dual-branch reed can vibrate much stronger than the no-branch reed. The experiment proved that the proposed structure and model are feasible and efficacious, the dual-branch reed not only increases the vibration amplitude of the piezoelectric reed but also exhibits a wide wind speed range. A prototype wind energy harvester with a wind inlet dimension of 25 mm × 25 mm can generate an maximum power of 6.7 mW and have an efficiency of 3.5%, with wind speed from 3.2 m/s to 16 m/s.
Magnetic force control with composite of giant magnetostrictive and piezoelectric materials

We propose a new magnetic force control device, composed of a giant magnetostrictive material (Terfenol-D) and a piezoelectric material (PZT), for coilless magnetic force control. The device uses the inverse magnetostrictive effect, whereby the variation of magnetization of a Terfenol-D rod controlled by PZT is converted to the variation of magnetic force by a magnetic circuit. Because PZT is electrically capacitive, the method has the advantage of low power consumption and low heat generation in static operation. We have fabricated several devices with different geometrical shapes of the rods and magnetic yokes, and we describe their characteristics such as power consumption, heat generation, and response. We discuss a magnetic circuit design strategy that uses the /spl Delta/E effect in magnetostrictive materials to increase the energy conversion efficiency.
A novel polymer nanofiber interface for chemical sensor applications

Thin films are often employed in sensors in order to improve their performance. It is well known that the sensitivity of a film is proportional to the surface area of the film per unit mass. Thin films made of nanofibers (NF) have surface area approximately one to two orders of the magnitude larger than continuous films, and therefore their sensitivities are potentially as large. In this paper we report preliminary results on the use of nanofiber films as a sensing interface for the Thickness Shear Mode (TSM) piezoelectric sensors. The TSM sensors coated with nanofiber films made of Poly-Lactic Acid-co-Glycolic Acid (PLAGA) polymers were studied under various ambient conditions and the important operating parameters have been determined. Applications of the TSM-NF sensors for gas and liquid detection have been discussed.
NEW METHODS IN TEACHING OF POWER ELECTRONICS DEVICES

Abstract —In this paper the traditional and state-of-the-art educational methods and experience in teaching of power electronic devices for undergraduate students are described. The main attention is dedicated to possibilities how to improve the study using e-learning methods. The interactive screens with animations created for better understanding features of power semiconductor devices are presented. Index Terms —Semiconductor devices, power electronics, power electronic teaching, e-learning. I. I NTRODUCTION OOD understanding of power semiconductor devices performance presents a good starting basis for development of power semiconductor converters, their proper design and dimensioning. The books like [1]-[3] give the students the basic ideas providing the excellent support for laboratory experiments and projects. One of the ways how to support power electronics lecture course and motivate the increase of interest in power electronics is a project-oriented power electronics educational laboratory described in [4]. Another form of learning, which complements and supplements the lecture course is the simulation of power electronics devices using various simulation programs like Saber
Some Issues on the Strengthening of Steel Structures With Fibre-Reinforced Polymer Materials

Abstract Fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) materials are widely accepted in the strengthening of civil engineering structures due to their unique characteristics such as high mechanical properties, low dead weight and very good corrosion resistance. In particular the use of FRP materials for strengthening concrete structures was deeply investigated in the past. More recently the use of FRP materials was also proposed in the strengthening of timber, masonry and steel structures. Several studies have been conducted in the literature on the reinforcement of steel structures by FRP materials. They include bond strength, flexural and fatigue reinforcement, strengthening against local buckling and durability aspects. Future research should be conducted in order to propose more reliable design guidelines and to finally increase the acceptance in practice of this reinforcement technique. This paper illustrates some issues on the strengthening of steel structures with FRP materials starting from previous works from the authors. The paper starts with a discussion on the benefits and drawbacks in the use of FRP materials in the reinforcement of steel structures. Then some issues concerning the reinforcement of steel structures are illustrated. They include bond behaviour between steel and FRP, flexural strengthening of steel beams including the post-yielding behaviour and bond durability under mechanical (fatigue) and environmental actions.
The failure modelling of knee ligaments in the finite element model

Lateral bending and shearing were considered as principal injury mechanisms to knee joint of pedestrians. This study aims to establish a failure modelling method to predict the injuries of knee ligaments whilst properly considering the complex loading conditions composed of lateral bending and shearing. Due to the specific model characteristics, ultimate strain of tensile loading test could not be implemented directly in the model as strain failure parameters. To obtain the proper strain failure parameters, we firstly established them with the iterative simulations by approaching the global failure strain in the simulation to the ultimate strain reported by the tensile test. Then, these failure parameters were evaluated against the published experimental tests concerning combined lateral bending and shearing loadings as well as pure lateral bending and shearing. Overall results from the finite element simulations showed a good adoptability of the established failure properties for predicting the ligament failures.
Enhanced thermal management by direct water spray of high-voltage, high power devices in a three-phase, 18-hp AC motor drive demonstration

The combination of high power dissipation (e.g., >500 W) and high power densities required of power conversion devices, such as those utilized within variable-speed motor drives, necessitates thermal management systems with ever-increasing capabilities. Although device power densities on the order of 100 W/cm/sup 2/ are relatively common in applications today, technology roadmaps project power densities in excess of 1 kW/cm/sup 2/ within a few years. Unfortunately, conventional thermal management designs based on solid-state conduction become unworkable at such power densities. In the present DARPA-funded investigation we have approached this problem through implementation of direct low-pressure water spray-cooling of both switch and diode surfaces within a variable-speed motor drive. Problems that were addressed include the packaging of a nozzle array design in a high-power module (>650 W dissipation) that operates with high standoff voltages (V/sub rms//spl sim/325 VAC). Electrical isolation of the devices was achieved by a Parylene coating. An effective thermal resistance of /spl sim/0.007 C/W was achieved through direct water spray-cooling of the electronic devices. In the presentation, we will compare the calculated and measured spray-cooling thermal resistances to those of more conventional thermal management schemes.
The line makes the difference: line managers as effective HRM partners

The HR role of line managers is highly discussed and criticized but little empirically researched. It is argued that line managers are not able to effectively implement HR practices because they do not have the desire, capacity and competences needed to perform well and lack support and policies & procedures to effectively implement HRM on the work floor. This thesis did measure the effect of these five constraints on line managers’ HR implementation effectiveness by first identifying the relevant HR constraints for the line management by interviews, then developing a research instrument to measure the five constraints and finally to measure the effect of these constraints on line managers’ HR implementation effectiveness, taking organisational differences into consideration. Subordinates evaluated their line manager’s HR implementation as effective. However, the more motivated line managers are to perform HR practices, the worse they are perceived in performing such tasks on the work floor. When being motivated to execute HR the way they should, line managers stick to HR guidelines and rules and hence lack the necessary room for maneuver and freedom in applying HR practices according to their own benefits. Somewhat surprisingly, only line managers’ HR-related competences increased the effectiveness of HR implementation, while their capacity, support and policy & procedures did not significantly affect HR implementation effectiveness. Although case studies have identified five factors that can contribute to explaining the ineffectiveness of line managers when it comes to HR implementation, in fact these factors, with the exception of the line managers’ self-perceived competences, by and large do not explain or predict line management effectiveness. The research contributes to important discussions in theory and practice by empirically testing a widely-recognized problem in various organizations and by providing clear advice for organisations and HR departments on how to improve their performance. It is a ‘must read’ for HR managers and line managers alike.
There will always be a you: Experiences with Game of Life's mobile Wave Field Synthesis system

In Wave Field Synthesis, wavefronts produced by small speakers in linear arrays are combined in order to physically reconstruct sound fields which are virtual ‘images’ of arbitrary sound fields. Despite the growing body of technical and theoretical knowledge surrounding Wave Field Synthesis and the growing number of compositions which exploit it, the cost and complexity of the technology have restricted its use to academic or corporate researchers, and its practical and qualitative implications from the point of view of the artist have not yet been widely discussed. Drawing upon experiences working with the mobile Wave Field Synthesis system maintained by the Game of Life Foundation during the development of my piece, there will always be a you, this paper will provide insight into the production process and describe how an empirical approach tends to problematise the gap between technical idealisations and the qualitative performance of the technology. Some changes to the software which would allow the artist to manipulate the WFS environment more concretely are suggested.
Power Quality Improvement Using Cascaded H-Bridge Multilevel Inverter Based Dstatcom

Cascaded multilevel configuration of the inverter has the advantage of its simplicity and modularity over the configurations of the diode-clamped and flying capacitor multilevel inverters. This paper presents a threephase, five-level and seven level cascaded multilevel voltage source inverter based active filter for power line conditioning to improve power quality in the distribution network. The DSTATCOM helps to improve the power factor and eliminate the Total Harmonics Distortion (THD) drawn from a Non-Liner Diode Rectifier Load (NLDRL). The compensation process is based on concept of p-q theory. A CHB Inverter is considered for shunt compensation of a 11 kV distribution system. Finally a level shifted PWM (LSPWM) and phase shifted PWM (PSPWM) techniques are adopted to investigate the performance of CHB Inverter. The results are obtained through Matlab/Simulink software package.
High-Order Interaction Learning for Image Captioning

Image captioning aims at understanding various semantic concepts (e.g., objects and relationships) from an image and integrating them in a sentence-level description. Hence, it is necessary to learn the interaction among these concepts. If we define the context of the interaction to be involved in the subject-predicate-object triplet, most current methods only focus on the single triplet for the first-order interaction to generate sentences. Intuitively, we humans are able to perceive the high-order interaction among concepts from two or more triplets to describe an image. For example, when we see the triplets man-cutting-sandwich and man-with-knife, it is natural to integrate and predict the sentence man cutting sandwich with knife. This depends on the high-order interaction between cutting and knife in different triplets. Therefore, exploiting high-order interaction is expected to benefit image captioning and focus on reasoning. In this paper, we introduce the novel high-order interaction learning method over detected objects and relationships for image captioning under the umbrella of the encoder-decoder framework. We first extract a set of object and relationship features in an image. During the encoding stage, the interactive refining network is proposed to learn high-order representations by modeling intra- and inter-object feature interaction in the self-attention fashion. During the decoding stage, the interactive fusion network is proposed to integrate object and relationship information by strengthening their high-order interaction based on language context for sentence generation. In this way, we learn the object-relationship dependencies in different stages, which can provide abundant cues for both visual understanding and caption generation. Extensive experiments show that the proposed method can achieve competitive performances against the state-of-the-art methods on MSCOCO dataset. Additional ablation studies further validate its effectiveness.
Capacitive micropressure sensors with underneath readout circuit using a standard CMOS process

A capacitive micropressure sensor with readout circuits on a single chip is fabricated using commercial 0.35micrometers CMOS process technology and post-processing. The main break through feature of the chip is the positioning of its readout circuits under the pressure sensor, allowing the chip to be smaller. Post-processing included anisotropic dry etching and wet etching to remove the sacrificial layer, and the use of PECVD nitride to seal the etching holes of the pressure sensor. The sacrificial layer was the metal 3 layer of the standard 0.35 micrometers CMOS process. In addition, the readout circuit is divided into analog and digital parts, with the digital part being an alternate coupled RS flip- flop with four inverters that sharpened the output wave. Moreover, the analog part is employed switched capacitor methodology. The pressure sensor contained an 8 X 8 sensing cells array, and the total area of the pressure sensor chip is 2mmx2 mm. In addition to illustrating the design and fabrication of the capacitive pressure sensor, this investigation demonstrates the simulation and testing results of the readout circuit.
The Study of Automatically Leveling Control System on Electromechanical Vehicle Stable Platform

This paper had developed a four-point supporting automatic leveling system on electromechanical vehicle platform. According to the method fixed the center point for leveling, modular design of the system was adopted, so the system had a good portability. The system has not only good performance on leveling time shorted but also high leveling accuracy and high reliability. So it meets the requirements.
Usability of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs): Malaysian Undergraduates’ Perspective

Nowadays, Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have gained popularity in a blended learning approach at educational institutions around the world. Despite this, little research exists on the students’ experiences and emerging challenges with the implementation of this online learning platform in higher education settings, particularly from the Malaysian perspective. In line with this need, this study was conducted to evaluate the usability of MOOC-Open Learning based on the undergraduate students’ perception. Utilizing the quantitative approach, a survey was disseminated through the online approach to students undertaking various undergraduate programs in a public university, namely Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM). The study findings revealed that there were generally moderate levels of positive perceptions among the respondents towards all usability aspects of MOOC-Open Learning in supporting their learning process, i.e. in terms of usefulness, ease of use, ease of learning, and satisfaction. As an implication, this study highlighted that respondents’ significant level of uncertainties towards the usability of MOOC -Open Learning and the emerging challenges may require further exploration.