Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Design of variable gain robust H ∞ controller for a class of uncertain Delta-operator-formulated time-delay system

On the basis of LMI, a design method of variable gain robust H ∞ controller for a class of uncertain Delta-operator-formulated time-delay system is presented in this paper. The controller gain variation is assumed to be additive-norm-bounded. A sufficient condition for the existence of the controller is formulated in LMI form, which is delay-independent. A numerical example is used to illustrate the effectiveness of the designed procedures. Through the analysis of the poles and the initial response curves of the closed-loop system, the results show that it is necessary to consider the variations of the controller parameters when we design a controller for the uncertain Delta-operator-formulated time-delay system.
Theoretical Study on Vertically Coupled Stranski-Krastanov (SK) on Sub Monolayer (SML) InAs Quantum Dot Heterostructures Employing Ternary and Quaternary Barrier Materials

This work presents the impact of barrier spacer on the structural and optical properties of strain-coupled Stranski-Krastanov (SK) on Sub Monolayer (SML) quantum dot (QD) heterostructures. Various ternary and quaternary materials have been employed as the barrier layer of SK-SML QD heterostructures. In the coupled SK-SML QDs, the residual strain propagates from the SML seed layer towards the top SK dots, introducing defects and dislocations. After employing the ternary (GaAs1-ySby) and quaternary (InxAl0.21Ga1-.0.21-xAs and In0.18Ga0.82As1-ySby) materials, the residual strain reduces, reducing the defects which thereby helps in increasing the crystalline quality of the heterostructure. Nextnano software has been used to compute the structures' strain, energy band profile, probability density functions, and emission wavelength. Two strain components, viz. hydrostatic as well as biaxial strain, have been computed and compared for all the heterostructures to understand the distribution of the strain profile. The emission wavelength is red-shifted for the SK-SML QD heterostructures with ternary and quaternary materials as a barrier layer as compared to that of the GaAs barrier. Moreover, type-I and II energy band profiles are observed for Sb-based barrier material, appropriate for various optoelectronic applications. This is a comparative study of SK-SML QDs with various barrier materials helps minimize the strain and defects and improve the device performance.
DPrio: Efficient Differential Privacy with High Utility for Prio

Private data collection systems such as Prio ensure data privacy by distributing trust among a set of mutually trusted parties, to allow for aggregate data collection without disclosing any single client's data in the clear. While systems like Prio are undergoing widespread interest and adoption, these systems lack efficient mechanisms to provide differential privacy guarantees. In this work, we present a lightweight method that we call DPrio to augment Prio and related systems with differential privacy assurances while ensuring higher data utility than existing noise generation protocols. We compare our results against four related constructions in the literature, and identify how DPrio achieves improved data utility relative to the assumed number of dishonest clients and servers, with only minimal (and batchable) server communication overhead. We present several case studies and discuss considerations for real-world implementations.
Reconfigurable kirigami skins steer a soft robot

Friction-assisted locomotion in limbless creatures has inspired the development of bioinspired soft robots that can creep into narrow passages, inspect disaster sites, and explore unstructured terrains. Directional friction is an essential element of any crawling locomotion where a low forward friction force favors displacement in the direction of movement, and a high backward friction force provides the required anchorage. Kirigami metasurfaces, created by perforating repetitive cuts into thin sheets, can pop out upon being stretched and produce directional friction for specific cut patterns. Here, we create a composite kirigami skin for a soft robot that, in addition to enabling the robot to crawl in a straight line, can reconfigure when stretched along different directions and steer the robot. We fabricated a triangular actuator frame made of three fiber-reinforced extending actuators placed at each edge that, when actuated in pairs, can elongate the frame in three symmetric directions. We covered the actuator with the proposed reconfigurable kirigami skin to create an omnidirectional planar soft crawling robot. We characterized the linear locomotion and maneuvering capabilities of the robot and tracked the robot's trajectories for different combinations of actuation inputs. Our proposed approach uses a single robotics skin to embody multiple locomotion possibilities in soft robots.
Examining the neural correlates of depressive and motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease using Frequency Component Analysis (FCA)

Depression is prevalent among patients with Parkinson's disease (PD); however the pathophysiology of depression in PD is not well understood. In order to investigate how depression and motor impairments differentially and interactively affect specific brain regions in Parkinson's disease, we introduced a new data driven approach, namely Frequency Component Analysis (FCA), to decompose the resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data of 59 subjects with Parkinson's disease into different frequency bands. We then evaluated the main effects of motor severity and depression, and their interactive effects on the BOLD-fMRI signal oscillation energy in these specific frequency components. Our results show that the severity of motor symptoms is more negatively correlated with energy in the frequency band of 0.10-0.25Hz in the bilateral thalamus (THA), but more positively correlated with energy in the frequency band of 0.01-0.027Hz in the bilateral postcentral gyrus (PoCG). In contrast, the severity of depressive symptoms is more associated with the higher energy of the high frequency oscillations (>0.1Hz) but lower energy of 0.01-0.027Hz in the bilateral subgenual gyrus (SGC). Importantly, the interaction between motor and depressive symptoms is negatively correlated with the energy of high frequency oscillations (>0.1Hz) in the substantia nigra/ventral tegmental area (SN/VTA), left hippocampus (HIPP), left inferior orbital frontal cortex (OFC), and left temporoparietal junction (TPJ), but positively correlated with the energy of 0.02-0.05Hz in the left inferior OFC, left TPJ, left inferior temporal gyrus (ITG), and bilateral cerebellum. These results demonstrated that FCA was a promising method in interrogating the neurophysiological implications of different brain rhythms. Our findings further revealed the neural bases underlying the interactions as well the dissociations between motor and depressive symptoms in Parkinson's disease.
A Deep Learning Model Approach Using Feature Engineering To Predict Melanoma Tumour Size

Melanoma, a lethal ailment, occurs when the melanocytes in our body become cancerous. The fatality rate for early detection of melanoma is relatively low, making early diagnosis critical. While most studies focus on classification techniques to identify the presence of malignant melanoma, this paper suggests a novel deep learning approach to estimate tumour size quantitatively. Initially, the features are pre-processed using a square root transformation function to improve the quality of the dataset, followed by the addition of novel features. These features are fed to an Artificial Neural Network to predict tumour size. This study compares the model performance before and after the addition of handcrafted features for different optimization algorithms. Excellent performance is obtained, with a very low mean square error of 0.0001 and a high coefficient of determination of 0.9976 for an Adam-optimized model using feature construction for the development set of data.
An Improved Visual Odometer Based on Lucas-Kanade Optical Flow and ORB Feature

Visual odometer is an important part of SLAM system. Visual odometer based on feature points is the current mainstream. Featured based method completes the positioning by extracting feature points and matching descriptors. However, under low texture conditions, there are few features to extract, and the cost of matching descriptors is also high. to solve this problem, we propose a visual odometer based on Lucas-Kanade(LK) optical flow method and ORB feature. The method improves the performance of the ORB algorithm and acquires more feature points in a low-texture environment. A coarse-to-fine LK method is proposed for robustly and efficiently matching feature points between two frames. Based on this, a semi-direct visual odometry is proposed to improve the performance of visual odometry in low-texture environments. The main contribution of this method is that we introduce the direct method in the feature point-based approach, which significantly improves the localization accuracy in low-texture environments. The results show that the method can accomplish localization in low-texture environments without closed-loop. Experimental evaluation on two benchmark datasets shows that the method has higher accuracy and robustness in motion estimation compared to other state-of-the-art methods. We have done strict tests on EuRoC and TUM data sets, and the results show that our visual odometer has higher accuracy and robustness in low-texture environment than the state-of-art feature-based scheme.
Calculation of band structures by a discrete variable representation based on Bloch functions

The propagation of waves in periodic media is restricted to allowed bands of energy or frequencies separated by forbidden gaps. We propose a discrete variable representation, based on Bloch functions, that is suitable for the calculation of band structures in one-dimensional systems. The solutions are obtained by a single diagonalization without any integration. The method only needs the values of the potential at grid points. Applications to the standard Kronig-Penney and Mathieu potentials, and to the nonanalytical case of a soft Coulomb potential, show that very good accuracy is achieved with moderate grid sizes.
Spatial Orientation Modeling: Position-Motion Paradox in Hypergravity

Spatial orientation models are often used to predict perceived orientation under conditions of unusual acceleration experienced in the aerospace environment. Until 2014, the models were exclusively based upon vestibular modeling of the semicircular canals and otolith organs for angular and linear acceleration. Newman (2014) expanded the model by adding some basic visual components. A well-known visual-vestibular illusion is the oculogravic illusion in which an isolated object located in front of a subject appears to move upwards as the gravitoinertial force level is increased and the head is in a normal upright position. Much of the data for the vestibular portion of the model has been conducted on ground-based devices such as centrifuges. However, some experiments can only be carried out in-flight as in the case of examining the dynamics of the oculogravic illusion during head movements. Head movements performed in hypergravity on a centrifuge produce cross coupled Coriolis (CCC) effects that confound the perceptions. Tests using high speed aircraft (0.8 Mach) banking to create hypergravity (1.8 G) but with low angular velocity reduced the CCC effects below perceptual threshold. Subjects were flown at 0.87 Mach at various G levels maintained for several minutes (banked turns in KC-135 slowly ascending/descending to avoid jet wash). A consistent report across all subjects was the perceived upward illusionary motion of the faint light positioned directly in front of the subject with a slowly decreasing velocity but continuing vertical paradoxical motion after becoming “fixed in space”. Dynamic perceptions during head movements although not consistent, were never in the direction predicted by cross coupling. Several low-level mishaps have been attributed to this hypergravity or “g-excess effect”. Thus the time course and dynamics of this illusion are important from the perspective of. characterizing these illusions and will contribute to expanding the envelope of the model. We suggest that multisensory cueing techniques can be used to minimize the G-excess illusion and possibly resolve the issue of SD mishaps.
Flipping an Algebra Classroom: Analyzing, Modeling, and Solving Systems of Linear Equations

The present study investigated whether flipping an algebra classroom led to a stronger focus on conceptual understanding and improved learning of systems of linear equations for 54 seventh- and eighth-grade students using teacher journal data and district-mandated unit exam items. Multivariate analysis of covariance was used to compare scores on three factors, analyze, model, and solve systems of linear equations. We found comparable statistically significant learning gains in both treatment groups. We found that the focus on conceptual understanding was similar in the flipped and control classrooms, and the learning gains were statistically significant and similar in both groups. Explicit attention to the substance of the at-home videos and in-class activities is needed to use the flipped classroom model to successfully shift the instructional focus from procedural to conceptual understanding.
Closure Modeling of Fully Developed Baroclinic Instability

Abstract Simple second-order closure models of quasi-geostrophic turbulence are derived, applying either to two-layer flows within isentropic boundaries, or to Eady-type frontogenesis with vanishing potential vorticity; homogeneity and horizontal isotropy are used as simplifying assumptions. Long-term numerical integrations of the two models are performed to obtain the structure of regime flows under stationary large-scale baroclinic forcing. The various cascade processes and the corresponding inertial ranges are discussed and visualized, showing characteristic differences between fully developed baroclinic instability and the linear theory. Further applications of such models may include studies of truncation effects on the efficiency of baroclinic instability.
Assurance Guidance for Space Mission use of Data-Driven Machine Learning

We report on our experience developing guidance for assurance personnel on how to assure data-driven Machine Learning (ML) systems to be used in the space domain. The impetus for this work stems from the rapid advancement of ML techniques, the positive results of which are inspiring even relatively risk-averse space missions to seek their use. However, assurance personnel, charged with assessing the adequacy of processes and practices followed during space mission developments, are often unfamiliar with these techniques, and lack matured standards to guide their assessments.
From Feasting to Fasting: The Arginine Pathway as a Metabolic Switch in Nitrogen-Deprived Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

The metabolism of the model microalgae Chlamydomonas reinhardtii under nitrogen deprivation is of special interest due to its resulting increment of triacylglycerols (TAGs), that can be applied in biotechnological applications. However, this same condition impairs cell growth, which may limit the microalgae’s large applications. Several studies have identified significant physiological and molecular changes that occur during the transition from an abundant to a low or absent nitrogen supply, explaining in detail the differences in the proteome, metabolome and transcriptome of the cells that may be responsible for and responsive to this condition. However, there are still some intriguing questions that reside in the core of the regulation of these cellular responses that make this process even more interesting and complex. In this scenario, we reviewed the main metabolic pathways that are involved in the response, mining and exploring, through a reanalysis of omics data from previously published datasets, the commonalities among the responses and unraveling unexplained or non-explored mechanisms of the possible regulatory aspects of the response. Proteomics, metabolomics and transcriptomics data were reanalysed using a common strategy, and an in silico gene promoter motif analysis was performed. Together, these results identified and suggested a strong association between the metabolism of amino acids, especially arginine, glutamate and ornithine pathways to the production of TAGs, via the de novo synthesis of lipids. Furthermore, our analysis and data mining indicate that signalling cascades orchestrated with the indirect participation of phosphorylation, nitrosylation and peroxidation events may be essential to the process. The amino acid pathways and the amount of arginine and ornithine available in the cells, at least transiently during nitrogen deprivation, may be in the core of the post-transcriptional, metabolic regulation of this complex phenomenon. Their further exploration is important to the discovery of novel advances in the understanding of microalgae lipids’ production.
On solving the multi-period location-assignment problem under uncertainty

We present a framework for solving the strategic problem of timing the location of facilities and the assigning of customers to facilities in a multi-period environment under uncertainty in the timing at which the customers need to be assigned to the facilities and the minimum number of customers to be served at each time horizon. By considering a compact mathematical representation of the Deterministic Equivalent Model, we specialize the so-called Branch-and-Fix Coordination algorithmic frame-work. It exploits the structure of the model and, speci cally, the non-anticipativity constraints for the variables. The algorithm uses the Twin Node Family concept and the Lagrangean substitution bounding. Our procedure is speci cally designed for coordinating the selection of the branching TNF, such that the nonanticipativity constraints are satis ed. Some computational experience is reported.
Analysis of the Luria–Delbrück distribution using discrete convolution powers

The Luria–Delbrück distribution arises in birth-and-mutation processes in population genetics that have been systematically studied for the last fifty years. The central result reported in this paper is a new recursion relation for computing this distribution which supersedes all past results in simplicity and computational efficiency: p 0 = e–m ; where m is the expected number of mutations. A new relation for the asymptotic behavior of pn (≈ c/n 2) is also derived. This corresponds to the probability of finding a very large number of mutants. A formula for the z-transform of the distribution is also reported.
Stretchable Optical Waveguide Sensor Suitability for Wrinkle Degree Detection in Soft Robots

Optical waveguide deformation sensors are created for less than 15 US Dollars each and evaluated for their usefulness in detecting the severity of wrinkles in a thin-walled soft robot. This severity is quantified by the bend angle produced in the robot. The sensors are integrated into the skin of the robot and tests are performed to determine their usefulness. The sensors prove to be able to accurately track the bend angle of the robotic arm as a wrinkle is induced in a sudden load drop test, a sudden pressure loss test, an incremented load test, and an incremented pressure test. The drop test, specifically, tracked bend angle through many rapid undulations.
Settling an unsettled phenomenon: citizens’ views and understandings of voluntary carbon offsetting in Finland

ABSTRACT Voluntary carbon offsets are a rapidly growing market and claims related to offsetting and carbon neutrality are visible in citizens’ daily lives. Proponents suggest that carbon offsetting offers a cost-effective way to incentivize climate action while critics discuss offsetting as an opaque and dysfunctional practice. Previous studies have examined citizens’ perceptions principally through quantitative data, and especially by economic choice experiments. As voluntary carbon offsetting is unsettled in citizen’s everyday lives, we argue that such studies overlook the more subtle ways in which this is happening. To address these ways in detail, we conducted a multi-method analysis of a nationally representative survey (n = 1000) in Finland. The closed questions of the survey were first analysed quantitatively, and the insights then enriched by a qualitative analysis of the open questions. The combined results highlight citizens’ views and understandings as uncertain and ambivalent: despite a widespread willingness to address climate change, there is little unreserved support for voluntary carbon offsetting and distrust towards the sector is high. Our study cautions against placing high hopes in individuals’ voluntary carbon offsetting as a form of climate action.
Optimisation topologique des transferts thermiques et massiques dans un canal asymétriquement chauffé

Les presents travaux de these envisagent une nouvelle technique d'optimisation au sens topologique dans des geometries de type canal vertical ou se realisent des transferts de chaleur conducto-convectifs en regime laminaire. Les equations qui decrivent l'ecoulement du fluide et le transfert d'energie sont discretisees par la methode des volumes finis. La premiere partie du memoire presente une nouvelle technique d'optimisation et sa validation sur des cas d'etudes de la litterature (single pipe, bend pipe). Cette technique consiste a definir des fonctions d'interpolation de type sigmoide et permet d'obtenir une amelioration de l'interface fluide-solide au cours du processus d'optimisation. La seconde partie met en evidence les phenomenes physiques dans le canal asymetriquement chauffe, notamment l'influence de la stratification thermique exterieure et du rayonnement de surface sur les quantites aerauliques et thermiques. Enfin, une nouvelle expression de la puissance mecanique pour controler les pertes de charge (malgre l'ajout de matiere) dans le canal vertical combinee avec une nouvelle expression de la puissance thermique sont etudiees. Le probleme ainsi pose est resolu pour un ecoulement en convection naturelle. Pour les cas consideres, chacune des fonctions cout est optimisee sans deteriorer l'autre. Nous comparons aussi les valeurs des puissances obtenues par notre algorithme avec celles couramment utilisees dans la litterature et montrons que ces nouvelles fonctionnelles sont performantes.
5G and 6G WiFi Transceiver Comparison in Multi Modulation Schemes Performance with MATLAB Simulink

Wifi is a prevalent technology used all over the world. Virtually every smartphone has some form of Wifi connectivity. The fifth generation of wireless networking, known as WiFi 5 or IEEE 802.11ac, uses the 5GHz band frequency to deliver high throughput in wireless local area networks (LANs). The 802.11ax-compliant wireless computer network is commonly referred to as wifi 6 in the market. It is also known as AX Wifi or high-efficiency Wifi. It is the successor of 802.11ac (Wifi 5). Wifi 6 is quite an exciting improvement to the Wifi technology in general. In this paper performance comparison of WiFi 5 and 6 in multi modulation schemes using spectrum analyzer and constellation diagram, fram format of both WiFi where illustrated in details, all modulation techniques tested under Rayleigh and AWGN channels, M-PSK and M-QAM used with size of modulation constellation M (16, 64, 256) are used in WiFi 5 while M (16, 64, 256, 1024) are used in WiFi 6.