Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Stability analysis and controller synthesis for a class of piecewise smooth systems

This thesis deals with the analysis and synthesis of piecewise smooth (PWS) systems. In general, PWS systems are nonsmooth systems, which means their vector fields are discontinuous functions of the state vector. Dynamic behavior of nonsmooth systems is richer than smooth systems. For example, there are phenomena such as sliding modes that occur only in nonsmooth systems. In this thesis, a Lyapunov stability theorem is proved to provide the theoretical framework for the stability analysis of PWS systems. Piecewise affine (PWA) and piecewise polynomial (PWP) systems are then introduced as important subclasses of PWS systems. The objective of this thesis is to propose efficient computational controller synthesis methods for PWA and PWP systems. Three synthesis methods are presented in this thesis. The first method extends linear controllers for uncertain nonlinear systems to PWA controllers. The result is a PWA controller that maintains the performance of the linear controller while extending its region of convergence. However, the synthesis problem for the first method is formulated as a set of bilinear matrix inequalities (BMIs), which are not easy to solve. Two controller synthesis methods are then presented to formulate PWA and PWP controller synthesis as convex problems, which are numerically tractable. Finally, to address practical implementation issues, a time-delay approach to stability analysis of sampled-data PWA systems is presented. The proposed method calculates the maximum sampling time for a sampled-data PWA system consisting of a continuous-time plant and a discrete-time emulation of a continuous-time PWA state feedback controller.
Clothing classification method based on convolutional network and attention mechanism

To address the problems that existing garment classification effects are greatly affected by background noise and that network features are not highly expressive. A multi-scale deep network model (MCA-Inception) is proposed based on convolutional networks and attention mechanisms. This network model uses the modified Inception V3 as the backbone network and expands the perceptual field by adding convolutional kernels of different scale sizes to enrich the contextual detail information of the garment content. At the same time, the CBAM attention module is embedded in the improved backbone network to suppress the interference of noisy information such as cluttered background and enhance the representation of adequate feature information. Average classification accuracies of 81.63% and 77.80% were obtained on the publicly available clothing datasets DeepFashion and ACS, respectively. Experimental comparisons with other methods show that the proposed network model performs better in the clothing classification task.
Prediction of Stability Constants of metal-ligand Complexes Using Thermodynamic Radii of Metal Ions

ABSTRACT Linear Free Energy Relationships (LFER) logK j = a⋅logK i between the stability constants (logK) of the Mn+L complexes of ith and jth metal ions Mn+ (Ca2+, Cd2+, Co2+, Cu2+, Fe2+, La3+, Mg2+, Mn2+, Ni2+, Pb2+, Th4+, VO2+, Y3+, Zn2+) with diverse organic ligands (L) in water were analyzed. From these 432 LFER it follows that each metal ion can be described by one parameter - thermodynamic ionic radius r, and the stability constants of two metal ions M i and M j with a ligand L are related by the simple relationship logKj = (ri /rj )logKi . Predictive performance of this relationship was tested on 228 metal ion pairs which were not used for the radii estimations, and the number of ligands varied from 20 to 221 for these metal ion pairs. Root mean squared error RMSE and squared determination coefficient of the logK predictions vary from 0.50 to 2.0 for 186 test sets and from 0.849 to 0.500 for 218 test sets, respectively.
Digital twin-driven product design framework

With the advent of new generation information technologies in industry and product design, the big data-driven product design era has arrived. However, the big data-driven product design mainly places emphasis on the analysis of physical data rather than the virtual models, in other words, the convergence between product physical and virtual space is usually absent. Digital twin, a new emerging and fast growing technology which connects the physical and virtual world, has attracted much attention worldwide recently. This paper presents a new method for product design based on the digital twin approach. The development of product design is briefly introduced first. The framework of digital twin-driven product design (DTPD) is then proposed and analysed. A case is presented to illustrate the application of the proposed DTPD method.
HYDROLYSIS EXPLAINS THE MECHANICAL BEHAVIOR OF KINESIN The mechanochemical cycle

behavior of kinesin Charles S. Peskin† , George Oster‡ † Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, 251 Mercer Street, New York, NY 10012. ‡ Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 The two-headed motor protein kinesin hydrolyzes nucleotide in order to move unidirectionally along its microtubule track at speeds up to 1000 nm/s (Saxton, e t a l . , 1988), and develops forces in excess of 5 pN (Hunt, e t a l . , 1994; Svoboda , e t a l . , 1994a). Individual kinesin molecules have recently been studied in vitro, and their behavior has been characterized in terms of force-velocity curves and variance measurements (Svoboda and Block, 1994a; Svoboda, e t a l . , 1994b). We present a model for force generation in kinesin in which the ATP hydrolysis reactions are coordinated with the relative positions of the two heads. The model explains the experimental data and permits us to study the relative roles of Brownian motion and elastic deformation in the motor mechansm of kinesin.
Integrating Complementary Medicine Into the Care of Childhood Cancer Survivors: A Brief Report on the Preliminary Framework and Implementation of an Educational Program

Background Existing educational programs typically include limited information on traditional, complementary, and integrative medicine (TCIM) for survivors of childhood cancer. Objectives This brief report presents the preliminary results of an educational program that aims to promote the safe and effective use of Chinese medicine (CM) among survivors in Hong Kong. Methods Survivors of childhood cancer, their caregivers, and oncology practitioners were invited to participate in a program that consists of two didactic seminars and a written educational booklet that disseminated information on the use of CM. A structured questionnaire was used to evaluate participants' receptivity toward and perceived relevance of the program. The Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance (RE-AIM) framework was used to discuss the impact of the intervention. Results Reach: A total of 174 participants attended the seminars, and the seminar recording received over 380 views on social media platforms since April 2021. The hardcopy of the educational booklet was distributed to 43 recipients. The web-version of the booklet was sent to 67 participants and downloaded 143 times. Efficacy: The majority found that the content of the seminar useful (mean score = 5.04/6 points), especially the CM exercise (mean score = 4.88/6 points) and dietary advice (mean score = 4.99/6 points). Intention to adopt: The survivors (or their caregivers) reported that they would adopt advice on food therapies (83.3%) and traditional Chinese health exercises (55.6%) during survivorship. Conclusion The preliminary data on patient preferences will be applied to further develop educational materials and to establish a TCIM referral network within the cancer survivor community.
Assessment for inclusion: rethinking contemporary strategies in assessment design

ABSTRACT Assessment has multiple purposes, one of which is to judge if students have met outcomes at the requisite level. Underperformance in assessment is frequently positioned as a problem of the student and attributed to student diversity and/or background characteristics. However, the assessment might also be inequitable and therefore exclude students inappropriately. To be inclusive, assessment design needs to be reconsidered, and educators should look beyond simplistic categories of disability or social equity groups, towards considering and accounting for diversity on many spectra. This article introduces the concept of assessment for inclusion, which seeks to ensure diverse students are not disadvantaged through assessment practices. Assumptions in assessment design are problematised from this point of view, and three central concerns relating to assessment traditions, assessment expectations, and academic integrity are interrogated. Contemporary design strategies of authentic assessment, programmatic assessment, and assessment for distinctiveness are then harnessed to illustrate approaches to assessment for inclusion. Assessment for inclusion therefore builds on the synergies between inclusive practice and good assessment design.
Multiscale mechanical design of the lightweight, stiff, and damage-tolerant cuttlebone: a computational study.

Cuttlebone, the endoskeleton of cuttlefish, offers an intriguing biological structural model for designing low-density cellular ceramics with high stiffness and damage tolerance. Cuttlebone is highly porous (porosity ∼93%) and lightweight (density less than 20% of seawater), constructed mainly by brittle aragonite (95 wt%), but capable of sustaining hydrostatic water pressures over 20 atmospheres and exhibits energy absorption capability under compression comparable to many metallic foams (∼4.4 kJ/kg). Here we computationally investigate how such a remarkable mechanical efficiency is enabled by the multiscale structure of cuttlebone. Using the common cuttlefish, Sepia Officinalis, as a model system, we first conducted high-resolution synchrotron micro-computed tomography (µ-CT) and quantified the cuttlebone's multiscale geometry, including the 3D asymmetric shape of individual walls, the wall assembly patterns, and the long-range structural gradient of walls across the entire cuttlebone (ca. 55 chambers). The acquired 3D structural information enables systematic finite-element simulations, which further reveal the multiscale mechanical design of cuttlebone: at the wall level, wall asymmetry provides optimized energy absorption while maintaining high structural stiffness; at the chamber level, variation of walls (number, pattern, and waviness amplitude) contributes to progressive damage; at the entire skeletal level, the gradient of chamber heights tailors the local mechanical anisotropy of the cuttlebone for reduced stress concentration. Our results provide integrated insights into understanding the cuttlebone's multiscale mechanical design and provide useful knowledge for the designs of lightweight cellular ceramics. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Cuttlebone has been demonstrated to be a biological ceramic cellular material with remarkable lightweight, high stiffness and energy absorption. However, our knowledge on how such mechanical properties are enabled by cuttlebone's multiscale structure is not complete. Here we combine systematic tomography-based 3D structural analysis and finite-element simulations to reveal how the hierarchical structure of cuttlebone at multiple length scales synergistically contribute to cuttlebone's impressive mechanical efficiency. These findings have important implications for designing biomimetic low-density cellular ceramic materials.
An Extended Decision-Making Model of Coastal Recreational Area Use During the COVID-19 Through Goal-Directed Behavior and Perceived Benefits Framework

Recreational areas have gained significant importance regarding human activities during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially when citizens face challenges. This study aims to examine the behavioral intention of the decision-making approach of the visitors of coastal recreational areas to deal with this situation. The Extended Goal-directed Behavior Model (EGBM) was tested with confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to examine visiting coastal recreational areas to understand how citizens modify their lifestyles. A survey with 41 questions was administered to 311 residents in Izmir province. The results showed that perceived benefits affected attitudes. Attitude, subjective norm, anticipated positive emotion and anticipated negative emotion influenced desire. Desire, past behavior, and perceived behavioral control were also effective for coastal recreational visits. The present study contributes to the growing literature on decision-making processes of the uses of recreational areas and enables focusing on the significance of coastal recreational areas.
Samoistne włóknienie płuc współistniejące z rakiem płuc — przegląd piśmiennictwa

Samoistne włóknienie płuc (IPF) jest śródmiąższową chorobą płuc o złym rokowaniu. Chociaż mechanizmy prowadzące do powstania choroby nie zostały do końca wyjaśnione, wiąże się ona z rozwojem raka płuc, co dodatkowo pogarsza rokowanie. Liczne prace donoszą o współistnieniu IPF i raka płuc u 9,8%, a nawet 50% pacjentów, w zależności od czasu trwania obserwacji. Chociaż sformułowano wytyczne dotyczące leczenia raka płuc dla populacji ogólnej, brakuje powszechnie przyjętych zaleceń dla grupy chorych na IPF. Tymczasem różne zabiegi onkologiczne mogą prowadzić do nagłych zaostrzeń IPF (acute exacerbation of IPF). Autorzy pracy podjęli próbę dokonania przeglądu dostępnych danych na temat raka płuc u chorych, u których wcześniej rozpoznano IPF.
A Comparative Overview on Penetration Testing

— This paper provides a brief impact on penetration testing and the methodology used. The paper also renders an overview of use of IPv6 has on remote penetration testing of servers and web applications. Testing penetration is a very common and familiar method for measuring and assessing the security of a network or information. A penetration tester should follow certain topology so that, one can identify successfully the threats faced by an organization’s network or information assets from a hacker and cut-down an organization’s IT security costs by taking steps a better return on security investments.
Paleoecology of Mesozoic terrestrial habitats using non- marine borings in dinosaur bones

Several borings in bone have been discovered in Jurassic and Cretaceous Period vertebrate deposits. The use of non-marine borings within studies on paleoclimatic conditions of terrestrial habitats has become popular in the literature recently. Based on lithology of the bone units and taphonomic data, these borings occurred in subaerial environments. Review of several common bone borers, including mayflies, termites, and tineid moths, compared to the borings seen in the various studies, conclude dermestid beetles as those responsible. Often dermestid beetle traces show shallow pits with parallel-grooved mandible marks. Adult dermestid beetles bore into decaying carcasses above the water table, create pupate chambers, and proceed to lay eggs. Once the larvae hatch, the dermestids consume the carcass. Preferrably, adult dermestid beetles occupy carcasses contained in dry terrestrial environments in order to prevent competition between various other insects. Thus, the presence of dermestid beetle borings provide evidence towards a subaerial, dry paleoclimate. Furthermore, non-marine borings can be used to describe plausible soil moisture, water-table levels, and various other climatic variables of ancient terrestrial habitats.
University knowledge transfer: exploring organisational structures to create strategic alignment

Whilst knowledge and technology transfer unarguably present an important source of wealth for a nation and an important component of a modern university's offering to society, the management of this activity is complex and as a result, many economies struggle to realise their expectations. Academics and commercial organisations are quick to blame inflexible and bureaucratic university transfer offices and administrators for this shortfall. This paper takes an approach of exploring the structural arrangements of knowledge transfer offices across various countries to identify if different structures help overcome different strategic and operational challenges involved in university-industry knowledge transfer. The findings identify that interdependent and complex management practices coupled with equally complex organisational architectures lead to issues of conflicting pressures and ambiguous governance. Furthermore, this research illustrates a number of 'structural' solutions that universities have adopted to try to side-step some of the problems.
A Study to Investigate the Consumer Behavior and Cultural Dimensions of Engineering Students in Pakistan

The current study compares consumer behavior and Cultural Orientations between engineering and non-engineering students in Pakistan. Engineering students by virtue of their academic background are considered to have more technical know-how, more cognitive skills and can easily learn and adopt a new technology as compared to students from a non-engineering background. Furthermore the researchers were interested to find out that how the thinking skills and choice making of engineering students differ from other students and ultimately effects their consumer behavior and Cultural Dimensions. For this purpose three consumer behavior variables have been selected that are Customer Satisfaction, Customer Loyalty and Customer Switching. Cultural Dimensions are measured using the model proposed by Geert Hofstede. Two technologically sophisticated services are used in this study that is Mobile Phone and Debit Cards. The target population of the study consisted of 5000 students of which approximately 500 respondents were from various engineering universities in Pakistan. The comparison of consumer behavior and Cultural Dimensions differences was made through two group’s Discriminant Analysis. Differences in behavior and Cultural Dimensions have been reported among the engineering versus non-engineering students. Mobile Phone services satisfaction and loyalty were high among nonengineering students whereas engineering student’s registered higher satisfaction and loyalty in Debit Card services. Another interesting finding is difference in switching behavior. In case of both the services engineering students reported a higher mean score for switching. Score for Cultural Dimensions were also different among the two students type; whereby mean score for Masculinity was higher for engineering students as compared to other professions.
An Analysis of the Characteristics and Evolution of China's Pension Policy Based on Text Mining

With the economic and social development, China has changed from the initial demographic dividend to an aging population, and governments at all levels have introduced a series of policies to cope with the negative effects caused by the aging population. This paper collects a total of 167 pension policy documents from 2010 to 2020, and uses text mining techniques to systematically study the characteristics and evolutionary trends of pension policies in terms of issuing agencies and contents. The conclusions drawn in this paper are as follows: First, the Ministry of Civil Affairs and other departments play a major role in the formulation of pension policies. Second, the pension policies formulated by the government during the study cycle are biased toward public service aspects, and the content of medical care, investment, and pensions is mainly indirectly focused on a cyclical basis. The findings of this paper can help the government to check the gaps and improve the existing policy system, and the research methodology can help the government to make more scientific decisions.
Discriminatively learned network for i‐vector based speaker recognition

In many i-vector based speaker recognition frameworks, the key challenge is to develop effective channel compensation methods for enlarging inter-class differences while reducing intra-class variations. This challenge is handled with a discriminatively learned network (DLN), which uses both speaker classification and verification signals as supervision. The speaker classification task forces the embeddings (vectors mapped from i-vectors) of different identities drawing apart to increase the inter-class variation, while the verification task pulls the embeddings of the same identity together to reduce the intra-class variation. DLN projects i-vectors to a more discriminative embedding space. However, the verification scores are cosine similarities between these embeddings. The learned DLN can be well generalised to new speakers unseen in the training data. On the text-dependent challenging Robust Speaker Recognition (RSR2015) database, the performance is significantly improved when compared with the linear discriminant analysis (LDA) and Gaussian probabilistic LDAmethods.
Identifying activities and trips with GPS data

This study designs a process for identifying trips and activities based on global positioning system (GPS) survey data. The proposed identification process is composed of four steps, namely determining status segments, detecting activities, identifying trips, and recognising short-time activities. The results indicate that the proposed algorithm shows a high level of identification accuracy compared with the travel diaries reported in the paper-form travel survey. By providing the identification method of the short-time activities, this study resolves the problem of overlooking short-time activities in conventional travel surveys and increases the accuracy of trip detection. This work also facilitates the study of the spatial and temporal distributions of short-time activities related to travel behaviours such as temporary parking. By proposing a method for identifying trips and activities from GPS data, the findings provide a research scheme for detecting other travel information based on GPS data such as travel mode and trip purpose, reasonable decisions for urban transportation planning and management.
An Experimental Investigation of the Progressive Failure of Sandstone and Its Energy Evolution Characteristics

In this research study, the progressive failure and energy evolution characteristics of sandstone samples with different sizes were explored under uniaxial and triaxial compression conditions. The characteristic stresses and strains were captured using the crack axial strain levels and dissipative energy. The results showed that, with the increase in the ratios of the height to diameter (H/D), the crack closure stresses increased, while the crack damage stresses decreased. However, the levels of both the crack closure stresses and crack damages were observed to increase with the H/D. With increase in the confining pressure, it was found that the crack closure and crack damage stresses increased, while their levels decreased. The strains of the crack closures, peak crack axial, and crack propagation were observed to decrease with the H/D, while the crack closure strain levels increased. Also, the crack propagation strains were observed to increase with the confining pressures, while the crack closure, peak crack axial, and crack closure strain levels decreased. The progress failure of the sandstone samples was also obtained based on the evolution characteristics of the dissipative energy. The relationship between the energy densities during each phase and the H/D was also analyzed. It was determined that, with the increasing of the H/D, the input, elastic, and dissipative energy densities displayed different evolution characteristics. Furthermore, with the increases in the characteristic stresses, the input and elastic energy densities were found to increase. The dissipative energy density displayed a slight increase with the increases in the peak strength, which resulted in variations with regard to the crack closures and crack damage stresses.