Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Design of a wideband 377 Ω E‐shaped patch antenna for RF energy harvesting

The design of a 377 Ω E‐shaped patch antenna with partial ground plane is presented and discussed in this article. Two parallel slots are introduced into the conventional patch antenna, and it was investigated by the currents through the patch to enhance its bandwidth. The antenna is designed, fabricated, and measured for downlink frequency band of GSM 900, which shows an impedance bandwidth of 29.03% (277 MHz) at 954 MHz. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 54:569–573, 2012; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.26607
Using Predicted Patterns of 3D Prey Distribution to Map King Penguin Foraging Habitat

King penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus) are an iconic Southern Ocean species, but the prey distributions that underpin their at-sea foraging tracks and diving behaviour remain unclear. We conducted simultaneous acoustic surveys off South Georgia and tracking of king penguins breeding ashore there in Austral summer 2017 to gain insight into habitat use and foraging behaviour. Acoustic surveys revealed ubiquitous deep scattering layers (DSLs; acoustically detected layers of fish and other micronekton that inhabit the mesopelagic zone) at c. 500 m and shallower ephemeral fish schools. Based on DNA extracted from penguin faecal samples, these schools were likely comprised of lanternfish (an important component of king penguin diets), icefish (Channichthyidae spp.) and painted noties (Lepidonotothen larseni). Penguins did not dive as deep as DSLs, but their prey-encounter depth-distributions, as revealed by biologging, overlapped at fine scale (10s of m) with depths of acoustically detected fish schools. We used neural networks to predict local scale (10 km) fish echo intensity and depth distribution at penguin dive locations based on environmental correlates, and developed models of habitat use. Habitat modelling revealed that king penguins preferentially foraged at locations predicted to have shallow and dense (high acoustic energy) fish schools associated with shallow and dense DSLs. These associations could be used to predict the distribution of king penguins from other colonies at South Georgia for which no tracking data are available, and to identify areas of potential ecological significance within the South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands marine protected area.
Morphological and Optical Properties of Silicon Nanostructure, Obtained by One Step Ag-assisted Chemical Etching

Silver-assisted one-step chemical etching (AACE) is a low-cost, straightforward method for producing silicon nanostructures to improve their light absorption; it includes the etching of the wafers in aqueous hydrofluoric acid (HF), silver nitrate (AgNO3) and nitric acid (HNO3) solution. Influence of various parameters, such as AgNO3 concentration (0.47, 0.58, and 1.17 mM), HF concentration (0.67, 0.9, and 1.129 M), HNO3 concentration (0.12, 0.24, and 0.37 M), etching temperature (40, 50, and 60 o C), and etching time (4, 5, and 6 min), on the Morphological and optical properties of silicon wafers were investigated. The results show that these parameters have a main role in determining the nanostructure size. The reflection measurements show that the minimum reflectance with 11% achieved with 0.58 mM AgNO3, 1.129 M HF, and 0.12M HNO3 recipe. Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) appears that the morphology of the manufactured silicon is semi-spherical nanostructures with the formation of the porous surface on the surface of the wafers.
A fault-tolerant inverter with auxiliary switch and its control method

As multi-level inverters are widely used in high-power applications, the fault-tolerant control of multi-level inverters is also paid more and more attention, because it is very important to ensure the stability and reliability of the system. In this paper, a fault-tolerant inverter with auxiliary switch (FIAS) and its control method are put forward. In order to reduce the damage of Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor (IGBT) failure of cascaded H-bridge (CHB) inverter, added fault isolation switches and relays on five-level CHB. Using the above switches can complete fault isolation and health bridge reconfiguration after the system receives the fault signal, so that the CHB will keep fault tolerant operation with voltage peak. The effectiveness of proposed method is verified by simulation and experiment of five-level CHB.
Artificial Neural Networks for the Identification of Partial Differential Equations of LandSurface Schemes in Climate Models

Land surface scheme in climate models is a solver for a nonlinear PDE system, which describes thermal conductance and water diffusion in soil. Thermal conductivity 𝜆 𝑇 , water diffusivity 𝜆 𝑊 and hydraulic conductivity 𝛾 coefficients of this system are functions of the solution of the system 𝑊 and 𝑇 . For the climate models to accurately represent the Earth system’s evolution, one needs to approximate the coefficients or estimate their values empirically. Measuring the coefficients is a complicated in-lab experiment without a chance to cover the full range of environmental conditions. In this work, we propose a data-driven approach for approximating the parameters of the PDE system describing the evolution of soil characteristics. We formulate the coefficients as parametric functions, namely artificial neural networks. We propose training these neural networks with the loss function computed as a discrepancy between the PDE system solution and the measured characteristics 𝑊 and 𝑇 . We also propose a scheme inherited from the backpropagation method for calculating the gradients of the loss function w.r. t. network parameters. As a proof-of-concept step, we assessed the capabilities of our approach in three synthetic scenarios: a nonlinear thermal diffusion equation, a nonlinear liquid water 𝑊 diffusion equation, and Richards equation. We generated realistic initial conditions and simulated synthetic evolutions of 𝑊 and 𝑇 that we used as measurements in the networks‘ training procedure for these three scenarios. The results of our study show that our approach provides an opportunity for reconstructing the PDE coefficients of various forms accurately without actual knowledge of their ground truth values.
Triggering Mechanism for Neutron Induced Single-Event Burnout in Power Devices

Cosmic ray neutrons can trigger catastrophic failures in power devices. It has been reported that parasitic transistor action causes single-event burnout (SEB) in power metal–oxide–semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) and insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs). However, power diodes do not have an inherent parasitic transistor. In this paper, we describe the mechanism triggering SEB in power diodes for the first time using transient device simulation. Initially, generated electron–hole pairs created by incident recoil ions generate transient current, which increases the electron density in the vicinity of the n-/n+ boundary. The space charge effect of the carriers leads to an increase in the strength of the electric field at the n-/n+ boundary. Finally, the onset of impact ionization at the n-/n+ boundary can trigger SEB. Furthermore, this failure is closely related to diode secondary breakdown. It was clarified that the impact ionization at the n-/n+ boundary is a key point of the mechanism triggering SEB in power devices.
Convolution-Based Encoding of Depth Images for Transfer Learning in RGB-D Scene Classification

Classification of indoor environments is a challenging problem. The availability of low-cost depth sensors has opened up a new research area of using depth information in addition to color image (RGB) data for scene understanding. Transfer learning of deep convolutional networks with pairs of RGB and depth (RGB-D) images has to deal with integrating these two modalities. Single-channel depth images are often converted to three-channel images by extracting horizontal disparity, height above ground, and the angle of the pixel’s local surface normal (HHA) to apply transfer learning using networks trained on the Places365 dataset. The high computational cost of HHA encoding can be a major disadvantage for the real-time prediction of scenes, although this may be less important during the training phase. We propose a new, computationally efficient encoding method that can be integrated with any convolutional neural network. We show that our encoding approach performs equally well or better in a multimodal transfer learning setup for scene classification. Our encoding is implemented in a customized and pretrained VGG16 Net. We address the class imbalance problem seen in the image dataset using a method based on the synthetic minority oversampling technique (SMOTE) at the feature level. With appropriate image augmentation and fine-tuning, our network achieves scene classification accuracy comparable to that of other state-of-the-art architectures.
DESIGN FOR OTHER SPECIES: AUSTRALIAN EXAMPLES

Recognizing that most design solutions are human-centered, this study focuses on the agency of design to serve the needs of other living things and the broader ecosphere. Promising examples of non-anthropocentric innovations in Australia were collected; 12 were selected and written as mini case studies, and then analyzed using the lens of Metcalfe’s principles of Multispecies Design. The research concludes that designing practical innovations that have benefits for other species as well as for humans is possible and shows potential in meeting biodiversity goals.
A neural network approach for classifying test structure results

An approach is described for identifying and classifying semiconductor manufacturing process variation using test structure data. The technique uses a machine-learning algorithm based on neural networks to train computers to detect patterns associated with test structure results. The objective of this work is to develop more reliable machine-learning classification procedures using test structure data from a semiconductor manufacturing environment. An example based on characterizing the performance of a 1- mu m lithography process is presented as well as a description of the test chip. <<ETX>>
Improvements in Swim Skills in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder Following a 5-Day Adapted Learn-To-Swim Program (iCan Swim)

Drowning is one of the leading causes of death in children and teenagers. Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are at increased risk for drowning. Improvements in swim skills have been observed in children with ASD participating in learn-to-swim programs. However, it is unclear if age, co-occurring conditions, and/or the dose of practice influence swim skills in this population. To this end, a secondary data analysis of iCan Swim program data was conducted to determine the efficacy of the 5-day adapted learn-to-swim program for a cohort of children with ASD ages 3–16 years (n = 86). Participant swim level was evaluated at the start and end of the program. Linear mixed-effects regression was used to examine the effects of Time (start/end), Age, Dose of Swim Practice (i.e., total time–time out of the water), and ADHD status on the overall swim level. Participants significantly increased the swim level from the beginning to the end of the program (B = 0.63, 95% CI = 0.52–0.74), and participants with ASD and co-occurring ADHD had greater swim levels regardless of Time than those without ADHD (B = 0.45, 95% CI = 0.05–0.84). Overall, iCan Swim is effective in improving the swim skills of children and teenagers with ASD.
An Improved Model for the Performance Estimation of an H-Darrieus Wind Turbine in Skewed Flow

Small turbines are considered one of the most promising technologies for an effective diffusion of renewable energy sources in new installation contexts with a high degree of integration with human activity (e.g. the urban environment). In these new installations, however, the real working conditions can be far from the nominal ones. In particular, the turbine functioning can be noticeably affected by misalignments between the oncoming flow and the axis of the rotor; differently from horizontal-axis wind turbines, whose performance is decreased by a skew angle, H-Darrieus turbines are thought to take advantage from this condition in some cases. In this study, an improved model for the performance prediction of H-Darrieus rotors under skewed flow was developed. In detail, a theoretical approach based on Momentum Models was properly modified to account for the variations induced by the new direction of the flow which invests the rotor. In particular, the modifications in the aerodynamic characteristics of the airfoils, the swept area and the streamtubes distribution were modeled. The performance predictions of the new model were compared both with experimental data available in the technical literature and with the results of wind tunnel tests purposefully carried out on a full scale model of an H-Darrieus turbine. Notable agreement has been constantly obtained between simulations and experiments.
Performing Hybridity or Deflecting Islamophobia? Adaptable Identity Management amongst Young British Pakistani Muslims

This article engages with issues of identity construction and maintenance as expressed by a group of young British Pakistanis living in the North-West of England. Drawing on primary data from a qualitative study, we examine the ways in which Muslim identities are maintained, negotiated, and protected in relation to everyday situated cultural experiences. Nested within a context in which Islamophobia is pervasive, we discuss four salient processes of identity management articulated by participants: cherry picking; strategic adaption; ambassadorship and active resistance. Whilst these processes are to be considered as porous rather than mutually exclusive, our analysis elucidates evidence of both nimble and creative individual identity management and also an entrenchment of collective pride. We posit that, for the participants in this study, such practices constitute a grounded, pragmatic response to living in an environment in which their religious beliefs, political values and cultural commitments are frequently questioned within public life, the media and the political sphere.
Effects of under-load tap changer (LTC) on power system voltage stability

The effect of load tap changer (LTC) action on a transformer's adjusted side voltage (usually the secondary side of step-down transformers) is evaluated when the tap position on LTC is raised (lowered) to increase (decrease) the adjusted side voltage. The effects of other measures such as series and shunt compensation and their combination with LTCs are also evaluated. A static representation model of a power system model on a large populated industrial center such as the Puget Sound area of Bonneville Power Administration and the Boston area of New England Power Service are evaluated. The characterization of reactive power voltage (Q-V) relation and real power voltage (P-V) relation curves during a voltage degradation process is studied. The results and experience gained from system specific applications are enumerated. <<ETX>>
Shape optimization of electrostatically driven microcantilevers using simulated annealing to enhance static travel range

The objective of this paper is to present a systematic development of the generic shape optimization of elec- trostatically actuated microcantilever beams for extending their static travel range. Electrostatic actuators are widely used in micro electro mechanical system (MEMS) devices because of low power density and ease of fab- rication. However, their useful travel range is often restricted by a phenomenon known as pull-in instability. The Rayleigh- Ritz energy method is used for computation of pull-in parameters which includes electrostatic potential and fringing field effect. Appropriate width function and linear thickness functions are employed along the length of the non-prismatic beam to achieve enhanced travel range. Parameters used for varying the thick- ness and width functions are optimized using simulated annealing with pattern search method towards the end to refine the results. Appropriate penalties are imposed on the violation of volume, width, thickness and area constraints. Nine test cases are considered for demonstration of the said optimization method. Our results indicate that around 26% increase in the travel range of a non-prismatic beam can be achieved after optimiza- tion compared to that in a prismatic beam having the same volume. Our results also show an improvement in the pull-in displacement of around 5% compared to that of a variable width constant thickness actuator. We show that simulated annealing is an effective and flexible method to carry out design optimization of structural elements under electrostatic loading.
The Potentiating Response to Accentuated Eccentric Loading in Professional Football Players

The purpose of this study was to assess the acute effect of Accentuated Eccentric Loading (AEL) on countermovement jump (CMJ) height, peak power output (PPO) and peak velocity in male professional footballers using loads of 20% or 40% of body mass (AEL20 or AEL40, respectively). Twenty-three male professional football players (age 24 ± 4.5 years, range 18–34 years; body mass 80.21 ± 8.4 kg; height 178.26 ± 7.62 cm) took part in a randomised, cross-over design to test the potentiating responses of two AEL conditions (AEL20 and AEL40) versus a body weight control group (CON). Mean loads for the two conditions were 15.84 ± 1.70 kg (AEL20) and 31.67 ± 3.40 kg (AEL40). There was no significant difference between the three conditions for jump height (p = 0.507, η2G = 0.022). There were significant differences in peak power between the groups (p = 0.001, η2G = 0.154). Post hoc analysis with Bonferroni adjustment showed significantly higher peak power for both AEL conditions compared to the control group, but no significant differences between AEL conditions (CON vs. AEL20, p = 0.029, 95% CI −1016.735, −41.815, Cohen’s d = −0.56; CON vs. AEL40, p = 0.001, 95% CI −1244.995, −270.075, Cohen’s d = −0.81; AEL20 vs. AEL40, p = 0.75, 95% CI −715.720, 259.201, Cohen’s d = −0.24). There was no significant difference between the three conditions for peak velocity (p = 0.269, η2G = 0.046). AEL using either 20% or 40% of body mass may be used to increase peak power in the countermovement jump in well-trained professional football players.
Managing Collaborative R&D Projects

Multi-company research and development projects provide a range of new challenges for the engineering manager. It combines the management of ideas with the more traditional management concerns of time, budgets, people and resources. R&D demands creativity, and R&D managers must have an element of team coach as well as team manager in their make up. Furthermore, the success of RandD depends not just on the results it produces but also on whether these results are taken up and exploited to the benefit of the wider organisation. The R&D manager therefore has to be something of a salesman and promoter of technology transfer. R&D is seen as expensive and high risk, and increasingly companies join in multi-company collaborative projects to share the costs and risks, to acquire skills or capabilities which they do not themselves possess, or, more cynically, just because funding bodies commonly require collaboration as a condition for providing a grant. A company may also choose to enter a consortium for marketing reasons or in order to establish a strategic relationship with one or more of the other members of the consortium. This article outlines some of these challenges and indicates approaches to tackling them.
Design of a fully compliant bistable micromechanism for switching devices

This paper proposes a design of a bistable micromechanism for the application of switching devices. The topology of a fully compliant four-bar mechanism is adopted herein. The central mass of the mechanism is employed as a carriage to carry switching components, such as mirror, electrical contact, etc. The equations that predict the existence of bistable states, the extreme positions of the motion range and the maximum stress states of members were derived. MUMPs provided by Cronos Integrated Microsystems fabricated the proposed micromechanisms for the purpose of verifying the theoretical predictions. Finally, an experimental rig was established. The bistable mechanisms were switched either by the probe or actuators to push the central mass. The experimental results demonstrated that the motions observed approximately met the predicted values.
Estimating soil carbon in agricultural systems using ensemble kalman filter and DSSAT-CENTURY

Among various ways to sequester CO2 from the atmosphere, increasing soil carbon is an option that could also lead to increased agricultural productivity, especially in developing countries. In order to accept this option as a mechanism for reducing atmospheric CO2 levels, a reliable soil carbon accounting system needs to be developed. Soil carbon can be estimated from direct measurements, but measurements often have higher variability than annual soil carbon changes due to the uncertain nature of in-situ sampling methods and laboratory analysis techniques. To reduce such variability in soil carbon estimates, the estimation accuracy of an approach that assimilates measurements with simulated outputs from a complex crop model was studied. The DSSAT-CENTURY model and the ensemble Kalman filtering (EnKF) method were used to test if this approach can provide more reliable estimates of SOC over time than measurements alone. The EnKF was developed to estimate soil carbon, crop biomass, and a model parameter that specifies the rate of soil organic matter decomposition. A base-case simulation study was set up with a continuous maize farming system in Ghana for 20 years. Based on an identical twin test that used model-generated truth and measurement datasets, the EnKF estimates of soil carbon showed superior estimation accuracy to measurements with less uncertainty. In time, the uncertainty in soil carbon estimates based on annual sampling was reduced by about 60% using the EnKF method. The method was not effective in estimating the model carbon decomposition rate parameter, mainly because of the low correlations of that parameter with either soil carbon or crop biomass. However, even when uncertainties in measurements and model predictions were relatively high, estimates of soil carbon converged to the true value, although uncertainties in those estimates varied with measurement and model uncertainties. We conclude that the use of the EnKF method with the complex DSSAT-CENTURY model would provide more reliable soil monitoring system, but more research is needed to compare complex versus simple models in this approach.
Physics based model for C-V characteristic of integrated planar Schottky varactor diode in microwave band

A physics based model for C-V characteristic of integrated planar Schottky varactor diode in the microwave band is presented. The model takes into account the influences of the distribute channel series resistance introduced by the planar structure, the distributed junction capacitance, the junction reverse saturation leakage and the sidewall capacitance on the C-V characteristic, and reveals the dependence of the C-V characteristic on operating frequency. The theory is in good agreement with the experimental results.