Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
H∞-based virtual actuator synthesis for optimal trajectory recovery

Abstract A new approach to the synthesis of linear virtual actuators for the purpose of reconfigurable control after actuator faults is described. A synthesis approach is provided that recovers the nominal closed-loop tracking and performance properties in an optimal way, in particular if exact tracking and performance recovery is not achievable. The approach is based on the optimization of the H ∞ -norm of relevant transmission channels of the virtual actuator. The chosen channels represent the degree of achieved tracking and performance recovery on the one hand, and the amplification of the input signal on the other hand. An experimental case study demonstrates the effectiveness of the approach and illustrates that the method provides insight into the reconfigurability of the system.
Signal Propagation Modeling Based on Weighting Coefficients Method in Underground Tunnels

─ The propagation of electromagnetic waves guided in tunnels and mines is an area of scientific study which is hard to model due to multiple reflections on walls and surrounding obstacles. A novel propagation model for underground tunnels based on the weighting sum of the log-distance propagation model, the modified waveguide model and, the far zone propagation model for the ultra-high frequency (UHF) band is proposed in this paper. The propagation model is divided into five regions based on the distance between the transmitter and the receiver. Each region shows a different propagation characteristic and modeled with weighting sum of the base propagation models. Our model was tested in a tunnel with 2 m x 1.5 m cross-section and 250 m length. Measurement results are consistent with the proposed propagation model. Index Terms ─ Propagation modeling, underground tunnel, underground communications.
Advances on waste valorization: new horizons for a more sustainable society

Increasingly tighter regulations regarding organic waste, and the demand for renewable chemicals and fuels, are pushing the manufacturing industry toward higher sustainability to improve cost‐effectiveness and meet customers’ demand. Food waste valorization is one of the current research areas that has attracted a great deal of attention over the past few years as a potential alternative to the disposal of a wide range of residues in landfill sites. In particular, the development of environmentally sound and innovative strategies to process such waste is an area of increasing importance in our current society. Landfill, incineration and composting are common, mature technologies for waste disposal. However, they are not satisfactory to treating organic waste due to the generation of toxic methane gas and bad odor, high energy consumption and slow reaction kinetics. In fact, research efforts have also been oriented on novel technologies to decompose organic waste. However, no valuable product is generated from the decomposition process. Instead of disposing and decomposing food waste, recent research has focused on its utilization as energy source (e.g., for bioethanol and biodiesel production). Organic waste is also useful to generate useful organic chemicals via biorefinery or white biotechnology (e.g., succinic acid and/or bio‐plastics). This article is aimed to summarize recent development of waste valorization strategies for the sustainable production of chemicals, materials, and fuels through the development of green production strategies. It will also provide key insights into recent legislation on management of waste worldwide as well as two relevant case studies (the transformation of corncob residues into functionalized biomass‐derived carbonaceous solid acids and their utilization in the production of biodiesel‐like biofuels from waste oils in Philippines, as well as the development of a bakery waste based biorefinery for succinic acid and bioplastic production in Hong Kong) to illustrate the enormous potential of biowaste valorization for a more sustainable society. Future research directions and possible sustainable approaches will also be discussed with their respective proofs of concept.
Journalistic routines as factors promoting COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in Pakistan

Abstract COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy has reportedly been rising in polio-stricken Pakistan. Prior research reports a variety of contributing factors including information sources, particularly the newspapers readers generally consult to stay abreast of vaccine roll-out developments. This viewpoint article argues that three commonly practised journalistic routines – as explicated by Tandoc and Duffy – are promoting COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among Urdu-language newspaper readers in Pakistan. The first is a distinctive news sourcing routine, in which extracts of news items reporting COVID-19 vaccine campaigns from across the globe are combined in one news story, which is useful to keep readers updated but compromises the journalistic principle of completeness. Second, news values, which may determine the newsworthiness of a vaccine-related event, might reduce public trust in ongoing vaccine roll-outs. Third, an innovative news structure with striking headlines is used to make a newspaper visually appealing but may also support generalised impressions of the adverse effects associated with COVID-19 vaccinations.
A microwave switchable low‐noise power amplifier for an active backscatter tag

This article reports the design of a switchable low‐noise power amplifier (LNPA) intended for an active backscatter tag used in microwave localization and positioning applications. Due to system specifications, the backscattering transponder requires an amplifier having both low‐noise and high‐output power characteristics at the same time. Low‐noise amplifier and PA design considerations are both taken into account to realize a single structure achieving the required performances. The proposed LNPA is operating in the frequency range of 4.5–5.8 GHz. It achieves a gain of 21 dB with a ripple of ±1 dB, a noise figure of less than 2.5 dB, and an output compression point at −1 dB of 11 dBm over the operational bandwidth. This structure can be switched on and off by a control signal to modulate the tag radar cross section and enable distance measurement. A packaged prototype of the LNPA was fabricated and measured. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 56:1251–1255, 2014
Computers and Design in Context

Evolution, not revolution - participatory design in the toolbelt era computer use by artists and designers - some perspectives on two design traditions three levels of end-user tailoring - customization, integration and extension design for heterogeneity what kind of car is this sales support system? on styles, artifacts and quality-in-use accounting for system behaviour - representation, reflection and resourceful action computers in context - but in which context? toward a cooperative experimental system development approach designing stakeholder expectations in the implementation of new technology - can we ever learn our lessons? back to work - renewing old agendas for cooperative design design in groups - and all that jazz speech acts on trial ethnocritical heuristics for reflecting on work with users and other interested parties an information systems research framework for the organizational laboratory.
Compact dual‐frequency circular microstrip antenna with an offset circular slot

This paper presents a new, compact, dual-frequency design of single-feed circular microstrip antennas with an offset circular slot placed close to the patch boundary. It is found that, when the radius of the offset slot is about 0.38–0.62 times the radius of the circular patch, dual-frequency operation can be achieved using a single probe feed. The two operating frequencies have orthogonal polarization planes, and have a low frequency ratio of about 1.15–1.18. The two frequencies can also be much lower than the fundamental resonant frequency of a corresponding simple circular patch antenna without the offset slot. This behavior makes the proposed antenna have a reduced antenna size as compared to a simple circular patch antenna operated at either one of the two frequencies. Details of the antenna design and experimental results are presented. ©1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 22: 254–256, 1999.
Involvement of Ceramides in Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) Atherosclerosis (ATS) Development: Mechanisms and Therapeutic Targets

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and atherosclerosis (ATS) are worldwide known diseases with increased incidence and prevalence. These two are driven and are interconnected by multiple oxidative and metabolic functions such as lipotoxicity. A gamut of evidence suggests that sphingolipids (SL), such as ceramides, account for much of the tissue damage. Although in humans they are proving to be accurate biomarkers of adverse cardiovascular disease outcomes and NAFLD progression, in rodents, pharmacological inhibition or depletion of enzymes driving de novo ceramide synthesis prevents the development of metabolic driven diseases such as diabetes, ATS, and hepatic steatosis. In this narrative review, we discuss the pathways which generate the ceramide synthesis, the potential use of circulating ceramides as novel biomarkers in the development and progression of ATS and related diseases, and their potential use as therapeutic targets in NAFDL-ATS development which can further provide new clues in this field.
Surgical and Orthodontic Treatment of Impaction Maxillary Central Incisor Associated With Supernumerary

Impaction of maxillary central incisors is frequent in dental practice. However its management is challenging because of its importance in aesthetics. Supernumerary teeth are the most common dental anomaly that can cause impaction of adjacent teeth, crowding, diastema, rotation and displacement of teeth. We report a case of 13 year old male with an impacted supernumerary tooth in the maxillary anterior region, which was interfering with the eruption of the permanent, left central incisor. The impacted supernumerary tooth was surgically removed. With the application of an orthodontic traction, impacted left maxillary central incisor was brought down to its proper position in the dental arch.
Theoretical study of feedback-controlled photorefractive beam-coupling dynamics

Theoretically we investigate the operation of a novel nonlinear system, feedback controlled photorefractive beam coupling. It is shown that the feedback conditions used earlier ((pi) /2 phase shift between the diffracted and transmitted beam components) are satisfactory only during a relatively short initial stage of development. We have generalized these conditions by taking into account the inertia inherent any real feedback loop. The inertial feedback conditions ensure the permanent operation of the nonlinear system and lead to a variety of periodic and quasi-periodic regimes. We investigate the distinctive features of these regimes and transitions between them for moderately thick crystals.
A New Class of Distributed Photostrictive Orthogonal Actuators in Smart Curved Structures

In this study, active vibration control of a flexible smart structure using distributed opto-electromechanical photostrictive actuators is analytically investigated. This new class of distributed actuators is based on the photovoltaic, converse piezoelectric, and pyroelectric effects, and activated by high-energy light. A simply supported curved beam structure with a pair of surface bonded opto-electromechanical actuators is proposed. In order to prevent control spillover, the distributed actuators are spatially shaped to be orthogonal to the undesirable mode. The governing equations of motion are formulated. The mathematical model for estimating the actuator-induced force and moment, and actuation factor are presented. The effectiveness of active controls is evaluated with respect to different actuator thicknesses and curvature angles. The results obtained suggest that the potential of this new class of actuators as a viable means for controlling motion that related to structural deformation.
Neural reinstatement tracks object-based attentional selection in working memory

Working memory (WM) is the ability to hold information in mind in the short-term and use it flexibly for behaviour. Not all items are represented equally in WM. Attention can be allocated to select and privilege relevant WM content. It is unclear whether attention selects individual features or whole objects in WM. Here, we used behavioural measures, eye-tracking and electroencephalography (EEG) to test the hypothesis that attentional selection spreads between an object's features in WM. Twenty-six participants (male and female) completed a WM task that asked them to recall the angle of one of two oriented, coloured bars after a delay while EEG and eye-tracking data was collected. During the delay, an orthogonal 'incidental task' cued the colour of one item for a match/mismatch judgement. On congruent trials (50%), the cued item was probed during memory recall; on incongruent trials (50%), the other memory item was probed. As predicted, selecting the colour of an object in WM brought other features of the cued object into an attended state as revealed by EEG decoding, oscillatory alpha-power, gaze bias and improved subsequent orientation recall performance. Together, the results build a case for object-based attentional selection in WM. Analyses of neural processing at recall revealed that the selected object was automatically compared with the probe, whether it was the target for recall or not, providing a potential mechanism for non-predictive cueing benefits in WM.
Digital Commons @ University of South Florida Digital Commons @ University of South Florida Human Motion Tracking for Assisting Balance Training and Human Motion Tracking for Assisting Balance Training and Control of a Humanoid Robot Control of a Humanoid Robot

This project illustrates the use of the human's ability to balance according to his center of gravity as demonstrated in two applications. The center of gravity of a human is explained in detail in order to use it in controlling the Aldebaran NAO robot and in the robot-assisted balance training. The first application explains how a humanoid robot can mimic a human's movements via a three dimensional depth sensor where the sensor analyzes the position of a user's limbs and how the robot can lift one foot and balance on the other by redistributing the its body mass when the user lifts his foot. The results showed that this algorithm enabled NAO to successfully mimic the users' arms, and was able to balance on one foot by repositioning its center of mass. The second application investigates how individuals with stroke lean when undergoing robot-assisted balance training. In some instances, they can develop inappropriate leaning behaviors during the training. The Kinect sensor is used to assist in optimizing patients' results by integrating it with the training program. The results showed that the Kinect sensor can improve the efficiency of the process by giving users graphical information about their mass distribution and whether they are leaning correctly or not.
Robust Position Tracking for Electro-Hydraulic Drives Based on Generalized Feedforward Compensation Approach

This paper presents the development of a robust tracking control concept based on accurate feedforward compensation of hydraulic valve-cylinder drives. The proposed feedforward gain is obtained by use of a generalized description of the valve flow that takes into account any asymmetry of valves and/or cylinders, not assuming these asymmetries to be matched, and utilizes pressure measurements. Hence the proposed compensator is generally applicable to any such drive. Simulations show that the proposed compensator poses superior performance and robustness when subjected to strong perturbations in supply pressure and coulomb friction, compared with a conventional constant gain type feedforward compensator.
REVITALIZATION OF CULTURAL HERITAGE AREA WITH SUSTAINABLE TOURISM APPROACH, CASE STUDY: TINDOI FORT, KABUPATEN WAKATOBI

Tindoi Fort continues to be threatened because of not yet getting the community's full support to preserve it. Tindoi Fort should be a valuable asset for the government if it is managed seriously. This study aims to revitalize cultural heritage sites by providing new vitality through a sustainable tourism approach. The study uses a combination of historical interpretative strategies to find out the original form of the Fort through observation and in-depth interviews. Then a qualitative method with a descriptive approach is then used to determine the social character and local community culture to support tourism activities. The results of this study are the formulation of the criteria and concept of revitalization, including the physical restoration of the Fort, the arrangement of tourism based on environmental conservation, the structure of the creative economy centre, the collection of socio-cultural activity areas that support local wisdom attractions.
Análise da viabilidade da aplicação do Blockchain no contexto de uma indústria automotiva

Os mercados estão cada vez mais competitivos e globalizados, as empresas enfrentam uma busca incessante por novas metodologias de gestão para tentarem se manter à frente de seus concorrentes e melhorar seus processos e produtos. A indústria automotiva é um exemplo importante de segmento que se transforma constantemente para acompanhar as mudanças e exigências econômicas dos consumidores e um mercado cada vez mais competitivo. Com base nesse contexto, o presente artigo objetiva estudar a importância da inserção da metodologia blockchain, nas empresas do meio automotivo, como uma ferramenta de gestão e melhoria dos processos. As razões para o interesse no blockchain são a segurança, anonimato e integridade dos dados sem qualquer interferência. Realizou-se, portanto, um estudo bibliográfico para se compreender os principais recursos do blockchain e, posteriormente, um estudo de caso na empresa AUTO (nome fictício) para, assim, ser possível identificar a viabilidade da aplicação do blockchain no setor automotivo. Foi constatado que a metodologia blockchain é sim uma grande aliada à competitividade de uma empresa automotiva, mas ainda existem muitos desafios para sua implementação.
Principais Fatores Críticos para o Sucesso do Esporte Eletrônico no Brasil

Embora a criação dos jogos eletrônicos seja datada de 1962, foi apenas na década de 1990 que no mundo se começou a pensar no fenômeno como esporte. O advento do esporte eletrônico (e-sports) gera receitas que alcançam quase meio bilhão de dólares globalmente, mas, no Brasil, o assunto ainda é pouco debatido. Apesar dos avanços, o e-sports brasileiro ainda possui diversas barreiras a ultrapassar. O objetivo da pesquisa foi identificar quais os fatores críticos para o sucesso dos esports no Brasil. Partiu-se do princípio que existem muitos fatores que interferem no crescimento dessa modalidade esportiva, mas alguns desses fatores são chave e contribuem para o desenvolvimento de estratégias para o setor. A metodologia compreendeu o uso de um questionário, aplicado em duas etapas. A primeira, um formulário semiestruturado, buscando levantar os fatores que interferem nos e-sports. A segunda, com 29 fatores pré-selecionados, para que fossem qualificados segundo escala Likert, buscando identificar os fatores críticos para o esports. Foi utilizado o Índice de Importância Relativa (IIR) para hierarquizar os fatores considerados mais relevantes. Podem ser citados os 4 fatores mais relevantes para desenvolver e-sports no Brasil: amadurecimento da comunidade; mais acessibilidade à internet; Maior profissionalismo por parte das empresas; e a criação de novas oportunidades pra quem quiser participar com novas equipes. A identificação desses fatores mostra que eles interferem na qualidade do esporte, afetando o público alcançado, bem como o espaço na mídia e os patrocínios, mas também permite desenvolver soluções práticas para minimizar ou eliminá-las.
Thermal Stability and Hair Dye of Anthocyanin Complex from Zea mays L. and Clitoria ternatea L.

Thermal stability of total anthocyanin contents of an anthocyanin complex (AC) formed by extracts of Z. mays L. ceritina Kulesh (CC) and Clitoria ternatea L. (CT) at pH 5.5 was investigated by pH differential method. The AC shifted FTIR spectra of CC and CT from about 1,600 to 1,732 cm-1 and about 1,000 to 1,106 cm-1. Temperature-dependent degradation rates of AC of 0.4, 1.4 and 8.5 %h-1 were determined upon storage at 50, 70 and 90°C, respectively. The degradation rates of total anthocyanins of AC were about 2 times lowered than those of CC and CT. Arrhenius plots of the AC showed a change in activation energy from those of the CT and CC extracts. The AC increased the microscopic dark areas of the white hair from 2% to about 65%. It leads to conclude that complexation of anthocyanins from 2 sources into the AC reduced degradation of the anthocyanins and mpotential hair dye.
A novel structure of the fully differential CMOS amplifier with symmetric active load

In this article, we propose a novel general structure of a linear symmetric fully differential voltage amplifier with a symmetric output. It is applicable to all sets of complementary component pairs such as BJT, JFET and MOSFET. We demonstrate the superiority of the proposed circuit in comparison with the state-of-the-art solutions. The characteristics are illustrated in both frequency and time domains, and a comparison is given between the proposed amplifier and the traditional differential amplifier with a current mirror as an active load for the same set of complementary components in CMOS equally sized W/L = 150/3 technology. The static voltage transfer characteristic of the proposed amplifier has an extremely small linearity error. The deviation from the linear characteristics is less than 0.018 mV for the amplitude of the output differential voltage of 1 Vpp. The common-mode gain by symmetric output is negligible because the proposed structure is fully symmetric. The simulation results demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed amplifier.
Developing a field component in hydrologic education

Recent assessments have emphasized the lack of a field and laboratory component in hydrologic education at the uni- versity level. Cons~uences of this lack include: (1) an unwan"anted faith in published data; (2) lack of appreciation for the spatial and temporal variability of most hydrologic processes; (3) lack of appre- ciation for the difficulty of collecting good quality field data; (4) an inability to design and execute projects to collect field data; (5) a lack of field experience which can be applied when confronted with different problems or new environments; (6) an inability to evaluate published materials or models against "field reality;- (7) an exces- sive reliance on, and trust in, theoretical or conceptual models; and (8) reduced potential for lifelong learning through observation and analysis. Field courses need not be costly or difficult, but the instructor must be willing to adapt to the uncertainty and problems associated with field measurements. A recently updated course on watershed measurements at Colorado State University illustrates the type of field courses which can be developed if there is the nec- essary commitment and flexibility. The lack of a current text can be overcome by assembling selected portions of existing government documents, and a sample bibliography is included. (KEY TERMS: water resources education; hydrology; field mea- surements; data collection.)