Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Development of steel continuous casting in Japan: Has Bessemer’s dream come true?

For the standard ironmaking and steelmaking processes, the converter and continuous caster are two key technologies which were patented by Henry Bessemer in 1857. Since his invention, these technologies have become standard steelmaking processes around the world. The converter ratio, on a hot metal basis, has reached almost 100% and the CC ratio has steadily increased, exceeding 50% in 1985 and 90% in the 2000s. Today, the major technical challenges in continuous casting such as high productivity, surface quality, internal quality and expansion of castable steel grade have been addressed. In this lecture, I discuss the history, technological development, state of the art technologies and the future.
Cybercrime Update: Trends and Developments. In: Expert Group Meeting on The Development of Virtual Forum against Cybercrime Report, June 28-30, 2006, Seoul Korea, KICJP & UNODC, pp21-56

In this paper we aim to briefly overview recent developments and trends in 'cybercrime'. A number of criterion may be applied to gauge prominence or salience of the particular forms of cybercrime now manifest. These include the prevalence (including frequency of specific forms) of the crime among the population or a particular sub-population (including a geographical area or commercial arena), duration (the intensity or persistence of the problem) and finally the severity (harm or gravity of the offence) of the cybercrime. In order to prioritize the most prominent forms of cybercrime these basic measurements are required – for the most part cybercrime eludes the kinds of measurement we may need in order to perceive either trends in certain forms or assess the seriousness of the different types of cybercrime. For example, what is the relevant importance of persistent spamming in comparison to the occasional virus? Or occasional theft like intrusion offences versus a complex payment card duplication activity (carding)? Of course the priorities will to some extent depend on the circumstances and on what standpoint is taken – the victim, public police, and the information communication technology (ICT) industry. At present law enforcement agencies around the world struggle to assess the relative risks of the various forms of cyber crime now encountered. One hurdle to this necessary assessment is the problem of the classification of the different forms of cybercrime. Such a formal or even a provisional classification of cybercrime has proven elusive despite the benefits this would yield in assessing the relative risks of the different forms of cybercrime. The lack of a classification system is a significant handicap and may be due to the considerable confusion that occurs around the very notion of what constitutes 'cybercrime' or computer-related crime and indeed whether it is new or old crime in new bottles.
A Two-Step Optimizing Algorithm for TOA Real-Time Dynamic Localization in NLOS Environment

Non-line-of-sight (NLOS) is one of the main factors that affect the ranging accuracy in wireless localization. This paper proposes a two-step optimizing algorithm for TOA real-time tracking in NLOS environment. Step one, use weighted least-squares (WLS) algorithm, combined with the NLOS identification informations, to mitigate NLOS bias. Step two, utilize Kalman filtering to optimize the localization results. Simulation results show that the proposed two-step algorithm can obtain better localization accuracy, especially when there are serious NLOS obstructions.
Efficient Space-Time Two Dimensional RAKE Receiver in Asynchronous Cooperative Communications Systems with Full Diversity

A high-performance space-time two dimensional RAKE receiving algorithm was proposed in asynchronous cooperative communication system. the transmitting signals were estimated coarsely by traditional space-time rake receiver, then on the basis of that we introduce feedback technology, each multipath signal of transmitted signals was composed by the decision results, and then every multipath component in the received signal can be obtained by eliminating the composed multipath signals from the received signal. Finally, the multipath components were combined by space-time combination and multipath combination rules accordingly, so spatial as well as multipath diversities were achieved. Simulation results show that the new scheme can reduce the bit error rate dramatically compare with traditional space-time RAKE in asynchronous cooperative communication system.
Optimizing Structures Subject to Multiple Deflection Constraints and Load Cases Using the Principle of Virtual Work

This paper presents an iterative automated method for optimizing structures with multiple deflection criteria and load cases. The method is based on the principle of virtual work. Discrete sections are selected for structures with fixed geometries. An optimal structure is one which meets all strength and deflection criteria using minimal material. Four case studies are considered in this paper. A simple portal frame is presented to show how the method works. A 60-story frame is optimized to demonstrate the effectiveness of the method for large structures. A warehouse designed by professional engineers is presented to show how the method can be used for structures subjected to complex loading conditions and deflection criteria. The automated method’s solution is 4.5% lighter than the engineers’. Finally, a stepped cantilever is optimized and compared to results in literature. Material savings of up to 14.4% are realized.
Effects of Tumor-Rib Distance and Dose-Dependent Rib Volume on Radiation-Induced Rib Fractures in Patients with Breast Cancer

This study aimed to investigate the effects of tumor-rib distance and dose-dependent rib volume on radiation-induced rib fractures (RIRFs) in patients with breast cancer. We retrospectively included 510 women with breast cancer who underwent surgical resection with adjuvant radiotherapy. The tumor-rib distance was measured using preoperative computed tomography (CT) images. Postoperative chest wall thickness and dose-dependent rib volumes, which are absolute rib volumes receiving >20 Gy (V20), 30 Gy (V30), 40 Gy (V40), 45 Gy (V45), and 50 Gy (V50), were measured from the stimulation CT images for radiation treatment planning. We assessed the relationship of RIRF with tumor-rib distance, postoperative chest wall thickness, and dose-dependent rib volumes. Patients with high values of tumor-rib distance and postoperative chest wall thickness had significantly lower risks of RIRF than those with low values. Patients with high values of V20, V30, V40, V45, and V50 had significantly higher risks of RIRF than those with low values. In a multivariate analysis, tumor-rib distance and all five dose-dependent rib volumes, as well as osteoporosis and radiation field, were independent risk factors for RIRF. Tumor-rib distance and dose-dependent rib volume were independent risk factors for RIRF in patients with breast cancer.
Micromachined AlGaAs/GaAs vertical cavity filter with adjustable temperature dependence and wavelength trimming ability

The authors present a novel micromachined vertical cavity filter which has an AlGaAs/GaAs distributed Bragg reflector (DBR), that can be mechanically tuned by differential thermal expansion. The strain-induced displacement of one of the mirrors potentially enables wavelength tuning and trimming to be carried out with an adjustable temperature dependence. A negative temperature coefficient has been achieved in a micromachined semiconductor filter for the first time, demonstrating the possibility of temperature insensitive operation. Also, wavelength trimming of > 20 nm was demonstrated after completion of the device fabrication.
An Orientation Method Fit for the Photogrammetry of the Excavating Face in a Coal Mine

Geological logging is a fundamental technical practice in a coal mine and also one of the most important technical jobs for the production of the coal mine, having important significance for the coal mine’s safe production and source recycling. Irregular shapes of the excavating faces make current photographic geological logging mode and methods unfeasible, so this paper studies critical techniques and methods of underground excavating face photographic geological logging in coal mines and proposes a new close-range photogrammetry control method, orienting the excavating face’s stereoscopic image using the directing laser and the plumb line, and proves through experiments that the positional accuracy of this method meets the requirement of the geological logging and that this photogrammetry orientation method is suitable for geological logging of the roadway excavating face images of coal mines.
The Bidirectional Associations Between Insomnia and Psychotic-Like Experiences Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Study Objectives Previous literature supports that insomnia is predictive of subsequent psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) in the general population. However, there is a lack of empirical data on the reverse causality between the two variables and on the correlation between the symptom severity of insomnia and PLEs. This study aimed to explore the bidirectional associations between insomnia and PLEs before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods A total of 938 students aged 14–25 years completed both waves of the survey before and during the pandemic (the first wave: October 2019 to November 2019; the second wave: April 2020 to May 2020). PLEs were assessed using the 15-item positive subscale of the community assessment of psychic experiences (CAPE-P15), and insomnia was assessed using three questions on difficulty initiating sleep, difficulty maintaining sleep, and early morning awakening. Results Students with baseline insomnia were more likely to exhibit new-onset PLEs during the pandemic (OR: 5.13, 95% CI: 2.54–10.38), while no significant predictive effect of insomnia was found for the persistence and severity of PLEs. Meanwhile, baseline PLEs not only predicted the presence of insomnia during the pandemic (OR: 2.14, 95% CI: 1.25–3.65) but also correlated with its severity (B: 0.89, 95% CI: 0.47–1.31). Conclusion The study provides the first piece of evidence for the bidirectional association between insomnia and PLEs in the general population. However, although insomnia has an important predictive role in the occurrence of PLEs, it does not predict the persistence and development of PLEs, suggesting that there is a more complex mechanism underlying the process.
Research on the Friction Performance of Bionic Surface Based on the Clamber Animal Foot Pad

The clamber animal foot pads were researched by the Super Depth of Field3D Microscopic System marked VHX-600 and the flexible non-smooth surface friction mechanism of clamber animal foot pad was analysed through bionic tribology. The total friction includes two aspects: a) The sliding friction caused by the adsorbability between clamber animal foot pad and external surface. b) The embedding resistance caused by the external surface micro particles embedded into clamber animal foot pad. The mathematical model of single convex hull was built and the different center distance bionic surfaces were designed, the friction contact simulation of bionic surface was done by ANSYS and the friction performance of bionic surface was verified through the plane friction testbed.
QFD application in an educational setting: a pilot field study

Illustrates how quality function deployment (QFD) can be used to measure customer satisfaction in educational institutions. Specifically, utilizes QFD in evaluating the MBA programme at Grand Valley State University. The inputs for the QFDs were obtained through several brainstorming sessions of MBA students, faculty members, administrators, and business people. The preliminary results of the pilot field test show that QFD is a very useful tool in ascertaining customer desires, prioritizing them, and directing organizational resources towards customer satisfaction.
PSO-Based State Feedback Control of Flexible Spacecraft for Attitude Tracking and Vibration Suppression

PD state-feedback controller has been adopted in many spacecraft for attitude tracking and presents good performance. For flexible spacecraft, the controller can be designed with a term which takes into account the flexible dynamics. However, duo to nonlinearity and coupling, how to determine state-feedback control parameters which ensure fast attitude tracking and significant vibration suppression must be considered. In this paper, the dynamics model of spacecraft with flexible appendages is derived with the hybrid coordinate method and the full state feedback controller originated from the PD control algorithm is designed. A method of estimating the flexible spacecraft's controller parameters based on the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm is presented. Taking the PD controller parameters as optimized variables, optimal control state is defined as the linear weighted sum of response error of all state variables is smallest with the limited actuator output moment. Simulation results show that the optimized controller obtained by PSO algorithm makes attitude of spacecraft converge quickly and elastic vibration suppressed effectively.
Design of switched-line phase shifters with constant phase shift using CRLH TL

90° and 180°-switched-line phase shifters using composite right/left handed transmission line (CRLH TL) are presented. To achieve a relatively constant phase shift over a large bandwidth, CRLH TLs implemented using lumped elements and right-handed transmission lines (RH TLs) are used as the reference and delay arms, respectively, of the phase shifters. Computer simulation is used to study and design the phase shifters. The phase shifters are also fabricated and measured to verify the simulation results. For comparison, traditional 90° and 180°-switched-line phase shifters are also designed and simulated. Simulation and measurement results show that, the proposed phase shifters have a constant phase shift, a high return loss and a low insertion loss across the operating frequency band.
Analysis and Synthesis of a Kind of Mobility Reconfigurable Robot with Multi-Task Capability

Compared with the fixed morphological robots, the self-reconfigurable robots (SR) are very flexible as they can adapt to a wide range of task requirements. However, the current efforts on SR mainly focus on the locomotion issues, while the manipulation capabilities of existing systems are still quite limited. In this paper, a new kind of mobility reconfigurable robotic structures (MRRS) with self-reconfiguration ability is presented. The reconfigurable topology and variable mobility characteristics of the MRRS are realized by integrating the cooperative kinematic mechanism (CKM) and the separable parallel kinematic mechanism (SPKM) into one robotic system, which makes the robot capable of reconfiguring its mechanical assembly to adapt to the multiple motion task requirements. Based on Lie group of displacements, the commonly used robotic tasks are first classified into three categories: positioning motion, tooling motion and grasping motion, possible motion types of these tasks are enumerated, then how to deal with the multiple tasks by using the MRRS is synthesized systematically. Finally, a multi-task working process is employed as an example to illustrate the advantages of this reconfigurable robotic structure.
Origin and Function of Structural Diversity in the Plant Specialized Metabolome

The plant specialized metabolome consists of a multitude of structurally and functionally diverse metabolites, variable from species to species. The specialized metabolites play roles in the response to environmental changes and abiotic or biotic stresses, as well as in plant growth and development. At its basis, the specialized metabolism is built of four major pathways, each starting from a few distinct primary metabolism precursors, and leading to distinct basic carbon skeleton core structures: polyketides and fatty acid derivatives, terpenoids, alkaloids, and phenolics. Structural diversity in specialized metabolism, however, expands exponentially with each subsequent modification. We review here the major sources of structural variety and question if a specific role can be attributed to each distinct structure. We focus on the influences that various core structures and modifications have on flavonoid antioxidant activity and on the diversity generated by oxidative coupling reactions. We suggest that many oxidative coupling products, triggered by initial radical scavenging, may not have a function in se, but could potentially be enzymatically recycled to effective antioxidants. We further discuss the wide structural variety created by multiple decorations (glycosylations, acylations, prenylations), the formation of high-molecular weight conjugates and polyesters, and the plasticity of the specialized metabolism. We draw attention to the need for untargeted methods to identify the complex, multiply decorated and conjugated compounds, in order to study the functioning of the plant specialized metabolome.
A Novel Thromboplastin-Based Rat Model of Ischemic Stroke

The thromboembolic ischemia model is one of the most applicable for studying ischemic stroke in humans. The aim of this study was to develop a novel thromboembolic stroke model, allowing, by affordable tools, to reproduce cerebral infarction in rats. In the experimental group, the left common carotid artery, external carotid artery, and pterygopalatine branch of maxillary artery were ligated. A blood clot that was previously formed (during a 20 min period, in a catheter and syringe, by mixing with a thromboplastin solution and CaCl2) was injected into the left internal carotid artery. After 10 min, the catheter was removed, and the incision was sutured. The neurological status of the animals was evaluated using a 20-point scale. Histological examination of brain tissue was performed 6, 24, 72 h, and 6 days post-stroke. All groups showed motor and behavioral disturbances 24 h after surgery, which persisted throughout the study period. A histological examination revealed necrotic foci of varying severity in the cortex and subcortical regions of the ipsilateral hemisphere, for all experimental groups. A decrease in the density of hippocampal pyramidal neurons was revealed. Compared with existing models, the proposed ischemic stroke model significantly reduces surgical time, does not require an expensive operating microscope, and consistently reproduces brain infarction in the area of the middle cerebral artery supply.
Broadband circularly polarised slot antenna array for L- and S-band applications

A new design of a broadband circularly polarised square slot antenna array (CPSSAA) fed by a symmetric coplanar waveguide (CPW) for L- and S-band applications is presented. The proposed antenna is composed of 2×2 CPSS antennas and a sequentially rotated feed network. In this model, compared with the previous CPSSAA with an asymmetric fed structure, the impedance bandwidth of the antenna is increased, and is 71% wider than the impedance bandwidth of a previous similar design. The designed antenna operates over the frequency band 1-4.34 GHz (4.34:1, 125%) for VSWR <; 1.6 exhibiting a 120% (1.11-3.98 GHz, 3.58:1) circular polarisation bandwidth. The proposed CPSSAA can provide a peak gain of about 8.9 dBic at 3 GHz, with gain variations less than 1.5 dB at operating frequencies. Measured and simulated results validate the proposed design.
Assembly manipulation of small objects by dual‐arm manipulator

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to propose an assembly robot that exhibits specific human‐like skills, with minimal structural cost and a number of external sensors.Design/methodology/approach – The authors have employed vision processing using multiple cameras to determine targets and postures and propose strategies to determine the pose of a target and to prevent collisions between the fingers and obstacles in an environment with mixed objects. Furthermore, a dynamic trajectory planner integrates the vision and force sensors of the robot hand for the assigned task.Findings – The authors obtained satisfactory experimental results for autonomous real‐time grasping and screwing. The results verified the capability of the robot for handling small objects.Research limitations/implications – More effective robotic manipulation requires a higher degree of target orientation data, which will be a future study of this research.Practical implications – Practicality has been established through results, ind.
Frost damage to clay brick in a loadbearing masonry building

Frost damage in the exterior, loadbearing, clay brick walls of two 5-storey apartment buildings could have seriously affected their loadbearing capacity if left unchecked. A coating applied to the exterior had not stopped further damage from occurring. This paper describes the work to determine the cause of the damage. The work included a condition survey, tests on the brick, and monitoring temperature and moisture levels in a section of the wall. Bricks on an easterly exposure suffered the most damage. The cause was traced to poor quality bricks combined with water infiltration mainly from rain. Remedial measures included cladding the exterior of the brickwork with an insulated siding and replacing severely damaged bricks. Key words: building, masonry, loadbearing, frost resistance, clay brick, moisture, exterior insulation.
Open-circuit fault mitigation for multiphase induction motors with a unified control structure

Multiphase drives have advantages in high power transport applications, because of their inherent fault tolerance. It takes only two phases to create a fundamental mmf distribution rotating at the supply frequency, so a machine with m phases can continue to operate at reduced power in a controlled manner, with m-2 phases open circuit. However, if the faulty motor is represented by a reduced-order model, a different control structure is required for each combination of loss of phases, with careful matching of initial conditions in the controller at the onset of the fault. This paper retains the full-order motor model, but imposes additional constraints within the control to account for the zero current in the open-circuit phases, giving a single, unified control. Simulation results present strategies for detecting and responding to the onset of the fault. Simulation and experimental results are shown pre- and post-fault, for a six-phase machine. (6 pages)
Development of Runway Incursion Risk Assessment Checklist

ABSTRACT One major safety issue of surface operations is the occurrence of runway incursions. Runway incursions are the consequence of multiple operational a nd/or environmental factors. Human error is known to contribute to almost every runway incursion. One major contributing factor for runway incursion is crew’s lack of situational awareness during airport surface operations, induced by weather considerations, by complex airport factors or by crew technique itself; it is also caused by ATC issues. Vari ous airport factors may affect pilot situational awareness, distract the crew, or lead to crew confusion. The recommendations to avoid runway incursions are manifold; Proper Crew’s CRM/TEM skills, adequate communication technique, proper knowledge of airport surface markings, lights and signs and preparation of preparation of expected taxi out/in ro uting. Also runway incursion risk assessment on specific airport before flight may lead to a ware of risk level and contribute to prevent runway incursion.Key words : 활주로 침범(Runway incursion), 착각(Confusion), 위험 분석(Risk assessment), 활주로 안전(Runway safety), 활주로 이탈(Runway excursion)