This paper presents a comprehensive treatment of the complex motion control systems in the the Sliding Mode Control (SMC) framework. The single and multi degrees of freedom (DOF) plants and applications to haptics and functionally related systems are discussed. The paper concentrates on presenting the designs that are easy to apply and tune. The proposed algorithms are based on the application of the equivalent control observer and the convergence term that guaranty stability of the closed loop in a Lyapunov sense and enforces the sliding mode on selected manifolds. Presented SMC design leads to a solution that easily could be modified to include majority of the algorithms presented in the literature.

Dysphagia, commonly referred to as abnormal swallowing, affects millions of people annually. If not diagnosed expeditiously, dysphagia can lead to more severe complications, such as pneumonia, nutritional deficiency, and dehydration. Bedside screening is the first step of dysphagia characterization and is usually based on pass/fail tests in which a nurse observes the patient performing water swallows to look for dysphagia overt signs such as coughing. Though quick and convenient, bedside screening only provides low-level judgment of impairment, lacks standardization, and suffers from subjectivity. Recently, high resolution cervical auscultation (HRCA) has been investigated as a less expensive and non-invasive method to diagnose dysphagia. It has shown strong preliminary evidence of its effectiveness in penetration-aspiration detection as well as multiple swallow kinematics. HRCA signals have traditionally been collected and investigated in conjunction with videofluoroscopy exams which are performed using barium boluses including thin liquid. An HRCA-based bedside screening is highly desirable to expedite the initial dysphagia diagnosis and overcome all the drawbacks of the current pass/fail screening tests. However, all research conducted for using HRCA in dysphagia is based on thin liquid barium boluses and thus not guaranteed to provide valid results for water boluses used in bedside screening. If HRCA signals show no significant differences between water and thin liquid barium boluses, then the same algorithms developed on thin liquid barium boluses used in diagnostic imaging studies, it can be then directly used with water boluses. This study investigates the similarities and differences between HRCA signals from thin liquid barium swallows compared to those signals from water swallows. Multiple features from the time, frequency, time-frequency, and information-theoretic domain were extracted from each type of swallow and a group of linear mixed models was tested to determine the significance of differences. Machine learning classifiers were fit to the data as well to determine if the swallowed material (thin liquid barium or water) can be correctly predicted from an unlabeled set of HRCA signals. The results demonstrated that there is no systematic difference between the HRCA signals of thin liquid barium swallows and water swallows. While no systematic difference was discovered, the evidence of complete conformity between HRCA signals of both materials was inconclusive. These results must be validated further to confirm conformity between the HRCA signals of thin liquid barium swallows and water swallows.

Fiber optics has revolutionized telecommunication with its superior bandwidth and distance it can span. For its use in IoT networks, some of the limiting factors are the high cost of new installations and the need to power the end device by electrical current. The installations are a part of long-term investments, and one can expect this to be an ever-smaller issue as more fibers are installed. Typically, the newly installed cables contain single-mode fibers. There are a lot of reports on transport of power over fiber, however, majority recommend using multi-mode fibers with a large core or double-clad fibers. In our approach, instead of increasing the core of the fiber, we focus on the possibility of shortening the working time of IoT devices, using the existing single-mode fiber for powering. Also, instead of an expensive PV (photo voltaic) cell with small dimensions and a high efficiency, we propose using the commercially available larger PV cells with an air gap between the end of the fiber and the cells. In accordance with our approach, we successfully conducted an experiment.

A QKD network provides an additional security layer for IT-secure cryptographic key distribution that is added to existing conventional networks. Thus, QKD network components must be resilient to security challenges from conventional network environments. This paper provided a novel solution for designing a Key Management System resistant to DoS attacks. Our solution allows applications to function securely in environments with fewer keys. In addition, we have provided approaches for allocating and managing QKD resources to avoid malicious key reservations. Simulation experiments verified the proposed solutions.

In GMAW welding, there are several types of metal transfer that are primarily determined by the primary welding parameters. Different metal transfers in an electric arc are characteristic of different applications. In this paper, a detailed characterization of the pulse transfer of metals in an electric arc is performed, including the characterization of parameters and criteria for their selection on the used power source for welding Welbee. For a given Welbee device, the choice of parameters in steel welding is shown, as well as the synergy function that is characteristic of these devices. Welding was performed on structural steels, with previously adopted parameters, accompanied by recording the dynamic characteristics of current and voltage with an oscilloscope. Based on the available literature sources, the existing models for heat input calculation in GMAW pulse welding were analysed in detail. Heat input calculation for welded steel sheets was performed by using one of them, with current and voltage profiles recorded with an oscilloscope. After the experiment, the obtained results were elaborated, and general comments were given regarding influence of parameters on the quality of welded joints.