Among advanced manufacturing techniques for Fiber-Reinforced Polymer-matrix Composites (FRPCs) which are critical for aerospace, marine, automotive, and energy industries, Frontal Polymerization (FP) has been recently proposed to save orders of magnitude time and energy. However, the cure kinetics of the matrix phase, usually a thermosetting polymer, brings difculty to the design and control of the process. Here, we develop a deep learning model, ChemNet, to solve an inverse problem in predicting and optimizing the cure kinetics parameters of the thermosetting FRPCs for a desired fabrication strategy. ChemNet consists of a fully connected FeedForward 9-layer deep neural network trained on one million examples, and predicts activation energy and reaction enthalpy given the front characteristics such as speed and maximum temperature. ChemNet provides highly accurate predictions measured by the mean square error (MSE) and by the maximum absolute error metrics. The MSE of ChemNet, on the train set and test set attain the values of 1E-4 and 2E-4, respectively.

In this letter, we propose a novel low-complexity user pairing (UP) and power allocation (PA) technique utilizing the compressive sensing (CS) theory for non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) systems. In the proposed scheme, we formulate the joint UP and PA optimization problem in NOMA systems as a relaxed sparse $l_{1}$ -norm problem, based on the fact that a limited, i.e., ‘sparse,’ number of users has to be paired among a large number of users over a dedicated resource block (RB). By exploiting this inherent sparsity property, we can obtain a near-optimal solution by relaxing the original NP-hard problem of joint UP and PA. Then, a CS technique is proposed to find a solution for the relaxed problem. Simulation results validate the effectiveness of our proposed idea regarding the sum-rate and the reduced complexity compared to the state-of-the-art schemes.

The diploid Celina/QTee® (‘Colorée de Juillet’ × ‘Williams’), one of the most promising pear cultivars developed by the Norwegian breeding program Graminor, was launched in 2010. In Norway, the flowering is medium to late, while the fruits ripen in the beginning of September. The fruits are attractive with an intense red blush (50%) on a green background. Although, ‘Celina’ is cultivated in the most climatically suitable regions for fruit cultivation, present in Norway, unfavorable environmental conditions for pear pollination can have a very negative effect on fruit set and consequent yield. The aim of this study was to determine the S-alleles of ‘Celina’, as well as its frequently used pollinizers, and, through paternity testing of ‘Celina’ seeds, give a recommendation regarding the most important pollinizers of this pear cultivar. In order to accomplish this, ‘Celina’ and its potential pollinizers were all S-genotyped. After harvest, seeds collected from ‘Celina’ fruit in 2017 and 2018 were genotyped using eleven microsatellite markers. Genomic DNA was also extracted from leaf material collected from ‘Celina’, as well as from five pear cultivars used as pollinizers in the three examined orchards, and analyzed using the same marker set. Subsequently a simple sequence repeat (SSR) database was constructed and used for gene assignment analyses with the aim of quantifying pollen donor contribution from individual pollinizers. The obtained results indicate that ‘Anna’, the only examined pollinizer that was fully cross-compatible with ‘Celina’, together with ‘Fritjof’, the genotype which had the highest flowering overlap with ‘Celina’, proved to be the most successful pollinizers across all seasons and orchards. Although both cultivars were ubiquitous in the examined orchards, either as planted trees or as branches introduced during the flowering period, they were the most abundant pollinizers in only one orchard each. It is therefore possible to conclude that pollinizer abundance has a secondary significance in pollinizer success within investigated ‘Celina’ orchards.

This article investigates the impact of the user’s body on wearable antenna radiation characteristics and the consequent effects on the off-body channel, with the focus on the polarization aspect. The impact on antenna gain and polarization is analyzed for different antenna placements and separations from the body, based on electromagnetic simulations with numerical phantoms at 3, 4 and 5 GHz. Results show a strong influence of the body on the antenna efficiency, gain, and polarization. The excess losses due to body-shadowing suppress the antenna radiation behind the body by more than 20 dB, while its polarization changes from vertical in free space, to an elliptical one when placed on the body. The obtained radiation characteristics are then employed for off-body channel simulations using a geometry-based polarized channel model, which employs an analytic mobility model for wearable antennas based on Fourier series. The antenna rotation due to changes in user’s posture is seen as one of the main sources of off-body channel degradation. The polarization mismatch losses imposed by antennas’ physical misalignment, are observed to yield periodic fades of the Line-of-Sight component, with more than 30 dB drops in the received power level.

Objectives Selectively attending to a target talker while ignoring multiple interferers (competing talkers and background noise) is more difficult for hearing-impaired (HI) individuals compared to normal-hearing (NH) listeners. Such tasks also become more difficult as background noise levels increase. To overcome these difficulties, hearing aids (HAs) offer noise reduction (NR) schemes. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of NR processing (inactive, where the NR feature was switched off, vs. active, where the NR feature was switched on) on the neural representation of speech envelopes across two different background noise levels [+3 dB signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and +8 dB SNR] by using a stimulus reconstruction (SR) method. Design To explore how NR processing supports the listeners’ selective auditory attention, we recruited 22 HI participants fitted with HAs. To investigate the interplay between NR schemes, background noise, and neural representation of the speech envelopes, we used electroencephalography (EEG). The participants were instructed to listen to a target talker in front while ignoring a competing talker in front in the presence of multi-talker background babble noise. Results The results show that the neural representation of the attended speech envelope was enhanced by the active NR scheme for both background noise levels. The neural representation of the attended speech envelope at lower (+3 dB) SNR was shifted, approximately by 5 dB, toward the higher (+8 dB) SNR when the NR scheme was turned on. The neural representation of the ignored speech envelope was modulated by the NR scheme and was mostly enhanced in the conditions with more background noise. The neural representation of the background noise was modulated (i.e., reduced) by the NR scheme and was significantly reduced in the conditions with more background noise. The neural representation of the net sum of the ignored acoustic scene (ignored talker and background babble) was not modulated by the NR scheme but was significantly reduced in the conditions with a reduced level of background noise. Taken together, we showed that the active NR scheme enhanced the neural representation of both the attended and the ignored speakers and reduced the neural representation of background noise, while the net sum of the ignored acoustic scene was not enhanced. Conclusion Altogether our results support the hypothesis that the NR schemes in HAs serve to enhance the neural representation of speech and reduce the neural representation of background noise during a selective attention task. We contend that these results provide a neural index that could be useful for assessing the effects of HAs on auditory and cognitive processing in HI populations.

Tokom 2019. godine u granicama obuhvata Parka prirode “Orjen” realizovana su višestruka mikološka istraživanja s ciljem inventarizacije gljiva na ovom području. Među rezultatima istraživanja registrovan je i značajan broj pripadnika odjeljka Ascomycota od kojih su neke vrste po prvi put zabilježene na teritoriji Bosne i Hercegovine. U radu je prezentovan preliminarni spisak zabilježenih vrsta odjeljka Ascomycota dok su neke od vrsta (Desmazierella acicola, Bryoscyphus rhytidiadelphi, Pseudombrophila ripensis i Thecotheus keithii) detaljnije obrađene, uključujući njihovu ekologiju, fenologiju, morfološke karakteristike, poznate obrasce distribucije te eventualne egzistirajuće i potencijalne prijetnje na ovom području.

S obzirom na to da je šumarstvo djelatnost u kojoj su radnici izloženi relativno velikom stepenu opasnosti od nastanka povreda i profesionalnih oboljenja, ova pojava zahtijeva poseban pristup u segmentu zaštite na radu. Učestalost pojavljivanja povreda i profesionalnih oboljenja u šumarstvu dobar su pokazatelj nivoa sigurnosti radnika pri radu. Iz tog razloga se kroz analizu povreda na radu u JP ŠPD „Unskosanske šume” d.o.o. Bosanska Krupa nastojalo steći uvid u stanje sigurnosti na radu. Analiziran je period od 10 godina (2010–2019) i u tom periodu je evidentirano 213 povreda za cijelo preduzeće. Analiza povreda je obavljena po godinama i mjesecima, prema mjestu nastanka, prema radnom mjestu, prema materijalnom izvoru povrede, prema starosnoj dobi radnika, prema povrijeđenom dijelu tijela, itd. Na osnovu broja povreda po zapremini izrađenoga drveta (43/mil.m3), stanje sigurnosti pri radu može se ocijeniti kao zadovoljavajuće. Najzastupljenije su povrede ekstremiteta (64%), zatim, povrede su češće početkom radne sedmice (26,3%). Najčešći uzrok povrede bio je izazvan padom (62%). Analiza broja povreda po godinama u analiziranom periodu pokazuje da se ističu 2018, a naročito 2019. godina, što se može povezati sa trendom povećanja obima poslova u vlastitoj režiji. Takođe, analiza je pokazala da se najviše povreda desi u ljetnim mjesecima. Prema analizi koja se odnosi na invalide rada, ustanovljeno je da većina registrovanih invalida rada u preduzeću spada u invalide druge kategorije. Invalidi rada čine čak 10,36% ukupne radne snage. Za skoro 80% invalida rada kao glavni uzrok invalidnosti navedena je bolest, tj. razne zdravstvene tegobe koje su smanjile njihovu radnu sposobnost. Samo dvojica radnika su invalidi zbog profesionalnog oboljenja, što je veoma ohrabrujući podatak. Bez obzira na značajan tehnološki napredak i razvoj, posao u šumarstvu se još uvijek smatra jednim od najopasnijih zanimanja na svijetu.

The conditions of globalization often dictate the functioning of transport markets, so it is necessary to conduct frequent research in order to achieve sustainable business. This is achieved through adequate risk and safety management at all levels. The research carried out in this paper includes determining the state of railway traffic safety in a total of nine railway sections in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H). The aim of this paper is to develop a new integrated Entropy-Fuzzy PIPRECIA (PIvot Pairwise RElative Criteria Importance Assessment)-DEA (Data Envelopment Analysis) model for determining the state of safety in B&H under particular conditions of uncertainty. Additionally, the aim is to combine the advantages of linear programming (DEA), an objective method (Entropy), and a subjective method (Fuzzy PIPRECIA). In this way, an integrated objective–subjective model is created that provides accurate and balanced decision-making through their integration. Eleven sustainable criteria were defined and divided into six inputs and five outputs. The Entropy model was used to determine the weight values of the inputs, while due to the nature of the outputs, Fuzzy PIPRECIA was used to evaluate them. After the application of the two methods, the way of averaging their values was defined. The DEA model, which implies an input- and output-oriented model, was applied to determine which railway sections have satisfactory performance in terms of safety. Two sections were eliminated from further computation due to extremely poor performance and high risk. Then, the weighted overall efficiency ranking method was applied to determine the final ranking of the railway sections. The results obtained were verified through a sensitivity analysis, which involved changing the impact of the five most significant criteria and a comparison with two Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) methods.

e.harbinja@aston.ac.uk #online harms, duty of care, platform regulation, online safety This article critiques key proposals of the United Kingdom’s “Online Harms” White Paper; in particular, the proposal for new digital regulator and the imposition of a “duty of care” on platforms. While acknowledging that a duty of care, backed up by sanctions works well in some environments, we argue is not appropriate for policing the White Paper’s identified harms as it could result in the blocking of legal, subjectively harmful content. Furthermore, the proposed regulator lacks the necessary independence and could be subjected to political interference. We conclude that the imposition of a duty of care will result in an unacceptable chilling effect on free expression, resulting in a draconian regulatory environment for platforms, with users’ digital rights adversely affected. Content Not Available