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Let R denote a connected region inside a simple polygon, P. By building barriers (typically straight-line segments) in P∖R, we want to separate from R part(s) of P of maximum area. All edges of the boundary of P are assumed to be already constructed or natural barriers. In this paper we introduce two versions of this problem. In the budget fence version the region R is static, and there is an uppe
Modern wind turbines are designed to withstand approximately for a lifetime of 20 years [1]. However, a very long design life of 100 years or more can be expected for high-quality concrete foundations. Thus there is a big difference in lifetime between wind turbines and foundations. There is a significant economic benefit of replacing the out-of-date wind turbine with a new turbine of better power
Today's test methods used for verifying the performance and robustness of automotive applications using wireless communication are often based on fieldtrails, which are time consuming, costly, and not repeatable. Therefore, there is an urgent need for new verification methods that can be performed in lab environment, where the realistic radio propagation environment can be emulated. The telecom in
The formation of new blood vessels, or angiogenesis, is a complex process that plays important roles in growth and development, tissue and organ regeneration, as well as numerous pathological conditions. Angiogenesis undergoes multiple discrete steps that can be individually evaluated and quantified by a large number of bioassays. These independent assessments hold advantages but also have limitat
A promising approach for upgrading the performance of an established low-bandgap solar technology without adding much cost is to deposit a high bandgap polycrystalline semiconductor on top to make a tandem solar cell. We use a transparent silver nanowire electrode on perovskite solar cells to achieve a semi-transparent device. We place the semi-transparent cell in a mechanically-stacked tandem con
This paper presents a method to grasp objects that cannot be picked directly from a table, using a soft, underactuated hand. These grasps are achieved by dragging the object to the edge of a table, and grasping it from the protruding part, performing so-called slide-to-edge grasps. This type of approach, which uses the environment to facilitate the grasp, is named Environmental Constraint Exploita
A smart power management strategy is needed to economically manage local production and consumption while maintaining the balance between supply and demand. Finding the best-distributed generators’ set-points and the best city demand scheduling can lead to moderate and judicious use out of critical moments without compromising smart city residents’ comfort. This paper aimed at applying the Particl
Background: Sleep deprivation among adolescents is a major public health issue. Although previous studies have described their sleep habits and the consequences thereof, the voices of adolescents themselves are rarely heard. The aim of this study was to investigate adolescents’ experiences regarding what they perceived as facilitators and barriers for a good night’s sleep. Methods: A qualitative f
We introduce solution dependent finite difference stencils whose coefficients adapt to the current numerical solution by minimizing the truncation error in the least squares sense. The resulting scheme has the resolution capacity of dispersion relation preserving difference stencils in under-resolved domains, together with the high order convergence rate of conventional central difference methods
The clinical outcomes of primary immunodeficiencies (PIDs) are greatly improved by accurate diagnosis early in life. However, it is not common to consider PIDs before the manifestation of severe clinical symptoms. Including PIDs in the nation-wide newborn screening programs will potentially improve survival and provide better disease management and preventive care in PID patients. This calls for t
This thesis consists of three self-contained papers that all relate to the understanding of equality. The first chapter investigates the effects of preschool attendance on children in Kenya and Tanzania. We use a within-household estimator and data from nationally representative surveys of school-age children's literacy and numeracy skills, which include retrospective information on preschool att
A pulsed millimeter wave radar operating at a frame rate of 144 Hz is utilized to record 2160 scattering signatures of 12 generic hand gestures. Gesture recognition is achieved by machine learning, utilizing transfer learning on a pretrained convolutional neural network. This yields excellent classification results with a validation accuracy of 99.5%, based on a 60% training versus 40% validation
Gaza has several water problems; inefficient water use by the agricultural sector, limited fresh water supply and high water demand, groundwater contamination, seawater intrusion and shortage of electricity. More water and electricity for the future development of Gaza that will give better life; a significant value of water should be added to the Palestinians living in blocked Gaza; more employme
