Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Caractérisation des matériaux à bande interdite électromagnétique multipériodiques et leurs applications aux antennes

Les materiaux a Bande Interdite Electromagnetique (BIE) 3D dielectriques ou metalliques presentent des proprietes de filtrages frequentiels et spatiaux tres interessantes. La principale difficulte dans ce domaine reste leur conception. La techniq ue du prototypage rapide offre une solution en realisant des structures ceramiques couche par couche a partir d’une pâte photo polymerisable par radiation UV. Une fois frittee, la ceramique possede les memes proprietes que celles obtenues par des techniques de realisation plus traditionnelles. Ce memoire est consacre a la caracterisation de ces structures a partir de leurs proprietes electromagnetiques. Un banc de mesure en espace libre permet d’identifier la bande interdite des structures realisees. L’objectif de ce travail est d’utiliser les structures ainsi caracterisees pour realiser des antennes BIE. Le filtrage spatial et frequentiel permet le controle des directions privilegiees du rayonnement et de la directivite de l’antenne.
The Temporary Immersion System (T.I.S.) for the Improvement of Micropropagation of Ornamental Plants

The clonal propagation through tissue culture techniques has limitations in the flower industry due to the requirementof highly skilled manual labour and to the limitation of automatia. The growth in liquid medium is an interesting alternative that might provide opportunities only if it will be possible to control or avoid the tissue hyperhydration. Several attempts, with the aims to overcome this negative feature and to increase production rates, were made with a system which provides a temporary contact between the biomass and the liquid medium. Some results were recently reported for tropical cultures, Eucaliptus, Aspen and Psidium guajava and fruit trees (the apple rootstock M26). For this purpose a particular container has been studied by Teisson and Alvard (1995) and registered by CIRAD (France). In this paper micropropagation trials were done with the ornamental plants Zantedeschia aethiopica and Anthurium andraeanum utilising automated containers for temporary immersion. The explants were grown in multiplication media with the composition of the semisolid substrates previously determined without the gelling agent. 8 immersion treatments of 3 min each were programmed for all cultures. The system was assembled in the growth chamber with a photoperiod of 16 h of light at 30 μmol m -2 s -1 of photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) and at a temperature of 24°C ± 1. Experiments with the growth regulator benzyladenine and gibberellic acid were conduced. Every 20 days the medium was renewed and the biomass fresh weight and the multiplication rate were recorded. Interesting results in term of proliferation, shoot growth and root emission were obtained for both species. For Zantedeschia it was also possible to avoid the callus formation which was previously observed in continuous liquid culture. The complete plantlets produced in TIS have been also acclimatized promptly. In conclusion both species have good potential to be cultured with this system and to perform the scale up for the industrial production.
Learning through trading: a risk perspective

We examine the degree to which individuals learn to improve their trading performance by analyzing 8,441,805 trades of 28,061 spread-traders over a 10 year period. With more experience, traders make higher returns but take greater risk, resulting in a lower risk-adjusted (Sharpe ratio) performance. The conclusion holds after accounting for selection bias and survivorship bias. To our best knowledge, this is the first study to examine learning effects using individual level empirical trading data from a risk perspective.
An Action-Oriented Approach to Language Corpora in Foreign Language Teaching

Since the advent of communicative approach which focuses primarily on real-life communication acts, presenting new vocabulary and grammar structures within a given context or theme, language teaching has undergone a pattern shift. The methodology has acquired more interactive and sociocultural dimension involving an active attitude of learners towards their own learning process. It has developed into the actionoriented approach which views learners as social agents: members of society who have to accomplish (not only) linguistic tasks in a wider social context. According to CEFR (2001) language teaching/learning should embrace both linguistic activities and socio-cultural, pragmatic aspects of interpersonal communication where language is seen as a means to achieve non-linguistic goals. This approach implies more intensive involvement of learners who become conscious of their own needs and internal abilities, they learn by doing, by interacting with other learners (Vygotsky’s theory) and by exploring independently the sociocultural reality of a foreign language. In order to achieve such didactic goals, course syllabuses and materials need to be organized on the basis of authentic texts which reveal patterns of actual language within a sociocultural context. Language corpora can be a significant source of a real use of language, providing learners with linguistic, sociocultural and pragmatic data that allow them to analyze lexical and grammatical structures that occur in given real-life situations. Therefore, they can constitute ideal materials for designing didactic activities which can increase the motivation of learners as well. The presentation will attempt to show some action-oriented didactic solutions concerning the use of language corpora in designing teaching/learning activities conducive to more effective language acquisition.
Size-dependent activation of aerosols into cloud droplets at a subarctic background site during the second Pallas Cloud Experiment (2nd PaCE): method development and data evaluation

In situ measurements of aerosol water uptake and activation of aerosols into cloud droplets provide informa- tion on how aerosols influence the microphysical properties of clouds. Here we present a computational scheme that can be used in connection with such measurements to assess the influence of the particle hygroscopicity and mixing state (in terms of the water uptake) on the cloud nucleating ability of particles. Additionally, it provides an estimate for the peak supersaturation of water vapour reached during the formation of the observed cloud(s). The method was applied in inter- preting results of a measurement campaign that focused on aerosol-cloud interactions taking place at a subarctic back- ground site located in Northern Finland (second Pallas Cloud Experiment, 2nd PaCE). A set of case studies was conducted, and the observed activation behavior could be successfully explained by a maximum supersaturation that varied between 0.18 and 0.26% depending on the case. In these cases, the di- ameter corresponding to the activated fraction of 50% was in the range of 110-140 nm, and the particles were only moder- ately water soluble with hygroscopic growth factors varying between 1.1 and 1.4. The conducted analysis showed that the activated fractions and the total number of particles acting as CCN are expected to be highly sensitive to the particle hy- groscopic growth properties. For example, the latter quantity varied over a factor between 1.8 and 3.1, depending on the case, when the mean hygroscopic growth factors were varied by 10%. Another important conclusion is that size-dependent activation profiles carries information on the mixing state of particles.
Relationships between the motorcyclists’ behavioural perception and their actual behaviour

AbstractThe paper deals with studying the relationships between the motorcyclists’ thinking about proper behaviour and their actual behaviour in the traffic. The impact of some control variables, such as riders’ age, experience, driving history, and engine cubature, on actual behaviour, is also addressed here. For the purpose of research, two additional questionnaires were applied besides the well-known Motorcycle Rider Behaviour Questionnaire (MRBQ). To examine the causal relations between all-important latent factors present in this study, the structural equation model was designed. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were also engaged in the analysis and the statistical modelling process. The results show that the higher awareness about alcohol danger and benefits of protective equipment and helmet can noticeably contribute to the bigger traffic safety. Besides, from the results is evident that the control variables are in most cases also significantly interrelated with the actual behaviour fa.
MEASURED STARK WIDTHS AND SHIFTS IN THE O IV SPECTRUM

Stark widths (W) and shifts (d) of 5 prominent triply ionized oxygen (O IV) spectral lines in 3 multiplets have been measured in oxygen plasma at 42 000 K electron temperature using a linear, low-pressure, pulsed arc discharge as an optically thin plasma source. Obtained W and d values have been compared to available experimental and theoretical data. We found a good agreement among our experimental W and d values and theoretical expectations.
Bank Health and Investment: An Analysis of Unlisted Companies in Japan

To the extent that a borrower faces switching costs in a relationship with an individual bank, bank-specific financial health might affect a borrower's cost of funds. The costs would be particularly large for firms that have a close relationship with limited number of banks. The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether weakened financial conditions of banks reduced investment of small and medium firms in Japan. Estimating Tobin's Q investment functions, we examine the determinants of investment for unlisted Japanese companies in the late 1990s and the early 2000s. We find that several measures on bank-specific financial health have significantly large impacts on borrower's investment, even when observable characteristics relating to Tobin's Q, cash-flow, and leverage are controlled for. We also find that multiple banking relationships, which tend to have a negative impact on investment in general, may be beneficial in relieving a hold up problem when deteriorated bank health does matter.
Farmer Knowledge of Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation Strategies in the Management of Vegetable Insect Pests in Zimbabwe

Farmer knowledge of insect pests’ risks in a changing climate is important in managing insect pests’ incidence. A total of 250 vegetable farmers from 5 wards in Zimbabwe were sampled using a semi-structured questionnaire to assess their knowledge on climate change risk, its impact on vegetable insects pests and management strategies to reduce the increased incidence of insect pests. Focus group discussions, key informant interviews and field observations were also used. Droughts and elevated temperatures were perceived to have the greatest impact on vegetable insect pests resulting in their increased incidence. Aphids, cutworms and whiteflies were identified among the major pests that have increased. The majority (53%) of the farmers cited high vegetable losses from insect pests attack. All the respondents (100%) revealed the use of chemical insecticides during production of vegetables. A higher proportion (60%) perceived effective control, 34% perceived reduced efficacy and 6% were not sure of effectiveness of chemical insecticides. Management strategies to cope with the increasing insect pests and diseases on vegetable production also included planting insect resistant cultivars, certified seeds, increased frequency of application of synthetic insecticides, insecticide mixtures, use of more hazardous chemical insecticides and increasing the rates of application resulting in insecticide overuse. There is need for government to facilitate development and adoption of Integrated Insect Pest Management (IIPM) and raise awareness on avoiding overdependence on chemical insecticides. Modelling tools that support adaptation planning needs to be developed to forecast climate change risk and the resultant incidence of insect pests.
International Outsourcing in a Two-Sector Heckscher-Ohlin Model

This paper analyzes the distributional effects of international outsourcing in a two sector Heckscher-Ohlin type model if both sectors get economical access to cost-saving international outsourcing. Thereby, it is shown that if both sectors are engaged in international outsourcing in equilibrium, the cost-saving effects of outsourcing as well as the factor contents of the outsourced fragments are relevant for the factor price effects. Concerning the Pareto-criterion the main finding is that a Pareto-improving factor price impact of international outsourcing cannot be excluded from a theoretical point of view.
Decomposition of Random Errors Inherent to HOAPS-3.2 Near-Surface Humidity Estimates Using Multiple Triple Collocation Analysis

AbstractLatent heat fluxes (LHF) play an essential role in the global energy budget and are thus important for understanding the climate system. Satellite-based remote sensing permits a large-scale determination of LHF, which, among others, are based on near-surface specific humidity . However, the random retrieval error () remains unknown. Here, a novel approach is presented to quantify the error contributions to pixel-level of the Hamburg Ocean Atmosphere Parameters and Fluxes from Satellite Data, version 3.2 (HOAPS, version 3.2), dataset. The methodology makes use of multiple triple collocation (MTC) analysis between 1995 and 2008 over the global ice-free oceans. Apart from satellite records, these datasets include selected ship records extracted from the Seewetteramt Hamburg (SWA) archive and the International Comprehensive Ocean–Atmosphere Data Set (ICOADS), serving as the in situ ground reference. The MTC approach permits the derivation of as the sum of model uncertainty and sensor noise , while ran.
Desirability function based optimization of experimental data for air-water spray impingement cooling

Article history: Received October 28, 2015 Received in revised format November 28, 2015 Accepted January 17, 2016 Available online January 20, 2016 The current research copes with the optimization of the surface heat transfer coefficients of a square mild steel test specimen by spray impingement cooling. A laboratory scale experimental setup was developed at School of Mechanical Engineering KIIT University, Odisha, India to investigate the role of various process parameters to enhance the heat transfer from the surface of the heated steal specimen. The mild steel plates of dimension 120 mm × 120 mm, and different thicknesses of 4 mm, 6 mm and 8 mm were used in the experiment. The effect of the process parameters such as thickness of the tested plate, nozzle to plate distance, air and water pressure upon the surface heat transfer coefficient (HTC) was optimized. The optimization of the controlling parameters was carried out by using the desirability functions. The Design Expert 8 software was used to analyze the experimental results. A new correlation was developed for optimization of the surface heat transfer coefficient. © 2016 Growing Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
DESIGN AND OPTIMIZATION OF SOLID LIPID NANOPARTICLES (SLNs) OF ZOLMITRIPTAN FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF MIGRAINE

Solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) of zolmitriptan were produced by solvent emulsification-diffusion technique. Soya lecithin and poloxamer 188 were used as surfactants and stabilizers of the particles. The formulations were optimized for independent variables (amount of stearic acid, amount of lecithin and homogenization time) in order to achieve desired particle size with maximum percent entrapment efficiency (% EE). Prepared SLNs were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and zeta potential measurements. To achieve our goal, eight formulations (F1–F8) of SLNs were prepared by solvent injection technique and optimized by 23 full-factorial design. The responses of the design were analyzed using Minitab 15. On the basis of software analysis, formulation F8 was selected as optimized formulation and was evaluated for the independent parameters. Optimized formulation showed particle size of 340nm, percent entrapment efficiency (EE) of 81.36 and 79.11% of in-vitro drug release after 24h. The release kinetics of the optimized formulation best fitted the Higuchi model. Key words: solid lipid nanoparticles, zolmitriptan, solvent emulsificationdiffusion technique, in-vitro release.
Concept Development and Implementation of Family Care/Caring Theory in Concentric Sphere Family Environment Theory

Caring is directed toward a variety of things. One of them is thought to be the concept of “family caring” aimed at families. This study attempts to clarify family caring and develop Family Care/ Caring Theory (FCCT), with the aim of implementing it in conjunction with an existing family nursing theory, the Concentric Sphere Family Environment Theory (CSFET). In Japan and in Hong Kong, family ethnography (including formal interviews) was conducted. As a result, the item “family health care nurses and their colleagues” was added to the family external environment of the CSFET. In the family environment, evidence was obtained to the effect that the family system unit is cared for by the nursing professional, and conversely the family system unit cares for the nursing professional, in a circular transaction. Observing the two-dimensional plane formed by the structural distance and functional distance, family caring assumes a structure of concentric circles, and according to transactions, the structural distance and functional distance between the nursing professional and family system unit are gradually approached, and through deepening of mutual trust maintain an appropriate distance. Moreover observing the three-dimensional space-time continuum which is created through addition of the temporal distance, family caring forms a helical structure. As transactions are repeated along the temporal axis, the family system unit’s self-actualization of other individuals and the self-actualization of the nursing professional are realized. Through these processes, a family care/caring relationship is reinforced and established. This is the concept of FCCT. Through future utilization in clinical settings this will be empirically substantiated, and it will be necessary to continue making creative corrections and revisions.
The effects of synthetic flocculants on some geotechnical properties of kaolin clay

Synthetic flocculants have been used for decades in the mining industry, particularly in solid liquid separation related to thickening. Recently, the use of these chemicals to achieve improved depositional behaviour of tailings has been trialled, and implemented at a small number of mine sites. In these early attempts, flocculant addition just prior to deposition has improved the dewatering of deposited tailings and resulted in a steeper beaching angle. This has the potential to reduce capital and operating costs for tailings management if implemented correctly. While this is a promising new technology, very little research is available on the impact of flocculants on a number of important geotechnical parameters. An experimental programme has commenced to quantify these impacts. The increased settling rate of flocculated material provides implicit evidence of the increased apparent particle size resulting from this process. However, this increase in apparent particle size is known to be sensitive to shearing and other effects. Therefore, it is possible that sufficient confining pressures or shear would quickly break down the flocculated particles, making the geotechnical behaviour of a material indistinguishable whether flocculated or not. However, little evidence exists to support or disprove this hypothesis. Preliminary results from a laboratory testing programme to determine consolidation properties and particle size distribution for kaolin with, and without, flocculant addition are presented. Unique sample preparation methods have been utilised in an attempt to isolate the effects of flocculant addition. Initial results indicate that the effects of flocculant addition are not noticeable upon application of relatively small effective stresses to the samples. Further laboratory testing is required to assess if this conclusion can be extended to a variety of other tailings, flocculants, and resulting geotechnical properties.
On asymptotic Borovkov–Sakhanenko inequality with unbounded parameter set

Integral analogues of Cramer-Rao's inequalities for Bayesian parameter estimators proposed initially by Schutzenberger (1958) and later by van Trees (1968) were further developed by Borovkov and Sakhanenko (1980). In this paper, new asymptotic versions of such inequalities are established under ultimately relaxed regularity assumptions and under a locally uniform nonvanishing of the prior density and with R1 as a parameter set. Optimality of Borovkov-Sakhanenko's asymptotic lower bound functional is established.
Scene classification using spatial pyramid matching and hierarchical Dirichlet processes

The goal of scene classification is to automatically assign a scene image to a semantic category (i.e. “building” or “river”) based on analyzing the visual contents of this image. This is a challenging problem due to the scene images’ variability, ambiguity, and a wide range of illumination or scale conditions that may apply. On the contrary, it is a fundamental problem in computer vision and can be used to guide other processes such as image browsing, content-based image retrieval and object recognition by providing contextual information. This thesis implemented two scene classification systems: one is based on Spatial Pyramid Matching (SPM) and the other one is applying Hierarchical Dirichlet Processes (HDP). Both approaches are based on the most popular “bag-of-words” representation, which is a histogram of quantized visual features. SPM represents an image as a “spatial pyramid” which is produced by computing histograms of local features for multiple levels with different resolutions. “Spatial Pyramid Matching” is then used to estimate the overall perceptual similarity between images which can be used as a support vector machine (SVM) kernel. In the second approach, HDP is used to model the “bag-of-words” representations of images; each image is described as a mixture of latent themes and each theme is described as a mixture of words. The number of themes is automatically inferred from data. The themes are shared by images not only inside one scene category but also across all categories. Both systems are tested on three popular datasets from the field and their performances are compared. In addition, the two approaches are combined, resulting in performance improvement over either separate system.
DRYING STUDY OF EUCALYTPTUS STAIGERIANA LEAVES BY MONITORING THE HUMIDITY OF THE DRYER DISCHARGE

The drying phenomenon can be treated as simultaneous heat and mass transfer in both the light and heavy phases. In the present case, the phenomenon’s evolution is normally observed through the heating of and moisture removal from the heavy phase. On the other hand, while the material is heating, the light phase is cooling and humidifying. The goal of the present work is to present discharge air humidification curves as a function of the drying time for Eucalyptus staigeriana leaves drying experiments. For the air humidification measurements, a dry bulb thermocouple and relative humidity transducer were installed at both the dryer inlet and outlet. The dryer was linked to a data acquisition system, which recorded the dry bulb temperature and the relative humidity with time. These data were later used to calculate the air moisture content at the dryer inlet and outlet. The data obtained by this methodology are compared with the ones from drying kinetic (moisture content removing of the heavy phase along time), acquired by the evolution of wet material weight through the use of an analytical scale.