Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Low-Profile Wideband Dual-Polarized Antenna for Millimeter-Wave Beam Steering Applications

In this work, a dual-polarized endfire phased antenna array with a low-profile is proposed for millimeter-wave (mmW) beam steering application. The proposed antenna array is constructed by a <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$1\times5$ </tex-math></inline-formula> subarray with vertical polarization (V-pol) realized by novel SIW horn antenna and a <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$1\times4$ </tex-math></inline-formula> subarray with horizontal polarization (H-pol) realized by quasi-Yagi antenna. Characteristic mode theory (CMT) is employed to guide the wideband design for both V-pol and H-pol elements in the dual-polarized framework. A wide impedance bandwidth for V-pol radiation is 24.6–29.8 GHz, while that for H-pol radiation is 23.37–35.47 GHz. By integrating both subarrays, an overlapping bandwidth from 24.5 to 30 GHz is realized within a total profile of <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$0.15\lambda _{0} $ </tex-math></inline-formula>; in addition, high isolation of −20 dB is achieved among most operation band for each element. Furthermore, the maximum realized gain for V-pol radiation and H-pol radiation are 11.4 and 11.6 dBi, respectively. Meanwhile, a wide beam scanning range of −45° to 42° for V-pol radiation and −45° to 39° for H-pol radiation with realized gain over 7 dBi is realized. In virtue of low-profile, wide bandwidth, easy integration, high isolation, and high gain, the proposed antenna array provides a promising candidate for future mmW vehicular applications.
Chamaesiphon fontinalis sp. nov., a new species of unicellular asymmetrically dividing cyanobacteria

Extensive brownish biofilms of algal-bacterial communities were found on stones in streams in the Valdaysky National Park (Russia). The dominant unicellular cyanobacteria in biofilms was determined as Chamaesiphon sp. Although species of this genus often occur in the periphyton of fast-flowing waters, many of them have a geographically limited distribution and occur mainly in mountain streams and rivers in Europe. The strain Chamaesiphon sp. CALU 1864 was isolated from epilithic biofilms in the spring Tekunok. We found that it differs from previously described species not only by its unusual purple pigmentation, but also by morphological features. Molecular-genetic analysis of the primary 16S rRNA sequence and secondary structures of the internal transcribed spacer of the ribosomal operon also confirmed its uniqueness. Phylogenetically, the strain represents an independent lineage on the evolutionary tree. Based on the differences found, which provide strong support for its delineation, we propose to consider strain CALU 1864 as a new species, Chamaesiphon fontinalis sp. nov., first discovered in Russia and described in accordance with the current rules of the International Code of Nomenclature for Algae, Fungi and Plants.
ICU Delirium Is Associated with Cardiovascular Burden and Higher Mortality in Patients with Severe COVID-19 Pneumonia

Background: COVID-19 can lead to functional disorders and complications, e.g., pulmonary, thromboembolic, and neurological. The neuro-invasive potential of SARS-CoV-2 may result in acute brain malfunction, which manifests as delirium as a symptom. Delirium is a risk factor for death among patients hospitalized due to critical illness. Taking the above into consideration, the authors investigated risk factors for delirium in COVID-19 patients and its influence on outcomes. Methods: A total of 335 patients hospitalized due to severe forms of COVID-19 were enrolled in the study. Data were collected from medical charts. Results: Delirium occurred among 21.5% of patients. In the delirium group, mortality was significantly higher compared to non-delirium patients (59.7% vs. 28.5%; p < 0.001). Delirium increased the risk of death, with an OR of 3.71 (95% CI 2.16–6.89; p < 0.001). Age, chronic atrial fibrillation, elevated INR, urea, and procalcitonin, as well as decreased phosphates, appeared to be the independent risk factors for delirium occurrence. Conclusions: Delirium occurrence in patients with severe COVID-19 significantly increases the risk of death and is associated with a cardiovascular burden. Hypophosphatemia is a promising reversible factor to reduce mortality in this group of patients. However, larger studies are essential in this area.
Research on EM Scattering Characteristics of Targets in Land–Sea Junction Area Based on the Hybrid Method of SBR-MECA-PTD

In this letter, a hybrid method combining shooting and bouncing ray (SBR), the modified equivalent current approximation and the physical theory of diffraction is applied to solve the electromagnetic scattering problems of targets in land–sea junction area. OpenMesh and OpenGL frameworks and the kd-tree data structure are adopted to improve the simulation efficiency. The reliability of the method is derived from comparing the result with the multilevel fast multipole algorithm (MLFMA) in FEKO software. Utilizing the new method, electromagnetic (EM) scattering characteristics including the far-field radar cross sections and one-dimensional high-resolution range profiles of ship targets in land–sea junction area are calculated.
Toxic effects of the crude methanolic extract of Austroplenckia populnea leaves and fractions on the growth of Spodoptera frugiperda

The aim of the current study is to assess the toxicity of Austroplenckia populnea leaf extracts towards the Spodoptera frugiperda population in laboratory conditions. Initially, a crude methanolic extract was obtained from dried leaves of A. populnea. This extract was fractionated using hexane, ethyl acetate, and then methanol. Neonate S. frugiperda larvae were isolated in plastic containers and fed (once) on corn leaf fragments treated with crude and fractions of the investigated plant extracts. The life cycle of the larvae treated with the extracts was monitored. In addition to the intake of leaves treated with the plant extracts, such variables as larval and pupal mortality rate, larval and pupal weight, and larval, pupal, and adult stage duration were evaluated. The crude, hexane, and methanol extract fractions exerted an antixenosis effect on the feeding behaviour of neonate S. frugiperda larvae. A significant antibiosis effect was observed for the hexane fraction of the A. populnea extract, since all of its concentrations promoted a S. frugiperda larval mortality rate differing from that observed for the control. The pupal mortality rate was low, but it did not differ significantly from the mortality rate observed for the control treatment, which was nil. The larvicidal effect of the A. populnea leaf extract, mainly of its hexane fraction, has indicated its potential to be used in integrated S. frugiperda management programs.
Test for bandedness of high-dimensional precision matrices

ABSTRACT Statistical inferences in high-dimensional precision matrices are equally important as statistical inferences in high-dimensional covariance matrices. In the literature, much attention has been paid to the latter, and significant advances have been achieved, especially in estimation and test of the banded structure. This paper proposes a new test for testing banded structures of precision matrices without assuming any specific parametric distribution. The test is adapted to the large p small n problems in which we derive the asymptotic distribution under the null hypothesis of bandedness. Simulation results show that the proposed test performs well with finite sample sizes. A real data application is realised to a phone call centre data.
Comparing Polar Lows in Atmospheric Reanalyses: Arctic System Reanalysis versus ERA-Interim

AbstractRepresentation of polar lows in the new high-resolution Arctic System Reanalysis (ASR) was for the first time assessed and compared to that in the ERA-Interim. Substantial improvements were found in the 850-hPa relative vorticity and near-surface wind speed information. The latter was found to be in close agreement with satellite-derived estimates. Representation of polar lows from a widely used selective list in ERA-Interim and ASR was estimated as 48% and 89%, respectively. The proportion of polar lows represented in ASR is substantially higher than reported for other reanalyses in previous studies. Verifications were found to be sensitive to the polar low reference list used, and to the definition of a polar low. As found, when a more complete polar low list from a recent satellite-derived climatology was used, the proportion of represented events decreased to 26% and 66% for ERA-Interim and ASR, respectively. Variations in polar low representation in reanalyses were also observed in different .
The William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition

The shock absorber comprises a metal strip which includes a bend and two legs extending from said bend and including an angle at said bend. Said legs are profiled in cross-section opposite to each other at said bend so that the strip is formed with folds at said bend. Said legs are adapted to be forced toward each other so as to reduce said angle and to dislocate at least part of at least one of said folds. The guide rail assembly comprises a guide rail, a stationary support and said shock absorber, one of the legs of which is connected to said guide rail and the other of the legs of which is connected to said support.
Human Influence on the 2015 Extreme High Temperature Events in Western China

Introduction. The 2015 summer (June–August) was historically the hottest in western China (west of 105°E), setting new records for the regionally averaged seasonal mean temperature, annual maxima of daily maximum (TXx), and daily minimum (TNx) temperatures. Many stations set new record high temperatures as well. During the period of 12 June–10 August, the daily high temperature above 38°C covered an area of about 753 000 km2, with the highest temperature of 47.7°C recorded in Dongkan station (42.83°N, 89.25°E) of Turpan. The long-lasting extreme high temperature events exerted serious impacts on agriculture and other sectors, resulting in severe heat damage for different crops such as corn, wheat, and fruit trees (CMA 2016).
Classification of heart arrhythmia by digital image processing and machine learning

The electrocardiogram (ECG) exam can be used reliably as a measure to monitor the functionality of the cardiovascular system. Although there are many similarities between different ECG conditions, the focus of most studies has been to classify a set of database signals known as PhysionNet MIT-BIH and PTB Diagnostics data sets, rather than classifying problems in real images. In this article, we propose methods to extract features from the exam image and then algorithms such as CNN, decision tree, extra trees and random forest are used for the classification of exams, which is able to accurately classify according to the AAMI EC57 standard . According to the results, the suggested method is capable of making predictions with an average accuracy of 97.4 %.
Functional prediction through averaging estimated functional linear regression models

Summary Prediction is often the primary goal of data analysis. In this work, we propose a novel model averaging approach to the prediction of a functional response variable. We develop a crossvalidation model averaging estimator based on functional linear regression models in which the response and the covariate are both treated as random functions. We show that the weights chosen by the method are asymptotically optimal in the sense that the squared error loss of the predicted function is as small as that of the infeasible best possible averaged function. When the true regression relationship belongs to the set of candidate functional linear regression models, the averaged estimator converges to the true model and can estimate the regression parameter functions at the same rate as under the true model. Monte Carlo studies and a data example indicate that in most cases the approach performs better than model selection.
Determinants of risk factors for COVID-19 transmission in densely populated areas: Insights from the first wave of the pandemic

Introduction: COVID-19 spreads quickly, especially in densely populated countries like Indonesia. Understanding transmission factors can support in reducing transmission rates. The purpose of this study is to analyze the various factors that may contribute to the transmission of COVID-19 in Indonesia, especially in the first wave of pandemic. Methods: This was a cross sectional study design. The sample was selected from the new all record data or the database for recording COVID-19 cases at the health office at the research location by online system. The research was conducted in seven districts and cities across three provinces to obtain an overview of transmission in each regional characteristic. The number of samples was as high as 2,010, with confirmed cases and close contacts in Banda Aceh City, Aceh Besar District, Semarang City, Magelang District, Ternate City, South Halmahera District, and Tidore Islands City. Data analysis was done descriptively and were analyzed using Chi-square and logistic regression with SPSS software. Results: The multivariate analysis shows that five dominant factors the risk of COVID-19 transmission, there are, age, employment status, activities outside the home, medical history, and vaccination status. Age group of 20-39 years (odds ratio [OR]=1.6-1.7; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.07-2.71), working of employment status (OR=1.51; 95% CI 1.10-2.07), have a comorbid in medical history (OR=2.39; 95% CI 1.67-3.4), have activities outside home (OR=1.82, 95% CI 1.39-2.39), and have not been vaccinated of COVID-19 (OR=3.03; 95% CI 3.37-3.87) were significantly related with an increased risk of COVID-19 transmission. Conclusions: productive age, work and activities outside the home, having comorbidities, and not having received COVID-19 vaccination are all risk factors for COVID-19 exposure. Eliminating all of these factors at the same time will undoubtedly be difficult. As a result, cross-sectoral collaboration is needed to control the spread of COVID-19 at the community and individual levels, as well as to support policy interventions to accelerate the elimination of COVID-19 cases.
Use of combined laryngo-bronchoscopy intubation approach in a simulated difficult airway scenario with cervical stabilization

The occurrence of unexpected difficult airway management (DAM) during endotracheal intubation (ETI) attempts represents a life-threatening scenario. The management of such challenges may improve with training in simulated DAM scenarios. Moreover, simulation allows investigation at the potential value of new devices and techniques for DAM. The combined use of laryngoscopy with fiberoptic bronchoscope (CLBI) has been proposed in this regard, but its performance by novices facing DAM remain unexplored. We performed a randomized crossover simulation study evaluating the performance of ninety-six anesthesiology residents during ETI with four approaches: direct laryngoscopy (DL), Glidescope®, McGrath® and CLBI. Increased difficulty was produced by placement of a cervical collar. Residents had maximum of 3 attempts per device/technique (up to 60 seconds per attempt). The main outcomes were success rate (SR) and corrected time-to-intubation (cTTI, with 60 seconds added for each failed attempt). Subgroup analyses were performed separating residents according to their experience (junior, n = 60; senior, n = 36). The CLBI had significantly lower SR at both 1st and 3rd attempt (31% and 64%, respectively) as compared to DL (93% and 98%), Glidescope® (70% and 86%) and McGrath® (58% and 84%), with all p < 0.001. Moreover, CLBI had significantly longer cTTI (158.5 seconds; (54.3; 180)) than other devices: Glidescope® (37.6 seconds; (24.7; 88.2)), McGrath® (39.3 seconds; (20.6; 105.1)), and DL (19 seconds; (15.4; 27.2)), all p < 0.002. CLBI and McGrath® were the only approaches performing better in senior as compared to junior residents. In a DAM simulated setting, anesthesiology residents had lower SR and longer cTTI with the CLBI as compared to direct and video-laryngoscopy.
Physical-Layer Security Enhancement in Energy-Harvesting-Based Cognitive Internet of Things: A GAN-Powered Deep Reinforcement Learning Approach

Cognitive radio (CR) is regarded as the key technology of the 6th-Generation (6G) wireless network. Because 6G CR networks are anticipated to offer worldwide coverage, increase cost efficiency, enhance spectrum utilization, and improve device intelligence and network safety. This article studies the secrecy communication in an energy-harvesting (EH)-enabled Cognitive Internet of Things (EH-CIoT) network with a cooperative jammer. The secondary transmitters (STs) and the jammer first harvest the energy from the received radio frequency (RF) signals in the EH phase. Then, in the subsequent wireless information transfer (WIT) phase, the STs transmit secrecy information to their intended receivers in the presence of eavesdroppers while the jammer sends the jamming signal to confuse the eavesdroppers. To evaluate the system secrecy performance, we derive the instantaneous secrecy rate and the closed-form expression of secrecy outage probability (SOP). Furthermore, we propose a deep reinforcement learning (DRL)-based framework for the joint EH time and transmission power allocation problems. Specifically, a pair of ST and jammer over each time block is modeled as an agent which is dynamically interacting with the environment by the state, action, and reward mechanisms. To better find the optimal solutions to the proposed problems, the long short-term memory (LSTM) network and the generative adversarial networks (GANs) are combined with the classical DRL algorithm. The simulation results show that our proposed method is highly effective in maximizing the secrecy rate while minimizing the SOP compared with other existing schemes.
Effects of Spring Drought and Nitrogen Addition on Productivity and Community Composition of Degraded Grasslands

To explore whether there were differences among the patterns of response of grasslands with different levels of degradation to extreme drought events and nitrogen addition, three grasslands along a degradation gradient (extremely, moderately, and lightly degraded) were selected in the Bashang area of northern China using the human disturbance index (HDI). A field experiment with simulated extreme spring drought, nitrogen addition, and their interaction was conducted during the growing seasons of 2020 and 2021. The soil moisture, aboveground biomass, and composition of the plant community were measured. The primary results were as follows. (1) Drought treatment caused soil drought stress, with moderately degraded grassland being the most affected, which resulted in an 80% decrease in soil moisture and a 78% decrease in aboveground biomass. The addition of nitrogen did not mitigate the impact of drought. Moreover, the aboveground net primary production (ANPP) in 2021 was less sensitive to spring drought than in 2020. (2) The community composition changed after 2 years of drought treatment, particularly for the moderately degraded grasslands with annual forbs, such as Salsola collina, increasing significantly in biomass proportion, which led to a trend of exacerbated degradation (higher HDI). This degradation trend decreased under the addition of nitrogen. (3) The variation in drought sensitivities of the ANPP was primarily determined by the proportion of plants based on the classification of degradation indicators in the community, with higher proportions of intermediate degradation indicator species exhibiting more sensitivity to spring drought. These findings can help to provide scientific evidence for the governance and restoration of regional degraded grassland under frequent extreme weather conditions.
Sensitivity of Rain-Rate Estimates Related to Convective Organization: Observations from the Kwajalein, RMI, Radar

AbstractGround radar rainfall, necessary for satellite rainfall product (e.g., TRMM and GPM) ground validation (GV) studies, is often retrieved using annual or climatological convective/stratiform Z–R relationships. Using the Kwajalein, Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), polarimetric S-band weather radar (KPOL) and gauge network during the 2009 and 2011 wet seasons, the robustness of such rain-rate relationships is assessed through comparisons with rainfall retrieved using relationships that vary as a function of precipitation regime, defined as shallow convection, isolated deep convection, and deep organized convection. It is found that the TRMM-GV 2A53 rainfall product underestimated rain gauges by −8.3% in 2009 and −13.1% in 2011, where biases are attributed to rainfall in organized precipitation regimes. To further examine these biases, 2A53 GV rain rates are compared with polarimetrically tuned rain rates, in which GV biases are found to be minimized when rain relationships are developed for eac.
Effects of Phyllanthus emblica leaves and branches mixture on growth performance, oxidative status and intestinal characteristics in broiler chickens

Abstract This study investigated the effect of Phyllanthus emblica leaves and branches mixture (PE) on growth performance, oxidative status and intestinal characteristics in broilers, as well as the in vitro antioxidant potential of PE extract (PEE). As the result of in vitro evaluation, the PEE had a total phenolic compound content of 95.5 ± 2.75 mg of Gallic acid equivalent/g dry weight (DW), and a total flavonoid content of 3.04 ± 0.06 mg of quercetin equivalent/g DW. The PEE exhibited significant antioxidant activity through various mechanisms, including chelation of ferrous iron, reducing power, scavenging 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals, inhibition of liposome peroxidation and trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC). A total of 320 Ross 308 broilers were randomly allocated into four groups: control, basal diet supplemented with 0.5%, 1%, 2% PE. Each group was fed for 35 d. The results showed that the group fed with 0.5% PE had significantly better weight gain, and improved feed conversion ratio (FCR) compared to the control group. Moreover, each PE group significantly reduced coliform and Clostridium perfringens in the ileum and caecum. Additionally, PE group with 0.5% concentration had significantly higher villus height in the jejunum compared to the other group. Furthermore, compared to the control group, each PE group had significantly lower levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and higher levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity in the serum. In the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of chickens, each PE group showed significantly higher mRNA levels of antioxidant-regulated genes, including Nrf2, GST, GCLC, SOD1 and HO-1. In contrast, the expression levels of NOX1 and ROMO1 genes were significantly lower. In conclusion, the inclusion of 0.5% PE in the basal diet could have a positive impact on the growth performance of broilers by modulating intestinal characteristics and oxidative status. HIGHLIGHT Phyllanthus emblica affects the growth performance, oxidative status and intestinal characteristics in broilers. The 0.5% PE group had significantly better weight gain and improved FCR. The 0.5% PE in the basal diet could potentially enhance growth performance by modulating intestinal characteristics and oxidative status in broilers.