Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A novel hybrid invasive weed optimization algorithm for pattern synthesis of array antennas

By introducing novel strategies in Invasive Weed Optimization (IWO), a hybrid algorithm called IWO‐simplified quadratic approximation (SQA) is proposed, in which an adaptive standard deviation is designed to improve the convergence performances of the original IWO, and SQA is embedded into IWO as a local search operator to enhance the overall search capability of the algorithm. Simulated results for six benchmark functions show that the proposed algorithm performs better than the original IWO algorithm. In addition, the proposed algorithm is used to the pattern synthesis of array antennas. Compared to the genetic algorithm (GA) and particle swarm optimization (PSO), the advantages of IWO‐SQA algorithm are shown. As another application, the phase‐only pattern reconfigurable arrays are synthesized by IWO‐SQA algorithm, and the numerical results show that IWO‐SQA algorithm is superior to GA. All the testing results show that it is an effective improvement to embed SQA into IWO algorithm. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J RF and Microwave CAE 25:154–163, 2015.
Robust optimization for network-based resource allocation problems under uncertainty

We consider large-scale, network-based, resource allocation problems under uncertainty, with specific focus on the class of problems referred to as multi-commodity flow problems with time-windows. These problems are at the core of many network-based resource allocation problems. Inherent data uncertainty in the problem guarantees that deterministic optimal solutions are rarely, if ever, executed. Our work examines methods of proactive planning, that is, robust plan generation to protect against future uncertainty. By modeling uncertainties in data corresponding to service times, resource availability, supplies and demands, we can generate solutions that are more robust operationally, that is, more likely to be executed or easier to repair when disrupted. The challenges are the following: approaches to achieve robustness 1) can be extremely problem-specific and not general; 2) suffer from issues of tractability; or 3) have unrealistic data requirements. We propose in this work a modeling and algorithmic framework that addresses the above challenges. Our modeling framework involves a decomposition scheme that separates problems involving multi-commodity flows with time-windows into routing (that is, a routing master problem) and scheduling modules (that is, a scheduling subproblem), and uses an iterative scheme to provide feedback between the two modules, both of which are more tractable than the integrated model. The master problem has the structure of a multi-commodity flow problem and the sub-problem is a set of network flow problems. This decomposition allows us to capture uncertainty while maintaining tractability. Uncertainty is captured in part by the master problem and in part by the sub-problem. In addition to solving problems under uncertainty, our decomposition scheme can also be used to solve large-scale resource allocation problems without uncertainty. As proof-of-concept, we apply our approach to a vehicle routing and scheduling problem and compare its solutions to those of other robust optimization approaches. Finally, we propose a framework to extend our robust, 3 decomposition approach to the more complex problem of network design. Thesis Supervisor: Cynthia Barnhart Title: Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering Co-Director, Operations Research Center
Premenstrual Psychosis In A Patient With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Case Report

Periodic psychosis in relation to the menstrual cycle phases has been reported but its pathogenesis not yet known. We report a case of a 28 year old female with schizoaffective disorder since 18 years old. She was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) 3 years later and was noted to have distinct psychotic episodes that coincided acutely with her premenstrual period. Peculiarly she exhibited delusions of pregnancy during her psychotic episodes. This was followed by near resolution with the end of menstruation. This case sheds light on this atypical presentation of psychosis in female patients as well as its potential aetiology.
50th Anniversary Article: Effect of Sensor Noise on the Resolution and Spatial Resolution of Displacement and Strain Maps Estimated with the Grid Method

This paper deals with noise propagation from camera sensor to displacement and strain maps when the grid method is employed to estimate these quantities. It is shown that closed‐form equations can be employed to predict the link between metrological characteristics such as resolution and spatial resolution in displacement and strain maps on the one hand and various quantities characterising grid images such as brightness, contrast and standard deviation of noise on the other hand. Various numerical simulations confirm first the relevance of this approach in the case of an idealised camera sensor impaired by a homoscedastic Gaussian white noise. Actual CCD or CMOS sensors exhibit, however, a heteroscedastic noise. A pre‐processing step is therefore proposed to first stabilise noise variance prior to employing the predictive equations, which provide the resolution in strain and displacement maps due to sensor noise. This step is based on both a modelling of sensor noise and the use of the generalised Anscombe transform to stabilise noise variance. Applying this procedure in the case of a translation test confirms that it is possible to model correctly noise propagation from sensor to displacement and strain maps, and thus also to predict the actual link between resolution, spatial resolution and standard deviation of noise in grid images.
Trends of delayed first antenatal care visit among pregnant women in Ethiopia based on the EDHS 2000-2016 data: Multivariate decomposition analysis

Background: Timing of first antenatal care visiting is crucial for women and fetus health. However, most of the women had delayed antenatal care visits and lacked early detection of existing complications. Hence, this study aimed to assess the trends and magnitude of delayed first antenatal care visits among pregnant women in Ethiopia.Method: This study used cross-sectional data analysis on Ethiopian Demographic and Health Surveys. A total weighted sample of 2146 in 2000, 2051 in 2005, 3368 in 2011, and 4740 in 2016 women who received at least one antenatal care visit in the past five years before each survey were included. Stata 14.1 software was used for data management and further analysis. Trends and multivariate logistic decomposition analyses were employed to examine the change in delayed first antenatal care visits with sampling weighting for the survey data. The 95% confidence interval was used for considering statistical significance.Results: The proportion of delayed first antenatal care visit was declined from 76.8 (95%CI: 75.1−78.6) in 2000 to 67.3 (95%CI: 65.9−68.6) in 2016. The decomposition analysis showed that 39% of the overall change in delayed first antenatal care visit over time was due to differences in characteristics whereas about 61% was due to the effect of characteristics. The significant contributing factors for the decline of delayed first antenatal care visit were the place of residence, husband’s education, women occupation, told about pregnancy complications, caesarean delivery, and family size. Conclusion: The proportion of delayed first antenatal care visits has been declined over time in Ethiopia, but still it remains high. More of the overall change in delayed first antenatal care visit was attributed to a change in health behavior among pregnant women. Public health interventions or programs such as health education and behavioral change communication targeting the rural residents, lower economic status, and family size would be suggested to decline delayed first antenatal care visit.
Breaking the MBA delivery mould: A multi-group international MBA / practitioner virtual collaborative project

The marketing education project presented here brings together a major UK financial institution in the banking sector and a selection of its high value clients (B-to-B) via e-mail, telephone, video conferencing and other web-based technologies, with two geographically dispersed MBA classes in the UK and the US. Student groups were set up in virtual teams to target critical customer issues, analyzing gaps in the client-company interface. The two MBA courses included Customer Management & Quality Systems delivered at the University of Manchester, Manchester Business School (UK) and International Marketing, delivered at Missouri State University (US). The groups worked as a "think tank" collaborating to solve important customer service issues.
HPLC DETERMINATION OF CIPROFLOXACIN RESIDUES IN CHICKEN MEAT AND ITS PRODUCTS

This study consisted of two main parts; the first part is an experimental part consisted from 55 antibiotic-free 35-days chickens that treated with therapeutic dose (5 mg/kg body weight) in drinking water for three successive days to study the withdrawal time and the effect of freezing and heat treatment on the drug residues. The second part is a survey consisted from 100 samples include fresh, frozen chickens, chicken burgers and chicken luncheon, 25 samples from each (breast, thigh muscles and liver) randomly collected from markets and analyzed by HPLC analysis. Findings revealed that the 9 day after administration is the withdrawal day of ciprofloxacin residues. Freezing had a little effect on degradation of residues, boiling is the most efficient method in reduction of residues than roasting and frying. In survey, all samples of fresh, frozen chicken and chicken products were positive for ciprofloxacin residues and have levels exceed the MRL. Ciprofloxacin was widely used in broiler farms and found in nearly all samples in violative levels in chicken meat and its products. Withdrawal time of 9 days after treatment must be noticed and use of boiling in processing is more preferable.
Relationship between log and lumber modulus of elasticity

Past nondestructive evaluation (NDE) research efforts have paved the way for the successful use ofNDE for determining the quality of finished wood products. However, little effort has been expended on developing nonvisual NDE techniques for use in grading or sorting logs for internal soundness and structural quality. This paper describes the results of a study that addressed this problem. Longitudinal stress wave NDE techniques were used to evaluate the quality of 193 balsam fir and eastern spruce logs prior to processing into lumber. Longitudinal speed-of-stress wave transmission was used to determine the modulus of elasticity (MOE) for each log. The MOE of each piece of structural lumber cut from the logs was then determined using transverse vibration NDE techniques. A strong relationship was observed between the MOE ofthe logs and the lumber obtained from the logs.
Gas Turbine Heat Transfer and Cooling Technology

Fundamentals Need for Turbine Blade Cooling Turbine-Cooling Technology Turbine Heat Transfer and Cooling Issues Structure of the Book Review Articles and Book Chapters on Turbine Cooling and Heat Transfer New Information from 2000 to 2010 References Turbine Heat Transfer Introduction Turbine-Stage Heat Transfer Cascade Vane Heat-Transfer Experiments Cascade Blade Heat Transfer Airfoil Endwall Heat Transfer Turbine Rotor Blade Tip Heat Transfer Leading-Edge Region Heat Transfer Flat-Surface Heat Transfer New Information from 2000 to 2010 2.10 Closure References Turbine Film Cooling Introduction Film Cooling on Rotating Turbine Blades Film Cooling on Cascade Vane Simulations Film Cooling on Cascade Blade Simulations Film Cooling on Airfoil Endwalls Turbine Blade Tip Film Cooling Leading-Edge Region Film Cooling Flat-Surface Film Cooling Discharge Coefficients of Turbine Cooling Holes 3.10 Film-Cooling Effects on Aerodynamic Losses 3.11 New Information from 2000 to 2010 3.12 Closure References Turbine Internal Cooling Jet Impingement Cooling Rib-Turbulated Cooling Pin-Fin Cooling Compound and New Cooling Techniques New Information from 2000 to 2010 References Turbine Internal Cooling with Rotation Rotational Effects on Cooling Smooth-Wall Coolant Passage Heat Transfer in a Rib-Turbulated Rotating CoolantPassage Effect of Channel Orientation with Respect to the RotationDirection on Both Smooth and Ribbed Channels Effect of Channel Cross Section on Rotating Heat Transfer Different Proposed Correlation to Relate the Heat Transferwith Rotational Effects Heat-Mass-Transfer Analogy and Detail Measurements Rotation Effects on Smooth-Wall Impingement Cooling Rotational Effects on Rib-Turbulated Wall ImpingementCooling New Information from 2000 to 2010 References Experimental Methods Introduction Heat-Transfer Measurement Techniques Mass-Transfer Analogy Techniques Liquid Crystal Thermography Flow and Thermal Field Measurement Techniques New Information from 2000 to 2010 Closure References Numerical Modeling Governing Equations and Turbulence Models Numerical Prediction of Turbine Heat Transfer Numerical Prediction of Turbine Film Cooling Numerical Prediction of Turbine Internal Cooling New Information from 2000 to 2010 References Final Remarks Turbine Heat Transfer and Film Cooling Turbine Internal Cooling with Rotation Turbine Edge Heat Transfer and Cooling New Information from 2000 to 2010 Closure Index
Effects of distribution planning systems on the cost of delivery in unique make-to-order manufacturing

This thesis investigates the effects of simulation through the use of a distribution planning system (DPS) on distribution costs in the setting of unique make-to-order manufacturers (UMTO). In doing so, the German kitchen furniture industry (GKFI) serves as an example and supplier of primary data. On the basis of a detailed market analysis this thesis will demonstrate that this industry, which mostly works with its own vehicles for transport, is in urgent need of innovative logistics strategies. Within the scope of an investigation into the current practical and theoretical use of DPS, it will become apparent that most known DPS are based on the application of given or set delivery tour constraints. Those constraints are often not questioned in practice and in theory nor even attempted to be omitted, but are accepted in day-to-day operation. This paper applies a different approach. In the context of this research, a practically applied DPS is used supportively for the removal of time window constraints (TWC) in UMTO delivery. The same DPS is used in ceteris paribus condition for the re-routing of deliveries and hereby supports the findings regarding the costliness of TWC. From this experiment emerges an overall cost saving of 50.9% and a 43.5% reduction of kilometres travelled. The applied experimental research methodology and the significance of the resulting savings deliver the opportunity to analyse the removal of delivery time window restrictions as one of many constraints in distribution logistics. The economic results of this thesis may become the basis of discussion for further research based on the applied methodology. From a practical point of view, the contributions to new knowledge are the cost savings versus the change of demand for the setting of TWC between the receiver of goods and the UMTO supplier. On the side of theoretical knowledge, this thesis contributes to filling the gap on the production – distribution problem from a UMTO perspective. Further contributions to knowledge are delivered through the experimental methodology with the application of a DPS for research in logistics simulation.
Internal dynamics of IGBT during short circuit switching

This paper reports the internal dynamics of IGBT under short circuit switching conditions. Short circuit performance of IGBTs has been studied in detail with the aid of extensive measurements and numerical simulations. An advanced two-dimensional mixed device and circuit simulator has been employed to examine IGBT behaviour under short circuit stress. The self-heating mechanism is incorporated by self-consistently solving heat generation and diffusion equations with semiconductor charge balance and transport equations. A latch-up free punch-through IGBT has been examined. It is shown that hot-spot generation due to current crowding and impact ionization are the causes of breakdown of an IGBT under short circuit switching. Use of a wider gate is likely to improve the ruggedness of the device.
Possible Utilization of Global System of Mobile Communication Advances in Information Communication Function of the Library

While its evolution dates back as far as 1921, break through begins in 1982 and today it has continued to advance unabatedly. This is the fate of Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM); a device in the hand that makes the world appears like a small place. It started with a one-way information medium within a defined distance but today it is a global phenomenon that seems unlimited. GSM at its recent era do not pretend to improve the voice communication experience only but provides access to global communication reality of information communication and sharing. These are achieved in the various social networks, search engines and data based, as well as internet and the likes. This article provides an overview of the evolution of GSM and it implication for information communication specifically as it concerns the library.
Glycogen: Multiple Roles in the CNS

The historically neurocentric view of astrocytes as Styrofoam cushioning that rigidly clad neurons within the brain parenchyma has been superseded in the past 30 years by an increasing appreciation of the myriad roles astrocytes contribute to supporting physiological brain function. It is widely recognized that the continuous support provided by astrocytes, from prenatal development to maturity, is vital for neuronal function. Indeed, the numerous and diverse roles furnished by astrocytes contrasts with the vital but restricted transmission of action potentials that is the neuron’s primary role. An emerging role for astrocytes is that of providing energy substrate in the form of glycogen-derived lactate to neurons. This role was established during periods of limited glucose availability but has been extended to encompass one of the most important physiological brain functions, learning and memory. In this context glycogen metabolism is integral to the consolidation of learning into long-term retention of memories, a process vital to the higher functioning of the human brain.
Will They Sink or Swim? New Zealand Youth Water Safety Knowledge and Skills

This article examines the practical and theoretical knowledge of New Zealand youth, identifies gaps in the understanding of water safety by these same youth, and suggests ways of addressing the shortcomings. A questionnaire was completed by 2,202 youth in a nationwide survey, New Zealand Youth Water Safety Survey 2003. Self-reported swimming, rescue, and resuscitation skills and understanding of small-boat and surf safety were the competencies chosen to evaluate youth skills and knowledge. Many estimated that they could not swim more than 100 m (n = 1,192, 54%) or that they could not perform CPR (n = 939, 43%). When analyzed by gender, socioeconomic status, and ethnicity, the lack of water-safety knowledge among males, youth from low socioeconomic-status schools, and Pacific Islands and Asian students was consistent and pronounced. The author discusses the implications of these shortcomings for youth drowning risk and recommends ways to address inequities in the provision of water-safety education in schools.
Assessment strategy for an engineering problem-solving course

This paper describes the operational aspects of an assessment strategy for an Engineering Problem-Based Learning (PBL) course. The assessment involves initial auditing of existing skills and competence of each student to facilitate the effective allocation of students with different levels of expertise in various discipline areas, into well balanced teams. This balance encourages effective mentoring within and between teams. The formal assessment strategy includes a mix of both summative and formative assessment. The summative assessment of objectives combines team and individual assessment and is tailored to individual students’ existing skill levels. The emphasis is on advancement of skills and competence rather than simply achieving a minimum standard. This strategy provides the flexibility for equitable assessment of students with different initial skill and competency levels, which is particularly relevant to students studying in the distance mode who may have considerable professional experience and advanced skills and competence in some areas. By tracking progress towards the achievement of objectives, students develop an individual portfolio of achievements that can be continued throughout their study programs and professional lives.
Biomechanics of Lower Limb Injuries of Belted Car Drivers and the Influence of Intrusion and Accident Severity

The lower limb injuries obtained by belted car driver during vehicular accidents are analyzed. It is shown that the injury risk for the limb is different in various collision types as frontal and lateral impact. Impacts of the vehicle side against a tree cause the most frequent and the most severe consequences. The different kinds and localizations of injuries are shown to be related to accident severity parameter like Delta-v. Persons with pelvic fractures as well as isolated hip joint fracture are also analyzed.