Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Travelling Wave Antenna Based MIMO for 5GHz WLAN Band Application With Pattern Diversity

ABSTRACT A single-layer, four-element multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) antenna for 5 GHz (5150–5850 MHz) band WLAN application is proposed. Each unit element consists of three sections and this behaves as a travelling wave antenna, which enables frequency scanning feature. The combination of orthogonal feeds and placement of elements introduce dual-polarisation, and pattern diversity respectively. Thus, the proposed MIMO antenna offers a higher degree of freedom (pattern diversity, frequency scanning and dual polarisation), which makes it exceptional. The proposed MIMO antenna has a maximum impedance bandwidth of 17% (4.93–5.87 GHz) corresponding to port 4 and isolation of 17.5 dB, which is achieved without additional decoupling/isolation enhancement circuits. The envelope correlation coefficient of 0.25, capacity loss less than 0.4 bits/sec/Hz, and the mean effective gain (MEG) ratio of 0 dB in the desired frequency band quantifies the diversity performance for WLAN applications. The proposed MIMO has gain from 2 to 5.5 dB and occupies a compact volume of 1.3 λ × 1.3 λ × 0.02 λ mm3, which may be one of the most miniaturised electrical configurations.
Integrated exposure for risk assessment in indoor environments based on a review of concentration data on airborne chemical pollutants in domestic environments in Europe

This review set out to identify data sets for airborne chemical pollutants measured in domestic dwellings within European Union (EU) countries from the literature published during 1995–2010. A total of 74 papers satisfied inclusion criteria, and from those papers data on country location, population sampled, sampling period, number of samples and summary statistics of concentrations measured were gathered. The chemical substances identified and included were grouped to aldehydes, radon, carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon monoxide (CO), nicotine, nitrogen dioxide (NO2), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, volatile organic compounds and brominated flame retardants. The review showed that the availability of data between the EU countries is varying and more measured data are available for countries in northern Europe than in the southern parts. This review is part of the Integrated Exposure for Risk Assessment in Indoor Environments project which developed a full-chain modelling platform, incorporating tools and databases for indoor chemical source release, exposure and risk assessment with the ultimate aim of estimating the health impact of chemical exposures in the indoor environment.
Experimental and Analytical Study of Bouncing Vibrations of a Flying Head Slider in a Near-Contact Regime

This paper presents an experimental and analytical study of bouncing vibrations of a flying head slider in near-contact and contact regimes. In our experiment we showed that, by reducing the ambient pressure, the slider begins to touch-down and exhibit bouncing vibrations, and by increasing the ambient pressure thereafter, the slider continues to vibrate until an ambient pressure higher than the touch-down pressure. In the analysis we used a two-degrees-of-freedom slider model with linear front and rear air-bearing springs and dashpots. In a numerical simulation of slider dynamics, we considered rough surface contact of the trailing air-bearing pad with a disk, including bulk deformation, adhesion force of lubricant and friction force. The disk is assumed to have no microwaviness. From the simulation of decreasing and increasing nominal flying height, we found that the slider exhibits a bouncing vibration and touch-down/take-off hysteresis as seen in the experiment. The frequency spectrum characteristics of the bouncing vibration agree well between numerical analysis and the experiment. From a parametric study of the bouncing vibration excited by initial spacing deviation, we found that the unstable flying height range can be decreased by increasing the air-bearing stiffness and can be completely eliminated if the lubricant adhesion force or the frictional coefficient is decreased to certain small values.
Paving the way to a full chip gate level double patterning application

Double patterning lithography processes can offer significant yield enhancement for challenging circuit designs. Many decomposition (i.e. the process of dividing the layout design into first and second exposures) techniques are possible, but the focus of this paper is on the use of a secondary "cut" mask to trim away extraneous features left from the first exposure. This approach has the advantage that each exposure only needs to support a subset of critical features (e.g. dense lines with the first exposure, isolated spaces with the second one). The extraneous features ("printing assist features" or PrAFs) are designed to support the process window of critical features much like the role of the subresolution assist features (SRAFs) in conventional processes. However, the printing nature of PrAFs leads to many more design options, and hence a greater process and decomposition parameter exploration space, than are available for SRAFs. A decomposition scheme using PRAFs was developed for a gate level process. A critical driver of the work was to deliver improved across-chip linewidth variation (ACLV) performance versus an optimized single exposure process while providing support for a larger range of critical features. A variety of PRAF techniques were investigated by simulation, with a PrAF scheme similar to standard SRAF rules being chosen as the optimal solution [1]. This paper discusses aspects of the code development for an automated PrAF generation and placement scheme and the subsequent decomposition of a layout into two mask levels. While PrAF placement and decomposition is straightforward for layouts with pitch and orientation restrictions, it becomes rather complex for unrestricted layout styles. Because this higher complexity yields more irregularly shaped PrAFs, mask making becomes another critical driver of the optimum placement and clean-up strategies. Examples are given of how those challenges are met or can be successfully circumvented. During subsequent decomposition of the PrAF-enhanced layout into two independent mask levels, various geometric decomposition parameters have to be considered. As an example, the removal of PrAFs has to be guaranteed by a minimum required overlap of the cut mask opening past any PrAF edge. It is discussed that process assumptions such as CD tolerances and overlay as well as inter-level relationship ground rules need to be considered to successfully optimize the final decomposition scheme. Furthermore, simulation and experimental results regarding not only ACLV but also across-device linewidth variation (ADLV) are analyzed.
Role of EUS at high risk for choledocholithiasis without severe cholangitis and visible stone on cross-sectional imaging: A multicenter randomized clinical trial

Background and Objectives: The prevalence of choledocholithiasis in the high-risk group of choledocholithiasis has been reported to be slightly more than 50% when there is no definite cholangitis. Replacement of diagnostic endoscopic retrograde cholangiography (ERC) with an EUS-first approach may be beneficial in these patients. Materials and Methods: In this prospective, multicenter study, patients with dilated common bile duct and serum total bilirubin levels of 1.8–4 mg/dL were randomly allocated to undergo either EUS first, followed by subsequent ERC if necessary (EUS group) or ERC only (ERC group). The primary endpoint was the incidence of negative outcomes associated with a false-negative diagnosis of the choledocholithiasis or the endoscopic procedure. The secondary endpoints were the rate of diagnostic ERC and hospital stay length related to the endoscopic procedure. Results: Of 90 patients who were randomly assigned, the final analysis involved 42 in the EUS group and 44 in the ERC group. The negative outcomes were not significantly different between the EUS and ERC groups (2.4% vs. 6.8%; P = 0.62). The rate of diagnostic ERC was significantly lower in the EUS group (2.4% vs. 47.7%; P < 0.001). The hospital stay length related to the endoscopic procedure was significantly shorter in the EUS group (1.8 ± 1.0 vs. 2.5 ± 1.2 days; P = 0.001). Conclusion: In selected high-risk choledocholithiasis patients, an EUS-first strategy significantly decreased the rate of diagnostic ERC and hospital stay but did not achieve a significant reduction in negative endoscopic procedure outcomes.
The Role of miR-23b in Cancer and Autoimmune Disease

Short-stranded miRNAs are single-stranded RNA molecules involved in the regulation of gene expression. miRNAs are involved in a variety of cellular physiological processes, including cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis. miR-23b have been identified to act both as oncogenes and as tumor suppressors. In addition, miR-23b is related to inflammation resistance to various autoimmune diseases and restrained inflammatory cell migration. The characterization of the specific alterations in the patterns of miR-23b expression in cancer and autoimmune disease has great potential for identifying biomarkers for early disease diagnosis, as well as for potential therapeutic intervention in various diseases. In this review, we summarize the ever-expanding role of miR-23b and its target genes in different models and offer insight into how this multifunctional miRNA modulates tumor cell proliferation and apoptosis or inflammatory cell activation, differentiation, and migration.
Comparison of Fitness and Physical Activity Levels of Obese People with Hypertension

This study assessed the relationships between the current level of physical activity (PA) and PA in childhood and the level of physical fitness (PF) of obese people aged 40+ with co-existing hypertension (HT). The study included 82 obese patients with co-existing HT in their history. In order to assess the level of PA, we used the IPAQ. PF was assessed by observing the performance of patients in a fitness test (a 30-s chair stand, a handgrip strength test, a sit-and-reach test, a one leg stand test, a plank test, a wall squat test, and a 2-min step-in-place test). According to the IPAQ category, 24.4% were classified as having a high level of PA, 45.1% a sufficient level of PA, and 30.5% an insufficient level of PA. We noted that the higher the level of PA, the higher the PF—even in obese participants with HT. On the other hand, co-existing diabetes lowered almost all analysed parameters, both biochemical and fitness. The current PA level, a deficiency in which seems to be related to low PF and/or HT, does seem to be related to the degree of PF.
Analysis of factors influencing project cost estimating practice

Although extensive research has been undertaken on factors influencing the decision to tender and mark-up and tender price determination for construction projects, very little of this research contains information appropriate to the factors involved in costing construction projects. The object of this study was to gain an understanding of the factors influencing contractors' cost estimating practice. This was achieved through a comparative study of eighty-four UK contractors classified into four categories, namely, very small, small, medium and large firms. The initial analysis of the 24 factors considered in the study shows that the main factors relevant to cost estimating practice are complexity of the project, scale and scope of construction, market conditions, method of construction, site constraints, client's financial position, buildability and location of the project. Analysis of variance, which tests the null hypothesis that the opinions of the four categories of companies are not significantly different, shows that except for the procurement route and contractual arrangement factor there is no difference of opinion, at the 5% significance level, on the factors influencing cost estimating. Further analysis, based on a factor analysis technique, shows that the variables could be grouped into seven factors; the most important factor grouping being project complexity followed by technological requirements, project information, project team requirement, contract requirement, project duration and, finally, market requirement.
A systematic approach to calibrate spray and break-up models for the simulation of high-pressure fuel injections

A novel calibration methodology is presented to accurately predict the fundamental characteristics of high-pressure fuel sprays for Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) applications. The model was developed within the Siemens Simcenter STAR-CD 3D CFD software environment and used the Lagrangian–Eulerian solution scheme. The simulations were carried out based on a quiescent, constant volume, computational vessel to reproduce the real spray testing environment. A combination of statistic and optimisation methods was used for spray model selection and calibration and the process was supported by a wide range of experimental data. A comparative study was conducted between the two most commonly used models for fuel atomisation: Kelvin–Helmholtz/Rayleigh–Taylor (KH–RT) and Reitz–Diwakar (RD) break-up models. The Rosin–Rammler (RR) mono-modal droplet size distribution was tuned to assign initial spray characteristics at the critical nozzle exit location. A half factorial design was used to reveal how the various model calibration factors influence the spray properties, leading to the selection of the dominant ones. Numerical simulations of the injection process were carried out based on space-filling Design of Experiment (DoE) schedules, which used the dominant factors as input variables. Statistical regression and nested optimisation procedures were then applied to define the optimal levels of the model calibration factors. The method aims to give an alternative to the widely used trial-and-error approach and unveils the correlation between calibration factors and spray characteristics. The results show the importance of the initial droplet size distribution and secondary break-up coefficients to accurately calibrate the entire spray process. RD outperformed KH–RT in terms of prediction when comparing numerical spray tip penetration and droplet size characteristics to the experimental counterparts. The calibrated spray model was able to correctly predict the spray properties over a wide range of injection pressure. The work presented in this paper is part of the APC6 DYNAMO project led by Ford Motor Company.
Characteristics associated with delays in decision to transfer injured patients

Introduction The regionalized nature of trauma care necessitates interfacility transfer which is vulnerable to delays given its complexity. Little is known about the interval of time a patient spends at the sending hospital prior to when the transfer is initiated—the “decision to transfer” time. This primary objective of the study was to explore the impact of patient, environmental, and institutional characteristics on decision to transfer time. Methods This was a retrospective cohort study of injured adult patients who underwent emergent interfacility transfer by a provincial critical care transport organization over a 31-month period. Quantile regression was used to evaluate the impact of patient, environmental, and institutional characteristics on the time to decision to transfer. Results A total of 1128 patients were included. The median decision to transfer time was 2.42 h and the median total transport time was 3.12 h. The following variables were associated with an increase in time to decision to transfer at the 90th percentile of time: age >75 (+2.47 h), age 66–75 (+3.70 h), age 56–65 (+1.20 h), transfer between 00:00 and 07:59 (+2.08 h), and transfer in the summer (+2.25 h). The following variables were associated with a decrease in time to decision to transfer at the 90th percentile of time: Glasgow Coma Scale 3–8 (−2.21 h), respiratory rate >30 (−2.01 h), sending site being a community hospital with <100 beds (−4.11 h), or the sending site being a nursing station (−5.66 h). Conclusion Time to decision to transfer was a sizable proportion of the patients interfacility transfer. Older patients were associated with a delay in decision to transfer as were patients transferred overnight and in the summer. These findings may be used to support the implementation of geriatric trauma triage guidelines and promote ongoing education and quality improvement initiatives to decrease delay.
A structural analysis of greening the supplier, environmental performance and competitive advantage

A clear research need has been identified to confirm the structural relationships between greening the supplier, enhanced environmental performance and improved competitive advantage, to provide an impetus for firms to green their suppliers. A mail survey was conducted and empirical data of 119 ISO 14001 manufacturing firms in Malaysia was gathered for this study. Structural equation modelling technique was applied in this research article. Results from the analysis, reveal the existence of a positive and significant linkage between green suppliers with both environmental performance and competitive advantage. At the same time, environmental performance has also been shown to positively and significantly affect competitive advantage; while environmental performance plays a partial mediating role between greening the supplier and competitiveness. Such significant finding is especially essential for the manufacturing sector registered with ISO 14001 who intend to enhance their environmental performance and carve a niche competitive edge in the business arena.
Teaching the US 2018 midterm elections: a survey of secondary social studies teachers

ABSTRACT The goal of this study was to identify teacher-reported practices related to teaching the 2018 US Midterm Elections and contemporary social and policy issues. In particular, we sought to identify factors that helped explain why teachers were or were not engaging students in the midterm elections and related contemporary issues and what contextual factors may influence their teaching of these contemporary events. We also examined how the teachers’ political views and those of the school community, personal political engagement and engagement with current events were associated with teaching the midterms. Respondents to our online survey, conducted using a regionally stratified sample in late 2018, include 813 US secondary social studies teachers from 48 states. We found that teachers who identified shared goals with colleagues and administrators and who reported having autonomy over their curriculum and teaching said they engaged students in the election and issues regardless of the political context. We also found that teachers in more politically competitive states reported developing skills, norms and classroom contexts conducive for engaging in controversial issues. These findings are important given the rise in populism, partisanship and social stratification in the US and globally.
FRF MEASUREMENTS WITH THE WEIGHTED OVERLAPPED SEGMENT AVERAGING TECHNIQUE

Abstract This paper investigates the measurement errors involved in estimating frequency response functions from weighted overlapped segment averaging, a technique that has become a standard in modern data analysers due to its computational advantages. A particular attention is paid to leakage errors, for which this technique has been frequently criticised. Our main result is that a Half-sine or Diff window with 67% overlap achieves the best compromise to reduce leakage errors, and this is independently of the system frequency response function. This conclusion is to be contrasted with the customary habit of using a Hanning window with 50% overlap.
FRP-encased concrete as a structural material

Synopsis Plastics reinforced with continuous glass fibres have outstanding tensile strength in the fibre direction and excellent corrosion resistance, but are characterized by low modulus and low compressive strength. It is proposed to develop composite members in which a prefabricated FRP (fibreglass-reinforced-plastic) casing is used initially as the form to cast plain concrete, and thereafter to confine the concrete, act as tensile reinforcement and provide corrosion protection. Significant cost savings are possible with the proposed combination of materials, especially in exposed structures, such as bridges. An experimental investigation of FRP-encased concrete cylinders in axial compression and of rectangular FRP-encased beams in bending is presented. The results demonstrate the excellent strength and ductility characteristics of FRP-encased members. The behaviour of circular FRP-encased concrete beam-columns is described also, in terms of analytically obtained moment-axial-load and ductility-axial-l.
Aspergillus fumigatus Fumagillin Contributes to Host Cell Damage

The activity of fumagillin, a mycotoxin produced by Aspergillus fumigatus, has not been studied in depth. In this study, we used a commercial fumagillin on cultures of two cell types (A549 pneumocytes and RAW 264.7 macrophages). This toxin joins its target, MetAP2 protein, inside cells and, as a result, significantly reduces the electron chain activity, the migration, and the proliferation ability on the A549 cells, or affects the viability and proliferation ability of the RAW 264.7 macrophages. However, the toxin stimulates the germination and double branch hypha production of fungal cultures, pointing out an intrinsic resistant mechanism to fumagillin of fungal strains. In this study, we also used a fumagillin non-producer A. fumigatus strain (∆fmaA) as well as its complemented strain (∆fmaA::fmaA) and we tested the fumagillin secretion of the fungal strains using an Ultra High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (UHPLC) method. Furthermore, fumagillin seems to protect the fungus against phagocytosis in vitro, and during in vivo studies using infection of immunosuppressed mice, a lower fungal burden in the lungs of mice infected with the ∆fmaA mutant was demonstrated.
New voltage-model/current-mode universal biquad filter using unity-gain cells

A new universal biquad filter is presented which can realize all the five standard filter functions namely lowpass, bandpass, highpass, notch and allpass in voltage-mode (VM) as well as in current-mode (CM) employing only unity-gain cells (i.e. voltage followers and current followers) as active elements. Explicit VM/CM outputs are available from low output impedance terminals and high output impedance terminals, respectively. The workability of the proposed universal biquad, realized with CMOS unity-gain cells, is established by SPICE simulations.