Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sound Strength Calibration Methods

The sound strength G is a room acoustical parameter used to investigate the sound distribution in a hall or to compare the loudness between different halls. ISO 3382-1 describes several methods to measure G. The accuracy of a G measurement depends on the accuracy with which the power level of the sound source can be determined or with which the measurement system can be calibrated. In this research the different available sound strength calibration methods have been compared using a standard omnidirectional (dodecahedron) sound source. Using the same measurement equipment, different (system) calibration methods are compared: 1] free-field measurement in an anechoic room, 2] sound intensity measurement in an anechoic room, 3] diffuse-field measurement in a reverberation room, 4] near-field measurement on stage in a concert hall. For method 1, measurements have been performed in a horizontal plane with white noise and exponential sweeps at various distances from the sound source. For method 2, intensity measurements according to ISO 9614-3 have been performed using white noise while scanning the sound source surface with a two microphone probe. For method 3, the direct method and the comparison method according to the ISO 3741 standard have been used to determine the sound power level using white noise. Also, a system calibration has been performed in the anechoic room and the reverberation room using exponential sweeps. Finally, for method 4, a convenient near-field measurement method at a distance of 1 m has been performed on the stages of a large and a small concert hall using white noise and exponential sweeps. It has been found that the intensity and the diffuse-field calibration methods give substantially equal results. The horizontal-rotation free-field calibration method gives results that differ significantly from those of the diffuse-field and intensity methods. For a survey G measurement in a concert hall it is sufficient to perform an on-site calibration.
A 3.3-to-25V all-digital charge pump based system with temperature and load compensation for avalanche photodiode cameras with fixed sensitivity

This paper presents a digitally controlled charge pump (DCP) to supply high voltages, while ensuring temperature and load current independence of excess bias in cameras based on avalanche photodiodes. This is achieved through a single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) based monitoring mechanism that continuously reconfigures the DCP using a feedback loop to compensate breakdown voltage variations by temperature and load current in real time. The sensitivity of the SPADs, or photon detection probability (PDP), is maintained to within 1.9% when the temperature shifts from 28? C to 65? C and the load current changes from 0? A to 100? A.
Understanding the role of miRNAs in the pathogenesis of brain arteriovenous malformations

Brain arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) are abnormal vessels that are prone to rupture, causing lifethreatening intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Understanding the molecular basis of pathogenesis, timely diagnosis, and treatment of brain AVMs are some of the urgent problems in neurosurgery. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small endogenous RNAs that regulate gene-expression posttranscriptionally. MiRNAs are involved in almost all biological processes, including cell proliferation, apoptosis, and cell differentiation. Recent studies have shown that miRNAs can be involved in brain AVMs formation and rupture. There are also extracellular forms of miRNAs. Circulating miRNAs have been detected in the blood circulation and other body fluids. Owing to their stability and resistance to endogenous RNase activity, circulating miRNAs have been proposed as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for various diseases, such as tumors, cardiovascular and autoimmune diseases. In this review, we summarized the role of some miRNAs in brain AVMs pathogenesis and discussed their potential clinical application as non-invasive biomarkers.
Nature-Inspired Metaheuristic Techniques as Powerful Optimizers in the Paper Industry

Nature-Inspired Metaheuristics (NIM) have emerged as a potent tool for solving complex and difficult optimization problems, arising in various industries, which otherwise become quite difficult (if not impossible) to solve by the classical methods based on gradient search. Further, NIM techniques are more likely to obtain a global optimal solution, often desired and sometimes a necessity in several real life situations. In this study we employ SABC, a variant of Artificial Bee Colony (ABC), a relatively newer NIM algorithm, for solving four typical processes of a paper mill where optimization can be applied. We have also considered two chemical process problems that can be related to paper industry. Numerical results show that the proposed SABC scheme is efficient in dealing with these problems.
Narcotrafficking and Land Control in Guatemala and Honduras

On frontiers dominated by illicit activities such as narcotrafficking, criminal organizations’ usurpation of land and resources is profoundly changing rural livelihoods and prospects for biodiversity conservation. Prior work has demonstrated how drug trafficking catalyzes forest loss and smallholder dispossession but does not make clear the extent to which the long-term control of land is moved from state, Indigenous, or smallholders to criminal or other actors. This study attempts to describe those shifts. Specifically: we develop a typology of land control, and use it to track how drug trafficking initiates shifts from public lands and Indigenous territories to private large holdings. We examine an array of secondary sources indicating shifts in land control related to narcotrafficking, including illegal land seizure documents, news media, and surveys of land managers. In absence of formal land registries, frontier actors may signal their control over land through land use change. After establishing where changes in land control have taken place, we analyzed land use and resulting changes in spatial patterns of forest loss. We found that large scale sustained forest losses (over 713,244 ha and 417,329 ha), in Guatemala and Honduras, respectively, from 2000–2019) corresponds with areas undergoing shifts in control towards large landowners, often related to narcotrafficking. Incomplete empirical data on land control prevent comprehensive attribution of all sustained forest loss related to narcotrafficking. Yet the limited evidence gathered here indicates drug trafficking activities initiate widespread and sustained shifts and consolidation of who controls land and resources at the frontier. Our work suggests that in Central America and likely elsewhere, control over land—quite separate from property rights—is the key factor in understanding social and ecological change.
MMW monolithic Y-junction circulator on single-crystal Sc-doped Ba-hexaferrite

A monolithic circulator junction has been fabricated on a single-crystal Sc-doped Ba-hexaferrite film transferred onto a silicon substrate. Operation of the circulator has been measured at Ka-band for both above and below ferromagnetic resonance (FMR). The circulator junction is operational even when the ferrite substrate is partially magnetized.
Rigorous boundary integral equation solution for general isotropic and uniaxial anisotropic dielectric waveguides in multilayered media including losses, gain and leakage

Bounded and leaky eigenmodes of arbitrary shaped polygonal dielectric waveguides embedded in a multilayered medium are determined based on a rigorous full-wave analysis. The dielectric waveguides consist of isotropic or uniaxial anisotropic material. Losses and gain inside the layers and the waveguides are allowed. The eigenmodes are determined with a boundary integral equation technique in conjunction with the method of moments. Results for the propagation constants are presented for a number of waveguides and, where possible, compared with published data. Special attention is devoted to the transition from a dielectric waveguide to a perfectly conducting waveguide when the loss tangent of the waveguide material changes from zero to infinity. >
Comparison between IEEE and CIGRE ampacity standards

Both IEEE and CIGRE have published industry standards for calculating the ampacity of overhead conductors. Although these two standards use the same basic heat balance concept, they use different approaches to calculate ampacity ratings. As a result of these differences, the ampacity rating calculated by each method may vary by almost 10% depending on the environmental conditions being considered. This paper looks at the different approaches used to calculate individual heat balance terms, at the overall impact of these terms on the ampacity rating, and at the sensitivity of these approaches to various input parameters. The user of these standards should be aware of these variations in calculated ratings and, if they consider these variations significant, the user needs to select a single approach for rating their lines based on their understanding of these different approaches and of the published experimental research supporting each method.
Resistance of narrow diffused layers

The resistance evaluation of very narrow diffused layers is described. A two-dimensional analysis of the diffused layer conductance has been made using a numerical technique. A substantial reduction of the effective sheet resistance is shown to occur when the width of a diffusion mask window is narrowed relative to the junction depth. This indicates that the conductance of such narrow layers is influenced predominantly by the lateral diffusion effect, and that the geometrical effect of diffusion mask on the vertical impurity penetration can be almost neglected. The experimental data are in good agreement with this result. Design curves are presented to determine the resistance accurately, which are useful for the design of high-value resistors in integrated circuits.
Boosting the Understanding and Approval of Anti‐Corona Measures–Reducing Exponential Growth Bias and its Effects through Educational Nudges

Abstract One major problem of compliance with anti‐coronavirus measures originates from the so‐called exponential growth bias, i.e. the cognitive distortion of systematically underestimating exponential growth and its consequences. We replicate an Amazon MTurk experiment regarding the spread of SARS‐CoV‐2 that was conducted in the general US population during the first wave of the pandemic in March 2020 dealing with this bias. Using a least‐likely‐design‐approach, we find a similarly strong bias in our sample of German students in November 2020. Nevertheless, this bias can be reduced by one simple educational intervention. Furthermore, participants who received these educational nudges showed a considerably higher approval rating for contact restrictions. This effect is robust to different analytical techniques and the inclusion of controls. Complementing political statements about the exponential spread of the virus – which often only mention the name of the phenomenon – with simple educational nudges could help the public better understand the need for encroachments on personal liberties.
Linking management control system with product development and process decisions to cope with environment complexity

In this study, we report the results of a large-scale survey study on business strategy and innovations conducted in China in November 2002. We focus on the impact of environmental complexity on the choice of management control systems and the effects of management control systems on product development and process decisions. Our findings provide some valuable insights to strategic change. When the pressure for change comes from the external environment, the strategic control approach is usually chosen to cope with environmental complexity. Strategic control focuses on the process of benchmarking a firm's strategic and operational decisions with that of their competitor's. Additionally, strategic control emphasises R&D and new product development, and aligns manufacturing strategy with corporate objectives. This approach has a long-term impact on a firm's position in the market place. When the pressure for change comes from the inside of an organisation and the company is more interested in maintaining its current market position, financial control approach is usually chosen to cope with environment complexity. Financial control approach focuses on incremental improvement in the manufacturing process and short-term financial performance. This approach provides risk-averse benefits to the company.
A CASE STUDY ON IMPLEMENTATION OF THE BIM PLANNING PROCEDURES FOR FACILITY OWNERS

Many facility owners are beginning to adopt Building Information Modeling (BIM) to effectively operate and maintain the facility. The BIM Planning Guide for Facility Owners helps in planning and integrating BIM throughout the organization and the life cycle of the facility. To assist owners with planning for the adoption of BIM, three procedures were developed. These procedures include BIM organizational strategic planning, BIM organizational execution planning, and BIM project procurement planning. These procedures were developed through content analysis of available industry and research documents; industry interviews; workshops; and observational case studies. As part of the validation for the procedures developed, case studies were conducted in which the procedures were implemented. To understand the effectiveness of the procedures outlined in the BIM Planning Guide for Facility Owners, a case study of a well-established real estate development firm was conducted. The case study was conducted by implementing the strategic planning and procurement planning procedures that are applicable to the organization’s needs. Within the strategic planning procedure, the organization assessed their needs, targeted goals, objectives, and uses, and developed a plan for implementation. The procurement planning effort focused on developing the contract language necessary to accomplish the goals and objectives. The lessons learned from the case study will help in future planning and implementation along with the overall improvement of the procedure.
Colour design schemes for long-term healthcare environments

Residents of long-term healthcare environments live in confined spaces. The design of these spaces can impact in important ways on users. Wall colour is an aspect of the design of healthcare environments which can be modified at modest cost. The present study aimed to provide empirical evidence of preferences for wall colour in rooms typical of those found in long-term healthcare environments. A sample of 112 subjects was tested, stratified for age and gender. Subjects selected their preferred colours for three contiguous room types (bedroom, corridor and day room) from a palette of 90 colours, structured by hue, brightness and chroma saturation values. Statistical analysis yielded a number of significant effects which are described in detail, the most striking being on brightness value and chroma saturation. Subjects expressed a very clear preference for pale colours with low levels of chroma saturation, regardless of hue.
Coplanar waveguide wideband bandpass filter and its application to ultra‐wideband pulse generation

A technique to design wideband coplanar waveguide bandpass filters is reported. The filter is realized by etching a slot on the ground plane around a gap on its central conductor and modifying the gap in the form of parallel lines. It is shown that the 3‐dB fractional bandwidth of the filter can be varied from 60 to 110% by tuning the size of the slot aperture and the length of the parallel lines. Equivalent circuit and design steps are presented. Implementation area of the filter having passband 3.2–10.5 GHz is 0.90 λg × 0.26 λg, λg being the guided wavelength at 6.85 GHz while 20‐dB stopband is at least up to 18 GHz. Insertion loss is less than 2 dB up to 9 GHz. Area of the filter having fractional bandwidth 60% at 3.85 GHz is 0.67 λg × 0.11 λg. Passband loss is within 1.5 and 20 dB stopband is at least up to 12 GHz. The proposed filter structure is very simple to integrate, and the ultra‐wideband filter is used to generate an ultra‐wideband pulse as defined by the US Federal Communication Commission. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J RF and Microwave CAE, 2012.
Branch and bound algorithm for transmission system expansion planning using a transportation model

A method for optimal transmission network expansion planning is presented. The transmission network is modelled as a transportation network. The problem is solved using hierarchical Benders decomposition in which the problem is decomposed into master and slave subproblems. The master subproblem models the investment decisions and is solved using a branch-and-bound algorithm. The slave subproblem models the network operation and is solved using a specialised linear program. Several alternative implementations of the branch-and-bound algorithm have been tested. Special characteristics of the transmission expansion problem have been taken into consideration in these implementations. The methods have been tested on various test systems available in the literature.
Some Aspects of Gaseous Secondary Injection with Application to Thrust Vector Control

The experiments were conducted in an air-fed blowdown wind-tunnel facility utilizing two, two-dimensional primary nozzles producing Mach 2.0 and 2.76 flow at their respective exit lips. The secondary slot which extended to the walls of the primary nozzle was a converging nozzle made by cutting one of the primary nozzle blocks and removing material to form a cavity. The secondary slot area was varied by ad- justing the downstream portion of the cut block and injection angle variations were accomplished by inserting wedges into the cavity. Instrumentation included stagnation temperature and pressure probes in the upstream plenum chambers, static pressure taps in the nozzle sidewalls, and a shadowgraph system for visual observation of the flowfield. Table 1 presents the range of parameter variations in the experimen- tal study.
Overview of the TJ-II stellarator research programme towards model validation in fusion plasmas

TJ-II stellarator results on modelling and validation of plasma flow asymmetries due to on-surface potential variations, plasma fuelling physics, Alfvén eigenmodes (AEs) control and stability, the interplay between turbulence and neoclassical (NC) mechanisms and liquid metals are reported. Regarding the validation of the neoclassically predicted potential asymmetries, its impact on the radial electric field along the flux surface has been successfully validated against Doppler reflectometry measurements. Research on the physics and modelling of plasma core fuelling with pellets and tracer encapsulated solid pellet injection has shown that, although post-injection particle radial redistributions can be understood qualitatively from NC mechanisms, turbulence and fluctuations are strongly affected during the ablation process. Advanced analysis tools based on transfer entropy have shown that radial electric fields do not only affect the radial turbulence correlation length but are also capable of reducing the propagation of turbulence from the edge into the scrape-off layer. Direct experimental observation of long range correlated structures show that zonal flow structures are ubiquitous in the whole plasma cross-section in the TJ-II stellarator. Alfvénic activity control strategies using ECRH and ECCD as well as the relation between zonal structures and AEs are reported. Finally, the behaviour of liquid metals exposed to hot and cold plasmas in a capillary porous system container was investigated.
The intricacies of conditionality: education policy review in Greece 2015–2018

ABSTRACT Drawing on a historical case study, this article focuses on the ways in which the Greek Government (2015–2019), through involving the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), managed to modify the education conditionalities laid down by the third Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) negotiated with the ‘Institutions’ (the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund). Using documentary analysis and interviews with top-ranking national educational policy actors, an empirical account is presented of the prolonged encounter between Greek policy-makers, SAP conditionalities, and the policy work of the OECD. The analysis traces the tensions within and between the positions of national and external policy actors as negotiations moved towards a tactical settlement where all sides achieved partial convergence without reaching principled agreement. It reflects on the relevance of the experience of Greece to understandings of global/national relations in the development of educational policy.
DLBT: Deep Learning-Based Transformer to Generate Pseudo-Code from Source Code

: Understanding the content of the source code and its regular expression is very difficult when they are written in an unfamiliar language. Pseudo-code explains and describes the content of the code without using syntax or programming language technologies. However, writing Pseudo-code to each code instruction is laborious. Recently, neural machine translation is used to generate textual descriptions for the source code. In this paper, a novel deep learning-based transformer (DLBT) model is proposed for automatic Pseudo-code generation from the source code. The proposed model uses deep learning which is based on Neural Machine Translation (NMT) to work as a language translator. The DLBT is based on the transformer which is an encoder-decoder structure. There are three major components: tokenizer and embeddings, transformer, and post-processing. Each code line is tokenized to dense vector. Then transformer captures the relatedness between the source code and the matching Pseudo-code without the need of Recurrent Neural Network (RNN). At the post-processing step, the generated Pseudo-code is optimized. The proposed model is assessed using a real Python dataset, which contains more than 18,800 lines of a source code written in Python. The experiments show promising performance results compared with other machine translation methods such as Recurrent Neural Network (RNN). The proposed DLBT records 47.32, 68. 49 accuracy and BLEU performance measures, respectively.
Learning for sustainability in times of accelerating change

We live in turbulent times, our world is changing at accelerating speed. Information is everywhere, but wisdom appears in short supply when trying to address key inter-related challenges of our time such as; runaway climate change, the loss of biodiversity, the depletion of natural resources, the on-going homogenization of culture, and rising inequity. Living in such times has implications for education and learning. This book explores the possibilities of designing and facilitating learning-based change and transitions towards sustainability. In 31 chapters contributors from across the world discuss (re)emerging forms of learning that not only assist in breaking down unsustainable routines, forms of governance, production and consumption, but also can help create ones that are more sustainable. The book has been divided into three parts: re-orienting science and society, re-connecting people and planet and re-imagining education and learning. This is essential reading for educators, educational designers, change agents, researchers, students, policymakers and entrepreneurs alike, who are concerned about the well-being of the planet and convinced of our ability to do better.