Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Radiation performance improvement of wideband microstrip antenna array using wideband AMC structure

In this paper, the radiation performance of an antenna array is improved by designing a new wideband artificial magnetic conductor (AMC). The proposed AMC surface operates at the frequency of 3 GHz with ±90° reflection phase bandwidth of 22%. In order to identify the key design parameters of the AMC structure, a parametric study is performed. To improve the radiation performance of the antenna array, an AMC reflector is developed through utilizing an array of 2 × 8 periodic patches of AMC unit cells. By this technique, the front to back ratio of the designed antenna array is enhanced about 16.27 dB. It is concluded that tuning of the AMC dimensions for controlling the reflection coefficient at each port of antenna array during beam steering is necessary. Because of the using of the AMC surfaces as a reflector instead of conventional PEC surfaces, size reduction of the antenna array in the order of 20% is achieved. In this study, a circuit model for single element of the antenna array with considering AMC loading effect is introduced, which predicts the bandwidth behaviour of the proposed antenna. The final designed antenna array exhibits low level of cross polarization making it well‐suited for tracking radars and electronic warfare applications. The proposed antenna with the AMC reflector is fabricated and measured. The measured −10 dB impedance bandwidth and peak gain of the proposed antenna is 20% (2.7‐3.25 GHz) and 13.4 dBi, respectively, which are compatible with the simulation results.
Dynamical behavior of autoassociative memory performing novelty filtering for signal enhancement

This paper concerns the dynamical behavior, in probabilistic sense, of a simple perceptron network with sigmoidal output units performing autoassociation for novelty filtering. Networks of retinotopic topology having a one-to-one correspondence between input and output units can be readily trained using the delta learning rule, to perform autoassociative mappings. A novelty filter is obtained by subtracting the network output from the input vector. Then the presentation of a "familiar" pattern tends to evoke a null response; but any anomalous component is enhanced. Such a behavior exhibits a promising feature for enhancement of weak signals in additive noise. As an analysis of the novelty filtering, this paper shows that the probability density function of the weight converges to Gaussian when the input time series is statistically characterized by nonsymmetrical probability density functions. After output units are locally linearized, the recursive relation for updating the weight of the neural network is converted into a first-order random differential equation. Based on this equation it is shown that the probability density function of the weight satisfies the Fokker-Planck equation. By solving the Fokker-Planck equation, it is found that the weight is Gaussian distributed with time dependent mean and variance.
Wireless Sensor Node hardware: A review

Wireless sensor networks (WSN) are becoming increasingly popular, due to the benefits they bring to many applications as well as the increasing availability and maturity of the underlying technology. The fundamental building blocks of these networks are the sensor nodes themselves, the sensors attached to these nodes, and the software running on the nodes. A basic sensor node platform consists of a CPU, a radio and a power supply. For the last 10 years a number of research institutions and companies have been designing and producing nodes with these three components as a minimum. We review how these sensor nodes have evolved over this time and we also categorize the features of various platforms so as to enable an application developer to quickly determine which node is appropriate for their particular network or which features are desirable for inclusion on a custom built sensor platform.
Airborne Lidar and Airborne Hyperspectral Imagery: A Fusion of Two Proven Sensors for Improved Hydrographic Surveying

Abstract : Airborne lidar has become a fully operational tool for hydrographic surveying in recent years. Currently there are four airborne laser bathymetry (ALB) systems operating worldwide. One system, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Scanning Hydrographic Operational Airborne Lidar Survey (SHOALS) simultaneously measures water depth and adjacent surface topography. Airborne hyperspectral imagery from the Compact Airborne Spectrographic Imager (CASI) has been proven to be a valuable tool for coastal measurements and analysis. CASI's spectral resolution of 288 bands for each spatial pixel allows for the extraction of a vast amount of information such as water clarity, water temperature, bottom type, bathymetry, as well as water quality (chlorophyll, dissolved organic carbon, and suspended minerals), soil types, and plant species. In order for ALB to achieve a comprehensive hydrographic capability, additional sensors would have to be integrated. Combining SHOALS and CASI would be a substantial step in accomplishing a full hydrographic survey capability for ALB. Surveys using this combination of sensors will provide valuable information for different agencies. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers needs information that will aid in sediment transport monitoring and regional sediment management. The Naval Oceanographic Office (NAVOCEANO) uses the ALB system to collect hydrographic information about the littoral zone for the warfighter. By adding the hyperspectral capability, NAVOCEANO may be able to enhance its ability to quickly provide a more complete environmental picture.
Global Financial Crisis, Capital Inflows and Policy Trilemma: An Analysis of the Indian Experience

In the context of the global financial crisis, this article analyzes the behaviour of capital inflows in India during the period from 1993.2 to 2012.4. It also examines the question, how have the policy makers in India dealt with the ‘policy trilemma’ in a regime of liberalized capital inflows? The study finds that the volatility of capital inflows increased after the global financial crisis. Further, due to the global financial crisis, there were substantial changes in the relative importance of the factors that explain capital inflows. Although the ‘pull factors’ played major roles in both the periods, before and after the crisis, there were significant changes in their relative importance. In the first sub-period, real effective exchange rate and foreign exchange reserves played the most important roles in determining the capital inflows whereas in the second sub-period, it was only current account balance. While dealing with ‘policy trilemma’, we observed that the monetary policy independence was maintained in the period before the crisis which was sacrificed in the later period. JEL Classification: F30, F32, F39
Practitioner Perceptions on the Merits, Challenges and Ethical Dilemmas of LSI-R in Practice

Summary: The Level of Service Inventory–Revised (LSI-R), a validated risk assessment instrument, was introduced into practice with adult offenders by the Irish Probation Service in 2004. This signalled the beginning of an unprecedented change process, which has since permeated every aspect of Irish probation work, including service delivery. Reflecting what is considered to be best practice in international probation policy and research, the Irish Probation Service has invested significant resources in introducing a new practice orientation and associated tools to ensure the delivery of high-quality assessment and supervision of offenders. A structured, standardised risk assessment and risk management approach has been adopted, which has required practitioners to shift their practice orientation from the traditional casework approach to an evidence-based one. This paper presents the findings from a study that examined practitioner perceptions of risk assessment/risk management orientation and its impact on probation practice with adult offenders. Providing an opportunity for reflection, it sought to elicit what practitioners consider to be the strengths of the new orientation as well as critical theoretical, ethical and training aspects that merit further deliberation. The study found that the transition from a model of care to one of control has raised dilemmas, tensions and conflicts for practitioners. As practice becomes more prescriptive and regulated, practitioners often find that they hold two incompatible beliefs at the same time; those from their professional social work training on one hand and those that underpin a more managerialist narrative on the other.
Xhare-a-Ride: A Search Optimized Dynamic Ride Sharing System with Approximation Guarantee

Ride sharing is a sustainable, environmentallyfriendly mode of commute that is gaining in popularity. Though there are well-established commercial service providers, there are not many platforms for facilitating peer-to-peer ride sharing, especially in a dynamic scenario, integrated with multi-modal trip planners. Such systems would need to be highly searchoptimized for retrieval of multiple potential ride matches in real time, especially because multi-modal trip planners have a high look-to-book ratio. At the same time, validity of the matches need to be ensured, even in a dynamic setting, while addressing quality considerations and constraints such as maximum detour incurred by rides, walking distance for commuters, and time windows of requests. We describe Xhare-a-Ride (XAR) system, a platform for dynamic peer-to-peer ride sharing, that is scalable, efficient, and highly search-optimized for retrieving multiple potential matches for every ride request, while handling quality considerations. We propose a hierarchical discretization of the geographical region using grids, landmarks and clusters with theoretical guarantees, along with an efficient in-memory indexing of rides for maintaining spatio-temporal validity within a specified error tolerance. This helps eliminate shortest path computation in realtime during search, thus making XAR search-optimized, hence, suitable for integration with a multi-modal trip planner. We discuss modes of integrating XAR with such a trip planner for building an integrated system. Finally, we evaluate XAR thoroughly on ride share request data generated from the NY taxi trip data set on three fronts: (i) empirical performance against the theoretical guarantees as well as trade-off of performance with system parameters, (ii) benchmark XAR against a state-of the-art ride share system, showing a significant improvement in the search efficiency, and finally, (iii) the efficacy of combining ride sharing with public transportation.
Transcriptional regulation of the Bacillus subtilis menp1 promoter

The Bacillus subtilis men genes encode biosynthetic enzymes for formation of the respiratory chain component menaquinone. The menp1 promoter previously was shown to be the primary cis element for menFD gene expression. In the present work, it was found that either supplementation with nonfermentable carbon sources or reutilization of glycolytic end products increased menp1 activity in the late postexponential phase. The effect on menp1 activity by a particular end product (such as acetoin or acetate) was prevented by blocking the corresponding pathway for end product utilization. Alteration of a TGAAA motif within the promoter region resulted in unregulated menp1 activity throughout the culture cycle, irrespective of the carbon source added.
What happens to the relationship between public debt and economic growth in European countries

The public debt level is nowadays an issue on which the general public has been particularly concerned. The importance of public debt level is mainly related with its impact on economic growth. There is a large body of policymaker who consider that high levels of public debt give rise to a reduction in economic growth in the long-run. This paper extends the existing empirical literature on the relationship between public debt and economic growth by analyzing the impact of public debt on economic growth in the core and periphery European countries, allowing cross-country heterogeneity and considering the trajectory of debt.
Alteration of lipid composition modulates Fc epsilon RI signaling in RBL-2H3 cells.

We have used sonicated liposomes of phosphatidylcholine (PC), sphingomyelin (SM), or a mixture of cholesterol (chol) and PC to investigate the role of cellular lipid composition in Fc epsilon RI-mediated stimulation of RBL-2H3 cells. Overnight treatment with either PC or SM liposomes causes a substantial enhancement of antigen-stimulated degranulation and phospholipase A2 activity, whereas treatment with a PC/chol mixture results in partial inhibition of the antigen-stimulated response. The most consistent change in the cellular lipid composition that results from the PC and SM liposome treatments is an approximate 40% decrease in the chol/phospholipid (PL) ratio. The lipid treatments do not alter degranulation stimulated by AlF4- or by Ca2+ ionophore in the presence or absence of PMA, suggesting that lipid alteration affects a receptor-specific signaling process. The lipid treatments do not appear to alter antigen-stimulated tyrosine phosphorylation or Ca2+ mobilization. Possible involvement of protein kinase C (PKC) activation in the signal-enhancing effect of the PL treatments was investigated by using calphostin C and phorbol-12-myristol-13-acetate (PMA) to inhibit PKC activity and degranulation in RBL-2H3 cells. Both SM and PC treatment restore the antigen-mediated degranulation response that is inhibited by long-term treatment (> or = 16 h) with 100 nM PMA or short-term treatment (10 min) with 5 microM calphostin C. The results indicate that a decreased chol/PL ratio facilitates or enhances the receptor-mediated activation of a PKC-like pathway that plays an important role in Fc epsilon RI-stimulated degranulation. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Estimating occupational radiation doses when individual dosimetry information is not available: a job exposure matrix.

BACKGROUND A job exposure matrix (JEM) was developed for a population based case control study to assess the possible association between occupational radiation and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. METHODS Using published radiation monitoring data, we developed a radiation JEM composed of estimated annual dose distributions, categorized by time period, for a broad range of occupational and industrial groups. RESULTS When information is available to correctly assess an individual's exposure status, the annual dose distributions in the JEM can be used in conjunction with job histories to estimate the distribution of possible cumulative doses for individuals. The median of the cumulative dose distribution can then be used in standard epidemiologic analysis. In addition, methods can be applied that incorporate the uncertainty about each individual's true dose into risk estimates and associated confidence intervals. CONCLUSIONS The JEM can be useful in estimating occupational radiation exposures in other studies, particularly population based case control studies which include detailed occupational histories.
Weighted simultaneous algebraic reconstruction technique for tomosynthesis imaging of objects with high-attenuation features.

PURPOSE This paper introduces a nonlinear weighting scheme into the backprojection operation within the simultaneous algebraic reconstruction technique (SART). It is designed for tomosynthesis imaging of objects with high-attenuation features in order to reduce limited angle artifacts. METHODS The algorithm estimates which projections potentially produce artifacts in a voxel. The contribution of those projections into the updating term is reduced. In order to identify those projections automatically, a four-dimensional backprojected space representation is used. Weighting coefficients are calculated based on a dissimilarity measure, evaluated in this space. For each combination of an angular view direction and a voxel position an individual weighting coefficient for the updating term is calculated. RESULTS The feasibility of the proposed approach is shown based on reconstructions of the following real three-dimensional tomosynthesis datasets: a mammography quality phantom, an apple with metal needles, a dried finger bone in water, and a human hand. Datasets have been acquired with a Siemens Mammomat Inspiration tomosynthesis device and reconstructed using SART with and without suggested weighting. Out-of-focus artifacts are described using line profiles and measured using standard deviation (STD) in the plane and below the plane which contains artifact-causing features. Artifacts distribution in axial direction is measured using an artifact spread function (ASF). The volumes reconstructed with the weighting scheme demonstrate the reduction of out-of-focus artifacts, lower STD (meaning reduction of artifacts), and narrower ASF compared to nonweighted SART reconstruction. It is achieved successfully for different kinds of structures: point-like structures such as phantom features, long structures such as metal needles, and fine structures such as trabecular bone structures. CONCLUSIONS Results indicate the feasibility of the proposed algorithm to reduce typical tomosynthesis artifacts produced by high-attenuation features. The proposed algorithm assigns weighting coefficients automatically and no segmentation or tissue-classification steps are required. The algorithm can be included into various iterative reconstruction algorithms with an additive updating strategy. It can also be extended to computed tomography case with the complete set of angular data.
Transfusing red blood cells stored in citrate phosphate dextrose adenine-1 for 28 days fails to improve tissue oxygenation in rats.

OBJECTIVE To determine whether the time that red blood cells are stored in citrate phosphate dextrose adenine-1 solution before transfusion alters the ability to improve tissue oxygenation. DESIGN Prospective, randomized, controlled study. SETTING University research institute laboratory. SUBJECTS Male Sprague-Dawley rats (350 to 450 g). INTERVENTIONS Twenty-four hours after randomization to sham laparotomy (n = 21) or cecal ligation and perforation (n = 16)1 supply-dependency of systemic oxygen uptake (VO2) was induced in rats by isovolemic hemodilution. Rats were then re-randomized to receive either rat red blood cells stored in citrate phosphate dextrose adenine-1 for 3 days ("fresh" n = 17) or rat red blood cells stored in citrate phosphate dextrose adenine-1 for 28 days ("old" n = 20). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Changes in systemic VO2 were measured for 90 mins to determine the efficiacy of the treatment. Statistical analysis included a fully factorial repeated-measures, generalized linear model. No significant interaction was found between cecal ligation and perforation or sham animals and transfusion with fresh or old red blood cells. However, comparing the combined groups of animals receiving either fresh or old red blood cells, we found that after the transfusion of old red blood cells, systemic VO2 was not significantly improved (after hemodilution 1.68 +/- 0.27 mL/100 g/min, after transfusion 1.86 +/- 0.17 mL/100 g/min; p > .05). In contrast, transfusion with fresh red blood cells acutely increased systemic VO2 (after hemodilution 1.62 +/- 0.06 mL/100 g/min, after transfusion 2.10 +/- 0.09 mL/100 g/min; p = .049). CONCLUSION Storage of rat red blood cells for 28 days in citrate phosphate dextrose adenine-1 impaired their ability to improve tissue oxygenation when transfused into either control or septic rats placed into supply dependency of systemic VO2.
Erythroid Krüppel‐like factor (EKLF) is active in primitive and definitive erythroid cells and is required for the function of 5′HS3 of the β‐globin locus control region

Disruption of the gene for transcription factor EKLF (erythroid Krüppel‐like factor) results in fatal anaemia caused by severely reduced expression of the adult β‐globin gene, while other erythroid‐specific genes, including the embryonic ϵ‐ and fetal γ‐globin genes, are expressed normally. Thus, EKLF is thought to be a stage‐specific factor acting through the CACC box in the β‐gene promoter, even though it is already present in embryonic red cells. Here, we show that a β‐globin gene linked directly to the locus control region (LCR) is expressed at embryonic stages, and that this is only modestly reduced in EKLF−/− embryos. Thus, embryonic β‐globin expression is not intrinsically dependent on EKLF. To investigate whether EKLF functions in the locus control region, we analysed the expression of LCR‐driven lacZ reporters. This shows that EKLF is not required for reporter activation by the complete LCR. However, embryonic expression of reporters driven by 5′HS3 of the LCR requires EKLF. This suggests that EKLF interacts directly with the CACC motifs in 5′HS3 and demonstrates that EKLF is also a transcriptional activator in embryonic erythropoiesis. Finally, we show that overexpression of EKLF results in an earlier switch from γ‐ to β‐globin expression. Adult mice with the EKLF transgene have reduced platelet counts, suggesting that EKLF levels affect the balance between the megakaryocytic and erythroid lineages. Interestingly, the EKLF transgene rescues the lethal phenotype of EKLF null mice, setting the stage for future studies aimed at the analysis of the EKLF protein and its role in β‐globin gene activation.