Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
CPW-Fed Square Slot Antenna with Lightening-Shaped Feedline for Broadband Circularly Polarized Radiation

A new broadband circularly polarized (CP) square slot antenna is evaluated numerically and verifled experimentally. The proposed antenna uses a lightening-shaped feedline protruded from the signal line of the feeding coplanar waveguide (CPW). Two symmetrical F-shaped slits embedded in opposite corners of ground plane are designed to obtain an excellent CP bandwidth. By adjusting the dimensions of the lightening-shaped feedline, the CP bandwidth can be further enhanced. Measured results show that the 3dB axial- ratio bandwidth of the proposed antenna can reach 51.7% (2150MHz{ 3650MHz), and the impedance bandwidth is as large as 60.2% (2150MHz{4000MHz) with VSWR • 2. Measured results are in good agreement with the simulation. The proposed antenna can be easily fabricated because of the simple coplanar geometry.
Insights on the impact of mitochondrial organisation on bioenergetics in high-resolution computational models of cardiac cell architecture

Recent electron microscopy data have revealed that cardiac mitochondria are not arranged in crystalline columns, but are organised with several mitochondria aggregated into columns of varying sizes often spanning the cell cross-section. This raises the question - how does the mitochondrial arrangement affect the metabolite distributions within cardiomyocytes and their impact on force dynamics? Here we employed finite element modelling of cardiac bioenergetics, using computational meshes derived from electron microscope images, to address this question. Our results indicate that heterogeneous mitochondrial distributions can lead to significant spatial variation across the cell in concentrations of inorganic phosphate, creatine (Cr) and creatine phosphate (PCr). However, our model predicts that sufficient activity of the creatine kinase (CK) system, coupled with rapid diffusion of Cr and PCr, maintains near uniform ATP and ADP ratios across the cell cross sections. This homogenous distribution of ATP and ADP should also evenly distribute force production and twitch duration with contraction. These results suggest that the PCr shuttle, and associated enzymatic reactions, act to maintain uniform force dynamics in the cell despite the heterogeneous mitochondrial organization. However, our model also predicts that under hypoxia - activity of mitochondrial CK enzyme and diffusion of high-energy phosphate compounds may be insufficient to sustain uniform ATP/ADP distribution and hence force generation.
Grass grub damage and mycorrhizal colonisation of grapevine rootstocks

Field observations and a grower survey during 2002/2003 indicated that grass grub larvae might be responsible for the death of young grape vines. In November 2003 a pot trial was established to determine whether grass grab larvae feeding caused suffi cient root damage to account for observed vine deaths. The experiments also evaluated whether arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) colonisation of grape vine roots was affected by grass grub feeding. Grass grub damage was found on the ∂ below-ground∑ portion of the trunk and was proportional to the numbers of grubs present. However, root and shoot weight and shoot length were not affected by grub density when measured two months after grubs were introduced. AMF colonization varied between the four rootstocks in the trial, and was higher where grass grubs had been introduced. Further research is required to elucidate the causes of young vine decline in Marlborough.
Examining the relationship between service quality and customer satisfaction in military peacekeeping missions

Purpose: This research was aimed at examining the relationship between service quality and customer satisfaction with data obtained from Malaysian soldiers who were involved in peace keeping missions in a Middle Eastern country. The results of which would enable the management to improve the quality of service accorded to peacekeeping personnel. Design/methodology/approach: The study employed a cross-sectional research design which allowed the researchers to integrate the service quality literature, the semi structured interview and the actual survey to collect and examine the data for optimum results. Findings: The outcome of multiple regression analysis showed that responsiveness and assurance variables reflected a high correlation with customer satisfaction. On the other hand, tangibility, reliability and empathy variables recorded an insignificant correlation with customer satisfaction. Research limitations/implications: With respect to practical contributions, the findings of this study can be used as a guideline by the management to improve the quality of peacekeeping in areas of conflict.
Anemia decreases quality of life of the elderly in Jakarta

Anemia is a very common disorder both in clinical practice and in the community. The recent rise in the population of the elderly has become the focus of attention in developing countries, because of the increasing longevity of the elderly, whilst the prevalence of anemia increases with age. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of anemia and its association with the quality of life in the elderly. A cross-sectional study was conducted from April to June 2008, located in the Mampang Prapatan district, South Jakarta. A total of 298 elderly persons participated in this study, comprising 109 (36.6%) males and 189 (63.4%) females. Anemia was measured by the parameters of hemoglobin and quality of life was assessed by the WHOQOL-BREF instrument, a short version of the WHOQOL-100 instrument. The results of the study showed the prevalence of anemia to be 26.2%, with a higher prevalence rate in females compared with males. The quality of life in the physical, psychological, social and environmental domains differed significantly with decreasing hemoglobin levels, whereas the physical and mental quality of life declined significantly with age. Anemia is thus indicative of a reduction in the quality of life of the elderly.
Journal of Solid Mechanics Vol

The stress wave propagation in a generalized thermoelastic polygonal plate of inner and outer cross sections is studied using the Fourier expansion collocation method. The wave equation of motion based on two-dimensional theory of elasticity is applied under the plane strain assumption of generalized thermoelastic plate of polygonal shape, composed of homogeneous isotropic material. The frequency equations are obtained by satisfying the irregular boundary conditions along the inner and outer surface of the polygonal plate. The computed non-dimensional wave number and wave velocity of triangular, square, pentagonal and hexagonal plates are given by dispersion curves for longitudinal and flexural antisymmetric modes of vibrations. The roots of the frequency equation are obtained by using the secant method, applicable for complex roots. ‎ © 2017 IAU, Arak Branch.All rights reserved.
The role of muscle synergies in myoelectric control: trends and challenges for simultaneous multifunction control

Myoelectric control is filled with potential to significantly change human–robot interaction due to the ability to non-invasively measure human motion intent. However, current control schemes have struggled to achieve the robust performance that is necessary for use in commercial applications. As demands in myoelectric control trend toward simultaneous multifunctional control, multi-muscle coordinations, or synergies, play larger roles in the success of the control scheme. Detecting and refining patterns in muscle activations robust to the high variance and transient changes associated with surface electromyography is essential for efficient, user-friendly control. This article reviews the role of muscle synergies in myoelectric control schemes by dissecting each component of the scheme with respect to associated challenges for achieving robust simultaneous control of myoelectric interfaces. Electromyography recording details, signal feature extraction, pattern recognition and motor learning based control schemes are considered, and future directions are proposed as steps toward fulfilling the potential of myoelectric control in clinically and commercially viable applications.
Geoelectric Exploration of the Purísima-Rumicruz District, Jujuy Province, Argentina

Purisima-Rumicruz district consists of several polymetallic veins, rich in copper and lead. The veins have a breccia texture and are located in shear bands, with locally high concentrations of sulfides in a carbonatic gangue. The host rock of the veins consists of a black shale sequence with thin levels of fine sands, with a low degree of metamorphism, and corresponds to the Acoite formation (Lower Ordovician). The depositional environment was an open clastic platform where storm processes prevailed. An exploratory program using induced polarization and resistivity with the dipole-dipole method was carried out with the objective of establishing geoelectric anomalies in depth, which would permit the identification of exploratory targets. The group of veins was divided into three sectors: Purisima, El Brechon, and La Nueva. Low-resistivity values correspond to faulty zones, some of which are related to surface veins. The presence of diagenetic pyrite in the shales of Acoite formation considerably increases background chargeability (induced polarization) values. However, small chargeability anomalies associated to low-resistivity values represent exploratory targets for the Purisima-Rumicruz district.
Labour Mobility of Academic Inventors: Career Decision and Knowledge Transfer

This paper focuses on university inventors mobility in the EU countries. It is the first quantitative assessment of this phenomenon and is the basis for a set of econometric models that try to explain how different factors affect the mobility of academics and their choices: to stay, to move to the private sector, to move to a different public research organisation (including another university). Mobility away from academia is a significant phenomenon, at least for the sub-sample of university researchers that hold patents from the European Patent Office. Among other results, the econometric models provide some evidence that the more valuable the patent the higher the probability of a move to a company. We found that the younger researchers (with less experience and less seniority) are more likely to move, and tend to move soon after the application or the granting of a patent . Also, the more cumulative (or incremental) the knowledge, the higher the probability of moving to a company. Finally, in all models developed scientific and technological output and scientific quality seem not to have any impact (neither positive nor negative) on the mobility of academic inventors. These results are interpreted in the framework that combines aspects of career mobility and technology transfer.
An approach to age and growth of south Atlantic swordfish (Xiphias gladius) stock

4SUMMARY A first growth function was estimated for the South Atlantic swordfish stock. A total of 406 anal fins were collected from 2006 to 2013. Fins were classified into three types and the most common, type A, was selected. Biometric relationships among several ray section measurements and lower jaw fork length were analysed. A detailed methodological description for swordfish age interpretation has been developed. Inconclusive results have been obtained when indirect validation test, as edge type and marginal increment ratio analysis, were applied. Mean size at age and growth parameters were estimated using the Standard Von Bertalanffy growth model (VBGM) (L∞= 358.7, k= 0.092, t0= -1.929), which showed the best fit in comparison with other VBGMs. RESUME
Molecular control of the drain current in a buried channel MOSFET

We have developed a hybrid molecular/MOSFET, which is sensitive to the presence of a molecular layer attached to its surface. The application of the molecular layer was investigated by observing changes in the drain current as a function of substrate voltage pre- and post molecular treatment. A significant shift in the threshold current of the device was observed after application of the molecules. The threshold shift can be attributed to an increase in the electron charge density in the MOSFET channel, resulting from an increase in the positive fixed charge at the native oxide surface. A numerical simulation supports this conclusion. It is speculated that the molecules protonate the surface of the SiO 2 due to the higher acidity of the molecular groups compared to that of the native oxide. To assess the validity of this hypothesis a series of molecules with similar structure but with different acidities (pKa values) were investigated, to correlate the shift in threshold voltage with the difference in pKa value between the applied chemical and the SiO 2 surface (pKa = 6.8). Preliminary results showing the systematic variation of ΔV th and pKa are presented.
Dairy Market Participation with Endogenous Livestock Ownership: Evidence from Cote d'Ivoire

This study evaluates determinants of dairy market participation by agricultural households in Cote dIvoire by using the Heckman selection model to correct for endogenous cattle ownership. A key result is that ignoring the population of non-owners biases estimates of market participation parameters. These findings are important in light of the widespread application of livestock market participation analyses that assume cattle ownership is exogeneous.
Poverty, property rights and land management in Uganda

This study investigates the impact of poverty, social capital and land tenure on the adoption of soil fertility management (SFM) and conservation technologies in Uganda. Considering four land management technologies (fallowing, terracing and inorganic and organic fertilizers), the study estimates a multinomial logit model to link farmersâ€™ characteristics to the choice of technologies. The findings show that investments in land management are driven by factors such as land tenure security, level of poverty and participation in community organizations (social capital), and, most importantly, that household level poverty reduces the probability of adoption of most of the technologies, while social capital and land tenure security increase it. The findings suggest that more efficient government efforts to reduce poverty would enhance the adoption of SFM technologies. Other policies that would enhance the adoption of sustainable land management practices are infrastructure development, tenure security through a more efficient system of land registration, and investment in and use of social capital institutions.
Predictability of Equity REIT Returns: Implications for Property Tactical Asset Allocation

This study presents further evidence of the predictability of excess equity REIT (real estate investment trust) returns. Recent evidence on forecasting excess returns using fundamental variables has resulted in diminishing returns from the 1990’s onward. Trading strategies based on these forecasts have not significantly outperformed the buy/hold strategy of the 1990’s. We have developed an alternative strategy that is based on the time variation of the risk premium of investors. Our results indicate that it is possible to outperform the buy/hold strategy by modeling the time variation of the risk premium. By modeling the dynamic behavior of the risk premium, we are able to implicitly capture economic risk premiums that are not captured by conventional multi beta asset pricing models.
The relationship between oil consumption and economic growth in Bangladesh : an empirical analysis.

Today, oil is considered as a dynamic factor that helps to sustain modern economic activities as well as wellbeing of a nation. To the best of our knowledge, no study has been done in the context of Bangladesh regarding the causal relationship between oil consumption and economic growth. Hence, the aim of this paper is to empirically analyze the long-run causal relationship between oil consumption and economic growth in Bangladesh by using annual data ranging from 1980 to 2015. Johansen’s Cointegration test results reveal that all variables are cointegrated and Granger Causality test results show that a unidirectional causality is running from oil consumption to economic growth, which goes hand to hand with the growth hypothesis. Thus, Bangladesh should adopt appropriate energy policy to curb down the constraints regarding oil consumption and oil products distribution in order to continue the stable economic growth and reach Middle-Income status by 2021.
Frequency importance functions for audiovisual speech and complex noise backgrounds

Two studies investigated the dependence on listening condition of the relative importance of different regions of the frequency spectrum toward speech intelligibility. For consonant recognition, low-frequency speech information becomes more important under audiovisual (AV) than audio-alone (AA) conditions. The rst study investigated whether this effect holds for broadband sentence materials using a correlation method designed to estimate frequency weighting functions for spectral pro le analysis, but applied to speech. Preliminary results indicate a shift in the frequency-band importance function (FBIF) toward lower frequencies for AV sentences, consistent with the idea that the visual (V) signal provides place-of-articulation information complementary to the voicing and manner cues provided by the low-frequency auditory (A) channels. FBIFs for AA and AV speech may also change in multitalker noise where target-masker segregation is requisite to speech understanding. A second study tested the hypothesis that low frequencies should also be more important than high frequencies for avoiding informational masking (IM) because of the availability of strong pitch cues for segregation. Preliminary results support this hypothesis, showing a small but signi cant increase in IM with increasing frequency for bandpass-filtered speech. Overall, these results show that the frequency dependence of speech intelligibility depends on the type of background noise and whether V information is available. Systematically characterizing these effects may guide dynamic hearing-aid systems that shift the amplification spectrum for different listening situations.
COMPARATIVE OSTEOLOGY AND PHYLOGENETIC RELATIONSHIPS OF THE DRAGONETS (PISCES : CALLIONYMIDAE) WITH SOME THOUGHTS OF THEIR EVOLUTIONARY HISTORY

Phylogenetic relationships among the callionymid genera are discussed by comparative osteology. The thirty-one osteological characters of eleven parts of the body are used. As the result, two main groupes of the dragonets are proposed; Callionymus-stem and Calliurichthys-stem. The evolutionary history is also discussed on the basis of the results gained by comparative osteology, habitats and geographic distributions.
Dispersal of adult aquatic insects in catchments of differing land use

Summary 1. There have been widespread changes in land use in the uplands of the UK but the implications for dispersal of adult stages of aquatic invertebrates are poorly known. We estimated the lateral dispersal of adult aquatic insects (Plecoptera, Trichoptera, Ephemeroptera) in seven small, upland streams draining catchments under three categories of land use (coniferous plantation forest, cleared forest, moorland). 2. Malaise traps were set out in transects perpendicular to each stream. More than 29 000 adult insects were taken, distributed among 15 species of stoneflies, 40 species of caddisflies and eight taxa of mayflies. Overall species diversity and equitability were highest in the moorland catchments, and few species were numerous in all catchments. 3. Nearly all the mayflies were taken in the moorland catchments, where caddisflies were also most abundant. Fewest stoneflies were taken in the forested catchments. 4. The vast majority of insects were taken either directly over, or very close to, the stream channel. Half the stoneflies were taken within 18 m of the channel, while 90% had travelled less than 60 m. Caddisflies and mayflies travelled even shorter distances. Although there were differences in lateral dispersal between some catchments, there was no overall effect of land use. 5. The overall sex ratio in stoneflies and mayflies in the riparian zone was close to 1 : 1 and lateral dispersal was similar between the sexes. Male mayflies outnumbered females in the riparian zone and males travelled further from the stream, on average, than females. In catches taken directly over the stream, female stoneflies outnumbered males. 6. Regardless of land use, the flight of mayflies and caddisflies was concentrated along the stream, rather than perpendicular to it. This was also true for two numerous stoneflies ( Amphinemura sulcilcollis and Protonemura meyeri ) and for female stoneflies overall. 7. Synthesis and applications . The stream corridor, including the riparian strip extending 10‐20 m on either side of the channel, is the main habitat for adult aquatic insects, and its management may affect the biodiversity of aquatic communities. The stream corridor is also revealed as the main ‘highway’ for adult dispersal. While there is no evidence from this study of an effect on interstream dispersal of land use elsewhere in the catchment, such an effect cannot yet be refuted because rare long-distance dispersal events are difficult to record.
Combined head phantom and neural mass model validation of effective connectivity measures

Objective. Due to its high temporal resolution, electroencephalography (EEG) has become a promising tool for quantifying cortical dynamics and effective connectivity in a mobile setting. While many connectivity estimators are available, the efficacy of these measures has not been rigorously validated in real-world scenarios. The goal of this study was to quantify the accuracy of independent component analysis and multiple connectivity measures on ground-truth connections while exposed real-world volume conduction and head motion. Approach. We collected high-density EEG from a phantom head with embedded antennae, using neural mass models to generate transiently interconnected signals. The head was mounted upon a motion platform that mimicked recorded human head motion at various walking speeds. We used cross-correlation and signal to noise ratio to determine how well independent component analysis recovered the original antenna signals. For connectivity measures, we computed the average and standard deviation across frequency of each estimated connectivity peak. Main results. Independent component analysis recovered most antenna signals, as evidenced by cross-correlations primarily above 0.8, and maintained consistent signal to noise ratio values near 10 dB across walking speeds compared to scalp channel data, which had decreased signal to noise ratios of ~2 dB at fast walking speeds. The connectivity measures used were generally able to identify the true interconnections, but some measures were susceptible to spurious high-frequency connections inducing large standard deviations of ~10 Hz. Significance. Our results indicate that independent component analysis and some connectivity measures can be effective at recovering underlying connections among brain areas. These results highlight the utility of validating EEG processing techniques with a combination of complex signals, phantom head use, and realistic head motion.