Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Fast and Accurate Near-Field to Far-Field Transformation Using an Adaptive Sampling Algorithm and Machine Learning

In this paper, a new approach to enhance the speed and accuracy of the antenna near-field measurements and near-field to far-field (NF-FF) transformation is proposed. First, a uniform measurement is performed using an electronically switched probe array. Then an adaptive algorithm is developed that starts with a small number of samples and gradually focuses on the areas with highly dynamic near-field pattern and increases the number of samples over such regions. Thus, the number of required samples for an accurate result decreases significantly, and consequently the speed of the back projection algorithm increases.
PHYTOCHEMICAL SCREENING AND ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF PORTULACA QUADRIFIDA LINN.

Objective: The objective of the study was to investigate in vitro antimicrobial activity against enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis and preliminary phytochemical screening of the leaves of Portulaca quadrifida (Linn.). Methods: The solvent extract such as petroleum ether, methanol, and water on the leaves of P. quadrifida (Linn) was prepared by Soxhlet extraction (continuous hot percolation method). These solvent extracts were screened for antimicrobial activity against enterotoxigenic E. coli and B. subtilis at various concentrations and were measured by observing zone of inhibition in mm by disc diffusion method (cup plate method). Results: The preliminary phytochemical screening revealed the flavonoids, fats, and oils in all extracts. Similarly, the presence of alkaloids and tannins was obtained in the petroleum ether and methanolic extracts, while the presence of glycosides was obtained in the methanolic and water extracts. Further, proteins and sterols were found in petroleum extracts. The results of antimicrobial activity shown that methanolic extracts of the plant leaf showed good antimicrobial activity and petroleum ether and water extract showed similar activity but less antimicrobial activity than methanolic extract. The antimicrobial activities of extracts were compared with standard antibiotic such as chloramphenicol. Conclusion: P. quadrifida (Linn.) has broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity and a potential source of new classes of antibiotics that could be useful for infectious disease chemotherapy and control. The phytochemical analysis of the crude extracts of this plant indicates the presence of major phytoconstituents which may have been responsible for the observed antimicrobial property.
Coupling Reduction of Printed Yagi Antenna Arrays for Millimeter-wave Imaging Applications

In this paper, methods for reduction of coupling between receiving and transmitting antenna arrays are proposed and tested. Coupling between RX and TX causes saturation and a higher noise level in IF. So, coupling reduction improves image quality of system. Antenna element of arrays are printed antipodal Yagi-Uda antenna with greater than 8 dBi gain and higher than 4 GHz bandwidth. Frequency bandwidth of this imaging system is 27 to 30.5 GHz. Half power beamwidth of this antenna element is larger than 90 dB. Front to back ratio of this antenna is improved in this paper to 30 dB at 29 GHz.
Observer-Based Adaptive Model Predictive Control for Interleaved Boost DC-DC Converter

In this paper, a direct current model predictive control (MPC) strategy is adopted to address the regulation of output voltage for the interleaved boost converter. The control strategy combines observer based adaptive laws with direct current predictive control to yield an adaptive and robust controller. The adaptive laws are designed for estimating unknown parameters using Lyapunov stability theory and updates the control law in real time. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed control strategy, simulation is implemented under the variation of input voltage, load resistance and output voltage reference.
TROUBLESHOOTING MILK FAT CHALLENGES ON COMMERCIAL DAIRY FARMS

Introduction Although the topic of milk fat depression (MFD) is not a new topic in the dairy industry, both industry and research interest in MFD in North America has intensified dramatically during recent years. Most pricing systems in the U.S. are now based on yields of milk components, with greater value placed upon yields of milk fat and milk protein. Recent data summaries indicate that approximately 38% of herds shipping milk into the Mideast Federal Order 33 (primarily Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania) experienced a short-term (oneto three-month period in any year) decrease (more than 1 SD decrease below the mean; milk fat test < 3.46%) in milk fat test (Bailey et al., 2005). Until recently, milk production quotas tied to milk fat yield in Canada resulted in perceived economic advantages in decreasing milk fat percentage while increasing kilograms of milk protein sold per cow. However, recent changes in guidelines for milk composition in Canada have dictated a minimum ratio of milk fat to milk protein in milk sold, effectively eliminating the economic advantage of purposely producing milk with lower milk fat percentage. During the past decade, substantial evolution has occurred in our understanding of the etiology of MFD. As will be discussed below, we do not fully understand all of the ruminal conditions that can result in predisposition for MFD; however, this new understanding of the mechanisms for MFD has facilitated our ability to troubleshoot milk fat problems on commercial dairy farms. These mechanisms (and the reasons why previously held theories for MFD likely are not applicable) will be reviewed briefly in this paper; however, the reader is referred to other recent reviews that describe these in more detail (Bauman and Griinari, 2001; 2003; Perfield and Bauman, 2005; Bauman and Lock, 2006). The subsequent emphasis of this paper will be to discuss dietary and management factors that affect the predisposition of cows and herds to MFD. Our understanding of many of these remains conceptual; we expect that after research conducted during the next few years is summarized our recommendations will be more quantitative.
Delineation of soil available Sulphur status in Madurai district of Tamil Nadu – a GIS approach

The study was conducted in Madurai district with a view to assess the soil available sulphur status at block level. A total of 1724 geo referenced surface soil samples have been manually collected from 13 blocks. The soil samples were analyzed and it is observed that 95and 5 % of the samples of the study area are deficient and sufficient in available sulphur content. The overall results portray that: barring Kottampatti block, the remaining blocks are severely deficient in available sulphur irrespective of the type of cropping systems and hence an intelligent application of sulphur fertilizers and organic manures are right away recommended.
Macromolecular synthesis during recovery of the marine Vibrio sp. S14 from starvation

SUMMARY: The recovery of Vibrio sp. S14 cells from energy- and nutrient-starvation was monitored after the addition of glucose minimal medium. Upshift experiments were done throughout a starvation period of 200 h to determine whether cells were more responsive to nutrient addition at the onset of starvation, or if the previously described programme of starvation-induced cellular reorganization had to be completed before cells could become committed to recovery following nutritional upshifts. The kinetics of macromolecular synthesis (RNA, protein and DNA), the rate of respiration and changes in median cell volume in response to nutritional upshifts at different times of starvation were examined. The relative rates of RNA and protein synthesis increased immediately upon addition of glucose minimal medium; the increase in protein synthesis was not dependent on a parallel increase in RNA synthesis, indicating that the starved cells may have an excess of protein synthesizing machinery, including stable RNA and functional ribosomes. The subsequent increase in the rate of DNA replication was initiated approximately 60 min before the first apparent cell division at approximately one doubling of the theoretical minimal cell volume (Vu). Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis was used to demonstrate the fate of starvation-specific proteins during the upshift, and also the synthesis of recovery-induced proteins that were not found in starving cells. Most starvation-inducible proteins were repressed immediately at the onset of the nutritional upshift, while 11 of the 21 recovery-induced proteins identified were expressed exclusively during the maturation phase and were subsequently repressed at the onset of regrowth. The possible role of such maturation-specific proteins in the rapid formation of a reproductive cell committed to growth and division is discussed.
Super-Resolution Phase Retrieval From Designed Coded Diffraction Patterns

Super-resolution phase retrieval is an inverse problem that appears in diffractive optical imaging (DOI) and consists in estimating a high-resolution image from low-resolution phaseless measurements. DOI has three diffraction zones where the data can be acquired, known as near, middle, and far fields. Recent works have studied super-resolution phase retrieval under a setup that records coded diffraction patterns at the near and far fields. However, the attainable resolution of the image is mainly governed by the sensor characteristics, whose cost increases in proportion to the resolution. Also, these methodologies lack theoretical analysis. Hence, this work derives super-resolution models from low-resolution coded phaseless measurements at any diffraction zone that in contrast to prior contributions, the attainable resolution of the image is determined by the resolution of the coded aperture. For the proposed models, the existence of a unique solution (up to a global unimodular constant) is guaranteed with high probability, which can be increased by designing the coded aperture. Therefore, a strategy that designs the spatial distribution of the coded aperture is developed. Additionally, a super-resolution phase retrieval algorithm that minimizes a smoothed nonconvex least-squares objective function is proposed. The method first approximates the image by a spectral algorithm, which is then refined based upon a sequence of alternate steps. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm overcomes state-of-the-art methods in reconstructing the high-resolution image. In addition, the reconstruction quality using designed coded apertures is higher than that of the non-designed ensembles.
Entrepreneurial Knowledge and the Influence of Entrepreneurship Education on Students’ Entrepreneurial Abilities

This paper studies the influence of entrepreneurship education on students’ entrepreneurial abilities from the perspective of social network. In four college students’ entrepreneurship case studies from one university, we adopted methodological triangulation and multiple methods to guarantee the reliability and validity of the research. We proposed that courses and projects in entrepreneurship education formed social network among mentors, monitors, and students, in which knowledge could flow frequently. We then discussed the influence of projects pattern, mentor pattern, and monitors pattern on college students’ entrepreneurial abilities respectively, by analyzing the structure and ties of the social network. This research contributed to social network theory and entrepreneurship education both theoretically and practically.
The complex evolutionary history of apricots: Species divergence, gene flow and multiple domestication events

Domestication is an excellent model to study diversification and this evolutionary process can be different in perennial plants, such as fruit trees, compared to annual crops. Here, we inferred the history of wild apricot species divergence and of apricot domestication history across Eurasia, with a special focus on Central and Eastern Asia, based on microsatellite markers and approximate Bayesian computation. We significantly extended our previous sampling of apricots in Europe and Central Asia towards Eastern Asia, resulting in a total sample of 271 cultivated samples and 306 wild apricots across Eurasia, mainly Prunus armeniaca and Prunus sibirica, with some Prunus mume and Prunus mandshurica. We recovered wild Chinese species as genetically differentiated clusters, with P. sibirica being divided into two clusters, one possibly resulting from hybridization with P. armeniaca. Central Asia also appeared as a diversification centre of wild apricots. We further revealed at least three domestication events, without bottlenecks, that gave rise to European, Southern Central Asian and Chinese cultivated apricots, with ancient gene flow among them. The domestication event in China possibly resulted from ancient hybridization between wild populations from Central and Eastern Asia. We also detected extensive footprints of recent admixture in all groups of cultivated apricots. Our results thus show that apricot is an excellent model for studying speciation and domestication in long‐lived perennial fruit trees.
Volatility of the European Stock Market Indices During the Global Financial Crisis - A New Proposal of Stochastic Volatility

This paper estimates the volatility of most important European stock market indices during the global financial crisis started in 2008, such as DAX, CAC40, FTSE100, among others. The estimation of volatility is made from a new family of stochastic volatility models proposed by Santos, Franco, Gamerman [33, 17] and extended to distributions of heavy tails by Pinho, Franco, Silva [32]. This new family of models denoted by non-Gaussian State Space Models (NGSSM) is a subclass of state space models where it is possible to compute the exact likelihood. It is also estimated volatility of the series by APARCH model and the results showed that NGSSM has a significantly better performance.
Using a normal jump-diffusion model for interest variation in a low-rate and high-volatility environment

The low-rate and high-volatility environment it is not challenging just for bond investors but also in the matter of modelling. This paper shows a straightforward method to model variation in the interest market when the process of swap rates are normally distributed with jumps. It combines Bachelier’s option pricing formula with normally distributed underlying rate and a jump-diffusion formula. The model is suitable for the low-rate environment. It is very straightforward to implement and fits clearly smoother with data than the implied volatility model using Black's pricing method. JEL Classification: G13
Food Services Supporting Activity and Independence Among the Elderly: Senior Chef & Cooking Academy

Experiences of food play a fundamental role in the life of people as they age, as they are a set of activities at once functional, emotive and affective. From continuing to cook independently, to hosting family and friends, to maintaining healthy cooking and eating habits, to changing eating habits after the loss of a partner – food and eating processes signal and example fundamental aspects of health and wellbeing. It is crucial to empower elderly people to stay engaged in food related activities as these are central to independent household management, personal dignity, and a rich social life. Two initial concepts developed through design research for food related services which address these issues, “Senior Chef” and “Cooking Academy”, are described herein. Video scenarios and experience prototyping were used` at interim stages of design development to communicate “Senior Chef” and “Cooking Academy” to a group of elderly respondents and engage them in co-creation and feedback sessions. The paper concludes through the presentation of the outcomes of these sessions which are to inform the next steps of the implementation of the service concepts through the project.
‘Do We Look like Boy Racers?’ The Role of the Folk Devil in Contemporary Moral Panics

This article addresses the failure of studies concerning moral panics to take into account the reaction of those individuals who are the subject of social anxiety. It responds to the suggestion by McRobbie and Thornton (1995) that studies of moral panic need to account for the role played by the ‘folk devils’ themselves, for a moral panic is a collective process (Young, 2007). The paper presents findings from ethnographic fieldwork with the ‘boy racer’ culture in Aberdeen, qualitative interviews with members of outside groups, and content analysis of media articles. The societal reaction to the ‘boy racer’ subculture in Aberdeen is evidence of a contemporary moral panic. The media's representation of the subculture contributed to the stigmatization of young drivers and the labelling of the subculture's activities as deviant and antisocial. The drivers were aware of their negative portrayal in the media; however their attempts to change the myth of the ‘boy racer’ were unsuccessful. Although subcultural media can provide an outlet of self-expression for youths, these forms of media can also become caught-up in the moral panic. Ironically the youths’ own niche and micro media reified the (ir)rationality for the moral panic.
The role of impurities in the shape, structure and physical properties of semiconducting oxide nanostructures grown by thermal evaporation

A thermal evaporation method developed in the research group enables to grow and design several morphologies of semiconducting oxide nanostructures, such as Ga_2O_3, GeO_2 or Sb_2O_3, among others, and some ternary oxide compounds (ZnGa_2O_4, Zn_2GeO_4). In order to tailor physical properties, a successful doping of these nanostructures is required. However, for nanostructured materials, doping may affect not only their physical properties, but also their morphology during the thermal growth process. In this paper, we will show some examples of how the addition of impurities may result into the formation of complex structures, or changes in the structural phase of the material. In particular, we will consider the addition of Sn and Cr impurities into the precursors used to grow Ga_2O_3, Zn_2GeO_4 and Sb_2O_3 nanowires, nanorods or complex nanostructures, such as crossing wires or hierarchical structures. Structural and optical properties were assessed by electron microscopy (SEM and TEM), confocal microscopy, spatially resolved cathodoluminescence (CL), photoluminescence, and Raman spectroscopies. The growth mechanisms, the luminescence bands and the optical confinement in the obtained oxide nanostructures will be discussed. In particular, some of these nanostructures have been found to be of interest as optical microcavities. These nanomaterials may have applications in optical sensing and energy devices.
Determination of Strain Distribution in Single Stage Deep Drawing Process by Finite Element Simulation

Modern production is based on the increased analysis of forming processes in digital environment before the actual production set-up to avoid the costly and complex experiments. The main aim of presented work is to approach the single stage deep drawing process of thin walled, mild steel, conical back plate of radial impeller of blowers by means of a finite element analysis. In the presented study, simulation of the drawing process for determining strain distribution pattern in the drawn component for a particular displacement is explained. The study was conducted by using ANSYS12.0, in which, two models have been tested. Both models constructed solely out of axisymmetric, quad 4 node, PLANE 42 elements. These axisymmetric models have been used to simulate the drawing process of drawing quality mild steel IS2062 grade. The experimental analysis is carried out on two different flat plates having thickness 3 mm and 5 mm from which the conical back plate is manufactured. This study will be useful to to the tool designer and the manufacturers doing work in this field
Detection of acute lymphoblastic leukemia using microscopic images of blood

Article history: Received 19 March 2017 Received in revised form 1 July 2017 Accepted 5 July 2017 Leukemia is a group of cancers that usually begin in the bone marrow and result in high number of abnormal white blood cells. Detection of leukaemia in early stages is necessary as this can reduce the rate of mortality and may lead to death. In a manual method of leukaemia detection Haematologists analyze the microscopic images and decide the severity. This is lengthy, cost effective and time taking process which depends on person’s expertise and may not lead to standard accuracy. Till date, a number of methods have been proposed for this Leukaemia detection using Image Processing. Unlike the previous methods, which solely depend upon the entire cell, in this paper we proposed a new method to separate the cell Nucleus from Cytoplasm to obtain more features. The proposed method achieves the better accuracy when compared to the other existing methods.
First open access ensemble climate envelope predictions of Assamese macaque Macaca assamensis in Asia: a new role model and assessment of endangered species

Species distribution models are a key component for understanding a species’ potential occurrence, specifically in vastly undersampled landscapes. The current species distribution data for the Assamese macaque Macaca assamensis are outdated, but suggest a patchy distribution in moist broadleaved forests in South and Southeast Asia. Therefore, in this study, we used a species distribution model to explore the potential climatic niche of this species and assess its distribution and potential barriers in 12 South and Southeast Asian countries. We combined primary and secondary species occurrence records from different countries. We applied Classification and Regression Tree (CART), TreeNet (boosting), RandomForest (bagging) and Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) machine-learning algorithms with elevation as well as 19 bioclimatic variables for the first ensemble predictions ever completed for this species. Our results suggested that the predicted distribution of the Assamese macaque is strongly associated with precipitation of warmest quarter (BIO18), temperature annual range (BIO7) and temperature seasonality (BIO4). Our prediction shows a continuous potential climatic niche of the species from east of the Kaligandaki River in Nepal to Lao People’s Democratic Republic. There are also potential niche patches in Bhutan, Southeast China, Thailand and Cambodia, while Pakistan and Afghanistan have no potential niche for the species. We believe that our workflow presents a new conservationoriented open access research template to progress empirical primate conservation worldwide.
β‐cell function, incretin response, and insulin sensitivity of glucose and fat metabolism in obese youth: Relationship to OGTT‐time‐to‐glucose‐peak

In adults, the time‐to‐glucose‐peak at or after 30 minutes during an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) identifies physiologically distinct groups with differences in insulin sensitivity, β‐cell function and risk for type 2 diabetes. In obese non‐diabetic adolescents, we investigated if the OGTT‐time‐to‐glucose‐peak also reflects incretin and free fatty acid (FFA) responses besides insulin sensitivity and β‐cell function, measured by the clamp.