Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dual-Frequency and Dual-Polarization Microstrip Antennas for SAR Applications

This paper discusses various methods of imple- menting a shared-aperture dual-frequency dual-polarized array antenna for spaced-based synthetic aperture radar (SAR) ap- plications. After evaluating the use of several potential array architecture concepts and radiating elements, a design using interlaced -band microstrip patches and -band printed slot elements was chosen as the best choice for the present sys- tem requirements. Layout considerations for the two arrays and their associated feed networks are addressed in terms of a practical design. A dual-frequency ( - and -band), dual- linear polarized SAR array antenna prototype was designed, fabricated, and tested. The principal goal of this effort was to demonstrate the viability of the dual-band dual-polarized array concept, and this has been accomplished. Test results are shown with good correlation between measured and predicted results, validating the design approach used. This work demonstrates that a dual-frequency dual-polarization SAR antenna within a single aperture is a feasible approach to meeting user requirements in future SAR spacecraft.
The Domestic Violence during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Scoping Review

Introduction The Covid-19 pandemic had brought unexpected challenges in all sectors of life, from the social, economic to health sectors, particularly public health. One of the most worrying effects of Covid-19 is the increase in cases of domestic violence. Aim : This scoping review was to determine trends in domestic violence during the Covid-19 pandemic and strategies for handling it Method The method used in this paper is the Scoping Review study. We searched for relevant articles on 4 databases (PubMed, ScienceDirect, ProQuest and EBSco), in English, published in 2019-2021. Of the 434 articles identified, there were 6 articles that met the inclusion criteria. Result There were 6 themes we got related to domestic violence during the Covid-19 pandemic, namely: 1) The number of cases of domestic violence during the Covid-19 pandemic; 2) Risk factors for domestic violence; 3) Victims and perpetrators of domestic violence; 4) Types of domestic violence; 5) Impact of domestic violence; 6) Strategies for handling domestic violence during the Covid-19 pandemic. Conclusion The Covid-19 pandemic had an impact on domestic violence cases, where the majority of victims were women and most of whom experienced recurrent domestic violence. The majority of the articles in this scoping review were quantitative research, we recommend that future research can be examined deeper into the understanding, experiences and needs of victims and perpetrators of domestic violence during the Covid-19 pandemic including the roles of cross-sectors and obstacles experienced in handling domestic violence in the future. the covid-19 pandemic. The results of this study are expected to provide input in making policies related to the prevention and reduction of domestic violence cases during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Evaluation of Cytotoxicity and Genotoxicity of Water from Nag River, Nagpur, India

The pollution of the river by man-made sewage and waste disposal is not only harmful to animals and plants in it but also for animals higher in the food chain including those close to the food chain. Water is the most vital natural substance, as it plays a role in nearly every aspect of human life. Therefore, there is a great need to ensure that the water used by humans should not contain hazardous substances. Water quality is directly linked to biological life. The Nag River flows from the Lava village of north Ambazari Lake and flows into the center of Nagpur city. As a result of rapid and unstoppable development, significant changes have taken place in the water quality of the Nag River. Because the Nag River’s water is frequently used for irrigation, it should be tested for cytotoxicity and genotoxicity. Since the rate of cancer and genetic disorders has recently increased in the Nagpur region, the Nag River’s water could be a source of carcinogens in the food chain, affecting the population. This study was conducted to analyze the impact of water collected from various points of the Nag River using Allium cepa as a model organism. The results of this study showed that all water samples from the Nag River cause a cytotoxic effect (20-23%) and genotoxic effects (23-28%) in Allium cepa cells. Therefore, before the use of Nag River water, it must be treated to diminish its harmful effect.
Adaptive nonlinear vector filtering of multichannel radar images

Here we consider the possibility of applying vector median filtering for joint processing of multichannel radar images. The goal is to correct distortions due errors in superimposing of channels. The proposed approach is a two-stage one. It takes into account the difference between statistical characteristics of images formed by side-look aperture radar (SLAR) and synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and uses the correlation properties of the signal processed by vector filter. Image enhancement is achieved as many false edges are eliminated and contrast of true edges is increased. Filter properties are analyzed both with simulated test images and real radar data.
Object recognition from stereo images using synergetics and combinatorial optimization

This paper describes a new method for object recognition from a stereo image. Namely, a combinatorial optimization method and a pattern recognition algorithm based on synergetics are applied to the identification of planes in a 3-D object and of plane figures, respectively. A plane is constructed by the combination of edges and the plane shape is recognized using synergetics.
Water-Cooled Thermoelectric Generators for Improved Net Output Power: A Review

Thermoelectric generators (TEGs) have the ability to convert waste heat into electrical energy under unfavorable conditions and are becoming increasingly popular in academia, but have not yet achieved a broad commercial success, due to the still comparably low efficiency. To increase the efficiency and economic viability of TEGs, research is performed on the materials on one hand and on the system connection on the other. In the latter case, the net output power of the cooling system plays a key role. At first glance, passive cooling seems preferable to active cooling because it does not affect the net electrical output power. However, as shown in the present review, the active cooling is to be preferred for net output power. The situation is similar in air and water-cooling. Even though air-cooling is easier to set up, the water-cooling should be preferred to achieve higher net output power. It is shown that microchannel cooling has similar hydraulic performance to conventional cooling and inserts increase the net output power of TEG. As the review reveals that active water-cooling should be the method of choice to achieve high net output power, it also shows that a careful optimization is necessary to exploit the potential.
A simple direct method for fast transient stability assessment of large power systems

A method for online transient stability assessment of large power systems is proposed. It consists of: replacing the multimachine system by a two-machine dynamic equivalent, further amenable to a one-machine-infinite-bus system; reducing the stability problem to a sole algebraic equation, devised from the equal area criterion, or equivalently from the Lyapunov direct criterion; and using this equation to derive one-shot stability analysis strategies. A technique for system admittance matrix reduction is developed that proves efficient, especially for large systems and multiple-contingency evaluation. The method's main appeal is rapidity: it is about one order of magnitude faster than the most efficient direct criterion. Other attractive features are flexibility and ability to encompass various simulation conditions. Extensions to online sensitivity analysis and control are suggested. >
Wideband bandpass filter with controllable bandwidth and high selectivity using two different types of resonators

In this article, a new wideband bandpass filter (BPF) adopting two different types of resonators is proposed. The filter is constructed of four same open loop resonators and one inverted I‐shaped resonator located at the middle. As a result, compared with conventional BPF without inverted I‐shaped resonator, the proposed BPF exhibits one new transmission zero around the passband, which can adjust bandwidth and increase the selectivity at high‐side edge of the passband significantly. The desired bandwidth can be obtained where the bandwidth is basically proportional to the upper or bottom coupling gaps between inverted I‐shaped resonator and two adjoining open loop resonators. For verification, the proposed BPF is designed and fabricated where good agreement is observed. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 57:1319–1323, 2015
Amyloid-beta peptide and tau protein crosstalk in Alzheimer’s disease

Alzheimer’s disease is a neurodegenerative disease that accounts for most of the 50-million dementia cases worldwide in 2018. A large amount of evidence supports the amyloid cascade hypothesis, which states that amyloid-beta accumulation triggers tau hyperphosphorylation and aggregation in form of neurofibrillary tangles, and these aggregates lead to inflammation, synaptic impairment, neuronal loss, and thus to cognitive decline and behavioral abnormalities. The poor correlation found between cognitive decline and amyloid plaques, have led the scientific community to question whether amyloid-beta accumulation is actually triggering neurodegeneration in Alzheimer’s disease. The occurrence of tau neurofibrillary tangles better correlates to neuronal loss and clinical symptoms and, although amyloid-beta may initiate the cascade of events, tau impairment is likely the effector molecule of neurodegeneration. Recently, it has been shown that amyloid-beta and tau cooperatively work to impair transcription of genes involved in synaptic function and, more importantly, that downregulation of tau partially reverses transcriptional perturbations. Despite mounting evidence points to an interplay between amyloid-beta and tau, some factors could independently affect both pathologies. Thus, the dual pathway hypothesis, which states that there are common upstream triggers causing both amyloid-beta and tau abnormalities has been proposed. Among others, the immune system seems to be strongly involved in amyloid-beta and tau pathologies. Other factors, as the apolipoprotein E ε4 isoform has been suggested to act as a link between amyloid-beta and tau hyperphosphorylation. Interestingly, amyloid-beta-immunotherapy reduces not only amyloid-beta but also tau levels in animal models and in clinical trials. Likewise, it has been shown that tau-immunotherapy also reduces amyloid-beta levels. Thus, even though amyloid-beta immunotherapy is more advanced than tau-immunotherapy, combined amyloid-beta and tau-directed therapies at early stages of the disease have recently been proposed as a strategy to stop the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.
A statistical comparison of the performance of simple dispatching rules for a particular set of job shops

Abstract This research involves the development and analysis of a model of a particular set of real world job shops. The characteristics of the process include workers flexibility and job routings which may include assembly operations. An experimental design was used which allowed statistical comparisons to be made. Various control and staffing policies were considered, with mean flow time and mean job tardiness used as performance criteria. The shortest imminent operation time rule was found to provide the best performance in all but one situation. Workforce flexibility was observed to significantly improve both performance criteria for all dispatching rules considered.
The optimum design of one- and two-dimensional FIR filters using the frequency response masking technique

An expression for the impulse response up-sampling ratio M, which will produce a minimum complexity design, is derived. It is shown that M approaches e (the base of the natural logarithm) as the number of frequency response masking stages increases; in a K-stage design the complexity of the filter is inversely proportional to the (K+1)th root of the transition width; the frequency response masking technique is effective if the normalized transition width is less than 1/16; and the frequency response masking technique is more efficient than the interpolated impulse response technique if the square root of the normalized transition width is less than the arithmetic mean of the normalized passband edge and stopband edge. An expression for the multistage frequency response ripple compensation is derived. An optimum design relationship for the interpolated impulse response technique is also derived. The design of narrow-band two-dimensional filters using the frequency response masking technique is also presented. >
An input-impedance-based circuit model for coplanar waveguide-to-slotline T-junction

In this paper, an analytical input impedance formula is presented to characterize the coplanar waveguide (CPW)-to-slotline T-junction. Based on this impedance formula, one may establish a new circuit model for the T-junction, which may describe both the discontinuity effect and the mode conversion effect between even and odd CPW modes. This circuit model is validated by measurement and is then applied to design the back-to-back CPW-to-slotline and CPW-to-coplanar stripline transition structures.
A Compact UWB Antenna with a Quarter-Wavelength Strip in a Rectangular Slot for 5.5 GHz Band Notch

The limitation of the electromagnetic interferences (EMIs) caused by UWB radiating sources into WLAN/WiMAX communication systems operating in the frequency band located around 5.5 GHz requires the adoption of appropriate design features. To this purpose, a notch filter integrated into an UWB antenna, which is able to ensure a better electrical insulation between the two mentioned communication systems with respect to that already presented by the authors Moeikham et al. (2011), is proposed in this paper. The proposed filter, consisting in a rectangular slot including a quarter-wavelength strip integrated on the lower inner edge of the UWB radiating patch, is capable of reducing the energy emission in the frequency range between 5.1 and 5.75 GHz resulting in lower EMIs with sensible electronic equipments working in this frequency band. The antenna structure has no need to be tuned after inserting the rectangle slot with a quarter-wavelength strip. The proposed antenna has potential to minimize the EMIs at a frequency range from 5.1 to 5.75 GHz. The radiation patterns are given nearly omnidirectional in plane and likely bidirectional in plane at all frequencies by the proposed antenna. Therefore, this antenna is suitable to apply for various UWB applications.
Antimicrobial Photodynamic Coatings Reduce the Microbial Burden on Environmental Surfaces in Public Transportation—A Field Study in Buses

Millions of people use public transportation daily worldwide and frequently touch surfaces, thereby producing a reservoir of microorganisms on surfaces increasing the risk of transmission. Constant occupation makes sufficient cleaning difficult to achieve. Thus, an autonomous, permanent, antimicrobial coating (AMC) could keep down the microbial burden on such surfaces. A photodynamic AMC was applied to frequently touched surfaces in buses. The microbial burden (colony forming units, cfu) was determined weekly and compared to equivalent surfaces in buses without AMC (references). The microbial burden ranged from 0–209 cfu/cm2 on references and from 0–54 cfu/cm2 on AMC. The means were 13.4 ± 29.6 cfu/cm2 on references and 4.5 ± 8.4 cfu/cm2 on AMC (p < 0.001). The difference in microbial burden on AMC and references was almost constant throughout the study. Considering a hygiene benchmark of 5 cfu/cm2, the data yield an absolute risk reduction of 22.6% and a relative risk reduction of 50.7%. In conclusion, photodynamic AMC kept down the microbial burden, reducing the risk of transmission of microorganisms. AMC permanently and autonomously contributes to hygienic conditions on surfaces in public transportation. Photodynamic AMC therefore are suitable for reducing the microbial load and closing hygiene gaps in public transportation.
Quantifying Advantages of Modular Construction: Waste Generation

The construction industry is a significant source of waste generation in any economy, producing various greenhouse gases, releasing harmful substances into the natural environment, and requiring large areas of land for processing, treatment, and landfilling. The emerging field of off-site prefabrication and assembly is perceived as a viable method to reduce waste and improve sustainability. However, there is a lack of quantifiable research into the difference between off-site prefabrication and on-site, conventional construction for numerous sustainability criteria. This paper focuses on modular construction as an off-site production system, where a framework to compare waste generation of modular and conventional, in-situ construction methods is proposed. This paper aims to quantify these differences. The framework relies on a comprehensive literature review to estimate the waste rates of building materials, which are then applied to realistic case studies in order to determine the differences in waste generation. Overall, modular construction reduces the overall weight of waste by up to 83.2%, for the cases considered. This corresponds to a 47.9% decrease in the cost of waste for large structures. Care must be taken to keep modular wastage as low as possible for a reduced cost of waste to be also present in smaller structures. This reduces the research gap of quantifying the waste differences between conventional and modular construction, and provides thoroughly researched waste rates for future research, while also improving the knowledge of industry stakeholders, informing them of the benefits of modular construction. This allows stakeholders to make more informed decisions when selecting an appropriate construction method.
Very low threshold operation of 1.52 μm GaInAsP/InP DFB buried ridge structure laser diodes entirely grown by MOCVD

1.52 mu m GaInAsP/InP DFB laser diodes with a buried ridge structure were fabricated entirely by MOCVD, with a second-order corrugation on the GaInAsP guiding layer. The 5 mA minimum threshold current achieved is believed to be the lowest yet reported for DFB lasers. Single longitudinal-mode operation with a side-mode suppression ratio greater than 35 dB was obtained from 20 degrees C (up to 16 mW) to 90 degrees C (up to 3 mW). < >
Identification of an ATP-Binding Cassette Transporter Implicated in Aluminum Tolerance in Wild Soybean (Glycine soja)

The toxicity of aluminum (Al) in acidic soil limits global crop yield. The ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter-like gene superfamily has functions and structures related to transportation, so it responds to aluminum stress in plants. In this study, one half-size ABC transporter gene was isolated from wild soybeans (Glycine soja) and designated GsABCI1. By real-time qPCR, GsABCI1 was identified as not specifically expressed in tissues. Phenotype identification of the overexpressed transgenic lines showed increased tolerance to aluminum. Furthermore, GsABCI1 transgenic plants exhibited some resistance to aluminum treatment by ion translocation or changing root components. This work on the GsABCI1 identified the molecular function, which provided useful information for understanding the gene function of the ABC family and the development of new aluminum-tolerant soybean germplasm.
Exploring the Relationship between Forest Canopy Height and Canopy Density from Spaceborne LiDAR Observations

Forest structure is a useful proxy for carbon stocks, ecosystem function and species diversity, but it is not well characterised globally. However, Earth observing sensors, operating in various modes, can provide information on different components of forests enabling improved understanding of their structure and variations thereof. The Ice, Cloud and Elevation Satellite (ICESat) Geoscience Laser Altimeter System (GLAS), providing LiDAR footprints from 2003 to 2009 with close to global coverage, can be used to capture elements of forest structure. Here, we evaluate a simple allometric model that relates global forest canopy height (RH100) and canopy density measurements to explain spatial patterns of forest structural properties. The GLA14 data product (version 34) was applied across subdivisions of the World Wildlife Federation ecoregions and their statistical properties were investigated. The allometric model was found to correspond to the ICESat GLAS metrics (median mean squared error, MSE: 0.028; inter-quartile range of MSE: 0.022–0.035). The relationship between canopy height and density was found to vary across biomes, realms and ecoregions, with denser forest regions displaying a greater increase in canopy density values with canopy height, compared to sparser or temperate forests. Furthermore, the single parameter of the allometric model corresponded with the maximum canopy density and maximum height values across the globe. The combination of the single parameter of the allometric model, maximum canopy density and maximum canopy height values have potential application in frameworks that target the retrieval of above-ground biomass and can inform on both species and niche diversity, highlighting areas for conservation, and potentially enabling the characterisation of biophysical drivers of forest structure.
ADVANCED HIGH-POWER PULSED FIBRE LASER SYSTEMS AND THEIR APPLICATIONS

In this thesis, I report experimental studies towards power scaling of ultrashort fibre-based sources designed for applications including high average power femtosecond pulse generation and nonlinear frequency conversion. While the power produced by rare-earth doped fibre lasers operating in continuous-wave has dramatically increased within a few years to exceed the kilowatt level, pulsed fibre sources have been limited to tens of watts due to the onset of nonlinearities in fibre amplifiers. Therefore the aim is to manage fibre nonlinearities to achieve specific output properties at high average power. An innovative aspect of this work lies in the remarkable combination of telecom-grade semiconductor laser sources and high-power Yb-doped fibre amplifier technologies to produce short pulses at very high average power. Fibre nonlinear effects are often detrimental to the performance of fibre systems but can also provide an attractive tool to generate new useful wavelengths. The final part of this thesis describes efficient white light generation produced by a microstructure fibre pumped by the previously described green fibre source. Furthermore, I investigated a novel fibre source configuration for guide star application. The source I developed produced 1W at 589 nm through frequency doubling of 1178 nm radiation produced by pulsed Raman amplification in an Yb-doped fibre amplifier.