Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of Reproduced Precipitation by WRF in the Region of CORDEX-East Asia Phase 2

This study evaluates the performance of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model in reproducing the present-day (1981~2005) precipitation over Far East Asia and South Korea. The WRF model is configured with 25-km horizontal resolution within the context of the COordinated Regional climate Downscaling Experiment (CORDEX) East Asia Phase 2. The initial and lateral boundary forcing for the WRF simulation are derived from European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecast Interim reanalysis. According to our results, WRF model shows a reasonable performance to reproduce the features of precipitation, such as seasonal climatology, annual and inter-annual variabilities, seasonal march of monsoon rainfall and extreme precipitation. In spite of such model’s ability to simulate major features of precipitation, systematic biases are found in the downscaled simulation in some sub-regions and seasons. In particular, the WRF model systematically tends to overestimate (underestimate) precipitation over Far East Asia (South Korea), and relatively large biases are evident during the summer season. In terms of inter-annual variability, WRF shows an overall smaller (larger) standard deviation in the Far East Asia (South Korea) compared to observation. In addition, WRF overestimates the frequency and amount of weak precipitation, but underestimates those of heavy precipitation. Also, the number of wet days, the precipitation intensity above the 95 percentile, and consecutive wet days (consecutive dry days) are overestimated (underestimated) over eastern (western) part of South Korea. The results of this study can be used as reference data when providing information about projections of fine-scale climate change over East Asia.
Lung Function: Physiology, Measurement and Application in Medicine

• The only text to cover lung function assessment from first principles including methodology, reference values and interpretation • New for this edition: More illustrations to convey concepts clearly to the busy physician Text completely re-written in a contemporary style: includes user-friendly equations and more diagrams New material covering the latest advances in the treatment of lung function, including more on sleep-related disorders, a stronger clinical and practical bias and more on new techniques and equipment Uses the standard Vancouver referencing system
Examining the Relationship among Online Brand Elements, Dialogic Communication and Online Brand Personality

The objective of this study is to assess the relationship among online brand elements, dialogic communication and brand personality. The study used survey research design. The unit of analysis was the universities in Ghana. Descriptive statistics, confirmatory factor analysis and logistic regression were used to analyze the data. The findings show that brand and website elements significantly influence three brand personality dimensions namely: competence, excitement, and sophistication. The findings also revealed that websites with high dialogic communication features would significantly enhance the relationship between brand and website elements and the university brand personality dimensions as compared to those with low dialogic communication features. Keywords: brand personality, brand elements, dialogic communication, logistic regression, universities in Ghana DOI : 10.7176/EJBM/11-3-05
Universality and Exact Finite-Size Corrections for Spanning Trees on Cobweb and Fan Networks

The concept of universality is a cornerstone of theories of critical phenomena. It is very well understood in most systems, especially in the thermodynamic limit. Finite-size systems present additional challenges. Even in low dimensions, universality of the edge and corner contributions to free energies and response functions is less investigated and less well understood. In particular, the question arises of how universality is maintained in correction-to-scaling in systems of the same universality class but with very different corner geometries. Two-dimensional geometries deliver the simplest such examples that can be constructed with and without corners. To investigate how the presence and absence of corners manifest universality, we analyze the spanning tree generating function on two different finite systems, namely the cobweb and fan networks. The corner free energies of these configurations have stimulated significant interest precisely because of expectations regarding their universal properties and we address how this can be delivered given that the finite-size cobweb has no corners while the fan has four. To answer, we appeal to the Ivashkevich–Izmailian–Hu approach which unifies the generating functions of distinct networks in terms of a single partition function with twisted boundary conditions. This unified approach shows that the contributions to the individual corner free energies of the fan network sum to zero so that it precisely matches that of the web. It therefore also matches conformal theory (in which the central charge is found to be c=−2) and finite-size scaling predictions. Correspondence in each case with results established by alternative means for both networks verifies the soundness of the Ivashkevich–Izmailian–Hu algorithm. Its broad range of usefulness is demonstrated by its application to hitherto unsolved problems—namely the exact asymptotic expansions of the logarithms of the generating functions and the conformal partition functions for fan and cobweb geometries. We also investigate strip geometries, again confirming the predictions of conformal field theory. Thus, the resolution of a universality puzzle demonstrates the power of the algorithm and opens up new applications in the future.
Development of an Improved Input-Parallel Output-Series Buck-Boost Converter and Its Closed-Loop Control

In this article, design and development of a new input-parallel output-series buck-boost converter (IOBBC) is presented, which produces high voltage gain, multiple output voltage, better efficiency, and exhibits lesser ripples in output voltage as well as in source current. IOBBC is based on the parallel–series combination of two different topologies of buck-boost converters (BBCs), where two converters operate in an interleaving state with 180° phase displacement during one complete switching cycle. The proposed converter produces noninverting output voltage unlike the conventional single switch based BBC and will produce wider range of output voltage even with a small change of duty cycle. A closed-loop controlled IOBBC has been fabricated utilizing a generalized optimized Type-III controller that has been designed by ‘‘K-factor” method and particle swarm optimization technique for maintaining overall stability and to produce satisfactory dynamic response of proposed converter. IOBBC exhibits better performance than interleaved buck-boost converter in terms of voltage gain, efficiency, dynamic response, and ripple content in source current and in output voltage.
HIV among older adults in sub-Saharan Africa : a neglected epidemic

In Africa, older adults aged 50 and older are still sexually active and play a critical role as caregivers, yet little is known about their attitudes towards HIV and awareness of services. In this study, surveys were conducted in nine African sites. A multilevel model was fitted to evaluate the relationship between age and outcome variables. The study reveals that people aged 50 years and older have lower levels of HIV-related knowledge and awareness than those aged 25–49. Older adults were less likely to have been tested for HIV and women aged 50 and older showed particularly low levels of awareness.
Measurement and Analysis of System-Level ESD-Induced Jitter in a Delay-Locked Loop

A delay-locked loop (DLL), which is widely used to compensate for the timing of high-speed data communications, was designed and fabricated in a 180 nm CMOS process. The DLL integrated circuit was assembled on a simplified motherboard and the module structures of a laptop computer and was tested under electrostatic discharge (ESD) events. The input and output voltages of the DLL under ESD-induced noises were measured, and the average values of peak-to-peak jitter and jitter durations of the DLL clock were obtained from repeated measurements. The effects of the voltage-drain-drain (VDD) decoupling capacitors and a bias decoupling capacitor were investigated. SPICE simulations were conducted using the measured input voltages and were compared with the measured results. The root causes of the ESD-induced DLL jitter were identified by analyzing the waveforms from the SPICE simulations. Employing VDD decoupling capacitors and maintaining the amount of delay control parameters for delay cells in the DLL were crucial in reducing jitter. The measured ESD-induced VDD noises were also validated and analyzed using impedance parameter measurements.
A New Variable Frequency Control of 49-Level Cascaded Packed U-Cell Voltage Source Inverter

Requirement of large number of levels with lower number of switching devices has made asymmetrical converters more popular than the symmetrical ones. Asymmetrical cascaded multilevel inverters (ACMLI) can achieve high efficiency by combining switching devices with different voltage ratings and technologies. The proposed ACMLI cascades two or more units of packed U-Cell (PUC) inverters using two or more isolated dc link supplies. In this article, one of the PUC unit is controlled using high switching frequency while the other PUCs are operated in a step mode at low switching frequencies, thus operating them in a variable frequency control mode. The cascading of two 7-level PUC inverters with dc link voltage ratio of 1:7 can produce an output voltage with 49 (7x7) levels. The multilevel output voltage waveform is nearly sinusoidal with very low THD content, and the low switching frequency operation leads to lower power dissipation and greater system efficiency. However, each PUC module requires two dc voltage sources. To address this concern, in this article, each PUC module consists of one dc voltage source and one dc bus capacitor. With the cascaded PUC topology and proposed control algorithm, load current and dc bus capacitor voltage control is achieved simultaneously. The proposed converter and its control technique lead to the breaking of the design tradeoff rule between switching frequency (efficiency) and filter size. This is very useful in various applications such as uninterruptible power supplies and grid-tie inverters. The converter and its control technique are simulated using MATLAB/Simulink software and simulation results for both open loop and closed loop are discussed. Hardware results are obtained by developing a 1-kW experimental prototype. Simulation and experimental results confirm the usefulness and effectiveness of the proposed topology and its control technique.
Noise attenuation provided by hedges

During the past few decades, urban areas have experienced increasing environmental stress. Noise is considered as one of the most important sources of urban pollution with adverse effects on human health. Urban vegetation provides many ecosystem services including the reduction of noise pollution. Hedges are widespread in cities and have the peculiarity of being often grown close to the source of noise. The study investigated the noise reduction due to hedges of Prunus laurocerasus and Laurus nobilis and the effect of the vegetation on sound spectra. Four different trials were carried out, including the use of two different noise sources and the measurement of noise at different distances both from the green barrier and from the noise source. During one trial, the influence of the type of ground surfaces between the noise source and the receiver was also evaluated. In the three trials where a significant attenuation of the noise occurred, the porosity of hedges measured less than 4.6% and an average noise reduction of about 2.7 dB(A) (max 7.0 dB(A)) was observed. This effect was particularly relevant in the range of higher frequencies (between 2 and 20 kHz). This study can contribute to plan and design hedges in the urban context.
ACFR Five Roundabouts Dataset: Naturalistic Driving at Unsignalized Intersections

This paper presents the ACFR five roundabouts dataset, a collection of over 23,000 vehicle trajectories of real world naturalistic driving at unsignalized intersections. This data was taken using a lidar based perception and tracking system onboard a stationary vehicle near the intersections. The focus of this dataset is single lane roundabouts, as these unstructured intersections have no signals dictating which vehicle has right-of-way, meaning that there is considerable negotiation between vehicles. The method for data capture is presented, as well as a study of the collected data including data preprocessing techniques and data analytics. The data preprocessing techniques are focused around preparing the data for machine learning training. The extensiveness of this dataset makes it essential to validate algorithms for state of the art ADAS and autonomous vehicles. The paper concludes with a focus study of some of the outliers in the data.
UHF RFID Sensor System Using Tag Signal Patterns: Prototype System

This letter presents a novel passive radio frequency identification (RFID) sensor prototype system in the ultrahigh frequency (UHF) range, which is based on the detection of fully controlled patterns of the backscattered transponder (tag) signals. The UHF RFID tag antenna itself is used as the sensing device. A custom-built sensor tag has been designed to monitor the water filling level of a canister (i.e., canister full or empty). The measurement results of the prototype system compare well with electromagnetic simulations and verify the novel sensor system concept. As predicted by the model, the prototype system solves the two main issues in antenna-based RFID sensor systems experienced so far, i.e., the impairment of system performance by modulating the sensor state information on the tag signal and the need for recurring system calibration due to changes in reader–tag distance.
Analytical Calculation of the Magnetic Field Distribution in Slotless Brushless Machines With U-Shaped Interior Permanent Magnets

The aim of this article is to present a new analytical model developed for open-circuit magnetic field calculation in U-shape interior permanent magnet (IPM) machine. The model is developed based on the two-dimensional subdomain-model approach by solving Poisson's and Laplace's equations. The comprehensive theoretical derivations of the final analytical equations for the magnetic flux density distribution in the air gap and in the permanent magnets are explained in detail. We also provide the calculation algorithm in form of a flow diagram suitable for engineers to compute the radial and the tangential component of the magnetic flux density in all subdomains of slotless brushless machines with any possible number of rotor pole pairs of U-shaped IPMs. A slightly modified algorithm also applies to V-shaped IPMs.
A Novel Digital Realization of AdEx Neuron Model

Realization of biological neuron models is an essential research area in the field of neuromorphic. This brief presents a novel implementation of adaptive-exponential (AdEx) neuron model based on a complete-matching method called Power-2 Based AdEx Model (PBAM). This model can precisely reproduce different spiking behaviors, similar to the biological neurons with lower implementation costs compared with previous works. To validate the PBAM neuron, the proposed model is physically realized on FPGA as a proof of concept. Experimental results demonstrate high similarity with the original model, high computational performance and lower hardware cost. The proposed PBAM neuron implementation on FPGA requires considerably lower hardware resources compared with the original AdEx neuron. In comparison with similar works, this model has a higher performance and can operate at higher frequencies. In this modification, time domain spiking and dynamical behaviors of the original model are regenerated with very low computational errors using low-cost fixed-point calculations. This makes the proposed model an ideal candidate for large scale neuromorphic and biologically inspired neural network implementations targeting low-cost hardware platforms.
Cooperation and polarization in a Presidential Congress: Policy networks in the Chilean Lower House 2006–2017

The joint initiation of legislation is one of the most important forms of collaboration within Congress, and the nature of such relations may affect its responsiveness. Through social network analysis, this article analyses the evolution of cohesion and polarization of policy networks for the Chilean Lower House from 2006 until 2017, comparing those derived from all bills from those that emerge when considering only successful ones. Although scholars consider that initiation of legislation is mostly free of party discipline or policy gatekeeping, networks recovered from all bills despite being highly cohesive replicate the roll-call divisions during all years under analysis. Among networks derived from successful bills – those able to overcome policy gatekeeping, collaboration crosses the ideological divide. These results imply that agenda setting plays a different role on policy collaboration than on voting and emphasize the relevance of the partisan dimension in agenda setting influence presented by Tsebelis and Aleman. Whereas the institutional prerogatives in the Lower House did not change after 2006, the partisan configuration did, which might explain the different degree of polarization among networks of successful bills found before 2006 by other studies.
Reconstruction of Terrain based on corrected Digital Elevation Models

The paper describes the method of reducing the errors, primarily caused by vegetation, in open digital models like Aster and SRTM. These models do not usually meet the requirements of hydrological correctness due to the errors of different origin. The main errors of DEM are the distortion of the tilt angles and the absolute altitude component in the areas occupied by forest vegetation. We propose the method for eliminating vegetation cover by a local interpolation function and Lagrange polynomial interpolation. The paper also considers the comparison of the proposed method with other methods such as Triangulation Irregular Network (TIN), Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW), Natural Neighbor, Kriging, Radial Basis Functions.
Channel Characteristics of High-Speed Railway Station Based on Ray-Tracing Simulation at 5G mmWave Band

In order to satisfy the increasing demand for the higher transmission capacity of “smart station”, millimeter wave (mmWave) technology is expected to play a significant role in the high data rate communication system. Based on the ray-tracing simulation technology, this paper would study wireless channel characteristics of the three-dimensional (3D) model of high-speed railway station at the mmWave band. Key parameters such as path loss exponent, shadow fading factor, delay spread, Rician K-factor, angular spread, power angle spectrum, and spatial correlation are extracted and investigated. These channel characteristics are of value for the selection of antenna arrays and even the design of future 5G communication networks in the railway environment.
Label-Based Trajectory Clustering in Complex Road Networks

In the data mining of road networks, trajectory clustering of moving objects is of particular interest for its practical importance in many applications. Most of the existing approaches to this problem are based on distance measurement, and suffer from several performance limitations including inaccurate clustering, expensive computation, and incompetency to handle high dimensional trajectory data. This paper investigates the complex network theory and explores its application to trajectory clustering in road networks to address these issues. Specifically, we model a road network as a dual graph, which facilitates an effective transformation of the clustering problem from sub-trajectories in the road network to nodes in the complex network. Based on this model, we design a label-based trajectory clustering algorithm, referred to as LBTC, to capture and characterize the essence of similarity between nodes. For the evaluation of clustering performance, we establish a clustering criterion based on the classical Davies-Bouldin Index (DB), Akaike Information Criterion (AIC), and Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC) to maximize inter-cluster separation and intra-cluster homogeneity. The clustering accuracy and performance superiority of the proposed algorithm are illustrated by extensive simulations on both synthetic and real-world dataset in comparison with existing algorithms.
An Online Trajectory Planning Approach for a Quadrotor UAV With a Slung Payload

In this article, a novel online antiswing trajectory planning approach is proposed for a quadrotor slung-load system, which is an underacuated, strong coupling, and nonlinear system so that it is difficult to achieve the quadrotor's precise positioning and the payload's swing suppression simultaneously. The proposed trajectory planning approach is efficient and convenient without iterative optimizations. Specially, the proposed trajectory planning strategy is composed of two parts: a target positioning part and an antiswing part. The convergence of the quadrotor's positioning and payload's swing suppression is proved by Lyapunov-based analysis. Experimental results show that the proposed trajectory has achieved satisfied control performance.
A model for the selection of transportation modes in the context of sustainable freight transportation

Purpose A sustainable freight transportation system involves freight processes that are economically efficient, socially inclusive and environment friendly. For enhancing sustainability in the freight operations, mode selection is a crucial strategic decision. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is selecting the best mode, or a combination of modes based on various criteria to carry shipments from origin to destination. Design/methodology/approach This study has used an integrated grey relational analysis based intuitionistic fuzzy multi-criteria decision-making process (GRA–IFP) and fuzzy multi-objective linear programming model. Three scenarios have been developed for analyzing sensitivity of decision variables with the variations in parameters under relevant conditions. A real case of Indian third-party logistics service provider has been used to demonstrate the effectiveness of the model. Findings The most relevant criterion emerged out in this study for multi-mode selection problem is costs. It can be concluded from the study that multi-modal freight transportation has the potential to improve the sustainability of freight transportation by reducing the costs, damages, emissions, traffic congestion and by increasing the speed of delivering the shipment. The sensitivity analysis further shows that road is the economical mode, whereas sea and rail together are the greenest as well as socially responsible modes of transportation. Originality/value This study provides an integrated tool, which can be used by freight transporters to decide upon the sustainable modes of transportation for their various shipments.