Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dual-Band Eight-Element MIMO Array Using Multi-Slot Decoupling Technique for 5G Terminals

This paper presents a dual-band eight-element multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) array using a multi-slot decoupling technique for the fifth generation (5G) mobile communication. By employing a compact dual-loop antenna element, the proposed array obtains two broad bandwidths of 12.2% and 15.4% for sub-6GHz operation. To reduce the mutual coupling between antenna elements, a novel dual-band decoupling method is proposed by employing a multi-slot structure. The proposed MIMO array achieves 15.5-dB and 19.0-dB isolations across the two operating bands. Furthermore, three decoupling modes generated by different bent slots can be independently tuned. Zero ground clearance is also realized by the coplanar arrangement of the antenna elements and decoupling structures. The proposed MIMO array was simulated, fabricated, and measured. Experimental results agree well with the simulations, showing that the dual-band MIMO array has good impedance matching, high isolation, and high efficiency. In addition, the envelope correlation coefficient and channel capacity are calculated and analyzed to validate the MIMO performance of the 5G terminal array. Such a dual-band high-isolation eight-element MIMO array with zero ground clearance is a promising candidate for 5G or future mobile applications.
Indic language computing

I M A G E B Y J O A T IN APRIL 2019, following the Easter Sunday bomb attacks, the Government of Sri Lanka had to shut down Facebook and YouTube for nine days to stop the spreading of hate speech and false news, posted mainly in the local languages Sinhala and Tamil. This came about simply because these social media platforms did not have the capability to detect and warn about the provocative content. India’s Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) wants lectures on Swayam and NPTELb—the online teaching platforms—to be translated into all Indian languages. Approximately 2.5 million students use the Swayam lectures on computer science alone. The lectures are in English, which students find difficult to understand. A large number of lectures are manually subtitled in English. Automatic speech recognition and machine translation into Indian languages will be great enablers for the marginalized sections of society. Requirements like these are real and abundant.
IoT malware ecosystem in the wild: a glimpse into analysis and exposures

The lack of security measures among the Internet of Things (IoT) devices and their persistent online connection give adversaries a prime opportunity to target them or even abuse them as intermediary targets in larger attacks such as distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) campaigns. In this paper, we analyze IoT malware and focus on the endpoints reachable on the public Internet, and play an essential part in the IoT malware ecosystem. Namely, we analyze endpoints acting as dropzones and their targets to gain insights into the underlying dynamics in this ecosystem, such as the affinity between the dropzones and their target IP addresses, and the different patterns among endpoints. Towards this goal, we reverse-engineer 2,423 IoT malware samples and extract strings from them to obtain IP addresses. We further gather information about these endpoints from public Internet-wide scanners, such as Shodan and Censys. For the masked IP addresses, we examine the Classless Inter-Domain Routing (CIDR) networks accumulating to more than 100 million (≈78.2% of total active public IPv4 addresses) endpoints.
Insulin Resistance as a Risk Factor for Cutaneous Melanoma. A Case Control Study and Risk-Assessment Nomograms

Insulin resistance and obesity are suggested to have a key role in the molecular pathogenesis of various disorders, including several malignancies. Moreover, insulin resistance has recently been found to be associated with cutaneous and uveal melanoma, while a variable positive correlation between obesity and the risk of cutaneous melanoma was also found at least in men. The present trial aims at confirming whether insulin resistance, assessed with the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and the quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (QUICKI), is a risk factor for cutaneous melanoma. One hundred and thirty patients diagnosed with cutaneous melanoma and 130 age-, sex-, and skin phototype-matched controls were evaluated. At the univariate and multivariate analysis, the diagnosis of cutaneous melanoma was inversely related with insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and positively with BMI (p = 0.0014 and p = 0.008, respectively). Consistently, insulin sensitivity (QUICKI) and BMI resulted positively associated with the diagnosis of cutaneous melanoma (p = 0.0001 and p = 0.0026, respectively). The results obtained are partially in agreement with those reported in the literature. By comparing our data with those generated by other studies, inconsistencies in key features among subgroups of different trials have emerged, possibly affecting final correlations. Based on insulin resistance/sensitivity, fasting insulinemia/glycemia, and BMI values collected from patients who participated in the present trial, two nomograms potentially assessing the risk of cutaneous melanoma have been generated. Molecular aspects sustain a role for insulin resistance in the carcinogenesis of cutaneous melanoma, but clinical data remain uncertain. Larger, well-balanced, correlative trials are still needed to define the potential role of insulin resistance in the carcinogenesis of cutaneous melanoma.
An Improved Multi-Dimensional Approach to Wave Digital Filters with Topology-Related Delay-Free Loops using Automatic Differentiation

To avoid the occurrence of non-computable, delay-free loops, classic Wave Digital Filters (WDFs) usually exhibit a tree-like topology. However, recent advances led to a strictly modular realization of the former structures by identification of contractivity properties of WDFs, allowing an assured converging iterative procedure, which depends on the presence of artificial port resistances. In this paper, an improved semi-modular approach based on Multi-dimensional Wave Digital Filters (MDWDFs) is presented for the mentioned topologies. Therefore, a new method of Automatic Differentiating Wave Digital Filters (ADWDFs) is proposed to overcome convergence speed limitations induced by artificial port resistances, making the improved approach independent of the same.
Transition in high velocity ratio coaxial jets analysed from direct numerical simulations

Direct numerical simulations are performed to analyse the instability, transition scenario and resulting topology from high velocity ratio coaxial jets (ru = 3.3 and 23.5). The inner and outer shear layers roll up into axisymmetric vortex rings due to the Kelvin–Helmholtz instability. For ru = 3.3 the outer primary vortices evolve according to the theory considering an isolated mixing layer profile, and impose their evolution upon the inner structures which are ‘locked’ into the outer ones. For ru = 23.5 there is a big recirculation region that does not affect the development of the Kelvin–Helmholtz instabilities. The preferred mode for simple (non-coaxial) round jets is well recovered at the end of the potential core region in the case ru = 3.3 but not when ru = 23.5 due to the presence of the backflow region. The structure of the preferred mode is the same in both cases, however, and consists in a helical arrangement (m = 1). Finally, when the bubble is present one can see that the inner streamwise.
On Outage in Energy Transfer Using Massive Antenna Arrays With Orthogonal and Shared Pilot Signaling

We investigate the viability of wireless energy transfer (WET) to multiple sensor nodes using massive number of base station (BS) antennas based on channel estimates obtained through two different uplink pilot signaling strategies, namely orthogonal and shared. The objective is to ascertain whether every sensor node present in the network can harvest a certain minimum amount of energy Eu that it needs to send uplink pilots plus the energy Ep that it needs to process its main tasks. To this end, for both the schemes, we derive novel upper bounds on the probability of outage in WET referred to as the probability that any sensor node fails to harvest Eu+ Ep amount of energy. We show how the number of BS antennas scales with respect to the number of sensor nodes, the position of the sensor nodes relative to the BS, the array transmit energy, the channel estimation errors and the nature of pilot signaling scheme employed while maintaining probability of outage at a fixed level. We prove that when the sensor nodes are placed at equal distances from the BS, shared scheme gives better or at least as good an outage performance as orthogonal scheme, thereby saving resources spent on channel training. However, when they are placed at different distances, then by deploying more antennas in the array, shared gives the same performance as orthogonal. Furthermore, even with multiple sensor nodes and for both the schemes, substantial savings of radiated energy and extension in the range of WET is obtained.
How Education Affects Mathematics Teachers' Knowledge: Unpacking Selected Aspects of Teacher Knowledge

Background:It is no surprise that all mathematics teacher education programs attempt to increase future teachers’ knowledge, since teachers’ knowledge has an effect not only on their teaching but also on their students’ achievements. However, measuring the relationship between teachers’ knowledge and their education is overly demanding.Material and methods:In this study we unpacked a selection of aspects of Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching (MKT) and created a 72-item survey that would measure teacher educators’ and graduated teachers’ perceptions of what graduated teachers have learned well or less well during teacher education. The data were collected under the auspices of the University of Eastern Finland.Results:According to the results, Subject matter knowledge and Pedagogical content knowledge receive similar emphases in the teacher education program, but certain fields of teacher knowledge, such as Common content knowledge, receive a greater emphasis than others.Conclusions:The approach described here provides a simple way of investigating this demanding phenomenon, and hence the limitations and the possibilities of the study will be discussed in detail.
Mobility-aware Task Offloading and Migration Schemes in SCNs with Mobile Edge Computing

Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) is regarded as an enabling technology to provide computing capacity closer to the mobile equipments (MEs). Due to the MEs' mobility, the execution results of offloaded tasks can't be transmitted back to MEs if they are out of the coverage of the small cell network (SCN). Therefore, the migration is needed, which causes the extra cost. In this paper, a novel mobility-aware offloading and migration scheme with MEC is proposed to maximize the total revenue of MEs. Firstly, with the analysis of MEs' mobility, the problem of maximizing the total revenue of MEs is formulated, which integrates the offloading decision and resource allocation to reduce the probability of migration. Secondly, the problem is formulated as a mixed integer non-linear programming (MINLP) problem, so a SUb-optimal algorithm named genetic algorithm based allocation algorithm (GAAA) is proposed to solve this NP-hard problem. Finally, extensive simulations demonstrate that GAAA can effectively improve the total revenue of MEs in contrast with other baseline algorithms.
Material parameter estimation in distributed plasticity FE models using the unscented Kalman filter

This paper describes a novel framework that combines advanced mechanics-based nonlinear (hysteretic) finite element (FE) models and a nonlinear stochastic filtering technique, the unscented Kalman filter (UKF), to estimate unknown time-invariant parameters of nonlinear inelastic material models used in the FE model. The proposed framework updates the nonlinear FE model of the structure using input-output data recorded during earthquake events. The updated model can be directly used for damage identification. A two-dimensional 3-bay 3-story steel moment-resisting frame is used to verify the convergence, robustness, and accuracy of the proposed methodology. The steel frame is modeled using fiber-section beam-column elements with distributed plasticity and is subjected to a ground motion recorded during the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. The results indicate that the proposed framework provides accurate estimation of the unknown material parameters of the nonlinear FE model.
The Influence of Stimulus Structure and Relational Information on Category Construction and Deconstruction

DOAN, CHARLES A. , M.S., December 2014, Experimental Psychology The Influence of Stimulus Structure and Relational Information on Category Construction and Deconstruction Director of Thesis: Ronaldo Vigo Prior research aiming to predict general strategies for sorting objects into categories has relied on determining when and if subjects will sort unidimensionally (Handel & Imai, 1972; Imai & Garner, 1965) or sort based on a family resemblance principal (Medin, Wattenmaker, & Hampson, 1987; Rosch & Mervis, 1975; Wattenmaker, 1992). Experimental results are mixed, however, and recent investigations suggest the type of strategy employed by subjects depends on the particular demands of the task (Milton & Wills, 2004; Regehr & Brooks, 1995). Although informative, these investigations are qualitative in nature and lack the type of quantitative rigor found in the area of human categorization (Medin & Schaffer, 1978; Nosofsky, 1984; Vigo, 2009, 2013b). To address this quantitative deficit, we implemented representational information theory (RIT; Vigo, 2011a, 2013a) and its’ associated formal model to predict and explain how humans choose which objects to either add to or to remove from preexisting category structures. RIT provides an explanation as to when the aforementioned qualitative sorting strategies are most likely to be utilized by subjects. Additionally, we compared predictions from this model to those made by a leading prototype measure (MPMP-2, Estes, 1986; Nosofsky & Zaki, 2002; Vigo & Basawaraj, 2013).
Fitted front tracking methods for two-phase incompressible Navier-Stokes flow: Eulerian and ALE finite element discretizations

We investigate novel fitted finite element approximations for two-phase Navier--Stokes flow. In particular, we consider both Eulerian and Arbitrary Lagrangian--Eulerian (ALE) finite element formulations. The moving interface is approximated with the help of parametric piecewise linear finite element functions. The bulk mesh is fitted to the interface approximation, so that standard bulk finite element spaces can be used throughout. The meshes describing the discrete interface in general do not deteriorate in time, which means that in numerical simulations a smoothing or a remeshing of the interface mesh is not necessary. We present several numerical experiments, including convergence experiments and benchmark computations, for the introduced numerical methods, which demonstrate the accuracy and robustness of the proposed algorithms. We also compare the accuracy and efficiency of the Eulerian and ALE formulations.
Collaborative network success and the variable nature of trust

We observe that the nature of trust when viewed in a collaborative context can have varied implications and outcomes. For example, actors who may trust one another in one situation may not display the same level of trust in other situations. These trust variations arise as a result of differences in organisational competencies, the nature of the contract and the level of goodwill the collaboration expects. It is broadly agreed that trust is important in relation to collaborative ventures. In this article, we use the ARCON reference model as a framework to consider endogenous and exogenous aspects of trust important in the establishment, operation and dissolution of collaborative ventures. Some observations are made about the use of the model and some possible shortcomings are noted. Most prior research is focused on the influence of trust on internal operations of a collaborative venture. In this article, we identify the need to also consider trust of the venture by external stakeholders.
Cashew Nut Shell Oil — A Renewable and Reliable Petrochemical Feedstock

This study evaluates the occurrence of cashew plant, extraction processes and composition of cashew nut shell liquid (CNSL), modification and conversion processes, as well as environmental impact and controls of the liquid as petrochemical feedstock. The goal of this study is to bring the alternative usage of CNSL to the limelight and to mitigate the serious problems posed by the depleting petroleum reserves. Cashew nut shell (CNS) was obtained fresh from the wild, pulverized and then extracted by pyrolysis and solvent extraction methods using n-hexane. The liquid obtained was characterized. Experimental results corroborated the fact that CNSL contains mainly phenolic compounds such as cardanol, cardol, anacardic acid and 6methyl cardol. CNSL obtained by pyrolysis has a higher density with less moisture content, while solvent-extracted CNSL had higher contents of cardol and anacardic acid. CNSL offers innumerable applications due to the phenolic nature of its constituents, with enshrined features for transformation into high-value specialty chemicals. Varied CNSL composition with varying extraction processes are a vantage opportu‐ nity with multiple application potentials as a valuable petrochemical feedstock.
SwarmCloak: Landing of a Swarm of Nano-Quadrotors on Human Arms

We propose a novel system SwarmCloak for landing of a fleet of four flying robots on the human arms using light-sensitive landing pads with vibrotactile feedback. We developed two types of wearable tactile displays with vibromotors which are activated by the light emitted from the LED array at the bottom of quadcopters. In a user study, participants were asked to adjust the position of the arms to land up to two drones, having only visual feedback, only tactile feedback or visual-tactile feedback. The experiment revealed that when the number of drones increases, tactile feedback plays a more important role in accurate landing and operator’s convenience. An important finding is that the best landing performance is achieved with the combination of tactile and visual feedback. The proposed technology could have a strong impact on the human-swarm interaction, providing a new level of intuitiveness and engagement into the swarm deployment just right from the skin surface.
FREQUENCY OF ANAEROBIC POWER AMONG BRAZILIANS BASED ON DERMATOGLYPHICS AND R577X POLYMORPHISM OF THE ACTN3 PROTEIN

Dermatoglyphics and analysis of the Alpha-Actinin-3 gene are evaluative instruments frequently used to identify the sportive and general population profile associated with physical performance. This research aimed to determine, based on dermatoglyphic characteristics and the R577X polymorphism of Alpha-Actinin-3, the percentage of people in the State of Paraiba/Brazil, with unfavorable characteristics to excelling in sports that require anaerobic power. A descriptive study of profiles, with ex post facto typology, was performed. The dermatoglyphic fingerprint characteristics of 309 people (149 males and 160 females) were identified, and ACTN3 genotype was analyzed in 96 people (40 males and 56 females). The dermatoglyphic data indicated that 5.8% of the study population fit the classification of anaerobic muscle power predisposition, while 94.2% did not fit on it. The genetic frequency analysis indicated that 19.8% of subjects in the sample had the XX mutant genotype. These results represent a substantial error reduction in the search for and selection of athletes with the potential for high performance, especially in those sports that require AMP.
The Ventricular System Enlarges Abnormally in the Seventies, Earlier in Men, and First in the Frontal Horn: A Study Based on More Than 3,000 Scans

Objectives: To detect on computed tomography (CT) brain scans the trajectories of normal and abnormal ventricular enlargement during aging. Methods: For each 1-year age cohort, we assessed in 3,193 axial CT scans the Evans’ index (EI) in the anterior frontal horns and the parieto-occipital (POR) and temporal ratio (TR) in the posterior and inferior horns. Cut-off values for abnormal enlargement were based on previous clinical studies. Results: The mean age associated with normal linear measures was 71 years. Values for all three measures increased with age, showing a linear relationship below—but not above—each cut-off value. The mean age of participants with abnormal enlargement on CT progressed from 79 years for EI to 83 years for POR to 87 years for TR. These results suggested that ventricular dilatation progresses in an age–location relationship. First comes enlargement of the frontal horns (13.8% of scans), followed by the parieto-occipital horns (15.1% of scans) and then temporal horn enlargement (6.8% of scans). Scans from men displayed abnormal values earlier than scans from women (on average 6 years). Risk increased 5.1% annually for abnormal EI, 9.0% for abnormal POR, and 11% for abnormal TR (all p < 0.001). The most frequent agreement between categories (normal–abnormal) for values of neuroimaging measures was identified for POR–TR. Conclusion: The results of this large radiological study suggest that the ventricular system enlarges progressively during aging, and in a subset of patients follows an abnormal consecutive geometric dilatation, influenced by age and sex.
Opportunistic Ambient Backscatter Communication in RF-Powered Cognitive Radio Networks

In the present contribution, we propose a novel opportunistic ambient backscatter communication (ABC) framework for radio frequency (RF)-powered cognitive radio (CR) networks. This framework considers opportunistic spectrum sensing (SS) integrated with ABC and harvest-then-transmit (HTT) operation strategies. Novel analytic expressions are derived for the average throughput, the average energy consumption and the energy efficiency (EE) in the considered set up. These expressions are represented in closed-form and have a tractable algebraic representation which renders them convenient to handle both analytically and numerically. In addition, we formulate an optimization problem to maximize the EE of the CR system operating in mixed ABC—and HTT—modes, for a given set of constraints, including primary interference and imperfect SS constraints. Capitalizing on this, we determine the optimal set of parameters which in turn comprise the optimal detection threshold, the optimal degree of trade-off between the CR system operating in the ABC—and HTT—modes and the optimal data transmission time. Extensive results from respective computer simulations are also presented for corroborating the corresponding analytic results and to demonstrate the performance gain of the proposed model in terms of EE.
Switched-Capacitor Power Converters With Soft Charging via Auxiliary Capacitor Bank

This paper presents a circuit solution for increasing the efficiency of switched-capacitor power converters utilizing a soft charging technique. The technique is based on an auxiliary capacitor bank that reduces the energy losses associated with parasitic capacitances. The effective reduction in the parasitic capacitances is calculated, and a brief analysis of the design trade-offs is provided. The technique is then applied to a voltage doubler, and simulated in comparison to a standard converter.