Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Dual-Mode Cylindrical DRA: Simplified Design With Improved Radiation and Bandwidth

A dual-mode dual-band cylindrical dielectric resonator antenna bearing a unique combination of improved radiation and input impedance characteristics has been reported in this letter. An innovative concept of twin aperture with a single microstrip feed has been successfully explored. It demonstrates uniform excitation of the broadside radiating HEM11δ and HEM11Δwith 1δ) modes operating at S- and C-bands. Experimental studies with a set of prototypes ensure 10% matching bandwidth at each resonance with 6.3 and 9 dBi peak gains, respectively. Considerably enhanced co-polar to cross-polar isolation at both operating frequencies is the additional attractive feature. Apart from the structural simplicity, such an elegant combination of the operating bandwidth with both co-polar and cross-polar radiation characteristics appears much improved compared to its earlier dual-band variants.
High accuracy AC current sources calibration by single junction thermal converters at INM

espanolEl Instituto Nacional de Metrologia de Colombia (INM) cuenta con calibradores de alta exactitud (como los Fluke 5720A/5730A) como patrones de referencia de intensidad de corriente alterna (AC). En este articulo describimos la implementacion en el INM de un patron de transferencia de corriente AC-DC basado en convertidores termicos de union simple (SJTC) para mejorar la exactitud de las mediciones de AC y dar trazabilidad al Sistema Internacional de Unidades (SI) dentro del pais. Realizamos una descripcion del modelo de medicion, presentacion del presupuesto de incertidumbre de acuerdo con la Guia para la Expresion de la Incertidumbre de Medida (GUM) y un analisis de los efectos termicos y electrostaticos en las mediciones. Se obtuvieron incertidumbres entre 68 μA/A y 2.6 mA/A para la calibracion de calibradores de alta exactitud y amplificadores de transconductancia, para intensidades de corriente desde 5 mA hasta 20 A (40 Hz a 5 kHz). Los resultados de medicion obtenidos son compatibles con los resultados de calibracion de Institutos Nacionales de Metrologia como el Centro Nacional de Metrologia de Mexico (CENAM) y de Laboratorios Internacionales Acreditados como Flu EnglishThe National Metrology Institute of Colombia (INM) uses high accuracy calibrators (such as Fluke 5720A/5730A) as AC current reference standards. We describe the implementation at INM of AC-DC current transfer standards by single junction thermal converters (SJTC) to improve the accuracy of AC measurements and give traceability to the International System of Units (SI) within the country. We describe the measurement model, present the uncertainty budget estimation accordingly to the Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement (GUM) and analyze the effect of temperature and electrostatic on measurements. Expanded uncertainties between 68 μA/A and 2.6 mA/A were obtained for the calibration of high accuracy calibrators and transconductance amplifiers for currents from 5 mA to 20 A (40 Hz to 5 kHz). The obtained measurement results are compatible with calibration results from the National Metrology Institutes like Centro Nacional de Metrologia from Mexico (CENAM) and Accredited International Laboratories like Fluke
Robust parameter design and economical multi-objective optimization on characterizing rubber for shoe soles

espanolDentro de los metodos Taguchi, el diseno robusto de parametros es una herramienta ampliamente utilizada para la mejora de calidad en procesos y productos. La funcion de perdida es otra tecnica de mejora calidad con un enfoque en la reduccion de costos. Los metodos Taguchi tradicionales se enfocan en la mejora u optimizacion de procesos con una caracteristica de calidad unica. En la literatura se han presentado enfoques de analisis para la optimizacion de procesos con multiples caracteristicas de calidad. En esta investigacion de presenta un caso de analisis para dos caracteristicas de calidad en el hule para suela de calzado mediante el uso del diseno robusto de parametros en arreglo combinado, con la finalidad de obtener los niveles optimos en el proceso de vulcanizacion. Se proponen tecnicas de optimizacion basadas en la funcion de perdida y el uso optimizacion no lineal restringida basada en algoritmos geneticos EnglishWithin Taguchi methods, robust parameter design is a widely used tool for quality improvement in processes and products. The loss function is another quality improvement technique with a focus on cost reduction. Traditional Taguchi methods focus on process improvement or optimization with a unique quality characteristic. Analytical approaches for optimizing processes with multiple quality characteristics have been presented in the literature. In this investigation, a case of analysis for two quality characteristics in rubber for shoe sole is presented. A methodology supported in robust parameter design in combined array is used in order to obtain optimal levels in the vulcanization process. Optimization techniques based on the loss function and the use of restricted nonlinear optimization with genetic algorithms are proposed
Cultural Adaptation of the Iranian Version of the “Sniffin’ Sticks” Olfactory Test

Background :Psychophysical tests are typically used for clinical assessment of human smelling function. Given that olfactory identification is linked to the regional culture, the main aim of this study was to provide the comprehensive “sniffin’ sticks” olfactory test, culturally adapted on the Iranian population as well as to examine the discriminatory power of this test between normal people and patients with olfactory disorder. Methods : This cross-sectional study consisted of 3 steps. A total of 200 healthy people were recruited to determine odor familiarity (using Likert- scale) for the first step. In the second step, based on the original sniffin’ sticks test and odor familiarity, 16 odor items were selected. Odor modification was performed and the identification part of the sniffin’ sticks test was created. Then, 99 patients with olfactory disorders and 214 healthy participants were tested using the Iranian sniffin’ sticks test (Ir-SST). After 2 to 4 weeks, participants were reexamined and test reliability was evaluated by using a Pearson correlation coefficient test. Results : The Ir-SST showed that scores of patients with smell loss were significantly lower than normosmic participants (13.6 ± 5.24 vs 34.3 ± 3.41, P < 0.001). The sensitivity (95.2%) and specificity (93.5%) of the test were also found to be high. Test-retest reliability was as follows: composite score: r = 0.8; odor identification: r = 0.83; odor threshold: r = 0.77; and odor discrimination test: r = 0.56; P < 0.001. Conclusion : The results suggest that the Ir-SST can be effectively adapted to the Iranian population. The current study validates that the sniffin' sticks olfactory test is applicable as a useful screening tool for comprehensive assessment of olfactory function in an Iranian population.
On Identification and Estimation of Heckman Models

This article presents a Stata module to enable fixing the value of the correlation between the unobservables in Heckman models. These commands can solve two practical issues. First, for situations in which a valid exclusion restriction is not available, these commands enable exploring how the results could be affected by sample-selection bias. Second, stepping through values of this correlation can verify whether the global maximum of the likelihood function has been found. We provide several Stata commands to estimate these and related models with a fixed value of the correlation between the unobservables. These commands are available on the Boston College Statistical Software Components (SSC) archive and can be installed by typing ssc install fixedrho in Stata.
Phytoplankton community in a tropical estuarine gradient after an exceptional harmful bloom of Akashiwo sanguinea (Dinophyceae) in the Todos os Santos Bay

The objective of this study was to evaluate variations in the composition and abundance of the phytoplankton community after an exceptional harmful bloom of Akashiwo sanguinea that occurred in Todos os Santos Bay (BTS) in early March, 2007. Samples were collected every ten days, between April, 2007 and March, 2008, from the estuarine gradient of the Paraguacu River to BTS. The physical and chemical variables were measured in situ using a multiparameter sensor. Water samples were collected for analysis of the dissolved inorganic nutrient concentrations and for the study of composition and abundance of the microphytoplankton. Overall, 135 taxa were identified, with a higher richness of diatoms. The total cell density ranged from 2.92 × 103 to 1.16 × 107 (5.47 × 105 ± 1.69 × 106) cells L−1, with higher values in the freshwater zone than in the marine area. Five species showed peaks of abundance throughout the study, forming small blooms. Four of these blooms occurred in the rainy season, formed by the species Guinardia striata (April, 2007), Scrippsiella cf. acuminata (August, 2007), Euglena gracilis (August, 2007), and Skeletonema cf. costatum (September, 2007), while a new bloom of the species Akashiwo sanguinea occurred during the dry season (December, 2007). The environment was typically oligotrophic, with low spatiotemporal variation in the concentrations of dissolved nutrients. Even so, we observed short-term variations in the structure and composition of the phytoplankton community, demonstrated by rapid bloom events, followed by an increase in the total abundance of microphytoplankton, especially during the rainy season. The blooms did not cause any notable changes in the water column and did not present any harmful effects on the system.
Integrated Operation Model for Autonomous Mobility-on-Demand Fleet and Battery Swapping Station

The autonomous mobility-on-demand (AMoD) system provides an alternative solution for sustainable and economical transportation system. Meanwhile, battery swapping could become a promising approach to sustain the efficient operation of EV fleet. This article proposes a combined operation scheme for battery swapping station (BSS) and AMoD system. To maximizing the profit of AMoD system, an expanded network flow model is employed to determine swapping scheduling and vehicle rebalancing for EV fleet in AMoD system. The interaction between the shared mobility-on-demand system and BSS is modeled by the swapping demand and swapping price. Specifically, swapping demand is determined in the AMoD system and introduced as known parameters in the BSS problem. Fleet management operation in AMoD system will be influenced by swapping price provided by BSS. The BSS management problem is formulated as a mixed-integer linear programming model, which optimizes refueling decisions for depleted batteries. Simulation experiments based on real-world data from New York City are provided. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of this proposed integrated operation model.
Design of miniaturized dual-band frequency selective surface with spiral arrangement of meander lines

A miniaturized dual-band frequency selective surface (FSS) is proposed in this letter. The FSS unit cell is composed of meander lines arranged spirally, and produces resonant frequencies of 1.42 GHz and 3.76 GHz with -3 dB bandwidths of 0.95 GHz and 0.49 GHz. The equivalent circuit model is introduced to explain the FSS performance. The meander lines at top and bottom layers are connected through copper vias to increase the equivalent inductance and capacitance of the FSS unit cell. The dimension of the unit cell is 10 mm, which is about 4.7% of the wavelength at the first resonant frequency. Simulation results show that the proposed FSS can work stably at resonant frequencies for both TE and TM polarizations while the incidence angle varies from 0 to 60 degree. A prototype of the FSS is fabricated and measured. The measurement results show reasonable agreement with the simulated results.
Characterization of heterogeneous metabolism in hepatocellular carcinoma identifies new therapeutic target and treatment strategy

Background Metabolic reprogramming is a well-known hallmark of cancer. Systematical identification of clinically relevant metabolic subtypes of Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is critical to understand tumor heterogeneity and develop efficient treatment strategies. Methods We performed an integrative analysis of genomic, transcriptomic, and clinical data from an HCC patient cohort in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). Results Four metabolic subtypes were defined: mHCC1, mHHC2, mHCC3, and mHCC4. These subtypes had distinct differences in mutations profiles, activities of metabolic pathways, prognostic metabolism genes, and immune features. The mHCC1 was associated with poorest outcome and was characterized by extensive metabolic alterations, abundant immune infiltration, and increased expression of immunosuppressive checkpoints. The mHHC2 displayed lowest metabolic alteration level and was associated with most significant improvement in overall survival in response to high CD8+ T cell infiltration. The mHHC3 was a “cold-tumor” with low immune infiltration and few metabolic alterations. The mHCC4 presented a medium degree of metabolic alteration and high CTNNB1 mutation rate. Based on our HCC classification and in vitro study, we identified palmitoyl-protein thioesterase 1 (PPT1) was a specific prognostic gene and therapeutic target for mHCC1. Conclusion Our study highlighted mechanistic differences among metabolic subtypes and identified potential therapeutic targets for subtype-specific treatment strategies targeting unique metabolic vulnerabilities. The immune heterogeneities across metabolic subtypes may help further clarify the association between metabolism and immune environment and guide the development of novel strategies through targeting both unique metabolic vulnerabilities and immunosuppressive triggers.
Growth and development of Paulownia tomentosa and Paulownia elongata x fortunei in glasshouse experiment.

The growth potential of Paulownia tomentosa and Paulownia elongata x fortunei , cultivated at three planting densities in a greenhouse was investigated, using conventional field and laboratory methods. Data on the survival percentage, base diameter, total plant h eight, biomass and leaf area were obtained and analyzed. Differences in growth, productivity, survival and biomass allocation pattern of the tested clones of Paulownia tomentosa and Paulownia elongata x fortunei were found. The results obtained showed that hybrids of Paulownia elongata x fortunei do not exceed the growth performance of the Paulownia tomentosa species for the region of Sofia.
First-Generation College Students in the Israeli Periphery Contending With Challenges in an Entrepreneurship Education Program

In this ethnographic research, we explore the experiences of undergraduate first-generation students in a new academic entrepreneurship education program. Considering the marketoriented turn in academia and given the vast resources spent on entrepreneurship education, a debate has recently emerged regarding the contribution of such programs to students. We conducted semi-structured in-depth interviews with a sample of 44 students in a new annual entrepreneurship program in a college in the periphery of Israel. The students perceived a significant gap between their wish to acquire entrepreneurial skills and their self-conception as unwelcome parties in the entrepreneurial domain associated with elite groups. Consequently, these first-generation students reported low entrepreneurial intentions. Our findings indicate that despite their initial enthusiasm about entrepreneurship education, firstgeneration students experienced challenges that may hamper their chances of success as students as well as young entrepreneurs in the labor market. Although Israel may be known as “the start-up nation,” entrepreneurship education is not readily accepted by all, as it can be perceived as a mechanism that exacerbates rather than alleviates geographical and economic disparities. Our study provides a critical perspective on entrepreneurship education in academic institutions. Practical implications are offered.
Modeling CO2 Emission of Middle Eastern Countries Using Intelligent Methods

: CO 2 emission is considerably dependent on energy consumption and on share of energy sources as well as on the extent of economic activities. Con-sequently, these factors must be considered for CO 2 emission prediction for seven middle eastern countries including Iran, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Qatar. In order to propose a predictive model, a Multilayer Perceptron Artificial Neural Network (MLP ANN) is applied. Three transfer functions including logsig, tansig and radial basis functions are utilized in the hidden layer of the network. Moreover, various numbers of neurons are applied in the structure of the models. It is revealed that using MLP ANN makes it possible to accurately predict CO 2 emission of these countries. In addition, it is concluded that using logsig transfer function leads to the highest accuracy with minimum value of mean squared error (MSE) which is followed by the networks with radial basis and tansig transfer functions. The R-squared of the networks with logsig, radial basis and tansig transfer functions are 0.9998, 0.9997 and 0.9996, respectively. Finally, comparison of the proposed model with a similar study, considered five countries in the same region, reveals higher accuracy in term of MSE.
Anukta Dravya Adhyayan–Stevia Rebaudiana

: The emergence of chemical molecules has been a blessing for combating several diseases, but it has paved the way for troublesome situations such as various adverse effects, the emergence of resistance and so on. Various research has been underway on new molecules to find out the least effects and having a better potency is currently on its way and more concentration is being given upon traditional plants in order to avoid these aforementioned problems. Medicinal plants have been recognized to have potential drug uses. Any dysregulation is avoided due to the sweetness imparted by its glycosides and is known by it. The evaluation by phytochemical studies concluded the existence of tannins, alkaloids, glycosides, saponins, sterols, triterpenes with various potentials. [5][6] The purpose of this review is to understand the medicinal potential of stevia and its acceptance as a significant raw material for human diet.
Current-Fed Capacitive Power Transfer With Parallel–Series Compensation for Voltage Step-Down

This article proposes a current-fed capacitive power transfer (CPT) system with a basic parallel–series (PS) compensation for step-down constant-voltage output. There are three main contributions. First, a resonant current source inverter is designed at the input side to excite a parallel LC resonant tank, which generates a sinusoidal voltage and achieves zero-voltage switching at both turn-on and off transients. Second, a PS CPT compensation is proposed and modeled by the g-parameters of a two-port network, realizing voltage step-down and zero-phase-angle. Third, considering parasitic resistances, the output voltage attenuation and system efficiency are studied at different loads, couplings, and quality factors. A 150 W PS-compensated prototype is implemented with 150 mm × 300 mm metal plates. Experiments validate the voltage step-down property with a voltage gain of 0.4 and a peak dc–dc efficiency of 87.3%.
A Highly-Efficient RF Energy Harvester Using Passively-Produced Adaptive Threshold Voltage Compensation

This article presents a highly-efficient radio frequency energy harvester that utilizes an extra matching network to produce a passively-amplified adaptive compensation voltage. The compensation voltage produced on the gate of the transistors reduces the transistors’ conduction loss by increasing the gate-source voltage when transistors are on and reduces the leakage current by producing a negative gate-source voltage when the transistors are off. This is the first work that produces an adaptive compensation voltage without using active components, resulting in a significantly higher conversion efficiency if passive components of high quality are utilized. The mathematical derivations show that the forward conduction loss and the leakage current of the transistors are minimized by utilizing the proposed technique, increasing the overall efficiency. The proposed rectifier is fabricated in a TSMC 130 nm standard CMOS process, and measurement results and simulation results are in good agreement. Measurement results show that the rectifier achieves the maximum efficiency of 61% and 63.4% for battery load of 1.2 V and 1.5 V, respectively, which is at least 20 % larger than the efficiency of the conventional Dickson’s rectifiers.
The trade-off between accrual-based and real earnings management: evidence from Jordan

: This study examines the extent of accrual-based and real earnings management surrounding three important turning points in the Jordanian business environment. Using a sample of 1748 firm-year observations between 2002 and 2016, the results show that firms have a great tendency towards using discretionary accruals to alter their reported earnings compared with real manipulation. Indeed, the magnitude of accrual-based earnings manipulation is increased significantly in the aftermath of the issuance of listing requirements. Interestingly, accrual-based and real earnings management is decreased significantly with the passage of the corporate governance code. In relation to the Arab Spring era, no clear evidence appears that firms are engaged in earnings management to embellish their financial reports. The overall results suggest that the ability of managers to exercise their discretion over earnings depends on firms’ attributes such as the quality of the governance system, regulatory requirements and the surrounding business and political environment.
Classification of OCT Images for Detecting Diabetic Retinopathy Disease Using Machine Learning

Background Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) imaging aids in retinal abnormality detection by showing the tomographic retinal layers. OCT images are a useful tool for detecting Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) disease because of their capability of capturing micrometer-resolution.Method An automated technique was introduced to differentiate DR images from normal ones. 214 images were subjected to the experiment, of which 160 images were used for classifiers’ training, and 54 images were used for testing. Different features were extracted to feed our classifiers, including statistical features and local binary pattern (LBP) features.Results The experimental results demonstrated that our classifiers were able to discriminate DR retina from the normal retina with ROC Area Under the Curve (AUC) of 100%. Conclusions The retinal OCT images have common texture patterns and using a powerful tool for pattern analysis like LBP features has a significant impact on the achieved results. The result has better performance than previously proposed methods in the literature.