Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
COS-based Q-V testing: in-line options for oxide charge monitoring

The strict demands for wafer cleanliness and impurity elimination outlined in the Semiconductor Industry Association's Technology Roadmap require that new monitoring methods be developed for measurement of oxide contamination. A newly available technology is presented here that will help manufacturers achieve the goals of oxide contamination monitoring and feedforward control. The technique is based on the principles of capacitance-voltage (C-V) monitoring, but the measurements are performed in a noncontacting fashion, thus greatly speeding the return of information to the user.
A narrative inquiry of storytelling: a learning strategy for nursing students to reflect on their interactions with patients

ABSTRACT Arts-based learning in the context of clinical placement is rarely discussed in the literature, yet storytelling is potentially a valuable tool for students to reflect on the multi-dimensional experience. Clandinin and Connolly’s approach to narrative inquiry provided the methodology to explore students’ experiences of storytelling as a learning strategy. Narrative inquiry is a relationship-based methodology, used to study the nature of people’s experience. The approach is like that of clinical facilitators who work collaboratively with students to understand and provide mentorship through placement experiences. Creative writing and storytelling sessions with students were conducted throughout placement. Data included creative writing, oral stories, and researcher journal entries, collected over six placement blocks with 26 nursing students. Analysis identified that students engaged enthusiastically with storytelling; stories highlighted moments of student-patient interactions; the value of a positive clinical facilitator-student relationship; the complexity of registered nurse-student relationships; and students from cultural and linguistic diverse backgrounds experienced feelings of isolation from staff. The simple tools of pen and paper were a powerful medium for students to reflect on their interactions with patients. Facilitating the process of storytelling provided the researcher with insight into intrinsic and extrinsic obstacles and opportunities which may impact students’ engagement with patients.
Near-zone gain of open-ended rectangular waveguides

Full-wave solutions to the problem of radiation by open-ended rectangular waveguides (OEG) are presented. The radiation problem is formulated in terms of an electric field integral equation (EFIE). The EFIE is solved using the method of moments for three OEG antennas covering the frequency range from 200 to 750 MHz. Results for the near-zone gains as a function of both frequency and distance from the OEG aperture are presented. Estimates for uncertainties in the calculated gain are also given.
Corruption-Induced Inhibitions to Business: What Business Leaders Have to Say in Ghana

ABSTRACT The paper examines how corruption-induced inhibitions influence business-related corruption from the perspectives of business leaders in Ghana. Data were collected through focus group discussion with Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of multi-national and local companies operating in Ghana. The findings show that business leaders encounter multiple regulatory agencies with duplicated and overlapping functions, multiple charges for virtually the same and duplicated services, multiple law enforcement agencies also performing regulatory functions at the Ports of entry, inadequate information on processes and costs of services, and inadequate channels for reporting corrupt activities in Ghana. The paper argues that these challenges trigger corruption-induced inhibitors which in turn, negatively affect the growth of the private-sector in Ghana.
Advances in Aflatoxins Monitoring of Stored Food

This review provides relevant advances in detecting fungal aflatoxins from agro-industrial products during their development, storage, and processing. For real-time monitoring of these toxins, methodologies were modified and adapted over time. The description of the current literature and the evolution of detection and quantification of aflatoxin in agro-products contaminated by fungi is carried out with the description, mainly of chromatographic, immunochemical, spectroscopic, and genomic methods. In addition to equipment, several methodologies were developed and adapted to improve the specificity of mycotoxin detection through faster analyzes focusing on food safety.
WI/IAT 2003 Workshop on Applications, Products and Services of Web-based Support Systems

Web-based support systems (WSS) concern multidisciplinary investigations which combine computer technologies and domain specific studies. Domain specific studies focus on the investigation of activities in a particular domain. Computer technologies are used to build systems that support these activities. Fundamental issues of WSS are examined, a framework of WSS is presented, and research on WSS is discussed. It is expected that WSS will be accepted as a new research area.
Newly-Obtained Two Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Compounds Based on Potassium Peroxidomolybdate and Dicarboxypyridinic Acid: Structure Determination, Catalytic Properties, and Cytotoxic Effects of Eight Peroxidomolybdates in Colon and Hepatic Cancer Cells

Two new organic-inorganic hybrid compounds containing dicarboxylic pyridine acids have been obtained and characterized. Both compounds are potassium oxidodiperoxidomolybdates with 2,6-dicarboxylicpyridine acid or 3,5-dicarboxylicpyridine acid moieties, respectively. The chemical formula for the first one is C14H7K3Mo2N2O18 denoted as K26dcpa, the second C7H4K1Mo1N1O11.5—K35dcpa. Their crystal structures were determined using single crystal (K26dcpa) or XRPD—X-ray powder diffraction techniques (K35dcpa). The purity of the compounds was confirmed by elemental analysis. Their thermal stability was determined with the use of non-ambient XRPD. In addition, they were examined by IR spectroscopy methods and catalytic activity studies were performed for them. Catalytic tests in the Baeyer–Villiger reaction and biological activity have been performed for eight compounds: K26dcpa, K35dcpa, and six peroxidomolybdates previously obtained by our group. The anti-proliferative activity of peroxidomolybdenum compounds after 24 h of incubation was studied in vitro against three selected human tumor cell lines (SW620, LoVo, HEP G2) and normal human cells (fibroblasts). The data were expressed as IC50 values. The structure of the investigated oxodiperoxomolybdenum compounds was shown to have influence on the biological activity and catalytic properties. It has been shown that the newly-obtained compound, K35dcpa, is a very efficient catalyst in the Baeyer–Villiger reaction. The best biological activity results were obtained for Na-picO (previously obtained by us), which is a very effective anti-cancer agent towards SW 620 colorectal adenocarcinoma cells.
Soluble Urokinase Plasminogen Activator Receptor Levels Correlation with Other Inflammatory Factors in Prognosis of Disability and Death in Patients with Ischemic Stroke

Soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) is an inflammatory biomarker elevated in cardiovascular diseases. The aim of this 3-year follow-up prospective study was to evaluate suPAR levels in patients with a first ischemic stroke in correlation with CRP, PCT, NT-proCNP and endothelin 1-21 and to investigate the impact of suPAR on the outcome. Fifty-one patients (mean age 73.7+ = 11.9 years, 26 female and 25 male) were included. Samples were collected on the first (suPAR 1), third (suPAR 3) and seventh days after stroke onset (suPAR 7). Plasma samples were analyzed using ELISA. A phone interview was conducted to collect follow-up information after 24 and 36 months (modified Rankin Scale, mRS). A positive correlation between suPAR levels and other inflammatory biomarkers (except endothelin 3) was observed. A positive correlation between suPAR 3 and mRS score at 24 months was observed (p = 0.042). The logistic regression model revealed no significant effect of suPAR on death occurrence in the first 24 months: suPAR 1 (p = 0.8794), suPAR 3 (p = 0.2757), and suPAR 7 (p = 0.3652). The suPAR level is a potential inflammatory marker in ischemic stroke, and there is a correlation with other markers. There is no major impact on mortality. However, the suPAR level is associated with a degree of disability or dependence in daily activities 2 years after a stroke.
A New Direct Current Control for a Permanent Magnet Synchronous Machine

Abstract In this article, a new direct current control (DCC) is presented. Currents directly control the torque in a permanent magnet synchronous machine (PMSM). As with conventional direct-torque control (DTC), the control variable of the proposed DCC is directly the inverter switching state, so similar fast torque dynamics are obtained. However, hysteresis controllers and switching tables are not used here. Based on a simplified state-space model of a PMSM, including the inverter switching states, the proposed control scheme selects a set of three configurations and calculates their respective application times in order to obtain the desired state vector with a fixed switching frequency. The design of the proposed controller is fully discussed. Comparative studies with DTC are performed on a 1.6-kW PMSM drive with a digital signal processor (DSP) system. Experimental results prove the superior performances of the proposed control.
Smart E-Textile Systems: A Review for Healthcare Applications

E-textiles is a new hybrid field developed with the help of the integration of electronic components into our daily usage of textile products. These wearable e-textiles provide user-defined applications as well as normal textile clothing. The medical field is one of the major leading areas where these new hybrid products are being implemented, and relatively mature products can be observed in the laboratory as well as in commercial markets. These products are developed for continuous patient monitoring in large-scale hospital centers as well as for customized patient requirements. Meanwhile, these products are also being used for complex medical treatments and the replacement of conventional methods. This review manuscript contains a basic overview of e-textile systems, their components, applications, and usages in the field of medical innovations. E-textile systems, integrated into customized products for medical needs, are discussed with their proposed properties and limitations. Finally, some recommendations to enhance the e-textile system’s integration into the medical field are argued.
How Do Environmental Subsidies Affect The Environmental Performance of Heavy Polluting Enterprises：Evidence From China

Taking 257 heavily polluted A-share listed companies in Shanghai and Shenzhen from 2010 to 2017 as research samples, this paper investigates the impact effect and mechanism of environmental subsidies on enterprise environmental performance. The study found that environmental subsidies have a positive incentive effect on the environmental performance of heavy polluting enterprises, and its positive incentive effect mainly plays a role through three channels: promoting green technology innovation, increasing government environmental supervision and enhancing executives' environmental awareness. Further research shows that environmental subsidies have a more significant promoting effect on environmental performance in non-state-owned enterprises and enterprises with high degree of financing constraints and high level of risk taking. Based on the perspective of environmental benefits of micro enterprises, this paper not only provides direct evidence at the micro level for the implementation effect of government environmental subsidies, but also provides a reference basis for the government to improve the specific implementation path of environmental subsidies. At the same time, it also provides reference for the government to implement directional regulation and accurate implementation of policies according to the particularity of enterprises with different characteristics.
A parallel DSP architecture and its performances for the state estimation of m=2 n=1 rotating resistive modes in JET

A parallel DSP architecture for the state estimation and control of rotating resistive modes is illustrated for its application in an experiment that will take place in the European tokamak JET. The measurement algorithms and the different functions shared between different processors to run in parallel the measurement and control procedures are introduced. They are based on the feedforward compensation of the plasma reflection of the external control field on the pick up coils and the estimation of the mode phase and amplitude. The advantage of the large flexibility offered by the digital solution to the control problem has justified the effort towards the definition of a measurement control scheme with little computational delay. Software simulations of the complete control loop have shown how the time delay of this control system architecture is not critical, despite the complex signal processing required. <<ETX>>
Characterization and Genetic Diversity of Photoperiodic among Mutant Kenaf (Hibiscus Cannabinus L.) Using EST-SSR Markers

ABSTRACT Information on molecular genetic diversity among Hibiscus cannabinus L. lines is crucial for developing a new variety from the existing germplasms based on consumer demand. Based on this premise, the allelic diversity of thirty-one kenaf genotypes were assessed using polymorphic EST-SSR. From the 72 EST-SSR primers tested, 10 showed sharp and clear polymorphic bands ranging from 4 (137 to 225 bp) to 7 (182 to 382 bp) alleles with a mean value of 5.2 per primer. The Polymorphism Information Content (PIC) value ranged from 0.531 to 0.737, with a mean of 0.610, indicating that the genotypes are genetically diverse. Shannon index estimation varied from 0.982 to 1.515, whereas 0.123 to 0.405 was recorded within the groups. Genetic differentiation ranged from 0.67 to 1 alongside the average gene flow (Nm) of 0.024. The AMOVA revealed 76% variation within the population, while the population gain recorded was 24%. UPGMA dendrogram indicated the relationship and categorized the evaluated kenaf mutants into five major groups. This study revealed the existence of significant variation in kenaf mutants based on EST-microsatellites. These results could be used for future breeding programs and conservation of germplasms to enhance Hibiscus cannabinus L. genotypes.
Monitoring financial health of contractors at the aftermath of the Asian economic turmoil: a case study in Hong Kong

The whole construction industry (contractors, consultants and suppliers) is suffering from business shrinking under the prevailing deflationary economy in Hong Kong. Local contractors are facing tremendous financial problems. The financial situation of a typical local contractor has been analysed for the years since 1997 – the Asian Economic Crisis. By using the financial ratios together with one of Altman's distress models, it is possible to monitor and assess the financial health of contractors. Based on the results of the case study, the financial health of the contractor under study is found satisfactory. In addition to this quantitative analysis, it is advisable for local contractors to conduct a strategic review for their construction industry and their business environment so as to improve their financial performance in both the near future and longer term.
A Switchable Multicoil Antenna With Booster Coil to Improve Coverage in WPT Systems

In this article, a planar distributed multicoil transmitter antenna is presented for wireless power transfer (WPT) applications. The proposed antenna is optimized to mitigate lateral misalignment problems and configured to operate in two different modes. The antenna switched to the normal mode excites a chief coil to form a concentrated <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$H$ </tex-math></inline-formula>-field within the perfectly aligned receiver area. Encircling the chief coil, a set of booster coils is incorporated in the design which is switched on in enhanced mode to stretch the <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$H$ </tex-math></inline-formula>-field uniformity whenever the receiver is misaligned. As a result, the proposed design evolves into a switchable planar distributed multicoil (SPDMC) antenna. Using a field forming technique based on a minimum mean square error algorithm, dimensional parameters of the proposed antenna are optimized. The proposed antenna improves stability in the power transfer efficiency which is verified by measuring the <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$S21$ </tex-math></inline-formula> parameter. The <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$S21$ </tex-math></inline-formula> stability achieved in the Rx working area is 98 <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\times98$ </tex-math></inline-formula> mm<sup>2</sup> which corresponds to a 255% improvement over an existing design of the same dimension in the literature. The proposed SPDMC antenna is proven to be highly insensitive to lateral misalignment and a good antenna candidate for various short- and medium-range WPT applications.
INVESTIGATION ON EFFECT OF SURFACE ROUGHNESS PATTERN TO DYNAMIC PERFORMANCE OF MEMS RESONATORS IN VARIOUS TYPES OF GASES AND GAS RAREFACTION

The average modified molecular gas lubrication (MMGL) equation, which is modified with pressure flow factors and effective viscosity, is utilized to analyze the squeeze film damping (SFD) on micro-beam resonators considering effect of surface roughness pattern in various types of gases and gas rarefaction. Then, effect of surface roughness pattern (film thickness ratio and Peklenik number) is discussed on the quality factor (Q-factor) of micro-beam resonators in various types of gases and gas rarefaction. Thus, effect of surface roughness pattern is significantly reduced as effective viscosity of gas decreases in higher mode of resonator and higher gas rarefaction.
Identification of Active Ingredients of Huangqi Guizhi Wuwu Decoction for Promoting Nerve Function Recovery After Ischemic Stroke Using HT22 Live-Cell-Based Affinity Chromatography Combined with HPLC-MS/MS

Objective The Chinese medicine Huangqi Guizhi Wuwu Decoction (HGWD) has been reported to improve the clinical symptoms and restore nerve function after ischemic stroke; however, its active ingredients are not well-determined. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the bioactive compounds of HGWD and explore the possible mechanism of action. Methods The methods, including live HT22 cells, solid-phase extraction, and HPLC-MS/MS were utilized. The potential ingredients were identified through comparisons with literature and monomer compounds. Then, oxygen-glucose deprivation reperfusion (OGD/R)-treated HT22 cells were utilized to investigate the effect of HGWD components with specific binding affinities. Reactive oxygen species (ROS), superoxide dismutase (SOD), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and Tunel staining were used as testing indexes to analyze the protective effects of potential active ingredients on OGD/R-induced damage. Results Eleven compounds with specific binding affinities were identified as calycosin-7-O-glucoside, calycosin, formononetin, cinnamic alcohol, cinnamic acid, betaine, dl-2-phenylpropionic acid, 4-hydroxycinnamic acid, 6-methylcoumarin, wogonin, and paeoniflorin. Among them, six compounds had a protective effect on OGD/R-treated HT22 cells. Furthermore, calycosin-7-O-glucoside, calycosin, paeoniflorin, 4-hydroxycinnamic acid, wogonin, and formononetin could regulate oxidative stress and apoptosis to attenuate the cell damage caused by OGD/R. Conclusion The mechanism of action of HGWD to promote neurological recovery after ischemic stroke was related to the regulation of oxidative stress and apoptosis. This study suggested that cell membrane affinity chromatography combined with HPLC-MS/MS could be applied to screen potential active components in traditional Chinese medicines (TCM).
Effect of cement industry pollution on chlorophyll content of some crops at Kodinar, Gujarat, India

Study was carried out to assess the impact of cement industry pollution on some selected plant species around cement industry. Effect of cement dust on chlorophyll was studied in Arachis hypogaea, Sesamum indicum and Triticum species. Sampling was done at different distance like 0.5 km, 1.0 km and 2.0 km from the cement industry. The Chlorophyll pigments were reduced in dust-exposed plant species compared with control site Pransli (15 km away from the cement industry). Changes in chlorophyll content were investigated in selected plant species exposed to dust emitted by the cement industry. The concentration of chlorophyll in all the selected plant species i.e. Arachis hypogaea, Sesamum indicum and Triticum species were investigated and noted that amount of chlorophyll in all plants that are away from cement plant have more chlorophyll than that of near to the industry. Control plants were found always with higher chlorophyll content in comparison to dusted plants. Up to 74.69% reduction was observed in studied plants. In general, pollution by the cement dust has caused adverse effects on the photosynthetic pigments.
Optical clock distribution using a mode-locked semiconductor laser diode system

An experiment in which a high-power mode-locked femtosecond semiconductor laser system was used as a source of extremely low jitter intense optical pulses in the distribution of a clock to 1024 ports via optical fibers is described. The total accumulated dynamic clock jitter between any two ports, which contains both correlated and uncorrelated sources, was measured to be less than 12 ps. This laser system produced a train of 460-fs optical pulses with over 70 W of peak power at 302 MHz. These results represent the largest fanout with the minimum timing jitter for an optically distributed clocking network. >
Minimizing Patient Transport Times during Mass Population Evacuations

Emergency evacuation in a health care environment has focused on methods for evacuating a facility, resources for transferring patients, and sufficient capacity at sheltering facilities. What has been overlooked is the interaction between health care facility evacuation and any communitywide evacuation that would result in significant roadway congestion. This paper focuses on how to route hospital vehicles during a hurricane evacuation. To provide an analytical comparison of evacuation time, delay, and routes across various evacuation scenarios, a simulation model is developed that combines hospital and general population traffic. The tailored model incorporates mesoscopic traffic flow concepts to evaluate a region covering several hundred miles with the ability to control speeds and make decisions at the individual vehicle level. With this novel modeling approach, evacuation planners can easily program the routes, test the travel times, and quickly consider different scenarios. It can be a useful tool for hospital evacuation planners and statewide or regional evacuation planners making decisions about traffic operational strategies. The analysis includes consideration of the evacuation of the Charleston, South Carolina, metropolitan area during a hurricane threat. The study found that to evacuate all patients 6 h before a hurricane landfall, the hospital evacuation must start at least 12 h before the mandatory evacuation order (a typical 24-h notice). Alternatively, the hospital evacuation can take place at the same time as the mandatory evacuation if both begin 48 h before landfall.