Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Multi-frequency GNSS robust carrier tracking for ionospheric scintillation mitigation

Ionospheric scintillation is the physical phenomena affecting radio waves propagating from the space through the ionosphere to earth. The signal distortion induced by scintillation can pose a major threat to some GNSS application. Scintillation is one of the more challenging propagation scenarios, particularly affecting high-precision GNSS receivers which require high quality carrier phase measurements; and safety critical applications which have strict accuracy, availability and integrity requirements. Under ionospheric scintillation conditions, GNSS signals are affected by fast amplitude and phase variations, which can compromise the receiver synchronization. To take into account the underlying correlation among different frequency bands, we propose a new multivariate autoregressive model (MAR) for the multi-frequency ionospheric scintillation process. Multi-frequency GNSS observations and the scintillation MAR are modeled in state-space, allowing independent tracking of both line-of-sight phase variations and complex gain scintillation components. The resulting joint synchronization and scintillation mitigation problem is solved using a robust nonlinear Kalman filter, validated using real multi-frequency scintillation data with encouraging results.
SIMULATION MEETS REALITY The Remote Tower System as an Air Traffic Control Training-Environment

The remote tower system provides a new way of controlling traffic at an airport, and it might change the way air traffic controllers are trained as well. The purpose of this study was to explore the remote tower system as an air traffic control training-environment. Investigating new functional possibilities, such as moving the simulator into the workplace, and implications for the practical implementation of the system for training. There has been very little investigated about the remote tower system as a training-environment, which means that this study is breaking new ground. To explore this new setting, theoretical aspects relevant to the remote tower has been identified from literature in related areas, a survey was held among air traffic control trainees, and interviews were held with a heterogenous group of experts. Based on the results there are clear implications for the potential of the remote tower system as a training-environment. Moving the simulation into the workplace improves fidelity and facilitates transfer, functional aspects could positively contribute to the training by increasing situational awareness and reducing cognitive load, and by implementing the remote tower in a centre setting the training can be shortened due to a greater similarity between workingpositions and equipment. The implications need to be investigated further to get a more concrete idea of the implied positive effects and how the remote tower system as a training-environment can be used in the most efficient way.
Political Patronage and Local Development: A Brazilian Case Study

This paper investigates how political incentives affect the allocation of public investments using data from Brazil’s Chamber of Deputies. Federal deputies can submit budgetary amendments for public works in their state’s municipalities. Our results show that federal deputies reward municipalities based on political support. A 10 percentage point increase in vote shares received in the previous election implies an expected increase of R$75,174 in public works for a municipality during the electoral cycle. Political motivations also influence the type of public work the municipality receives, even conditioning on its local needs. Because these public goods vary in their degree of exclusion, politicians prefer to allocate goods that less excludable to municipalities where they received more political support. With the allocation of public investments manipulated to meet political objectives, we examine the impact of these public works on local welfare. We show that public investment while increasing average per capita income, also increased local income inequality. Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, UC-Berkeley. Email:finan@are.berkeley. edu
Investigation of Symmetrical Optimum PI Controller based on Plant and Feedback Linearization in Grid-Tie Inverter Systems

The DC bus voltage dynamic in grid-tie inverter systems basically is governed by the nonlinear differential equation. However due to its simplicity and feasibility, until now the most commonly strategy used to regulate the DC bus capacitor voltage in those systems is a linear Proportional-Integral (PI) controller. The main aim of this work is to investigate and to compare the performance of the PI control strategies based on two linearization techniques that could be used to regulate the DC bus voltage in the grid-tie inverter systems, namely: plant linearization and feedback linearization technique. To get an optimum response, in this paper, the symmetrical optimum tuning method was chosen to determine the PI controller parameters. By using simulation study, it is shown that the performance of both linearization techniques in response to small changes in power disturbances are almost the same. However in the case of large power disturbances, the performance of the plant linearization based-PI controller is more superior than that based on the feedback linearization technique.
Adipose Tissue Remodeling and its Effect on Insulin Sensitivity in Obese Individuals: A Critical Review

The objective of this literature review was to investigate adipose tissue remodeling that takes place in obesity and its effect on insulin sensitivity. The majority of relevant articles published and reviewed references. Lists in these articles were searched using Medline, Ovid, and Pro Quest bibliographic database. Adipose tissue (AT) acts as an endocrine organ by expressing and secreting a variety of bioactive adipokines. Defect in the secretory function of most obese AT has been implicated in several metabolic consequences such as insulin resistance (IR). For example, the released pro-inflammatory cytokines and fatty acids have been showed to activate N-terminal kinase, and inhibitor of nuclear factor kappa B kinase enzymes, which once activated, both enzymes can lead to IR either directly or indirectly. Adipose tissue remodeling that takes place in obesity leads to imbalance between pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines, which has been implicated in IR seen in obese individuals.
A Theory of Vertical Fiscal Imbalance

This paper examines how sequential decision-making by two levels of government can result in vertical fiscal imbalances (VFI). Federal-regional transfers serve to equalize the marginal cost of public funds between regions hit by different shocks. The optimal vertical fiscal gap minimizes the efficiency cost of taxation in the federation as a whole. The analysis shows how the existence of vertical fiscal externalities, leading regional governments to overprovide public goods, can induce the federal government to create a VFI by selecting transfers that differ from the optimal fiscal gap. When the federal government can commit to its policies before regional governments select their level of expenditures, the VFI will generally be negative. In the absence of commitment, the equilibrium transfer is unambiguously larger than the optimal fiscal gap, resulting in a positive VFI. In an intertemporal setting, the VFI has implications for the sharing of debt between the federal and regional governments.
The Vicentini sound archive of the Arena di Verona Foundation: A preservation and restoration project

In the sound archive field, a long-term maintenance of the collective human memory in its original form is not sustainable. All physical carriers are subject to degradation and the information stored on such carriers is bound to vanish. Only a re-mediation action can prevent precious knowledge from being permanently lost. We present the first results carried out by a joint cooperation project between the University of Verona and the Arena di Verona Foundation, with the scientific support of Eye- Tech (Udine, Italy), which aims at establishing a HW/SW platform with the purpose of preserving and restoring the Vicentini archive of the Arena Foundation.
Molecular phylogenetic relationships among Asiatic shrewlike moles inferred from the complete mitogenomes

Asiatic shrewlike moles are distributed almost entirely in south-west China; four of the five species of the genus Uropsilus, Uropsilus aequodonenia, U. andersoni, U. investigator and U. soricipes are endemic to China. Excluding the five species, three cryptic species (U. sp. 1, U. sp. 2 and U. sp. 3) and two putative species, U. nivatus and U. atronates, are recognized. The phylogenetic relationships among the species remain unclear and these preclude investigations of their potential adaptations for living in high altitudes. We sequenced the complete mitochondrial DNA genomes of three species of Asiatic shrewlike moles (U. aequodonenia, U. andersoni and U. nivatus). Phylogenetic analyses of 16 published and our de novo mitogenomes yield single, robust trees with the relationships being (U. soricipes (U. sp. 1 (U. nivatus (U. andersoni, U. aequodonenia)))). Further, the tree verifies the validity of recently described U. aequodonenia. Analyses of selection pressure suggest that the 13 mtDNA-encoding genes of species in the genus Uropsilus all have experienced strong purifying selection, although ATP8 accumulated a higher ratio of non-synonymous substitutions than the other loci, which might reflect adaptation of the genus Uropsilus to different environments/elevations.
The implementation of an underwater navigation system, applied to Ortega's submersibles

The objective of this research, is to design a navigation system that can be integrated into Ortega’s submersibles. The insights gathered in the research phase resulted in a combination of an Inertial Navigation System (INS) and Doppler Velocity Log (DVL) to be the most suitable system. In contradiction to other available methods, this combination could handle almost all environments and activities. The Spatial FOG INS and the Syrinx DVL have high accuracy characteristics, and enable for custom made casings, which can be designed such that installation takes minimum time and effort. In the fi nal design, which is chosen out of three concept designs, the Spatial FOG is placed in a waterproof casing, together with a Global Navigation Sattelite System (GNSS) antenna. The casing is placed in the upper middle of the submersible, behind the second seat. The GNNS had to be placed at altitude, and the INS performs best when placed near the centre of gravity of the submersible. The DVL’s transducer heads must be in direct contact with water, and aligned facing the seafl oor. In the submersible, is placed more to the front, away from thrusters and motors. To protect the transducer heads, it is placed in a hull, such that is nicely concealed with the submersible’s shell. Sensor implementation and attachment is performed including the installation steps. Solidworks models and parts lists are included.
On Finite-Time Feedback Control for Switched Discrete-Time Systems under Fast and Slow Switching

The problem of finite-time stabilization for switched discrete-time systems under both fast and slow switching is addressed. In the fast switching case, the designed static state feedback controller combines controllers for each subsystem and resetting controller at switching instant, it is shown that the resetting controller can reduce the conservativeness on controller design. Then the results are extended to output feedback controller design. Under slow switching, both static state feedback and output feedback controller are designed with admissible average dwell time, respectively. Several numerical examples are given to illustrate the proposed results within this paper.
Leadership in Altruistic Punishment and Reward

Cooperation in economic games breaks down in the absence of enforcement mechanisms. We show that in the Public Goods Game, cooperation can be sustained by altruistic punishment, but not reward. Voluntary leadership occurs frequently in both conditions, but does not affect the dynamics of contributions and enforcement. While pro-socially punishing leaders are perceived as fairer than anti-social leaders, they have a worse reputation than pro-socially rewarding leaders. Thus punishment appears to carry a reputational penalty even when it is pro-social. Contradicting predictions from indirect reciprocity theory, this provides some support for altruistic punishment as strong reciprocity.
Geometric form of volcanoes with a limited based

Many volcanic constructs have geometric different shapes depending on different phenomena as parasitic cones, erosion or coral growth. In Lacey, Ockendon and Turcotte [11] the authors proposed a nonlinear model proving that the shape of volcanoes is determined by the hydraulic resistance to the flow of magma, from a line source, through the porous edifice. This model was later extended in Angevine, Turcotte and Ockendon [2] to include the shape of aseismic, submarine ridges. In this communication we propose a modification of the above mentioned models in order to simulate the more realistic case of volcanoes with a limited base.
Assessment of nausea and vomiting in patients during the first post-operative 24 hours

Purpose:The objective of this study is the determination of the presence of nausea-vomiting at the patients in the first postoperative 24 hours, the effective factors in the development of the nausea– vomiting.Methods:This prospective study is performed with 104 patients at the General Surgery Clinic of the University Hospital. Data were obtained using patient information sheets, Beck Anxiety Inventory, Verbal Category Scale, and Verbal Descriptive Scale. Data were evaluated using chi-square, Fisher’s exact test and student t tests. Results:Postoperative nauseavomiting were more common in women, weak and obese, those who do not use alcohol, smokers, people with higher anxiety (p>0.05). In addition, nauseavomiting wereoccurred frequently afterclosed surgical operation, spinal anesthesia, long duration surgery (p>0.05). Nausea-vomiting were significantly less in patients that were using proton pump inhibitors continuously (p=0.009). Conclusion: These results indicated that postoperative nauseavomiting may be various reasons
HOPE AS A MEDIATOR OF ETHNOCCENTRISM AMONG HISPANICS: THE POST ANALYSIS OF THE NOTHING GRINGO BOYCOTT OF 2006

This study aims to explore the determinants of consumers’ willingness to participate in the Nothing Gringoboycott, a one-day event organized in Mexico as an expression of solidarity to the Hispanic illegal immigrants in the United States. The data were collected in two of the largest cities in northeast Mexico during the boycott in 2006. The findings identified a key variable entitled “hope”,which along with the level of ethnocentrism, is found to be an important moderator of attitude toward a boycott. In addition, this study validates the theory of Planned Behavior in the study of Hispanic consumers. That is, the results showed that Hispanics’ pre-dispositions and attitudes are antecedents of the intention to protest.
Improving the efficiency of adaptive middleware based on dynamic AOP

Aspect-Oriented Programming (AOP) is used to express modular and orthogonal functionality in software components. The orthogonal functionality is programmed into an aspect, join points are used to describe where in the code the aspect should be inserted. Then the aspect is woven into the original program. Unlike compile time based strategies, dynamic AOP allows aspects to be woven at runtime. This has been shown to be very useful to adapt applications without interrupting service in a wide range of settings (business applications, wireless networks, robotics, etc.), thereby making dynamic AOP a prime candidate for supporting advanced, adaptive middleware platforms. A potential drawback of dynamic AOP is the performance overhead. In this paper, we tackle the performance problem by proposing a mechanism to implement dynamic AOP through method code replacement at runtime. The idea is to use the join points not to trigger the execution of the aspect (or advice) as it is done in most systems but to trigger the recompilation of the original code. The recompiled code contains the advice already woven into it or the callbacks to the corresponding advice, thereby greatly increasing the efficiency of the dynamic AOP process. In the paper we describe the technique, discuss extensive benchmarks to evaluate the performance gain of this approach, and compare the resulting system to other dynamic AOP approaches.
Appraisal, Coping and Negative Affect: Comparative Evaluation between Typically Developing and Children with High-Functioning Autism

Children with High Functioning Autism(HFA) have been argued to use faulty appraisals and avoidance patterns of coping behaviour in negative and stressful social situations, but the research evidence is limited. The current study investigated the role of cognitive appraisals and coping behaviour in relation to negative emotions and social adjustment in children with HFA and typically developing (TD) children. Results from the current study made a valuable contribution to the existing, under-developed literature by confirming results from previous study on significant differences between TD and HFA groups for cognitive appraisals of emotion-focused coping potential, problem-focused coping potential, future expectancy and self-accountability as well as for the negative emotions of guilt, sadness and fear. Scores for frequency and perceived effectiveness of avoidance and approach coping and social adjustment were also significantly different. Another unique finding from this study was on significant associations between appraisals and emotions, appraisals and coping; and coping and social adjustment. These findings provide useful insights into the various facets of the emotional and cognitive experiences of children with HFA
Forest density and orchard classification in Hyrcanian forests of Iran using Landsat 8 data

Mirakhorlou K. , Akhavan R. (2017): Forest density and orchard classification in Hyrcanian forests of Iran using Landsat 8 data. J. For. Sci., 63: 355–362. Satellite-based remote sensing is of crucial importance to provide timely and continuous thematic maps for practical forestry tasks. There is currently no existing remote sensing-based, large-scale inventory of canopy cover classes (and also adjacent orchards) on the full range of Hyrcanian forests. We used the freely available and large-scale coverage of Landsat 8 imagery acquired in 2014 to classify three forest density classes as well as non-forest and orchards. The supervised classification and support vector machine classifier were selected based on a pre-classification of three representative pilot regions. Classified final maps were validated by means of a two-stage sampling and 1,852 field samples. The total areas of the dense, semi-dense, sparse forests and orchards were 45, 36, 19 and 1.9% of the total studied area, respectively. The overall accuracy and Kappa coefficient of classified maps were 94.8 and 90%, respectively. The methodology introduced to map forest cover in Hyrcanian forests is concluded to enable providing a high quality forest database for further research, planning and management.
Strategic Management Practices and Sustainability of Faith Based Organisations: An Empirical Study of Anglican, Diocese of Thika

Anglican Diocese of Thika was established in 1 st July 1998, and covers the administrative boundaries of Kiambu and Muranga Counties respectively. The church has taken up responsibility of providing social amenities to the society in an attempt to supplement government efforts. It is for this reason that the church established institutions like Christian Industrial Training College, Namratta Shah Children’s Home, St Luke’s Bookshop and St. Augustine Boys Secondary School and with the assistance from CCS, the diocese opened health centres at Giachuki, Thare and Kiarutara (Synod, 2007). The main aim of this study was to investigate strategic management practices used by the church and how they affect sustainability of projects in the Anglican Dioceses of Thika. The study was guided by the following specific objectives, to establish the competitive strategies adapted by the church and to establish the relationship between the competitive strategies used by the church and its performance. A review of the relevant literature was undertaken in order to eliminate A review of the relevant literature was undertaken in order to eliminate duplication of what has been done and provide a clear understanding of existing knowledge base in the problem area. The literature review is based on authoritative, recent, and original sources such as journals, books, thesis and dissertations. A case study design was used to undertake the study. The population comprised Postbank top revenue drivers, namely operations and marketing/customer service departments, which are divided into regions covering the whole country. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect primary data from the respondents. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), version 19.0 was used as an aid in the analysis. Data pertaining to the profile of respondents were analyzed by employing content analysis while determining the link between the competitive strategies and organizational performance; the strategy related items were subjected to a factor analysis to test whether the strategic practices were naturally grouped into the various competitive strategies. The findings show that the strategies adopted by the Anglican Diocese of Thika so as to cope with the competitive environment include vigorous pursuit of cost reductions, providing outstanding customer service, improving operational efficiency, controlling quality of products/services, intense supervision of frontline personnel, developing brand or company name identification, targeting a specific market niche or segment, and providing specialty
Swing-up time analysis of pendulum

Swing-up control of a single pendulum from the pendant to the upright position is firstly surveyed. The control laws are comparatively studied based on swing-up time from a given initial state to the upright position. The State Dependent Riccati Equation is found effective for designing the swing-up control law under saturating control input. The control law is extended to a linear combination of sine function of the angle and the angular velocity, and a variable structure control with a sliding mode given by the linear combination. Making the swing-up time correspond to a colour, which is similar to the Fractal analysis, colour maps of the swing-up time for given control parameters and initial conditions yield interesting Fractal-like figures.