Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Ultra Wideband Space-frequency Beamforming using Time Delay Lines

The space-frequency beamforming is one of the most popular and effective structures for ultra wideband beamforming (UWB). In this paper, subband beamforming using tapped delay lines (TDLs), namely, TDLs-SB, is proposed for obtaining a satisfactory performance on ultra wideband passband. The TDL is originally used for space-time beamforming, however, the TDLSB is innovatively used TDLs for space-frequency beamforming with more degrees of freedom, resulting in perfect sidelobe characteristic and accurate beam pointing for ultra wideband signal. Simulations highlight the correctness and effectiveness of the proposed structure and algorithms for 1 GHz wideband passband, and the novel structure can process more than 1 GHz passband for beamforming.
Estimating the body mass of the large Paleogene mammal Coryphodon

Coryphodon is an abundant large-bodied Paleogene mammal with a Holarctic distribution. It was among the first mammalian megaherbivores to evolve. Using body estimates based on tooth area, it has been inferred that Coryphodon underwent dwarfing during the Eocene (Uhen and Gingerich, 1995), similar to many other mammalian lineages (Gingerich 2003; Secord et al., 2012; D’Ambrosia et al., 2017). However, the original inference of dwarfing in Coryphodon was based on a small fraction of its available fossil record, prompting reanalysis herein with a larger dataset. Most Coryphodon specimens in museums are fragmentary, consisting of one or more partial limb elements and/or teeth that were opportunistically surface collected (Fig. 1). The first major goal of this research is to test whether various skeletal elements tightly scale with one another, such that missing skeletal data can be predicted, and more of the Coryphodon record be incorporated into study of its body mass evolution.
An Analog Automatic-Amplitude Control Circuitry for Ultra-wideband LC VCO in 0.18 µm CMOS

A stand-alone configurable analog automatic-amplitude control (AAC) circuit is presented for ultra-wideband (UWB) voltage control oscillator (VCO), which helps to keep the UWB VCO at reasonable output amplitude over process, voltage, and temperature (PVT). The proposed architecture of VCO with AAC is designed in 0.18 µm CMOS, and consumes 22 mA from a 3.3-V supply voltage. Transistor-level post-simulated results indicate that the 3.2 – 7 GHz multi-core UWB LC VCO is capable of providing the phase noise performance of −124 and −119 dBc/Hz at 1-MHz offset from 3.2 GHz and 7 GHz carrier, respectively. The variation coefficient of the output single-ended amplitude is no more than 4.5% in all various circumstances, and it hardly worsens phase noise to VCO. One of the attractive points to emerge from the proposed UWB VCO is that the response time could save 40% over traditional architecture, and it could be widely used in other symmetrical/differential types.
DisProTrack: Distributed Provenance Tracking over Serverless Applications

Provenance tracking has been widely used in the recent literature to debug system vulnerabilities and find the root causes behind faults, errors, or crashes over a running system. However, the existing approaches primarily developed graph-based models for provenance tracking over monolithic applications running directly over the operating system kernel. In contrast, the modern DevOps-based service-oriented architecture relies on distributed platforms, like serverless computing that uses container-based sandboxing over the kernel. Provenance tracking over such a distributed micro-service architecture is challenging, as the application and system logs are generated asynchronously and follow heterogeneous nomenclature and logging formats. This paper develops a novel approach to combining system and micro-services logs together to generate a Universal Provenance Graph (UPG) that can be used for provenance tracking over serverless architecture. We develop a Loadable Kernel Module (LKM) for runtime unit identification over the logs by intercepting the system calls with the help from the control flow graphs over the static application binaries. Finally, we design a regular expression-based log optimization method for reverse query parsing over the generated UPG. A thorough evaluation of the proposed UPG model with different benchmarked serverless applications shows the system’s effectiveness.
The Intersection of Demographic Factors, Parental Awareness, and Attitudes: Implications for Children's Health Risks from Secondhand Tobacco Smoke

Objective: This study aims to investigate the association between demographic factors, such as age, ethnicity, income, education, and occupation, with parents' perspectives and awareness of the health risks associated with secondhand smoke (SHS), considering the significance of these factors for effective health education and prevention initiatives. Methods: Data were collected from 378 employees working in four higher education institutions in the Klang Valley region of Malaysia. A standardized questionnaire was administered to collect data on demographic characteristics, knowledge, and attitudes towards SHS. Path analysis was employed to examine the relationships between demographic characteristics and parents' knowledge of and attitudes towards the risks of SHS. Results: The study explored how demographic factors, namely age, education, occupation, income level, and ethnicity, influenced parents' knowledge and attitudes towards the health risks of SHS. The results indicated that none of these demographic characteristics had a significant impact on parents' attitudes and knowledge. However, it was observed that parents' financial status significantly and negatively affected their understanding of the health hazards associated with children's exposure to smoking. Conclusions: Protecting children's health and reducing the prevalence of smoking-related illnesses requires parents to enhance their knowledge and foster negative attitudes towards SHS. Developing targeted interventions that address the specific challenges parents face, particularly in relation to their financial circumstances, is crucial to promote a smoke-free environment for children. Research Implications: The study's findings provide insights into the complex relationship between demographic factors and parents' knowledge and attitudes towards SHS. These insights can inform the design of tailored interventions that consider various demographic characteristics to communicate SHS risks and promote healthier behaviours effectively. Originality/Value: This study contributes to the existing literature by examining the influence of demographic factors on parents' perspectives on SHS health risks. The findings underscore the importance of considering demographic characteristics when designing interventions to address SHS exposure and encourage healthier behaviours among parents and caregivers.
A novel static and dynamic hand gesture recognition using self organizing map with deep convolutional neural network

Gesture recognition has gained a lot of popularity as it allows humans to communicate with real or virtual systems through gestures, offering new and natural interaction modalities. Recent technologies, such as augmented reality (AR) and the Internet of Things (IoT), have witnessed enormous growth in computer applications that focus on human–computer interaction (HCI). However, a few of these tactics make use of a combination of methods, such as image segmentation, pre-processing, and classification. The hessian-based multiscale filtering and YCbCr colour space are used to separate the gesture region to be recognized. A modified marker-controlled watershed method is employed to segment the gesture contour along with the eight-connector graph to increase recognition precision. The proposed hand gesture recognition methodology uses Self Organizing Map (SOM) with Deep Convolutional Neural Network (DCNN) provides better results with fast convergence speed. Experiments were carried out on a dataset of 30 static and 6 dynamic gestures and also evaluated on a publicly available IIITA-ROBITA ISL Gesture Database to show the effectiveness. The results show that the suggested method can recognize gesture classes with 95.63% accuracy rate without significantly affecting the recognition time. The proposed algorithm was then implemented to control household appliances.
An Observer-Based Distributed Nonlinear Model Predictive Fault-Tolerant Control for Leader-Following Formation Tracking Control

This paper presents an application of distributed nonlinear model predictive fault-tolerant controller (NMPFC) for leader- following formation tracking control in both free-fault and faulty case. The fault detection and diagnosis module integrated in each robot is based on an Extended Kalman filter (EKF) to estimate multiple faults occurring in that robot. The proposed solution is validated through simulation under Matlab-Simulink for mobile-robot systems.
In Search of a Childhood Landscape : Historical Narratives From a Queensland Kindergarten 1940-1965

This dissertation details the study of the influences of historical discourses of early childhood on the recalled experiences of children, parents and teachers in a Queensland kindergarten between 1940 and 1965. The study investigates the interweaving of discourses of childhood and recounted experiences of kindergarten, drawing on the view that "different discursive practices produce different childhoods, each and all of which are 'real' within their own regime of truth" (James & Prout, 1997, p.26). The study builds a case for using an interpretive/constructionist historical approach to reframe the recounted narratives of those present in an historical kindergarten landscape, particularly the narratives of those who were children in that landscape. To date, historical studies of early childhood education in Australia have largely focused on "big picture" issues of policy, practice and training, rather than on investigating and documenting the lived experiences of children and adults in particular early childhood contexts and historical eras. In contrast, this study takes a micro-history approach, focusing on one early childhood setting in a way that Mills & Mills (2000, p.165) argue enables the "complexity and richness of the big picture to be understood". Reiger (1993) suggests that growing interest in the social construction of childhood has increased awareness of "the agency of children as contributors to interpretations . of their development" (p.4). While participants in my study look back on childhoods lived in a past era, their interpretations and feelings about events and practices that they observed and experienced as children at kindergarten provide a valuable perspective on the discourses which framed their childhoods. Findings from this study have the potential to broaden understandings of the impact on children of pedagogical approaches to early childhood education, and deepen awareness of the meaning of childhood at particular points in time.
Supplemental: Monocular Reconstruction of Neural Face Reﬂectance Fields

Our relfectance field is learned from a light-stage dataset containing 350 identities, captured from 8 camera viewpoints and illuminated by 150 point light sources one at a time (see Fig. 1). The dataset was originally proposed in Weynrich et al. [5], with just 149 identities. The dataset we use, however, contains 201 additional identities. Throughout our work we use 300 identities for training, 10 for validation and the rest for test.
High-Performance Bidirectional Fast EV Charger Featuring Full Power/Voltage Range and Cost-Effective Implementation

Fast chargers are a key element for transportation electrification. This paper proposed a fast charger topology able to comply with modern requirements in terms of bidirectionality and operation in the whole voltage range for 400 V and 800 V batteries at full power. The proposed architecture takes advantage of active filtering and partial power processing to achieve a cost-effective and efficient implementation. The proposed converter has been analyzed, simulated, and designed, and it will be tested using a 50-kW upwards-scalable module.
Investigation of Camera-Free Eye-Tracking Glasses Compared to a Video-Based System

Technological advances in eye-tracking have resulted in lightweight, portable solutions that are capable of capturing eye movements beyond laboratory settings. Eye-tracking devices have typically relied on heavier, video-based systems to detect pupil and corneal reflections. Advances in mobile eye-tracking technology could facilitate research and its application in ecological settings; more traditional laboratory research methods are able to be modified and transferred to real-world scenarios. One recent technology, the AdHawk MindLink, introduced a novel camera-free system embedded in typical eyeglass frames. This paper evaluates the AdHawk MindLink by comparing the eye-tracking recordings with a research “gold standard”, the EyeLink II. By concurrently capturing data from both eyes, we compare the capability of each eye tracker to quantify metrics from fixation, saccade, and smooth pursuit tasks—typical elements in eye movement research—across a sample of 13 adults. The MindLink system was capable of capturing fixation stability within a radius of less than 0.5∘, estimating horizontal saccade amplitudes with an accuracy of 0.04∘± 2.3∘, vertical saccade amplitudes with an accuracy of 0.32∘± 2.3∘, and smooth pursuit speeds with an accuracy of 0.5 to 3∘s, depending on the pursuit speed. While the performance of the MindLink system in measuring fixation stability, saccade amplitude, and smooth pursuit eye movements were slightly inferior to the video-based system, MindLink provides sufficient gaze-tracking capabilities for dynamic settings and experiments.
Design of an Additively Manufactured Polymer Composite Electrical Machine

This paper presents a permanent magnet electrical motor prototype with an additively manufactured (AM) core, using a polymer binder based soft magnetic composite (SMC) material. The relative permeability of the electrically non-conductive SMC material was measured to be 2.4, which makes it a viable solution to be used in air-core machines. The AM prototype motor was tested under load and it generated a maximum torque of 0.31 Nm. This measured value is 30% higher than the simulated torque for an equivalent air-core machine. Therefore, the composite material can be considered a superior material in the context of ironless motors.
Spiritual Leadership in Educational Organization: A Systematic Literature Review

Purpose: This study aims to review existing research on spiritual leadership in educational organizations systematically. The research aims to fill the gaps in the literature by highlighting critical issues related to the dimensions and consequences of spiritual leadership in various educational organizations. Design/methodology/approach: This paper searched for all research studies on spiritual leadership in educational organizations without restriction on the year of publication. Eighteen articles from 84 studies in the Scopus database were included in the review. This study applies PRISMA to systematically synthesize and integrate existing research on spiritual leadership in educational organizations through identification, screening, and feasibility. Findings: Spiritual leadership is a holistic concept with different understandings and dimensions. Previous research found several factors as consequences for individual and organizational outcomes. Research, Practical & Social implications: This study offers future research to overcome the limitations of construction testing through several variables in educational management referring to the understanding of spiritual leadership theory. Originality/value: The literature on spiritual leadership in educational organizations is limited, and the perspectives and dimensions of measurement differ. This study provides a comprehensive and critical systematic against the limited literature.
Temporal changes in genetic diversity reveal small-scale invasion dynamics of the eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana var. virginiana) in the Lakeside Daisy State Nature Preserve in Ohio

Abstract Eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana L. var. virginiana; hereafter ERC) is a native species currently invading open areas and grasslands outside of its original range in the United States. We studied ERC's invasion patterns in the Lakeside Daisy State Nature Preserve (LDSNP), a short grass prairie located on the Marblehead Peninsula in Ohio, examining the changes in the genetic diversity and structure of the encroaching population. We investigated the relative importance of long-distance dispersal versus diffusion in the invasion of this short grass prairie by ERC. We use eight microsatellite marker loci to infer gene flow from external sources versus within-population recruitment. We found that the older trees in this preserve were less than 50 yr old, indicating that the population was established between 1970 and 1980. When we grouped trees into five age categories of 10-yr increments, we found that the allelic diversity, as indicated by the average number of alleles per locus, increased as the age of the trees decreased. We also found that not all loci were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, probably due to the arrival of new variants in the preserve. Moreover, heterozygosity remained high, with an excess of heterozygotes in all age groups (F = –0.163 ± 0.046). Principal coordinate analysis showed two distinct groups of trees in the LDSNP. Analysis of the cryptic population structure of the ERC trees using STRUCTURE revealed four ancestral clusters in the ERC population. All ancestral clusters are present in all age groups, suggesting that all trees sampled are derived from an admixed population. Furthermore, the high observed heterozygosity and lack of inbreeding in this dioecious species maintained all ancestral clusters over time. Overall, our findings indicate that ERC encroachment of the LDSNP results from multiple and reiterated gene flow events from the edge of the range through animal-mediated seed dispersal.
Cell Signaling : Proteins , Pathways and Mechanisms Expression of rat NaK-ATPase 2 enables ion pumping but not ouabain-induced signaling in 1-deficient porcine renal epithelial cells

Joe Xie, Qiqi Ye, Xiaoyu Cui, Namrata Madan, Qiying Yi, Sandrine V. Pierre, and Zijian Xie Department of Medicine, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado; Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio; Laboratory Animal Center, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, PR China; and Marshall Institute for Interdisciplinary Research, Marshall University, Huntington, West Virginia
Cone Slalom With Automated Sports Car–Trajectory Planning Algorithm

In this article, we present the system architecture and algorithms of an automated vehicle to perform a slalom. We demonstrate a novel trajectory planning algorithm based on optimization techniques using logic-based Benders decomposition, where an external loop optimizes the position of the nearest waypoint and an internal loop generates the optimal trajectory. The positions of the cones in this use case are unknown, but a mono camera and LiDAR detect them. They can be in a line or dispersed, have equal or unequal spacing, and the U-turns can be symmetric or asymmetric. A bicycle model is used to formulate a non-linear quadratic optimization problem aimed at optimal trajectory generation considering vehicle kinematics. Finally, the trajectory tracking control keeps the vehicle on the planned slalom trajectory while driving. The control system is interfaced with the vehicle via CAN and FlexRay buses. Much of the work was devoted to experiments with a real vehicle and fine-tuning the system parameters. During the validation of the system, interesting observations were made regarding the components' precision, frequency, and sensitivity.
The Novel Waveguide-Fed Log-Periodic Dipole Antenna with Multiple Notched Bands

This article deals with the systematic approach based on two following topics. The first one describes the newly modified split-coaxial balance unit (balun) employing an assembly of the various number of the regular center-fed dipole radiators. This balun was implemented on a base of the network proposed earlier in Russian Patent no. 2605944, date of Patent Dec. 27, 2016. The described balun was successfully used to excite the cylindrical-like satellite log-periodic dipole antenna that was realized on a base of the array of the various center-fed as well as the center-end-fed dipole-like radiators proposed earlier in Russian Patent no. 2571156, date of Patent Dec. 20, 2015. The systematic-based design procedure of both the log-periodic aerials relates to the second topic. In addition, the results of computer modeling by using the “CST Studio Suite” solver are presented and discussed in details. Both the proposed cylinder-like units may be used in next generation of the microwave satellite communication systems.
Detection and isolation of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli and microbial population counts on Argentinean Kosher beef for export to Israel

The aim of this study was to provide data on the frequency of Top 7 Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) and microbial population counts on processed beef from Argentinean Kosher cattle abattoirs authorized to export to Israel. A total of 480 samples (forequarters, primal cuts, trimmings) were taken and analyzed for Top 7 STEC detection and isolation and for mesophilic aerobic organism, coliform and E. coli enumeration. Differences in stx detection and microbial population counts on forequarter samples before and after salting were not statistically significant (P >0.05). All samples were negative for Top 7 STEC. Differences were significant for all microbial counts in primal cuts (P <0.001). Neck samples showed a higher level of contamination with the three groups of microorganisms than fore shank and brisket samples. The prevalence of stx was lower than that reported worldwide and in Argentinean export abattoirs. Salting did not significantly reduce the microbial load on forequarters.
3D Slice Imaging of Non-Line-of-Sight Targets with Millimeter Wave Radar

In this paper, three-dimensional (3D) slice imaging of non-line-of-sight targets with a millimeter wave radar is demonstrated. In the demonstrated system, a low-cost, fully integrated AWR1843 millimeter-wave radar driven by a roller is used to scan the imaging area, and near-filed imaging of hidden targets with different positions and shapes is achieved. The influence of radar bandwidth on imaging quality is studied by comparing the images acquired under different radar bandwidths. The results show that with the increase of the radar bandwidth, clarity of the image is significantly improved, and the speckle effect around the target is also suppressed remarkably, which provides a reliable basis for achieving high-quality images with millimeter wave radars.