Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Forward and Backward Beam-Scanning Tri-Band Leaky-Wave Antenna

The main limitations of uniform half-width microstrip leaky-wave antennas (HW-MLWAs), namely a single operating band and only forward beam scanning, are overcome here with an HW-MLWA loaded with periodic L-shaped slots. The antenna exhibits tri-band operation, and the main beam can be steered in the forward direction in one band, and in the backward direction in the other two bands. Its size is halved with a shorting wall. The antenna was fabricated and tested to validate the concept, and the measured and simulated results agree very well. The measured matched (10-dB return loss) bandwidths of the prototype are 22.34<inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\%$</tex-math> </inline-formula> (5.05–6.32 GHz), 15.85<inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\%$</tex-math> </inline-formula> (8.77–10.28 GHz), and 11.21<inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\%$</tex-math> </inline-formula> (12.63–14.13 GHz) in the first, second, and third bands, respectively. The beam-scanning ranges of the prototyped antenna are 30<inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$^\circ$</tex-math></inline-formula> to 64<inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$^\circ$</tex-math></inline-formula>, <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$-\text{75}^\circ$</tex-math></inline-formula> to <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX"> $-\text{18}^\circ$</tex-math></inline-formula>, and <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$-\text{19}^\circ$ </tex-math></inline-formula> to <inline-formula><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$-\text{4}^\circ$</tex-math></inline-formula> when the frequency sweeps from 5 to 6 GHz, 8.85 to 10.5 GHz, and 13 to 14.25 GHz, respectively. The measured peak gains (within the scanning range) are 12.4, 14.3, and 14.7 dBi in the first, second, and third bands with variations of 2.5, 3.4, and 3.1 dB, respectively.
Integrated CRM strategy to improve the satisfaction of mobile telephone customers

Improving customer satisfaction and loyalty is increasingly becoming a great challenge globally. Regulated markets, competition from other service providers, customer habits of having more than one cell phone, complex standards and benchmarks are some of the major reasons for the mobile service companies to adopt new strategies to retain their customer base. Most service providers continue to use smart marketing strategies combined with attractive tariff schemes to capture the market. However, mobile telephone customer satisfaction and loyalty depend on several elements such as network coverage, availability/usability of new handsets, call centre quality, and online support. In this paper, an effective asset management strategy to improve the satisfaction of mobile telephone customers is presented. A state-of-art web-enabled information system is designed and developed to integrate the activities of different units in a typical mobile company.
Bearing the brunt of a liberalized economy a performance review of the cooperative movement in Zambia

Currently the contribution of the Zambian cooperative movement to the country’s socio-economic development does not appear to be signi cant. The cooperative movement is generally weak in its income base and organizational structures. Many cooperatives are either defunct or non-performing. It has been observed that some cooperatives have been formed for the sole purpose of taking advantage of government support programmes. The “collapsing” of the cooperative movement in Zambia can be attributed to lack for planning for policy transition on behalf of the government as well as a manifestation of fragile cooperative institutions, whose internal organization was not robust enough to withstand the liberalization reforms. The continuing inertia exhibited by most cooperatives constitutes a serious threat to the development of an autonomous cooperative movement. Of paramount importance is the need for the cooperatives themselves to appreciate the meaning and objectives of the cooperative model of enterprise.
Inequality During the Early Years: Child Outcomes and Readiness to Learn in Australia, Canada, United Kingdom, and United States

This study of the emergence of inequality during the early years is based upon a comparative analysis of children at the age of about five years in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States. We study a series of child outcomes related to readiness to learn, focusing on vocabulary development and externalizing behavior. Our major findings are three in number. First, significant inequalities in child capacities emerge even in these early years in all four countries but the disparities are notably greater in the United States and the United Kingdom than in Australia, and particularly in Canada. Second, large differences in cognitive outcomes exist in all countries between children from disadvantaged backgrounds and the mainstream and these are of similar magnitudes across countries. Differences across countries in the overall disparity between cognitive outcomes of the least and most advantaged, therefore, largely reflect variation in the degree to which children at the top of the SES distribution out-perform those in the middle. Third, disparities in social and behavioral development are markedly smaller than in cognitive outcomes and differ from cognitive outcomes in their association with SES across countries. While the smallest SES gaps are found in Australia and Canada for both types of outcome, differences in cognitive outcomes are greatest in the US, while differences in behavioral outcomes are greatest in the UK.
Title Comparing techniques for preference relaxation : a decisiontheory perspective

This research proposes a decision aid based on a novel type of preference relaxation, which enables consumers to easily make quality choices in online multiattribute choice scenarios. In contrast to filtering and recommendation mechanisms that are a potential solution to this problem, our method combines decision theory with preference relaxation and enables consumers to consider high-quality alternatives they initially eliminated. We compare our approach with existing methods using a set of 2650 car advertisements gathered from a popular advertiser website. We discuss the potential impact of our method on decision quality and give an overview of implications for practitioners and researchers.
EFFECTS OF ECONOMIC FACTORS ON FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT INFLOW: EVIDENCE FROM PAKISTAN (1971-2005)

The objective of this research paper is to examine the effects of various economic factors on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflow into Pakistan. For economet ric analysis secondary data ranging from 1971 to 20 05 have been used. Log linear regression model and the meth od of Least Square were used as an analytical tool for the empirical estimation. In addition, for time series data analysis Augmented Dickey Fuller test and Erro r Correction Model have also been used. This study found the mar ket size (i.e., measured by gross domestic product) , domestic investment, trade openness, and return on investmen t statistically significant with positive sign. Moreover, external debt and taxes have been found statistically signif icant with negative signs. To enhance desirable amo unt of FDI into Pakistan, the least square estimates suggests that the government make sure constant economic env ironment, provide a well-established infrastructure, encourag e domestic investment, minimizing external debt bur den, provide fiscal and financial incentives, and consistency in the government policy.
Correlation modelling of reaction time for two- and three-dimensional stimulus–response arrangements

Research on the effects of the spatial correlation between signal and response key has shown a clear relationship between signal/response spatial correlation and reaction time (RT) for signals and response keys that are in a linear relationship (Morin and Grant 1955; Hoffmann 2010). By means of a reanalysis of previous data of Chan and Chan (2009a, 2009b, 2011a, 2011b, 2010), the equivalent relationships for two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) display/control relationships are established. In a 2D array of signals with a corresponding 2D array of response keys, RT is dependent on spatial correlation, with arrangements having transverse compatibility reacting faster than those with longitudinal compatibility. 3D arrangements show a similar effect, with up/down compatibility being a major factor in determination of RT and with similar effects of transverse compatibility. The results indicate the best arrangements of signal/key arrangements where complex designs are necessary. Practitioner Summary: Design of complex display/control arrangements requires high compatibility in order to minimise reaction times. This work extends previous research to cases where displays and controls are in two-dimensional and three-dimensional arrangements, and indicates how reaction time is affected by these more complex arrangements.
Robust automotive products in advanced CMOS nodes

In this work, additional elements needed on top of conventional foundry reliability knowledge to enable robust automotive products in compliance with all restrictive norms are introduced. For intrinsic reliability, the main element is the reliability models (a design compatible WLR description). Their usage for design margins definition and their thorough validation at IP level is described. For extrinsics failure, two different screening procedures, Vstress and Burn-In (conventional or wafer-level), are here well documented and in use for volume production to bring the failure rate level down below 1ppm automotive target. Altogether, the global approach developed in STMicroelectronics enable robust automotive products based on controlled and validated procedures.
THE QUIESCENT X-RAY PROPERTIES OF THE ACCRETING MILLISECOND X-RAY PULSAR AND ECLIPSING BINARY SWIFT J1749.4–2807

Swift J1749.4–2807 is a transient neutron star low-mass X-ray binary that contains an accreting millisecond X-ray pulsar spinning at 518 Hz. It is the first of its kind that displays X-ray eclipses, which holds significant promise to precisely constrain the mass of the neutron star. We report on a ≃ 105 ks long XMM-Newton observation performed when Swift J1749.4–2807 was in quiescence. We detect the source at a 0.5–10 keV luminosity of ≃1 × 1033(D/6.7 kpc)2 erg s−1. The X-ray light curve displays three eclipses that are consistent in orbital phase and duration with the ephemeris derived during outburst. Unlike most quiescent neutron stars, the X-ray spectrum can be adequately described with a simple power law, while a pure-hydrogen atmosphere model does not fit the data. We place an upper limit on the 0.01–100 keV thermal luminosity of the cooling neutron star of ≲ 2 × 1033 erg s−1 and constrain its temperature to be ≲ 0.1 keV (for an observer at infinity). Timing analysis does not reveal evidence for X-ray pulsations near the known spin frequency of the neutron star or its first overtone with a fractional rms of ≲ 34% and ≲ 28%, respectively. We discuss the implications of our findings for dynamical mass measurements, the thermal state of the neutron star, and the origin of the quiescent X-ray emission.
Depression among elderly people with and without heart failure, managed in a primary healthcare setting.

BACKGROUND AND RESEARCH OBJECTIVES Depression is common among patients with heart failure (HF) and among elderly in general. Problems in diagnosing and care planning can arise as symptoms of HF, dyspnoea and especially fatigue, are nonspecific and also overlap with symptoms of depression. The objective of this study was to describe the prevalence and compare degrees of depression among patients with confirmed HF, patients with symptoms similar to HF (no heart failure, NHF) and a reference group in one primary healthcare centre (PHC), after adjusting for background characteristics and fatigue. SUBJECTS AND METHODS A descriptive case-reference study was conducted in one PHC in a middle-sized city. Participants were 49 patients with confirmed HF, 59 patients with symptoms similar to HF (NHF) and 40 people in a reference group. After informed consent data were collected by structured interviews using the Geriatric Depression Scale and the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory-20. Odds ratios for the outcomes HF vs. NHF, HF vs. reference group, and NHF vs. reference group were calculated. RESULTS The HF and NHF groups had similar degrees of depression which were significantly higher than for the reference group. This difference between the groups did not remain significant when adjusting for physical fatigue. More patients in the NHF than in the HF group were living alone and there were more women in the NHF than in the reference group. CONCLUSIONS Prevalence of depression and degrees of fatigue were higher among elderly from a PHC who experienced HF symptoms, independent of objectively measured heart function, compared with elderly without such symptoms. When comparing degrees of depression between the three groups and adjusting for fatigue, the physical dimension of fatigue was of greater importance in explaining group differences.
Catheter Ablation for the Treatment of Electrical Storm in Patients With Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillators: Short- and Long-Term Outcomes in a Prospective Single-Center Study

Background— Electrical storm (ES) caused by recurrent episodes of ventricular tachycardia (VT) can cause sudden death in patients with implantable cardioverter-defibrillators and adversely affects prognosis in survivors. Catheter ablation has been proposed for treating ES, but its long-term effect in a large population has never been verified. Methods and Results— Ninety-five consecutive patients with coronary artery disease (72 patients), idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (10 patients), and arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia/cardiomyopathy (13 patients) undergoing catheter ablation for drug-refractory ES were prospectively evaluated. Short-term efficacy was defined by a complete protocol of programmed electric stimulation and by in-hospital outcome; long-term analysis addressed ES recurrence, cardiac mortality, and VT recurrence. Pleomorphic/nontolerated VTs required electroanatomic and noncontact mapping in 48 and 22 patients, respectively, and percutaneous cardiopulmonary support in 10 patients. An epicardial approach was used in 10 patients. After 1 to 3 procedures, induction of any clinical VT(s) by programmed electrical stimulation was prevented in 85 patients (89%). ES was acutely suppressed in all patients; a minimum period of 7 days with stable rhythm was required before hospital discharge. At a median follow-up of 22 months (range, 1 to 43 months), 87 patients (92%) were free of ES and 63 patients (66%) were free of VT recurrence. Eight of 10 patients with persistent inducibility of clinical VT(s) had ES recurrence; 4 of them died suddenly despite appropriate implantable cardioverter-defibrillator intervention. All together, 11 of 95 patients (12%) died of cardiac-related reasons. In the group of patients presenting with all clinical VTs acutely abolished, no ES recurrence was documented, and cardiac mortality was significantly lower compared with the group of patients showing ≥1 clinical VT still inducible after catheter ablation. Conclusions— Advanced strategies of catheter ablation applied to a large population of patients are effective in the short-term treatment of ES. By preventing ES recurrence, catheter ablation may play a protective role over the long term and, together with long-term pharmacological therapy, may favorably affect cardiac mortality.
Chaos theory applied to input space representation of autonomous neural network-based short-term load forecasting models

After 1991, the literature on load forecasting has been dominated by neural network based proposals. However, one major risk in using neural models is the possibility of excessive training, i.e., data overfitting. The extent of nonlinearity provided by neural network based load forecasters, which depends on the input space representation, has been adjusted using heuristic procedures. The empirical nature of these procedures makes their application cumbersome and time consuming. Autonomous modeling including automatic input selection and model complexity control has been proposed recently for short-term load forecasting. However, these techniques require the specification of an initial input set that will be processed by the model in order to select the most relevant variables. This paper explores chaos theory as a tool from non-linear time series analysis to automatic select the lags of the load series data that will be used by the neural models. In this paper, Bayesian inference applied to multi-layered perceptrons and relevance vector machines are used in the development of autonomous neural models.
The relation of twin infanticide to status of women, societal aggression, and material well-being.

Abstract Three theories for the existence of twin infanticide in nonliterate societies were tested. Strong support was found for the theory that twin infanticide results from male dominance and a relatively inferior status for women. Mild support was found for a theory that twin infanticide results from difficult conditions for mothers in raising twins. No support was found for the theory that twin infanticide is a reflection of general aggressiveness in the societies.
The Basic Characteristics and Strategic Emphasis of Continuously-growing-type Enterprise

It is not only a common pursuit of entrepreneurs but also a micro basis for a country' s macro economic steadiness to build continuously-growing-type enterprise. Based on unceasing transformations and innovations, continuously-growing-type enterprise is the kind that makes growth improve steadily and realize "generation propelling" effectively. The three elements , remodification of enterprise value, the stockage of strategic ability and transformation of the model of capital accumulation, make up the main conditions to lead the enterprise to continuous growth. According to the requirements of continuous growth, cultivating the ability of "creative characteristics" is the strategic emphasis in growth of continuously-growing-type enterprise.
265-GHz, 10-dB gain amplifier in 65-nm CMOS using on-wafer TRL calibration

In this paper, a 65-nm CMOS amplifier MMIC operating around 265 GHz is presented. To obtain a small signal gain of the amplifier in a frequency region close to Fmax (Maximum oscillation frequency) of a transistor, a neutralization technique of a feedback capacitance as well as a transistor model to neutralize it precisely are needed. For this purpose, the key is a de-embedding technique. To extract the intrinsic transistor characteristics from a test pattern for measurement, we employ an on-wafer TRL (Through-Reflect-Line) calibration method. In this method, the calibration patterns including Through, Reflect, and Line are fabricated on the same wafer with the transistor for modeling. With the help of the precise model based on on-wafer TRL, we can successfully obtain a gain of 10dB around 265 GHz, and an excellent agreement with simulation and measurement results.
A fast radix 4 division algorithm

In this paper we present a fast radix 4 division algorithm for floating point numbers based on Svoboda's division algorithm. The algorithm involves a simple recurrence with carry-free addition and employs pre-scaling of the operands, The quotient digits are determined by observing three most-significant radix 2 digits (msds) of the partial remainder and independent of the divisor. The proposed algorithm is faster than previously proposed radix 4 and radix 2 division algorithms, which require at least four digits of the partial remainder to be observed to determine a quotient digit. The speedup is achieved at cost of increase in area. <<ETX>>
Effects of Rat Prenatal Exposure to Valproic Acid on Behaviour and Neuro-Anatomy

Autism is a highly debilitating disorder that has recently displayed a dramatic rise in incidence. In order to realistically study preventative and remedial strategies, it is important that we develop and understand useful animal models of the disorder. The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of the prenatal valproic acid (VPA) rat model of autism by examining the neuro-anatomical and behavioural outcomes of offspring exposed to this paradigm. The VPA-treated rats exhibited behavioural changes in the delayed non-match-to-sample task, novel object recognition, activity box, and Whishaw tray reaching task. Anatomically, there was a reduction in brain weight and cortical thickness, along with decreased dendritic branching in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), and decreased spine density in the mPFC, OFC, and cerebellum. Behavioural and anatomical findings from this study produced reliable results indicating that prenatal VPA exposure may be a viable model for the study of autism in rats.
Do IFRS Improve the Quality of Financial Information? A Value Relevance Approach

The aim of this paper is to compare the value relevance for investors of IAS/IFRS with respect to the French GAAP in order to draw conclusions about the supposed superiority of international standards. This leads us to measure the financial consequences of the adoption of IFRS. First, we find that international standards have positive financial impacts on earnings and equity. Secondly, although the two standards seem to be relevant, the IAS/IFRS appears to offer more information.
Patient and health care system delays in pulmonary tuberculosis diagnosis in a low-incidence state.

SETTING Tuberculosis (TB) patients reported to the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene from 1 June 2000 to 30 November 2001. OBJECTIVE To determine the extent of delayed diagnosis of TB and to assess patient and provider factors associated with delays. DESIGN A prospective cohort study. RESULTS Median patient, health care and total delays were 32, 26 and 89 days, respectively, for 158 patients. Non-white (relative hazard [RH] 0.62; 95% CI 0.39-0.98) and less educated (RH 0.43; 95% CI 0.26-0.72) patients had longer patient delays. English-speaking patients (RH 0.40; 95% CI 0.24-0.68) had increased health care delays, as did patients who received a diagnosis of a respiratory illness and non-TB antibiotics (RH 0.69; 95% CI 0.49-0.96) prior to a TB diagnosis. Patients first presenting to a private physician (51 days) rather than a hospital emergency room (18 days; RH 1.87; 95% CI 1.05-3.33) or public health clinic (10 days; RH 1.79; 95% CI 1.21-2.63) had longer health care delays. When a TB diagnostic tool (chest radiograph or AFB culture) was utilized, a more rapid diagnosis of TB was made. CONCLUSION Education of the patient population about TB symptoms might reduce delays. Increased physician awareness of the current epidemiology of TB and better use of available diagnostic tools will reduce delays and may reduce TB transmission.