Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Assessment of Meteorological Drought in Climate Variability Context within the Comoe River Transboundary Watershed

In the context of climate variability resulting in a decrease in rainfall with a severe drought, a spatio-temporal study of this phenomenon remains imperative for the efficient management of water resources. This paper aims to assess the long-term rainfall drought trend and breakpoints within the Comoe River watershed. From monthly rainfall data series (1960-2000), Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) values were calculated for a time scale of 3 months (SPI.3). Statistical tests for breaks (CUSUM, and t-Student) and trends (Man-Kendall and Linear Regression) as well as the Sen’ slope method for estimating the magnitude of trends was applied. The breaks dates observed are mostly located after the 1970s. Based on SPI.3 values below the threshold of 0.84 chosen as an indicator of drought, rarely has more than half of the catchment area been affected by drought. The average watershed affected is about 20% over the study period (1960-2000). The most representative years, in terms of spatial expansion of the drought, in decreasing order of importance are: 1983, 1992, 1972 and 1982. The years 1982 and 1983 stand out for their exceptional condition, as the drought-affected 50% to 90% of the total catchment area. SPI.3 series from 1960 to the various break dates recorded slopes between −0.01 and 0.00 with a slight drought trend for most of the catchment. After the break periods, almost the entire northern part of the basin is characterized by slight moisture with Sen’s slopes between 0.000 and 0.005. The southern part will remain slightly subject to normal rainfall conditions. How to cite this paper: Ouattara, I. , Coulibaly, L. , Kouakou, K.A. , Dao, A. , Noufé, D.D. , Kamagaté, B. and Savané, I. (2022) Assessment of Meteorological Drought in Climate Variability Context within the Comoe River Transboundary Watershed. Atmospheric and Climate Sciences, 12, 1-17. https://doi.org/10.4236/acs.2022. 121001 Received: October 8, 2021 Accepted: November 5, 2021 Published: November 8, 2021 Copyright © 2022 by author(s) and Scientific Research Publishing Inc. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution International License (CC BY 4.0). http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Open Access
Wideband radar absorbing material combining high-impedance transmission line and circuit analogue screen

A novel design for thin and wideband absorbers is presented. The proposed absorber is a two-dimensional periodic array of unit cells, which are a combination of the high-impedance transmission line and the circuit analogue screen. The combined absorber exhibits a multiple-resonant characteristic and provides a very wide absorbing bandwidth. Measured results show that this new absorber has a bandwidth of 108% for 10 dB radar cross-section reduction with a thickness of only 7.1 and 23.7% of the free-space wavelengths at the lowest and highest operating frequencies.
The prognostic implication of serum albumin and BUN/Albumin ratio in assessing severity and mortality in community acquired pneumonia (CAP)

Introduction and Aim: Community Acquired Pneumonia (CAP) is one of the most important causes of death in pneumonia patients. Most of the CAP patients hospitalized end up with severe complications. So the requirement of ICU in CAP patients is the most challenging decision to be taken on the part of physicians. This study was carried out to evaluate the necessity of serum albumin level and Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN)/Albumin ratio in the assessment of ICU need and death within one month of admission in CAP patients. Materials and Methods: Patients who were suffering and hospitalized for CAP were taken into the study. Venous blood samples were collected to determine albumin levels and to calculate BUN/Alb ratio. The levels of these parameters were correlated with the need of ICU and death within one month in these patients. Results: 63 patients diagnosed and hospitalized with community acquired pneumonia were taken into the in the study. Patients who had lower serum albumin and higher BUN/Albumin ratio, had the necessity of ICU treatment. The level of BUN/Albumin ratio in determining ICU necessity was found to be ? 12.94. The sensitivity was 91.30% and the specificity 65.79%. Decreased albumin level was an independent risk factor for the necessity of ICU management (OR: 4.152, 95% CI: 0.814 to 0.971, p Conclusion: Patients who had decreased serum albumin and increased BUN/Albumin ratio had the necessity of ICU management. Decreased level of albumin is an self-determining biochemical parameter for determining ICU requirement and assessing prognosis in CAP. Keywords: Blood urea nitrogen, Albumin level, Community acquired pneumonia.
Technique for pulse elimination in pulsewidth-modulation inverters with no waveform discontinuity

To realise the full output potential of a PWM inverter, it is necessary to make the transition from a PWM output waveform to a square-wave output. This is usually achieved by dropping pulses from the PWM waveform, which results in step changes in the output voltage. It is shown that, generally, pulse dropping is unavoidable except with one particular type of inverter circuit. A waveform generation strategy is proposed for this type of inverter which allows the transition from PWM to square-wave output to be made without voltage-waveform discontinuities of any kind.
The Relationship between Project Success and Project Efficiency

Many researchers have suggested that meeting time, scope, and budget goals, sometimes called ‘project efficiency,’ is not the comprehensive measure of project success. Broader measures of success have been recommended; however, to date, nobody has determined empirically the relationship between efficiency and overall success or indeed shown whether efficiency is important at all to overall project success. Our aim in this article is to correct that omission. Through a survey of 1,386 projects we have shown that project efficiency correlates moderately strongly to overall project success (correlation of 0.6 and R2 of 0.36). Efficiency is shown through analysis to be neither the only aspect of project success nor an aspect of project success that can be ignored.
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons collected from indoor built environments on heating, ventilation and air conditioning dust filters

People living in hot climates are likely to spend considerable time indoors and use of heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. The effects of these systems upon environmental pollutants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) have not been well understood. In this study, ‘priority’ PAHs in 20 HVAC filter dust samples were measured using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. The samples were taken in homes, schools and mosques in five provinces in Kuwait over a 2-month period in winter. The results showed that traffic and petrochemical refineries were the main outdoor sources of PAHs measured indoors in all of the locations. Benzo[b]fluoranthene and benzo[k]fluoranthene, which are classified as carcinogenic compounds, were present at the highest mean concentrations in most of the locations. The maximum total PAH concentration (∑PAHs is the sum of all target PAHs in each building) was 3645 ng/g and was found in a school that is located south of three refineries and a power station. The highest concentrations of carcinogenic PAHs were found in a home and the lowest in a mosque. Chrysene was found at the highest concentrations and fluoranthene was found at the lowest concentrations of all the PAHs analysed.
Association between Vitamin D levels and Breast Cancer at Mosul Nuclear Oncology Hospital: Case - Control study

Breast tumor is the most common type of cancer found in women. The issue of whether levels of vitamin D are associated with an increased risk of breast cancer has been brought up. The study's goals are to learn whether low levels of vitamin D are linked to a greater risk of breast cancer. A case-control study was conducted in Mosul Nuclear Oncology Hospital to see how blood vitamin D concentrations, vitamin D supplementation, and sunlight exposure relate to breast cancer among women in Mosul. There were a total of 66 newly diagnosed histologically confirmed primary breast cancer cases among the samples that were newly diagnosed during the time of the study, 66 matched controls, neither of whom had breast cancer nor any other diseases, who were at least 11 years old and who lived in the same geographic area and study site. Personal information, medical history, and exposure history were collected for each participant. The results reveal that women with insufficient vitamin D had a higher risk of breast cancer than those with enough vitamin D. Supplementing with vitamin D decreased the risk of breast cancer among women who had done so in the past. There appears to be a link between decreased 25(OH)D blood levels and an increased risk of breast cancer in this research. Women with lower serum 25(OH)D levels had a greater chance of developing breast cancer as a result of the association between low levels of 25(OH)D and dose-dependent disease. While the opposite association is depending on the amount of vitamin D received, the negative relationship between total supplementary vitamin D consumption and breast tumor risk is not Vitamin D insufficiency is common in Mosul, Iraq, and raising and maintaining serum vitamin D at a population level is a safe and affordable option. Inadequate access to early detection, diagnosis, and treatment as a result of poverty may help prevent breast cancer in women who are deficient in vitamin D. Proving that there is a link between the optimal amount of vitamin D and cancer prevention will need doing the first-of-a-kind research. Keywords: Association, Breast Cancer, Vitamin D levels.
The Effect of Disability and Approach on Touch Screen Performance during a Number Entry Task

As touch screen technology improves in functionality and decreases in price, these input devices are becoming increasingly more integrated into daily life. People are frequently required to interact with touch screens at places ranging from their local grocery stores to airport check-in kiosks. Since it is becoming necessary for people to use touch screens in order to access needed products or services, we conducted an experiment to examine how individuals with varying motor control disabilities perform on a simple number entry task. Since some individuals may also be wheelchair users, and the Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines allows for the touch screen to be approachable by a wheelchair user from the front or parallel (side), the effect of approach on performance was also evaluated. Participants with and without motor control disabilities, including wheelchair users, performed a number entry task on a number pad with different combinations of button and gap sizes, while seated at a touch screen kiosk. Results revealed that participants with motor control impairments had significantly more inaccurate touches overall than participants without. Performance from the front orientation was significantly more accurate than from the side for all participants, regardless of the presence of a motor control disability. Results from this study may be used to guide design of touch screen accessibility for individuals with motor control disabilities and wheelchair users.
Molecular Detection of Echinococcus granulosus Sensu Stricto in Environmental Dog Faecal Samples from the Magallanes Region, Patagonia, Chile

Echinococcus granulosus is endemic in the Magallanes region and other areas of Chile. After a successful control programme implemented between 1979 and 2004, dogs’ prevalence decreased from 70% to 0.5%. Since the end of the programme, no prevalence study of canine echinococcosis has been performed in this region. Dog faecal samples were collected from epidemiological units for DNA isolation and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect E. granulosus. In addition, dog owners were required to answer a questionnaire for a risk factor analysis. We collected 1069 environmental dog faecal samples from 267 urban, 241 periurban, and 61 rural epidemiological units. E. granulosus was found in 11/61 (18%) and 1/241 (0.4%) epidemiological units from rural and periurban areas, respectively. The Ultima Esperanza province showed the highest prevalence with eight out of 16 units with faeces positive to E. granulosus showing a main spatial cluster of canine echinococcosis. None of the risk factors investigated showed a statistical significance with positive units. This study shows the active transmission of the parasite in the Magallanes region, especially in the Ultima Esperanza province, with a possible re-emergence of the parasite. Further studies focusing on the incidence in humans are required together with the reestablishment of the compulsory deworming of dogs.
Kinematics of the thorax under dynamic belt loading conditions

This research was completed as part of an ongoing effort to characterise human thoracic response to belt loading in a well controlled and repeatable laboratory environment. This paper presents the results of eight tests conducted on three post-mortem human subjects. The sled test environment provides realistic occupant kinematics and restraint interaction in the inertial environment of a vehicle collision, but is too complex for detailed analysis of thoracic deformation under belt loading. To study in more detail the kinematics of the chest when loaded anteriorly by a seat belt, three male post-mortem human surrogates (31-62 years of age) were mounted on a stationary apparatus that supported the spine and shoulder in a configuration comparable to that achieved in a 48 km/h sled test at the time of maximum chest deformation. The belt was positioned across the anterior torso with attachments at D-ring and buckle locations based on the geometry of a mid-sized sedan. The belt was attached to a trolley driven by a hydraulic ram linked to a universal test machine. Ramp experiments were conducted at rates of 0.5 m/s, 0.9 m/s and 1.2 m/s. Average peak sternal displacements ranged from 13% to 23% of chest depth measured at the central sternum. Belt loads and spinal reaction loads were measured along with six degree-of-freedom (DOF) displacement data of the sternum, 4th and 8th ribs anteriorly, 8th and 10th ribs posteriorly, and acromia bilaterally. Three DOF targets were mounted to the distal clavicles, 8th ribs laterally and along the path of the belt. The targets were tracked optically by a high speed 16-camera motion capture system (VICON MX™) in a calibrated space around the torso. Post-test analysis of the target motion included decomposition of the trajectories into Cartesian coordinate displacements with respect to a spine fixed coordinate system. The results showed that the chest deformation closely followed the belt loading regionally with a trough developing where the belt contacted the chest. The anterior rib targets exhibited three-dimensional (3D) translational motion. Displacements in the X direction (anterior-posterior) were the largest, however the Z (vertical) and Y (lateral) displacements comprised nearly 35% and 10% respectively of the total resultant deflection measured at the sternum. Peak posterior deformations were significantly (p < .001) lower than those observed at anterior locations and were below 7 mm except for the final injurious tests in which the peak posterior deformation averaged 13.4 mm (approximately 22% of the average peak anterior ribcage deformation in the injurious tests). Overall, the results provide a detailed 3D mapping of the chest deformation under belt loading, which should be considered in the future development of physical and computational models of the thorax.
Analysis of Oscillation Amplitude and Phase Error in Multiphase LC Oscillators

This work proposes a novel method to find the phase error and oscillation amplitude in multiphase LC oscillators. A mathematical approach is used to find the relationship between every stage's output phase and its coupling factor. To much more general analysis, every stage assumed to have a different coupling factor. The mismatches in LC tanks are considered as the main source of phase errors and accordingly the phase deviation of each stage is calculated in a distinct equation. Then, the amplitude of oscillation for each stage is individually derived using phase error results. Not only considering different coupling factors increases the generality of this work but also the results are in better conformance with simulations compared to previous works. The theoretical results are evaluated and confirmed through extensive simulations using ADS software.
Virtual MISO Based Cross-Layer Cooperative Transmission Protocol in Ad Hoc Networks

In this paper, we propose a cross-layer protocol that is based on a form of cooperative transmission called Virtual Multi-Input Single-Output (VMISO). Specifically, we discuss the influence of rate, cluster size, and transmission range of the VMISO link on the whole performance improvements, where the key physical layer property that we focus on is an enlarged transmission range due to cooperative diversity. Further, the new protocol, termed the Joint Cross-layer Cooperative Transmission Protocol (JCCTP) including the VMISO routing protocol and the novel MAC protocol, presents the distributed approach of using VMISO links with a fixed cluster size, a given rate, and a certain transmission range, where we leverage the translation of physical layer advantages into higher layer better performances. Finally, we evaluate JCCTP with a flat Rayleigh fading channel model that accurately captures the nature of VMISO transmissions. As compared to using only SISO links and other VMISO links, our work achieves a great increase in the end-to-end throughput and a sharp decline in the end-to-end delay.
Integrated piezoresistive position detection for electrostatic driven micro scanning mirrors

We have been developing a piezoresistive position detection for scanning micro mirrors in order to combine high position resolution with the capability of monolithic integration. In comparison to our formerly published results, the sensor sensitivity was strongly enhanced by implanting a 1 μm thick p-doped layer of NA ≈ 1017 cm-3 into the lowly p-doped SOI device layer of NA ≈ 1015 cm-3. This sensitivity was even further improved by at least a factor of 3 by a novel sensor design, allowing to couple more mechanical stress into the sensor structure.
Conjugated Polymer/Graphene Oxide Nanocomposites—State-of-the-Art

Graphene oxide is an imperative modified form of graphene. Similar to graphene, graphene oxide has gained vast interest for the myriad of industrial applications. Conjugated polymers or conducting polymers are well known organic materials having conducting backbone. These polymers have semiconducting nature due to π-conjugation along the main chain. Doping and modification have been used to enhance the electrical conductivity of the conjugated polymers. The nanocomposites of the conjugated polymers have been reported with the nanocarbon nanofillers including graphene oxide. This review essentially presents the structure, properties, and advancements in the field of conducting polymer/graphene oxide nanocomposites. The facile synthesis, processability, and physical properties of the polymer/graphene oxide nanocomposites have been discussed. The conjugated polymer/graphene oxide nanocomposites have essential significance for the supercapacitors, solar cells, and anti-corrosion materials. Nevertheless, the further advanced properties and technical applications of the conjugated polymer/graphene oxide nanocomposites need to be explored to overcome the challenges related to the high performance.
Temperature difference measurement with using two RTD sensors as example of evaluating uncertainty of a vector output quantity

The evaluation of results in the case of indirect multi-parameter measurements is presented. A theoretical basis for determining the estimates of values, the uncertainties and the correlation coefficients of indirectly obtained multi-measurand is explained in detail. The example of a difference and an average of two-temperature indirect measurement is given with the use of two RTDs. Such sensors are used in the laboratory and industrial temperature control systems. The uncertainty of measurements depends on the errors of two RTDs and the structure of signal conditioning circuit.
A P2P Reputation Incentive Mechanism based on Artificial Fish-Swarm Model

Recently, P2P networks play an important role in network. However, there exist a large amount of malicious actions in P2P networks resulting from the lack of reputation system. For example, nodes are willing to share resources each other and may withdraw from networks at any time. Thus, the system is difficult to guarantee effectiveness and availability. According to the behavior of fish school, A novel optimizing, Fish-swam Algorithm, was proposed in this paper, which can decide the next step when nodes have no interactive experience with others. The algorithm based on the model of autonoms animals and was presented to be a kind of efficient incentive mechanism, through a series of experimental study.
Influence of piston on effective areas of reed-type valves of small reciprocating compressors

Most simulation models for reciprocating compressors adopt the concept of effective force and flow areas to characterize the valve dynamics and the mass flow rate through the valve. However, in the discharge process, the proximity between the piston and the cylinder head may have a significant impact on the flow field and, hence, should be taken into account in the evaluation of both effective areas. For instance, there is an additional viscous friction loss associated with the radial flow through the very narrow clearance left in the cylinder when the piston is close to the top dead center. In addition, the flow exiting the clearance may even affect the size of recirculating flow regions in the discharge port and on the valve seat. In the present study, a computational fluid dynamics model is employed to analyze the influence of the piston on the effective flow and force areas of a discharge valve of simplified geometry. Based on the results, a method is then proposed to evaluate the effective flow and force areas by considering the piston position. Results for the indicator diagram and valve dynamics obtained from the simulation of a reciprocating compressor shows the importance of the new method.
The PID+p controller structure and its contextual model-based tuning

Abstract A recently published paper addressed the so called “PI+p” controller (i.e., a PI augmented with an additional, stable pole) and demonstrated that said controller yields interesting results particularly if tuned with the “contextual” approach, where model-based rules are used in conjunction with a relay experiment so as to provide at the same time the tuned regulator, and the tuning model. In this manuscript the scope is extended to the “PID+p” (with obvious meaning) controller structure, discussing its potentialities with reference to some benchmark cases.