Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Parametric amplifier for mid‐span phase conjugation with simultaneous compensation of fiber loss and chromatic dispersion at 10 Gb/s

We demonstrate simultaneous compensation of loss and chromatic dispersion for 10‐Gb/s transmission over 90‐km of standard fiber using mid‐span phase conjugation with a fiber‐optic parametric amplifier that provides 9.4‐dB gain over a bandwidth of 17 nm. The observed power penalty is less than 1.5 dB (at BER < 10−9) relative to back‐to‐back measurements. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 42: 503–505, 2004; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/mop.20350
The Future of the Comprehensive Plan

This article begins with a brief history of the comprehensive plan from its historic roots to the present day. It then considers contemporary comprehensive planning practice, using the Comprehensive Plan Standards for Sustaining Places developed by the American Planning Association (APA) as a benchmark. The article concludes by exploring how the comprehensive plan can and must evolve to address the major challenges of the 21 century. It draws on research and content from The Comprehensive Plan: Sustainable, Resilient and Equitable Communities for the 21 Century (Rouse and Piro 2022).
Dimensional stability and mechanical properties of bio-based composites produced from hydro-thermal treated wheat straw

Bio-composites were produced from untreated (UT) and hydro-thermally treated (HTT) wheat straw (WS) particles and wood, and their dimensional stability and mechanical properties were investigated. The HTT treatment consisted of subjecting the WS particles to a steam explosion process for 8 min at 180 °C. The HTT and UT WS particles were mixed with the wood particles at 10, 20, 30, and 40% ratios. The physical properties, including density, water absorption (WA), and thickness swelling (TS), were determined for the bio-based composites. The mechanical properties evaluated included the modulus of rupture, modulus of elasticity, and internal bond strength. Statistical analyses showed that the hydro-thermal treatment and the WS ratio had signiﬁcant effects on the dimensional stability and mechanical properties of the bio-composites. The WA of the composites after 2-h and 24-h rose significantly when the HTT WS particle ratio was increased from 10 to 40%. The 2-h and 24-h WA values of HTT-10 were 6.3% and 5.3% lower than those of UT-10, respectively. Improvements in the 2-h TS value were achieved by the HTT WS particles at the 10% ratio, and in the 24-h TS value at the 10 and 40% ratios. The mechanical properties of the composites were higher in the HTT group, but decreased in both the UT and HTT groups as the WS ratio increased.
The importance of carbon and nitrogen sources on exopolysaccharide synthesis by lactic acid bacteria and their industrial importance

Exopolysaccharides (EPSs) are classified in two groups, homopolysaccharides (HoPs) and heteropolysaccharides (HePs), are produced by lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and used in a range of industrial applications including the medical and food industries. HoPs are extracellular EPSs and their production depends on extracellular enzymes, while HePs are intracellular EPSs. Their nature (extra or intracellular) directly impacts production rates, HoPs having higher yields. The development of processes for producing EPSs has attracted great interest, since novel application trends have emerged due to the great diversity of recent information generated on EPSs properties. HoPs have been synthesized by fermentation using bacterial cells and a cell-free enzymatic process, while HePs have been produced only by fermentation. The analysis of the EPSs production processes indicates that macronutrients such as the carbon and nitrogen source used in the culture media are very important for the synthesis of EPSs and the enzymes involved, understanding their importance can assist to design processes for production of EPSs with desirable characteristics and yields according to the needs of the processes and products to which they are applicable. This review emphasized in the analyses of carbon and nitrogen sources used for EPSs production and their functional applications and productive aspects.
Baseband impedance and linearization of FET circuits

Baseband impedance has been identified as having a positive or negative effect on the intermodulation distortion of microwave circuits. The effect can be assessed or utilized with the aid of previously proposed figures-of-merit. Under certain situations, intermodulation cancellation can be achieved simply by adding resistance to the bias network. The impact of baseband impedance on the performance of derivative superposition amplifiers is analyzed. A bias region was studied that exhibits a good second- and third-order intermodulation null with minimal intermodulation dependence on baseband impedance. This allows the effective use of the derivative superposition technique in baseband amplifiers, as well as giving wide-band linearization performance in RF amplifiers.
Low-power CMOS VCO with a low-current, high-Q active inductor

This study describes an active inductor (AI) designed to reduce power consumption and to improve the quality factor. For these purposes, one of the transistors for the AI operates in the subthreshold region, and the AI uses the additive capacitor (AC) technique. The proposed AI was applied to a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) to demonstrate the enhancement in power consumption and improvement in phase noise. The AI-VCOs with and without AC were fabricated using a 0.18 m mC MOS process and achieved frequency tuning ranges from 1.13 to 2.67 GHz and 1.3 to 3.24 GHz, respectively. The measured phase noise of the AI-VCO with AC is 292.2 dBc/Hz at 1 MHz offset, a 4 dB improvement compared to that of the AI-VCO without AC. The proposed VCO consumes 2.2-13 mW with a 1.8 V voltage supply and occupies 171 × 174 mm 2 of core size without testing pads.
Assessment of: Benzene, Toluene Ethylbenzene, Xylene in Water and Sediments from Itu, Ibeno and Ibaka River Estuary of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

Some aromatics often enter the environment due to accidental oil spills, leakage and improper oil-related waste disposal. It therefore becomes imperative to assess pollution of water and sediments by Benzene Tuolene, Ethylbenzene and Xylene in coastal water bodies of Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria.Headspace solid phase micro extraction (HS-SPME) technique was used to trace BTEX in samples.Gas chromatographic analyses were realized with a Varian 450 GC instrument equipped with a Flame Ionization Detector (FID) and Programmed Temperature Vapourizer ( PTV) detector. VF-1ms capillary column (30 m x 0.33 mm x 0.25 μm) was used to isolate and determine BTEX.The result shows that:for total BTEX concentration in the sampled rivers, Itu recorded the highest concentration (4.4546ppm), followed by Ibeno river (3.2388ppm) the least concentration of Total BTEX (2.9310ppm) was recorded in Ibaka river.In terms of total BTEX concentration in the sediments, Ibeno recorded the highest concentration (6.9437ppm), followed by Itu river with (5.3820ppm) while the least concentration of total BTEX (4.2986ppm) was recorded at Ibaka river.The Anova shows that the value of the highest concentration of Benzene(0.0490ppm) obtained from Ibeno was significantly (P<0.05) higher than the values obtained in Ibaka (0.0321ppm) and Itu surface water (0.0242ppm). The Anova equally shows that the value of Benzene concentration (0.0321ppm) obtained from Ibaka river was significantly (P<0.05) higher than the level of concentration of Benzene(0.0242ppm)
Achieving High-Performance Bulk Silicon Electrothermal Actuator on CMOS Substrate

In this paper, a new approach for increasing the sensitivity of the bulk silicon electrothermal actuators is reported. And the bulk-Si MEMS electrothermal actuators are fabricated on the CMOS substrate by a novel and simple post-CMOS process. Through this technology, the substrate isolation and electrical interconnection between the CMOS circuits and MEMS sensors are achieved perfectly. The measurement results show that the sensitivity of the modified electrothermal actuators is about 6 times higher than that of the non-modified electrothermal actuators. And the sensitivities (non-linearity) of the modified and non-modified electrothermal actuators are 20. 23μm/V (0.865%) and 3. 34μm/V (0.37%), respectively. Furthermore, the finite element software ANSYS was used to verify the design and the models of the electrothermal actuator. The electrothermal actuator was characterized under the 3D microscopy.
Air Service to Cities Abandoned by Piedmont Aviation Since Deregulation

In 1978 Congress passed the Airline Deregulation Act (ADA) which curtailed the authority of the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) over the location, quality, and price of air passenger service. The Act was a response to the high cost of subsized air service to small communities, and to the belief that the public could be served more efficiently by an unrestricted commercial aviation industry. (J) A central issue in the ensuing debate on the wisdom of airline deregulation was whether or not major carriers' attempts to maximize profits in response to the Act have led to lower quality air service to small cities. Representatives of small, and even medium-sized cities, feared the reduction or elimination of air passenger service when federal subsidies to the major carriers were phased out, particularly if the airlines concentrated their equipment on the most profitable, high volume routes between the largest hubs. Proponents of deregulation countered that these smaller communities would be served without subsidy by emerging commuter airlines, operating limited networks with more economical equipment. Moreover, the Act contains several provisions promoting commuter airlines, and subsidizes service by commuters to small communities through 1988. (2)
A Probabilistic Assessment of NASA Ultra-Efficient Engine Technologies for a Large Subsonic Transport

NASA’s Ultra Efficient Engine Technology (UEET) program features advanced aeropropulsion technologies that include highly loaded turbomachinery, an advanced low-NOx combustor, high-temperature materials, intelligent propulsion controls, aspirated seal technology, and an advanced computational fluid dynamics (CFD) design tool to help reduce airplane drag. A probabilistic system assessment is performed to evaluate the impact of these technologies on aircraft fuel burn and NOx reductions. A 300-passenger aircraft, with two 396-kN thrust (85,000-pound) engines is chosen for the study. The results show that a large subsonic aircraft equipped with the UEET technologies has a very high probability of meeting the UEET Program goals for fuel-burn (or equivalent CO2 ) reduction (−15% from the baseline) and LTO (landing and takeoff) NOx reductions (−70% relative to the 1996 International Civil Aviation Organization rule). These results are used to provide guidance for developing a robust UEET technology portfolio, and to prioritize the most promising technologies required to achieve UEET program goals for the fuel-burn and NOx reductions.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Biological Function As Influenced by Low-Power Modulated RF Energy

In recent years it has been recognized that low-power-density modulated RF energy can affect the functioning of higher living organisms. In this paper the sparse data generated in the western hemisphere on this subject are considered, the reasons for their sparseness are noted, and the hypotheses on mechanisms that may provide an explanation for the observed effects and other possible effects are sketched. Possible conclusions with regard to hazards to personnel are then considered.
Effects of Two Nonpersonal Information Sources on Student Buyers Evaluation of Apparel Merchandise

This study was designed to identify the impact of two nonpersonal information sources, fashion videos and fashion photographs, on evaluation of apparel merchandise by student retail buyers. Two subject groups were asked to view three styles of a vendor's collection by media of a fashion video or a fashion photograph. Subjects responded to six questions about quality, price level, likelihood of purchase, amount of information, ease of purchase decision, and confidence in purchase decision. MANOVA and ANOVA were performed to determine whether the responses of the two groups differed based on medium used for presentation. Subjects were more likely to purchase fashion styles from a fashion video than from a fashion photograph. Subjects received significantly more information from the fashion video to use in making a purchase decision than from fashion photographs. Results from this study suggest that vendors should be encouraged to produce fashion videos to communicate product information and updates to retailers.
Structural Health Monitoring for Bridge Structures using Smart Sensors

Financial support for this research was provided in part by a Samsung Scholarship, the National Science Foundation (NSF) under NSF grant CMS 06-00433 (Dr. S. C. Liu, Program Manager), and the Global Research Network program from the Natural Research Foundation in Korea (NRF-2008-220-D00117).
Studies on the optimization of bioelectricity production from industrial and domestic waste using immobilization of microbial cells

A unique type of fuel cell with a potential in long-term is the bio fuel. The data obtained from the studies undertaken reflect glucose yielding the peak voltage. However, sucrose is cheap, similar to glucose in the electricity production pattern. Using glucose in anaerobic culture conditions, the microbial fuel cell produced a peak voltage of 1.35 by organisms Saccharomyces cerevisiae but different current obtained were 1.9 and 2.5 mA respectively, and the catalyst was shown to affect the duration of the peak but not the peak voltage, ultimately, providing new insights for industrial waste recycling for an ongoing pursuit of the most productive microbial fuel cells. Key words: Bioelectricity, biofuel, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, microbial fuel cell (MFC), molasses, waste recycling.
Hot-carrier effects and lifetime prediction in off-state operation of deep submicron SOI N-MOSFETs

Hot-carrier effects (HCE) induced by the parasitic bipolar transistor (PBT) action are thoroughly investigated in deep submicron N-channel SOI MOSFETs for a wide range of temperature and gate length. A multistage device degradation is highlighted for all the experimental conditions. Original V/sub t/ variations are also obtained for short-channel devices, a reduction of the threshold voltage being observed for intermediate values of stress time in the case of high stress drain biases. At low temperature (LT), an improvement of the device aging can be obtained in the low V/sub d/ range because of the significant reduction of the leakage current in the PBT regime. However, in the case of high V/sub d/, since the strong leakage current cannot be suppressed at LT, the device aging is larger than that obtained at room temperature. On the other hand, the device lifetime in off-state operation is carefully predicted as a function of gate length with various methods. Numerical simulations are also used in order to propose optimized silicon-on-insulator (SOI) architectures for alleviating the PBT action and improving the device performance and reliability.
New method and hardware for grid-connection of wind turbines and parks

The paper describes a novel method and a cost-effective hardware—Transient Booster—to handle wind turbines and parks during grid faults. The drive-train is released from mechanical stress during faults. At the same time, collection and transmission grids are released from electrical stress during grid faults. The method and hardware are especially attractive for emerging park demands. They form also a basis for reviving existing turbines at sea as well as on land to fit with new or expanded grid code. Both system performance and conversion efficiency are kept normal during hitherto controlled operation.
Distribution and Clonal Diversity of Staphylococcus aureus and Other Staphylococci in Surface Waters: Detection of ST425-t742 and ST130-t843 mecC-Positive MRSA Strains

Natural aquatic environments represent one of the most important vehicles of bacterial dissemination. Therefore, we aimed to isolate staphylococci from surface waters and to investigate the presence of antimicrobial resistance genes and virulence factors as well as the genetic lineages of all Staphylococcus aureus isolates. Staphylococci were recovered from water samples collected from 78 surface waters, including rivers, streams, irrigation ditches, dams, lakes, and fountains. The presence of antimicrobial resistance genes and virulence factors was investigated by PCR. Multilocus sequence typing and spa-typing were performed in all S. aureus isolates. From the 78 water samples, 33 S. aureus, one S. pseudintermedius, and 51 coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) were identified. Among the S. aureus isolates, four MRSA were identified, and all harbored the mecC gene. Fourteen S. aureus were susceptible to all antimicrobials tested and the remaining showed resistance to penicillin, erythromycin and/or tetracycline encoded by the blaZ, ermT, msr(A/B), tetL, and vgaA genes. Regarding the clonal lineages, one mecC-MRSA isolate belonged to spa-type t843 and sequence type (ST) 130 and the other three to t742 and ST425. The remaining S. aureus were ascribed 14 spa-types and 17 sequence types. Eleven species of CoNS were isolated: S. sciuri, S. lentus, S. xylosus, S. epidermidis, S. cohnii spp. urealyticus, S. vitulinus, S. caprae, S. carnosus spp. Carnosus, S. equorum, S. simulans, and S. succinus. Thirteen CoNS isolates had a multidrug resistance profile and carried the following genes: mecA, msr(A/B), mph(C), aph(3′)-IIIa, aac(6′)-Ie–aph(2′’)-Ia, dfrA, fusB, catpC221, and tetK. A high diversity of staphylococci was isolated from surface waters including mecCMRSA strains and isolates presenting multidrug-resistance profiles. Studies on the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant staphylococci in surface waters are still very scarce but extremely important to estimate the contribution of the aquatic environment in the spread of these bacteria.
Recharging and transportation scheduling for electric vehicle battery under the swapping mode

Electric vehicle battery recharging on the swapping mode has grown up as an important option other than the plug-in recharging mode in China, given that several auto giants have been dedicated in constructing their battery swapping systems. However, the lack of effective operational methods on battery recharging and transportation scheduling has aroused a big challenge on the practical application of the swapping mode, which enables the necessity of our work. This study proposes a joint optimization model of recharging and scheduling of electric vehicle batteries with a dynamic electricity price system which is able to identify the optimal charging arrangement (the recharging time and the quantity of recharging batteries) as well as the optimal transportation arrangement (the transportation time and the quantity of transporting batteries). For the validation purpose, a numerical study is implemented based on dynamic electricity prices in Beijing. A sensitivity analysis of parameters is carried out to increase the robustness and provide more managerial insights of the model.
Computational synthesis of lithographic mask layouts for silicon microcomponents

In order to efficiently design complex micromechanical systems there is a growing demand for layout synthesis tools that directly derive the layout description from the device description. This paper outlines a systematic method of using genetic algorithms to synthesize the lithographic mask layout of micromachined silicon devices. The procedure has been implemented in the computer program OMEA, which calculates an optimal or semi-optimal layout description from the three-dimensional device description of the component. Currently, this method is applied to chemical deep etching of silicon. To model the structuring process the program makes use of a coupled etch simulator. Synthesis results show that the design engineer is enabled to take full advantage of the possible design space of the underlying process technology. The tool is an integrated part of the CAD environment BICEPS. In order to demonstrate the capability of the concept the design process of a spring actuator is described in detail.
Willingness-To-Pay for Monorail Services: Case Study in Penang, Malaysia

The main objective of this study is to examine the determinants of consumers’ willingnessto-pay for monorail transportation in Penang (Malaysia). Cross sectional primary survey data with a total of 498 respondents is used for the analysis via a censored regression model. The results demonstrate that habit of recycling, experience in using urban rail-based transportation and problems of insufficient cark parks have the significant effects on the willingness-to-pay for a trip of monorail to travel to work. Whereas, age, gender, ethnicity, income, education and personal perspective on public transportation system are found to have no significant impact on the willingness-to-pay for a trip of monorail to travel to work. Based on these findings, several policies are recommended.
Design and Implementation of the Basic Technology for Solitary Senior Citizen`s Lonely Death Monitor ing System using PLC

The communications through the power lines are called as the PLC and this is a common name for the communication modes for the information delivery. This technology transmits the data through the power lines on which the information is stored with the form of high frequency signal. The characteristic of the frequency signal is that the signal can be separated from the power line through exclusive power line modem and transmitted to the terminal devices. In this paper, "In-home Headcount" checking algorithm using Wi-Fi and taking above mentioned advantages is proposed, and the basic Technology for such Solitary Senior Citizen"s Lonely Death monitoring system has been designed and implemented. The comparative analysis has been conducted in this paper with the test-operated and test bed-completed "Hyosimi 119 Safety-Welfare System" which is still being tested since 2008. With the "In-home Headcount Checking Algorithm", Wi-Fi connection/disconnection status and SSIDs of relevant Wi-Fis will be checked. We expect that our proposed method will become as the basic Technology which can prevent lonely deaths of elderly people living alone. Since the PLC technology can be normally implement all the functions used on internet anticipate that the technology could be applied to many areas to construct a new form of communication network.