Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Experimental study of dielectric loaded planar antenna fed by waveguide network

Gain enhancement of an antenna is achieved by loading of a rectangular parallelpiped or circular cylindrical dielectric in front of a source with the ground plane. The dielectric loaded antennas with a diameter d=(1/spl sim/3)/spl lambda//sub 0/ (/spl lambda//sub 0/: wavelength in free space) have the mixed properties of dielectric covered antennas, rod antennas and lens antennas. We reported a high gain planar array antenna for DBS, whose element antenna was a circularly polarized microstrip patch loaded by a dielectric, but the aperture efficiency of this antenna was limited in terms of the conductor and the radiation losses of the microstrip lines. The element antenna loaded by a dielectric has such a high gain that the grating lobe can be decreased sufficiently even if the element spacing in the array is wider than the wavelength in free space. Therefore it is expected that the parallel feeding by the waveguide network may be feasible and then we can develop a high efficient and broad frequency bandwidth array antenna. This paper reports experimental results of the dielectric loaded planar antenna fed by a waveguide network with 16 element radiators. This has a gain of 26.5 dBi at 12.7 GHz with an aperture efficiency of 96 %. <<ETX>>
Does zinc supplementation affect the clinical healing process of stress fracture?

Monitoring levels of local pain and weight-bearing are important subjective data used for clinical follow-up of fracture healing, in the foot stress fractures (SFs). Medical treatment has been focused on vitamin D and calcium intake, hovewer there has been no study on the effect of zinc for this fractures. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of zinc supplementation on the clinical healing process of SFs in foot. We retrospectively analysed patients with stress fracture in foot. Patients divided into two groups as those who used oral zinc supplementation (group 1) (n=43) and did not use (group 2) (n=52) during clinical healin process. The clinical healing process of the patients were monitored with the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) scoring system and time to painless Weight Bearing (WB) on the fracture site. The data of the patients were recorded at intervals of three weeks for up to six months. There was a significant difference between the groups according to the mean VAS pain score in the first three months (p<0.05). Although mean VAS pain scores were similar after 18 weeks, patients who used zinc in the first three months of clinical healing process had significantly lower pain at the fracture site compared to patients who did not use zinc. There was a significant difference between the groups according to the mean time to painless WB (p<0.05). Patients who used zinc of clinical healing process had significantly earlier painless weight bearing at the stress fracture side compared to patients who did not use zinc. As a result, zinc supplementation positively affects the clinical healing process of stress fracture in foot by reducing pain and time to painless weight bearing.
The Rationale for the Automation of a New Diagnostic Thermography Protocol to Confirm a Chronic-Low-Back-Pain Subtype Related to Nociplastic Pain

Gluteal syndrome (GS), a new low-back-pain subtype mimicking sciatica, has been included in the 11th Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11). Low back pain is a symptom, not a disease, and the main problem associated with it is pain complexity. A plausible pain generator of gluteal syndrome is the central sensitization process and the therapeutic target area, which are trigger points located within the gluteal muscles. It has been hypothesized that dysregulated immune and autonomic nervous systems (ANS) are involved in central sensitization development. Changes in ANS regulation, mainly through the sympathetic branch, provoke nociceptor activation indirectly by a vasoconstriction–vasodilatation imbalance, or directly by sympathetic–nociceptor activation resulting in widespread pain, hyperalgesia, and allodynia. The minimally invasive procedure (MIP) uses thermography to confirm a completely new biological phenomenon, which suggests a pathological autonomic response to noxious stimuli and can possibly become an objective marker of some nociplastic pain subtypes related to trigger points. This review provides the biological and technical rationale for the automation of the MIP—a possible future diagnostic tool for an objective gluteal syndrome confirmation.
Numerical analysis of ground plane size effects on patch array antenna characteristics for mobile satellite communications

In this research, a patch array antenna for mobile satellite communications aiming at ETS‐VIII applications has been developed. The ground plane size effects on the antenna characteristics were investigated. Finite and infinite ground planes were analysed by the finite integration technique (FIT) for time domain analysis, the finite element method (FEM) and the method of moments (MoM) for spectral domain analysis. Then measurements of the fabricated antenna were performed to confirm the analysis results. It is clear that the frequency characteristics of the axial ratio are influenced by the variation in the ground plane size. When the ground plane size is increased, the edge‐diffracted field causes tilting of the beam in the direction of low elevation angles and causes a decrease in the maximum gain and in the 3 dB‐beamwidth of axial ratio in the elevation plane. In the conical‐cut direction, an increase in ground plane size induces a decrease in the 3 dB‐beamwidth of axial ratio for FEM, but shows the opposite result for FIT and measurement. In addition, an increase in ground plane size also induces increases in maximum gain and its 6 dBic‐beamwidth along with a shift in the maximum gain in the direction of low azimuth angle. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Sensitivity improvement of an optical current sensor with enhanced Faraday rotation

A sensitivity improvement technique is proposed for a class of bulk-glass optical current sensors that employ a ferromagnetic field concentrator. The total effective optical path length is demonstrated theoretically to be an invariant regardless of the bulk glass thickness and consequently independent of the size of the concentrator gap opening. Thus, if the magnetic field is increased by reducing the gap size, the eventual Faraday rotation for a given electric current can be increased proportionally, leading to an improved device sensitivity. The dependence of the gap magnetic field on gap size is calculated with an equivalent circuit model, and this analytical treatment is compared with a dedicated finite element computer package. By taking account of various types of optical power losses present in the bulk glass, the above formulated gap dependence of magnetic field is used to aid a realistic assessment of device sensitivity and this serves as a tool to design and analyze practical bulk-glass optical current sensors. A detailed experimental study to confirm the proposed sensitivity improvement technique is also reported.
Basel III liquidity regulatory framework and bank liquidity creation in MENA countries

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the potential impact of the Basel III liquidity requirements, namely, the net stable funding ratio (NSFR) and the liquidity coverage ratio (LCR), on bank liquidity creation. Design/methodology/approach The authors developed a dynamic panel model using the Quasi-Maximum Likelihood estimation on an unbalanced panel dataset of 129 commercial banks operating in 10 Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) countries from 2009 to 2017. Findings The results show that the NSFR significantly negatively affects liquidity creation. Similarly, the LCR exerts a substantial negative impact on the liquidity creation of the sampled MENA banks. These findings suggest that complying with both liquidity requirements tends to curtail liquidity creation. Moreover, further regression analysis of large and small bank sub-samples uncovered results similar to the overall MENA sample. Research limitations/implications The findings raise interesting policy implications and suggest a trade-off between the benefits of the financial resiliency induced by implementing liquidity requirements and the creation of liquidity essential for promoting economic growth in the region. Originality/value Most empirical research focuses on the relationship between bank capital and liquidity creation. To the knowledge, this paper is the first to provide empirical evidence on the effect of both the NSFR and LCR regulatory liquidity standards on bank liquidity creation in the MENA region.
Integrated low-power 24-channel EEG front-end

The first integrated CMOS multichannel electroencephalogram (EEG) readout front-end, capable of extracting EEG signals from conventional AgCl electrodes without the use of any trimmed components, is presented. Each channel of the ASIC achieves better than 90 dB common-mode rejection ratio (CMRR) at 50 Hz with 50 mV DC offset between EEG electrodes. This is consistent with the presented formula describing the CMRR behaviour of the preamplifier under DC electrode offset. The front-end includes 24 channels and consumes 10.5 mW from a 3 V supply.
Effect of Postural Drainage and Deep Breathing-Cough Exercises on Oxygen Saturation, Triflo Volume and Pulmonary Function Test in Patients with COPD

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the effect of postural drainage and deep breathing-coughing exercises on oxygen saturation, triflo volume and pulmonary function test applied to patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Methods: Postural drainage and deep breathing-coughing exercises were performed twice a day, morning and evening for 7 days. Hemodynamic parameters were recorded four times a day, pre-exercise and post-exercise. The forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume (FEV1) and FEV1 / FVC values obtained during the Pulmonary Function Test (PFT) were assessed at the end of the first day of the study before the exercise and at the end of the 7th day. Results: As a result of the analyzes performed, there was a statistically significant difference in the oxygen saturation, triflo volume and pulmonary function test of the patients on all days before and after exercise. Conclusions: Postural drainage and deep breathing-coughing exercises are effective in increasing oxygen saturation, triflo volume, pulmonary function tests.
Analysis of park and ride mode choice behavior under multimodal travel information service

ABSTRACT Travelers’ mode choice in a “car/park and ride (P&R)” context under smartphone-based multimodal information has not been fully explored. This study aims to investigate the influence of multimodal information and social network information on travelers’ mode choice for commuting, using stated preference data from Shanghai. A hybrid choice model is developed to identify the influential information factors on mode choice behavior, and some latent attitudinal variables are also considered in the model framework. Our results highlight the importance of incorporating latent variables into travel mode choice modeling. Specifically, subway comfort attitude and pro-green attitude both significantly and positively affect the choice of P&R, while pro-car attitude has a small and negative utility on P&R. Travelers are highly sensitive to the multimodal information of travel time, parking fare, and crowding level. For social network information, when travelers are presented with positive information about P&R on social media, they have a higher possibility to use P&R.
Blue whiting (Micromesistius poutassou) diel feeding behaviour in the Irminger Sea

: With warming ocean temperatures, the abundance of blue whiting Micromesistius poutassou is increasing in the waters around Greenland. However, in this region, knowledge about the species’ trophic role in the ecosystem is scarce. Consequently, we investigated the diet composition and diel feeding behaviour of blue whiting in the north-eastern part of the Irminger Sea in Greenland waters by analysing their stomach contents and the vertical position/movements of their prey from zooplankton samples and hydroacoustic measurements. We collected the data during a designated experimental survey in July 2016 with repeated sampling at the same location. Results from the stomachs of 624 blue whiting individuals ranging from 22−39 cm long (total length) showed that the highest food intake took place from noon until late evening, with minimum feeding occurring in the morning. The most essential prey groups consisted of euphausiids, copepods, amphipods and fish, in that respective order. Regarding copepod prey, blue whiting had a strong affinity for Calanus hyper-boreus and Paraeuchaeta spp. and showed potential for local depletion of these large copepods. On the other hand, the more abundant but smaller C. fin-marchicus was almost absent in the fish stomachs, in contrast to findings in other regions. This new understanding provides an early indication of some of the emerging trophodynamics in the Irminger Sea and similar subarctic zooplankton communities with increasing numbers of blue whiting. Our results confirm the importance of accounting for diel and size-specific differences in blue whiting feeding when studying various aspects of its food intake
Estimating Labor Production Rates for Industrial Construction Activities

This paper discusses an approach based on artificial neural networks that enables an estimator to produce accurate labor production rates (labor/unit) for industrial construction tasks such as welding and pipe installation. The paper first reviews factors that were found to affect labor production rates on industrial construction tasks, current estimating practices and their limitations, and the process followed in collecting historical production rates. An artificial neural network model is then described. The model is composed of a two-stage artificial neural network, which is used to predict an efficiency multiplier (an index) based on input factors identified by the user. The multiplier is then used to adjust an average production rate given in man-hours/unit for use on a specific project. Estimates of production rates from the new approach are compared to the existing estimating practices and conclusions are presented.
A single-switch flyback-current-fed DC-DC converter

This work presents a novel DC-DC converter, whose significant advantages are the single power switch, single-input inductor, purely capacitive output filter, isolation, low current ripple through the output capacitor, and operation at constant frequency in a conventional pulse-width-modulation scheme. The new converter operates over a wide input-voltage range and can be employed in power factor correction and multiple-output power supplies. Theoretical analysis is presented along with experimental results taken from a laboratory prototype rated at 300 W/50 kHz.
Critical Success Factors for Different Project Objectives

The identification of key factors for construction project success enables appropriate allocation of limited resources. Most of the related past work only identified critical success factors for construction projects in general. The present study seeks to distinguish these factors according to the project objectives of budget, schedule, and quality. The analytic hierarchy process is adopted to determine the relative importance of success-related factors. A hierarchical model for construction project success is presented. Sixty-seven success-related factors are considered. These factors are grouped under four main project aspects, namely, project characteristics, contractual arrangements, project participants, and interactive processes in the hierarchical model for project success. A questionnaire was developed to facilitate systematic data collection in this study. Experts with an overall average of 20 years of experience in the construction industry were invited to participate in the survey. Critical suc.
Event-Based Fault Diagnosis of Networked Discrete Event Systems

The problem of fault diagnosis has become an active research topic in Discrete Event Systems, which can be applied into many different areas, such as communication networks, process control, flexible manufacturing systems, software engineering, etc. This brief explores the effect of communication delays on the event-based fault diagnosis in networked discrete event systems (NDESs), which can be modeled by finite state automata. Firstly, the framework of NDESs is introduced, and a novel concept of networked diagnosability (<inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$Net$ </tex-math></inline-formula>-diagnosability) is formally defined. Subsequently, the necessary and sufficient conditions for the <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$Net$ </tex-math></inline-formula>-diagnosability in the partially observable outputs are provided, and the corresponding <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$Net$ </tex-math></inline-formula>-diagnosability can be verified by an effective diagnoser, which can be obtained by a constructed algorithm. Finally, an illustrative example is given to demonstrate the proposed method. The current results about networked diagnosability will be conducive to maintain the information security in the actual cyber-physical systems.
The prevalence of Trichomonas gallinae in budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus) in a Veterinary Clinic in Vienna between 2000–2019

The aim of this clinical retrospective study was to analyse the prevalence of Trichomonas gallinae in budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus). The role of T. gallinae in budgerigars as the cause of a typical clinical picture (young vomiting budgerigars) is clear; however, the frequency of latent and subclinical diseases in pet birds is unclear. Over the period of 20 years (2000–2019), 16 759 birds were examined, of which 5 256 (31.36%) belonged to the genus Melopsittacus (budgerigars). Within the 5 256 presented budgerigars, 2 547 (48.45%) were examined for trichomonads using a microscopic examination of a crop wash, and, of those, 978 birds (38.39%) were found to be positive for T. gallinae. Only 96 (9.8%) of the positive budgerigars showed typical signs of the disease, such as loss of appetite, vomiting, weight loss or anorexia. Unspecific clinical signs were seen in 312 (31.9%), while 570 birds (58.3%) did not show any clinical signs and had been presented for a routine check or other medical problems. Treatment using metronidazole (Anaerobex, Flagyl) was successful in 82–85% of these diseased birds. Trichomonads can be detected in over a third of budgerigars, even if less than 10% of the positive ones show clinical symptoms.
Acoustic Damping of a Helmholtz Resonator with an Oscillating Volume

Combustion instabilities are caused by a coupling between acoustic waves and unsteady heat release. Helmholtz resonators are widely used as acoustic dampers to stabilize unstable combustion systems. Such dampers are typically subjected to a low Mach number grazing flow and are normally only effective over a narrow frequency range, close to the resonant frequency. To increase the effective frequency range, a Helmholtz resonator with an oscillating volume, implemented via an electromagnetic shaker and vibrating backplate, was designed and experimentally tested at the University of Loughborough. It was found that volume oscillation can either increase or decrease the acoustic power being absorbed by the resonator, depending on the phase with which it is driven. A nonlinear numerical model of a Helmholtz resonator with an oscillating volume was then developed to simulate the experiments. Excellent agreement between the numerical and experimental results is found. Furthermore, insight into how to obtain maximum power absorption was provided by the numerical model and validated by the experiments. Finally, to optimize the phase in real time (by minimizing the amplitude of the pressure oscillations), active control of the backplate vibration was experimentally investigated. For the low Mach number grazing-flow regime investigated, this was found to give increased damping and to increase the effective frequency range of the resonator.
Toward Differential Privacy for Traffic Measurement in Vehicular Cyber-Physical Systems

Intelligent vehicular cyber-physical systems can perform automatic traffic measurement, which provides critical information for transportation engineering. However, one of the biggest challenges in traffic measurement is to protect the vehicles’ location and trajectory privacy, which may be revealed from the recorded traffic data. Prior studies in traffic measurement only offer heuristic privacy protection but lack a precisely defined privacy model. This article proposes an efficient traffic estimator with differential privacy protection. In our design, each road-side unit communicates with the passing vehicles and records their presence in a privacy-preserving data structure. By performing probabilistic analysis on the anonymized records, the proposed method can precisely estimate the number of common vehicles passed by multiple given locations during the given measurement period. Through theoretical analysis, we prove that the proposed method can protect the trajectory privacy of the vehicles with $\epsilon$-differential privacy even when the point privacy has been leaked. We also evaluated our traffic estimator based on a real-world transportation traffic dataset. The evaluation results demonstrate that the proposed estimator can achieve high estimation accuracy and high-level privacy protection through controllable tradeoffs.
Frequency translation techniques for interference-robust software-defined radio receivers

There has been a growing demand for wireless communications and diverse communication standards have been developed. A software-defined radio (SDR) consists of radio hardware which is programmable by software to support many standards and even emerging ones. Several technical challenges exist to realize a SDR. This thesis focuses on frequency translation (FT) techniques and addresses two key challenges of SDR receivers: the robustness to out-of-band interference (OBI) and the compatibility with CMOS scaling and system-on-chip (SoC) integration. The thesis studies the principles and the limitations of existing FT techniques and proposes new circuit-and-system techniques to improve SDR receivers. Fundamental differences between various FT techniques are highlighted by means of a classification and comparison of mixing and sampling. The suitability of RF-mixing and RF-sampling receivers to SDR is evaluated. Due to some narrowband properties, existing RF-sampling techniques are not suitable for SDR receivers. To address this issue, a discrete-time (DT) mixing technique is proposed which performs mixing in the DT domain after RF sampling. It makes RF sampling more suitable to SDR receivers due to its wideband properties. A 200-to-900MHz DT-mixing downconverter with 8-times oversampling and 2nd-to-6th harmonic rejection (HR) is implemented in 65nm CMOS. To construct a complete RF-sampling receiver, a tunable LC filter and a linearized LNA are used before a DT-mixing downconverter. The RF-sampling receiver achieves a minimum NF of 0.8dB and improves HR by 30dB compared to the downconverter alone. To be more robust to OBI, two FT techniques are proposed: one to improve the out-of-band linearity and the other to make the HR robust to mismatch. A low-pass blocker filtering technique makes voltage gain not at RF but at baseband simultaneously with low-pass filtering to attenuate OBI. A two-stage polyphase HR technique performs HR in two cascaded stages to dramatically improve amplitude accuracy. To also achieve high phase accuracy, a simple and accurate frequency divider is proposed. A 65nm-CMOS receiver shows +3.5dBm in-band IIP3 and +16dBm out-of-band IIP3. More than 60dB HR ratio is measured over 40 chips. The multiphase clock generator works up to 0.9GHz while the -3dB RF bandwidth is up to 6GHz.