Smart Antennas and Intelligent Sensors Based Systems: Enabling Technologies and Applications

open access articleThe growing communication and computing capabilities in the devices enlarge the connected world and improve the human life comfort level. The evolution of intelligent sensor networks and smart antennas has led to the development of smart devices and systems for real-time monitoring of various environments. The demand of smart antennas and intelligent sensors significantly increases when dealing with multiuser communication system that needs to be adaptive, especially in unknown adverse environment [1–3]. The smart antennas based arrays are capable of steering the main beam in any desired direction while placing nulls in the unwanted directions. Intelligent sensor networks integration with smart antennas will provide algorithms and interesting application to collect various data of environment to make intelligent decisions [4, 5]. The aim of this special issue is to provide an inclusive vision on the current research in the area of intelligent sensors and smart antenna based systems for enabling various applications and technologies. We cordially invite some researchers to contribute papers that discuss the issues arising in intelligent sensors and smart antenna based system. Hence, this special issue offers the state-of-the-art research in this field

Electronic transport in strongly anisotropic disordered systems: model for the random matrix theory with non-integer beta

We study numerically an electronic transport in strongly anisotropic weakly disorderd two-dimensional systems. We find that the conductance distribution is gaussian but the conductance fluctuations increase when anisotropy becomes stronger. We interpret this result by random matrix theory with non-integer symmetry parameter beta, in accordance with recent theoretical work of K.A.Muttalib and J.R.Klauder [Phys.Rev.Lett. 82 (1999) 4272]. Analysis of the statistics of transport paramateres supports this hypothesis.Comment: 8 pages, 7 *.eps figure

Electrical technology students in vocational colleges: are they healthy mentally?

Distraction such as depression, anxiety, and stress in mental health problem can influence academic achievement to students, including vocational colleges’ students. Hence, the main purpose of this study was to determine the mental health profiles of Electrical Course students in Vocational Colleges. The difference in mental health level in terms of gender, hometown, and years of study were also be investigated. Besides, the level of mental health elements implementation by teachers in teaching and learning was also determined. This study was employed a survey method as research design that involved of 132 respondents from three vocational colleges in the southern zone. The respondents were selected using strata sampling technique. The instrument of this study was Malay version DASS-21 item inventory. This inventory measures three elements of mental health problem, namely depression, anxiety, and stress through 21 items. Questionnaires for level of mental health elements implementation by teachers in teaching and learning from student perception consists of 21 items. The collected data were analyzed using frequency, percentage, Spearman Rho test, Mann Whitney U test, and Kruskal Wallis test. The findings of this study showed that students' mental health level and the level of mental health elements implementation by teachers in teaching and learning were at the moderate level. The findings also found that there was a significant relationship between each element of mental health with students’ academic achievement level, as well as the level of mental health elements implementation by teachers in teaching and learning. In addition, the results also shows that there were no significant difference in the mental health level among the students from the aspects of gender, hometown, and years of study. In short, an intervention program needs to be implemented to overwhelm students’ mental health problems, because prevention was better than cure

User guide for 'BGS Civils' : a suite of engineering properties datasets

This report is the user’s guide for the national assessment of a suite of seven Engineering Properties datasets. These complimentary datasets provide information and advice on Excavatability, Strength, Discontinuities, Bulking of soils and rocks, Sulfate and sulfide potential, Corrosivity (ferrous) and Use for fill. The purpose of this user guide is to provide the background, overview of the methodology developed by the British Geological Survey, and the potential applications and limitations of this GIS information

User guide for the GeoScour GB V1 dataset

This report describes the BGS GeoScour data product. The methods used to create the component datasets have been critically assessed and its fitness for purpose determined by specialists in BGS. GeoScour looks specifically and only at the geological factors that influence scour and does not consider any hydraulic or hydrodynamic factors. This document outlines the background to why the dataset was created, its potential uses and gives a brief description of the data layers. Technical information regarding the GIS and how the data was created is described and advice is provided on using the dataset

User guide for the Biosphere Isotope Domains GB (Version 1) dataset and web portal

This report is a user guide for the Biosphere Isotope Domains GB (V1) dataset, which includes (1) a GIS layer for strontium, sulphur and oxygen isotopes (2) datasets of strontium and sulphur isotope measurements from samples across the Great Britain - published separately and available via BGS and (3) a web portal for viewing and querying the data. A description of the data, methodology and assumptions used in the construction of the Biosphere Isotope Domains GB map is included in the associated publications for strontium (Evans, 2018) and sulphur (Chenery, 2018). The primary application of such datasets is for determining the provenance of skeletal material; although the data may also be of use in modern traceability studies of fauna and flora

Estimating Carbon Dynamics in an Intact Lowland Mixed Dipterocarp Forest Using a Forest Carbon Model

Intact dipterocarp forests in Asia act as crucial carbon (C) reservoirs, and it is therefore important to investigate the C dynamics in these forests. We estimated C dynamics, together with net ecosystem production (NEP), in an intact tropical dipterocarp forest of Brunei Darussalam. Fifty-four simulation units (plots; 20 m × 20 m) were established and initial C stocks were determined via direct field measurement. The C dynamics were annually simulated with a regression model and the Forest Biomass and Dead organic matter Carbon (FBDC) model. The initial C stock (Mg C·ha−1) of biomass, litter, dead wood and mineral soil were 213.1 ± 104.8, 2.0 ± 0.8, 31.3 ± 38.8, and 80.7 ± 15.5, respectively. Their annual changes (Mg C·ha−1·year−1) were 3.2 ± 1.1, 0.2 ± 0.2, −3.7 ± 6.1, and −0.3 ± 1.1, respectively. NEP was −0.6 ± 6.1 Mg C·ha−1·year−1, showing large heterogeneity among the plots. The initial C stocks of biomass and dead wood, biomass turnover rates and dead wood decay rates were elucidated as dominant factors determining NEP in a sensitivity analysis. Accordingly, investigation on those input data can constrain an uncertainty in determining NEP in the intact tropical forests