Mutual Coupling Reduction in Microstrip Antennas using Defected Ground Structure

A Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) antenna with high isolation is proposed in this paper. The proposed antenna includes two sets of four elements (2 x 2) and it is yielded at the central frequency of 5.5 GHz for Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) applications. Based on RT5880 with height of 1.575 mm, the overall size of MIMO antenna is 140 x 76 x 1.575 mm3. To get high isolation between antenna elements, a Defected Ground Structure (DGS) is integrated on ground plane. Besides, the MIMO antenna witnesses a large bandwidth of 9.1% and an efficiency of 90% while the pick gain is 8.5 dBi. The measurement results are compared to simulation ones to verify the performance of the proposed antenna

EFFECTIVE EVIDENCE-BASED STRATEGIES TO MINIMIZE SELF-INJURIOUS BEHAVIORS IN YOUNG CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS: A PRACTICAL MANUAL FOR EDUCATORS

Self-injurious behaviors (SIBs) are relatively common in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), and many teachers have difficulties dealing with these challenging behaviors. Besides the possibility of causing serious injuries to children with ASD, the frequent occurrences of SIBs can limit their access to academic instruction and peer interactions. The abundance of possible strategies is confusing for teachers to figure out which strategies to use and how to implement them. The purpose of this project was to develop a guiding manual for educators working with children with ASD. The manual presents proactive, evidence-based strategies to help prevent or decrease students’ SIBs in the classroom

Photofragmentation of carbonyl sulfide (Ocs) following core-shell photoexcitation and photoionization

Mass spectroscopy is used to study the formation of cations and anions after photoexcitation and photoionization of OCS in the vicinity of the S 2p, C 1s and O 1s thresholds. Singly charged cations are produced predominantly at the pi* and Rydberg resonances while dications are major products of dissociative channels above the thresholds. At the S 2p threshold, broad Franck-Condon regions observed for Rydberg excited states manifests an apparent change in molecular bond lengths upon the excitation of S 2p electrons to Rydberg orbitals. Neutral dissociation of the pi*3/2, pi*1/2 and 4S 3/2 excited states is found to compete efficiently with electronic relaxation via Auger processes. The observation of SO+ ions at the pi* resonance indicates a strong Renner-Teller vibronic coupling of bending vibrations in the 4pi* excited states with a bent equilibrium geometry. The anions (S-, C- and O-) are observed both below and above the thresholds. The fact that the anion production is suppressed at shape resonances allows the anions to serve as a suggestive and complementary tool for identifying above-threshold structures in the OCS photoabsorption spectra. Post-collision-interaction effects in OCS and locality of the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital 4pi* at the sulfur atom are also evidenced in the anion spectra

Morphology and Niche Partitioning of Fish Assemblage in the Tonle Sap Biosphere Reserve - a Case Study of the Prek Toal Core Area

A morphological approach provides vital information on community structure and ecological adjustments among different species that occupy in the same habitat. The coexistence of competing species in a diverse community results in niche partitioning in order to increase stabilization. Tonle Sap Biosphere Reserve, one of the world’s most productive inland wetlands is a tropical river ecosystem so dynamic that supports high biodiversity, especially fish population. This study tests the relationship between morphology and niche partitioning to understand the coexistence of diverse fish assemblages in the Tonle Sap Biosphere Reserve. By measuring 31 morphological variables and gathering ecological data of the collected 27 fish species, this study applies principal component analysis and cluster analysis to examine the influence of morphology on the ecological niches of the fish assemblage. The results of the study demonstrate that the diversifications in morphological characters directly determine niche partitioning of the fish assemblage in the Prek Toal core area of the Tonle Sap Biosphere Reserve

Economic Growth and Changes in Forested Areas in Southeast Asia: Is Environmental Kuznets Curve Still Relevant?

The environmental history of the twentieth century in Southeast Asia reveals tremendous loss of forested areas as a consequence of unprecedented economic transformations and unrestrained globalization. Featuring some of the world’s fastest-growing economies, Southeast Asia has been experiencing fundamental changes in its economic structure, sociopolitical institutions, and the rate of natural resources extraction and depletion, including deforestation. This study reexamines evidence of the (EKC) hypothesis in light of the deforestation the above region experienced over the period 1990-2013. We use the change in forest cover as an indicator for environmental degradation. A panel co-integration approach is invoked to investigate the presence of the EKC hypothesis for two different data panels, gauging the effects of changes in economic structure, agricultural productivity, institutional factors, demographic transformation, renewable energy, and international trade across Southeast Asian countries. We do not find evidence of the EKC. However, our results confirm the negative impacts of increasing agricultural productivity on forest stocks. We identify major Granger causality relationships between economic growth, the ratio of the value of the exported forest products to the value of imported manufactures, the share of agriculture, forestry and fisheries over total manufacturing, the debt ratio, trade openness, and renewable energy consumption. A variable capturing institutional change is found to play an important role in the management of forest resources. Southeast Asian countries should develop strong political foundations, using international trade to foster sustainable development paths compatible with growth and less pressure on forested land

The Role of Trade and Renewables in the Nexus of Economic Growth and Environmental Degradation: Revisiting the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC)

Based on the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis, this study investigates whether there is a revised EKC relationship between economic growth and CO2 emissions under the presence of renewable energy and trade for a panel of 35 countries whose trade openness index have remained higher than average global trade index over the period 1980-2012. By addressing similar trade characteristics rather than income levels, this paper applies a panel analysis with random effects and fixed effects to test EKC hypothesis. We use the principal component analysis to explain why CO2 emissions stands as a critical indicator of environmental quality. The results from our random-effects and country-fixed effects models, including the impacts of trade and renewables, reveal evidence of the revised EKC hypothesis within our sample. Trade is found to have a positive association with the level of CO2 emissions, while renewable energy has a negative relationship with CO2 levels. As a policy implication, countries should strengthen environmental regulations of trade agreements and encourage investment in renewables to combat climate change