The Enhanced Single-dish Control System and wide surveys of compact sources

The Italian radio telescopes currently undergo a major upgrade period in response to the growing demand for deep radio observations, such as surveys on large sky areas or observations of vast samples of compact radio sources. The optimised employment of the Italian antennas, at first constructed mainly for VLBI activities and provided with a control system (FS – Field System) not tailored to single-dish observations, required important modifications in particular of the guiding software and data acquisition system. The production of a completely new control system called ESCS (Enhanced Single-dish Control System) for the Medicina dish started in 2007, in synergy with the software development for the forthcoming Sardinia Radio Telescope (SRT). The aim is to produce a system optimised for single-dish observations in continuum, spectrometry and polarimetry. ESCS is also planned to be installed at the Noto site. A substantial part of this thesis work consisted in designing and developing subsystems within ESCS, in order to provide this software with tools to carry out large maps, spanning from the implementation of On-The-Fly fast scans (following both conventional and innovative observing strategies) to the production of single-dish standard output files and the realisation of tools for the quick-look of the acquired data. The test period coincided with the commissioning phase for two devices temporarily installed – while waiting for the SRT to be completed – on the Medicina antenna: a 18-26 GHz 7-feed receiver and the 14-channel analogue backend developed for its use. It is worth stressing that it is the only K-band multi-feed receiver at present available worldwide. The commissioning of the overall hardware/software system constituted a considerable section of the thesis work. Tests were led in order to verify the system stability and its capabilities, down to sensitivity levels which had never been reached in Medicina using the previous observing techniques and hardware devices. The aim was also to assess the scientific potential of the multi-feed receiver for the production of wide maps, exploiting its temporary availability on a mid-sized antenna. Dishes like the 32-m antennas at Medicina and Noto, in fact, offer the best conditions for large-area surveys, especially at high frequencies, as they provide a suited compromise between sufficiently large beam sizes to cover quickly large areas of the sky (typical of small-sized telescopes) and sensitivity (typical of large-sized telescopes). The KNoWS (K-band Northern Wide Survey) project is aimed at the realisation of a full-northern-sky survey at 21 GHz; its pilot observations, performed using the new ESCS tools and a peculiar observing strategy, constituted an ideal test-bed for ESCS itself and for the multi-feed/backend system. The KNoWS group, which I am part of, supported the commissioning activities also providing map-making and source-extraction tools, in order to complete the necessary data reduction pipeline and assess the general system scientific capabilities. The K-band observations, which were carried out in several sessions along the December 2008-March 2010 period, were accompanied by the realisation of a 5 GHz test survey during the summertime, which is not suitable for high-frequency observations. This activity was conceived in order to check the new analogue backend separately from the multi-feed receiver, and to simultaneously produce original scientific data (the 6-cm Medicina Survey, 6MS, a polar cap survey to complete PMN-GB6 and provide an all-sky coverage at 5 GHz).

Modelling and Design of Advanced Reliable Circuits and Devices for Energy Efficiency

Reliable electronic systems, namely a set of reliable electronic devices connected to each other and working correctly together for the same functionality, represent an essential ingredient for the large-scale commercial implementation of any technological advancement. Microelectronics technologies and new powerful integrated circuits provide noticeable improvements in performance and cost-effectiveness, and allow introducing electronic systems in increasingly diversified contexts. On the other hand, opening of new fields of application leads to new, unexplored reliability issues. The development of semiconductor device and electrical models (such as the well known SPICE models) able to describe the electrical behavior of devices and circuits, is a useful means to simulate and analyze the functionality of new electronic architectures and new technologies. Moreover, it represents an effective way to point out the reliability issues due to the employment of advanced electronic systems in new application contexts. In this thesis modeling and design of both advanced reliable circuits for general-purpose applications and devices for energy efficiency are considered. More in details, the following activities have been carried out: first, reliability issues in terms of security of standard communication protocols in wireless sensor networks are discussed. A new communication protocol is introduced, allows increasing the network security. Second, a novel scheme for the on-die measurement of either clock jitter or process parameter variations is proposed. The developed scheme can be used for an evaluation of both jitter and process parameter variations at low costs. Then, reliability issues in the field of “energy scavenging systems” have been analyzed. An accurate analysis and modeling of the effects of faults affecting circuit for energy harvesting from mechanical vibrations is performed. Finally, the problem of modeling the electrical and thermal behavior of photovoltaic (PV) cells under hot-spot condition is addressed with the development of an electrical and thermal model.

Synthesis and metal complexes of C2 symmetric ligands obtained from (R)-(+)-Betti and dialdehydes for asymmetric induction reactions

The aim of this master’s research thesis was the employment of an enantiopure 1,3-aminoalcohol, the 1-(α-aminobenzyl)-2-naphthol, known as Betti base, for the synthesis of some novel compounds which show a C2 symmetry. Some of these compounds, after derivatization, were used as ligands in association with transition metals to prepare some catalysts for enantioselective catalytic reactions. Some aminoalcohol (Salan-type) derivatives of these compounds were obtained upon reduction and in some cases it was possible to obtain complexes with transition metals such as Mn, Ni, Co and Cu. Furthermore a novel 6-membered analogue bisoxazoline ligand, 2,6-bis((R)-1-Phenyl-1H-naphtho[1,2-e][1,3]oxazin-3-yl)pyridine, was obtained and from it two Cu-complexes were prepared. The metal complexes were employed in some reactions to test the asymmetric induction, which was in some cases up to discrete values.

INTERNAL AUDIT AND GROWTH OF PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS

The ONATRACOM was established by the law number 08/2007 of 03/02/2007 determining the responsibilities, organization and functioning of Rwanda Public Transport Authority with function of promoting public transportation between Rwanda and other countries; participating in the implementation of the public transportation policy of Ministry in charge of transportation; perform any other activity that is directly or indirectly related to its objectives; and establish relations and collaborate with other regional and international agencies with similar attributions. In the recent days many public institutions have been listed by general auditor for being mismanaged and are on the course of deficit. This study aimed at examining internal audit growth of public institutions, case study of ONATRACOM – Rwanda. This research was conducted as a case study using ONATRACOM in NYARUGENGE District. The study was built at four specific objectives which are to determine if internal audit lead to the business growth of ONATRACOM, to find out if achieving internal audit increases the net profit and sales of ONATRACOM, to explore if there is internal sources of funds for pursuing growth opportunities in ONATRACOM, to assess whether ONATRACOM is able to obtain external sources of funds for pursuing growth opportunities as a result of internal audit impact or not. The findings were got from 27 respondents as the sample from the total target population of 96. Questionnaire was used as the technique to obtain primary data, while secondary data were obtained through examining the existing literature about the study. Chapter four presents the finding in form of descriptive statistical tables starting with the profile of the respondent and findings in line with the research objectives, It was found out that ONATRACOM was failure in its services because it was not achieve its targeted objectives and in this company, the internal audit was not effective in order to make performance of that company.

The Dynamics of the Policies of Ethnic Cleansing in Silesia in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries

Through studying German, Polish and Czech publications on Silesia, Mr. Kamusella found that most of them, instead of trying to objectively analyse the past, are devoted to proving some essential "Germanness", "Polishness" or "Czechness" of this region. He believes that the terminology and thought-patterns of nationalist ideology are so deeply entrenched in the minds of researchers that they do not consider themselves nationalist. However, he notes that, due to the spread of the results of the latest studies on ethnicity/nationalism (by Gellner, Hobsbawm, Smith, Erikson Buillig, amongst others), German publications on Silesia have become quite objective since the 1980s, and the same process (impeded by under funding) has been taking place in Poland and the Czech Republic since 1989. His own research totals some 500 pages, in English, presented on disc. So what are the traps into which historians have been inclined to fall? There is a tendency for them to treat Silesia as an entity which has existed forever, though Mr. Kamusella points out that it emerged as a region only at the beginning of the 11th century. These same historians speak of Poles, Czechs and Germans in Silesia, though Mr. Kamusella found that before the mid-19th century, identification was with an inhabitant's local area, religion or dynasty. In fact, a German national identity started to be forged in Prussian Silesia only during the Liberation War against Napoleon (1813-1815). It was concretised in 1861 in the form of the first Prussian census, when the language a citizen spoke was equated with his/her nationality. A similar census was carried out in Austrian Silesia only in 1881. The censuses forced the Silesians to choose their nationality despite their multiethnic multicultural identities. It was the active promotion of a German identity in Prussian Silesia, and Vienna's uneasy acceptance of the national identities in Austrian Silesia which stimulated the development of Polish national, Moravian ethnic and Upper Silesian ethnic regional identities in Upper Silesia, and Polish national, Czech national, Moravian ethnic and Silesian ethnic identities in Austrian Silesia. While traditional historians speak of the "nationalist struggle" as though it were a permanent characteristic of Silesia, Mr. Kamusella points out that such a struggle only developed in earnest after 1918. What is more, he shows how it has been conveniently forgotten that, besides the national players, there were also significant ethnic movements of Moravians, Upper Silesians, Silesians and the tutejsi (i.e. those who still chose to identify with their locality). At this point Mr. Kamusella moves into the area of linguistics. While traditionally historians have spoken of the conflicts between the three national languages (German, Polish and Czech), Mr Kamusella reminds us that the standardised forms of these languages, which we choose to dub "national", were developed only in the mid-18th century, after 1869 (when Polish became the official language in Galicia), and after the 1870s (when Czech became the official language in Bohemia). As for standard German, it was only widely promoted in Silesia from the mid 19th century onwards. In fact, the majority of the population of Prussian Upper Silesia and Austrian Silesia were bi- or even multilingual. What is more, the "Polish" and "Czech" Silesians spoke were not the standard languages we know today, but a continuum of West-Slavic dialects in the countryside and a continuum of West-Slavic/German creoles in the urbanised areas. Such was the linguistic confusion that, from time to time, some ethnic/regional and Church activists strove to create a distinctive Upper Silesian/Silesian language on the basis of these dialects/creoles, but their efforts were thwarted by the staunch promotion of standard German, and after 1918, of standard Polish and Czech. Still on the subject of language, Mr. Kamusella draws attention to a problem around the issue of place names and personal names. Polish historians use current Polish versions of the Silesian place names, Czechs use current Polish/Czech versions of the place names, and Germans use the German versions which were in use in Silesia up to 1945. Mr. Kamusella attempted to avoid this, as he sees it, nationalist tendency, by using an appropriate version of a place name for a given period and providing its modern counterpart in parentheses. In the case of modern place names he gives the German version in parentheses. As for the name of historical figures, he strove to use the name entered on the birth certificate of the person involved, and by doing so avoid such confusion as, for instance, surrounds the Austrian Silesian pastor L.J. Sherschnik, who in German became Scherschnick, in Polish, Szersznik, and in Czech, Sersnik. Indeed, the prospective Silesian scholar should, Mr. Kamusella suggests, as well as the three languages directly involved in the area itself, know English and French, since many documents and books on the subject have been published in these languages, and even Latin, when dealing in depth with the period before the mid-19th century. Mr. Kamusella divides the policies of ethnic cleansing into two categories. The first he classifies as soft, meaning that policy is confined to the educational system, army, civil service and the church, and the aim is that everyone learn the language of the dominant group. The second is the group of hard policies, which amount to what is popularly labelled as ethnic cleansing. This category of policy aims at the total assimilation and/or physical liquidation of the non-dominant groups non-congruent with the ideal of homogeneity of a given nation-state. Mr. Kamusella found that soft policies were consciously and systematically employed by Prussia/Germany in Prussian Silesia from the 1860s to 1918, whereas in Austrian Silesia, Vienna quite inconsistently dabbled in them from the 1880s to 1917. In the inter-war period, the emergence of the nation-states of Poland and Czechoslovakia led to full employment of the soft policies and partial employment of the hard ones (curbed by the League of Nations minorities protection system) in Czechoslovakian Silesia, German Upper Silesia and the Polish parts of Upper and Austrian Silesia. In 1939-1945, Berlin started consistently using all the "hard" methods to homogenise Polish and Czechoslovakian Silesia which fell, in their entirety, within the Reich's borders. After World War II Czechoslovakia regained its prewar part of Silesia while Poland was given its prewar section plus almost the whole of the prewar German province. Subsequently, with the active involvement and support of the Soviet Union, Warsaw and Prague expelled the majority of Germans from Silesia in 1945-1948 (there were also instances of the Poles expelling Upper Silesian Czechs/Moravians, and of the Czechs expelling Czech Silesian Poles/pro-Polish Silesians). During the period of communist rule, the same two countries carried out a thorough Polonisation and Czechisation of Silesia, submerging this region into a new, non-historically based administrative division. Democratisation in the wake of the fall of communism, and a gradual retreat from the nationalist ideal of the homogeneous nation-state with a view to possible membership of the European Union, caused the abolition of the "hard" policies and phasing out of the "soft" ones. Consequently, limited revivals of various ethnic/national minorities have been observed in Czech and Polish Silesia, whereas Silesian regionalism has become popular in the westernmost part of Silesia which remained part of Germany. Mr. Kamusella believes it is possible that, with the overcoming of the nation-state discourse in European politics, when the expression of multiethnicity and multilingualism has become the cause of the day in Silesia, regionalism will hold sway in this region, uniting its ethnically/nationally variegated population in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity championed by the European Union.

Twelve factors influencing sustainable recycling of municipal solid waste in developing countries

Sustainable management of solid waste is a global concern, as exemplified by the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDG) that 191 member states support. The seventh MDG indirectly advocates for municipal solid waste management (MSWM) by aiming to ensure environmental sustainability into countries’ policies and programs and reverse negative environmental impact. Proper MSWM will likely result in relieving poverty, reducing child mortality, improving maternal health, and preventing disease, which are MDG goals one, four, five, and six, respectively (UNMDG, 2005). Solid waste production is increasing worldwide as the global society strives to obtain a decent quality of life. Several means exist in which the amount of solid waste going to a landfill can be reduced, such as incineration with energy production, composting of organic wastes, and material recovery through recycling, which are all considered sustainable methods by which to manage MSW. In the developing world, composting is already a widely-accepted method to reduce waste fated for the landfill, and incineration for energy recovery can be a costly capital investment for most communities. Therefore, this research focuses on recycling as a solution to the municipal solid waste production problem while considering the three dimensions of sustainability environment, society, and economy. First, twenty-three developing country case studies were quantitatively and qualitatively examined for aspects of municipal solid waste management. The municipal solid waste (MSW) generation and recovery rates, as well as the composition were compiled and assessed. The average MSW generation rate was 0.77 kg/person/day, with recovery rates varying from 5 – 40%. The waste streams of nineteen of these case studies consisted of 0 – 70% recyclable material and 17 – 80% organic material. All twenty-three case studies were analyzed qualitatively by identifying any barriers or incentives to recycling, which justified the creation of twelve factors influencing sustainable municipal solid waste management (MSWM) in developing countries. The presence of regulations, enforcement of laws, and use of incentive schemes constitutes the first factor, Government Policy. Cost of MSWM operations, the budget allocated to MSWM by local to national governments, as well as the stability and reliability of funds comprise the Government Finances factor influencing recycling in the third world. Many case studies indicated that understanding features of a waste stream such as the generation and recovery rates and composition is the first measure in determining proper management solutions, which forms the third factor Waste Characterization. The presence and efficiency of waste collection and segregation by scavengers, municipalities, or private contractors was commonly addressed by the case studies, which justified Waste Collection and Segregation as the fourth factor. Having knowledge of MSWM and an understanding of the linkages between human behavior, waste handling, and health/sanitation/environment comprise the Household Education factor. Individuals’ income influencing waste handling behavior (e.g., reuse, recycling, and illegal dumping), presence of waste collection/disposal fees, and willingness to pay by residents were seen as one of the biggest incentives to recycling, which justified them being combined into the Household Economics factor. The MSWM Administration factor was formed following several references to the presence and effectiveness of private and/or public management of waste through collection, recovery, and disposal influencing recycling activity. Although the MSWM Personnel Education factor was only recognized by six of the twenty-two case studies, the lack of trained laborers and skilled professionals in MSWM positions was a barrier to sustainable MSWM in every case but one. The presence and effectiveness of a comprehensive, integrative, long-term MSWM strategy was highly encouraged by every case study that addressed the tenth factor, MSWM Plan. Although seemingly a subset of private MSWM administration, the existence and profitability of market systems relying on recycled-material throughput, involvement of small businesses, middlemen, and large industries/exporters is deserving of the factor Local Recycled-Material Market. Availability and effective use of technology and/or human workforce and the safety considerations of each were recurrent barriers and incentives to recycling to warrant the Technological and Human Resources factor. The Land Availability factor takes into consideration land attributes such as terrain, ownership, and development which can often times dictate MSWM. Understanding the relationships among the twelve factors influencing recycling in developing countries, made apparent the collaborative nature required of sustainable MSWM. Factors requiring the greatest collaborative inputs include waste collection and segregation, MSWM plan, and local recycled-material market. Aligning each factor to the societal, environmental, and economic dimensions of sustainability revealed the motives behind the institutions contributing to each factor. A correlation between stakeholder involvement and sustainability existed, as supported by the fact that the only three factors driven by all three dimensions of sustainability were the same three that required the greatest collaboration with other factors. With increasing urbanization, advocating for improved health for all through the MDG, and changing consumption patterns resulting in increasing and more complex waste streams, the utilization of the collaboration web offered by this research is ever needed in the developing world. Through its use, the institutions associated with each of the twelve factors can achieve a better understanding of the collaboration necessary and beneficial for more sustainable MSWM.

IS711-based real-time PCR assay as a tool for detection of Brucella spp. in wild boars and comparison with bacterial isolation and serology

BACKGROUND: Control of brucellosis in livestock, wildlife and humans depends on the reliability of the methods used for detection and identification of bacteria. In the present study, we describe the evaluation of the recently established real-time PCR assay based on the Brucella-specific insertion sequence IS711 with blood samples from 199 wild boars (first group of animals) and tissue samples from 53 wild boars (second group of animals) collected in Switzerland. Results from IS711 real-time PCR were compared to those obtained by bacterial isolation, Rose Bengal Test (RBT), competitive ELISA (c-ELISA) and indirect ELISA (i-ELISA). RESULTS: In the first group of animals, IS711 real-time PCR detected infection in 11.1% (16/144) of wild boars that were serologically negative. Serological tests showed different sensitivities [RBT 15.6%, c-ELISA 7.5% and i-ELISA 5.5%] and only 2% of blood samples were positive with all three tests, which makes interpretation of the serological results very difficult. Regarding the second group of animals, the IS711 real-time PCR detected infection in 26% of animals, while Brucella spp. could be isolated from tissues of only 9.4% of the animals. CONCLUSION: The results presented here indicate that IS711 real-time PCR assay is a specific and sensitive tool for detection of Brucella spp. infections in wild boars. For this reason, we propose the employment of IS711 real-time PCR as a complementary tool in brucellosis screening programs and for confirmation of diagnosis in doubtful cases.

New library buildings: the Houston Academy of Medicine--Texas Medical Center Library.

A historical account is given of the Houston Academy of Medicine--Texas Medical Center Library within its Texas Medical Center setting in Houston, Texas. Outlined are planning, financing, and construction of the new library, which consists in part of new building and in part of renovated interiors of an old building originally completed in 1954. A concise picture is given of the new library's interiors, showing its functional success for users and employees alike. An architectural summary is appended showing gross and net footages, source of funds, costs and capacities.

Chemical Composition of Micrometer-Sized Filaments in an Aragonite Host by a Miniature Laser Ablation/Ionization Mass Spectrometer

Detection of extraterrestrial life is an ongoing goal in space exploration, and there is a need for advanced instruments and methods for the detection of signatures of life based on chemical and isotopic composition. Here, we present the first investigation of chemical composition of putative microfossils in natural samples using a miniature laser ablation/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometer (LMS). The studies were conducted with high lateral (similar to 15 mu m) and vertical (similar to 20-200 nm) resolution. The primary aim of the study was to investigate the instrument performance on micrometer-sized samples both in terms of isotope abundance and element composition. The following objectives had to be achieved: (1) Consider the detection and calculation of single stable isotope ratios in natural rock samples with techniques compatible with their employment of space instrumentation for biomarker detection in future planetary missions. (2) Achieve a highly accurate chemical compositional map of rock samples with embedded structures at the micrometer scale in which the rock matrix is easily distinguished from the micrometer structures. Our results indicate that chemical mapping of strongly heterogeneous rock samples can be obtained with a high accuracy, whereas the requirements for isotope ratios need to be improved to reach sufficiently large signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Key Words: Biogenicity-Biomarkers-Biosignatures-Filaments-Fossilization. Astrobiology 15, 669-682.

Liquidity Constraint and Child Labor In India: Is Market Really Incapable Of Eradicating It From Wage-Labor Households?

One way to measure the lower steady state equilibrium outcome in human capital development is the incidence of child labor in most of the developing countries. With the help of Indian household level data in an overlapping generation framework, we show that production loans under credit rationing are not optimally extended towards firms because of issues with adverse selection. More stringent rationing in the credit market creates a distortion in the labor market by increasing adult wage rate and the demand for child labor. Lower availability of funds under stringent rationing coupled with increased demand for loans induces the high risk firms to replace adult labor by child labor. A switch of regime from credit rationing to revelation regime can clear such imperfections in the labor market. The equilibrium higher wage rate elevates the household consumption to a significantly higher level than the subsistence under credit rationing and therefore higher level of human capital development is assured leading to no supply of child labor.

THE IMPLEMENTATION OF FEDERAL FAMILY PLANNING POLICY: AN ANALYSIS OF FACTORS AFFECTING STATE EXPENDITURES, FISCAL YEARS 1976-1981 (WOMEN, BUDGET, POPULATION)

The purpose of this study was to analyze the implementation of national family planning policy in the United States, which was embedded in four separate statutes during the period of study, Fiscal Years 1976-81. The design of the study utilized a modification of the Sabatier and Mazmanian framework for policy analysis, which defined implementation as the carrying out of statutory policy. The study was divided into two phases. The first part of the study compared the implementation of family planning policy by each of the pertinent statutes. The second part of the study identified factors that were associated with implementation of federal family planning policy within the context of block grants.^ Implemention was measured here by federal dollars spent for family planning, adjusted for the size of the respective state target populations. Expenditure data were collected from the Alan Guttmacher Institute and from each of the federal agencies having administrative authority for the four pertinent statutes, respectively. Data from the former were used for most of the analysis because they were more complete and more reliable.^ The first phase of the study tested the hypothesis that the coherence of a statute is directly related to effective implementation. Equity in the distribution of funds to the states was used to operationalize effective implementation. To a large extent, the results of the analysis supported the hypothesis. In addition to their theoretical significance, these findings were also significant for policymakers insofar they demonstrated the effectiveness of categorical legislation in implementing desired health policy.^ Given the current and historically intermittent emphasis on more state and less federal decision-making in health and human serives, the second phase of the study focused on state level factors that were associated with expenditures of social service block grant funds for family planning. Using the Sabatier-Mazmanian implementation model as a framework, many factors were tested. Those factors showing the strongest conceptual and statistical relationship to the dependent variable were used to construct a statistical model. Using multivariable regression analysis, this model was applied cross-sectionally to each of the years of the study. The most striking finding here was that the dominant determinants of the state spending varied for each year of the study (Fiscal Years 1976-1981). The significance of these results was that they provided empirical support of current implementation theory, showing that the dominant determinants of implementation vary greatly over time. ^

The Methodological Application of Modern Historical Science to Qualitative Research

Since the middle of the twentieth century criticism towards quantitative research tools in social sciences has gradually led to attempts to find a new methodology, called 'qualitative research'. At the same time, qualitative research has called for a reconsideration of the usefulness of many of the beneficial tools and methodologies that were discarded during the move to research based on the employment of quantitative research tools. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the essential elements of the qualitative research approach, and then argue for the possibility of introducing the old-established methodology of historical science into qualitative research, in order to raise the accuracy of the qualitative data.

Corruption in Kazakhstan and the quality of governance

In Kazakhstan, uncover of numerous corruption scandals involving government officials has become almost a normal feature of life. Behind the high-profile acts of waging a battle against corruption, however, is a serious and systemic phenomenon. The most endemic form of corruption is the various transfers of funds in the state structures and national companies which remain opaque and thus unaccounted for. There are questions about the volumes and spending of revenues earned from natural resources, and there is no independent monitoring and control of the flow of funds in national oil and gas companies. The main actors involved in the shadow economy are state officials and informal pressure groups, who distribute resources among themselves, and accumulate wealth by way of legalising informal incomes or obtaining official business using connections. While important decision making is carried out among the close circles of the elite, formal institutions remain weak and ineffective.

Changes in source of profits and business strategies? : some evidence from the Philippines' universal banks in the 2000s

In the 2000s, the Philippines' local banking sector have conducted very conservative lending behavior and at the same time, gradually but continuously improved their profitability in terms of ROE (return on equity). A set of analyses on the flow of funds and segment reports (information) of local universal banks, whose loans outstanding to the industrial sector have dominated more than three fourths of the total outstanding, shows that (1) they have actively manage assets overseas, (2) their profitability has come from investment activities in the securities markets, and (3) some universal banks have shifted their resources into the consumer/retail segment. Although further refinement in the dataset is needed for a more detailed analysis, diverse business strategies would be expected among the local universal banks in the near future.

Contribution to the design of waveguide-fed compound-slot arrays by means of equivalent circuit modelling

Los arrays de ranuras son sistemas de antennas conocidos desde los años 40, principalmente destinados a formar parte de sistemas rádar de navíos de combate y grandes estaciones terrenas donde el tamaño y el peso no eran altamente restrictivos. Con el paso de los años y debido sobre todo a importantes avances en materiales y métodos de fabricación, el rango de aplicaciones de este tipo de sistemas radiantes creció en gran medida. Desde nuevas tecnologías biomédicas, sistemas anticolisión en automóviles y navegación en aviones, enlaces de comunicaciones de alta tasa binaria y corta distancia e incluso sistemas embarcados en satélites para la transmisión de señal de televisión. Dentro de esta familia de antennas, existen dos grupos que destacan por ser los más utilizados: las antennas de placas paralelas con las ranuras distribuidas de forma circular o espiral y las agrupaciones de arrays lineales construidos sobre guia de onda. Continuando con las tareas de investigación desarrolladas durante los últimos años en el Instituto de Tecnología de Tokyo y en el Grupo de Radiación de la Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, la totalidad de esta tesis se centra en este último grupo, aunque como se verá se separa en gran medida de las técnicas de diseño y metodologías convencionales. Los arrays de ranuras rectas y paralelas al eje de la guía rectangular que las alimenta son, sin ninguna duda, los modelos más empleados debido a la fiabilidad que presentan a altas frecuencias, su capacidad para gestionar grandes cantidades de potencia y la sencillez de su diseño y fabricación. Sin embargo, también presentan desventajas como estrecho ancho de banda en pérdidas de retorno y rápida degradación del diagrama de radiación con la frecuencia. Éstas son debidas a la naturaleza resonante de sus elementos radiantes: al perder la resonancia, el sistema global se desajusta y sus prestaciones degeneran. En arrays bidimensionales de slots rectos, el campo eléctrico queda polarizado sobre el plano transversal a las ranuras, correspondiéndose con el plano de altos lóbulos secundarios. Esta tesis tiene como objetivo el desarrollo de un método sistemático de diseño de arrays de ranuras inclinadas y desplazadas del centro (en lo sucesivo “ranuras compuestas”), definido en 1971 como uno de los desafíos a superar dentro del mundo del diseño de antennas. La técnica empleada se basa en el Método de los Momentos, la Teoría de Circuitos y la Teoría de Conexión Aleatoria de Matrices de Dispersión. Al tratarse de un método circuital, la primera parte de la tesis se corresponde con el estudio de la aplicabilidad de las redes equivalentes fundamentales, su capacidad para recrear fenómenos físicos de la ranura, las limitaciones y ventajas que presentan para caracterizar las diferentes configuraciones de slot compuesto. Se profundiza en las diferencias entre las redes en T y en ! y se condiciona la selección de una u otra dependiendo del tipo de elemento radiante. Una vez seleccionado el tipo de red a emplear en el diseño del sistema, se ha desarrollado un algoritmo de cascadeo progresivo desde el puerto alimentador hacia el cortocircuito que termina el modelo. Este algoritmo es independiente del número de elementos, la frecuencia central de funcionamiento, del ángulo de inclinación de las ranuras y de la red equivalente seleccionada (en T o en !). Se basa en definir el diseño del array como un Problema de Satisfacción de Condiciones (en inglés, Constraint Satisfaction Problem) que se resuelve por un método de Búsqueda en Retroceso (Backtracking algorithm). Como resultado devuelve un circuito equivalente del array completo adaptado a su entrada y cuyos elementos consumen una potencia acorde a una distribución de amplitud dada para el array. En toda agrupación de antennas, el acoplo mutuo entre elementos a través del campo radiado representa uno de los principales problemas para el ingeniero y sus efectos perjudican a las prestaciones globales del sistema, tanto en adaptación como en capacidad de radiación. El empleo de circuito equivalente se descartó por la dificultad que suponía la caracterización de estos efectos y su inclusión en la etapa de diseño. En esta tesis doctoral el acoplo también se ha modelado como una red equivalente cuyos elementos son transformadores ideales y admitancias, conectada al conjunto de redes equivalentes que representa el array. Al comparar los resultados estimados en términos de pérdidas de retorno y radiación con aquellos obtenidos a partir de programas comerciales populares como CST Microwave Studio se confirma la validez del método aquí propuesto, el primer método de diseño sistemático de arrays de ranuras compuestos alimentados por guía de onda rectangular. Al tratarse de ranuras no resonantes, el ancho de banda en pérdidas de retorno es mucho mas amplio que el que presentan arrays de slots rectos. Para arrays bidimensionales, el ángulo de inclinación puede ajustarse de manera que el campo quede polarizado en los planos de bajos lóbulos secundarios. Además de simulaciones se han diseñado, construido y medido dos prototipos centrados en la frecuencia de 12GHz, de seis y diez elementos. Las medidas de pérdidas de retorno y diagrama de radiación revelan excelentes resultados, certificando la bondad del método genuino Method of Moments - Forward Matching Procedure desarrollado a lo largo de esta tésis. Abstract The slot antenna arrays are well known systems from the decade of 40s, mainly intended to be part of radar systems of large warships and terrestrial stations where size and weight were not highly restrictive. Over the years, mainly due to significant advances in materials and manufacturing methods, the range of applications of this type of radiating systems grew significantly. From new biomedical technologies, collision avoidance systems in cars and aircraft navigation, short communication links with high bit transfer rate and even embedded systems in satellites for television broadcast. Within this family of antennas, two groups stand out as being the most frequent in the literature: parallel plate antennas with slots placed in a circular or spiral distribution and clusters of waveguide linear arrays. To continue the vast research work carried out during the last decades in the Tokyo Institute of Technology and in the Radiation Group at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, this thesis focuses on the latter group, although it represents a technique that drastically breaks with traditional design methodologies. The arrays of slots straight and parallel to the axis of the feeding rectangular waveguide are without a doubt the most used models because of the reliability that they present at high frequencies, its ability to handle large amounts of power and their simplicity of design and manufacturing. However, there also exist disadvantages as narrow bandwidth in return loss and rapid degradation of the radiation pattern with frequency. These are due to the resonant nature of radiating elements: away from the resonance status, the overall system performance and radiation pattern diminish. For two-dimensional arrays of straight slots, the electric field is polarized transverse to the radiators, corresponding to the plane of high side-lobe level. This thesis aims to develop a systematic method of designing arrays of angled and displaced slots (hereinafter "compound slots"), defined in 1971 as one of the challenges to overcome in the world of antenna design. The used technique is based on the Method of Moments, Circuit Theory and the Theory of Scattering Matrices Connection. Being a circuitry-based method, the first part of this dissertation corresponds to the study of the applicability of the basic equivalent networks, their ability to recreate the slot physical phenomena, their limitations and advantages presented to characterize different compound slot configurations. It delves into the differences of T and ! and determines the selection of the most suitable one depending on the type of radiating element. Once the type of network to be used in the system design is selected, a progressive algorithm called Forward Matching Procedure has been developed to connect the proper equivalent networks from the feeder port to shorted ending. This algorithm is independent of the number of elements, the central operating frequency, the angle of inclination of the slots and selected equivalent network (T or ! networks). It is based on the definition of the array design as a Constraint Satisfaction Problem, solved by means of a Backtracking Algorithm. As a result, the method returns an equivalent circuit of the whole array which is matched at its input port and whose elements consume a power according to a given amplitude distribution for the array. In any group of antennas, the mutual coupling between elements through the radiated field represents one of the biggest problems that the engineer faces and its effects are detrimental to the overall performance of the system, both in radiation capabilities and return loss. The employment of an equivalent circuit for the array design was discarded by some authors because of the difficulty involved in the characterization of the coupling effects and their inclusion in the design stage. In this thesis the coupling has also been modeled as an equivalent network whose elements are ideal transformers and admittances connected to the set of equivalent networks that represent the antennas of the array. By comparing the estimated results in terms of return loss and radiation with those obtained from popular commercial software as CST Microwave Studio, the validity of the proposed method is fully confirmed, representing the first method of systematic design of compound-slot arrays fed by rectangular waveguide. Since these slots do not work under the resonant status, the bandwidth in return loss is much wider than the longitudinal-slot arrays. For the case of two-dimensional arrays, the angle of inclination can be adjusted so that the field is polarized at the low side-lobe level plane. Besides the performed full-wave simulations two prototypes of six and ten elements for the X-band have been designed, built and measured, revealing excellent results and agreement with the expected results. These facts certify that the genuine technique Method of Moments - Matching Forward Procedure developed along this thesis is valid and trustable.