Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Survey of the Literature Reading Habits and Preferences of Adolescents: A Study of a Public School in India

Background. In the modern competitive age, reading is the cornerstone for success in all academic disciplines. Objectives. The study sought to find out the literature reading habits and preferences of adolescent students, and the promotional tactics of authors to attract these students towards reading. Methods. The data was collected in the Delhi Public School, Srinagar in India, from students of 11th and 12th classes (grades), aged between 14-16 years. A questionnaire survey was administered to 150 students who were systematically sampled. Results. The study found that adolescents of both genders like reading (69% of girls; 65% of boys) on electronic media. Adolescents have varied tastes in reading. Fiction is the most preferred genre of literature read by respondents, followed by non-fiction. However, girls have a greater preference for fiction compared to boys. Similarly boys have a greater preference for non-fiction compared to girls. Among the various genres of fiction, crime/detective is the most read genre, followed by realistic teen fiction. Romance and poetry are more popular among girls, whereas crime/detective, horror, and realistic teen fiction are more popular among boys. For non-fiction, the respondents generally read selfhelp/personality development books, followed by personalities and historical literature. Boys prefer to read about personalities whereas self-help/personality development is the first preference of girls. To attract adolescents, authors include aggression and violence, romantic language, explicit content (sexuality), and slang/crude language amongst other tactics in their writings (literature).
PhotoPath: single image path depictions from multiple photographs

In this paper we present PhotoPath, an image synthesis technique that allows the visualization of paths through real world environments in a single intuitive picture. Given a series of input photographs taken with a hand-held camera along the path, our method generates an image that creates the impression of looking along the path all the way to the destination regardless of any curves or corners in the route. Rendered from a pedestrian perspective, this visualization supports intuitive wayfinding and orientation while avoiding occlusion of path segments in the image. Our approach intentionally avoids an involved and error-prone scene reconstruction. Instead we advocate the use of planar geometry proxies estimated from the sparse point-cloud obtained with Structure-from-Motion. The proxy geometry is spatially deformed in order to align the curved path with the straight viewing direction of the synthesized view. Finally, we propose a novel image composition algorithm accommodating for parallax and occlusion artifacts due to the approximation errors of the actual scene geometry.
Determination of phytochemical, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and protein binding qualities of hydroethanolic extract of Celastrus paniculatus

The study was performed to check the chemical, antioxidant, antimicrobial and protein binding qualities of the hydro-ethanolic extract of Celastrus paniculatus (CP). Hydro-ethanolic extract of CP exhibited low antibacterial and antifungal activities. Excellent antioxidant activities (60-80 %) were noticed for various antioxidant assays viz DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl), MC (Metal chelating), FRAP (Ferric reducing), SA (Superoxide radical), and NO (Nitric oxide). Total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavanoids content (TFC) of the extract was 1. 38Â±0.15 mg/g (expressed in equivalents to gallic acid) and 8. 91Â±0.21 mg (expressed in equivalents quercetin) respectively. Moreover, at p ≤ 0.05, significant linear correlation was noticed between the TFC/TPC and antioxidant activities favoured which highlights the medicinal property of CP. Protein binding assay was performed and an observed binding constant (1.11Â±0.92A—10-5 ÂµM-1) was almost close to control (aspirin). Anti-inflammatory assay revealed potent anti-inflammatory activity of hydro-alcoholic extract of CP. These significant findings of CP may provide compelling scientific evidence of its therapeutic potential.
Deep0Tag: Deep Multiple Instance Learning for Zero-Shot Image Tagging

Zero-shot learning aims to perform visual reasoning about unseen objects. In-line with the success of deep learning on object recognition problems, several end-to-end deep models for zero-shot recognition have been proposed in the literature. These models are successful in predicting a single unseen label given an input image but do not scale to cases where multiple unseen objects are present. Here, we focus on the challenging problem of zero-shot image tagging, where multiple labels are assigned to an image, that may relate to objects, attributes, actions, events, and scene type. Discovery of these scene concepts requires the ability to process multi-scale information. To encompass global as well as local image details, we propose an automatic approach to locate relevant image patches and model image tagging within the Multiple Instance Learning (MIL) framework. To the best of our knowledge, we propose the first end-to-end trainable deep MIL framework for the multi-label zero-shot tagging problem. We explore several alternatives for instance-level evidence aggregation and perform an extensive ablation study to identify the optimal pooling strategy. Due to its novel design, the proposed framework has several interesting features: 1) unlike previous deep MIL models, it does not use any off-line procedure (e.g., Selective Search or EdgeBoxes) for bag generation. 2) During test time, it can process any number of unseen labels given their semantic embedding vectors. 3) Using only image-level seen labels as weak annotation, it can produce a localized bounding box for each predicted label. We experiment with the large-scale NUS-WIDE and MS-COCO datasets and achieve superior performance across conventional, zero-shot, and generalized zero-shot tagging tasks.
Backhaul-Constrained Resource Allocation and 3D Placement for UAV-Enabled Networks

Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-base stations (BS) are envisioned to provide wireless access to areas where the existing wireless infrastructure is either not deployed, damaged or simply congested. In this paper, the problem of minimizing the transmit power of a UAV-BS, while serving users with their QoS requirements and accounting for the wireless backhaul limitation of the UAV, is investigated. To this end, an algorithm that finds the optimal bandwidth assignment in the backhaul link, the optimal 3D position of the UAV, as well as the transmit power distribution in the access and the backhaul links is proposed. Simulation results show that, using the proposed approach, the needed power is greatly reduced, when compared to a strategy that separates between the frequency band used in the access and the backhaul links. In addition, the performance enhancement of a UAV-enabled system over a traditional one in which the macro base station (MBS) directly serves users is shown.
Interference cancelation for high-density fifth-generation relaying network using stochastic geometrical approach

In order to resolve the issue of coverage limitation for the future fifth-generation network, deploying a relay node within a cell is one of the most capable and cost-effective solution, which not only enhances the coverage but also improves the spectral efficiency. However, this solution leads to the undesired interferences from nearby base station and relay nodes that affects user’s signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio and can cause the ambiguous received signal at the user end. In this article, we have analyzed a relay-based interference-limited network at millimeter wave frequency and proposed a Poisson point process–based model using a stochastic geometrical approach. The results for the proposed Poisson point process model have been evaluated in terms of success probability, network ergodic capacity, and outage probability, compared with the ideal grid model and conventional multiple-antenna ultra-dense network model. The results proved that the success probability and ergodic capacity for the proposed model are 3.5% and 2.3% higher as compared to the most commonly used model for the high-density network, respectively. Furthermore, the results have been analyzed at different multiple-input-multiple-output antenna configuration, which validates the model in the improvement of overall network performance even for higher number of antennas.
STRATEGIES TO REDEFINE THE PROBLEM EXPLORATION SPACE FOR DESIGN INNOVATION

Designers are used to solving problems that are given to them, leading them to focus on creating feasible solutions rather than exploring novel perspectives on the presented problems. Creative innovations in problem understanding may lead directly to more innovation solutions. Although problem exploration has been identified as a key process in design thinking, how designers restructure and reframe the problem is not fully examined. The present work aimed to understand how designers intentionally explore variants of problems on the way to solutions. Through an empirical study industrial design students, we documented a high degree of variation in the problem perspectives among the design students working on the same problem. Analysis of qualitative changes in problem perspectives revealed systematic patterns. The results showed a causal relationship between the number of strategies used in reframing the problem and the quality of the solution generated. Evidence for the utility of problem exploration strategies in the problem defining stage is examined and suggestions for their use in design pedagogy are provided.
Use of filtrate from crop residue ash for cooking in rural households in Northern Uganda.

Filtrate made from crop residue ash is used as a traditional cooking additive in Northern Uganda to decrease cooking time of legumes and impart a culturally preferred taste. The environmental and health implications of this practice are poorly understood. Research conducted in Northern Uganda and Canada included comparison of cooking times for black beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) among four cooking water treatments, yielding an 18% time savings with ash filtrate over the control. Palatability evaluation revealed beans cooked with ash filtrate were not preferred over other treatments. Study site and treatment significantly impacted overall palatability scores. Inductively coupled plasma - mass spectrometry analysis showed high mineral content for crop ash but low values for crop ash filtrate. Daily consumption amounts of beans cooked with ash filtrate contributes elemental levels (e.g., calcium and iron) within nutritional standards. However, the highly alkaline nature of ash filtrate may have anti-nutritional effects on diet. --Leaf ii.
CL-mWSNs: Cross Layer Model-Based QoS Centric Routing Protocol for Mission-Critical Cooperative Communication in Mobile WSNs

The paper presents a robust QoS centric routing protocol for mission-critical communication over mobile Wireless Sensor Networks (CL-mWSN) that exploits dynamic network states from the diﬀerent layers of the IEEE 802.15. 4 protocol stack to make the routing decision. The CL-mWSN protocol exploits three key layers: application layer, network layer and MAC layer. It exhibits proactive network and node table management, service diﬀerentiation, fair resource scheduling and congestion detection, avoidance at the network layer, as well as dynamic link quality estimation and packet injection rate estimation at the MAC layer to assess its candidature as the best forwarding node for QoS-centric mission-critical communication. Simulation reveals that the proposed routing model exhibits higher throughput, minimum loss and deadline miss ratio that augments QoS provision in mobile WSNs.
The dual role of BI 2536, a small-molecule inhibitor that targets PLK1, in induction of apoptosis and attenuation of autophagy in neuroblastoma cells

Neuroblastoma (NB) is the most common extra-cranial solid tumor in childhood with the overall 5 years' survival less than 40%. Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) is a serine/threonine-protein kinase expressed during mitosis and over expressed in multiple cancers, including neuroblastoma. We found that higher PLK1 expression related to poor outcome of NB patients. BI2536, a small molecule inhibitor against PLK1, significantly reduced cell viability in a panel of NB cell lines, with IC50 less than 100 nM. PLK1 inhibition by BI 2536 treatment induced cell cycle arrest at G2/M phase and cell apoptosis in NB cells. Realtime PCR array revealed the PLK1 inhibition related genes, such as BIRC7, TNFSF10, LGALS1 and DAD1 et al. Moreover, autophagy activity was investigated in the NB cells treated with BI 2536. BI 2536 treatment in NB cells increased LC3-II puncta formation and LC3-II expression. Formation of autophagosome induced by BI 2536 was observed by transmission electron microscopy. However, BI2536 abrogated the autophagic flux in NB cells by reducing SQSTM1/p62 expression and AMPKαT172 phosphorylation. These results provide new clues for the molecular mechanism of cell death induced by BI 2536 and suggest that BI 2536 may act as new candidate drug for neuroblastoma.
The Mechanism of ER to Cytosol Retrotranslocation of Proteins Targeted to ERAD (ER Associated Degradation)

Retro-translocation from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to the cytosol of secretory and membrane proteins takes place on misfolded molecules targeted for proteasomal degradation, in a process called ER associated degradation (ERAD). Because of the difficulties in clearly discriminating the fraction of molecules already retro-translocated from the ones in the ER, we took advantage of the E. coli biotin-ligase (BirA) expressed in the cytosol of mammalian cells, to specifically biotin-label proteins that undergo retro-translocation. The method was validated using four different model proteins, known to undergo retro-translocation upon different conditions: the MHC-1α chain, the non-secretory null-Hong Kong mutant of α1 antitrypsin, the immunoglobulin γH chain and calreticulin. The specific mono-biotinylation of only cytosolically dislocated molecules resulted in a novel quantitative method to determine the extent of retro-translocation. The method was used to study dislocation of CD4 and BST-2/Tetherin, two membrane proteins targeted to degradation by the HIV-1 protein Vpu. It was found that CD4 retro-translocates with oxidised intra-chain disulphide bridges that only upon proteasomal inhibition accumulates in the cytosol in reduced and de-glycosylated form. Similarly, BST-2/Tetherin is first exposed to the cytosol as a dimeric-oxidised complex, which then becomes de-glycosylated and reduced to monomers. Experiments with the non-secreted NS1 Ig-κ light chain showed that also this ERAD model protein is retro-translocated with oxidised cysteines. The role of VCP/p97-ATPase in retro-translocation was investigated. In contrast to what previously reported, it was found that it is not required to dislocate ERAD substrates from the ER lumen to the cytosol, while it is required for efficient de-glycosylation and proteasomal degradation of ERAD substrates. The results obtained indicate that complete cysteine reduction and unfolding is not strictly required for retro-translocation, suggesting alternative mechanisms of the ERAD pathway. In addition, the role of VCP/p97-ATPase was found associated to stages downstream of membrane crossing.
Malicious mobile code related experiments with an extensible network simulator

The automated spread of worms such as Code-Red, SQL/Slammer, and Nimda have caused costly problems to computers connected to the Internet. Even users whose machines were not vulnerable to these threats suffered a loss of productivity and experienced great frustration as connectivity and network traffic were negatively impacted during outbreaks. Although the number of new worm attacks reported in the media seems to be declining, it is vital that researchers study the effects of malicious code on the global network to understand how to defend against future threats. The choice of system for studying the spread of worms and viruses in this work was Hephaestus, a discrete-event network simulator, developed during the course of this dissertation. Several experiments on self-replicating malicious computer code—including the validation of the simulator through a study of the spread of Code-Red, efficiently defending against email-based worms, and distributing policy information in an enterprise network—have been performed. This dissertation reports the results of these experiments as well as a theoretical insight concerning spread metrics and how the damage caused by malicious code should be measured.
Gaseous emissions during agricultural biomass combustion in a 50 kw moving step grate boiler

Results of the study examining carbon monoxide and nitric oxide concentrations while burning different types of agricultural biomass: coffee husk pellets alone or in combination with wheat straw pellets and cherry stones, sewage sludge pellets, corn stover briquettes and a mixture of rye straw briquettes and miscanthus briquettes were presented. The combustion was performed in a 50 kW boiler type Biowarmer with a cast-iron moving step grate. The temperature in the combustion chamber did not exceed 800 ◦ C. For all biomass types, only brittle slag was generated in the furnace, which was easily broken by a reciprocating movement of the grate. Carbon monoxide concentration in the ﬂue gas except for the case of sewage sludge pellet ﬁring did not exceed the permitted value of 3000 mg/m 3 and nitric oxide concentration 515 mg/m 3 , both presented for 10% O 2 concentration in the ﬂue gas based in dry gas. Hydrocarbon concentrations for all test runs were close to zero.
The effect of calcium suspension concentration on the hydroxy-apatite structures and purity

The presented work aimed to the hydroxyapatite (HAP) preparation through the wet precipitation method, which consists of drop-wise phosphoric acid addition to stirring calcium suspension. For this, the materials called CPW10, CPW50, CPW100 and CPW200 were obtained by using the concentration of the calcium suspension as variable. To characterize the obtained materials, XRD, FTIR, SEM/EDS and TGA analysis were carried out. The results obtained showed that the calcium suspension concentration plays a crucial role for the structure and purity of the prepared materials. It found that low reagent dispersion i.e. high concentration leads to the formation of carbonated hydroxyapatite with secondary phases including the un-reacted calcium source. Moreover, low suspension concentrations promote the formation of the carbonated hydroxyapatite as a single-phase. Indeed, the results demonstrate that the increase in the calcium concentration is accompanied by an increase of the carbonate contents in the final materials. 0 50
Four Ways of Reasoning About Space and Their Relation to Visual Search

A framework of spatial thought and language proposed by Chatterjee (2008) was extended to organize measures of spatial tasks (Uttal, Meadow, Tipton, Hand, Alden, Warren, & Newcombe, 2013). Uttal et al. posited that people reason about space based on recognizing and manipulating objects; dimensions of object features (intrinsic vs. extrinsic) and object movement (static vs. dynamic). Uttal et al. proposed four types spatial of spatial processes: Spatial visualization (intrinsic-static); spatial perception (extrinsic-static); mental rotation (intrinsic-dynamic); and spatial orientation (extrinsic-dynamic). Each type of spatial process involves a particular focus of spatial reasoning on the object proper (spatial visualization), its locative relations (spatial perception), manner of motion (mental rotation), or path of motion (spatial orientation). Undergraduates (N = 304) completed 14 spatial tasks identified by Uttal et al. (2013) as measures of the four spatial types. Participants also completed a visual search task hypothesized to involve spatial processes. The four-factor model provided a good fit to the spatial ability measures. Although men performed better than women on most of the spatial measures, the model of spatial reasoning implied by the typology fit the data by gender. A two-factor model of easy and difficult visual search fit the observed data. However, structural models relating all four spatial types to visual search did not converge, presumably due to multiple unmeasured relations between visual search and spatial measures. Multiple regression showed that mental rotation predicted easy visual search. Spatial visualization, spatial orientation, and gender predicted difficult visual search. These findings support the validity of the four factor model, specifically, the relations between easy and difficult visual search and three of the spatial reasoning factors. Mental rotation as an ability to recognize the manner of motion of objects predicted performance on easy visual search. Spatial visualization, operationalized as the recognition of objects by their static, intrinsic features, was a fundamental factor in resolving difficult visual search. Spatial orientation was an important predictor to distinguish moving targets from distractors on the basis of their unique features. The current results extend our understanding of individual differences in spatial abilities and provide support for the Uttal et al. framework.
A new area and power efficient DCT circuits using sporadic logarithmic shifters

Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT) is by far the most widely adopted transformation in digital image and video processing. Particularly for applications in mobile and smart devices, the required DCT needs to be realized with small circuit area and low power cost. In this paper, a new area-and power-e ﬃ cient DCT architecture design is proposed. To reduce the area and power cost, temporal redundancy in matrix-vector multiplication is eliminated by time-multiplexing recon ﬁ gurable multipliers. To further reduce the complexity, a new minimization algorithm is proposed to maximize the utilization of the newly developed sporadic programmable shifters. Our experimental results on FPGA show signi ﬁ cant circuit area reduction by at least 39.0% and power-e ﬃ ciency improvement by at least 12.3% over existing advanced DCT circuits reported in the literature.