Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
In-depth Analysis and Enhancements of RO-PUFs with a Partial Reconfiguration Framework on Xilinx Zynq-7000 SoC FPGAs

Physical unclonable functions (PUFs) are excellent candidates to generate secret information on-chip without the need for secure storage. Ring-oscillator (RO) based PUFs have been receiving great attention over the years due to their easy design and superior statistical characteristics on field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). Although previous work has improved their statistical measures and provided deeper insights, there are still gaps to be filled. Therefore, this work presents an in-depth analysis of RO-PUFs on Xilinx Zynq-7000 FPGAs with a framework based on partial reconfiguration. This approach allows for full-chip characterization of 100% of the targeted area. Based on the measured data and beforehand estimated routing delay, we will show how to identify and avoid potential bias in the final PUF placement. By utilizing DSP48 slices, an enhanced counter was designed for high-frequency measurements. A second feedback path was added to the ring-oscillators in order to avoid glitches at the counters input. In combination with a reference normalization, the frequency standard deviation could be reduced to 0.0229% at a much shorter evaluation time of 10μs compared to the state-of-the-art, while maintaining the maximum inter-hamming distance. An investigation on the influence of spatial distribution on different RO pairings was performed. The chip variations were found to have a much larger effect on the statistical measures than the difference between logic elements. The measurement data and the framework will be made accessible to interested researchers to provide them with a data basis for further research.
数奇にして模型 : Numerical models

模型交換会会場の公会堂でモデル女性の死体が発見された。 死体の首は切断されており、発見された部屋は密室状態。 同じ密室内で昏倒していた大学院生・寺林高司に嫌疑がかけられたが、彼は同じ頃にＭ工業大で起こった女子大学院生密室殺人の容疑者でもあった。 複雑に絡まった謎に犀川・西之園師弟が挑む。
Contesting the Political Economy of Higher Education: Educating the Good Citizen

In national and international sectors, citizenship is constantly contested, negotiated, and reinvented across geographical boundaries. Higher education institutions around the world have focused on embedding graduate outcomes that characterize the ideal global citizen across the curriculum. International mobility programs promote international staff and student exchanges as a strategy to develop global citizenship. This paper presents a critical review of the notion of global citizenship through the narrative of a doctoral graduate who made his journey as a good citizen within an international mobility context. A research network-based framework is proposed for the higher education sector to assess the impact of regional advantage, labor, and international mobility programs. The authors contest the political economy of higher education for developing global citizenship as a corporate endeavor and submit that the international higher education vision should refocus on good citizenship instead as a moral imperative.
Mechanisms of Blast-induced Mtbi

Blast-induced traumatic brain injury (TBI) has become a major issue as a consequence of deployment of military personnel under the Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) in Iraq and Afghanistan, respectively. Threats during missions of the (Dutch) troops in these recent operations are not comparable with threats experienced formerly. They now have to deal with Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), e.g. road side bombs and suicide attacks. Especially long term consequences for personnel being exposed to less severe, non life threatening blast loads are diagnosed frequently in military hospitals. Research on blast induced mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI) is mainly related to the clinical diagnosis and therapy. Diagnostic tools and therapy monitoring are the main focus in these mTBI research programs. Victims suffer from cognitive deficiencies. Blast experiments with laboratory rats revealed changes in behavior in combination with axonal injuries. However, the physics of the injury mechanisms are not well understood. Actually, the physics of transfer of external blast through the skull into the brain is not known in such detail to develop injury criteria which allow for quantification of the risk on brain injury. TNO aims at developing knowledge to assess the mitigation of the blast load to the brain by a variety of protective measures, e.g. helmets or operational instructions on location. The mechanisms of shock wave propagation in air and human head have been investigated by conducting accurate measurements and computer simulations. Recently used numerical models, composed of uncoupled Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) and Finite Element (FE) models gave limitations in reliability and adaptation. Proposed is a model that consists of a Multi-Material Arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian (MMALE) model for the air blast and a Lagrangian model for the simplified head structure, coupled by a penalty function. In this final MSc project, focus will be on numerical modeling of exposure to blast of a skull/brain structure in a shock tube environment. In the literature survey presented here, recent findings in experimental studies on both animal and (simplified) human head surrogate models, as well as findings from numerical studies will be reviewed. This survey gives an overview of stateof-the-art knowledge about injury mechanisms for blast-induced traumatic brain injury, and furthermore, it will state the missing aspects that will be addressed in the numerical study.
Comparing the Efficiency of Nursery and Direct Transplanting Methods for Restoring Endangered Corals

ABSTRACT:Restoration of plants, corals, and other sessile species often involves transplanting individuals to sites chosen for rehabilitation. Transplanted individuals are sometimes harvested directly from wild populations (direct transplanting), and sometimes propagated or cultured in a "nursery" before being transplanted (nursery outplanting). The ecological effectiveness and cost-efficiency of these methods have rarely been compared, so we performed an experiment to address this. Coral fragments, Acropora cervicornis (n = 780), were collected and assigned to one of three treatments: 1) directly transplanted to a restoration site and placed loose on the reef; 2) directly transplanted and manually attached to the reef; 3) moved to a nursery site near the restoration site for three months before being transplanted and manually attached to the reef. Treatment 1 was inefficient simply because these corals survived poorly. After 15 months, the survival and growth of corals assigned to treatments 2 and 3 was similar. The nursery method (3) was more expensive and time-consuming than direct transplanting (2), so treatment 2 yielded twice as many surviving corals per hour of work invested and three times as many survivors per dollar of set-up costs as treatment 3. The net production of live coral tissue per hour or per dollar invested was also greatest for direct-attached transplants. Cost- and time-efficiency are important considerations for practitioners seeking to maximize the area of reef rehabilitated and, in this case study, were maximized by bypassing a nursery stage.
IMPROVING EFL LEARNERS’ SPEAKING PROFICIENCY THROUGH INSTAGRAM VLOG

This research investigated whether Instagram Vlog contributed to the improvement of EFL’s speaking ability. It also examined learners’ perceptions on the integration of Instagram Vlog in a speaking class. There were 28 participants involved in this research. To determine the impact of the Instagram Vlog on EFL learners’ speaking ability, pre- and post-tests were administered to measure the improvement. The results indicated that the implementation of Instagram Vlog into a basic-level speaking class improved the learners’ speaking proficiency in terms of pronunciation, fluency, vocabulary, syntax, and general use of the target language. The analysis of the questionnaire demonstrated that the utilization of Instagram vlog contributed to EFL learners’ speaking skill on enhancing fluency, acquiring vocabulary items, and boosting confidence and motivation. DOI: doi.org/10.24071/llt.2019. 220111
Life Satisfaction, and Anxiety Levels among University Students

University or College years seem to be a stressful time for students due to many challenges: academic, personal adjustment to a new life, and socially building new friendships. Life satisfaction is considered one of the basic components of psychological well-being. Studies have supported that lower levels of life satisfaction have been related to high levels of anxiety. Also the constructs of assertiveness and empathy seem to be related with life satisfaction. The present study compares 1st and 4th-year undergraduate students in relation to variables such as life satisfaction (The Life Satisfaction Index), stress, (STAI) assertiveness (Rathus Assertiveness Schedule) and empathy (Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI)). The participants were in total 410, 1st year (N = 205) and 4th year (N = 205) undergraduate students. All findings are discussed in detail; some main results showed that: 1) Independently of sex students had similar anxiety levels; life satisfaction was significantly higher among those with low state anxiety but not with low trait anxiety; 2) Trait anxiety score analysis revealed nonsignificant results; 3) Young women are more life satisfied compared to young men among 1st year students; 4) The percent of students with high life satisfaction is significantly higher among those that grew up in urban and semi-urban regions compared to those that grew up in other regions. The findings of the present study emphasize the need to explore ways to help undergraduate students to adjust during their academic years and life at the University.
Posterior vertebral column resection for congenital rigid spinal deformities

Background: The goal in surgical management of complex spinal deformities is to safely realign the spine as much as possible in both sagittal and coronal planes. Standard posterior and or middle column osteotomies are associated with limitations to correct the severe rigid curves. The purpose of this study was to assess the clinical and radiographic results of posterior vertebral column resection (PVCR) for surgical management of complex congenital rigid spinal deformities. Methods: Thirty-five patients with congenital rigid spinal deformities were enrolled in this prospective study. Preoperative measurement of curve magnitude and stiffness was done. Postoperative degrees of correction also were measured. The mean percentage of correction was calculated. Intraoperative and postoperative complications were reported. The minimum follow-up period was 2 yr. Results: Nineteen patients had rigid kyphosis and 16 had kyphoscoliosis. Their etiologies were due to congenital vertebral anomalies. An average of 1.5 vertebrae were resected intraoperatively. Radiographically the mean preoperative kyphosis was 68.9 degrees and in those patients with kyphoscoliosis, the mean preoperative value was 38 degrees. They improved on immediate follow-up to 24.5 and 11 degrees, respectively. At final follow-up the mean loss of correction in the sagittal plane was 3.6 degrees, which was statistically insignificant. All patients showed solid fusion at final follow-up. Complications were noted in seven patients, including dural tear, pleural tear, and postoperative wound infection that were managed accordingly. Conclusions: Single-stage PVCR is a highly effective option in the management of rigid spinal deformities with satisfactory clinical and radiographic outcomes.
RESOURCE-USE EFFICIENCY IN MAIZE PRODUCTION IN OYO STATE, NIGERIA

This study examined the socio-economic characteristics of the maize farmers, undertook cost and returns analysis of maize production as basis for assessing the profitability of the enterprise and estimated the farm production function of maize so as to determine the productivity and efficiency of resource in maize production. The population for the study consists of all maize farmers in Oyo State, Nigeria. Both structured questionnaire and interview schedule were used in collecting information from 300 maize farmers in the study area. A multistage random sampling technique was employed. The results show that farm size (x ), labour cost (x ) and cost of seeds (x ) have a significant relationship 1 2 4 with revenue. The ratio of the MVP of the various resources to the value of their cost indicates that the resources are yet to be efficiently utilized as far as maize production is concerned in the study area. However, optimum economic returns to maize farmers could be achieved by increasing the size of the farm, employing more labour, applying more fertilizer and chemical and increasing level of employment of seed.
CARDIAC FUNCTION AND MUSCULAR OXYGEN DESATURATION IN SPRINT AND ENDURANCE COHORTS DURING THE INCREMENTAL BICYCLE ERGOMETRY

Research background and hypothesis. The objective of this study was to compare the velocity of changes of cardiac output and muscular oxygen desaturation during the graded exercise stress in endurance and sprint cohorts. Research methods. The subjects, 13 long distance runners and 11 sprinters, underwent a 50W increase in workload every 6 minutes and they exercised till the inability to continue the workout. The heart rate (HR), cardiac output and oxygen desaturation (StO2) in lateral head of the rectus femoral muscle were registered. Research results. The averaged values of change in cardiac output at each stage of workout were similar for both cohorts. We found statistically significantly higher velocities of changes in StO2 in the sprint cohort than in the endurance cohort. The lower physical performance abilities are typical of the sprint cohort compared to the endurance cohort but three was no difference between the averaged maximal HR values registered at the end of incremental ergometry. During the exercising with given work rate at stages which became subjectively hard, the StO2 decreased to the same smallest level. This means that the same type of change and the same smallest degree of StO2 occurs just before the inability to continue the exercising. Discussions and conclusions. The endurance cohort features a more extensive slow augmentation and greater peak values of cardiac output compared to the sprint cohort. The same type of changes and the same degree of muscular oxygen desaturation occur at the point of the inability to continue the exercising, but faster changes in oxygen desaturation in muscular tissue are characteristic of the sprint cohort compared to the sprint cohort.
The Role of Dietary Energy and Macronutrients Intake in Prevalence of Irritable Bowel Syndromes

Background Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a chronic gastrointestinal disorder characterized by abdominal pain and altered bowel habits in the absence of any detectable organic illnesses. Interest in the effect of dietary opponents to the IBS pathogenesis has been increased in recent years. This study aims to review previous studies to determine the relationship between IBS prevalence in community and dietary energy and macronutrients intakes according to the national nutrition surveys. Methods A literature search was conducted in PubMed and EMBASE to September, 2018, to identify population-based studies that reported the prevalence of IBS. Daily energy intake, daily carbohydrates, and protein and fat percent contribution to energy intake (%) were obtained from study population-based national nutrition survey. The correlations of prevalence of IBS and dietary intakes were obtained by Spearman coefficient or Pearson coefficient. Results Global prevalence of IBS was 11.7%. There was no correlation between overall prevalence of IBS of individual countries and national energy intake (P = 0.785), protein proportion (P = 0.063), carbohydrates proportion (P = 0.505), or fat proportion (P = 0.384) according to the years when the studies were conducted. No correlations were detected between dietary intake and male or female IBS prevalence. Interestingly, protein proportion was positively correlated with the prevalence of IBS in Rome III criteria (r = 0.569). Conclusion Our findings demonstrate that dietary energy and macronutrients intake do not play a direct role in prevalence of IBS. However, IBS diagnostic criteria seem to have a bias on the correlation between prevalence of IBS and dietary intake. Further studies are needed to confirm the correlation between prevalence of IBS and specific dietary intake.
Dehairing of animal hides and skins by alkaline proteases of Aspergillus oryzae for efficient processing to leather products in Tanzania

The leather industry is one among the most vital sectors for economic development contributing to high earnings. However, tanning of hides and skins is constrained by primitive technology and the use of hazardous chemicals that contribute to environmental pollution. This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of alkaline protease on dehairing animal hides and skins under different conditions. Alkaline protease was extracted from Aspergillus oryzae MG429773 cultured by solid state fermentation with a medium containing rice husks supplemented with 1% mineral solution incubated at 30 to 35°C for 7 days at pHs ranging from 7.5 to 9.5. The filtrate was used as a crude enzyme solution and also partially purified for a dehairing bioassay. Four pieces of cattle hide and goat skin (10 cm × 10 cm) were soaked or sprayed with enzyme solutions for a maximum of 5 days. Percentages of depilation of the hides and skins were recorded at 6 and 12 h intervals. Enzyme produced by A. oryzae showed the highest dehairing activity from 15 to 20% concentration of partially purified enzyme whereby 100% of goat and cattle hairs were removed within 24 and 48 h, respectively. For 5 and 10% enzyme concentration, 93.75 and 68.75% of hide and skin depilated in 72 h, whereas for the control 0.0 to 6.5% depilation was achieved in 72 h in hide and skins, respectively. Application of the A. oryzae protease by spray method was superior over a dipping method that released hair in effluent and caused skin decay after 5 days of exposure. This study indicates that enzyme extracted from cheaply available resources is efficient for dehairing by a spray method could be a potential technology for application by local tanners to improve the leather industry in Tanzania. Key words: Alkaline protease, enzymatic dehairing, hides and skins, leather industry, fungal biotechnology.
Papel potencial de Aedes albopictus Skuse en la transmisión de virus dengue (DENV) en una zona de actividad piñera de Costa Rica

Objetivo: Evaluar, bajo una perspectiva ecológica, la presencia de Aedes albopictus y su infección natural por virus dengue (DENV) en una zona de actividad piñera de Costa Rica. Métodos: Se colectaron mosquitos adultos en galerías forestales colindantes con piñeras, viviendas en proximidad a cultivos (<1 Km) y viviendas en lejanía (1-10 Km). Se empleó el índice de Shannon-Wiener para estimar biodiversidad. La infestación larvaria se evaluó en plantas de piña y viviendas, y se calcularon índices aédicos de viviendas (IV) y contenedores (IC). Mediante RT-PCR y secuenciación, se detectó DENV en adultos (cuerpos y cabezas) y larvas de Ae. albopictus.Resultados: Se colectaron 1376 adultos en total: Ae. albopictus (5,81%), Anopheles apicimacula (5,01%), Culex coronator (11,55%), Cx. inflictus (6,1%), Cx. nigripalpus (48,11%), Cx. quinquefasciatus (23,34%) y Limatus durhamii (0,07%). El índice de biodiversidad fue mayor en galerías forestales. Ae. albopictus adultos fueron colectados principalmente en el área de piñeras (73/80), aunque sólo 2 larvas en las plantas de piña. Los índices aédicos en proximidad (IV: 40,7%, IC: 26,9) y en lejanía (IV: 51,7%, IC: 29,6%) no mostraron diferencias (IV Z=0,56, p=0,58; IC Z=0,16, p=0,87). Se detectó DENV-2 y DENV-3 en 2/20 “pooles” de cabezas y DENV-1 en 2/74 “pooles” de larvas de Ae. albopictus. Discusión: Las galerías forestales próximas a cultivos de piña podrían considerarse “islas ecológicas” adecuadas para el refugio de Ae. albopictus. La presencia de DENV en adultos y larvas sugiere un papel activo de Ae. albopictus en la transmisión en este ecosistema.
Agricultural and geographic factors shaped the North American 2015 highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N2 outbreak

The 2014 – 2015 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5NX outbreak represents the largest and most expensive HPAI outbreak in the United States to date. Despite extensive traditional and molecular epidemiological studies, factors associated with the spread of HPAI among midwestern poultry premises remain unclear. To better understand the dynamics of this outbreak, 182 full genome HPAI H5N2 sequences isolated from commercial layer chicken and turkey production premises were analyzed using evolutionary models modified to incorporate epidemiological and geographic information. Epidemiological compartmental models constructed in a phylogenetic framework provided evidence that poultry type acted as a barrier to the transmission of virus among midwestern poultry farms. Furthermore, after initial introduction, a continuous external source of virus was not needed to explain the propagation of HPAI cases within the commercial poultry industries. Discrete trait diffusion models indicated that within state viral transitions occurred more frequently than inter-state transitions. Distance, road density and proportion of water coverage were all supported as associated with viral transition between county groups (Bayes Factor > 3.0). Together these findings indicate that the midwestern poultry industries were not a single homogenous population, but rather, the outbreak was shaped by poultry sectors and geographic factors. AUTHOR SUMMARY The highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreak among poultry farms in the midwestern United States appears to be influenced by agricultural and geographic factors. After initial introduction of the virus into the poultry industries, no further introductions (such as from a wild bird reservoir) were necessary to explain the continuation of the outbreak from March to June 2015. Additionally, evidence suggests that proximity increases the chances of viral movement between two locations. While many hypotheses have been proposed to explain the transmission of virus among poultry farms, the support for road density as an important driver of viral movement suggests human-mediated viral transportation played a key role in the spread of the highly pathogenic H5N2 outbreak in North America.
THE EFFECT OF ACADEMIC DISCIPLINE AND GENDER DIFFERENCE ON TAIWANESE COLLEGE STUDENTS' LEARNING STYLES AND STRATEGIES IN WEB-BASED LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS

This paper explores students’ learning styles in relation to learning strategies in web-based learning environments, and in particular, how academic discipline and gender differences affect learning styles and learning strategies in web-based learning for college students in Taiwan. The results show that regardless of learning strategy, academic discipline or gender, the visual type learner is the most dominate learning style for web learners. In addition, sensing learners have significantly lower scores in the dimension of anxiety than moderate learners, which indicates that sensing learners feel uneasy in a web-based learning atmosphere, and its related activities. The study also finds that sequential learners are more highly motivated than moderate and global learners, and female learners have higher motivation than male learners in web learning situations. Moreover, students in colleges of liberal arts are less active in web-based learning, as compared with other colleges. Future directions and other related issues are also discussed.