Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Lidar Point Cloud Compression, Processing and Learning for Autonomous Driving

As technology advances, cities are getting smarter. Smart mobility is the key element in smart cities and Autonomous Driving (AV) are an essential part of smart mobility. However, the vulnerability of unmanned vehicles can also affect the value of life and human safety. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive analysis of 3D Point-Cloud (3DPC) processing and learning in terms of development, advancement, and performance for the AV system. 3DPC has recently attracted growing interest due to its extensive applications, such as autonomous driving, computer vision, and robotics. Light Detection and Ranging Sensors (LiDAR) is one of the most significant sensors in AV, which collects 3DPC that can accurately capture the outer surfaces of scenes and objects. Learning and processing tools in the 3DPC are essential for creating maps, perceptions, and localization devices in AV. The intention behind 3DPC learning and practical processing tools is to be considered the most essential modules to create, locate, and perceive maps in an AV system. The goal of the study is to know “what has been tested in AV system so far and what is necessary to make it safer and more practical in AV system. ” We also provide insights into the necessary open problems that are required to be resolved in the future.
Estimating Suitability of Localities for Biotechnical Measures on Drainage System Application in Vojvodina

Increasing the efficiency of a drainage system, reflected in the timely evacuation of excess water from the active layer of soil, is possible by applying biotechnical measures. These measures include a broad variety of actions, including using different types of vegetation intended to solve individual or groups of problems, e.g. improving water quality, protecting the soil from water and wind erosion, and increasing biodiversity. The factors on which the decision concerning the location where the biotechnical measures will be applied would be made mainly depend on the vulnerability of the drainage system. Estimation of the suitability of localities for biotechnical measures would include identifying key factors and appropriately evaluating them, using GIS technology for spatial analysis, and an objective determination of the weight criteria based on entropy. As a result of the process described, optimal locations for the application of biotechnical measures were obtained, and findings show that utilization of these measures in Vojvodina has a significant and positive potential in water management, agriculture and forestry in both ecological and economic senses. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Online Reviews and Buying Decisions: A Demographic and Psychographic Analysis

This research examines buyer perceptions of product reviews while shopping online. Adaptations of the Consumer Self-Confidence Scale and personality inventories were used to address our research objectives in an online setting. Primary data was obtained using an online data collection instrument. Using a convenience-based random sampling methodology email, social media, and texting, were used to generate participation and yielded 207 participants. The survey collected both demographic and psychographic data, followed by responses on the use of online reviews in reaching online purchase decisions, and frequency of purchase in various product categories. Based on our data we draw several conclusions of interest to both, marketing scholars and practitioners. Our findings will allow online companies to gain insight into how consumers factor in reviews posted by others in making online purchase decisions and consequently design effective marketing strategies to serve their customers. The paper concludes with avenues for future research in the area.
Microaggression Experiences of Queer Science Students in Their Departments

: This study explored how the feelings of comfort and safety of LGBTQ+ undergraduate science majors in their departments at a mid-size Midwestern university affected their academic success. The literature provides a number of studies about LGBTQ+ STEM faculty, campus and departmental climate studies for LGBTQ+ students, and microaggressions experienced by a variety of students and faculty from historically underrepresented groups. There is little literature directly connecting campus climate work to STEM departments’ climates and the experiences of LGBTQ+ undergraduates. This study utilized a qualitative approach to explore the experiences of STEM majors who identified as LGBTQ+. A narrative approach to the research emphasized the voices of these marginalized students. Three participants participated in one interview per semester over two subsequent semesters for a total of six interviews, which were then coded using emergent themes. The most interesting findings were related to potential microaggressions experienced by the students, such as specific passive negative experiences or general negative feelings about expressing their identities. This study found that LGBTQ+ undergraduates in science departments may experience microaggressions because of their sexual orientation but may lack the language to describe these situations in detail or identify them as harmful. Thus, there is a need to examine and potentially improve science students’ language tools to better identify and describe these experiences.
Research of lateral force of pipe conveyor belt’s vertical transport section

In order to release the lateral force of pipe conveyor belt in vertical transportation, the thesis had a study of the lateral force of the conveyor belt. By making use of Janssen Principles and fractal theory, based on reasonable simplification, the author established a mathematical model of the lateral force in vertical transportation, and with the research foundation of the pipe belt conveyor for underground transportation, through solution analysis, the author found out that the change of material diameter would lead to nonlinear variation of the lateral force of the conveyor belt. Under the circumstances of different material diameter, discrete element method was adopted to simulate the lateral force of the conveyor belt, thus working out the distribution curve chart of the lateral force. To verify the reliability of the theory, the author built an experimental platform for pipe conveyor belt in vertical transportation, and experimented with five groups of materials in different diameter, working out the strain of lateral force of the characteristic conveyor belt; by comparing the theoretical result, the simulation result and the experimental result, it showed that the solution to relieving lateral force through optimization selection of material diameter put forward in this thesis was reasonable and effective. It provides theoretical reference for the design of pipe belt conveyor.
On the Design of Food Labeling Policies

: We study a regulation in Chile that mandates front-of-package warning labels on products whose sugar or caloric concentration exceeds certain thresholds. We ﬁnd that after the introduction of the regulation, consumers reduced their overall sugar and caloric intake by 9% and 6%, respectively. This change is explained by consumers buying healthier products and ﬁrms reformulating their products. On the demand side, labels induce consumers to substitute within categories rather than between categories. On the supply side, we document bunching at regulatory thresholds, with substantial heterogeneity across categories. We provide insights to inform the design of eﬀective food labeling policies
An Investigation of Smartphone Addiction and Usage among University Students

The young population nowadays extensively uses mobile phones and smartphones. The attractive features that smartphones offer to users have caused a rapid increase in the usage time of these technological devices. This situation has led to the emergence of the smartphone addiction concept. Considered one of the major problems of the 21st century by many researchers, smartphone addiction is an impulsive disorder caused by excessive and uncontrolled use of smartphones. The research aims to analyse university students’ smartphone usage habits and smartphone addiction regarding numerous variables such as gender, daily use time, daily frequency of control, number of social media accounts, and intended use. The sample for the study consists of 366 students. The research data were collected using the Personal Information Form and Smartphone Addiction Scale. The data analysis is done using Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney-U tests. The results indicate that smartphone addiction levels of university students have a significant difference by gender, daily use time, daily frequency of control, and intended use. However, the number of social media accounts did not differ significantly.
Effect of Temperature and Pressure Variations on the Resonant Frequency of Piezoelectric Material

Ultrasound transducers are used in a multitude of applications. A typical ultrasound transducer assembly consists of a piezoelectric layer, one or more matching layers and a backing layer. Dimensions and shape of these structural elements and properties of the used materials (especially those of piezoelectric layer) have a great influence on the resulting properties of the ultrasound transducer. The properties of the material used for the piezoelectric layer have strong dependence on the field conditions like temperature and pressure. The paper aims at studying the effect of temperature and pressure on the resonant frequency of the piezoelectric element. The change in the resonant frequency results in change in the material constants of the piezoelectric disc. Using these practical values of material constants, a realistic model of piezoelectric element can be developed. This helps in prediction of behaviour of the resulting ultrasound transducer and accelerates the design procedure. The real-life application considered for the conditions of temperature and pressure is open channel flow measurement. Traditionally used lead zirconate titanate (PZT)-based ceramic is the material chosen for the piezoelectric layer.
Diversity of amino acids composition in cereals

The quality of protein is based on their amino acid composition, especially on the content and availability of essential amino acids. Cereals are important sources of protein for human nutrition, but are limited in the amounts of essential amino acids, notably lysine. The aim of this study was to analyze the chemical composition and amino acid profiles of different cereals that are important for nutritional purposes in human diet. The content of protein, moisture and crude fat in cereals varied significantly from 7.83 to 13.22%, 11.45 to 13.80%, and from 1.67 to 6.35%, respectively. The obtained results showed that oat had the highest contents of crude protein (13.22%), crude fat (6.35%) and crude cellulose (9.42%) compared to other cereals. Significant (p < 0.05) variation existed in the content of essential and nonessential amino acids among samples with the highest level in oat and wheat. Essential amino acids accounted for one-third of the total amino acids in the tested cereals. Glutamic acid was found to be the most abundant amino acid. It could be concluded that the amino acid composition of oat is the most favorable among cereals due to its high protein content and the content of lysine which can be found in limited amounts in most of the cereals.
Surface wave dispersion in imperfectly bonded flexoelectric-piezoelectric/FGPM bi-composite in contact of Newtonian liquid

Abstract The present research article manifests the dissipation and dispersion characteristics of Love-type waves in a flexoelectric-piezoelectric/functionally graded piezomagnetic material structure, loaded with Newtonian liquid. The interface between the piezoelectric plate and the piezomagnetic substrate is considered mechanically and electromagnetically imperfect. Transcendental complex dispersion relations for electrically and magnetically open and short cases are obtained by rigorous analytical methods. A particular numerical example is considered and dispersion, as well as attenuation curves are obtained for it. Influences of mechanical and electromechanical imperfections, flexoelectricity, layer-thickness, and material gradient parameters on phase velocity and attenuation of Love-type waves are meticulously examined.
Development of a Robust and Integrated Methodology for Predicting the Reliability of Microelectronic Packaging Systems

Interconnects (SLI) in mounting packaged components to the printed circuit board (PCB). The reliability of these solder joints is of significant importance to the performance of microelectronics components and systems. Product design/form-factor, solder material, manufacturing process, use condition, as well as, the inherent variabilities present in the system, greatly influence product reliability. Accurate reliability analysis requires an integrated approach to concurrently account for all these factors and their synergistic effect. Such an integrated and robust methodology can be used in design and development of new and advance microelectronics systems and can provide significant improvement in cycle-time, cost, and reliability. IMPRPK approach is based on a probabilistic methodology, focusing on three major tasks of (1) Characterization of BGA solder joints to identify failure mechanisms and obtain statistical data, (2) Finite Element analysis (FEM) to predict system response needed for life prediction, and (3) development of a probabilistic methodology to predict the reliability, as well as, the sensitivity of the system to various parameters and the variabilities. These tasks and the predictive capabilities of IMPRPK are discussed. Materials Science & Engineering Doctoral Defense Development of a robust and integrated methodology for predicting the reliability of microelectronic packaging systems
Upregulation of the Mevalonate Pathway through EWSR1-FLI1/EGR2 Regulatory Axis Confers Ewing Cells Exquisite Sensitivity to Statins

Simple Summary The objective of this project was to search for new dependencies in Ewing sarcoma, a deadly disease for which new therapeutic approaches are urgently needed. A pharmacological screening of off-patent approved drugs (FDA agency) and the investigation of downstream targets of EGR2 were performed. The two approaches showed the MVA pathway as a major dependency in Ewing sarcoma and statin, an inhibitor of this pathway, as a potential new therapeutic agent for the treatment of Ewing sarcoma. Abstract Ewing sarcoma (EwS) is an aggressive primary bone cancer in children and young adults characterized by oncogenic fusions between genes encoding FET-RNA-binding proteins and ETS transcription factors, the most frequent fusion being EWSR1-FLI1. We show that EGR2, an Ewing-susceptibility gene and an essential direct target of EWSR1-FLI1, directly regulates the transcription of genes encoding key enzymes of the mevalonate (MVA) pathway. Consequently, Ewing sarcoma is one of the tumors that expresses the highest levels of mevalonate pathway genes. Moreover, genome-wide screens indicate that MVA pathway genes constitute major dependencies of Ewing cells. Accordingly, the statin inhibitors of HMG-CoA-reductase, a rate-limiting enzyme of the MVA pathway, demonstrate cytotoxicity in EwS. Statins induce increased ROS and lipid peroxidation levels, as well as decreased membrane localization of prenylated proteins, such as small GTP proteins. These metabolic effects lead to an alteration in the dynamics of S-phase progression and to apoptosis. Statin-induced effects can be rescued by downstream products of the MVA pathway. Finally, we further show that statins impair tumor growth in different Ewing PDX models. Altogether, the data show that statins, which are off-patent, well-tolerated, and inexpensive compounds, should be strongly considered in the therapeutic arsenal against this deadly childhood disease.
Changes in Proteins in Saliva and Serum in Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome Using a Proteomic Approach

Simple Summary Equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS) is a highly prevalent disease with a major clinical importance due to its negative effects on the welfare and performance of horses. EGUS can be distinguished into two different diseases depending on which anatomical region is affected: equine glandular gastric disease (EGGD), in which there is a lesion in the glandular stomach, and equine squamous gastric disease (ESGD), in which the alteration appears in the non-glandular stomach. EGUS has nonspecific clinical signs, and its underlying mechanism has not been completely elicited. Therefore, it would be of interest to clarify the pathophysiology and identify potential biomarkers of this syndrome. This study detected differences in the salivary and serum proteome between horses with EGUS and healthy horses, and also between horses with EGGD and ESGD. The most upregulated proteins in EGGD were related to the immune activation whereas, in horses with ESGD, the proteins with the most significant changes were associated with the squamous cell regulation and growth. Compared to serum, saliva had a higher number of proteins showing significant changes and also showed a different pattern of changes, indicating that the proteins in both fluids show a different response to the disease and can provide complementary information. Abstract Changes in the salivary proteome in 12 horses with the two diseases included in equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS), equine glandular gastric disease (EGGD) (n = 6) and equine squamous gastric disease (ESGD) (n = 6), were evaluated using a high-resolution LC-MS/MS analysis of TMT-labelled peptides and compared to 10 healthy control horses. Serum was also analysed for comparative purposes. The comparison between the horses with EGGD and controls showed significant changes in 10 salivary proteins, whereas 36 salivary proteins were differently abundant between ESGD and control groups. The most upregulated proteins in the case of EGGD were related to immune activation whereas, in horses with ESGD, the most significantly changed proteins were associated with squamous cell regulation and growth. Compared to serum, saliva showed a higher number of proteins with significant changes and a different pattern of changes. The proteins identified in our study, in addition to providing new information about the pathophysiological mechanisms in these diseases, could have the potential to be novel biomarkers for the diagnosis or monitoring of EGGD and ESGD.
MASE: An Instrument Designed to Record Underwater Soundscape

The study of sound in the natural environment provides interesting information for researchers and policy makers driving conservation policies in our society. The soundscape characterises the biophony, anthrophony and geophony of a particular area. The characterisation of these different sources can lead to changes in ecosystems and we need to identify these parameters in order to make the right decision in relation to the natural environment. These values could be extrapolated and potentially help different areas of ecoacoustic research. Technological advances have enabled the passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) of animal populations in their natural environment. Recordings can be made with little interference, avoiding anthropogenic effects, making it a very effective method for some species such as cetaceans and other marine species in addition to underwater noise studies. Passive acoustic monitoring can be used for population census, but also to understand the effect of human activities on animals. However, recording data over long periods of time requires large storage and processing capacity to handle all the acoustic events generated. In the case of marine environments, the installation of sensors and instruments can be costly in terms of money and maintenance effort. In addition, if they are placed offshore, a data communication problem arises with coverage and bandwidth. In this paper, we propose a low-cost instrument to monitor the soundscape of a marine area using ecoacoustic indices. The instrument is called MASE and provides three echo-acoustic indices at 10 min intervals that are available in real time, which drastically reduces the volume of data generated. It has been operating uninterruptedly for a year and a half since its deployment, except during maintenance periods. MASE has been able to operate uninterruptedly, and maintain an adequate temperature inside while preserving its structural integrity for long periods of time. This has allowed the monitoring and characterisation of the soundscape of the test area in Gando Bay, Gran Canaria Island (Spain) without the need for human intervention to access the data on the instrument itself. Thanks to its integration with an external server, this allows the long-term monitoring of the soundscape, and it is possible to observe changes in the soundscape. In addition, the instrument has made it possible to compare the period of acoustic inactivity during confinement and the return of anthropogenic acoustic activity at sea.
Soil-borne alkaline phosphatase-producing Bacillus and Penicillium species as growth promoters of the Corchorus olitorius and Amaranthus hybridus plants

Phosphorus; is an essential element for plant growth, which may be abundant in the soil but unavailable, because it is poorly soluble and forms complexes with the metals. Microorganisms can solubilize and mineralize the insoluble phosphate into bioavailable forms. This study aimed to isolate and identify the phosphate-solubilizing microorganisms (PSMs), produce and characterize alkaline phosphatase, and determine their plant growth promoting abilities. About forty-one bacterial and twelve fungal isolates were isolated from the soil and water samples, and then screened for their phosphate solubilizing potentials on Pikovskaya (PVK), and the National Botanical Research Institute's Phosphate (NBRIP) growth media. The isolates of Penicillium sp. (PSF-8) and Bacillus sp. (PSB-29) produced the highest alkaline phosphatase at pH 8, 42 ο C on the 2 nd and 3 rd d of incubation; and they solubilized concentrations of 937.78 and 848.89 µg/ ml of phosphates, respectively. The optimum temperature and pH activity of the alkaline phosphatase produced by Penicillium sp. (PSF-8) were recorded at 50°C (1.145 U/ ml) and pH 9 (1.147 U/ ml), respectively. On the other hand, Bacillus sp. (PSB-29) expressed maximum activity at 40°C (1.232 U/ ml) and pH 8 (1.39 U/ ml), respectively. The Michaelis constant (K m ) and maximum velocity (V max ) for Penicillium sp. (PSF-8) were 23.596 mmol/ l and 2.940 µmol/ l/ min., whereas those for Bacillus sp. (PSB-29) were 11.889 mmol/ l and 0.0894 µmol/ l/ min., respectively. Bacillus sp. (PSB-29) enhanced the growth of both Amaranthus hybridus and Corchorus olitorius ; by increasing the plant shoot and root length, biomass and phosphorus content, while Penicillium sp. (PSF-8) did not support A. hybridus growth. Finally, Bacillus sp. (PSB-29) and Penicillium sp. (PSF-8) were observed as potent bioagents for phosphate-solubilization during the farming activities.