Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Resistance to antimicrobial drugs in different surface waters and wastewaters of Guadeloupe

Objective The first aim of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial resistance of Enterobacteriaceae in different water environments of Guadeloupe and especially those impacted by waste water treatment plants (WWTP) effluents. The second objective was to characterize the genetic basis for antibiotic resistance of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) and AmpC beta-lactamase producing Enterobacteriaceae isolates (ESBLE and AmpCE). Methods We have collected 70 surface waters (river and sea samples) impacted or not by WWTP and 18 waste waters from 2 WWTPs in 2012 and 2013. We i) determined the total and resistant bacterial counts and ii) tested isolated Enterobacteriaceae for their antimicrobial susceptibility. We also studied the genetic basis for antibiotic resistance of ESBLE and AmpCE, and the genetic background of Escherichia coli. Results In rivers, contamination with Escherichia coli and antibiotic resistant coliforms (ARC) increased from the source to the mouth. Highest levels of river contamination with E. coli (9.26 x 105 MPN/100mL) and ARC (2.26 x 108 CFU/mL) were observed in surface water sampled near the discharge. A total of 246 Enterobacteriaceae strains resistant to antibiotics were isolated, mostly from waste waters and from river water collected near the discharge. Among these strains, 33 were Extended Spectrum Beta Lactamase (ESBLE) and 8 E. coli were AmpC beta-lactamase producers. All the ESBLE were isolated from waste waters or from river water collected near the discharge. The blaCTX-M gene was present in 29 of the 33 ESBLE strains, with 24 belonging to group 1. Numerous strains (68.7%) showed more than one acquired antibiotic resistance mechanism. E. coli strains belonged to different phylogenetic groups; among the B2 group, most strains belonged to the ST131 clone. Conclusion Our results demonstrated that many human activities can supply antibiotic-resistant bacteria in surface water. Nevertheless, WWTPs were the most important supplier of ESBLE in water environment of Guadeloupe.
Evaluation of Antibacterial, Antifungal, and Antioxidant Activities of Safflower Natural Dyes during Flowering

Two Carthamus tinctorius varieties (Jawhara and 104) were studied in order to investigate their natural dyes contents and biological activities. Obtained results showed that quinochalcone contents and antioxidant activities varied considerably as function of flowering stages. So flowers at fructification stage contained the highest carthamin content with the strongest antioxidant capacity with all assays (FRAP, DPPH, and chelating power methods). In parallel, we showed a decrease in the content of precarthamin. The quantitative variation of these molecules could be due to colour change of C. tinctorius flowers. Correlation analysis indicated that the ABTS method showed the highest correlation coefficients with carthamin and precarthamin contents, that is, 0.886 and 0.973, respectively. Concerning the regional effect, the contents of precarthamin and carthamin varied significantly (P < 0.05) at studied regions with the optimum production given by samples of Beja (902.41 μg/g DW and 42.05 μg/g DW, respectively, at flowering stage). During flowering, the antimicrobial activity of these two natural dyes increased where the maximum inhibitory effect mentioned with carthamin mainly against E. coli (iz = 25.89 mm) at fructification stage. Therefore, the increased frequency of resistance to commonly used antibiotics leads to the search for new effective natural drugs at food and pharmaceutical industries.
REIL: A platform-independent intermediate representation of disassembled code for static code analysis

In this paper we introduce REIL (Reverse Engineering Intermediate Language), a platform-independent intermediate language to represent disassembled assembly code. We created the REIL language specifically to simplify and automate static code analysis of assembly code in the context of software reverse engineering for the purpose of security auditing and vulnerability detection. This paper introduces the complete REIL language with all of its instructions as well as the virtual REIL architecture that defines the effects of REIL instructions on registers and memory. Furthermore we discuss the reasons why we designed the REIL language the way we did, what limitations the user of the language should be aware of, and what we have planned for REIL in the future.
Collision analysis of driving scenarios

The National Collision Database (NCDB) provided by Transport Canada contains information about individuals that have been in traffic accidents. A thorough analysis of this data was performed in order to isolate and identify possible dangerous traffic scenarios that could result in injuries or even death. The purpose of our study was to identify any occurring patterns of injuries or fatalities, and identify any possible preventative safety measures which could ultimately help in reducing these occurrences to a minimum. It also gives the chance to demonstrate the potential of data driven decision making which can result in valuable knowledge for any potential user. Among all the research that was done, one test in particular stands out, with which fatality rates involving streetcars driven by much older drivers being significantly higher than the norm. The results of the research suggests that improvements in road design, and traffic controls could lessen these verities of several scenarios of collisions. Also insurance rates adjustments for risky drivers found in our study could be a potential resolution for passenger and pedestrian safety.
Estimation of forest parameters using CARABAS-II VHF SAR data

The use of airborne CARABASII VHF (20-90 MHz) SAR data for retrieval of forest parameters has been investigated. The investigation was performed at a test site located in the southwest of Sweden consisting mainly of Norway spruce forests. Regression models predicting forest parameters from radar backscattering amplitude were developed and evaluated. The results showed a linear relationship between backscattering amplitude and forest stem volume, stem diameter, and tree height. The analysis also showed that the radar signal is strongly affected by ground slope conditions. The root mean square errors from the regression analysis, restricted to forest stands on near-horizontal ground, were found to be 66 m/sup 3/ ha/sup -1/, 3.2 cm, and 2.3 m for stem volume, stem diameter, and tree height respectively. No saturation of the backscattered signal was observed up to the maximum stem volume of 625 m/sup 3/ ha/sup -1/, corresponding to a biomass of 375 tons ha/sup -1/. The results imply that VHF SAR data have significant potential for operational use in forestry.
Co-Training Based Bilingual Sentiment Lexicon Learning

In this paper, we address the issue of bilingual sentiment lexicon learning(BSLL) which aims to automatically and simultaneously generate sentiment words for two languages. The underlying motivation is that sentiment information from two languages can perform iterative mutual-teaching in the learning procedure. We propose to develop two classifiers to determine the sentiment polarities of words under a co-training framework, which makes full use of the two-view sentiment information from the two languages. The word alignment derived from the parallel corpus is leveraged to design effective features and to bridge the learning of the two classifiers. The experimental results on English and Chinese languages show the effectiveness of our approach in BSLL.
A quality measure based stopping criterion for iterative deblurring algorithms

Blind image deblurring algorithms (BIDA) constitute a subset of image restoration algorithms used to solve ill-posed inverse problems, which can be challenging in low SNR situations. Those iterative methods usually impose some regularization upon the deconvolution process in order to constrain the problem and reduce the size of solution space. In this paper, we propose to use a new stopping criterion for iterative deblurring algorithms based on our previously published no reference blur image quality measure. The rationale behind the proposed stopping criterion is to control the deconvolution process by estimating the reminding blur quantity. For test, two iterative deblurring algorithms are considered. The Lucy Richardson [1,2] and the Shock Filters methods [3,4]. The proposed adaptive approach has been tested on blurred images from LIVE database (Gblur).
Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution Cc by Fast Scene Text Detection with Dwt Based Edge Enhancement

The detection and extraction of text in natural and camera captured images is always a challenging problem. The text in images contain most of the important information and can be used in a variety of applications like translators for tourists, aids for visually impaired people, in information retrieval systems etc. Implementation of such applications on a general purpose computer can be easier, but every time it is not efficient due to additional constraints on memory and other peripheral devices. The paper discusses an efficient yet simple and fast method to extract text from static images. The speed of Haar discrete wavelet transform is fastest among all wavelets because its coefficients are either 1 or-1. It is one of the reasons that Haar DWT is used to detect edges of candidate text regions. Edges are detected horizontally, vertically and diagonally. A Gaussian filtering is initially applied to obtain a smoothed image. Masking is applied on the image sub-bands obtained by DWT. Then on the IDWT image morphological operations like erosion and dilation are applied to remove the noisy areas along with angle tiltation correction and finally ocr output is obtained.
Wireless Sensor Network node global energy consumption modeling

This paper deals with global power consumption modeling dedicated to Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) nodes. After having introduced various existing approaches for the energy modeling, our choices and experiments using the Ns-2 simulator and the iMote2 hardware platform (over an IEEE 802.15.4 protocol) are presented. First results show that Ns-2 simulator provides RF energy consumption metrics very close to values measured on the real platform for the same experimental conditions. An extension of Ns-2 for processor energy model is also discussed. Finally, considering different use cases for an audio transfer over a ZigBee network, it is shown the need for a global approach for optimizing power consumption.
Using electromechanical delay for real-time anti-phase tremor attenuation system using Functional Electrical Stimulation

In this paper, we propose a novel anti-phase tremor compensation method using surface electromyography (SEMG) and accelerometer (ACC). The usefulness of the SEMG signal is that it precedes the generated joint movement by 20–100 ms (electromechanical delay, EMD). Hence by detecting the tremor in advance, there is enough time window to do the necessary computation and to actuate the antagonist muscle by Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES). This is also possible because the time taken for FES to actuate the muscle is significantly less than that of the neural signal, as detected by SEMG. Specifically, what is proposed in this paper is algorithm to an estimate the EMD and to determine when to start/stop the FES such that anti-phase tremor cancellation. Experimental result from one Essential Tremor patient show 57% reduction in tremor power as measured by the ACC.
Engagement rules for human-robot collaborative interactions

This paper reports on research on developing the ability for robots to engage with humans in a collaborative conversation for hosting activities. It defines the engagement process in collaborative conversation. The paper then presents the analysis of a study of human-human "look tracking" and discusses rules that allow a robot to track and fail to track humans so that engagement is maintained.
Vulcan Binary transformation in a distributed environment

Distributed computing on the Internet presents new challenges and opportunities for tools that inspect and modify program binaries. The dynamic and heterogeneous nature of the Internet environment extends the traditional product development process by requiring program development tools like these, which were once used only internally, to work in live environments too. The concept of compilation process must be expanded along with the capabilities of the binary tools. This paper presents Vulcan, a second-generation technology that addresses many of these challenges. Vulcan provides both static and dynamic code modification and provides a framework for cross-component analysis and optimization. It provides system-level analysis for heterogeneous binaries across instruction sets. Vulcan works in the Win32 environment and can process x86, IA64, and MSIL binaries. Vulcan scales to large commercial applications and has been used to improve performance and reliability of Microsoft products in a production environment.
N-tert-Butoxycarbonylation of Structurally Diverse Amines and Sulfamides under Water-Mediated Catalyst-Free Conditions

A simple, efficient, and eco-friendly protocol for the N-Boc protection of the amine moiety in a variety of compounds with di-tert-butyl dicarbonate under water-acetone catalyst-free conditions is described. The corresponding monocarbamate is obtained in excellent yields on short reaction times. No competitive side reactions such as isocyanate urea and O-Boc were observed. This method represents a reasonable alternative to the previous reported protection procedures.
A Model-Based Autonomous Engine for Application Runtime Environment Configuration and Deployment in PaaS Cloud

Cloud Computing is evolving as a key computing paradigm for sharing resources. One type of Cloud, which provides platform resources including all the elements of application runtime environment, is regarded as PaaS Cloud. The management of PaaS Cloud is a complex task, up to the point, where manual operation is hard to be cost effective. As the application runtime environment is supported by a set of dynamically composed, distributed elements. What is more, in order to achieve a management target, multiple operations have to be applied over the distributed and heterogeneous elements of PaaS Cloud. To improve the management of PaaS Cloud, this paper proposes to support the configuration and deployment of application runtime environment in PaaS Cloud with an autonomous engine. The automation is enabled by the definition of a domain-specific information model, which captures all the related information with the same abstractions, describing the application runtime environment, PaaS Cloud infrastructure and management targets. On top of that, a technique based on Satisfiability is described, which automatically analyses the state of the managed objects and plans required operations for maintaining it. The result from a case study is provided to validate the feasibility of this approach.
Comparison between Vertical Handoff Decision Algorithms for Heterogeneous Wireless Networks

The next generation wireless networks will support the vertical handoff mechanism in which users can maintain the connections when they switch from one network to another (e.g., from IEEE 802.11b to CDMA 1timesRTT network, and vice versa). Although various vertical handoff decision algorithms have been proposed in the literature recently, there is a lack of performance comparisons between different schemes. In this paper, we compare the performance between four vertical handoff decision algorithms, namely, MEW (multiplicative exponent weighting), SAW (simple additive weighting), TOPSIS (technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution), and GRA (grey relational analysis). All four algorithms allow different attributes (e.g., bandwidth, delay, packet loss rate, cost) to be included for vertical handoff decision. Results show that MEW, SAW, and TOPSIS provide similar performance to all four traffic classes. GRA provides a slightly higher bandwidth and lower delay for interactive and background traffic classes
Navigation of autonomous mobile robot using ultrasonic and infrared sensors

The aim of this paper is to briefly describe proposed algorithms for an autonomous mobile robot. These algorithms concern data processing from sensors, description of environment from these data and finally navigation on these data. Results from these processes are based on simulation of real mobile robot system. On proposed algorithms can be showed principle of ultrasonic and infrared sensor, principle of environment mapping and basic navigation of real mobile robot. This knowledge can be used in education to show basic principles of robot motion and navigation.
Identifying Coordination Agents for Collaborative Telelearning

This paper deals with identifying roles for coordination agents in a future collaborative telelearning environment. The current practice of students participating in a net- based simulation marketing game on-campus, is studied with an eye on designing a future collaborative telelearning environment where this same net-based simulation game will be central. The work described in this paper is situated within the theoretical foundations of computer supported collaborative learning (CSCL). In particular Salomon's writings on genuine interdependence in CSCL, and work on coordination from a computer supported cooperative work (CSCW) perspective provide the view on collaborative telelearning. Viewing collaborative telelearning from a coordination theory perspective offers a means of understanding the inter-relationships between actors and entities and how these relationships can and should be supported. In this paper an extended definition of coordination is given and a set of actor (inter)dependencies and related coordination processes for collaborative telelearning is proposed. Then, coordination agents are suggested as a means of managing and supporting the identified (inter)dependencies and examples of possible coordination agent roles are given.
Mixed Outcome Developments

Problem: Policymakers and planners have broadly conceptualized and widely adopted the mixed-income approach to provision of low-income housing. Yet, few case studies examine the relationship between theoretical propositions about how mixed-income tenancy can help lift families out of poverty and the actual dynamics of a mixed-income housing development. Purpose: I address this gap by examining the social dynamics within a mixed-income housing development in Boston, MA, and compare the dynamics observed there to those assumed in the theoretical literature. Methods: I use qualitative data, including ethnographic methods, such as participant observation and resident interviews from a mixed-income housing development to analyze the relationship between the case presented and four theoretical propositions about how mixed-income tenancy can aid low-income families. Results and conclusions: The evidence from the field research site provides mixed support for the theoretical propositions regarding the potential benefits to low-income residents from living in mixed-income developments. First, some evidence supports the idea that residents influence one another's behavior, although such influence was not exclusively cross-class. Second, contrary to expectations in the literature, higher-income households rarely worked to improve neighborhood services, except in the cases of policing and security. Third, as expected, higher resourced individuals did promote greater informal social control, yet subsidized residents did as well. Finally, theoretically, higher-income residents can enhance low-income residents’ social capital, including increasing their access to employment opportunities. Market-rate residents did provide some useful interpersonal resources, although there was no evidence that they directed their disadvantaged neighbors toward jobs. Finally, the property management company had an important influence on the outcomes for each of these propositions, suggesting that the role of management in promoting theoretical ideals needs further theoretical scrutiny and practical consideration. Takeaway for practice: Practitioners should be aware that mixed-income developments can be used to achieve the social goals of reducing negative behavior, improving local services, enhancing social control, and developing social capital, although all of these will likely be limited. Most importantly, the role of onsite management and service providers is pivotal in assuring that mixed-income developments maximize the likelihood that developments achieve the theoretical ideals. Research support: This research was partially funded by the Department of Urban Studies and Planning at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Protein structure prediction using bio-inspired algorithm: A review

One of the main problems in Bioinformatics is the prediction of protein tertiary structure from its amino acid sequence. This problem is computationally complex and belongs to the NP-hard class. Although these years many algorithms and methods have been introduced, this problem is still an open area for research. In this paper we discuss the most important algorithms like evolutionary algorithms, particle swarm or ant colony optimization and computational methods introduced in this field and their challenges.
PSO algorithm for exact Stochastic ML estimation of DOA for incoherent signals

The performance of Stochastic ML (SML) algorithm of Direction-of-Arrival (DOA) is much more superior to many other algorithms in array signal processing. However, the estimation of SML is a non-linear multi-dimensional optimization problem. Therefore its computational complexity is very high. In this paper, firstly we show exact definition of SML estimation of DOA for incoherent signals and brief description of the conventional solving method, Alternating Minimization (AM) algorithm. Then, we propose to use the Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm to solve the estimation of SML. Also in this paper, we propose a method to optimize the inertia factor of PSO. Simulation results show that the computational complexity of the proposed PSO algorithm for SML estimation is much lower than that of the conventional AM algorithm.
Overcoming the Fear of Free Falling: Monetary Policy Graduation in Emerging Markets

Developing countries have typically pursued procyclical macroeconomic policies, which tend to amplify the underlying business cycle (the "when-it-rains-it-pours" phenomenon). There is, however, evidence to suggest that about a third of developing countries have shifted from procyclical to countercyclical fiscal policy over the last decade. We show that the same is true of monetary policy: around 35 percent of developing countries have become countercyclical over the last decade. We provide evidence that links procyclical monetary policy in developing countries to what we refer as the "fear of free falling;" that is, the need to raise interest rates in bad times to defend the domestic currency.
Modelling creep rupture strength of ferritic steel welds

Abstract Recent changes in the design of steam turbine power plant have necessitated the replacement of bolted flanges with welded joints. The design process therefore requires a knowledge of the creep rupture strength of the weld metal consumed in the welding process. This paper presents a method which can be used to estimate the creep rupture strength of ferritic steel weld metals, from a knowledge of the creep strength of wrought plates. The method is validated using published data.