Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Achieving Efficient and Privacy-Preserving Dynamic Skyline Query in Online Medical Diagnosis

Wireless body area network (WBAN) and big data techniques indubitably enable the online medical diagnosis system to be more practical. In the system, to make a more accurate diagnosis, doctors wish to obtain some archived medical data records, which are similar to the sensed patient data, to learn from the prior diagnoses. As a practically useful similarity search, the dynamic skyline query can provide doctors with similar data records having all possible relative weights of attributes. Driven by the powerful cloud, the data owner often outsources encrypted data and the corresponding services, e.g., dynamic skyline query services here, to a third-party cloud. As a result, it is required to perform the dynamic skyline query over encrypted data. However, existing schemes are either insecure or inefficient. To address the issue, in this article, we propose an efficient and privacy-preserving dynamic skyline query scheme and use it in an online medical diagnosis system. Specifically, based on symmetric homomorphic encryption (SHE), we present a set of efficient and secure protocols to achieve various operations, such as less than comparison, equality test, and dominance determination, without leaking any sensitive information to the cloud. With these secure protocols, we carefully design our dynamic skyline query scheme to attain full security and high efficiency at the same time. Detailed security analysis shows that our proposed scheme is indeed privacy-preserving. With extensive experimental evaluations, we show that our proposed scheme outperforms the alternative scheme by two orders of magnitude in the computational cost and at least $8.1\times $ in the communication cost.
The small and medium enterprise's perspective of product data management

Waldenmeyer, Karen M.S., Purdue University, May, 2010. The small and medium enterprise’s perspective of product data management. Major Professor: Nathan Hartman. This study was conducted as a means to discover common traits associated with small and medium manufacturers, especially ones who have adopted product data management systems as a method to control engineering design and manufacturing data. After qualitative interviews with leading experts in the PDM field, a survey was developed and sent to small and medium manufacturers in the United States. The survey concludes a number of interesting statistics about the state of PDM usage within this segment of the industry, including general uses for engineering design systems, level of data exchange with customers and suppliers, and satisfaction levels with information querying, concurrent engineering contributions, and imposed restrictions. The study concludes that there are a few major factors that determine a company’s success with using design systems, including frequency of data exchange, data reuse, digital data formats used, and employee counts and locations.
Particulate Matter Reduction From a Pilot-Ignited, Direct Injection of Natural Gas Engine

This paper reports an evaluation of various combustion strategies aiming to reduce engine-out particulate matter (PM) emissions from a natural-gas fuelled heavy-duty engine. The work is based on a Westport HPDI fuelling system, which provides direct injection of both natural gas and liquid diesel into the combustion chamber of an otherwise unmodified diesel engine. The diesel acts as a pilot to ignite the natural gas, which normally burns in a non-premixed fashion, leading to significant PM formation. The concepts to reduce PM evaluated in this work are: 1) adjusting the relative phasing of the natural gas and diesel injections to allow more premixing of the natural gas prior to ignition; 2) reducing the pilot quantity to increase the ignition delay of the gas jet; and 3) reducing the level of EGR at select modes to reduce PM formation. These strategies are evaluated at steady state using single- and multi-cylinder research engines, supported by CFD analysis. The results demonstrate that allowing limited premixing of the gas jet prior to ignition can significantly reduce PM emissions. Excessive premixing can lead to high rates of pressure rise; EGR can be used to moderate the combustion under these conditions, without causing increased PM emissions. Reducing pilot quantity is another effective technique to reduce PM, primarily by allowing more air to mix with the gas jet before ignition. These various techniques can be combined to form a new operating strategy that significantly reduces engine-out PM and NOx emissions compared to the baseline strategy without significantly impacting fuel consumption.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Obstacle Avoidance System Based on Single Rotary Ultrasonic Sensor

Centering round obstacle avoidance problem, an evadible system based on the ultrasonic sensor Sens600 is presented in this paper, the sensor rotated by the stepper motor scans back and forth in horizontal plane ahead of the robot, then the system builds and updates a histogram world model with the to-and-fro range information after data processing, the safe area capture (SAC) method is applied to compute the most suitable direction among all candidates, and the steering of the robot is aligned with that direction. The experimental results demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed system.
Life cycle analysis for concrete beams designed with cross‐sections of equal durability

Durability at the corners of the cross‐section is relatively weak in the concrete beams of bridges; the reinforcement at the corners therefore corrodes first. In order to delay durability failure at the corners, measures should be taken such as the application of corner concrete coatings or adjustments to the reinforcement at the corners. In this way, the durability resistance would be adjusted to be equal in the section, which is called the equal durability design method. In this paper, the life cycle analyses of a component designed with equal durability and one designed in the traditional way – both in a carbonation environment – are conducted and compared. A probabilistic model of service life is established based on empirical degradation models. Service life distribution is calculated with the Monte Carlo simulation method. Costs associated with durability failure are estimated based on the service life distribution. Related influencing factors are analysed as well. Finally, life cycle cost analyses of the component designed with equal durability and the one designed in the traditional way are conducted and compared. The results show that the component designed with equal durability is more economic over the life cycle if construction cost is kept within about 1.1 times that of the component designed traditionally.
Higher Physical Activity of School Personnel Is Related to More Positive Attitudes towards Children’s Physical Activity at School

School personnel can struggle with meeting the daily physical activity recommendation; however, they are role models for students, and their attitudes towards physical activity can impact students’ physical activity habits. The aim was to assess school personnel’s physical activity and their attitudes regarding the importance of physical activity among students. The physical activity levels of 1030 school employees in Estonia were assessed using an accelerometer. Participants also responded to a questionnaire about physical activity habits, overall health, and attitudes about the importance of physical activity among students. About 92.6% of the participants met the World Health Organisation’s weekly physical activity recommendation. However, 69.1% of the accelerometer wearing time was spent being sedentary. Only 5.8% of the wearing time was spent in moderate to vigorous physical activity. More active school personnel believed their lead affects students’ attitudes towards physical activity (r = 0.072–0.156, p < 0.05) and being active at recess facilitates a peaceful learning environment in the classroom (r = 0.064–0.072, p < 0.05). Whereas more sedentary school personnel did not encourage students to be active at recess (r = −0.073, p < 0.05). More active school personnel had more positive attitudes towards physical activity, which demonstrates the importance of focusing on encouraging physical activity among school personnel as they can affect the behaviour of students.
H-Semantics: A Hybrid Approach to Singing Voice Separation

Separating the singing voice from accompanying instruments is important in music information-retrieval systems, since it allows for such applications as melody extraction, lyrics recognition, and singer identity. The authors investigate effective methods for unsupervised separation of the singing voice, called H-Semantics (Hybrid Singing Extraction through Multiband Amplitude Enhanced Thresholding and Independent Component Subtraction). The proposed method adds time-domain separation to the previous work that was based on frequency-domain cepstral methods. The results indicate separation of approximately 8.5 dB signal-to-distortion ratio over the baseline
Effect of expansion tanks and Tee losses on pressure transients: preliminary parameter study

The effects of expansion tanks and Tee junction losses on pressure transients are investigated numerically using the one-diaiensional nonlinear fluid-hammer approach. The losses in a Tee junction are modeled using steady state empirical pressure drop coefficients. Large expansion tanks and gas volumes are represented by a quasi-steady model coupled directly to the dynamic response of the fluid pipes connected to them. A simple constant head pump representation is used in the analysis. The results indicate that pressure losses at a Tee junction are minor. In particular, no significant differences of placing a rupture disc in the run or the branch of a Tee can be established by means of the one-dimensional analysis. Typical thermal expansion tank configurations are found to be ineffective in attenuating pressure pulses. The effective mitigation of pressure transients by such gas volumes requires very large connecting passages from the primary flow path to the tank or the direct in-line placement of surge tanks. It is concluded that the effect of rupture disc placement in the run or the branch of a Tee must be investigated by means of multidimensional analysis. Also, more realistic pump models, which take into account the actual response of the device, must be developed to study their pressure pulse transmission characteristics.
The Development of a Rainfall Correction Technique based on Machine Learning for Hydrological Applications

For the purposes of enhancing usability of Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP), the quantitative precipitation prediction scheme by machine learning has been proposed. In this study, heavy rainfall was corrected for by utilizing rainfall predictors from LENS and Radar from 2017 to 2018, as well as machine learning tools LightGBM and XGBoost. The results were analyzed using Mean Absolute Error (MAE), Normalized Peak Error (NPE), and Peak Timing Error (PTE) for rainfall corrected through machine learning. Machine learning results (i.e. using LightGBM and XGBoost) showed improvements in the overall correction of rainfall and maximum rainfall compared to LENS. For example, the MAE of case 5 was found to be 24.252 using LENS, 11.564 using LightGBM, and 11.693 using XGBoost, showing excellent error improvement in machine learning results. This rainfall correction technique can provide hydrologically meaningful rainfall information such as predictions of flooding. Future research on the interpretation of various hydrologic processes using machine learning is necessary.
Factors Affecting Farmers’ Use of Inorganic Fertilizers and Manure in South Asia

Fertilizer, though one of the most essential inputs for increasing agricultural production, is a leading cause of nitrous oxide emissions from agriculture, contributing significantly to global warming. Therefore, understanding factors affecting farmers’ use of fertilizers is crucial to develop strategies to improve its efficient use and to minimize its negative impacts. Using data from 2,558 households across the Indo-Gangetic Plains in India, Nepal, and Bangladesh, this study examines the factors affecting farmers’ use of organic and inorganic fertilizers for the two most important cereal crops – rice and wheat. Together, these crops provide the bulk of calories consumed in the region. As nitrogen (N) fertilizer is the major source of global warming and other environmental effects, we also examine the factors contributing to its overuse. We applied multiple regression models to understand the factors influencing the use of inorganic fertilizer, Heckman models to understand the likelihood and intensity of manure use, and a probit model to examine the over-use of N fertilizer. Our results indicate that various socio-economic and geographical factors influence the use of inorganic fertilizer in rice and wheat. Across the study sites, N fertilizer over-use is the highest in Haryana (India) and the lowest in Nepal. Across all locations farmers reported a decline in manure application, concomitant with a lack of awareness of the principles of appropriate fertilizer management that can limit environmental externalities. Educational programs highlighting measures to improving nutrient-use-efficiency and reducing the negative externalities of N fertilizer over-use are proposed to address these problems.
A Student Retention Model: Empirical, Theoretical and Pragmatic Considerations

This research-in-progress paper draws on an extensive body of literature related to student retention. The purpose of this study is to develop a student retention model utilising student demographic data and a combination of data from student information systems, course management systems and other similar tools to accurately predict academic success of students at our own institution. Our research extends Tinto’s model by incorporating a number of components from Bean’s, Astin’s and Swail’s model. Our proposed eclectic model consists of seven components, identified as determinants of student retention. The strength in the model lies in its ability to help institutions work proactively to support student retention and achievement. The proposed research methodology to be used in this study is “a mixed-methods concurrent triangulation strategy”. The results are expected to indicate which of the factors are most important in developing an information system to predict and suggest interventions to improve retention.
Students revising for test using SMS

In this paper an experiment involving mLearning using Short Message Service (SMS) is described. The experiment was designed after a study of the readiness of the participants in terms of mobile device ownership, mobile technology preferences, and learning styles. Qualitative data was gathered and analysed using an activity theory framework. The SMS scenario developed for the experiment is contentspecific and was provided as a commercial service in ‘pull’ mode. The study allowed to conclude that mobility support, information density, and information relevance were the factors which contribute most to creating mLearning value while cost was a major detractor.
Arsenic in Santa Catarina soils

Arsenic (As) is one of the most harmful chemical elements known to man and to the environment, mainly due its high toxicity and wide distribution; the content of this element within the soils is a genuine concern, thus making it paramount to know its natural contents in a regional context. The present study aimed to determine the natural Arsenic content in the A horizon of 31 soil profiles from the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil, which is useful in determining reference values, monitoring, remediation of contaminated areas, legal regulation and Brazilian laws. Soil samples were prepared following the USPEA 3051A SW-846 method and were previously chemically reduced from As(V) to AS(III) by using the BCR method. The determination was performed in an Inductively Coupled Plasma - Optical Emission Spectrometry - Hydride Generation (ICP-OES-HG at cold vapor). Results obtained from the soil groups reveal the materials of basaltic origins as the ones with more As content while those of sediment origins had lesser content. Evaluated soil profiles fit into the following descending order regarding their As content: Latossolos, according to EMBRAPA (Oxisols according to Soil Taxonomy) > Nitossolo (Ultisols, Oxisols (Kandic), Alfisols) > Chernossolos (---) = Cambissolo (Inceptisols) = Argissolo (Ultisols) > Neossolos (Entisols). Keywords: arsenic content, reference value, soils, trace element.
Factors and Routes of Interregional Migration of University Graduates in Russia

Liubov Antosik, Candidate of Sciences in Economics, Senior Research Fellow, Laboratory for Labor Market Studies, University of Tyumen. Address: 6 Volodarskogo St, 625003 Tyumen, Russian Federation. Email: l.v. antosik@utmn.ru (corresponding author) Natalya Ivashina, Candidate of Sciences in Economics, Associate Professor, Department of Business Informatics and Economic and Mathematical Methods, School of Economics and Management, Far Eastern Federal University. Address: 8 Sukhanova St, 690090 Vladivostok, Russian Federation. Email: ivashina_n@mail.ru
WHERE TO GO? SMART GUIDANCE BASED ON IOT SENSOR-DATA

There is an increasing interest in indoor occupation and guidance information for business and societal purposes Scientific literature has paid attention to various ways of detecting occupation using different sensors as data source including various algorithms for estimating occupation rates from this data Gaining meaningful insights from the data still faces challenges because the potential benefits are not well understood This study presents a proof-of-concept of an indoor occupation information system, following the design science methodology We review various types of sensor data that are typically available or easy-to-install in buildings such as offices, classrooms and meeting rooms This study contributes to current research by incorporating business requirements taken from expert interviews and tackling one of the main barriers for business by designing an affordable system on a common existing infrastructure We believe that occupation information systems call for further research, in particular also in the context of social distancing because of covid19 © Proceedings of the 13th IADIS International Conference ICT, Society and Human Beings 2020, ICT 2020 and Proceedings of the 6th IADIS International Conference Connected Smart Cities 2020, CSC 2020 and Proceedings of the 17th IADIS International Conference Web Based Communities and Social Media 2020, WBC 2020 - Part of the 14th Multi Conference on Computer Science and Information Systems, MCCSIS 2020 All rights reserved
Design, Simulation and Optimization of Electrothermal Micro Actuator

This work presents the design and optimization of out of plane electrothermal MEMS actuators. The proposed concept is capable of generating large out of plane displacement at low driving power and a low actuation temperature. The performance of this actuator is evaluated and simulated in ANSYS. The out of plane displacement of 291µm at a temperature increase of 135°C from ambient has been achieved with the applied power of 2.7mW(0.7V). Moreover, a thermal time constant of 5.6ms and a frequency of 85Hz is accomplished for this actuator.
Identification and Expression Analysis of Snf2 Family Proteins in Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum)

As part of chromatin-remodeling complexes (CRCs), sucrose nonfermenting 2 (Snf2) family proteins alter chromatin structure and nucleosome position by utilizing the energy of ATP, which allows other regulatory proteins to access DNA. Plant genomes encode a large number of Snf2 proteins, and some of them have been shown to be the key regulators at different developmental stages in Arabidopsis. Yet, little is known about the functions of Snf2 proteins in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum). In this study, 45 Snf2s were identified by the homologous search using representative sequences from yeast (S. cerevisiae), fruit fly (D. melanogaster), and Arabidopsis (A. thaliana) against the tomato genome annotation dataset. Tomato Snf2 proteins (also named SlCHRs) could be clustered into 6 groups and distributed on 11 chromosomes. All SlCHRs contained a helicase-C domain with about 80 amino acid residues and a SNF2-N domain with more variable amino acid residues. In addition, other conserved motifs were also identified in SlCHRs by using the MEME program. Expression profile analysis indicated that tomato Snf2 family genes displayed a wide range of expressions in different tissues and some of them were regulated by the environmental stimuli such as salicylic acid, abscisic acid, salt, and cold. Taken together, these results provide insights into the functions of SlCHRs in tomato.
Klotho upregulates the interaction between RANK and TRAF6 to facilitate RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis via the NF-κB signaling pathway

Background α-Klotho (Klotho) plays a wide range of roles in pathophysiological processes, such as low-turnover osteoporosis observed in klotho mutant mice (kl/kl mice). However, the precise function and underlying mechanism of klotho during osteoclastogenesis are not fully understood. Here, we investigated the effects of klotho on osteoclastogenesis induced by receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B ligand (RANKL). Methods The effects of klotho deficiency on osteoclastogenesis were explored using kl/kl mice both in vivo and in vitro. In in vitro experiments, lentivirus transfection, real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) analysis, western blot analysis, immunostaining, RNA-seq analysis, differential pathway analysis, Energy-based protein docking analysis and co-immunoprecipitation were used for deeply investigating the effects of klotho on RANKL-induced Osteoclastogenesis and the underlying mechanism. Results We found that klotho deficiency impaired osteoclastogenesis. Furthermore, in vitro studies revealed that klotho facilitated osteoclastogenesis and upregulated the expression of c-Fos and nuclear factor of activated T cells cytoplasmic 1 (NFATc1) during osteoclastogenesis. Mechanistically, we confirmed that klotho co-localized with nuclear factor kappa B (RANK) and facilitated the interaction between activated RANK and TNFR-associated factor 6 (TRAF6), thus klotho exerts its function in osteoclastogenesis through the activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway. Conclusions Klotho promotes RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis through upregulating the interaction between RANK and TARF6, Targeting on klotho may be an attractive therapeutic method for osteopenic diseases.