Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Spatio-temporal dynamics of land use and land cover change in the commune of Dori, Burkina Faso

Land use and land cover (LULC) is a fundamental variable in the sustainable management of natural resources. Understanding land use and land cover change is essential for the study of environmental phenomena. This study investigates LULC change in Dori Commune in Burkina Faso over the period 1995-2015. The methodological approach is based on the analysis of Landsat images from three time points (i.e., 1995, 2006 and 2015). Data analysis revealed a 16.86% decrease in natural vegetation and an 80% increase in anthropogenic areas between 1995 and 2015. According to the matrix of changes, areas of tree steppe was more converted into shrub/grassy steppe with a rate of 6.45% against 1.42% in farmland in the study period. Shrub/grassy steppes were also converted into farmlands with a rate of 13.77% in the same period. The study found that human activities were the main drivers of LULC change in the study area. The variability in rainfall likely also contributed to the observed LULC change. The study’s findings can help with decision-making elsewhere in sub-Saharan Africa.
Load Frequency Control of Interconnected Power System via Multi-Agent System Method

Abstract For the load frequency control (LFC) of the interconnected power system, a two-level coordinated control frame based on multi-agent system is proposed to improve the frequency control performance of the power system. In the control frame, the upper-level agent, in a centralized manner, coordinates the lower-level LFC agents to deal with the conflict between narrowing the area control error and stabilizing the system frequency. The lower-level LFC agents, in the distributed cooperative manner, realize the mutual power support among the neighboring areas to guarantee the frequency stability in an emergency. To verify the validity of the proposed method, the numerical simulations are performed on the three-area interconnected power systems.
Application and Multi-Stage Optimization of Daylight Polymer 3D Printing of Personalized Medicine Products

Additive technologies have undoubtedly become one of the most intensively developing manufacturing methods in recent years. Among the numerous applications, the interest in 3D printing also includes its application in pharmacy for production of small batches of personalized drugs. For this reason, we conducted multi-stage pre-formulation studies to optimize the process of manufacturing solid dosage forms by photopolymerization with visible light. Based on tests planned and executed according to the design of the experiment (DoE), we selected the optimal quantitative composition of photocurable resin made of PEG 400, PEGDA MW 575, water, and riboflavin, a non-toxic photoinitiator. In subsequent stages, we adjusted the printer set-up and process parameters. Moreover, we assessed the influence of the co-initiators ascorbic acid or triethanolamine on the resin’s polymerization process. Next, based on an optimized formulation, we printed and analyzed drug-loaded tablets containing mebeverine hydrochloride, characterized by a gradual release of active pharmaceutical ingredient (API), reaching 80% after 6 h. We proved the possibility of reusing the drug-loaded resin that was not hardened during printing and determined the linear correlation between the volume of the designed tablets and the amount of API, confirming the possibility of printing personalized modified-release tablets.
Traveling Wave Transmission Research for Overhead Lines of Radial Distribution Power Systems Considering Frequency Characteristics

To give a more accurate description of traveling wave,this paper carried out in-depth research on the propagation of traveling waves in overhead lines of distribution power systems,with considering the unbalanced three-phase line,line frequency transmission characteristics and line length.The research shows that the method used for decoupling balanced lines is also suitable for unbalanced lines.The zero-modal traveling wave presents obvious attenuation and dispersion.However,in a relative short distribution line,the attenuation of zero-modal traveling wave is mainly in the high frequency bands.The resolution of zero-modal traveling wave is obviously higher than line-modal traveling wave with considering the power frequency current.This research focuses on the unique features of distribution power systems,and is significant for the future study of traveling-wave based fault detection methods in distribution power systems.
Real time fingertip detection using radial symmetry transform

The fingertip is an important feature whose detection is the key connection for many vision-based barehanded HCI systems.A novel,simple but effective methodology for fingertip detection under different backgrounds was presented,and no foreground segmentation is required to assist the location.The detection was mainly based on the radial symmetry transform according to the fingertip's special shape,which had a sensible radial symmetry.Subsequently,skin color discrimination was adopted to help locate the fingertip well.Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm performs well in different backgrounds and is robust to the influence of illumination in a real-time system.
Evaluation of the malignant potential of gliomas using diffusion-weighted and gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging

Objective: This study aimed to determine whether the apparent diffusion coefficients (ADCs) determined by diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) could facilitate the malignancy grading of various gliomas. Methods: Sixty patients with a primary cerebral glioma underwent diffusion-weighted and gadolinium-enhanced (Gd) T1-weighted MRI using a 1.5-T MRI scanner. Scoring was performed based on signal intensities on DWI and Gd images. The mean and minimum ADC values were calculated, and Ki-67 staining was performed for each histological sample to evaluate their tumor proliferative potential. Then, the DWI, Gd, and combined scores were analyzed and compared with the Ki-67 staining index and malignant grade. The relationships among the mean and minimum ADC values, Ki-67 staining index, and malignant grade were also evaluated. Results: The minimum ADC was inversely correlated with the Ki-67 staining index, with a low minimum ADC suggestive of tumor malignancy. The qualitative evaluation of the D score of water molecule diffusion on DWI accurately reflected the pathological grades of gliomas, with an effectiveness that was at least as good as the quantitative analysis using the minimum ADC. The diagnostic value of Gd images in determining glioma malignancy grades was inferior to that of DWI. Conclusion: Both DWI and gadolinium-enhanced images of MRI should be considered essential for the diagnosis of tumor malignancy.
GRACGE: Graph Signal Clustering and Multiple Graph Estimation

In graph signal processing (GSP), complex datasets arise from several underlying graphs and in the presence of heterogeneity. Graph learning from heterogeneous graph signals often results in challenging high-dimensional multiple graph estimation problems, and prior information regarding which graph the data was observed is typically unknown. To address the above challenges, we develop a novel framework called GRACGE (GRAph signal Clustering and multiple Graph Estimation) to partition the graph signals into clusters and jointly learn the multiple underlying graphs for each of the clusters. GRACGE advocates a regularized EM (rEM) algorithm where a structure fusion penalty with adaptive regularization parameters is imposed on the M-step. Such a penalty can exploit the structural similarities among graphs to overcome the curse of dimensionality. Moreover, we provide a non-asymptotic bound on the estimation error of the GRACGE algorithm, which establishes its computational and statistical guarantees. Furthermore, this theoretical analysis motivates us to adaptively re-weight the regularization parameters. With the adaptive regularization scheme, the final estimates of GRACGE will geometrically converge to the true parameters within statistical precision. Finally, experimental results on both synthetic and real data demonstrate the performance of the proposed GRACGE algorithm.
Tracing the Primordial Chemical Life of Glycine: A Review from Quantum Chemical Simulations

Glycine (Gly), NH2CH2COOH, is the simplest amino acid. Although it has not been directly detected in the interstellar gas-phase medium, it has been identified in comets and meteorites, and its synthesis in these environments has been simulated in terrestrial laboratory experiments. Likewise, condensation of Gly to form peptides in scenarios resembling those present in a primordial Earth has been demonstrated experimentally. Thus, Gly is a paradigmatic system for biomolecular building blocks to investigate how they can be synthesized in astrophysical environments, transported and delivered by fragments of asteroids (meteorites, once they land on Earth) and comets (interplanetary dust particles that land on Earth) to the primitive Earth, and there react to form biopolymers as a step towards the emergence of life. Quantum chemical investigations addressing these Gly-related events have been performed, providing fundamental atomic-scale information and quantitative energetic data. However, they are spread in the literature and difficult to harmonize in a consistent way due to different computational chemistry methodologies and model systems. This review aims to collect the work done so far to characterize, at a quantum mechanical level, the chemical life of Gly, i.e., from its synthesis in the interstellar medium up to its polymerization on Earth.
Iron Oxide Nanoparticles-Plant Insignia Synthesis with Favorable Biomedical Activities and Less Toxicity, in the “Era of the-Green”: A Systematic Review

In the era of favoring environment-friendly approaches for pharmaceutical synthesis, “green synthesis” is expanding. Green-based nanomedicine (NM), being less toxic and if having biomedical acceptable activities, thence, the chemical methods of synthesis are to be replaced by plants for reductive synthesis. Iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) exhibited remarkable anti-microbial and anti-cancer properties, besides being a drug delivery tool. However, owing to limitations related to the chemical synthetic method, plant-mediated green synthesis has been recognized as a promising alternative synthetic method. This systematic review (SR) is addressing plant-based IONPs green synthesis, characteristics, and toxicity studies as well as their potential biomedical applications. Furthermore, the plant-based green-synthesized IONPs in comparison to nanoparticles (NPs) synthesized via other conventional methods, characteristics, and efficacy or toxicity profiles would be mentioned (if available). Search strategy design utilized electronic databases including Science Direct, PubMed, and Google Scholar search. Selection criteria included recent clinical studies, available in the English language, published till PROSPERO registration. After screening articles obtained by first electronic database search, by title, abstract and applying the PICO criteria, the search results yielded a total of 453 articles. After further full text filtrations only 48 articles were included. In conclusion, the current SR emphasizes the perspective of the IONPs plant-mediated green synthesis advantage(s) when utilized in the biomedical pharmaceutical field, with less toxicity.
Prognostic Relevance of Weight and Weight Loss during Multimodal Therapy for Oesophagogastric Tumours

The prognostic meaning of weight loss (WL) during standard treatment for operable oesophagogastric cancer is still unclear. The aim of this study is to analyse the prognostic effect of WL during perioperative chemotherapy (PC) for gastric cancer (GC) and oesophageal adenocarcinomas (OAC). We retrospectively analysed data from 128 patients (pts) with GC and OAC who underwent surgery in the context of multimodal treatment with PC. We collected data on WL during different steps of therapy together with other histopathologic and demographic information. We analysed the effects on overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). Results: Pts with WL ≥ 5% during neoadjuvant chemotherapy exhibited significantly worse OS compared with pts with WL < 5% (median OS: 23.6 months [95% CI: 4.4–42.9] vs. 63.5 months [95% CI: 50.7–76.2], p = 0.007) and DFS (median DFS: 12.5 months [95% CI: 2.9–22.1] vs. 63.5 months [95% CI: 31.6–95.4], p = 0.016). Pts with WL ≥ 14% during the whole treatment exhibited significantly worse OS compared with pts with WL < 14% (median OS: 43.7 months [95% CI: 13.2–74.2] vs. not reached, p = 0.028) and DFS (median DFS: 34.3 months [95% CI: 14.0–54.5] vs. not reached, p = 0.038). Conclusion: WL patterns during neoadjuvant chemotherapy and during the whole treatment correlate with a significantly worse prognosis in operated pts with curative GC or OAC in the context of a multimodal treatment with PC. A validation of this prognostic effect in prospective studies is warranted.
Evaluating Changes in Health Risk from Drought over the Contiguous United States

The outcomes of drought can be difficult to assess due to the complexity of its effects. While most risk assessments of drought are developed for agriculture or water resources, the associations with human health are not well studied due to unclear and complex pathways. This study is the first to assess potential changes in health risk from droughts during the last decade in the contiguous United States. To assess the risk, we spatially superimposed vulnerability variables associated with drought on historical drought exposure over the last decade. Different variations in Local Moran’s I statistics were used to assess the spatial distribution of health vulnerability, risk of drought, and changes in the two five-year study periods (2010–2014 and 2015–2019). Our results show large clusters of the western United States had a significant increase in risk during the latter part of the study period due to increases in vulnerability and hazard. In addition, southern areas of the United States were consistently above the national average in drought risk. Since our vulnerability variables include agriculture, drinking water, and sociodemographic indicators, the results of this study can help various experts interested in drought preparedness efforts associated with human health.
Graphene-based materials for bone tissue engineering

Bone is capable of regenerating itself when it suffers minor injuries. However, treatment of bone that does not regenerate due to major injuries usually requires a surgical application. On the other hand, tissue engineering aims to eliminate problems such as lack of donor tissue and incompatibility that occur in these surgical interventions. Scaffolds are the most important structure produced to fulfill this goal of tissue engineering. Scaffolds provide an environment for cell attachment, proliferation, and differentiation, thereby helping to form new tissue. Some properties such as mechanical properties, surface properties, biodegradability, biocompatibility, and porosity should be considered during the designing of the scaffold. The creation of the scaffold for the determined tissue is related to both the materials used and the production methods. The use of graphene and its derivatives in scaffolds are one of the important applications in tissue engineering as a regulator for cell proliferation and differentiation. Graphene (Gr) and its derivatives have a significant role in bone regeneration thanks to their mechanical and biological properties when used in bone tissue engineering applications. This study reports the importance and advantages of using graphene-based biomaterials in scaffolds for bone tissue engineering. The biological properties of graphene-based biomaterials obtained in various studies have improved and there has been an increase in the adhesion and proliferation of osteoblasts.
Temporal and Spatial Changes in Evapotranspiration and Its Potential Driving Factors in Mongolia over the Past 20 Years

Evapotranspiration (ET) plays an important role in the study of regional long-term water cycles. The water cycle in Mongolia has been seriously affected by global warming and the intensification of human activities. A significant relationship exists between climate factors and ET. In this paper, the temporal and spatial fluctuations and stability of ET in Mongolia from 2001 to 2020 were studied by using MOD16A2 ET, MOD13A2 NDVI and the climate data of ERA5-Land. ET trends were analysed by using the Breaks for Additive Season and Trend (BFAST) software package, Theil–Sen median trend analysis, Mann–Kendall method and Hurst index. The correlations between ET and temperature (Tem), precipitation (Pre), net solar radiation (Nsr), soil moisture (Swl) and human activities were determined by partial correlation analysis and a geographic detector. In the past 20 years, ET increased significantly in 49.4% of Mongolia, and NDVI also showed a significant increasing trend. BFAST detected two mutation years. ET decreased rapidly from 2006 to 2007 and increased rapidly from 2015 to 2016. In addition to winter, the meteorological factor that had a significant positive impact on ET in the east and west was Pre, whereas the impact of Tem was more obvious in central Mongolia. In winter, Tem had a great impact on ET. In the vegetation growing season, the joint action of NDVI and Pre greatly positively contributed to ET. The geographical detector showed that the influence of annual human factors on ET was weakened by changes in NDVI and Pre. In the growing season, Tem and Nsr increased nonlinearly to ET, and other natural and human factors showed bivariate enhancement. These results will help to understand the responses of ET changes to natural factors and human activities in Mongolia and provide data support for future research on ET and the water cycle.
Digitalizing social work education: preparing students to engage with twenty-first century practice need

ABSTRACT This study, designed to surface student conceptions of digital development throughout their professional training, concluded mid-2019. Whilst mentioned in brief in a previous publication, this paper reports the work in full. The learning from it is important to formulating a response to practice changes driven by Covid19. Practice shifts that forced the profession to do social work at a distance, at speed, and largely through a screen. While not to dismiss efforts to adjust to the restrictions put in place to mitigate the spread of the virus, the lack of digital capabilities across the profession meant that the pivot to online practices presented significant and avoidable challenges. Informed by student descriptions of an educational experience devoid of digital development, this paper offers a solution. The ‘Digitalising Social Work Education Framework’ provides a context in which to review the facilitation of digital capabilities development. It is a means to ensuring that curriculum design, content, and delivery equips students to use technologies for their learning and in practice. It avoids reducing digital professionalism to a set of technical skills and promotes the need to engage with the realities of sociotechnical practices, including those that erode people's privacy, rights and freedom from interference.
The Need for Sustainability in the Planning and Control Stages of Construction Projects in Nigeria

The environmental impacts resulting from fast growing construction activities in the construction industry demands an urgent emphasis on the need for sustainability in construction practices. The study was aimed at emphasizing on the need for sustainability at the planning and control stages of construction projects in Nigeria, by a review of relevant literatures. An appraisal was carried out on the roles of the project managers and the development of a sustainable construction planning system (SCPS) to help solve sustainability issues in Nigeria. It was seen that to meet up the needs of sustainability in Nigeria’s construction projects, the project managers have a crucial role to play since they are involved in the planning and control stages of a project. The challenges of sustainability were analyzed and the respective duties of the project managers were highlighted. It was also seen that the SCPS can be integrated in Nigeria’s construction industry even as it gives essential information or report on how to carry out sustainable construction, ensuring quality in both operational and economic terms of a project from planning to control stages. It was recommended that project managers be enlightened or made aware of their crucial roles in ensuring sustainability; training programs should be organised to educate professionals on the use of the SCPS, and it should be inculcated into the curriculum of higher institutions studying environment studies.
Erbium Doped Fiber Optic Gravimeter

Gravimeters are devices that can be used in a wide range of applications, such as mining, seismology, geodesy, archeology, geophysics and many others. These devices have great sensibility, which makes them susceptible to external vibrations like electromagnetic waves. There are several technologies regarding gravimeters that are of use in industrial metrology. Optical fiber is immune to electromagnetic interference, and together with long period gratings can form high sensibility sensors of small size, offering advantages over other systems with different technologies. This paper shows the development of an optical fiber gravimeter doped with Erbium that was characterized optically for loads going from 1 to 10 kg in a bandwidth between 1590nm to 1960nm, displaying a weight linear response against power. Later on this paper, the experimental results show that the previous described behavior can be modeled as characteristic function of the sensor.
Essential Drivers of Payment Gateway Continuance Intention: The Moderating Role of Usage Rate

This study aims to analyze the effect of functional and economic benefit on theperceived value of payment gateway, elaborate the role of perceived value, subjective norm, and behavior control on continuance intention, and identify the moderating role of usage rate on the relationship. The study employed Partial Least Squares to test the proposed model and corresponding hypotheses. Using the purposive sampling technique, the data collection was from 460 survey samples of Fintech payment gateway users in Indonesia. Analysis data used Two-step SEM, inner model, and outer model analysis. The findings showed that functional and economic benefits influence the perceived value of payment gateway. Moreover, perceived value, subjective norm, and behavioral control effects continuance intention. This study shows the importance of the moderating role of usage level on the relationship of subjective norm and perceived behavior control with continuance intention on payment gateway. This study recommends payment getaway providers to manage customer value, promote sustainable intentions, and consider usage rates to encourage subjective norms and behavioral control. Therefore, this study enables a better understanding of the Theory of Plan Behavior (TPB) and Expectation Disconfirmation Theory (EDT) in the payment gateway context.