Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effect of Sugarcane Harvesting Systems on Soil Organic Matter in Northeastern Region of Brazil

ABSTRACT Burning of sugarcane residues has been associated with several environmental and human health problems. In order to alleviate these problems and maintain sustainability of the system, sugarcane industries have started to adopt a mechanized method of harvesting that does not include burning of the residue. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of the conversion of burnt to unburnt sugarcane harvesting systems on soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks and soil organic matter (SOM) compartments of the northeastern region of Brazil. The study was carried out in two sugarcane mills in the state of Alagoas. In each farm, chronosequences or comparison pairs were selected, totaling seven areas (three burnt and four unburnt). The unburnt system in the conditions of the northeastern region of Brazil accumulated carbon (C) in the soil at rates similar to those found in the south-central region of Brazil (2.00 Mg C ha−1 year−1). Therefore, the results obtained contribute to consolidating the results of other studies and reinforce the potential of the unburnt system to promote the soil C sequestration, which is important considering the area cultivated with sugarcane. Under the qualitative point of view, the unburnt systems resulted in lower values of soil bulk density and higher values of SOC stocks, fulvic and humic acids, and also of C fractions with greater stability, which are positive indicators that this type of system is gradually improving the quality of the soils.
Predictive Model of Ursodeoxycholic Acid Treatment Response in Primary Biliary Cholangitis

Background and Aims Although ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) treatment in primary biliary cholangitis is effective in many patients, there are still many people who respond poorly to it. Identifying and intervening these patients early is important. Therefore, exploring the risk factors and proposing a predictor index to predict the UDCA treatment nonresponse earlier among primary biliary cholangitis patients were the aims of this research. Methods A total of 135 primary biliary cholangitis patients treated with UDCA (13–15 mg/kg/d) were enrolled in this retrospective study. The response to treatment was evaluated based on Paris I criteria. The univariate and logistic multivariate regression analyses were adopted to determine the independent risk factors and propose a predictor index. Receiver operating characteristic curve was used to evaluate the predictive ability of the predictor index. Results Total bilirubin, albumin, globulin, immunoglobin M, and aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index were the five independent risk factors associating with early biochemical nonresponse to UDCA treatment. Based on these factors, we established a predictor index with the predictive value being 0.886 (sensitivity: 82.80%, specificity: 84.40%). Conclusions We developed a predictor index that had an accurate prediction of the early biochemical nonresponse to UDCA treatment, which is expected to provide valuable information for the high-risk group before treatment begins.
Advantages of Gamma-Radiometric and Spectrometric Low-Altitude Geophysical Surveys by Unmanned Aerial Systems with Small Scintillation Detectors

Unmanned aerial systems (UAS) for airborne gamma-ray surveys in radioecological and geological research are being increasingly used, since they provide radiation safety for personnel and high survey performance. Improvement of detection modules is one of the main directions in which UAS-gamma is developing. Semiconductor detectors are used increasingly as they have a small mass and are convenient for light unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Simultaneously, in our opinion, the potential of traditional scintillation detectors is not exhausted because they are cheaper and more affordable. Radiometric and spectrometric detection modules based on scintillation detectors can even be created at home. The main disadvantage of scintillation detectors is the need for large crystals with significant mass to obtain high data quality. Traditional aerial gamma surveys with operated aircraft systems use scintillation detectors with a volume of tens or hundreds of litres. In this paper, we present the comparison result of radiometric and spectrometric surveys with small volume detectors made at different altitudes and ground surveys. We prove that with properly designed and applied ultralight UAS for aerial gamma spectrometry it is possible to obtain high-quality and informative data.
Ecg Arrhythmia Signals Classification Using Particle Swarm Optimization-Support Vector Machines Optimized With Independent Component Analysis

Cardiac Arrhythmia is one of the serious disorders which are most commonly found among humans larger in number. This study is based on proposing a novel approach for heart (Cardiac) arrhythmia disease classification. Many Machine learning algorithms are implemented for the cardiac arrhythmia classification from which the ECG signal are extracted from MIT-BIH Database. The main objective of this study is to do the classification of ECG signals to the normal and abnormal (Ventricular Tachycardia) category using PSO-SVM optimized with Independent Component Analysis using Genetic Algorithm. The extraction of ECG signal is done with twenty four features consisting of Normal and Abnormal clinical clusters. ECG Signals under these categories are extracted from MIT-BIH Arrhythmia database which is read in terms of P,Q,R,S and T voltage-time parametric signal. Genetic Algorithm and Particle Swarm Optimization together used to enhance the performance of the Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifier. Initially the SVM Classifier is designed and it is optimized by searching for the best parametric value where the discriminate function is tuned to extract the features under the best subsets and as a result the fitness functions which are classified are identified with better optimization. Additionally the PSO-SVM Classifier is allowed to undergo the adaptive mechanism wherein which the optimization factor is allowed to restrict the boundaries of classification of ECG arrhythmia with maximum accuracy by the implementation of Independent Component Analysis Optimization using Genetic Algorithm. The results are experimentally demonstrated with the comparison of PCA, ICA, PSO-SVM with ICA and G-ICA. Sensitivity, Specificity, False Positive Rate, True Positive Rate and Accuracy are the experimental parameters used for the performance metrics comparison to classify for normal and diabetic clinical condition. The parameters yield better results for PSO-SVM-ICA and G-ICA with respect to the above mentioned metrics. The Classification Accuracy is attained with 96% with best optimization strategies by using these hybrid classifiers.
A Robust Baseband Transceiver Design for Doubly-Dispersive Channels

In this paper, we investigate three different concepts for robust link-level performance under doubly-dispersive wireless channels, namely, i) channel estimation, ii) cyclic prefix (CP)-free transmission, and iii) waveform design. We employ a unique word-based channel estimation, where we decouple the channel related errors into channel estimation error (CEE) and Doppler error (DE). Then, we show that a trade-off between CEE and DE emerges in the frame design, where the system can be optimized to achieve the minimum composite channel error. Another strategy to improve the link-level performance is to suppress the CP of the sub-blocks. This allows for better channel estimation due to the reduced transmission time, with the penalty of requiring the CP-restoration processing at the receiver. Furthermore, we propose the waveform design based on the equal-reliability criterion (ERC), leading to the block multiplexing-orthogonal chirp division multiplexing (BM-OCDM). This waveform is advantageous in the CP-free transmission mode, where the data symbols have equally distributed interference from adjacent sub-blocks. Our framework is a generalization of the recently proposed orthogonal time frequency space (OTFS), which fails to achieve the ERC. The link-level simulations show that at high modulation and coding scheme, the proposed BM-OCDM provides superior link-level performance than OTFS.
Management Reforms in the Defence Sector

ABSTRACT The Swedish defence sector has for the last 30 years been subject to expenditure reductions and changed policy as well as management reforms inspired by the ideas of New Public Management (NPM). The purpose of this article is to provide insights into the major management reforms in the defence sector. We describe and discuss the reforms and the implications for the defence sector in the context of expenditure reductions and changed defence policy. We conclude that the earlier management reforms served as instruments to reduce defence expenditure and that the reforms have affected how agencies and the Government interact and how politicians are able to influence the sector. Furthermore, there are indications that these reforms have contributed to the management challenges we can observe in the defence sector today. These challenges correspond to important features of an efficient network. This implies that there might be a need of a different perspective to improve public management of the defence sector.
Healthcare Deconcentration Program in the Karo District of Sumatra Utara Province

This article aims to discuss the roles and urgency of the deconcentrated healthcare program at the district level. In order to discuss those issues, the decentralization perspective of Smith [1] is applied as the main theory. This study analyzes three themes, which are (1) how self-reliant is the region in healthcare sector financing, (2) responses of local governments regarding the role of the deconcentration programs, and (3) how is the contribution of the program to regional healthcare services. This research is a qualitative study using secondary data and in-depth interviews as the main data sources. The data analysis is conducted qualitatively by applying the triangulation method of data sources and applying data validation through credibility and conformity standards. This study finds that regional independence in healthcare sector financing is still low, the role of the program is still crucial for the region as well as the contribution of the programs can fill the gap of the local efforts on human resource development for medical and non-medical personnel. This study further recommends the need for the central government to plan and coordinate deconcentration programs with the regions so that future programs can better accommodate regional needs.
Religion, Spirituality, Community, and Change at a Residential Homeless Shelter

ABSTRACT This article looks at the effects of religion, spirituality, and religious community in an evangelical Christian homeless shelter. We describe the culture of the shelter as well as the life stories of its residents, with the goal of understanding how residents experience the shelter and how religion and the religious community help them cope with their past and improve their situations. We illustrate how many of the residents connect to the spiritual and cultural toolkit, culture and community at Grace Ministries, and then incorporate these elements into their life stories, which helps them start tackling issues such as low selfesteem, depression, and addictions.
Protective Effects of Echinacea purpurea Ethanol Extract on Male Reproductive Dysfunction in Obese Rats

Obesity is characterized by excessive fat accumulation and it may affect reproductive health by altering the sperm parameters, hormonal profiles, and gonadal functions. Echinacea purpurea is a medicinal herb and is well-known for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities. The purpose of this study was to examine the beneficial effects of E. purpurea ethanol (EPE) extract on the high-fat diet (HFD)-induced reproductive damage. The obese condition in male Sprague–Dawley rats was induced by feeding with a high-fat diet (45%) and later three different doses of EPE (93, 186, 465 mg/kg per day) were tested for 5 weeks. The results showed that the level of antioxidant enzymes was increased, whereas lipid peroxidation, blood glucose level, nitric oxide production, IL-6 level, and TNF-α level were decreased in the presence of EPE extract. In addition to this, the sperm counts, motility, morphology, DNA damage, and mitochondrial membrane potential were also improved. Additionally, the protein expression of Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Alpha (PPAR-α), and Phospho-Adenosine Monophosphate-Activated Protein Kinase Alpha ½ (AMPKα1/2) phosphorylation in liver tissue and Steroidogenic Acute Regulatory Protein (StAR) and 17β-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase 3 (17β-HSD3) expressions in testes were increased. In conclusion, the administration of EPE extracts beneficially regulated the inflammation and reproductive damage in obese rats.
Tapping the Next Purchase: Embracing the Wave of Mobile Payment

ABSTRACT This paper looks to determine the antecedents of Near Field Communication (NFC) mobile payment from a developing country’s perspective. This was done with the use of a conceptual framework based on the Mobile Technology Acceptance Model (MTAM) that consists of mobile usefulness (MU), mobile ease of use (MEU) while integrating mobile self-efficacy (MSE), and system and service quality (SSQ). A self-administered questionnaire developed from measurement items adapted from past studies yielded 352 usable responses from smartphone users who were patronizing popular shopping malls in the Klang Valley region. The analysis was done using SmartPLS 3.0 which found that other than MSE, all other independent variables were significant determinants of the intention to adopt mobile payment. Moreover, MSE and SSQ have significantly positive relationships with MU and MEU. This study successfully applied the MTAM model as 72% of the intention to adopt mobile payment can be explained by all factors in the research model.
Performance Evaluation of GFDM Channel Estimation Using DFT for Tactile Internet Application

In this work, discrete Fourier transform (DFT)-based channel estimation is proposed in generalized frequency division multiplexing (GFDM) system. In the GFDM system, the subcarriers are non-orthogonal; therefore, the pilot symbols cannot be easily observed due to the interference from data symbols and noise. The proposed method can improve the channel estimation of least square (LS) method by eliminating channel impulse response outside the number of actual impulse response. First, the received signal is demodulated using zero forcing demodulator. Then, it is divided with transmitted pilot symbols to obtain channel response. Interpolation in frequency and time domains is conducted to acquire channel response for all GFDM blocks. Finally, the channel estimation algorithm using DFT is performed. The parameters of the system are adjusted so that they are suitable for tactile internet application. The channel model used is NYUSIM, which utilizes mmWave. Three scenarios in NYUSIM such as urban microcell, urban macro cell and rural macro cell are used and power delay profiles generated from NYUSIM simulator are employed in this system. The results show that mean square error (MSE) from DFT-based channel estimation gives substantial improvement for all scenarios. In addition, symbol error rate (SER) of DFT-based channel estimation provides a slight improvement of ~1.5 dB than LS channel estimation.
TiO2-Graphene Quantum Dots Nanocomposites for Photocatalysis in Energy and Biomedical Applications

The focus of current research in material science has shifted from “less efficient” single-component nanomaterials to the superior-performance, next-generation, multifunctional nanocomposites. TiO2 is a widely used benchmark photocatalyst with unique physicochemical properties. However, the large bandgap and massive recombination of photogenerated charge carriers limit its overall photocatalytic efficiency. When TiO2 nanoparticles are modified with graphene quantum dots (GQDs), some significant improvements can be achieved in terms of (i) broadening the light absorption wavelengths, (ii) design of active reaction sites, and (iii) control of the electron-hole (e−-h+) recombination. Accordingly, TiO2-GQDs nanocomposites exhibit promising multifunctionalities in a wide range of fields including, but not limited to, energy, biomedical aids, electronics, and flexible wearable sensors. This review presents some important aspects of TiO2-GQDs nanocomposites as photocatalysts in energy and biomedical applications. These include: (1) structural formulations and synthesis methods of TiO2-GQDs nanocomposites; (2) discourse about the mechanism behind the overall higher photoactivities of these nanocomposites; (3) various characterization techniques which can be used to judge the photocatalytic performance of these nanocomposites, and (4) the application of these nanocomposites in biomedical and energy conversion devices. Although some objectives have been achieved, new challenges still exist and hinder the widespread application of these nanocomposites. These challenges are briefly discussed in the Future Scope section of this review.
Effect of rice husk ash addition on the physical properties of soda-lime-silica glass for building glass and window panel

Demand for eco-friendly materials are increasing each year due to their excellent properties, which has proved to contribute in developing sustainable environment. One of the promising raw materials in producing glass is rice husk, a waste product from paddy harvesting, which contains about 90% of silica. Rice husks are usually burnt in an open area and contributed to serious air pollution problems. In this research, Soda-Lime-Silica Rice Husk Ash (SLRHA) glass which is a new combination of soda lime silicate (SLS) glass and rice husk ash (RHA) was developed for building glass and window application. The physical properties of the developed SLS-RHA glass system is presented in this paper. Based on the ultrasonic velocities test, sample with 5% of RHA was found to possess high and medium elastic properties including easy to bend rather than elongate, less stiff, tough at a certain direction and has low rigidity. Sample with 0% and 10% of RHA showed medium and poor elastic properties, respectively. High hardness value of the RHA glass was achieved using combinations of 60 to 120 Rockwell hardness test scale with up to 2% RHA. By considering the results from both tests, sample with 0% to 5% of RHA was considered to be the optimum formulation in the production of building glass and window panel.
Unveiling the Influence of Non-Toxic Fluorinated Ionic Liquids Aqueous Solutions in the Encapsulation and Stability of Lysozyme

Proteins are bioactive compounds with high potential to be applied in the biopharmaceutical industry, food science and as biocatalysts. However, protein stability is very difficult to maintain outside of the native environment, which hinders their applications. Fluorinated ionic liquids (FILs) are a promising family of surface-active ionic liquids (SAILs) that have an amphiphilic behavior and the ability to self-aggregate in aqueous solutions by the formation of colloidal systems. In this work, the protein lysozyme was selected to infer on the influence of FILs in its stability and activity. Then, the cytotoxicity of FILs was determined to evaluate their biocompatibility, concluding that the selected compounds have neglected cytotoxicity. Therefore, UV–visible spectroscopy was used to infer the FIL-lysozyme interactions, concluding that the predominant interaction is the encapsulation of the lysozyme by FILs. The encapsulation efficiency was also tested, which highly depends on the concentration and anion of FIL. Finally, the bioactivity and thermal stability of lysozyme were evaluated, and the encapsulated lysozyme keeps its activity and thermal stability, concluding that FILs can be a potential stabilizer to be used in protein-based delivery systems.
Design of a Rectangular Pickup Coil Fabricated on a PCB Using WBG Power Semiconductor in Discrete Package

Power semiconductors based on wide bandgap (WBG) devices are capable of fast switching and have low on-resistance. Accordingly, a fast sensor with a higher bandwidth is required for circuit inspection based on switch current measurements. Thus, it is necessary to have a current sensor in the printed circuit board (PCB) circuit for diagnosis and protection of the surface mount device (SMD) type circuit system. Accordingly, a pickup coil with the advantages of a high degree of sensor configuration freedom, wide bandwidth, and low cost can be a good alternative. This study analyzes the influence of coil shape and parameters on sensor design as a guideline for embedding a pickup coil in an SMD-type PCB circuit of a WBG power semiconductor-based, half-bridge structure. The mutual inductance and self-inductance values of the coil are considered large variables in the design of a sensor coil for simultaneously maintaining high bandwidth and sensor sensitivity. Therefore, magnetic and frequency response analyses were conducted to verify the correlation with inductance, the influence of coupling capacitance, and the influence of the magnetic field formation via the current flowing through the external trace inside the PCB. The coil model is verified and discussed through simulation and double pulse tests.
The extended slash distribution of the sum of two independent logistic random variables

Abstract The concept of extended slash distribution is introduced. For the extended slash distribution of the sum of two independent logistic random variables, the characteristic function, moments, absolute moments and conditional tail expectation are obtained. It is shown that this distribution is related to the logistic and the generalized hyperbolic secant distributions by means of several distributional identities. The log-concavity of the distribution is studied. The self-decomposability of this distribution is also proved. Finally, an asymmetric distribution based on the extended slash distribution of the sum of two independent logistic random variables is introduced. Closed form expressions for the moments and for the conditional tail expectation of this skewed distribution are obtained. This distribution is a fairly flexible model for leptokurtic data as can be seen by fitting it to several datasets.
On the resolving strong domination number of graphs: a new notion

The study of metric dimension of graph G has widely given some results and contribution of graph research of interest, including the domination set theory. The dominating set theory has been quickly growing and there are a lot of natural extension of this study, such as vertex domination, edge domination, total domination, power domination as well as the strong domination. In this study, we initiate to combine the two above concepts, namely metric dimension and strong domination set. Thus we have a resolving strong domination set. We have obtained the resolving strong domination number, denoted by γrst(G), of some graphs.