Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Towards Intergenerational Equity: Analysis of Youth Engagement Strategies in Climate Action Planning in Mzuzu, Malawi

Globally, meaningful youth participation in planning processes aimed at dealing with climate change impacts has been advocated for sustainability purposes. Article 6 of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change requires parties to ensure there is public participation in addressing climate change, its effects, and the development of responses. In the city of Mzuzu, Malawi, local community members have been involved in planning processes at different planning levels but more intensively at the community level. Despite this approach receiving much attention, minimal consideration has been put on which societal groups are to be engaged directly, with youths being excluded to a large extent, even though about 49% of the population in Malawi is aged between 10 and 34 years. This article, therefore, seeks to foreground how current stakeholder engagement strategies in climate change planning marginalise the youth. To do this, this article critically reviews current stakeholder engagement strategies and assesses the extent to which youth are involved in the planning processes in Mzuzu City. It further assesses the factors affecting youth involvement in the planning process and subsequently recommends how stakeholder engagement strategies can be designed and implemented to ensure effective youth engagement in climate change planning processes in the city.
The Underexplored Role of Managing Interdependence Fit in Organization Design and Performance

We argue that research on interdependence fit is an underexplored variable in strategy and organization research and is the missing variable that differentiates the performance of “built to last” organizations from the rest. Interdependence fit relates to how well activities and processes within the organization or between the organization and its environment mutually reinforce one another. We suggest that the major reason underlying variation in firm performance may be rooted in differences of whether and how firms manage interdependencies within and across an organization’s strategic activities. Progress on researching interdependence fit could be realized by focusing on strategically important activities, and the research challenge is to identify the unobservable processes and routines that underlie interdependence fit.
A Generic Template for Collaborative Product Development

A generic template system is presented in this paper. The template, which is basically a management system and an integration platform, adopts virtual prototyping, cross-functional teaming and information integration to improve the performance of product development life cycle. The architecture and working principles of the template are discussed. This architecture provides a collaborative environment for product development aiming at integrating people, process and data in the complete product development cycle. Also, a new integration strategy, that adopts PDM as its universal integration platform, is proposed and realized. This strategy reduces the requirements of integrating a software module (or “a virtual model”) into the template to only the development of the interface between this module and the PDM. In addition, the generic template contains methods and mechanisms to create and maintain virtual prototyping models for different engineering products and engineering systems that involve mechanical as well as electrical components (e.g. a power train). Currently, the template includes sufficient models to accurately and reliably model, simulate and evaluate complete engineering systems. Some of these models do not exist in the current state-of-the-art commercial CAD/CAE/CAM/PDM systems.
Cognitive disabilities and web accessibility: a survey into the Brazilian web development community

Cognitive disabilities include a diversity of conditions related to cognitive functions, such as reading, understanding, learning, solving problems, memorization and speaking. They differ largely from each other, making them a heterogeneous complex set of disabilities. Although the awareness about cognitive disabilities has been increasing in the last few years, it is still less than necessary compared to other disabilities. The need for an investigation about this issue is part of the agenda of the Challenge 2 (Accessibility and Digital Inclusion) from GranDIHC-Br. This paper describes the results of an online exploratory survey conducted with 105 web development professionals from different sectors to understand their knowledge and barriers regarding accessibility for people with cognitive disabilities. The results evidenced three biases that potentially prevent those professionals from approaching cogni-tive disabilities: strong organizational barriers; difficulty to understand user needs related to cognitive disabilities; a knowledge gap about web accessibility principles and guidelines. Our results confirmed that web development professionals are unaware about cognitive disabilities mostly by a lack of knowledge about them, even if they understand web accessibility in a technical level. Therefore, we suggest that applied research studies focus on how to fill this knowledge gap before providing tools, artifacts or frameworks.
Automatic car license plate extraction using modified generalized symmetry transform and image warping

This paper proposes a method which evaluates symmetry of plate corners and extracts car license plates captured from the arbitrary directions. The generalized symmetry transform (GST) produces continuous features of symmetry between two points by combining locality constraint and reflectional symmetry. Also, we propose scan line based GST to improve time complexity of the GST significantly due to selective attention to particular distortions in case of a large searching window. The corners of a plate are detected from our modified scan line based GST with selective directions using the fact that a corner is formed by two neighboring straight lines acquired in a symmetry map of GST. However, a rotated or perspectively distorted car license plate image is very difficult for segmentation of interior characters. Image normalization by image warping is adopted to make such segmentation of license plate and later identification much easier. We also adopt the verifier which evaluates a candidate license plate to enhance extraction rate. Our experiments show that the proposed method for extracting perspectively distorted license plates is fairly reliable.
CLS: A low cost visualization environment for the train industry

We present here a visualization environment for the train industry, where engineers, designers or executives can discuss and analyze visual, aesthetics and ergonomic issues of a train model before it is built. Instead of building a full-size real model, which is not too practical at all regarding design modifications, a virtual model is built in the digital realm, thus taking advantage of the flexibility it offers while keeping costs at approximately one third of the real model. The environment is based on a low cost, PC-based, CAVE-like architecture, (which we have named CLS, or CAVE-Like System) and combines static and dynamic computer generated imagery, both with and without stereoscopy for 3D visualization, as well as Augmented Virtuality techniques for the integration of the train with its environment. The system has already been tested and used by the Spanish companies Renfe and CAF in the design of the new Civia train.
Building responsive bio-economic models to replicate complex farm management decisions for mixed irrigation farming systems in southern NSW

: This paper is part of a broader study that uses AusFarm, a complex biophysical model, to model a mixed irrigation farming system in the Murray Irrigation Area and Districts (Murray Irrigation Limited (MIL) post 1995). The study is unique is that the biophysical model has been coupled to an economic module that includes an irrigation sequence model and pricing function. The study has enabled the examination of water market tools that irrigators have available to them in the MIL (‘temporary water’ and ‘carry over’), and the importance of these tool in managing future risk under changing climates. This paper shows that a combination of water market tools will be an important component in managing risk under changing climate, at least under a mid-range emissions scenario with modest reductions in irrigation water availability. For example, the modelling in this paper shows that having both the ability to carry over water to the following water year, and access to temporary water markets increases the likelihood of sowing opportunities and yield gains for the summer irrigated crop for both historical and projected climate periods. Access to these tools will become crucial as irrigators manage future water supply and demand risk under the impact of climate change and changes to water policy.
Analysis of the class E amplifier used as electronic ballast with dimming capability for photovoltaic applications

The analysis and design of a dimmable electronic ballast based on the class E amplifier and fed from solar cells with 12V backup batteries is described. The class E amplifier uses a capacitive impedance inverter as resonant tank and one diode antiparallel with the switch; these elements allow implementation of a dimming feature for the ballast and ignition of the lamp while maintaining zero voltage commutations in the switch. The designed electronic ballast drives a 21W lamp and operates at a switching frequency of 370kHz. Dimming is implemented using an SG3524 in a voltage-controlled oscillator fashion.
A Review of Latest Techniques to Secure Wireless Networks against ARP Poisoning Attacks

Due to increasing network threats, it has become imperative to build a system that is meant to protect the network primarily from intrusion. A discipline that is most oblivious is the layer two of the OSI, which opens the network to dangerous assaults and compromises. Nowadays there are various sophisticated offensive tools and technologies that can exploit these vulnerabilities to create havoc in the tech-savvy generation. ARP spoofing assault is among the most hazardous procedures in local discipline networks. This paper discusses poisoning of Address resolution protocol and the most advanced schemes which mitigate such attacks. This attack has been carried out under test environment for illustrations and various preventive methods against it have been tested and compared. This paper has highlighted in the end an ideal strategy to combat ARP attacks at a superior level than the already existing techniques.
Analysis and Design of Absorbers for Electromagnetic Compatibility Applications

Absorbers are one of the key components in the realm of electromagnetic compatibility. Depending on the frequency range of interest, different types of absorbers can be utilized for this purpose. This chapter introduces the analysis and modeling of ferrite-based absorbers for low-frequency applications (below 1 GHz) and discusses the issues encountered in their installation, resulting in air gaps. Later, different kinds of pyramidal absorbers, commonly used in the broadband microwave frequency range (above 1 GHz), are presented, and analytical and numerical approaches for predicting their performance are reviewed. The combination of the ferrite tile and pyramidal dielectric absorbers is also provided. Then, some practical aspects of designing hybrid absorbers, including the influence of carbon loading and matching layer on their performance, are mentioned. Finally, the absorber operating frequency extension to the millimeter-wave spectrum using metamaterial structures or graphene material is presented.
Good Laboratory Practice

Educational videos are very useful tools in HE in general and Chemistry in particular. They can show techniques such as handling a chemical reaction and equipment and at the same time can be very entertaining… or boring. Boring videos are rarely watched and only a very determined person will finish watching them and learn the lesson they are trying to teach. In education there is a need for shorter, more realistic and entertaining movies. You need to grasp the viewers’ attention and keep them engaged. We decided to use our Undergraduate students to help us to film educational videos and prepare the content of the Advanced Organic Laboratory webpage. Their enthusiasm, down-to-earth approach and experience helped us to prepare content that is more understandable, interesting and approachable for their fellow students. The project was successful in improving the students’ engagement and in creating new educational tools for the Chemistry Department. It was also fun for the students and staff involved. Students had an opportunity to learn more advanced techniques, deepen their own Chemistry knowledge and feed it back to teachers and their colleagues. Filming, music composing, teaching, presenting, learning Chemistry (theory and techniques) and acting – new ‘stars’ were born.
Food Preference of Eisenia foetida among Different Combinations of Animal Dung and Agro/Kitchen Wastes

Vermicomposting is one of the most important tools in the campaign to recycle agricultural wastes as biofertilizers. In order to attain this objective, vermiculture is one of the most important aspect. This study identifies the most preferred combination of cattle dung and agro wastes for growth of earthworm (Eisenia foetida). The behavioral responses of earthworm to different combination were examined. Significant variations in food preference were observed in worm when the cattle dungs were mixed with different agro wastes / kitchen wastes. Dung combination with gram bran mainly emerged as the strongest preferred food for Eisenia foetida; followed by dung with straw. Maximum number of worm was observed in dung with gram bran even when they were counted after 24 hours.
Incidence of Cancer in Patients with Irritable Bowl Syndrome

(1) Background: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) represents one of the most common disorders of gut–brain interaction (DGBI). As recent data has suggested an increased cancer incidence for IBS patients, there is an ongoing debate whether IBS might be associated with a risk of cancer development. In the present study, we evaluated and compared incidence rates of different malignancies including gastrointestinal cancer in a large cohort of outpatients, with or without IBS, treated in general practices in Germany. (2) Methods: We matched a cohort of 21,731 IBS patients from the IQVIA Disease Analyzer database documented between 2000 and 2019 in 1284 general practices to a cohort of equal size without IBS. Incidence of cancer diagnoses were evaluated using Cox regression models during a 10-year follow-up period. (3) Results: In 11.9% of patients with IBS compared to 8.0% without IBS, cancer of any type was diagnosed within 10 years following the index date (p < 0.001). In a regression analysis, this association was confirmed in female (HR: 1.68, p < 0.001) and male (HR = 1.57, p < 0.001) patients as well as in patients of all age groups. In terms of cancer entity, 1.9% of patients with and 1.3% of patients without IBS were newly diagnosed with cancer of digestive organs (p < 0.001). Among non-digestive cancer entities, the strongest association was observed for skin cancer (HR = 1.87, p < 0.001), followed by prostate cancer in men (HR = 1.81, p < 0.001) and breast cancer in female patients (HR = 1.80, p < 0.001). (4) Conclusion: Our data suggest that IBS might be associated with cancer of the digestive organs as well as with non-digestive cancer entities. However, our findings do not prove causality and further research is warranted as the association could be attributed to life style factors that were not documented in the database.
City Watch CCTV

In this paper, City Watch CCTV is presented which is an operational service within the supported living and community portfolio with the objective of reducing the crimes, anti-social behaviour, robbery, burglary, and theft of and from vehicles in the city. The software system used to support this scheme is capable of expansion. The digital recording system is reputed to be one of the largest of its kind in Europe.
State Estimation and Model-Predictive Control for Multi-Robot Handling and Tracking of AGV Motions using iGPS

In this paper, we present a solution for simultaneous handling of large components with industrial robots performing synchronized motions with an AGV in flexible flow assembly. For this purpose, we implement an Extended Kalman Filter with a global localization system to track an AGV and multiple manipulators. We propose a model-predictive controller for force compliance and trajectory tracking in multi-robot cooperative, decentralized, and fast manipulation tasks. In order to show the effectiveness of our system, we assemble a truck windshield using two industrial robots and an AGV in motion. In our experiments, we reliably achieve assembly tolerances of 1.5mm at AGV velocities up to $400\frac{{{\text{mm}}}}{{\text{s}}}$. The presented system makes flexible assembly systems with AGVs and freely reconfigurable manipulators possible. It enables the automation of high variant, low volume, large size assembly tasks such as aircraft, truck or steel beam assembly, which are mostly manual processes at present.
Total Quality Control in an Asian Division of a Multinational Corporation

During the 1980s many organisations around the world adopted the total quality control concept, and many successes and failures have been reported. The process of TQC implementation in a South East Asian division of a multinational corporation producing electronic components, the evaluation programme and the results achieved, are described. The need to develop TQC as an integral part of the organisational corporate culture is discussed.
Circuit architectures for high linearity monolithic continuous-time filtering

Circuit architectures for high-linearity monolithic continuous-time filters are described based on the use of integrated passive components in active RC structures. Tunability of the frequency response is achieved by arranging either resistive or capacitive elements in programmable arrays. The array value is then set using a digital code produced by an on-chip calibration circuit. The advantages and disadvantages of possible configurations are analyzed, indicating the limits of usefulness. Different filter architectures are considered, and design equations for determining basic cell specifications are given. The analyses are compared with results of experimental integrated filter designs, confirming that both very high linearity (-90 dB) and reasonable tuning accuracy (around +or-5%) are achievable. >
Sleep Well! An adapted behavioral sleep intervention implemented in urban primary care.

STUDY OBJECTIVES To describe the adaptation, feasibility, and initial outcomes of Sleep Well! , an intervention for early childhood insomnia and insufficient sleep, designed for families from lower-socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds presenting to large metropolitan primary care sites. METHODS Fifteen caregiver-child dyads (caregivers: 92.3% mothers; 80.0% Black; 53.3% ≤125% US poverty level; children: 73.3% female; 86.7% Black; M age = 3.0 years) participated this multi-method, single-arm trial. A family advisory board of caregivers (N = 4) and a clinician advisory board of sleep experts, primary care clinicians, and psychologists (N = 13) provided intervention feedback throughout the pilot. Most adaptations were related to intervention delivery methods, with some related to sleep strategies. At post-intervention, caregivers completed surveys on intervention acceptability and cultural humility (primary outcomes) and completed semi-structured interviews. Caregivers also reported on child sleep pre- and post-intervention. RESULTS Thirteen (86.6%) families completed Sleep Well! and 12 (80.0%) completed pre- and post-intervention measures. Caregivers reported strong intervention acceptability and cultural humility. There were pre-to-post reductions in child sleep problems, bedroom electronics, sleep onset latency, and night awakening frequency and duration. Nighttime sleep duration and overall insufficient sleep also improved. Qualitative data also showed strong intervention acceptability and perceived flexibility, with few participation barriers. CONCLUSIONS A brief, early childhood behavioral sleep intervention delivered in primary care with families from primarily lower-SES and/or racially minoritized backgrounds is feasible to implement, with strong retention rates, acceptability, and perceptions of cultural humility. Child sleep improvements are positive, and warrant replication in a randomized controlled trial.
Reconfiguring Wireless Mesh Network Using Link Recovery Technique

Now a days , Wireless Mesh Networks (WMNs) have become very popular technology for Wireless Communication. But during their working period wireless mesh networks are severely affected because of the frequent link failures. This failures are caused by various factors like interference, obstacles in motion and bandwidth requirements of the application. This paper converse about various methods for detection of link failure and the methods used for reconfiguration of Wireless Mesh Network(WMN). Paper also include the information about system which provides cost aware reconfiguration scheme that enables WMNs to recover from link failures. The system monitors the quality of links of each node & generate all possible reconfiguration plans. It will consist of four phases , Generation of feasible plan , QoS test , Cost analysis & Selection of optimal plan. To improve the performance of wireless mesh network using cost aware technique the use of routing agent is performed. This routing agent decides when to apply the reconfiguration plan. Because of the use of routing agent the reconfiguration of WMN is successfully performed by considering the cost aware technique.
Keeping It Simple: Bio-Inspired Threshold-Based Strain Sensing for Micro-Aerial Vehicles

Moths use hundreds of strain sensors (campaniform sensilla) on each wing to quickly respond to perturbations that may otherwise destabilize the moth during flight. A similar sensing approach could help stabilize micro-aerial vehicles (MAVs), but large sensor arrays are challenging due to the wiring and large latency that exists when capturing data from many traditional strain sensors. This work introduces a simplified bio-inspired strain sensor; the sensor interface and kinematics were inspired by campaniform sensilla that output a spike only in response to signals of interest. The engineered sensor outputs a discrete analog signal representing strain thresholds. A kinematic model of the sensor design is developed and describes the measured strain in terms of the sensor’s geometric parameters. This model is used to understand trade-offs between sensor resolution and range, and is validated using a finite element model (FEM) of the sensor. The sensor was designed with ease of fabrication in mind, using simple techniques and commercially available components. Fabricated sensors were tested in a four-point flexural test, and the data from the analytical and FEM model show good agreement with the experimental results. The sensors demonstrate resolutions of 83, 158, and 281 microstrain for the different designs tested. A sensor is placed on a model wing to illustrate future applications to MAVs as well as the sensor’s ability to sense both compressive and tensile strains.