Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Interactive AI: Designing for the “Two Black Boxes” Problem

—The nascent ﬁeld of Explainable AI seeks to unmask the underlying details of black box learning algorithms, enabling these algorithms to explain their state and results to human analysts. However, to truly enable interactive AI, we argue that there exists a second black box representing the cognitive process of the user, containing information which must be communicated to the algorithm. Using this “Two Black Boxes” problem as motivation, we present a symmetric, collaborative human-AI model using Semantic Interaction as a design philosophy to connect human and machine. We discuss challenges associated with each phase of communication between the pair of cooperatively-learning entities and the beneﬁts that emerge from combining the expertise of the human and the AI. I N DATA analytics, the “black box” problem denotes the challenge that artiﬁcial intelligence (AI) algorithms in general, and neural network models in particular, suffer from opaqueness. These algorithms can supply useful results, such as ﬁnding novel latent structure in otherwise difﬁcult to comprehend data. However, they typically do not provide any justiﬁcation or rationale for their output. Users of these algorithms are therefore faced with the decision of whether to accept the results at face value, without the ability to question or understand the underlying process. This problem has resulted in the “Explainable AI” (XAI) research agenda, which seeks to open the black box of these algorithms and explain their results to human analysts. Analysts can thereby inspect the algorithms and gain insight into how the analytical results were discovered by the al-gorithm, the process trail, analytical provenance, and supporting data. This is
Effects of Different Levels of Protein Supplements in the Diet of Early-Weaned Yaks on Growth Performance, Intestinal Development, and Immune Response to Tuberculosis

This study was conducted to determine the effects of different levels of crude protein (CP) supplements to the diet of early-weaned yaks on their growth performance, intestinal development, and immune response. Forty 3-month-old weaned yaks were selected and assigned to four dietary groups (Control, 17, 19 and 21% CP). Dietary CP supplements had a significant effect on average daily gain (ADG), crypt depth (CD) (duodenum, jejunum and ileum), villous height (VH) (duodenum, jejunum and ileum) and CD/VH (jejunum and ileum). Average daily gain, CD (duodenum, jejunum and ileum) and VH (ileum) showed quadratic increases as the dietary CP increased, whereas CD/VH (jejunum and ileum) ratios showed quadratic decreases. Blood urea nitrogen (BUN), glucose (GLU), immunoglobulin G (IgG), IgM, interleukin-1 (IL-1), IL-2, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and interferon (IFN)-γ concentrations increased significantly, whereas albumin (ALB), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) decreased significantly with dietary CP supplements. Dietary CP supplements significantly increased the concentrations of IL-6, TNF-α, IFN-γ and the nuclear factor of activated T cell transcription factor (NF-AT) for gene expression. As the dietary CP supplements increased, IL-6, IFN-γ and NF-AT gene expression showed quadratic increases. These results showed that the appropriate dietary CP supplementation improved the growth performance and intestinal development of early-weaned yaks and thus that the CP supplements were beneficial and enhanced the humoral immunity response of yaks.
The application of line protection relays in high voltage AC transmission grids considering the capabilities and limitations of connected MMCs

The increase in the number of grid connected converters along with the decommissioning of conventional power generation integrated via synchronous generators will lead to a change of the transmission system behaviour under faults. This paper reviews the possible behaviour of Modular Multilevel Converters (MMCs) under AC faults, considering different grid conditions and control objectives as well as the resulting impact on the line protection functionality. One main result is that typical distance protection relays will mal-operate when installed at radial line ends terminated by MMCs due to the different short circuit powers of the MMC and the grid, the flexible phase angle of the MMCs AC side current and the changed current profiles under asymmetrical faults compared to HVAC systems fed by synchronous generators. For cases in which the MMC is connected at busbars with multiple outgoing lines, its impact depends on the short circuit power of the connected nodes. However, even for low short circuit powers of the surrounding grid, both distance and differential protection work reliably as the MMC does not significantly change the characteristic behaviour of the AC transmission grid.
Effects of variable internal heat source and variable gravity field on convection in a porous layer

The present article is to examine the qualitative impact of variable internal heat source and gravity variance field on the onset of convection in a horizontal fluid saturated porous medium is investigated using linear stability analysis. To measure the value of the critical Rayleigh number and the corresponding wave number, the single term Galerkin technique is used. Eight separate sets of gravity variance and heat source functions are chosen, and their effect is addressed on the onset of convection. It is observed that the variable heat source and variable gravity at the start of convection do not affect the shape and size of the convective cell. It seen that the system is to be more unstable for the caseses (ii), (iii), (vi) and (vii) while more stable for the caseses (i), (iv), (v) and (viii).
CHARACTERISTICS OF A WELL-DONE BREAKING PITCH IN BASEBALL

This study aimed to quantify well-done breaking pitches as evaluated by experienced catchers in baseball. Twenty college baseball pitchers threw one pitch for each type of pitch that they typically played in a game. Pitched ball velocity, spin rate, spin component, and displacement were calculated. Nine catchers of the same team evaluated each breaking pitch (curveball, slider, and changeup) of all the pitchers, and the relationships between the catchers’ evaluation and the quantitative variables were then investigated. Thus, with respect to the curveball, significant correlations were observed between the catchers’ evaluation and total spin rate, back spin, and vertical displacement. With respect to the slider, significant correlation was observed between the catchers’ evaluation and ratio of the velocity of the slider relative to the fastball. With respect to the changeup, significant correlation was not observed for any of the variables. The results are expected to act as a good benchmark for pitchers to improve their breaking pitches.
Regulation of Agronomic Traits, Nutrient Uptake, Osmolytes and Antioxidants of Maize as Influenced by Exogenous Potassium Silicate under Deficit Irrigation and Semiarid Conditions

Understanding the link between the protective role of potassium silicate (K2SiO3) against water shortage and the eventual grain yield of maize plants is still limited under semiarid conditions. Therefore, in this study, we provide insights into the underlying metabolic responses, mineral nutrients uptake and some nonenzymatic and enzymatic antioxidants that may differ in maize plants as influenced by the foliar application of K2SiO3 (0, 1 and 2 mM) under three drip irrigation regimes (100, 75 and 50% of water requirements). Our results indicated that, generally, plants were affected by both moderate and severe deficit irrigation levels. Deficit irrigation decreased shoot dry weight, root dry weight, leaf area index (LAI), relative water content (RWC), N, P, K, Ca, Fe, Zn, carotenoids, grain yield and its parameters, while root/shoot ratio, malondialdehyde (MDA), proline, soluble sugars, ascorbic acid, soluble phenols, peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT), polyphenol oxidase (PPO), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) were improved. The foliar applications of K2SiO3 relatively alleviated water stress-induced damage. In this respect, the treatment of 2 mM K2SiO3 was more effective than others and could be recommended to mitigate the effect of deficit irrigation on maize plants. Moreover, correlation analysis revealed a close link between yield and the most studied traits.
FIRST LASING IN THE WATER WINDOW WITH 4.1 NM AT FLASH

The free-electron laser facility FLASH at DESY, Germany has been upgraded in 2009/10. The electron beam energy has been increased from 1 to 1.25 GeV by adding a 7 th superconducting accelerating module. In September 2010, for the ﬁrst time, lasing in the water window at a fun-damental wavelength of 4.1 nm has been achieved. The water window is a wavelength region between 2.3 and 4.4 nm in which water is transparent for light. This remarkable achievement opens the possibility for new class of experiments, especially for biological samples in aqueous solu-tion.
Model Conformance for Cyber-Physical Systems

Model-based development is an important paradigm for developing cyber-physical systems (CPS). The underlying assumption is that the functional behavior of a model is related to the behavior of a more concretized model or the real system. A formal definition of such a relation is called conformance relation. There are a variety of conformance relations, and the question arises of how to select a conformance relation for the development of CPS. The contribution of this article is a survey of the definitions and algorithms of conformance relations for CPS. Additionally, the article compares several conformance relations and provides guidance on which relation to select for specific problems. Finally, we discuss how to select inputs for testing conformance.
Study the prevalence of overweight and obesity among Libyan children in relation to their socioeconomic level status and fast food meals

The highest prevalence rates of childhood obesity have been observed in developed countries, however, its prevalence is increasing in developing countries as well. To assess the prevalence of obesity and overweight among Libyan children aged from 3 to 19 years and to estimate risk factors of obesity and overweight, defined by body mass index (BMI). A retrospective study was carried out in (245) Libyan children (93 males, 152 females) were recruited with age ranging from (3-19yrs), at Tripoli pediatric central hospitalLibya during the 12 months commencing July 2014. The questionnaire including questions related to socioeconomic status, lifestyle (eating habits), anthropometric measurements were performed by trained nutritionist or physical education teachers, Body mass index (BMI) was calculated using the formula: weight (kg)/height(m). Two hundred and forty five Libyan children participated in this study. Prevalence of overweight and obesity as a whole was higher in girls (26.1%) than boys (19.2%). More details in results with respect to both risk factors Socioeconomic level Status (SELS), and fast food meals were obtained. This study found a relatively high prevalence of overweight and obesity among Libyan children aged 319 years, and alarming for both sex. Eating habits like fast food meals remarkable effect on prevalence on overweight and obesity among low to high SELS group. The study also suggested that under nutrition rates remain a problem in children. Therefore special attention has to give for their overall nutrition.
Longitudinal reinforcement of RC columns repaired with welded steel bars solutions: Experimental evaluation

(1) Senior Lecturer, RISCO, School of Technology and M anagement, Polytechnic Institute of Leiria, Portuga l, hugo.f. rodrigues@ipleiria.pt (2) Researcher, CONSTRUCT-LESE – Faculty of Engineerin g (FEUP), University of Porto, Portugal, afurtado@f e.up. pt (3) Civil Engineer, CONSTRUCT-LESE – Faculty of Engine ering (FEUP), University of Porto, Portugal, ec0289 8@fe.up. pt (4) Associated Professor, CONSTRUCT-LESE – Faculty of Engineering (FEUP), University of Porto, Portugal, arede@fe.up. pt (5) Assistant Professor, CONSTRUCT-LESE – Faculty of E ngineering (FEUP), University of Porto, Portugal, n elsonvp@fe.up. pt (6) Full Professor, CONSTRUCT-LESE – Faculty of Engine ering (FEUP), University of Porto, Portugal, hvarum @fe.up. pt
SHAKING TABLE TEST AND NUMERICAL ANALYSIS OF TALL BUILDINGS USING A NEW EDDY-CURRENT TUNED MASS DAMPER

Vibration control devices such as tuned mass dampers (TMDs), tuned liquid dampers (TLD) and other supplemental damping devices have been used to improve the vibration performance of tall buildings and proved quite economical and efficient. Due to Faraday’s Law of Induction and Lenz’s Law, a new application is created incorporating eddy current damping which consists of the permanent magnet and metal conductor into a large-scale, pendulum-based TMD in tall buildings to mitigate the structural vibration under wind or seismic scenarios. A shaking table test of a five-story steel frame with eddy-current TMD was performed and the results are presented to evaluate the earthquake-induced vibration control performance. The results indicate that the earthquake-induced acceleration and displacement response of the steel frame can be effectively reduced by the TMD. A 1000 ton eddy-current TMD was installed on the top of Shanghai Center Tower (SHC), a 632m-height building in China. Numerical analysis of the SHC structural model with the TMD was conducted and the results indicate that for SHC the eddy-current TMD was able to reduce wind-induced structural acceleration by 45%60% and earthquake-induced structural displacement by 5%-15%.
Demografia da Sorocea bonplandii em remanescentes da Floresta Estacional Decidual, Sul do Brasil

Sorocea bonplandii is a pharmacologically interesting tree characteristic of the sub-canopy stratus of the Atlantic Forest. In 13 forest remnants in the Alto Uruguai River region, individuals of this species with DBH ≥5 cm have been evaluated using the point-centered quarter method. In five of the remnants, all individuals of the species have been analysed using the permanent sample plots method. The parameters analysed were plants ha-1, DBH, total height, and height at first bifurcation. Absolut diameter varied from 15 to 148 S. bonplandii plants ha-1 (DBH ≥5 cm), corresponding to approximately 10% of all woody plants. When all plants independent of DBH were examined, 1834-6074 plants ha-1 were found. While the absolute number of plants ha-1 exhibited a great variation, the relative distribution of height classes was similar in all remnants, indicating typical seedling bank behaviour. S. bonplandii exhibited a characteristic clumped spatial distribution based on Morisita index. The current work is part of a larger study of the ecologically and economically important Subtropical Atlantic Forest in Southern Brazil. The only way to protect the last remainders of this ecosystem is to define knowledge-based ways of sustainable uses. S. bonplandii clearly is one of the most promising candidates for phytopharmocological, non-timber uses of Subtropical Atlantic Forest plants.
To Ask or Not to Ask: A User Annoyance Aware Preference Elicitation Framework for Social Robots

In this paper we investigate how social robots can efficiently gather user preferences without exceeding the allowed user annoyance threshold. To do so, we use a Gazebo based simulated office environment with a TIAGo Steel robot. We then formulate the user annoyance aware preference elicitation problem as a combination of tensor completion and knapsack problems. We then test our approach on the aforementioned simulated environment and demonstrate that it can accurately estimate user preferences.
Carbon Dioxide In Greenhouses

The benefits of carbon dioxide supplementation on plant growth and production within the greenhouse environment have been well understood for many years. Carbon dioxide (CO ) is an essential component of photosynthesis (also called carbon assimilation). Photosynthesis is a chemical process that uses light energy to convert CO and water into sugars in green plants. These sugars are then used for growth within the plant, through respiration. The difference between the rate of photosynthesis and the rate of respiration is the basis for dry-matter accumulation (growth) in the plant. In greenhouse production the aim of all growers is to increase dry-matter content and economically optimize crop yield. CO increases productivity through improved plant growth and vigour. Some ways in which productivity is increased by CO include earlier flowering, higher fruit yields, reduced bud abortion in roses, improved stem strength and flower size. Growers should regard CO as a nutrient. For the majority of greenhouse crops, net photosynthesis increases as CO levels increase from 340–1,000 ppm (parts per million). Most crops show that for any given level of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), increasing the CO level to 1,000 ppm will increase the photosynthesis by about 50% over ambient CO levels. For some crops the economics may not warrant supplementing to 1,000 ppm CO at low light levels. For others such as tulips, and Easter lilies, no response has been observed. Carbon dioxide enters into the plant through the stomatal openings by the process of diffusion. Stomata are specialized cells located mainly on the underside of the leaves in the epidermal layer. The cells open and close allowing gas exchange to occur. The concentration of CO outside the leaf strongly influences the rate of CO uptake by the plant. The higher the CO concentration outside the leaf, the greater the uptake of CO by the 2
Amplification and transpositional activity of mPing in rice

by EUNYOUNG CHO (Under the Direction of Susan R. Wessler) ABSTRACT Transposable elements are the most abundant type of DNAs in eukaryotic genomes. The first active MITE, mPing has been activated by long-term tissue culture, anther culture, gammaray-irradiation. However, in this study, mPing was shown for the first time to be activated under normal conditions in the rice cultivar Gimbozu and Nipponbare. In Gimbozu landraces with high-copy number of mPing, mPing was highly activated, generating ~50 new insertions per generation. This suggests that mPing is still accumulating its copies in these lines. In contrast, very low level of mPing activity was detected in one Gimbozu and Nipponbare strain for which low copy number of mPing is present. Comparison of de novo insertions with previously isolated new Gimbozu and older Nipponbare mPing elements implied that the negative selection occurred in stages: rapid elimination of insertions into exons and introns, and then slow and gradual removal of insertions near genes.
Vitamin D and bone mineral density status, and their correlation with bone turnover markers in healthy children aged 6-14 in Vietnam

Background: Hypovitaminosis D is arising as a major public health problem causing adverse effects on bone mineral density (BMD), especially on the pediatric skeletal system. Bone turnover markers (BTMs) are used to assess bone health due to their fracture prediction ability. Objectives: We aimed to assess the status of vitamin D and BMD and their correlation with BTMs in healthy children. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 794 school-going children, from 6 to 14, recruited in Can Tho, Vietnam. The subjects’ BMD and serum concentration of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD), N-terminal procollagen of type l collagen (P1NP), and βisomerized C-terminal telopeptides (β-CTx) were measured. Linear regression analysis was carried out to assess the correlation. Results: The mean concentration of 25OHD was 67.39 nmol/L, which shows that 30.6% of the subjects had vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency. Low BMD was found in 12.7% of the subjects. Hypovitaminosis D was common in girls (35.2%) or overweight/obese children (42.04%), while low BMD was prevalent among stunting children (15.46%). When analyzing BMD and 25OHD levels by ages, BMD was found to increase with age, and vitamin D in the 6– 10 age group was significantly higher than the 11–14 age group. A negative correlation between BMD, 25OHD, P1NP, and β-CTx was found. Conclusion: The high prevalence of hypovitaminosis D among Vietnamese children was confirmed. We found a high prevalence of BMD and its negative correlation with 25OHD, BTMs. Strategies to improve vitamin D and BMD status need to be considered urgently.
A Low Cost Digital Pen Based on Raspberry PI

The digital pen embedded system consists of a MEMS tri-axial accelerometer connected to raspberry pi through a comparator. The tri-axial accelerometer based digital pen measures the acceleration signals of user’s hand motions and the corresponding trace is displayed on the monitor. As the display is 2-dimentional, only two accelerometers are used in this application. The comparator compares the outputs of the accelerometers to evaluate the direction of the cursor. Dynamic Time Warping based recognition algorithm for handwriting and gesture recognition is used in this application. The color of the display on the monitor can be varied in the program. The code for the application program in raspberry pi is written using Python programming language. The other software used in the application are Jessie Rasphian and OpenCV. The acceleration settings can be varied to get suitable sensitivity. This is a low cost application. The application is useful for presentations in conferences or classrooms.
Design of an Intelligent Controller to Stabilize a Non-Minimum Phase Plant Using PI Control Scheme

—Designing an intelligent controller to stabilize a non-minimum phase plants is proposed. This intelligent controller is designed to learn the control action principles from the data obtained using other methods of automatic or manual control, e.g. a proportional-integral (PI) controller. It is well known that non-minimum phase systems present difﬁculty for applying control strategies because they have an initial inverse response to step input in the opposite direction in the steady state. In this project we consider the non identical reverse dynamics as well as the mechanical oscillation effect in non-minimum phase plant modeling. Also we have dealt with random disturbances and random changes, in that the randomness appears in the instance of occurrence, magnitude, and sign of these events. It makes the simulation in this paper more realistic, and that the results more trustworthy. Since, it is extremely difﬁcult to provide a hard stability proof for intelligent controllers, the training data for this intelligent controller is taken from a prolonged simulation using few PI controllers that are speciﬁc to different operating power levels to demonstrate the stability