Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An optimal auditory filter

The optimality of the peripheral auditory filter is investigated using operator methods applied to a scale representation. A 'gammachirp' function, which consists of a frequency modulated carrier and an envelope of a gamma distribution function, is found to be the optimal auditory filter in terms of minimal uncertainty if the time-scale representation is calculated in the auditory system. The gammatone function is the first-order approximation of the gammachirp function. The gammachirp function has an asymmetrical Fourier power spectrum and fits the psychoacoustic auditory filter shape better than the gammatone function. Wavelet configuration is optimal for the auditory filterbank in terms of invariability in the scale representation. Data for equivalent rectangular bandwidth (ERB) suggest the wavelet gammachirp filterbank is feasible for characteristic frequencies above 800 Hz.
Carbon cycle dynamics and ecology revealed by the carbon isotopic composition of single organic microfossils during the Late Devonian Biotic Crisis

We apply a new approach for the δ13C analysis of single organic‐walled microfossils (OWM) to three sites in the Appalachian Basin of New York (AB) that span the Late Devonian Biotic Crisis (LDBC). Our data provide new insights into the nature of the Frasnian–Famennian carbon cycle in the AB and also provide possible constraints on the paleoecology of enigmatic OWM ubiquitous in Paleozoic shale successions. The carbon isotope compositions of OWM are consistent with normal marine organic matter of autochthonous origins and range from −32 to −17‰, but average −25‰ across all samples and are consistently 13C‐enriched compared to bulk sediments (δ13Cbulk) by ~0–10‰. We observe no difference between the δ13COWM of leiospheres (smooth‐walled) and acanthomorphic (spinose) acritarch OWM, indicating that our data are driven by ecological rather than taxonomic signals. We hypothesize that the offset between δ13COWM and δ13Cbulk is in part due to a large δ13C gradient in the AB water column where OWM utilized relatively 13C‐enriched dissolved inorganic carbon near the surface. Thus, the organisms producing the balance of the total organic carbon were assimilating 13C‐depleted C sources, including but not limited to respired organic carbon or byproducts of fermentation. We also observe a systematic decrease in both δ13COWM and δ13Cbulk of 3‰ from shoreward to open‐ocean facies that may reflect the effect of 13C‐enriched dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) derived from riverine sources in the relatively enclosed AB. The hypothesized steep carbon isotope gradient in the AB could be due to a strong biological pump; this in turn may have contributed to low oxygen bottom water conditions during the LDBC. This is the first time single‐microfossil δ13Corg analyses of eukaryotes have been directly compared to bulk δ13Corg in the deep‐time fossil record.
Design of a micropower current-mode log-domain analog cochlear implant

This paper presents some design concepts and circuits which are the basis of a very low-power analog cochlear prosthesis in silicon technology, The proposed methods use continuous interleaved sampling (CIS) combined with novel current-mode, micropower analog techniques such as log-domain processing. A tone-controller is presented which will allow bass and treble control tuned in an analog fashion. Electrical measurements on a silicon implementation of a single-channel cochlear implant confirm the feasibility of the proposed approach and its application in multichannel implants.
Improved distribution system planning using computational evolution

This paper presents a new problem solving environment that can utilize different forms of resources to approach better solutions in the distribution network planning domain. To implement this concept, a design optimization framework, named design by expectation (DBE), is developed. DBE exploits the adaptation of genetic algorithms in searching the optimal solution, and releases the strict requirements for objective functions and constraints in conventional optimization techniques. One example, street lighting design, is used to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed approach.
Fall Protection Training: Needs Analysis for Small Residential Roofing Subcontractors

Falls remain the leading cause of injuries and fatalities in residential construction. Because of job-specific work conditions and environmental constraints, the various construction trades (e.g., roofing, siding, or framing) employ different safety standards and fall-protection training practices. The purpose of this study, therefore, was to explore the specific training needs and training preferences of small roofing subcontractors. A total of 20 roofing subcontractors participated in this study. A mixed methods approach, incorporating a survey and semi-structured interviews, was utilized. Results from this study revealed that an individual's job title (i.e., his or her role on the jobsite) and the employer's existing training methods were accurate predictors of the employee's preferred training methods. This study also suggests the need for improved fall hazard awareness among roofing workers via training. Context-relevant methods and workers' preferred physical forms in receiving training were identified and found to be most effective for safety training and learning in the workplace.
Code and Other Laws of Cyberspace

From the Publisher: Should cyberspace be regulated? How can it be done? It's a cherished belief of techies and net denizens everywhere that cyberspace is fundamentally impossible to regulate. Harvard Professor Lawrence Lessig warns that, if we're not careful we'll wake up one day to discover that the character of cyberspace has changed from under us. Cyberspace will no longer be a world of relative freedom; instead it will be a world of perfect control where our identities, actions, and desires are monitored, tracked, and analyzed for the latest market research report. Commercial forces will dictate the change, and architecturethe very structure of cyberspace itselfwill dictate the form our interactions can and cannot take. Code And Other Laws of Cyberspace is an exciting examination of how the core values of cyberspace as we know itintellectual property, free speech, and privacy-are being threatened and what we can do to protect them. Lessig shows how codethe architecture and law of cyberspacecan make a domain, site, or network free or restrictive; how technological architectures influence people's behavior and the values they adopt; and how changes in code can have damaging consequences for individual freedoms. Code is not just for lawyers and policymakers; it is a must-read for everyone concerned with survival of democratic values in the Information Age.
A monitoring tool for HF frequency management and license enforcement

This paper describes a radio receiving system for monitoring the HF spectrum for the purposes of frequency management and license enforcement. The system, which is under development at Ebor Computing in Adelaide Australia, is nearing completion and is anticipated to provide functionality far surpassing the conventional receiver. Important characteristics of the system are direction finding in azimuth and elevation, signal enhancement, signal tracking, and feature/parameter extraction for modulation recognition. One key attribute is that the system is scaleable. So that, by adding or subtracting modules the system can monitor more or less of the HF spectrum. The project is now entering a stage of testing against skywave signals. The testing is expected to be complete by the end of 2006.
COVID-19 Detection Based on Chest X-Ray Image Classification using Tailored CNN Model

—The outbreak of Covid-19 epidemic led to millions of injuries and deaths and pressure on the health system. The limited availability of diagnosis tools and expert radiologists raise the need of using computer aided tools to diagnosis Covid-19 cases. In this study, a tailored Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) architecture model is proposed to automatically detect Covid-19 cases using chest X-Ray (CXR) images. The proposed CNN model consist of three phases preprocessing, feature extraction and classiﬁcation. The proposed CNN model depends on kernel separability to reduce the training parameters to a large extent. Furthermore, the proposed model used residual connection and batch normalization extensively to maintain the network stability during the training process and provide the model with the regularization effect in order to reduce the overﬁtting. Training process hyperparameter (such as batch size and learning rate) are determined dynamically. The proposed architecture is trained using QaTa-Cov19 benchmark dataset achieving 100% for accuracy, sensitivity, precision and F1-score with a very low parameter count (150K) compared with the other methods in the literature.
Power maximizing of ultrasonic transducer driven by MOSFET inverter operating at 1 MHz

Since the ultrasonic transducer for cleaning the semiconductor wafer or other industrial materials is driven at its own resonating frequency, the operating frequency of the MOSFET DC-to-RF inverter should be tuned to the resonating frequency. As one method to make the operating frequency of the inverter tune to the resonating frequency of the ultrasonic transducer, automatic frequency control (AFC) using the phase-locked loop (PLL) is presented. The ultrasonic transducer has the minimum impedance and maximum power supply at its own resonating frequency. From the view point of the safety operation of the inverter, the power supply system should be operated at the resonating frequency of the load. Since the ultrasonic transducer has a complicated frequency dependent impedance, the RF power fed to the load can be maximized by new type of PLL tuning circuit even if the resonating frequency of the ultrasonic transducer changes due to change of the load impedance. The ultrasonic transducer has poles at 1.04 MHz, 1.8 MHz, and so on. The generating frequency range of VCO was to cover 0.8 MHz to 2.7 MHz so that the resonating frequency of the ultrasonic transducer was set at 1 MHz which was the center frequency of the VCO output. The operation of the system for feeding an output power of 60 W at 1 MHz was satisfactory.
Construction Site Safety Control by ACO Model

Good construction site safety control lead to successful project management, while, the layout of a construction site plays a major role in the safety. The paper aims to reduce the likelihood of accident happened by optimization construction site layout via ant colony optimization (ACO) model. A case of residence building was used to evaluate proposed ACO model. The results showed that the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed ACO model.
Linear Electromechanical Model of Ionic Polymer Transducers -Part I: Model Development

A linear electromechanical model is developed for ionic polymer materials. The model is based on an equivalent circuit representation that is related to the mechanical, electrical, and electromechanical properties of the material. Expressions for the quasi-static and dynamic mechanical impedance are derived from beam theory. The Golla-Hughes-McTavish model of viscoelasticity is incorporated into the model to include effects due to a rate dependent modulus. Similar to previous research, the electrical impedance is modeled as a series combination of resistive and capacitive elements. The major contribution of this work is the derivation of an electromechanical coupling term that is related to an effective bending strain coefficient. This parameter is also frequency dependent to model the low-frequency relaxation that has been measured in certain ionic polymer materials. The resulting linear electromechanical model is based on the measurement of the effective permittivity, elastic modulus, and effective strain coefficient. All input-output relationships related to sensing and actuation can be derived using these three material parameters and the transducer geometry. This model also emphasizes a reciprocity between sensing and actuation that has not been discussed before in relation to these materials. The result of this work is a comprehensive model that enables the design of devices and material systems that incorporate ionic polymer materials as either sensors or actuators.
Digital Control Strategy for Single-phase Voltage-Doubler Boost Rectifiers

In this paper, a digital controller design procedure is presented for single-phase voltage-doubler boost rectifiers (VDBR). The model derivation of the single-phase VDBR is performed in the s-domain. After that the simplified equivalent z-domain models are derived. These z-domain models are utilized to design the input current and the output dc-link voltage controllers. For the controller design in the z-domain, the traditional K-factor method is modified by considering the nature of the digital controller. The frequency pre-warping and anti-windup techniques are adapted for the controller design. By using the proposed method, the phase margin and the control bandwidth are accurately achieved as required by controller designers in a practical frequency range. The proposed method is applied to a 2.5 kVA single-phase VDBR for Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) applications. From the simulation and the experimental results, the effectiveness of the proposed design method has been verified.
Secret sharing using biometric traits

In biometric based authentication, biometric traits of a person are matched against his/her stored biometric profile and access is granted if there is sufficient match. However, there are other access scenarios, which require participation of multiple previously registered users for a successful authentication or to get an access grant for a certain entity. For instance, there are cryptographic constructs generally known as secret sharing schemes, where a secret is split into shares and distributed amongst participants in such a way that it is reconstructed/revealed only when the necessary number of share holders come together. The revealed secret can then be used for encryption or authentication (if the revealed key is verified against the previously registered value). In this work we propose a method for the biometric based secret sharing. Instead of splitting a secret amongst participants, as is done in cryptography, a single biometric construct is created using the biometric traits of the participants. During authentication, a valid cryptographic key is released out of the construct when the required number of genuine participants present their biometric traits.
Analysis of the influence of intellectual capital and bank risk on the performance of maqashid sharia based Islamic banking in Indonesia

Purpose - This study aims to determine the effect of intellectual capital and bank risk on the performance of maqashid sharia based Islamic banking in Indonesia (An empirical study on Islamic Commercial Banks registered in Financial Services Authority (OJK) in 2017-2019). Method - This study used secondary data and used the multiple linear regression analysis method. The sample used was the purposive sampling method with the results of 12 Islamic Commercial Bank (BUS) as a sample of 14 BUS populations.Result - The results of this study stated that iB-VACA had a significant adverse effect on MSI variable; iB-VAHU had a positive but not significant effect on MSI variable; iB-STVA had an insignificant negative effect on MSI variable; CAR had an insignificant negative effect on MSI variable, and FDR had a positive but not significant effect on MSI variable.Implication - Islamic banking is advised to optimize its intangible assets and estimate the risks that will occur, as well as to pay attention to its sharia objectives to increase company value and performance.Originality - The secondary data source of this research is obtained from the official website of OJK, and financial report data is obtained from the website of each BUS.
A comparative study on the reconstruction of localized pulses

We demonstrate how to reconstruct localized pulses using finite sources consisting of discrete circular array elements. We compare three basic reconstruction schemes; namely, Huygen's principle and the Rayleigh-Sommerfeld integrals I and II. These techniques are applied to two examples, the modified power spectrum pulse and X-waves.
Synthesis of Predictable Networks-on-Chip-Based

Today, chip multiprocessors (CMPs) that accommo- date multiple processor cores on the same chip have become a reality. As the communication complexity of such multicore sys- tems is rapidly increasing, designing an interconnect architecture with predictable behavior is essential for proper system opera- tion. In CMPs, general-purpose processor cores are used to run software tasks of different applications and the communication between the cores cannot be precharacterized. Designing an effi- cient network-on-chip (NoC)-based interconnect with predictable performance is thus a challenging task. In this paper, we address the important design issue of synthesizing the most power efficient NoC interconnect for CMPs, providing guaranteed optimum throughput and predictable performance for any application to be executed on the CMP. In our synthesis approach, we use accurate delay and power models for the network components (switches and links) that are obtained from layouts of the components using industry standard tools. The synthesis approach utilizes the floor- plan knowledge of the NoC to detect timing violations on the NoC links early in the design cycle. This leads to a faster design cycle and quicker design convergence across the high-level synthesis approach and the physical implementation of the design. We validate the design flow predictability of our proposed approach by performing a layout of the NoC synthesized for a 25-core CMP. Our approach maintains the regular and predictable structure of the NoC and is applicable in practice to existing NoC architectures.
Comparison of two techniques to promote recycling: block leader versus reward

This work centers on the study of the recycling adoption making process due to the application of promotion techniques from a immediate perspective: 1) reward technique described as giving a gift to the participants in a promotion program within a lottery; and 2) commitment by block leader technique characterized by the agreeing subject signing a request or statement in which he/she promises to fulfill the conditions of the recycling thanks to the encouragement of a person who belongs to the same social circle. So, we carried out a quasi-experimental work whose results led us to explain the immediate response to these recycling promotion techniques. It contributes to the marketing literature in: 1) understanding the effects of these techniques on people’s beliefs and attitudes; and 2) explaining the response to recycling promotion techniques. The practical implications that may stem from these contributions are of an educational nature and for public management of promotion campaigns.
Impedance-based Structural Health Monitoring of a Ceramic Matrix Composite

This article addresses the use of electro-mechanical impedance-based structural health monitoring for assessing damage in a woven ceramic matrix composite consisting of a silicon carbide fibers and silicon carbide matrix. Controlled levels of damage were induced by conducting quasi-static, load/unload/reload tensile tests. The specimen's localized mechanical impedance was assessed using piezoelectric-ceramic patches that act as both actuator and sensor. The impedance results were correlated to damage and compared to acoustic emissions data, stress—strain response, and data from previous studies concerning the material system. The impedance data was shown to correlate well with the progressive damage mechanisms within the composite material system.
Backscattering Behavior of Vulnerable Road Users Based on High-Resolution RCS Measurements

Automotive radars, along with optical sensors such as cameras or lidars, offer a reliable way of obtaining the 3-D information about the environment. Of particular interest in autonomous driving (AD) is the reliable detection of particularly vulnerable road users (VRUs). Modern radar sensors are able to detect, distinguish, and track targets with high resolution. Relying on that, a backscattering model of complex traffic targets can be generated from the reflected signals of their scattering points (SPs). These models can be employed in the radar channel simulations for verification methods of advanced driver assistance systems. Therefore, in this work, different persons as the most vital VRUs are measured with high radial and high angular resolution. The necessary signal processing steps are explained in detail for the determination of the relevant SPs. Thus, the corresponding radar cross section (RCS) values can be assigned to certain body regions. In addition to real persons, further measurements are compared with a dummy of the corresponding size. Based on the measurement results, not only accurate models of road users can be derived, but also the measurement results can be employed for calculating wave propagation in traffic scenarios. From the measured SPs, the classification of the persons by size and stature is derived.
Factors affecting usage of mobile payments by youth in Kazakhstan

Mobile payments are developing at a rapid pace in the modern world, affecting most areas of business, economics, and consumer life. Mobile payment services in Kazakhstan have emerged recently driven mostly by young and tech-savvy consumers. The current study applies the modified Technology Adoption Model to investigate the factors that influence the usage of mobile payments by young consumers in Kazakhstan. The data were collected from 351 respondents through an online survey using a structured questionnaire. The results of the multiple regression analysis revealed that perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, transaction security, and trust are important determinants of mobile payment usage intention. These findings call for improvements in the technological development of mobile payment services to deliver usefulness, ease of use, and security, as well as marketing communications to build trust. On the other hand, no support was found for the effects of usage cost and availability of alternatives on behavioral intention to use mobile payments in Kazakhstan.
Leptin Is an Important Endocrine Player That Directly Activates Gonadotropic Cells in Teleost Fish, Chub Mackerel

Leptin, secreted by adipocytes, directly influences the onset of puberty in mammals. Our previous study showed that leptin stimulation could promote the secretion of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) from pituitary cells in primary culture and ovarian development in chub mackerel. This study aimed to elucidate the detailed mechanism of leptin-induced effects on gonadotropin hormone-producing cells. We produced recombinant leptin using silkworm pupae and investigated the effects of leptin on FSH and LH secretion and gene expression in the primary culture of pituitary cells from chub mackerel. The presence or absence of co-expression of lepr mRNA, FSH and LH b-subunit mRNA in gonadotropic cells was examined by double-labeled in situ hybridization. The addition of leptin significantly increased the secretion and gene expression of FSH and LH from male and female pituitary cells in primary culture. In contrast, gonadotropin-releasing hormone 1 affected neither FSH secretion in cells from females nor fshb and lhb expression in cells from males and females. The expression of lepr was observed in FSH- and LH-producing cells of both males and females. The results indicate that leptin directly regulates gonadotropin synthesis and secretion and plays an important role in the induction of puberty in teleost fish.