Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Deep Learning Based Real-Time Fusion of Day and Thermal Videos

This paper presents a method of end-to-end, modular real-time fusion of RGB and infrared video frames involving image registration, pseudo-coloring, and deep learning-based fusion technique. All the modules have been programmed using Python programming language, supporting libraries such as Tensorflow, Keras and OpenCV and are ported onto the low-cost Nvidia Jetson Nano developer kit (AI-hardware). The AI-hardware is then interfaced with an EO/IR camera system that comprises of HD color camera and MWIR camera, and experiments are performed in this integrated setup to capture and fuse the video frames in real-time. The results of the deep learning-based fusion are presented in this paper and is compared with other methods such as DenseFuse and conventional addition method by evaluating performance metrics of each method. Unlike the other methods which takes the thermal images directly for fusion, we show that the addition of pseudo color to the thermal image before fusion enhances the color component in the fused image, as compared with other methods.
Event-based resilient H∞ fuzzy filter design under DoS attacks

This paper is concerned with the problem of event-triggered T-S fuzzy filter design under DoS attacks. Concept of average dwell time is used to characterize DoS attacks behaviors in duration and frequency. Integrating event-triggered mechanism, filter error dynamic is modeled by switched time varying delay fuzzy system. Then, time delay method and switched system theory are employed to analysis H∞ performance of filter error dynamic. Sufficient conditions are derived by satisfying which filer error system is exponential stability with H∞ disturbance attenuant. Finally, design method of filter parameters is given by solving related LMIs.
A Modified Zeta Converter fed with HB-LLC Resonant Converter for Power Factor Correction

This paper presents the Modified Zeta Converter fed with HB- LLC Resonant converter for Electric Vehicle applications. The Modified Zeta Converter operates in Discontinuous Conduction mode (DCM) and LLC Resonant Converter is used to transfer the DC-Link power to the battery. Collective combination of these two converters for the EV charger results in smooth operation, reduced voltage stress across the PFC devices and Modified efficiency of the converters. This work mainly focuses on designing the components of the converter and comparison of the Modified and Conventional Zeta Converter fed HB-LLC Resonant Converter in MATLAB/Simulink environment.
Intranasal Administration of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Rescues Depressive-Like Phenotypes in Chronic Unpredictable Mild Stress Mice

Introduction Major depression disorder is the most common diagnosed mental illnesses, and it bring a high social and economic burden. However, the current treatment for depression has limitations with side effects. Hence, there is an urgent need to search more effective treatment for major depressive disorder. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a neurotrophin that is vital to the survival, growth, and maintenance of neurons. Methods We administered BDNF into chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS)-induced depression mice and assessed the effects of intranasal delivery of BDNF in depression by the tail suspension test, forced swimming test, novelty suppressed feeding test, and open-field test. Results We find that the intranasal administration of BDNF reversed the depressive-like behaviors in CUMS mice as measured Further analyses suggested that BDNF treatment reduced pro-inflammatory cytokine (IL-6, TNF-α, iNOS and IL-1β) expressions in the hippocampus of CUMS mice. In addition, our results showed that BDNF markedly reduced oxidative stress in the hippocampus and blood of CUMS mice. Moreover, our data suggested that BDNF treatment increased neurogenesis in the hippocampus of CUMS mice. Discussion Taken together, our results for the first time demonstrated that intranasal delivery of BDNF protein exhibited anti-depressant-like effects in mice, and therefore may represent a new therapeutic strategy for major depressive disorder.
The Effect of Marketing Ethics as a Moderator on the Relationship Between Competitor Orientation and SMEs’ Performance in Saudi Arabia

This study seeks to investigate the impact of competitor orientation (CO) on SMEs’ performance in the manufacturing sector in Saudi Arabia. As well as to demonstrate how marketing ethics (ME) moderates this important relationship. Based on a sample of 408 Saudi manufacturing SMEs, and by PLS-SEM, the links in the proposed model were investigated. The obtained results revealed that actually, CO positively affects SMEs’ performance; more importantly, this effect is conditioned by ME. The findings of this study provide advantageous insights for managers and decision-makers for SMEs, as it is expected that they demonstrate a greater commitment to practicing ME in their firms. This has ramifications in that, with the practice of ME, it is predicted that SMEs will be able to fully exploit the potential of CO to increase their overall performance.
Model Predictive Control to Autonomously Approach a Failed Spacecraft

In this study, a model predictive control (MPC) method is developed for a servicer spacecraft autonomously approaching a tumbling failed spacecraft at an ultraclose range. Flight safety and collision avoidance are basic requirements during the approach. Two types of a failed spacecraft with complex configurations are considered, and a double-ellipsoid composite envelope strategy is designed to model their keep-out zones. Given the keep-out zone of the servicer, two expanded ellipsoids are subsequently introduced to determine the collision and sufficient conditions for collision avoidance are derived by using the form of concave constraint. The tumbling motion of the target is considered, and a CW-based translational dynamics and derived attitude dynamics of the target are formulated to predict the motion of the docking point and keep-out zone. The MPC is formulated to drive the servicer tracking the docking point with collision avoidance and handle constraints including control input saturation and relative velocity bound. Convexification of the collision avoidance constraint and sequential convex programming are adopted for the implementation of MPC. Scenarios on the servicer with different initial positions approaching the target with different angular velocities are simulated, and the simulation results indicate that the proposed MPC method is effective.
Scalable Design and Development of Modified Release Hydrochlorothiazide Formulation Employing Quality by Design Approach

Singhai et al. : Quality by Design based Scalable Formulation Development of Hydrochlorothiazide Myocardial infarction, generally known as ‘heart attack’ occurs predominantly during the early morning hours and a cause of millions of death worldwide. Hydrochlorothiazide is the recommended drug for the prevention of heart disease, but the commercial market lacks its long action (>4 h) formulation. The endeavor of the present research was to develop a quality product profile of hydrochlorothiazide modified release tablets (~14 h release) by applying computational quality by design approach. Three independent factors were identified by qualitative and quantitative risk assessment. Selected dependent variables were cumulative percent of dissolved hydrochlorothiazide in 2, 5, 8 and 12 h. Graphical tools like half normal, normal and Pareto charts were used to manage model selection. The graphical relationship among the critical, independent variables was represented using contour plot and three-dimensional surface plot. Design space was identified by plotting overlay plot using three factors, two-level full factorial design. Outstanding correlation was observed between predicted and actual values. Similarity factor (F2) of reproducible trials was 78 and 79, and content uniformity was 100.9 % and 100.4 %. Average weight, hardness, thickness, diameter and friability were within acceptable limits. Quality by design approach, along with quality risk management tool furnished an efficient and effective paradigm to structure quality modified release tablets of hydrochlorothiazide.
Nonuniform C-Band Loop Antenna: A New Approach for Future UWB Applications

Antenna design becomes very difficult at very small wavelengths and a special lab is required to manufacture a small antenna which costs a lot. A new approach is proposed to enhance the bandwidth of the loop antenna which can be designed at very high frequency using conventional PCB design. The proposed antenna is a nonuniform loop and covers UWB frequency range. The nonuniform structure of the loop is designed using the concept of both thin and thick loop antenna together which leads to an improvement in the antenna bandwidth. The proposed nonuniform loop antenna covers a band of 91.4% which is higher than any existing printed loop antenna. The frequency ranges from 3.54GHz to 9.5GHz and the measured result is in agreement with the simulated result. This technique can be very helpful in designing UWB antennas in the range of Ku or higher than this.
Design Space Data: Informing Common Design Decisions with Pre-Simulated Data

Design-space exploration analysis techniques represent a data-centric approach to integrating performance analysis during a project’s early design phases—when the greatest potential exists to efficiently and cost effectively improve the energy efficiency of a building. This work describes a novel extension of design-space exploration, called universal design space exploration (UDSE), which leverages massive databases of pre-simulated analysis that represent all possible outcomes of common analysis workflows. The resulting databases, called design spaces , become universal when a single pre-simulated design space can be reapplied to future unknown projects. Unlike current simulation methods, which require a design to exist before it can be analyzed and often require minutes or hours to simulate, UDSE uses pre-simulation to deliver rapid and relevant insight as new designs are conceptualized. The data underpinning UDSE enables advanced statistical and artificial intelligence methods, which allow UDSE to deliver a greater understanding of the larger problem being explored rather than simply delivering analysis of several preconceived design options. UDSE has the potential to provide instantaneous, relevant analysis for all building design projects at a negligible cost. This paper has two main goals: to develop a relevant universal design space that showcases the potential of UDSE and to release these data freely to industry and academia, thereby removing obstacles to digital literacy in statistics, machine learning, and artificial intelligence within the architecture, engineering, and construction industries.
Changes in patterns of retention in HIV care and antiretroviral treatment in Tanzania between 2008 and 2016: an analysis of routinely collected national programme data

Background Tanzania is a high HIV burden country in Sub-Saharan Africa with 1.5 million people infected. Unless monitored and responded to, low levels of retention in care may lead to poor HIV associated clinical outcomes and an increased likelihood of onward viral transmission. Using routine data, we assessed changes in retention in care and on treatment for HIV over time in Tanzanian facilities, using the national care and treatment programme (CTC) database. Methods Data were extracted from the CTC database and analysed using two approaches: a series of cross-sectional analyses for each calendar year between 2008 and 2016 to assess the changing characteristics of the population in care and on treatment, and, a longitudinal analysis using survival analysis methods for a series of cohorts representing i) all engaging in care and ii) all initiating treatment in each calendar year from 2008 to 2015. Multivariate analyses were carried out to explore the independent effect of calendar year when controlling for other factors. Results The total number of individuals enrolled in care increased from 160 268 in 2008 to 548 296 in 2016. The percentage of the in-care population enrolled for more than 3 years increased from 9.9% in 2008 to 54.5% in 2016. The overall rates of retention in care were 80.9%, 57.3% and 45.4% at 12, 24 and 36 months respectively. The rates of retention on antiretroviral therapy (ART) ART at 12, 24 and 36 months after treatment-initiation were 83.9%, 64.0% and 53.5%. There were small but statistically significant differences in the retention rates between cohorts and evidence for a significant decrease in the rates of retention in the most recent years analysed. Conclusions Data from Tanzania show that while the number of People Living with HIV (PLHIV) who were in care and monitored through the routine data system increased over time, the retention rates in care and treatment remained relatively stable. These rates were similar to other regional estimates. Systematic reviews of tracing studies indicate that mortality among those lost to follow up has decreased over time, partly underpinned by an increase in the numbers transferring between clinics. True retention rates may therefore be higher than we report here, and this underpins the need for data systems that can track patients between clinics.
Short Answer Scoring in English Grammar Using Text Similarity Measurement

Assessment in educational institution is an important system to evaluate academic performance among students. The assessment is done by teacher either manually or using automated scoring technology. This study employed natural language processing approach to automated short answer scoring system using textual similarity. There are various types of questions in an examination paper. These include multiple choices question, short answer based question, fill-in-the-blanks questions and essay questions. In this study, the focus is on fill-in-the-blanks questions type. Students are required to answer each question with 2-5 words. The scope of the subject is narrowed to English grammar for secondary school as a datasets for this study. The datasets included 240 responses for 10 questions selected randomly. Students’ answers are mapped with model answers to measure the textual similarities. The mappings were done using Levenshtein distance (LD) and Cosine similarity measures. Both textual similarity techniques assigned marks to each response according to the similarity distance of student answer and model answer. Certain range of distance values is restricted for both textual similarity techniques. The effectiveness of textual similarity in scoring short based answer is compared with human grader scoring. Both textual similarity techniques show high agreement with human grader for assigning full marks where the maximum percentage is 92 and 94 percent for LD and Cosine similarity respectively. This work should be useful to assist teacher to ease the onerous task of grading.
Large Permineralized Seeds in the Jurassic of Haida Gwaii, Western Canada: Exploring the Mode and Tempo of Cycad Evolution

Premise of research. Numerous large permineralized fossil seeds from the Jurassic of Haida Gwaii, western Canada, provide evidence for the mode and tempo of cycad evolution. Methodology. Fossil seed specimens are studied from external morphology and serially sectioned by the classic cellulose acetate peel technique to reveal anatomical features of the integument, vascular system, nucellus, and gametophyte. Fossils are compared to living cycad seeds that are also examined from external views, dissections, and anatomical preparations. Pivotal results. The fossil seeds are described as Traskia maahlae gen. et sp. nov. Features of the integument and vascular system reveal that T. maahlae is a stem group cycad that shares seed architecture and mode of germination with living Cycas spp. Conclusions. Traskia maahlae adds to a growing body of paleontological data on stem and crown group cycads. Results suggest that modern pollination and postpollination biology and the two contrasting modes of cycad seed germination evolved during the Mesozoic but that crown group cycad species may not have appeared until the Cenozoic.
Plasma Lipidomics Approach in Early and Specific Alzheimer’s Disease Diagnosis

Background: The brain is rich in lipid content, so a physiopathological pathway in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) could be related to lipid metabolism impairment. The study of lipid profiles in plasma samples could help in the identification of early AD changes and new potential biomarkers. Methods: An untargeted lipidomic analysis was carried out in plasma samples from preclinical AD (n = 11), mild cognitive impairment-AD (MCI-AD) (n = 31), and healthy (n = 20) participants. Variables were identified by means of two complementary methods, and lipid families’ profiles were studied. Then, a targeted analysis was carried out for some identified lipids. Results: Statistically significant differences were obtained for the diglycerol (DG), lysophosphatidylethanolamine (LPE), lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC), monoglyceride (MG), and sphingomyelin (SM) families as well as for monounsaturated (MUFAs) lipids, among the participant groups. In addition, statistically significant differences in the levels of lipid families (ceramides (Cer), LPE, LPC, MG, and SM) were observed between the preclinical AD and healthy groups, while statistically significant differences in the levels of DG, MG, and PE were observed between the MCI-AD and healthy groups. In addition, 18:1 LPE showed statistically significant differences in the targeted analysis between early AD (preclinical and MCI) and healthy participants. Conclusion: The different plasma lipid profiles could be useful in the early and minimally invasive detection of AD. Among the lipid families, relevant results were obtained from DGs, LPEs, LPCs, MGs, and SMs. Specifically, MGs could be potentially useful in AD detection; while LPEs, LPCs, and SM seem to be more related to the preclinical stage, while DGs are more related to the MCI stage. Specifically, 18:1 LPE showed a potential utility as an AD biomarker.
Optimal Design of Complementary Experiments for Parameter Estimation at Elevated Temperature of Food Processing

Simultaneous estimation of thermal properties can be challenging, especially when the parameters are temperature-dependent. Previous research has shown that by using a complementary experiment, temperature-dependent thermal conductivity can be estimated using a single experiment. The objective of this study was to optimize the complementary experiments that can facilitate the simultaneous estimation of temperature-dependent thermal conductivity and volumetric heat capacity. A theoretical study was conducted with two experiments in a single trial with the sample being kept in a cylindrical sample holder, which had a thin film heater in the center. The first part of the experiment was conducted by keeping the external surface temperature at 50 °C for 300 s and allowing the center temperature to equilibrate with the boundary temperature. Then, the second part of the experiment followed, where the thin film heater was supplied with electrical power to increase the center temperate to 140 °C. Several heating profiles were studied to maximize the information obtained from the complementary experiments, and the best one was the power profile with a sinusoidal function. All four parameters of sweet potato puree temperature-dependent thermal conductivity (0.509 to 0.629 W/mK at 25 °C and 140 °C, respectively) and volumetric heat capacity (3.617 × 106 to 4.180 × 106 J/m3K at 25 °C and 140 °C, respectively) were estimated with low standard errors.
A Social Return on Investment Evaluation of the Pilot Social Prescribing EmotionMind Dynamic Coaching Programme to Improve Mental Wellbeing and Self-Confidence

The COVID-19 pandemic contributed to longer waiting lists for people seeking to access mental health services. The NHS Five Year Forward View encourages the development of empowerment-based social prescribing interventions to supplement existing mental health programmes. Based in South Wales, EmotionMind Dynamic (EMD) is a lifestyle coaching programme that supports individuals suffering from anxiety or depression. In this evaluation of lifestyle coaching, a mixed-method social return on investment (SROI) methodology was used to value quantitative and qualitative data from face-to-face and online participants. Data collection took place between June 2021 and January 2022. Participants included both self-referred clients and those referred from health services. Mental wellbeing data were collected at baseline and at the end of the programme using the short Warwick–Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (SWEMWBS) and the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES). Baseline and follow-up data were available for 15 face-to-face participants and 17 online clients. Wellbeing valuation quantified and valued outcomes from participants. Results indicated that for every GBP 1 invested, lifestyle coaching generated social values ranging from GBP 4.12–GBP 7.08 for face-to-face clients compared with GBP 2.37–GBP 3.35 for online participants. Overall, lifestyle coaching generated positive social value ratios for both face-to-face and online clients.
Accounts and recommendations for recruitment of under-represented groups in the geoscience STEM discipline

Abstract The authors seek to amplify their voices as scholars of color in the presentation of a case study of recent geoscience higher education data in the University System of Maryland. We explore trends in geoscience graduate rates and describe the context with national, state, and local data. This paper also includes position statements and lived experiences from faculty of color who recruit in the geosciences. Three women of color share collective intersectional experiences as STEM majors in undergraduate and graduate programs, public and private institutions, HBCUs and PWIs. The aim is to offer recommendations to enhance the literature on diversity and recruitment in geoscience and advance opportunities for students seeking degrees in the geosciences.
A Compact K-/Ka-Band Diplexer with Dual-Mode Folded SIW Cavities

The compact diplexer discussed in this paper is intended to feed a dual-band phased array for K-/Ka-band satellite communications (SatCom). Its filters at 20 and 30 GHz rely on a dual-mode cavity design in folded substrate integrated waveguide (FSIW) technology. An additional transmission zero (TZ) is realized by source-load coupling through a higher order mode to improve the upper stopband performance. In this way, the diplexer achieves an isolation of more than 40 dB in the upper passband. The fractional bandwidth (FBW) reaches 14.5% in the lower and 18.6% in the upper passband. The insertion loss (IL) is 1.2 dB and 1.3 dB, respectively. The diplexer is manufactured with a standard printed circuit board (PCB) process. With its footprint of $2.5\times 5$ mm2 it is significantly more compact than devices with comparable performance described in literature.
Magnetic Interactions in Wiegand Wires Evaluated by First-Order Reversal Curves

Wiegand wires exhibit a unique fast magnetization reversal feature in the soft layer that is accompanied by a large Barkhausen jump, which is also known as the Wiegand effect. However, the magnetic structure and interaction in Wiegand wires cannot be evaluated by conventional magnetization hysteresis curves. We analyzed the magnetic properties of Wiegand wires at various lengths by measuring the first-order reversal curves (FORCs) and by evaluating the FORC diagram from a series of FORCs. In particular, we used a FeCoV Wiegand wire with a magnetic soft outer layer, an intermediate layer, and a hard core. The magnetization of the various layers in the wire could be identified from the FORC diagrams. Furthermore, based on the interaction between multiple layers, the positive and negative polarity of the FORC distribution was clarified.