Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Seamless Service Delivery Solution for mHealth Application

ICT opens up many new opportunities for higher-value products and services, of which Personal Health System (PHS) is just one of the possibilities. PHS for remote management of diseases, treatment and rehabilitation, outside hospitals and care centers is based on closed-loop approaches and integrates wearable, portable or implantable devices into a subsystem coupled with appropriate platforms and services. This article discusses such subsystem that we called mHealth Console and puts an accent on gathering and analysis, interpretation and use of the multiparametric data, in conjunction with established or newly created medical knowledge, for shared patient-doctor decision support systems. After discussing business motivation for remote provisioning of healthcare services in Section1, the paper continues by describing a framework for ICT deployment on Section 2. The proposed service delivery architecture is based on Over the Top (OTT) delivery principles and enables perspective mHealth provider to reach service users (e.g. patients, health insurance, health providers, employers, pharmacies etc ) irrespective of their locations and type of physical connectivity in that location. The Section 3 continues by offering a detailed functional architecture for mHealth Console and Portal, description of signalling message flows for different SIP and DLNA based use cases. The article concludes that mHealth system is a powerful ICT based solution that process comprehensive sensor data, both environmental and behavioral, and is critical component enabling provision of monitoring and rehabilitation services to the patients. The features of the proposed solution such as independent communication session initiation, seamless and automated exchange of stored and real time information and use of devices of affordable price, makes the proposed architecture a viable solution for seamless delivery of mHealth services.
Growth and Yield Models for Pinus halepensis Mill

A partir de los datos obtenidos de 72 parcelas instaladas en 1965, en masas repobladas de Pinus halepensis, inventariadas en 1965, 1970, 1975, 1980, 1988 y 1999, se han elaborado modelos de crecimiento y produccion de selvicultura encontrada para cuatro calidades de estacion. Las curvas de calidad se han definido por la altura dominante alcanzada a los 80 anos de edad y se han ajustado por el modelo de Richards, resultando las siguientes curvas: calidad 20, calidad 17, calidad 14 y calidad 11. Posteriormente se han elaborado modelos de produccion de selvicultura variable incluyendo dos regimenes de claras, simulados a traves de la variacion del indice de Hart-Becking, para las calidades 20 y 17, que son las que presenta un mayor interes productivo. Para las calidades 14 y 11 se representan tablas con un unico regimen moderado de claras, como corresponde a su mayor interes protector y su menor interes productivo.
Application of smoothing splines for spectroscopic analysis in hyperspectral images

The spectral and spatial resolution of hyperspectral imaging is useful for investigation of tissue autofluorescence. The low-light, noisy conditions in fluorescence imaging usually necessitates noise removal for extraction of precise spectral signatures and peak shifts. However, noise removal techniques like low-pass filtering or the Maximum Noise Fraction transform might discard information or distort spectral features. In this study, smoothing splines is proposed as an alternative technique to avoid spectral distortion in analysis of hyperspectral fluorescence images in the wavelength range 400-1000 nm. Continuous tuning parameters and use of natural cubic splines makes the method advantageous for unbiased peak extraction. The method was tested on ex vivo images of atherosclerosis lesions and simulations. The method was used to estimate autofluorescence peak shifts, and found to perform well in comparison with MNF.
Ruminal dry matter degradability of treated soybean meal as source of escape protein

In order to study rumen degradation of dry matter for treating soybean meal with black liquor as source of xylose and microwave radiation, an experiment in nylon bag technique was performed. Samples for treating soybean meal for 0, 2, 4, 8, 16, 24 and 48 h in the rumen of three Taleshi male cows were incubated. Soybean meal samples treated with black liquor and microwave radiation decreased water soluble protein fraction (a) and increased slowly protein degradation fraction (b); and treatment with 6% black liquor and 4 min microwave radiation have suitable protection against the soybean meal dry matter degradability. Key words: Soybean meal, black liquor, microwave radiation, nylon bags.
Handbook of Functional MRI Data Analysis: Index

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has become the most popular method for imaging brain function. Handbook of Functional MRI Data Analysis provides a comprehensive and practical introduction to the methods used for fMRI data analysis. Using minimal jargon, this book explains the concepts behind processing fMRI data, focusing on the techniques that are most commonly used in the field. This book provides background about the methods employed by common data analysis packages including FSL, SPM and AFNI. Some of the newest cutting-edge techniques, including pattern classification analysis, connectivity modeling and resting state network analysis, are also discussed. Readers of this book, whether newcomers to the field or experienced researchers, will obtain a deep and effective knowledge of how to employ fMRI analysis to ask scientific questions and become more sophisticated users of fMRI analysis software.
Application of an extended Kalman filter traffic estimation scheme to microsimulation

In this work we study the problem of traffic state estimation for large-scale urban networks. Given a network that is partitioned in a number of regions, the aggregated traffic dynamics describe the vehicle accumulations in each region, as well as the transferring flows among neighbouring regions. Considering the fact that many such models have been extensively used for control in the literature recently, this work tackles the real-time estimation problem when limited data are available. Recently, there has been a lot of development with respect to methodologies for perimeter control that utilize the Macroscopic Fundamental Diagram (MFD) for multi-region urban networks. All these controllers are based on aggregated state-space modelling for the dynamics of the system. Nevertheless, from the viewpoint of field implementations of such approaches, there is a missing part (i.e. online state estimation) that is crucial to fill the gap between available data and the controller input requirements in order to close the real-time control loop.
A quantitative assessment of interest rate uncertainty in real option analysis

The discounting cash flow (DCF) technique is the most popular approach for valuing firms' projects. Basically, it consists of discounting the values of the forecasted future cash flows by some interest rate, for example the so-called weighted average cost of capital (WACC), or an Enterprise's rate of return (measured by the annual growth of the firm's total assets), or, eventually, a required (desired) rate of return. DCF calculations have been widely criticized since they do not fully consider uncertainty. In particular, when a firm decides to undertake a project, if it is a complex project with a long time horizon, future revenues and costs are not exactly known. Then, during the project lifetime, depending on the realized economic and financial scenarios, managers have the option of making changes to the project, or even of abandoning it. The DCF approach does not allow one to consider such an option, which is instead accounted for by the so-called real option analysis (ROA). Specifically, due to its flexibility to cope with future uncertainty, ROA has become a very usual procedure for valuing firms' strategic projects, see, for example, Amram and Kulatilaka (1999), Baldi and Trigeorgis (2009), Cobb and Charnes (1994), Copeland and Antikarov (2003), Dixit and “Corporate Governance: Search for the Advanced Practices” Rome, February 28, 2019 23 Pindyck (1994), McDonald and Siegel (1986), Mun (2006), Schulmerich (2010). The real option approach is almost always applied by considering flat interest rates. Nevertheless, if the time horizon of a firm’s project is long (say several years), assuming that the interest rate remains constant over all the project’s life does not seem very realistic. In particular, one could argue that, if the ROA is used in order to cope with unknown future scenarios, then the uncertainty of future interest rates should be taken into account as well. A ROA approach that also takes into account stochastic interest rates has been pursued by Schulmerich (2010). However, the effect of the interest rate on the projects’ evaluation is not completely explored. In this work, we discuss the effect of the uncertainty of future interest rates on real option valuation. In particular, we assume that the interest rate follows the Vasicek model: which may be regarded as the continuous version of the AR(1) time series: rt+1 = θ + α(rt − θ) + εt (1) (for a suitable value of α). Furthermore, the interest rate specification (1) is coupled with the common real option approach based on the famous Black-Scholes model (see Black and Scholes, 1973). By doing that it is possible to derive a simple analytical formula to evaluate firms’ projects. Then, the ROA model with stochastic interest rates can be tested against a simpler ROA model with constant interest rate. The results obtained, some of which are contained in Ballestra et al. (2017), will be discussed in the talk.
After a career break: supporting women returning to ICT

This is a case study of an initiative to support women returning to ICT after a career break, which was run in the UK and Ireland between 2005 and 2011.The article starts by outlining how the UK government’s concern about women failing return to SET careers led to the setting up of a national campaign (RETURN) to address this issue. A brief overview of previous research about women’s reasons for leaving ICT employment and the difficulties and barriers they encounter in returning to work, sets the context for the development of the online course Return to SET . An outline of the course and its innovative support model is then described followed by a discussion about measurement of impact and concluding with some suggestions for future development.
Networked learning environments

This chapter introduces the idea of networked learning environments and argues that these environments provide the totality of surrounding conditions for learning in digital networks. It provides illustrative vignettes of the ways that students appropriate networked environments for learning. The chapter then examines the notion of networked learning environments in relation to the idea of infrastructure and infrastructures for learning and sets out some issues arising from this perspective. The chapter suggests that students and teachers selectively constitute their own contexts and that design can only have an indirect effect on learning. The chapter goes on to argue that design needs to be located at the meso level of the institution and that a solution to the problem of indirect design lies in refocusing design at the meso level and on the design of infrastructures for learning.
Ecological effects of experimental insecticide applications on invertebrates in sahelian temporary ponds

The ecological impact offour insecticides used to control desert locustswas investigated during experimental field trials in natural temporary ponds in a cultivated savannah area of Senegal, West Africa. The insecticide formulations, dose rates, and application techniques were similar to those used in operational desert locust control. Average initial concentrations of fenitrothion, diflubenzuron, deltamethrin, and bendiocarb in pond water were 80, 10.4, 0.45, and 24.0 μg/L, respectively. Diflubenzuron and deltamethrin virtually disappeared in 24 h. Pseudo–first‐order half‐lives were 34 h for fenitrothion and 17 d for bendiocarb. Fenitrothion and deltamethrin significantly reduced population densities of backswimmers of the genus Anisops (Hemiptera, No‐tonectidae) and in addition caused an extensive kill of other species of insects. Both insecticide applications were also followed by reductions of zooplankton densities, especially Cladocera, and deltamethrin eradicated populations of fairy shrimp (Streptoce‐phalus spp.: Branchiopoda, Anostraca). Diflubenzuron only affected crustaceans, i.e., cladocerans and fairy shrimp. The least harmful insecticide in the study was bendiocarb, which only reduced the density of cladocerans. Recovery proceeded at fixed rates, which were different for each taxon. Anisops spp. recovered from the treatments in 1 to 4 weeks, most likely through aerial migration. Cladocerans returned to normal densities in 3 to 6 weeks. Streptocephalus spp. , however, whose resting eggs presumably need desiccation during the dry season to be able to hatch, did not reappear until the next rainy season, one year later. It is concluded that contamination of temporary ponds in the Sahel by insecticide drift from desert locust control operations with any of the four insecticides should be avoided.
Blockchain Mining Games with Pay Forward

We study the strategic implications that arise from adding one extra option to the miners participating in the bitcoin protocol. We propose that when adding a block, miners also have the ability to pay forward an amount to be collected by the first miner who successfully extends their branch, giving them the power to influence the incentives for mining. We formulate a stochastic game for the study of such incentives and show that with this added option, smaller miners can guarantee that the best response of even substantially more powerful miners is to follow the expected behavior intended by the protocol designer.
Ubiquitous Writer: Robust Text Input for Small Mobile Devices via Acoustic Sensing

Efficient typing or text-input on mobile devices, such as smartphones and wearables is a long-standing problem, due to the miniature touchscreen on the devices. Recently, touchscreen-free solutions leveraging on acoustic sensing have been proposed, with the advantage of low cost and ubiquitous availability. However, existing solutions usually require people to write in print-style, and more importantly, they are highly vulnerable to environmental change, i.e., they need repetitive training upon slight deviation of writing places or device locations. Therefore, they are far from practical usage. In this paper, we propose a novel acoustic-based text-input system called UbiWriter, which can recognize freestyle handwriting with high ubiquity, i.e., one-time training and writing elsewhere. UbiWriter is built on a new letter recognition principle, which treats the acoustic signal from writing a letter as a complete trajectory, and then distills the recognition feature that is resilient to environmental change. For the actual realization of the principle, we adopt and incorporate a series of techniques, including a feature-preserved fast letter alignment, ${K}$ -nearest neighbor letter classification, and language structure-driven word recognition. We also design and implement an APP with cloud-computing support, in order to facilitate real-time text input. Extensive experimental results demonstrate that UbiWriter outperforms the state-of-the-art under various practical settings.
Bedparse: feature extraction from BED files

Bedparse is a Python module and command-line interface tool to extract features from genome annotation files in BED (Browser Extensible Data) format. The BED format is a plaintext file format commonly used in bioinformatics to represent genomic features. Each line in a BED file corresponds to a genomic feature (e.g. a gene, transcript, peak, regulatory region, etc.) and consists of up to 12 tab-separated fields that define its genomic coordinates and exon-intron structure. This format is also commonly used to graphically visualise genomic features by genome browser software and is one of the standard formats used by the UCSC (Kent et al., 2002) and Ensembl (Zerbino et al., 2018) genome browsers. One of the major advantages of the BED format over many of its alternatives is that each line includes all the information required to define an individual gene/transcript model. This makes the format particulary convenient when used with Unix pipes, awk one-liners or small custom scripts. This ad hoc approach, albeit (usually) simple and effective, often leads to repetition and/or code duplication and can be prone to errors, bugs and typos that are not always easy to detect.
Crinum latifolium var. latifolium L.: An addition to Mangrove Associated Flora of Maharashtra State of India with Special Reference to its Ecological Amplitude

Summary Article History Mangrove ecosystem of Maharashtra is neglected as compared to that of on the east coast of India. An extensive floral survey is must so as to document the mangrove associated plant species from coastal Maharashtra. Present paper is a step towards this attempt. Crinum latifolium var. latifolium L. is a species of wide ecological amplitude; also growing along the mangroves as an associate in Maharashtra. In conformity to this, the present paper provides detailed habitat characteristics and association of the species.
Uso de carvão de osso bovino na defluoretação de água para uso em abastecimento público

O fluor e um elemento que pode ser encontrado em pequenas quantidades nas aguas naturais (0,1-2,0mg/L) e sua ocorrencia se deve, principalmente, ao intemperismo de alguns minerais, por exemplo a fluorita (CaF2). A crescente poluicao dos mananciais superficiais tem inviabilizado o seu uso, levando a necessidade de utilizacao de aguas subterrâneas. A agua com concentracoes de ions fluoreto acima de 1,5mg/L ocasionam problemas tais como fluorose dentaria e acima de 6mg/L causa fluorose ossea. Neste trabalho avaliou-se o carvao de osso bovino Bonechar® como alternativa para a remocao do excesso de fluoreto presente em agua para abastecimento publico. O carvao foi caracterizado atraves de DRX, FRX, FTIR, MeV/EDS, ASE por metodologia BET, TG/DTG e CHN. Os resultados indicaram que a fase majoritaria do carvao e a hidroxiapatita [Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2] e em menor proporcao a calcita (CaCO3). A area superficial especifica determinada foi de 119m2/g associada a uma alta porosidade, com poros de diâmetro ate 18406A, na faixa de macroporos. A capacidade de remocao de fluoreto pelo carvao foi avaliada em ensaios de adsorcao em erlenmeyers em mesa agitadora de frascos. A concentracao de fluoreto na agua foi determinada por eletrodo de ion especifico. As isotermas foram obtidas para carvao de osso granular in natura, carvao granular lavado com HCL 0,1mol/L e carvao fino, em temperatura ambiente. Os modelos classicos de Langmuir e Freundluich foram ambos adequados para representar a remocao. Os resultados indicaram uma capacidade de adsorcao de 2,96mg/g para o carvao granular in natura e 3,44mg/g para o carvao granular lavado. O modelo cinetico de 2o ordem de Lagergren representou bem os resultados, indicando a natureza quimica do mecanismo de adsorcao. Esse resultado foi corroborado pela observacao da superficie do carvao carregado portando elevados teores de fluor e calcio, os quais indicaram a presenca de fluoreto de calcio na superficie do adsorvente. Os resultados alcancados serao importantes para dimensionar os equipamentos para defluoretacao de agua em escala domestica e industrial.
Deep convolutional neural networks for product recommendation

Recommender Systems are big breakthrough for the web enabled systems as Recommender Systems have the capability to analyze the behavior patterns of the user. And these systems are accomplishing the task of recommending the products the users are interested in. Existed models grabbing the insights of the users and items patterns will give satisfactory results to the users. This paper uses pretrained models to extract the knowledge from the data using the concept of transfer learning. Our models use the knowledge of pretrained models to extract patterns between users and items. To facilitate this objective, in this paper we presented our approach to generate recommendations in two phases. In the Classification phase, classification of product images and its experimental analysis following, the Ranking phase to rank the product images to the user and its experimental analysis are discussed. The result analysis discussed in this paper achieved promising results. RÉSUMÉ. Les systèmes de recommandation constituent une percée majeure pour les systèmes en ligne car ils permettent d'analyser le mode de comportements de l'utilisateur. Et ces systèmes accomplissent la tâche de recommander les produits qui intéressent les utilisateurs. Les modèles existants capturant les informations des utilisateurs et les modèles d'éléments qui donneront des résultats satisfaisants aux utilisateurs. Cet article utilise des modèles préentraînés pour extraire les connaissances à partir des données en utilisant le concept d'apprentissage par transfert. Nos modèles utilisent la connaissance des modèles préentraînés pour extraire des motifs entre les utilisateurs et les produits. Pour faciliter cet objectif, dans cet article, nous avons présenté notre approche pour générer des recommandations en deux phases. Au cours de la phase de classification, la classification des images de produits et son analyse expérimentale sont ensuite décrites. Et puis, la phase de classement pour classer les images de produit pour l'utilisateur et son analyse expérimentale sont discutées. L’analyse des résultats présentée dans cet article a donné des suites prometteurs.
Toxic stress and hematological effects of nickel on African catfish, Clarias gariepinus, fingerlings

This laboratory study assessed the effects of nickel on the behavior and some blood parameters of African catfish, Clarias gariepinus, after a 96 h semi static method with a view to determining the safe concentration effect of the metal physiological functions of the fish. The mortality rate increased with increased concentrations of toxicants. The 96 h median lethal concentration (96 h LC50) was 8.87mg Ni/l using the logarithmic method with dose-mortality regression line Y (% mortality) = 174.74 (log Concentration) ‐ 97.711. All the blood parameters (erythrocyte, leucocytes, hematocrit and hemoglobin count) decreased with increasing concentration of toxicant and become significantly lower (P < 0.05) at higher concentration when compared with the control. The derived hematological indices of mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) were equally lowered. It is believed that observed depression in hematocrit and hemoglobin values coupled with decreased and deformed erythrocytes are obvious signs of anemia. In conclusion, the changes observed indicate that hematological parameters can be used as an indicator of Ni related stress in fish on exposure to elevated Ni levels.
Shared substance: developing flexible multi-surface applications

This paper presents a novel middleware for developing flexible interactive multi-surface applications. Using a scenario-based approach, we identify the requirements for this type of applications. We then introduce Substance, a data-oriented framework that decouples functionality from data, and Shared Substance, a middleware implemented in Substance that provides powerful sharing abstractions. We describe our implementation of two applications with Shared Substance and discuss the insights gained from these experiments. Our finding is that the combination of a data-oriented programming model with middleware support for sharing data and functionality provides a flexible, robust solution with low viscosity at both design-time and run-time.