Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
LRT Detectors for Spectrum Sensing of Weak OFDM Signals With Periodic Pilots

Orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) signals are widely employed in most wireless comm- unication systems, and the problem of spectrum sensing for OFDM signals has been extensively investigated. However, most of the available research reports on spectrum sensing for OFDM signals ignore the existence of pilots, which are usually inserted in the OFDM signals for synchronization, channel estimation and control information delivery. To sense weak OFDM signals with periodic pilots reliably in cognitive radio networks, we propose two likelihood ratio test (LRT) detectors for the scenarios with and without time synchronization information. In the ideal scenario that an unlicensed secondary user is perfectly synchronized with a licensed primary user, we propose a near-optimal LRT (NOLRT) detector, which constructs the test statistic by correlating the locally generated pilots with the received OFDM signal samples. Since the NOLRT detector relies on perfect time synchronization that is difficult to realize in practice, we further propose a more practical buffer-aided LRT (BALRT) detector that does not require time synchronization. To formulate the test statistic, the BALRT detector stores the averages of historical OFDM signal samples in a buffer and then correlates them with the currently received OFDM signal samples. Theoretical closed-form expressions for the probability of detection and probability of false alarm are derived for the proposed detectors. To alleviate the negative effects of noise uncertainty in low SNR scenarios, we also propose an effective method based on noise power estimation. Monte Carlo simulation results match with theoretical results very well and show that the NOLRT detector outperforms the counterparts significantly in additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) channel with perfect time synchronization, while the BALRT detector outperforms the counterparts noticeably in multipath propagation environments without time synchronization.
Communication-Efficient Offloading for Mobile-Edge Computing in 5G Heterogeneous Networks

The unified management of IoT devices with interoperability can be inspired by cloud computing. In addition, sinking the 5G core network to the edge brings chances for the deployment of end-to-end ultralow-latency services. However, the resource efficiency brought by heterogeneous computing devices in 5G spectrum multiplexing environments has encountered challenges. To discuss this issue from a comprehensive perspective, this article first proposes an ultralow-latency service deployment architecture in 5G heterogeneous networks, and three cognitive engines are the key components for efficient service communication across the terminal/edge/cloud computing structure. Then we give an analysis of application task model in the proposed architecture, and following the service response time models are established. In addition, it is efficient to deploy multiuser tasks with constraint resources when the differentiated user requirements are met. Finally, we conducted some experiments and the result statistics are up to our expectations. The first one is the system performance under two microcloud covered cells, and the second one is the performance comparison of the proposed solution with three single scenes of terminal computing, edge computing and cloud computing.
Recent Trends in Space Laser Communications for Small Satellites and Constellations

Free-space optical communications in space can realize broadband and large-capacity communications using smaller and lower-power-consumption onboard equipment. Recently, many mega-constellation systems have been planned and launched from various countries. Although the frequency spectra will soon be exhausted, optical communications have potentially wider bandwidths in the optical spectrum and are a viable alternative. Because optical communications do not have regulatory restrictions or licensing issues, this technology can revolutionize the space system architecture. This article describes the recent trends and future prospects of space laser communications.
Protein content and quality of seeds in central Mexican maize (Zea mays) accessions.

Mexico is the center of origin, domestication and diversity of maize. This cereal is the main constituent of the Mexican diet, especially for low-income families. In this research, 10 maize accessions derived from a large landrace collection, with the 'INIFAP-QPM' accession and a 'regional landrace' as controls, were studied to identify the accessions with the best biochemical and physiological characteristics showing good adaptation to 'El Bajío' (regional center in Mexico) conditions. The accessions were statistically superior to the two controls in the germination and accelerated aging tests. In the assessment of variable plumule length, variability was observed among the accessions, but the controls showed the lowest values. Protein contents in different fractions (albumins, globulins, prolamins and glutelins) showed variability as did oil and fiber contents. The 'HRH2015' accession showed high contents of albumins and globulins and low contents of prolamins and glutelins. The 'regional landrace' accession exhibited the highest contents of glutelins and prolamins but the lowests content of globulins and albumins. The total percentage of proteins showed variability among the accessions, but the values were within those reported in the literature. The 'RQ2015' accession presented the highest oil content (5.25%). The electrophoretic patterns of prolamins were obtained, and some differences were observed between them. The 'regional landrace' presented the lowest protein content, which was significantly different from those of the other evaluated accessions. This research demonstrates biochemical, germination and vigor variability among the studied maize accessions.
The potential beneficial effects of education and familiarity with cesarean section procedure and the operating room environment on promotion of anxiety and pain intensity: A randomized controlled clinical trial

BACKGROUND: Anxiety before and pain intensity after cesarean section is among the factors that should be taken into consideration among the candidates for cesarean section. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of familiarity with cesarean section and the operating room environment on anxiety and pain intensity among the mothers undergoing cesarean section. METHODS: This clinical trial was conducted on 80 women referred to the hospitals affiliated to Shiraz University of Medical Sciences for cesarean section in 2018. The participants were randomly divided into a control (n = 40) and an intervention group (n = 40). The intervention group took part in four educational sessions, while the control group received the hospital's routine care. The Beck Anxiety Inventory was completed by the two groups before and after the intervention. The McGill Pain Questionnaire was also filled out by the two groups in the ward after the cesarean section. After all, the data were entered into the SPSS software, version 21, and were analyzed using independent t-test and ANCOVA. RESULTS: The results showed no significant difference between the two groups regarding the mean score of anxiety prior to the intervention. After the intervention, the mean score of anxiety was 7.98 ± 3.77 in the intervention group and 19.70 ± 6.45 in the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.0001). Indeed, the mean intensity of pain was 43.98 ± 7.63 in the intervention group and 57.75 ± 10.69 in the control group after the intervention, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.017). CONCLUSION: The patients’ familiarity with cesarean section and the operating room environment caused a decline in the anxiety level prior to cesarean section as well as a decrease in the score of pain after the operation. Hence, midwives and nurses have to play effective roles in decreasing pregnant women's anxiety and pain through identification of strategies for empowering them and managing their worries.
An exploration of women's workplace experiences in the South African mining industry

Historically, the mining industry, on a global level, was male-dominated, as many governments had prohibited women from working at mines, particularly underground. In South Africa, the government introduced the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act (No. 28 of 2002) (MPRDA) and the Broad-based Socio-economic Empowerment Charter to address the imbalances and rectify previous inequalities in the mining industry. Since the inception of MPRDA, women’s representation in the South African mining industry has increased, from 3% in 2002 to 15% in 2018. Although government has good intentions, gender equality in the mining industry remains a challenge. Research on women employed in South African mines revealed that women still face barriers to some extent. This research explores women’s current workplace experiences in the South African mining industry. A literature review and an empirical study were conducted. The study followed a positivistic research approach, and a quantitative research design was used. Self-administered questionnaires were distributed at the 8th Annual Women in Mining Conference in February 2017. Based on the data obtained, it became evident that several aspects must still be addressed to successfully accommodate women in the mining workplace. The study offers practical recommendations that can be implemented by mining organizations to improve women’s workplace experiences in order to encourage and foster transformation in the mining industry.
Postprandial glycemic response of whole peas and lentils and their flours in adults with type 2 diabetes

With an increasing diabetes problem, foods that benefit our health are more important than ever. Whole peas, lentils, and other dry grain pulses yield lower postprandial glycemic responses in adults with type 2 diabetes. Additionally, pea and lentil flours are increasingly used in products to improve nutrition quality and functionality. However, the impact of pulse flours on blood glucose versus the whole form of the pulse requires more research. This 5x5 cross-over clinical trial seeks to address this research gap. The glycemic effects of 5 treatment meals containing 1⁄2 cup whole pulse and dry weight equivalent of flour, or a Glucola control beverage, were tested in adults with type 2 diabetes. Venous blood samples were collected at baseline and at 30, 60, 90, 120, 150, and 180 minutes post-meal consumption and analyzed for glucose concentrations. Significant mean differences when comparing treatment, time, and treatment x time interactions were found, with whole pulses exhibiting better glycemic effects than the control treatment. Responses to pulse flour meals were not always significantly different from the control treatment, but usually different from the whole pulses. There may be several explanations for this related to nutrition and physiological properties of the pulses. Future research should include investigating the mechanisms behind possible differences between pulses and pulse forms. There should be caution when incorporating pulse flours into products and claiming similar health benefits as whole pulses.
AN OVERVIEW ON CRITERIA OF SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES (SMEs) ACROSS THE ECONOMIES: A RANDOM SELECTION OF COUNTRIES

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) is playing a tremendously important role in contributing to economic development via employment opportunity, income generation, export performance as well as domestic saving. Previous studies which concern about the compilation of SME definition are found to be limited, particularly throughout the diverse nature of economies across the globe. This present article aims to enhance previous works via evaluating on the general criteria of SMEs across economies of high-income, uppermiddle- income, lower-middle-income and low-income. A total number of 22 countries were randomly selected based on the availability and accessibility of data as well as information. In this review, the input of criteria on SME is described and finally summarised. Various secondary databases from websites and previous research documents: reports, working papers, articles, and journals were explored to retrieve all the information about SME criteria, definition and measurement. This systematic review has found that most of the selected countries are inclined to several factors in determining SME such as the number of employees, sales or revenues, assets or capital investment and a total of debt. The nature of this article is vitally-important to the future researcher, in line with other stakeholders such as government, NGOs, private bodies, policymaker and small entrepreneurs in providing understanding and recent information regarding SMEs.
A new intelligent supermarket security system

: With the rapid development of artiﬁcial intelligence in recent years, the application of intelligent security has become increasingly widespread. This paper presents a new intelligent system that uses Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) combined with a high-resolution camera to identify the theft behavior of customers. The CNN extracts relevant information from the theft and non-theft behavior of customers in supermarkets to establish a recognition model. Our results show that, by updating the data sets, the recognition model can be continuously optimized, and the average recognition accuracy ﬁnally reaches 83 %. The proposed system can independently identify the theft and non-theft behavior in video surveillance and sound alarm on the theft behavior in time. The advantages of the system are its low cost and high precision, which show excellent commercial value and application prospects.
Using CP/SMT Solvers for Scheduling and Routing of AGVs

An improved method for solving conflict-free scheduling and routing of automated guided vehicles is proposed in this article, with promising results. This is achieved by reformulating the mathematical model of the problem, including several improvements and speedup strategies of an existing Benders decomposition method. A new heuristic is also presented that quickly yields high-quality solutions. Moreover, a real-large-scale industrial instance is solved using an open-source satisfiability module theories solver and a commercial constraint programming solver. According to the results, both of these general-purpose solvers can effectively solve the proposed models. Note to Practitioners—The problem of conflict-free routing and scheduling of automated guided vehicles (AGVs) in large-scale manufacturing systems has been an ever-present challenge for many AGV companies. Although these companies have developed rather efficient control policies and algorithms, retrofitting the existing heuristic to future’s denser, more complicated, and more demanding AGV layouts is not guaranteed to be easy. Furthermore, the installed system will not necessarily be as efficient as expected. Currently, it is common to use heuristics to allocate vehicles to orders and route them. There are also rules of thumbs to avoid collisions and deadlocks. However, with increasing demand for high-performance AGV solutions, it is of interest to employ optimization algorithms that handle the order allocation, scheduling, and routing in a more efficient way. In this article, we present an improved method to tackle this issue, with promising results. We have developed our work in collaboration with a Swedish AGV company, and we have investigated a real-large-scale industrial instance as our case study.
Design and Analysis of a Novel Modular Electromagnetic Actuator for Micro-Nano Satellite Application

A novel modular electromagnetic actuator for micro-nano satellite application is proposed in this article. This actuator is combined with two functional units. The permanent magnet connection unit is used to realize the static connection of two micro-nano satellites with no power loss. The electromagnetic separation unit is used for the separation motion and transposition motion. Different magnetization types and topologies for these two units are compared. The attractive force characteristics for the permanent magnet connection unit are analyzed, and the attractive force ratio is used as an index to choose the proper magnetization type. For the electromagnetic separation unit, the repulsive force per mass is an important parameter for selecting a good topology. To suppress the magnetic field interference, the magnetic shielding structures are also designed. The results are based on 3D finite element calculation. Finally, the prototype of two cube frames with the proposed electromagnetic actuator are manufactured, and they perform well in tests, which verifies the related analysis and design.
Resource Use by American Black Bears in Suburbia: A Landholder Step Selection Approach

: Range expansion of American black bears ( Ursus americanus; bear) and residential development have increased the bear presence in suburbia. Suburban landscapes exhibiting patchworks of variable-sized parcels and habitats and owned by landowners with diverse values can create large areas of suitable habitats with limited public access. These landscapes may limit the effectiveness of hunting as a traditional bear population management tool. Managers require better information regarding landowner attitudes about hunting before implementing harvest regulations intended to mitigate conflicts in suburban areas. To address this need, in 2013, we surveyed landowners to identify properties that allowed bear hunting in 3 suburban areas of Pennsylvania, USA where bear sightings or human–bear conflicts have increased. We then used location data obtained for 29 bears equipped with global positioning system transmitters from 2010 to 2012 to model their resource selection in the study area. We assessed the influence of hunting access, housing density, land cover, and topographic variables on radio-marked black bears monitored 10 days before, during, and after the bear hunting season. We found that resource selection of radio-marked bears was similar for all 3 periods and bears selected for forested land in all 3 seasons and herbaceous cover in the pre-hunting and hunting periods. Resource selection by bears was not influenced by hunting access in the pre-hunting and hunting periods. For the post-hunting period, lands closed to hunting had support as the second-best model. All of the radio-marked bears in our study were vulnerable to harvest. However, they did not change resource selection during the hunting season, nor did they avoid areas open to hunting. Integrating human dimension data with bear habitat use studies, especially in suburban landscapes, has the potential to address bear space use and population management needs often overlooked by traditional research designs. evaluating datasets at the landscape or level for a more complete understanding of ecology of a of organisms that epidemiology,
Prototype Model Design of Automatic Irrigation Controller

Irrigation forms one of the primary components of agriculture and food production. Due to outdated techniques in developing and underdeveloped countries, a huge volume of water is wasted in this process. In this article, we have devised a fuzzy rule-base irrigation controller prototype to put a check on this water wastage by providing an optimal irrigating environment for farming. The prototype smart automatic irrigation controller (SAIC) has two operational units, namely, wireless sensor unit (WSU) and wireless information processing unit (WIPU). The purpose of the WSU is to measure weather and soil conditions and calculate the actual water loss due to evapotranspiration. The WIPU processes this calculated value and performs the necessary control action to regulate the actuators supplying the right amount of water to the farm. An exhaustive rule-base combination model is stacked in the lookup table for decision making. The prototype model is first simulated and then validated in the field for checking the performance efficiency. The simulated results showed capabilities to compensate for water loss by almost 100%. The controller achieved a 27% reduction in water usage and a 40% increase in crop yield. The prototype is connected to a cloud server for data repository and remote access and control. The device is efficient, low cost, and user friendly so that the end-users can it with ease and comfort. The model is innovative and unique in the sense that it can the irrigation scheduling for all types of crops, across all climatic conditions for all soil types upon feeding the proper soil–crop–growth stage combinations in the inference engine.
The influence of immune activation on energetic and calcium homeostasis in Holstein dairy cows

Nutrient partitioning towards productive processes (i.e., milk synthesis, growth, and reproduction) concomitant with diluting maintenance costs are key to profitable animal agriculture. During immune activation, the hierarchy of coordinated nutrient trafficking is reprioritized towards the immune system at the expense of production. Dairy cows encounter frequent immune challenges, as bacterial insults can originate from a myriad of sources including the uterus, mammary gland, lungs, and gastrointestinal tract. Regardless of origin, immune activation hinders animal welfare and mounting evidence suggests it plays a role in many undesirable phenotypes post-calving (i.e., decreased DMI, increased NEFA, hypocalcemia). Following activation, most leukocytes undergo a metabolic shift from oxidative phosphorylation to aerobic glycolysis (a phenomenon known as the “Warburg effect”) and begin consuming copious amounts of glucose. To ensure adequate glucose delivery to activated leukocytes, several well-characterized metabolic adjustments are employed including: increased insulin and glucagon levels, increased skeletal muscle catabolism, hypertriglyceridemia, and hypoketonemia. The energetic burden of immune activation is intensified by a simultaneous decrease in feed intake and thus reduced intestinally derived nutrients. Identifying dietary strateiges with potential to alleviate the negative consequences of immune activation on metabolism and production are of interest. As part of this dissertation, supplementation of dietary zinc hydroxychlrode, zinc amino acid complex, and chromium propionate were evaluated in feed-restricted or LPS-infused cows. In addition to energetic metabolism, immune activation induces a marked and sustained decrease in circulating calcium (Ca). In this dissertation we have demonstrated that the total Ca deficit was ~20 g during an acute (12 hour) and intense model of immune activation. Infectioninduced hypocalcemia is a species conserved response, yet, it remains largely unknown what role
Persuasive Discourse in Adolescents with Learning Disabilities: Written versus Spoken Sentence Complexity.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether there were differences in levels of sentence complexity and grammatical correctness between the spoken and written persuasive language of adolescents with Learning Disabilities (LDs). After viewing short videos providing background information on controversial animal welfare topics, spoken and written persuasive samples were collected from 27 adolescents with LDs. The samples were analyzed for measures of sentence complexity descriptively and quantitatively using multivariate analysis of variance. Sentences were further evaluated for percent of complex vs. simple and grammatically correct vs. incorrect productions. Complex sentences were produced with similar frequency in written (84%) and spoken (75%) persuasion. Thirty-three percent of written and twenty-six percent of spoken complex sentences contained grammatical errors. Given the social and academic value of persuasive communication and the shared grammatical weaknesses in sentences, our findings lend support to combined speaking and writing practice and use of effective collaborations between educators and speech-language pathologists when teaching the language of persuasion.