Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Mobile experimentation using modelling and simulation in the Fog/Cloud

ABSTRACT Recently, we have seen an increase of the use of Cloud computing to provide Modelling & Simulation services. In general, mobility support is lacking since clients normally contact the same centralised clouds regardless of their locations. In this research, we propose a method and algorithms to build Fogs as private services in which different middleware running in varied Virtual Machines (on various distributed Fogs and Cloud backbone) to expose different services. Clients access services via nearby Fogs, which then discover the required resources to run experiments (on Fogs or cloud backbone). Our focus is on mobility, to permit clients to conduct experiments (and visualise simulation results) using mobile devices. Mobility support is further improved by introducing the novel concept of a mobile simulation experiment: if a device moves away from a given Fog zone, the experiment moves with the device. We present a prototype implementation, evaluation results, and different case studies.
Impedimetric Detection of Albumin-Bound Fatty Acids Using Graphene Oxide Electrode

The fatty acid/albumin (FA/Alb) molar ratio is ≤1 in healthy subjects; this ratio can reach 3–4 in patients with acute myocardial ischemia. We describe the spontaneous desorption–adsorption kinetics of FAs from albumin to a graphene electrode at neutral pH. Albumin-depleted human serum was prepared via ultrafiltration and then mixed with defatted human albumin and sodium oleate at different FA/Alb molar ratios, at a final albumin concentration of 0.6 mM. A commercially available screen-printed graphene oxide (GO)-modified carbon electrode was used for the electrochemical experiments. Frequency-ranged Faradaic electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and a single-frequency non-Faradaic impedance measure (chronoimpedance) were used to derive the desorption–adsorption kinetics. The surface of the GO electrode was finally evaluated with the aid of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). With the chronoimpedance experiment, the measured impedance increased accordingly to the FA/Alb ratios. The frequency-ranged EIS showed good linearity between the impedance and the FA/Alb ratio, with a limit of quantification value of 1.06. XPS surface analysis revealed that the FA was adsorbed onto the electrode, with the amount of the adsorbed FA proportional to the FA/Alb ratio. The electrochemical method applied on this peculiar desorption–adsorption kinetics of FAs has the ability to differentiate serum having excess FAs.
Assessment of Technological Developments in Data Analytics for Sensor-Based and Robot Sorting Plants Based on Maturity Levels to Improve Austrian Waste Sorting Plants

Sensor-based and robot sorting are key technologies in the extended value chain of many products such as packaging waste (glass, plastics) or building materials since these processes are significant contributors in reaching the EU recycling goals. Hence, technological developments and possibilities to improve these processes concerning data analytics are evaluated with an interview-based survey. The requirements to apply data analytics in sensor-based sorting are separated into different sections, i.e., data scope or consistency. The interviewed companies are divided into four categories: sorting machine manufacturers, sorting robot manufacturers, recycling plant operators, and sensor technology companies. This paper aims to give novel insights into the degree of implementation of data analytics in the Austrian waste management sector. As a result, maturity models are set up for these sections and evaluated for each of the interview partner categories. Interviewees expressed concerns regarding the implementation such as a perceived loss of control and, subsequently, a supposed inability to intervene. Nevertheless, further comments by the interviewees on the state of the waste management sector conveyed that data analytics in their processes would also be a significant step forward to achieve the European recycling goals.
Wireless Power Transfer Using Harvested Radio Frequency Energy with Magnetic Resonance Coupling to Charge Mobile Device Batteries

This research paper presents the design of a wireless power transfer (WPT) circuit integrated with magnetic resonance coupling (MRC) and harvested radio frequency (RF) energy to wirelessly charge the battery of a mobile device. A capacitor (100 µF, 16 V) in the RF energy harvesting circuit stored the converted power, and the accumulated voltage stored in the capacitor was 9.46 V. The foundation of the proposed WPT prototype circuit included two coils (28 AWG)—a transmitter coil, and a receiver coil. The transmitter coil was energized by the alternating current (AC), which produced a magnetic field, which in turn induced a current in the receiver coil. The harvested RF energy (9.46 V) was converted into AC, which energized the transmitter coil and generated a magnetic field. The electronics in the receiver coil then converted the AC into direct current (DC), which became usable power to charge the battery of a mobile device. The experimental setup based on mathematical modeling and simulation displayed successful charging capabilities of MRC, with the alternate power source being the harvested RF energy. Mathematical formulae were applied to calculate the amount of power generated from the prototype circuit. LTSpice simulation software was applied to demonstrate the behavior of the different components in the circuit layout for effective WPT transfer.
Detection and Classification of Defective Hard Candies Based on Image Processing and Convolutional Neural Networks

Defective hard candies are usually produced due to inadequate feeding or insufficient cooling during the candy production process. The human-based inspection strategy needs to be brought up to date with the rapid developments in the confectionery industry. In this paper, a detection and classification method for defective hard candies based on convolutional neural networks (CNNs) is proposed. First, the threshold_li method is used to distinguish between hard candy and background. Second, a segmentation algorithm based on concave point detection and ellipse fitting is used to split the adhesive hard candies. Finally, a classification model based on CNNs is constructed for defective hard candies. According to the types of defective hard candies, 2552 hard candies samples were collected; 70% were used for model training, 15% were used for validation, and 15% were used for testing. Defective hard candy classification models based on CNNs (Alexnet, Googlenet, VGG16, Resnet-18, Resnet34, Resnet50, MobileNetV2, and MnasNet0_5) were constructed and tested. The results show that the classification performances of these deep learning models are similar except MnasNet0_5 with the classification accuracy of 84.28%, and the Resnet50-based classification model is the best (98.71%). This research has certain theoretical reference significance for the intelligent classification of granular products.
CalkGH9T: A Glycoside Hydrolase Family 9 Enzyme from Clostridium alkalicellulosi

Glycoside hydrolase family 9 (GH9) endoglucanases are important enzymes for cellulose degradation. However, their activity on cellulose is diverse. Here, we cloned and expressed one GH9 enzyme (CalkGH9T) from Clostridium alkalicellulosi in Escherichia coli. CalkGH9T has a modular structure, containing one GH9 catalytic module, two family 3 carbohydrate binding modules, and one type I dockerin domain. CalkGH9T exhibited maximal activity at pH 7.0–8.0 and 55 °C and was resistant to urea and NaCl. It efficiently hydrolyzed carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) but poorly degraded regenerated amorphous cellulose (RAC). Despite strongly binding to Avicel, CalkGH9T lacked the ability to hydrolyze this substrate. The hydrolysis of CMC by CalkGH9T produced a series of cello-oligomers, with cellotetraose being preferentially released. Similar proportions of soluble and insoluble reducing ends generated by hydrolysis of RAC indicated non-processive activity. Our study extends our knowledge of the molecular mechanism of cellulose hydrolysis by GH9 family endoglucanases with industrial relevance.
In search of the ‘best’ option: American private secondary education for upper-middle-class Chinese teenagers

This article focuses on unpacking the processes of how a rapidly rising group of urban upper-middle-class Chinese families decide to send their only children to the United States on their own for private secondary education. The article analyzes the socio-historical background of such choice and lays out these families’ various paths to opting out of the neoliberal school-choice market in China and eyeing American private secondary education as the ‘best’ option. Based on in-depth interviews with 33 parents in several Chinese mega-cities, the author demonstrates that Chinese urban upper-middle-class families choose such a transnational educational choice as a silent exit from the anxiety-ridden Chinese education system. Situated in the socio-historical transformation of contemporary Chinese society, the reasons for exiting range from dissatisfaction with the political narrative to educational aspiration of a ‘well-rounded’ education and resistance against the test-oriented pedagogical practices at school. This ethnographic research provides a unique perspective to engage with works on elite education in a global context and enriches the theorization of the global middle classes.
Intensive and extensive impacts of EU subsidies on pesticide expenditures at the farm level

ABSTRACT This paper studies the intensive and extensive effects of European subsidies on pesticide expenditures at the farm level. Intensive effects refer to the relative value of pesticide expenditures to sales, while extensive effects consider acreage effects. Our approach is original insofar as we consider the consequences of EU policies at the farm level. The analysis relies on the French Farm Accountancy Data Network database from 2007 to 2015 which provides detailed information on farm structure and accounting. The influence of subsidies on pesticide expenditures is measured through a simultaneous equation model using panel data. Even if the aggregate value of EU subsidies does not seem to influence pesticide expenditures, each of the pillars has for its part a significant influence: the 1st pillar contributes to increasing pesticide expenditures, while the 2nd pillar leads to decreasing pesticide expenditures, except for subsidies to crop insurance policies. Overall subsidies and subsidies from the 1st pillar have also a significant and positive impact on farm acreage. The very contrasting effect of European subsidies on pesticide expenditures thus questions the effectiveness of public policies towards the issue of environmentally friendly practices.
Assessment of Two Engineering Courses in Architectural Engineering Program in UAE University Based on the Comparison of the Students Results with the Students and the Instructors Opinions

The present study examined the level of outcome satisfaction of two main engineering courses taken by students in the Architectural Engineering department (AE) by evaluating the students’ satisfaction result (SR), the attained level of the students’ opinions (SO), and the instructors’ opinions (IO). The AE program in United Arab Emirates University is one of the departments in the College of Engineering accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET which provides assurance that a College or University program meets the quality standards of the profession for which that program prepares graduates. The AE program offers a wide range of engineering courses at different levels from sophomore level to senior level. All the engineering courses are mainly prerequisites to the Capstone Engineering Design Project which builds on the outcomes of all courses to perform detailed design and cost estimates of the selected alternative solutions to a well-defined engineering problem. The two courses considered in this study are Building Electrical Circuits and Building Acoustics and Lighting. New assessment parameters which are the student course outcome satisfaction coefficient (SCOSC) and the mean absolute deviation around a central point (AMD) have been introduced in this paper. These two parameters are calculated based on the comparison of the students’ satisfaction results with both students’ opinions and insructors’ opinions, and compare the mean absolute deviations of the students’ direct results with the students’ opinions and the instructors’ opinions, respectively. Indeed, the course learning outcomes (CLOs) of the SR of some sections for both courses show higher attainment compared with the SO and IO.
Coupling Water Resources and Agricultural Practices for Sorghum in a Semiarid Environment

Water scarcity and changing rainfall distribution have caused uncertainties in relation to agricultural production in semiarid areas. In this context, water reuse for irrigation is a promising alternative, although requiring irrigation and agricultural management. Production of forage plants is strategic for semiarid areas due to their high tolerance to stresses and use as animal fodder. The objective of this work was to evaluate the combined performance of treated wastewater irrigation and mulching on forage sorghum and on soil attributes in Northeast Brazil. Sorghum was cropped in November 2018, three months before the beginning of the hydrologic year, and cultivated over three cycles until April 2019. The experiment was designed with five irrigation depths (60%, 80%, 100%, 120%, and 140% of crop evapotranspiration), and with four soil cover conditions (0% (witness), soil covered with native vegetation, with coconut coir, and with macerated moringa seeds), adopting four replications. Irrigation with treated wastewater promoted linear increases in forage sorghum yield at irrigation depths of up to 140% of crop evapotranspiration. Mulch promoted a 24% increase in productivity in relation to the area where conservation was not practiced, being able to control salinity while also contributing to the higher incorporation of organic matter. Irrigation with treated wastewater had no negative agronomic impacts on soil, once natural rainfall events typical of the Brazilian semiarid region allowed effective salt leaching from shallow sandy soils.
The crescent sign—a predictor of hip instability in magnetic resonance arthrography

ABSTRACT Currently, much is debated on the optimal treatment of borderline hips, being in the continuum between stable and unstable hips. The diagnosis of stability is often difficult but is a prerequisite for further treatment. Analysis includes a variety of radiographic parameters. We observed that unstable hips often had a crescent-like gadolinium collection in the postero-inferior joint space. We therefore questioned if the ‘crescent sign’ could be an indicator for hip instability? A retrospective comparative study was conducted including 56 hips in the instability group (treated with PAO) and 70 hips with femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) as control group. Based on standard radiographic parameters and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the association between hip instability and the ‘crescent sign’ was analyzed. For univariate group comparisons, the non-parametric Wilcoxon two sample test was used. Association between discrete variables was examined by means of chi-square tests. To examine predictive variables, logistic regression models were carried out. Most hips with a crescent sign belong to the instability group. A crescent sign has a sensitivity of 73.3% and specificity of 93% for instability. Based on our results, the crescent sign is a factor that is more prevalent in unstable hips. However, its absence does not exclude instability of the hip. If present, the specificity speaks strongly in favor for instability of the hip.
Ranking using PROMETHEE when weights and thresholds are imprecise: a data envelopment analysis approach

Abstract Multicriteria decision making (MCDM) provides tools for the decision makers (DM) to solve complex problems with multiple conflicting criteria. Scalarization of criteria values requires using weights for criteria. Determining weights creates controversy as they are influential on the final ranking and challenges the DM as they are hard to elicit. PROMETHEE method is widely used in MCDM for ranking the alternatives and appropriate in situations when there is limited information on the preference structure of the DM. The DM should provide exact values for parameters such as criteria weights and thresholds of preference functions. Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) is used for measuring the relative efficiency of alternatives in a non-parametric way without requiring any weight input. In this study, we propose two novel PROMETHEE based ranking approaches that address the determination of weight and threshold values by using an approach inspired by DEA. The first approach can deal with imprecise specification of criteria weights, and the second approach can utilize both imprecise weights and thresholds. The proposed approaches provide the DM substantial flexibility on the required level of information on those parameters. An illustrative example and a real-life case study are presented to show the utility of the proposed approaches.
Using Simulation to Develop Clinical Nursing Faculty Teaching of Ethics: A Pilot Project

Objective: The purpose of this study was to understand the experiences of clinical instructors participating in a simulated experience teaching ethics.Background: Teaching ethics is an essential role of the clinical instructor. Limited information exists to guide instructors in the teaching of ethics in clinical settings. Clinical nursing instructors are often hired based on their experience as clinicians and are underprepared to teach ethics to nursing students during clinical instruction.Methods: A qualitative descriptive interpretive approach was used to understand the experiences of clinical faculty who participated in simulation based learning activities that explored ways to include ethics in clinical teaching. A video, case studies, and role-playing provided an opportunity to practice responding to teaching challenges and explored strategies for guiding ethical learning in clinical teaching.Results: Participants realized that ethics could be integrated into clinical teaching and seeking out ethical discussions with students is as important as teaching other nursing skills.Conclusions: Using simulation based education is a means to prepare faculty to include ethics in clinical instruction.
Genetic diversity of improved genotypes of Tectona grandis in the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil

Teak (Tectona grandis) is a tree species native to South-east Asia and widely cultivated in Latin America. In Mato Grosso state, Brazil, teak is the second-most planted forest species due to its high productivity resulting from high adaptability to the soil and climate conditions of the region. However, there is little information about the genetic diversity of improved genotypes cultivated in the state. Thus, the objective of this study was to quantify, through ISSR (inter-simple sequence repeat) molecular markers, the genetic diversity of improved teak genotypes used in different plantations in Mato Grosso state. For this, 31 ISSR primers were tested on 113 genotypes separated into nine populations. Six primers were selected to perform the analyses, resulting in 55 amplified loci. All selected primers showed a high polymorphic information content. Considering all genotypes in the Mato Grosso population, the percentage of polymorphic loci (P) was 96.4%, the genetic diversity according to Nei՚s genetic diversity index (H) was 1.96, and according to Shannon՚s information/diversity index (I), it was 0.53. Considering each population individually, P varied from 50.9% to 90.9%, H from 0.21 to 0.33, and I from 0.30 to 0.49. Most of the genetic diversity observed was within populations (86%). Four genetic groups were identified, with a high level of admixture among them. The existence of a considerable genetic diversity within populations indicates the possibility of exploring this variation in genetic improvement programmes. However, the introduction of new genetic materials is recommended to increase the genetic base of this species in Brazil.
Uncertainty‐aware network alignment

Network alignment (NA) aims to link common nodes across multiple networks and is an essential task in many graph mining applications. Despite the progress achieved by many recent works, several fundamental limitations have eluded the proper cohesive way of addressing, including matching confusion, lack of the formal treatment of uncertainty, and Point‐to‐Point (P2P) constraint. This study proposes a novel framework UANA (Uncertainty‐Aware Network Alignment) to tackle the limitations of the existing works. By embedding nodes as Gaussian distributions rather than point vectors, UANA enables to capture the uncertainty of a node representation, while being able to discriminate the anchor nodes from the potentially confusing neighbors. We address the P2P matching constraint by introducing an adversarial learning paradigm, which relaxes the exact matching assumption during training with an across‐domain generative procedure to reduce the matching errors on testing nodes. In the end, interpretability methods are included to explain the aligning results made by our UANA based on the robust statistics, which enables the explanation of the effect of individual training sample on the NA performance without the need of retraining the model. Extensive experiments conducted on real‐world data sets demonstrate that UANA significantly outperforms existing state‐of‐the‐art baselines while providing explainable results.
Effect of pasture management on bioactive compounds of Lolium multiflorum and Avena strigosa for dairy cows and its effect on milk quality

ABSTRACT This study aimed to evaluate the effects of pasture management on bioactive compounds and its effects on milk quality. The total phenolic content in Avena strigosa and Lolium multiflorum was greater in the agroecological (AGR) compared to conventional (CON) management, and in the AGR was greater in two fixed cutting intervals. However, for plants collected at variable cutting intervals representing the farmer’s standard practices no differences were found. The milk produced in the CON showed the highest total carotenoids (winter and autumn), zeaxanthin (summer), and vitamin A (autumn) compared to AGR. Thus, pasture-based systems, when well managed, improve milk quality.