Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The generalized two-photon excitation cross-section of Xe revisited

Two-photon absorption laser-induced fluorescence (TALIF) is a technique commonly used for density and/or temperature diagnostics, mainly of oxygen atoms, in flames and plasmas. Usually, density measure-ments are based on the comparison with the signal obtained, at a similar wavelength, in pure xenon. The cross-section of xenon thus appears a key parameter, the measure of which has not been consolidated by independent measurements. The present experiment is a direct measurement of this two-photon cross-section.
Automatic detection of COVID-19 infection using chest X-ray images through transfer learning

The new coronavirus ( COVID-19 ) , declared by the World Health Organization as a pandemic, has infected more than 1 million people and killed more than 50 thousand. An infection caused by COVID-19 can develop into pneumonia, which can be detected by a chest X-ray exam and should be treated appropriately. In this work, we propose an automatic detection method for COVID-19 infection based on chest X-ray images. The datasets constructed for this study are composed of 194 X-ray images of patients diagnosed with coronavirus and 194 X-ray images of healthy patients. Since few images of patients with COVID-19 are publicly available, we apply the concept of transfer learning for this task. We use different architectures of convolutional neural networks ( CNNs ) trained on ImageNet, and adapt them to behave as feature extractors for the X-ray images. Then, the CNNs are combined with consolidated machine learning methods, such as k-Nearest Neighbor, Bayes, Random Forest, multilayer perceptron ( MLP ) , and support vector machine ( SVM ) . The results show that, for one of the datasets, the extractor-classifier pair with the best performance is the MobileNet architecture with the SVM classifier using a linear kernel, which achieves an accuracy and an F1-score of 98.5 & . For the other dataset, the best pair is DenseNet201 with MLP, achieving an accuracy and an F1-score of 95.6 & . Thus, the proposed approach demonstrates efficiency in detecting COVID-19 in X-ray images.
Diversity and antimicrobial activity of culturable endophytic actinobacteria associated with Acanthaceae plants

In this study, a total of 52 endophytic actinobacteria were isolated from 6 species of Acanthaceae plants collected in Thailand. Most actinobacteria were obtained from the root part. Based on 16S rRNA gene analysis and phylogenetic tree, these actinobacteria were classified into 4 families (Nocardiaceae, Micromonosporaceae, Streptosporangiaceae and Streptomycetaceae) and 6 genera including Actinomycetospora (1 isolate), Dactylosporangium (1 isolate), Nocardia (3 isolates), Microbispora (5 isolates), Micromonospora (10 isolates) and Streptomyces (32 isolates). The result of antimicrobial activity screening indicated that 8 isolates, including 1 Actinomycetospora and 7 Streptomyces, exhibited antimicrobial activity against tested microorganisms. In addition, the selected Streptomyces sp. 5R010 showed antagonistic activity against fungal plant pathogens including Fusarium sp. , Colletotrichum sp. and Sclerotium sp. Therefore, this study demonstrated that the Acanthaceae plant species harbored the endophytic actinobacteria which can be used as the source of the antimicrobial compound.
Analysis of the Scale of Impairment to the Application of Social Technology

Angela S. de Oliveira1 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0347-6325 Vinícius do C. O. de Lemos2 https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4581-903 Clarissa P. P. de Freitas1,3 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2274-8728 Luciana Mourão1,4 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8230-3763 Michele Poletto5 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5915-8406 Ana Paula L. de Souza6 https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5354-4886 Sílvia Helena Koller7 https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9109-667
Development of a Quick Speech-in-Noise Test in “Rioplatense” Spanish, Based on Quick -SIN®

Introduction: The efferent auditory system is important for localization of sound source, auditory attention, protection of cochlea and speech perception. Aim of the study: The present study attempted to find out the effect of different visual attention on efferent auditory system. Subjects: Twenty young normal hearing adults were (Age range 18-35, Male-10, Female-10) participated in this study. Methodology: Baseline DPOAE was recorded in all individuals. CS-DPOAE was recorded with 50 dB contra lateral white noise in three different visual conditions such as active attention, passive attention and closed eyes. The visual attention stimulus was delivered through brain workshop software. Amount of suppression values was compared among three different conditions across all the frequencies. Results: Result of higher amount of suppression in all the frequencies in active visual attention indicates higher efferent system activity than other two conditions. Conclusion: We conclude that the efferent system activity was higher during active visual attention so clinical CSOAE recording in closed conditions eliminate these attention effects. Keywords: Visual Attention; Efferent Auditory System; Oto-Acoustic Emission (OAE); Contralateral Suppression of Oto-Acoustic Emission(CSOAE); Distortion Product Oto-Acoustic Emission (DPOAE).
Operating State Reconstruction in Cyber Physical Smart Grid for Automatic Attack Filtering

Eliminating the erroneous state bias from cyberattack is essential to ensure the real-time control and secure operation of the smart grid, especially when cyberattack flourishes in recent years. For this reason, this article, for the first time, proposes a new operating state reconstruction scheme to automatically filter out possible cyberattacks in smart grid. This scheme consists of an attack separation method, a state forecasting algorithm, and a state recovery approach. Based on P-Q decomposition, the attack separation method takes into account the network parameter perturbations and prediction uncertainties to analytically estimate the regular deviation of each state, thereby identifying potential abnormal states. Then, a particle filtering-based state forecasting algorithm is developed to evaluate the original operating level of the detected contaminated states. Finally, we propose a fast bilinear state recovery approach to mitigate the smearing effect of undetected contaminated states due to cyberattacks. The proposed state reconstruction method can not only detect cyberattacks but also realize automatic correction of the erroneous states, thus mitigating the devastating impact of attack on smart grids. The feasibility and effectiveness of our reconstruction scheme are extensively validated on IEEE standard 9-, 14-, 30-, 57- and 118-bus power systems. The obtained results show that the proposed scheme exhibits strong robustness, high stability, and promising performance for automatic attack filtering, indicating a great potential for implementations in deep cyber-penetrated smart grids.
Essays in open economy macroeconomics : technological gaps, income distribution and the balance of payments constraint

This thesis contains four chapters. In the first chapter, I provide a structured survey of balance of payments (BP) constrained growth models. Unlike other surveys, this chapter reviews the various mechanisms of relative price adjustments, undertakes a comprehensive review of capital flows and surveys the literature on endogenous trade elasticities. The second chapter contributes to the literature on technological gaps and BP constrained growth by developing a theoretical framework to account for the ambiguous effects of capital inflows on shortand medium-run growth. The model shows that when a technological gap exists between two countries in an Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) and it exceeds a critical threshold, capital flows toward the technological laggard deteriorate its production structure and reduce its BP constrained growth rate. Several conclusions are derived. The size of the technological gap and demand-regimes are consequential for relative economic performance and regional cohesion. Capital flows within a community can produce both convergence and divergence effects. Finally, if political consensus is lacking at the regional level as to the design framework for a Fiscal Union, then the principal convergence criteria must include demand-regimes and the size of the technological gap. The third chapter endogenizes the trade elasticities as a an ambiguous function of the wage share but a positive function of the inverted technological gap. When the laggard economy has a small capital goods producing sector, high inequality and conspicuous consumption, a tradeoff emerges between distribution and technological convergence. However, the tradeoff becomes less binding if an EMU provides for investments in technological innovation and emulation that assist the catching-up process. The fourth chapter incorporates the monetary economy into a three-incomes post-Kaleckian model. It demonstrates how a devaluation can induce contractionary effects by lowering the profit share and raising the loan rate. These results are driven by oligopolistic bankers who exercise market power in the bond and loan markets. Moreover, the chapter demonstrates that monetary policy increases bankers’ rent share, which lowers the rate of firm-level innovation. These results imply that the effects of a devaluation depend on the degree of competition in the banking sector, the size of banks’ foreign assets- and loan-capital ratios and whether or not the economy is in a regime of excess reserves.
A Process to Reduce the Electromagnetic Vibration by Reducing the Spatial Harmonics of Air Gap Magnetic Flux Density

In this article, a process for reducing the electromagnetic vibration and noise by changing the shape of the stator is presented. Although the fundamental wave of the air gap magnetic flux density contributes to the average torque of the motor, other spatial harmonics which were except the fundamental wave of that cause vibration and enfeeble the output of the motor. Therefore, it is important to reduce the spatial harmonics for performance of the motor. Through the proposed process, it is possible to obtain an objective function to reduce the specific harmonics by assigning weights to each spatial harmonic. The reduction in the fundamental wave is minimized and it is possible to reduce the spatial harmonics that have an adverse impact on vibration. After the process, a model can be found that maintains the electromagnetic performance as much as possible while optimally reducing the vibration. To verify the process, the electromagnetic vibrations by a radial force of the proposed and conventional models were compared, and it was confirmed that the electromagnetic vibration of the proposed model was reduced. The validity of the analysis was proved through finite-element analysis.
On Conceptualizing a Framework for Sensor Fusion in Continuous-Time Simultaneous Localization And Mapping

Within recent years, Continuous-Time Simultaneous Localization And Mapping (CTSLAM) formalisms have become subject to increased attention from the scientiﬁc community due to their vast potential in facilitating motion-corrected feature reprojection and direct unsynchronized multi-rate sensor fusion. They also hold the promise of yielding better estimates in traditional sensor setups (e.g. visual, inertial) when compared to conventional discrete-time approaches. Related works mostly rely on cubic, C 2 -continuous, uniform cumulative B-Splines to exemplify and demonstrate the beneﬁts inherent to continuous-time representations. However, as this type of splines gives rise to continuous trajectories by blending uniformly distributed SE 3 transformations in time, it is prone to under-or overparametrize underlying motions with varying volatility and prohibits dynamic trajectory reﬁnement or sparsiﬁcation by design. In light of this, we propose employing a more generalized and efﬁcient non-uniform split interpolation method in R × SU 2 × R 3 and commence with development of ‘HyperSLAM’, a generic and modular CTSLAM framework. The efﬁcacy of our approach is exempliﬁed in proof-of-concept simulations based on a visual, monocular setup.
Air Pollution and Criminal Activity: Microgeographic Evidence from Chicago

A growing literature documents that air pollution adversely impacts health, productivity, and cognition. This paper provides the first evidence of a causal link between air pollution and aggressive behavior, as documented by violent crime. Using the geolocation of crimes in Chicago from 2001–2012, we compare crime upwind and downwind of major highways on days when wind blows orthogonally to the road. Consistent with research linking pollution to aggression, we find that air pollution increases violent crime on the downwind sides of interstates. Our results suggest that pollution may reduce welfare and affect behavior through a wider set of channels than previously considered. (JEL K42, Q53)
DETECTION OF A NEGATIVE BIOMARKER FOR AMEBIASIS (ENTAMOEBA HISTOLYTICA) IN THE HUMAN GUT MYCOBIOME

Amebiasis caused by Entamoeba histolytica parasite is among the worst gut diseases worldwide. The study involved detection of gut mycobiome signature of the infected subjects in a trial to improve ability to diagnose and treat this disease. The results indicated that diversity of samples slightly changed due to infection. Dendrogram indicated that the most common phyla in the human gut are Ascomycota, Basidiomycota and Zygomycota. Species Pichia kudriavzevii, Candida glabrata, Saccharomyces cerevisiae of phylum Ascomycota and Rhodotorula mucilaginosa of phylum Basidiomycota were found highly OTU abundant. Weighted unifrac diversity distances resulted in complete separation of the two groups. Differential abundance analysis indicated that four phyla, six families, nine genera and ten species showed considerable changes in gut mycobiome signatures within and among groups. Unclassified species of genus Malassezia (phylum Basidiomycota) showed high abundance in infected subjects as compared to healthy subjects, while families Saccharomycetaceae and Trichocomaceae, genus Saccharomyces and species S. cerevisiae showed opposite results. Linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEFSE) indicated that family Saccharomycetaceae, of which S. cerevisiae is a downstream taxon, can be a negative biomarker for amebiasis. In conclusion, the study provides new insights into possible use of Saccharomyces as a probiotic against amebiasis.
Technology Trends in School Counseling.

In this follow-up study, 973 members of the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) were surveyed regarding their use of technology in day-to-day counseling activities. School counselor use of technology for student planning purposes has increased over time, while its use in responsive services has not changed significantly. Counselors now answer email and respond to non-urgent messages outside of work hours less frequently. The authors discuss implications for the future role of technology in school counseling.
Non-isothermal reaction of iron ore-coal mixtures

Extensive work is reported in literature on the reduction of iron oxides with carbonaceous reductants. Most of this work considered isothermal reaction of the material mixture, although as shown in some studies, isothermal reaction conditions are not often the norm because of sample size and heating arrangement in the experiment. In industrial processes, such as the rotary hearth type processes and the IFCON process for iron ore reduction, the norm is non-isothermal reaction. Simulation of industrial processes should take non-isothermal reaction into account if the heat transfer effects within the process are to be investigated. To avoid the complications of coal volatiles in the experimental set-up, few studies were done with coal as reductant. The primary aim of the work presented here is to quantify radiation heat transfer to the surface of an iron ore and coal mixture heated uni-directionally from the sample surface to show the importance of heat transfer in the IFCON process. Secondary aim of this work are to show the effects of layer thickness, coal volatiles, phase chemistry and particle size in this reaction system. The experimental set-up consists of a tube furnace modified to transport the sample into and out of the experimental tube furnace heating zone under a protected atmosphere, whilst the product gas is analysed throughout the experiment by quadropole mass spectrometer. The sample surface temperature, heating zone temperatures and material bed temperatures were measured throughout the experiment. A sample cutter-splitter was developed to divide the reacted sample into three horizontal segments for chemical analyses. The sample surface temperature and the heating zone temperatures were used as inputs to a radiation network calculation to quantify radiation heat transferred to the sample surface. The radiation network calculation was calibrated against heat-mass balance calculations for pre-reduced ore and graphite samples reacted at furnace temperatures of 1300, 1400 and 1500°C. The results show that radiative and conduction heat transfer control prevails for 16 mm to 40 mm material layers heated uni-directionally from the material layer surface. It is shown that coal volatiles contribute to reduction in the stagnant material layer. Also, smaller particle sizes result in increased reaction rates because of a decrease in the diffusion limited effects which were seen in reaction of the base size of coal and ore particles.
Garças Reservoir trophic state dynamics: a 20-year synthesis

1. Instituto de Botânica, Núcleo de Pesquisa em Ecologia, Avenida Miguel Estéfano 3687, 04301-012 São Paulo, SP, Brasil 2. Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Instituto de Biociências, Departamento de Ecologia, Avenida Bento Gonçalves 9.500, 91549-000 Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil 3. Corresponding author: denisecbicudo@gmail.com ABSTRACT (Garças Reservoir trophic state dynamics: a 20-year synthesis). The Garças Reservoir history reveals a remarkable case of human impacts resulting from the urbanization pressure over the 20th century. It is a shallow tropical system located in the Parque Estadual das Fontes do Ipiranga, a protected area within the city of São Paulo, São Paulo State, Brazil. Based on a comprehensive dataset (1997-2017), we evaluated the water quality temporal change using a trophic state index (TSI); in addition, we also verified whether the management procedures improved the water quality. Mechanical removal of macrophytes (1999) triggered an abrupt change from eutrophic-supereutrophic to the hypereutrophic state with feedback mechanisms. After five years (2005), a slowdown in the internal P loading process occurred, followed by the installation of the secondary wastewater treatment in the city zoo two years later (2007). Both processes promoted the beginning of water quality improvement. In 2011, TSI first dropped to supereutrophic state with the temporary diversion of the sewage effluent from the São Paulo State Department of Agriculture. This effluent was finally inactivated (2014) and the system sustained the supereutrophic state. TSI responded well to the historical key events related to the control of sewage effluents. After 11 years from the permanent impact of macrophytes removal, current results have demonstrated improved health of the system. It is absolutely necessary to improve the sewage treatment from the city zoo to continue the reservoir recovery considering that since 2014 it has been the only external phosphorous loading to Garças Reservoir. The history of Garças Reservoir can offer a better understanding of wrong management strategies and the vulnerability of tropical shallow systems to eutrophication.
Nutritional intervention and functional exercises improve depression, loneliness and quality of life in elderly women with sarcopenia: a randomized clinical trial

Abstract Introduction: Loneliness interferes with the eating habits and functionality of the elderly, compromising their quality of life. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of eating and performing functional group-based exercises on depressive symptoms, loneliness and quality of life in patients with sarcopenia treated at a public health service. Method: This is a randomized clinical trial with a convenience sample of elderly women with sarcopenia according to the European Work Group of Sarcopenia on Older People (EWGSOP), divided into three groups of 20 subjects each: a control group (CG), functional exercise group (FEG), monitored using the Home-based Older People’s Exercise (HOPE) program, and functional exercise and nutritional intervention group (NIG), which in addition to HOPE, received pre-training fruit juice (fast-absorbing carbohydrates) and post-training banana smoothie reinforced with peanut (leucine). These groups met twice a week for 12 weeks, the control group (CG) received health guidance at weekly meetings for 12 weeks. The results of the interventions were analyzed using the geriatric depression scale and UCLA loneliness scale, and quality of life using the EQ-5D. Results: Significant post-intervention differences were observed in the NIG group in depressive (p=0.008) and loneliness symptoms (0.04) and quality of life (0.009), demonstrating the effects of group exercise and eating as a social activity. Conclusion: Nutritional intervention and functional group-based exercises were effective at minimizing depressive symptoms, social isolation, and improving the quality of life of elderly women with sarcopenia.
Adaptive PI Control for Synchronization of Complex Networks With Stochastic Coupling and Nonlinear Dynamics

In the paper, synchronization of nonlinear dynamical complex networks with stochastic coupling under adaptive PI control is considered. In light of the relative states information of the network nodes, node- and edge-based adaptive PI synchronization protocols are proposed and several sufficient conditions are derived. By employing stochastic analysis techniques combined with a version of the LaSalle’s invariant principles applied to stochastic process and Lyapunov function approaches, synchronization of complex networks with nonlinear dynamics and stochastic coupling reaches in mean square via these two types of adaptive PI control protocols are proved. The proposed adaptive PI control protocols for synchronization of complex dynamical networks are useful for future realistic engineering systems design. Numerical examples are finally simulated to validate the theoretical analysis.
Hydroxychloroquine for the Treatment of Coronavirus Disease 2019: Evidence, Possible Mode of Action and Industrial Supply

Hydroxychloroquine, a known antiviral metabolite of chloroquine, is increasingly used along with antibiotic azithromycin for the treatment of COVID-19 infection. In about one month, India, the world‘s largest manufacturer, delivered the pharmaceutical ingredient for treating COVID-19 to over 50 countries. Coupled to azithromycin, the therapy is being used across the world both for patients staying at home at the early phase of symptoms, as well as for patients hospitalized. We summarize achievements as of late April 2020, review possible modes of action and suggest avenues for the quick scale-up of production of hydroxychloroquine.