Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Spiking-GAN: A Spiking Generative Adversarial Network Using Time-To-First-Spike Coding

Spiking Neural Networks (SNNs) have shown great potential in solving deep learning problems in an energy-efficient manner. However, they are still limited to simple classification tasks. In this paper, we propose Spiking-GAN, the first spike-based Generative Adversarial Network (GAN). It employs a kind of temporal coding scheme called time-to-first-spike coding. We train it using approximate backpropagation in the temporal domain. We use simple integrate-and-fire (IF) neurons with very high refractory period for our network which ensures a maximum of one spike per neuron. This makes the model much sparser than a spike rate-based system. Our modified temporal loss function called ‘Aggressive TTFS’ improves the inference time of the network by over 33% and reduces the number of spikes in the network by more than 11% compared to previous works. Our experiments show that on training the network on the MNIST dataset using this approach, we can generate high quality samples with 57x lower energy consumption compared to ANN-based GANs. Thereby demonstrating the potential of this framework for solving such problems in the spiking domain.
SE-MD: A Single-encoder multiple-decoder deep network for point cloud generation from 2D images

3D model generation from single 2D RGB images is a challenging and actively researched computer vision task. Various techniques using conventional network architectures have been proposed for the same. However, the body of research work is limited and there are various issues like using inefficient 3D representation formats, weak 3D model generation backbones, inability to generate dense point clouds, dependence of post-processing for generation of dense point clouds, and dependence on silhouettes in RGB images. In this paper, a novel 2D RGB image to point cloud conversion technique is proposed, which improves the state of art in the field due to its efficient, robust and simple model by using the concept of parallelization in network architecture. It not only uses the efficient and rich 3D representation of point clouds, but also uses a novel and robust point cloud generation backbone in order to address the prevalent issues. This involves using a single-encoder multiple-decoder deep network architecture wherein each decoder generates certain fixed viewpoints. This is followed by fusing all the viewpoints to generate a dense point cloud. Various experiments are conducted on the technique and its performance is compared with those of other state of the art techniques and impressive gains in performance are demonstrated. Code is available at https://github.com/mueedhafiz1982/
Suffer to Survive: The Indonesian Illegal Workers Experiences in Malaysia and Japan

This article departs from the reality that many Indonesian workers have been sentenced to the court and charged under the immigration act due to illegal work and overstay. Subsequently, Malaysian government, for instance, has made some arrests and mass-deportation, while all illegal workers were prosecuted and sentenced before their deportation. In other words, the illegal worker in Malaysia especially from Indonesia were arrested and treated as a criminal. Interestingly International Organization for Migration (IOM) listed Malaysia as one of the dangerous places for migrant workers. In contrast to this, Japan is one of the country with lowest risk of forced labour. This article urges readers to engage in a reflection on the trend and dynamics of the Indonesian illegal workers in Malaysia and Japan, while the Indonesian government incessantly take advantages from their large remittance. This is a qualitative research supplemented by semi-structured interviews with some key respondents especially who have experiences and expertise on Indonesian illegal workers. Systematically, the discussion of this article is divided into five sections, namely, history of Indonesian migrant workers, Indonesian illegal workers in Malaysia, Indonesian illegal workers in Japan, the struggles and conclusion. The gained empirical data revealed that Indonesian workers have their own perspectives and reasons pertaining the illegal workers’ issues.
Identifying Atypical Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Using CD200 by Eight-Color Flow Cytometry

Objective: Flow cytometric immunophenotyping is routinely employed to differentiate between chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and mantle cell lymphoma (MCL). We investigated the role of cluster of differentiation 200 (CD200) in atypical CLL. Materials and Methods: A total of 90 chronic lymphocytic leukemia cases between January 2018 and December 2019, thirteen (14.4%) out of which were diagnosed as atypical CLL were included in the study. The expression of CD200 using eight-color flow cytometry in combination with the conventional panel of flow cytometry markers was examined. Fluorescence in situ hybridization to search for the t(11:14) chromosomal translocation was done to rule out MCL. Results: All 13 (100%) cases of atypical CLL were positive for CD200 and negative for t (11:14). Conclusion: CD200 is considered a useful marker in differentiating between atypical CLL and MCL. It is recommended to be included in the routine investigation of all CLL cases.
The physiological role of leptin for anthropometrical changes in pregnancy

Leptin is a small, hormone-like protein which is produced primarily by adipocytes and in smaller amounts in some other peripheral organs. This hormone participates in many human physiological processes. It also causes changes in the energy uptake and expenditure that influence body weight. Alterations in leptin concentrations were observed to increase within the period of pregnancy when anthropometrical and metabolic alterations take place. The overall aim of the study was to evaluate changes of leptin levels in pregnancy and to evaluate association of these changes to anthropometrical parameters of pregnant women. We measured serum leptin levels in 67 pregnant women at 7–40 weeks of pregnancy and in 30 women during delivery by specific RIA methods. Anthropometrical examination included the following parameters: height, weight, BMI (kg/m2), thickness of skin folds, sizes of body. Relative and absolute amounts of body fats were also assessed by means of the bioelectrical impedance method and according to the Siri formula. The statistical reliability was provided. Total leptin levels rise from the beginning of pregnancy till the beginning of the 3rd trimester (26.8 ± 2.0 ng/ml to 34.1 ± 2.0 ng/ml). The highest level of leptin was found in the 2nd trimester (37.1 ± 2.3 ng/ml). During delivery leptin level was lower that during the 1st trimester; the average value was 22.23 ± 3.25 ng/ml. We found the most pronounced anthropometrical changes in the 2nd trimester of pregnancy. There was a significant (p < 0.001) correlation between maternal adipose tissue, weight, body sizes and serum leptin concentration (ng/ml). During pregnancy leptin manifested itself in a feminine type of body composition: the largest accumulation of adipose tissue was found in the regions of the hip and the thigh. The anthropometry of women was significantly associated with leptin. These associations are necessary for modification of maternal homeostasis to provide nutritional support for the developing foetus and preparation for lactation following delivery.
Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Based on Quinoxaline Dyes: Effect of π-Linker on Absorption, Energy Levels, and Photovoltaic Performances

Quinoxaline derivatives show great potential in recent organic photovoltaics, not only as polymer acceptors for bulk heterojuction (BHJ) solar cells but also as molecular sensitizers for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). This work focuses on the effect of π-linkers on photovoltatic performances of D–A−π–A quinoxaline-based sensitizers used for DSSCs. The extension of π-linkers is one of the viable tactics to improve the molar absorption coefficient and red-shift the absorption peak, which is beneficial to light harvesting. With respect to IQ4, a series of quinoxaline sensitizers IQ6, IQ7, and IQ8 were synthesized on the basis of a promising building block of 2,3-diphenylquinoxaline with π-linker modification. Dye IQ8, with an additional thienyl unit near the anchor group, shows little change in absorption spectra and energy levels, while in IQ6 and IQ7, the additional thienyl group close to the donor group obviously red-shifts the absorption band and positively shifts the HOMO levels. In the series of s.
A STUDY ON DEVELOPING ATTITUDE SCALE TOWARDS MATHEMATICS COURSE SUPPORTED BY HISTORY OF MATHEMATICS

ÖZ: Bu çalışmanın amacı ortaokul öğrencilerinin matematik tarihi destekli matematik derslerine yönelik tutumlarını ölçmek amacıyla bir ölçeğin geliştirilmesidir. Bu doğrultuda De Vellis’in (2016) ölçek geliştirme süreçleri takip edilmiştir. Öncelikle literatürdeki ilgili ölçekler incelenmiş ve 69 maddelik taslak ölçek oluşturulmuştur. Kapsam geçerliliğinin sağlanması amacıyla taslak ölçek 5 alan uzmanı, 3 ölçme değerlendirme uzmanı ve 1 dil uzmanı tarafından incelenmiş ve öneriler doğrultusunda araştırmacı tarafından düzeltmeler yapılmıştır. Oluşturulan taslak ölçek Bolu ilinde farklı iki devlet okulunda yer alan 405 ortaokul öğrencisine uygulanmıştır. Elde edilen verilere sırasıyla açımlayıcı (AFA) ve doğrulayıcı faktör analizi (DFA) uygulanmıştır. AFA sonrasında 33 maddeden oluşan 3 faktörlü bir yapı oluşmuştur. Bu faktörler ise sırasıyla matematik tarihi destekli matematik derslerine yönelik önem, ilgi ve korku olarak adlandırılmıştır. Doğrulayıcı faktör analizi sonrasında modelin mükemmel veya kabul edilebilir (χ2/df=1.63, RMSEA=.04, SRMR=.04 GFI=.90, AGFI=.88, CFI=.95) düzeyde olduğu belirlenmiştir. Doğrulayıcı faktör analizinin, açımlayıcı faktör analizi ile tutarlı olduğu bu ölçeğin iç güvenirlik katsayısı, ölçeğin bütünü için . 95, önem faktörü için . 94, ilgi faktörü için . 89 ve korku faktörü için . 83 olarak bulunmuştur.
EVALUATION OF THE CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF AJUGA CHAMAEPITYS (L.) SCHREB. FROM THE SPONTANEOUS FLORA OF ROMANIA

Ajuga chamaepitys (L.) Schreb. , traditionally named yellow bugle, is a perennial species that is part of the Dobrogea region, Romania, spontaneous flora, associated in traditional phytotherapy. The aim of this study was to determine the qualitative and quantitative chemical composition of different types of plant organs (aerial parts, leaves, flowers, stems and roots), as well as the optimal harvesting interval. Thus, higher levels in the flavones, phenolic acids and total polyphenols content were recorded in the plant’s flowers, our analysis yielding 7.1501 g flavonoid content (expressed as rutin equivalents)/100 g dry herbal product, 1.5751 g phenolic acids content (expressed as chlorogenic acid equivalents)/100 g dry herbal product, respectively 5.706 g total phenolic content (expressed as tannic acid equivalents)/100 g dry herbal product.
Histopathological Changes In Placentas Due To Pregnancy-Induced Hypertension And Gestational Diabetes Compared With Normal Term Placenta

Hypertension is the most commonly known problem of restoration during pregnancy, with up to 10% of pregnancies confused. Gestational diabetes mellitus is described as the occurrence or for the first time in pregnancy of a change in glucose levels to varying degrees. There are medical problems when diabetics and hypertension worsen pregnancy and affect maternal health. Objectives: Analysis of unexplained placenta changes in patients with concomitant hypertension and gestational diabetes caused by pregnancy. Materials and Methods: This study included forty placentas, twenty were collected from uncomplicated normotensive pregnant ladies, and the rest (20 placentas) were collected from ladies with concomitant gestational diabetes and pregnancy-induced hypertension. Histological sections were prepared using routine haemotoxyline and eosin staining. Results: The histomorphological study of placenta of patients with concomitant hypertension and diabetes mellitus showed a significant number of syncytial knots, stromal fibrosis, and the number of capillaries in terminal villi in Medium-sized diffusion areas of the vascular median cover. Conclusion: Placenta examination is very important for the diagnosis of various pathological conditions, mechanisms are still far from well understood, but there is a common consensus that the pathological level depends on the type of diabetes and hypertension during pregnancy. This study provides an opinion of previous studies with a great association placental changes in patients with concomitant pregnancy-induced hypertension and diabetes. The clinical appearance and the magnitude of placental pathological changes were strongly associated. There is a wide range of microscopical changes noted as increased the numbers of the syncytial ganglia, fibrosis and the number of capillaries in the peripheral appendages
A Dependency Detection Method for Sensor-based Fault Detection

In Sensor-based Fault Detection and Diagnosis (SFDD) methods, spatial and temporal dependencies among the sensor signals can be modeled to detect faults in the sensors, if the deﬁned dependencies change over time. In this work, we model Granger causal relationships between pairs of sensor data streams to detect changes in their dependencies. We compare the method on simulated signals with the Pearson correlation, and show that the method elegantly handles noise and lags in the signals and provides appreciable dependency detection. We further evaluate the method using sensor data from a mobile robot by injecting both internal and external faults during operation of the robot. The results show that the method is able to detect changes in the system when faults are injected, but is also prone to detecting false positives. This suggests that this method can be used as a weak detection of faults, but other meth-ods, such as the use of a structural model, are required to reliably detect and diagnose faults.
Accelerating ptychographic reconstructions using spectral initializations: supplement

LORENZO VALZANIA,1,2,†,∗ JONATHAN DONG,1,3,† AND SYLVAIN GIGAN1 1Laboratoire Kastler Brossel, École Normale Supérieure – Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL) Research University, Sorbonne Université, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) UMR 8552, Collège de France, 24 rue Lhomond, 75005 Paris, France 2Laboratory for Transport at Nanoscale Interfaces, Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, 129 Uberlandstrasse, Dubendorf 8600, Switzerland 3Laboratoire de Physique de l’École Normale Supérieure – Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL) Research University, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Université de Paris, 24 rue Lhomond, 75005 Paris, France ∗Corresponding author: lorenzo.valzania@lkb.ens. fr †These authors contributed equally to this Letter.
The FireLoc Project: Identification, Positioning and Monitoring Forest Fires with Crowdsourced Data

The severity and impacts of forest fires have increased in the last years in several parts of the world, where devastating fires occur now almost every year. As these types of events are likely to increase due to climate changes, it is important to develop tools to assist authorities in the early identification and geolocation of ignitions so that they can be tackled as fast as possible. Several types of systems are currently being used, and others are under development, to automatically detect fires, based on, for example, thermal cameras and observation points; even so, the more systems available to detect these events and identify their location at an early stage, the better. This fact motivated the FireLoc project, currently under implementation, which aims to develop a system that will enable citizens to provide georeferenced data allowing the detection and geolocation of spotted fires in real time. The FireLoc system includes a dedicated app that enables citizens to report a spotted fire using their own smartphones. The app automatically collects the observer’s geolocation, a photograph of what is being observed, the orientation, and the approximate distance between the observer and the observed event. The FireLoc system stores reported data and includes functionalities for their validation, for data integration and processing to identify the location of spotted fires, as well as visualization of extracted information for several types of users, such as authorities and citizens. This paper presents the various components of the FireLoc project, the main challenges that are faced to obtain reliable geolocation of the observed events, and the results obtained with the first sets of collected data.
CYTOCHROME B GENE AS A PHYLOGENETIC MARKER IN ESTIMATING MOLECULAR PHYLOGENY OF STINK BUGS (HEMIPTERA: PENTATOMIDAE) IN INDIA

In the present study, a partial sequence of 440 bp of Cyt b gene were subjected to phylogenetic analysis to understand the intrageneric, interspecific and intraspecific variations in nine species of stink bugs of family Pentatomidae. The final aligned data pertained to 18 Cyt b sequences of 440 bp representing 10 species and 5 genera. Sequence of Aeschyntelus notatus, belonging to family Rhopalidae, was included in the analysis as the out-group taxon. The intraspecific divergence ranged from 0.2 to 7.2% whilst interspecific divergence ranged from 3.8 to 10.3% and intergeneric distance ranged from 12.1 to 20.2%The pairwise genetic distances were calculated and phylograms were constructed using Maximum Likelihood, Maximum Parsimony, and Neighbour-Joining methods. The database analysis showed hierarchical increase in percentage divergence across different taxonomic levels and revealed a clear pattern of increased nucleotide diversity from conspecific to congeneric to intra subfamily level using Cyt b gene fragment.
Nonlinear Dynamic Performance of a Bolt-Disc Rotor with the Position Error of Circumferential Bolt-Holes

The bolt-holes in the assembly discs are designed to limit the circumferential displacement of bolts for the bolt-disc rotor. The position error of circumferential bolt-holes is created in a three-dimensional model of bolt-disc rotor. The distribution of nonuniform stress and deformation is acquired according to finite element approach. Static results demonstrate that the position error of bolt-holes leads to obvious concomitant unbalances including constant mass eccentricity and speed-variant bending under the influence of large tightening force. When these unbalance factors are taken into consideration, dynamic performance such as instability areas and nonlinear motions are analyzed by Newton iterative process and a prediction-correction calculation method. Dynamic results show that rotor flexure enables the systematic stability decreased obviously because of this position error. There is a special phenomenon compared to monobloc rotor that the vibration amplitude proceeds to rise when rotating speed exceeds the critical speed. Moreover, the allowable position error of bolt-holes is obviously smaller than that of monobloc rotor and uneven tightening is a feasible way to reduce adverse effects on the dynamic properties when position error appears. This work proposes a static-dynamic approach to investigate the dynamics of imprecise bolt-disc rotor and establishes the relationship between machining error and dynamic features.
Confirmed and Death Cases of COVID-19: Which is Informative in Explaining the Returns and Volatilities of Saudi Stock Market Indices ?

Monia Ben Ltaifaa, Abdelkader Derbalib, aDepartment of Administrative and Financial Program, College of Community in Abqaiq, King Faisal University, P.O Box: 380, Al-Ahsa, 31982, Saudi Arabia. bDepartment of Finance and Accounting, Higher Institute of Informatics and Management of Kairouan, Kairouan University, Kairouan, Tunisia and Department of Administrative and Financial Sciences and Techniques, Community College, Taibah University, Medinah, Saudi Arabia. Email: ambenltaifa@kfu.edu. sa, baderbali@taibahu.edu. sa
A Case Study of an 87-Year-Old Male Bodybuilder with Complex Health Conditions

This exploratory clinical case report presents an 87-year-old man who began bodybuilding at the age of 76 years and was officially recognised as the world’s oldest competitive bodybuilder, competing until age 83. He has a background of complex health conditions including polio, strokes, cardiac arrest, atrial fibrillation, prostate disease, osteoarthritis, depression, bowel obstruction, reflux, and bladder cancer. Assessments of body composition, bone density, muscle performance, and diet-related practices were performed. The bodybuilder had superior fat-free mass, lower fat mass, and generally greater muscle performance compared to untrained healthy males of a similar age. Commencement of bodybuilding in older age appears to be possible, even with ongoing complex health conditions, and the potential benefits of this practice require systematic investigation in the future.
The relationship between digital ultrasonographic image echotexture parameters of the uterus and preovulatory follicle development and ovulation in purebred Arabian mares

Objective assessment of ultrasonographic images is only possible using computer-assisted echotexture analysis. This study investigated the relationship between cyclic digital echotexture analysis of ultrasonographic uterine images, and preovulatory follicle development and ovulation in 48 cyclic purebred Arabian mares during the breeding season. When the mares’ ovarian follicle diameters exceeded 30 mm, ultrasonographic examinations were performed and ultrasonographic images recorded with uterine endometrial edema degrees following follicle development until ovulation day. Echotexture measurements, including mean grayness value (MGV), heterogeneity (HET) and contrast (CON) parameters, were performed on the days when ovarian follicle diameters reached 30 mm (Group 1, n = 12), 35 mm (Group 2, n = 12), 40 mm (Group 3, n = 12) and 45 mm (Group 4, n = 12) in images recorded the day before ovulation and on the day of ovulation. MGV was the lowest in Group 2 and the difference from the other groups was statistically significant (P<0.001). CON was significantly higher in Group 2 than Groups 3 and 4 (P<0.01). However, there was no significant difference compared to Group 1 (P>0.05). Variations in HOM (P<0.05), contrast (P<0.05) and MGV (P<0.01) were statistically significant on the day before ovulation and ovulation day. Thus, uterine ultrasonographic echotexture parameters are associated with preovulatory follicle development in mares, which suggests that these parameters can indicate the day of ovulation in purebred Arabian mares.
What Does Ridesharing Replace?

Ridesharing services such as Uber and Lyft are increasingly popular with many travelers. Yet little is known about the effects of this mode on travel behavior and other social effects, such as public transit use, traffic, and pollution. In this paper, we estimate the effects of the availability of ridesharing on travel mode choices in a large sample of metropolitan areas. We do so by estimating a discrete choice model of household mode choice using nationally representative data on travel behavior and simulating household mode choices in a setting where ridesharing was not available. We find that a majority of travelers would have used a car or taxi or walked had ridesharing not been available. In some large cities, however, ridesharing displaces a significant portion of public transit trips. We find that the availability of ridesharing has led to modest increases in total vehicle miles traveled and greenhouse gas emissions. Moreover, the effects of ridesharing could be heterogeneous across cities because of the differences in each city’s drivability and public transit use.