Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Design space exploration of Convolutional Neural Networks based on Evolutionary Algorithms

This paper proposes a framework for design space exploration of Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) using Genetic Algorithms (GAs). CNNs have many hyperparameters that need to be tuned carefully in order to achieve favorable results when used for image classification tasks or similar vision applications. Genetic Algorithms are adopted to efficiently traverse the huge search space of CNNs hyperparameters, and generate the best architecture that fits the given task. Some of the hyperparameters that were tested include the number of convolutional and fully connected layers, the number of filters for each convolutional layer, and the number of nodes in the fully connected layers. The proposed approach was tested using MNIST dataset for handwritten digit classification and results obtained indicate that the proposed approach is able to generate a CNN architecture with validation accuracy up to 96.66% on average.
Classification of evoked potentials by Pearson's correlation in a brain-computer interface

In this paper, we describe and evaluate the performance of a linear classifier learning technique for use in a brain-computer interface. Electroencephalogram (EEG) signals acquired from individual subjets are analyzed with this technique in order to detect responses to visual stimuli. Signal processing and classification are used for implementing a palliative communication system which allows the individual to spell words. Performance with this technique is evaluated on data collected from eight individuals.
Vertical dependence of black carbon, sulphate and biomass burning aerosol radiative forcing

A global radiative transfer model is used to calculate the vertical profile of shortwave radiative forcing from a prescribed amount of aerosols. We study black carbon (BC), sulphate (SO4) and a black and organic carbon mixture typical of biomass burning (BIO), by prescribing aerosol burdens in layers between 1000 hPa and 20 hPa and calculating the resulting direct radiative forcing divided by the burden (NDRF). We find a strong sensitivity in the NDRF for BC with altitude, with a tenfold increase between BC close to the surface and the lower part of the stratosphere. Clouds are a major contributor to this dependence with altitude, but other factors also contribute. We break down and explain the different physical contributors to this strong sensitivity. The results show a modest regional dependence of the altitudinal dependence of BC NDRF between industrial regions, while for regions with properties deviating from the global mean NDRF variability is significant. Variations due to seasons and interannual changes in cloud conditions are found to be small. We explore the effect that large altitudinal variation in NDRF may have on model estimates of BC radiative forcing when vertical aerosol distributions are insufficiently constrained, and discuss possible applications of the present results for reducing inter‐model differences.
A new airborne tandem platform for collocated measurements of microphysical cloud and radiation properties

Abstract. A new airborne tandem measurement platform for cloud-radiation interaction studies is introduced in this paper. It consists of a Learjet 35A research aircraft and the AIRcraft TOwed Sensor Shuttle (AIRTOSS), which is an instrumented drag-body towed by the Learjet. Currently, the AIRTOSS is instrumented with a Cloud Imaging Probe (CIP) for measuring cloud microphysical properties and an Inertial Navigation System (INS) for measurements of flight attitudes. The cable dragging AIRTOSS can be as long as four kilometres. Thus, truly collocated measurements in two altitudes above, in, and below clouds can be obtained. Results from first test flights with Learjet and AIRTOSS are reported here. The flights were performed from Hohn Airport, Germany. Specific manoeuvres were flown to test the aerodynamic behaviour of the drag-body and to investigate the suitability of AIRTOSS for high-precision irradiance measurements which require a stable flight attitude of AIRTOSS. The flight attitude data show that AIRTOSS is sensitive to several flight manoeuvres such as turns, altitude and airspeed changes, and also to changes of towing cable length. The effects of these manoeuvres on the attitude angles of AIRTOSS have been quantified. Maximum roll angle deviations were observed during turns. Even small changes in heading can lead to high roll angles (one degree change in heading causes a change in roll angle of about eight degrees). The pitch angle varies during climb or dive periods, extending or retracting of towing cable, acceleration or deceleration, and even when flying at too low or too high true airspeed depending on altitude. Values of pitch angle between −5° (dive) and 8° (climb and retracting towing cable) have been observed. While change in attitude is not problematic for cloud particle property measurements it is for radiation measurements. Here, the deviation from the horizontal should be no more than 3° to avoid large errors. When keeping the above mentioned flight parameters constant, sufficiently stable flight conditions can be maintained to perform high-quality irradiance measurements with AIRTOSS in future experiments. During this test campaign also observations of cloud microphysical data as for example droplet number concentrations and size distributions with the AIRTOSS in stratocumulus clouds were performed to prove the compliance with scientific needs. Simultaneous spectral cloud radiation measurements have been made. The measurements of internal operational data of AIRTOSS as well as the first atmospheric data demonstrate the suitability of this tandem platform for detailed cloud microphysics and radiation interaction studies.
The Domestic Cat as a Predator of Israeli Wildlife

Predation of wildlife by domestic cats was studied in Israel. Analysis of stomach contents and data provided by observers revealed that many domestic cats enriched the diet provided by their owners with many species of wild animals, including 12 mammals, 26 birds, 18 reptiles, and one amphibian, and scavenged from garbage. The proportion of manufactured cat food and garbage dump food in the diet of urban cats decreased from 70% of stomach volume among those living in rural settlements to 44% among cats living in open areas, with the rest of the stomach contents consisting of wild animals. Of the wild animals hunted by cats, the most common category was mammals (75% of the stomach volume), followed by amphibians (10%), birds (9%), and reptiles (6%). Most cats do not wander more than 200 m away from either a food source or cover. Female cats living in (southern) desert settlements do not leave the inhabited area and have very small home ranges, while those living in the Mediterranean region (central and nor.
Effect of guard dogs on the behavior and reproduction of gazelles in cattle enclosures on the Golan Heights

Cattle on the Golan Heights are kept in enclosures and some of these enclosures have guard dogs. We studied the effect of such dogs on the behavior and breeding success of mountain gazelles Gazella gazella living within enclosures. We found that guard dogs have both direct and indirect effects on gazelles. Gazelles living in enclosures with dogs spent more time in vigilance behavior and running, and less time resting and walking, in comparison with gazelles in dog‐free enclosures. In the absence of dogs, gazelle female herds in enclosures tended to stay closer to the cattle, but shunned away from them in the presence of the dogs, which, in turn, remained near the cattle. The percentage of fawns per female was higher in enclosures without dogs in comparison with those with dogs, but the difference was not significant. However, the largest of the enclosures with dogs, which had the largest number of gazelles, had only an average number of dogs in it. Hence, the gazelles in this enclosure were better able to avoid the dogs in comparison with those in smaller enclosures. Removing this enclosure from the overall calculation revealed that guard dogs have a significant negative effect on gazelle reproductive success. In two of the four enclosures with dogs no fawn still survived 6 months after birth, while in each of the four enclosures without dogs some fawns did survive to that age and beyond, suggesting that the dogs themselves may predate the fawns.
Subjective Evaluation of Three Headphone-Based Virtual Sound Source Positioning Methods Including Differential Head-Related Transfer Function

This paper analyses the performance of Differential Head-Related Transfer Function (DHRTF), an alternative transfer function for headphone-based virtual sound source positioning within a horizontal plane. This experimental one-channel function is used to reduce processing and avoid timbre affection while preserving signal features important for sound localisation. The use of positioning algorithm employing the DHRTF is compared to two other common positioning methods: amplitude panning and HRTF processing. Results of theoretical comparison and quality assessment of the methods by subjective listening tests are presented. The tests focus on distinctive aspects of the positioning methods: spatial impression, timbre affection, and loudness fluctuations. The results show that the DHRTF positioning method is applicable with very promising performance; it avoids perceptible channel coloration that occurs within the HRTF method, and it delivers spatial impression more successfully than the simple amplitude panning method.
Development of an IoT-based Noise Monitoring Network

In this paper, we proposed an IoT-based sound pollution checking system. It is a method of an economical acoustic sensor developed on the Raspberry-Pi, for its use in the analysis of the noise level in the classroom. This prototype is connected to an online server to share results in the actual time. This experiment has shown the Raspberry-Pi as an impressive and low-cost computing core of an affordable device to evaluate the environmental sound pollution that affects student satisfaction and performance in higher education classrooms.
Article 3 D Nanoprinting Technologies for Tissue Engineering Applications

Tissue engineering recovers an original function of tissue by replacing the damaged part with a new tissue or organ regenerated using various engineering technologies. This technology uses a scaffold to support three-dimensional (3D) tissue formation. Conventional scaffold fabrication methods do not control the architecture, pore shape, porosity, or interconnectivity of the scaffold, so it has limited ability to stimulate cell growth and to generate new tissue. 3D printing technologies may overcome these disadvantages of traditional fabrication methods. These technologies use computers to assist in design and fabrication, so the 3D scaffolds can be fabricated as designed and standardized. Particularly, because nanofabrication technology based on twophoton absorption (2PA) and on controlled electrospinning can generate structures with submicron resolution, these methods have been evaluated in various areas of tissue engineering. Recent combinations of 3D nanoprinting technologies with methods from molecular biology and cell dynamics have suggested new possibilities for improved tissue regeneration. If the interaction between cells and scaffold system with biomolecules can be understood and controlled and if an optimal 3D environment for tissue regeneration can be realized, 3D nanoprinting will become an important tool in tissue engineering.
The Moon as a photometric calibration standard for microwave sounders

Instruments on satellites for Earth observation on polar orbits usually employ a two-point calibration technique, in which deep space and an on-board calibration target provide two reference flux levels. As the direction of the deep space view is in general close to the celestial equator, the Moon moves sometimes through the field of view and introduces an unwelcome additional signal. One can take advantage of this intrusion, however, by using the Moon as a third flux standard, and 5 this has actually been done for checking the lifetime stability of sensors operating at visible wavelengths. As the disk-integrated thermal emission of the Moon is less well known than its reflected sunlight, this concept can in the microwave range only be used for stability checks and intercalibration. An estimate of the frequency of appearances of the Moon in the deep space view, a description of the limiting factors of the measurement accuracy and models of the Moon’s brightness, as well as 10 a discussion of the benefits from complementing the naturally occurring appearances of the Moon with dedicated spacecraft maneuvers show that it would be possible to detect photometric lifetime drifts of a few percent with just two measurements. The pointing accuracy is the most crucial factor for the value of this method. Planning such observations in advance would be particularly beneficial, because it allows to observe the Moon at well-defined phase angles and to put it at the center of 15 the field of view. A constant phase angle eliminates the need for a model of the Moon’s brightness when checking the stability of an instrument. With increasing spatial resolution of future microwave sensors another question arises, viz. to what extent foreground emission from objects other than the Moon will contaminate the flux entering the deep space view, which is supposed to originate exclusively in the cosmic microwave background. We conclude that even the brightest discreet sources 20 have flux densities below the detection limit of microwave sensors in a single scan.
Global Warming and Heat Waves in West-Africa: Impacts on Electricity Consumption in Dakar (Senegal) and Niamey (Niger)

Global warming and related atmospheric temperature rises can impact the electricity sector. The aim of this study is to assess extreme temperatures and heat waves impacts on electricity consumption in West-Africa. To achieve this goal, observational climatic data and long period electricity consumption data collected from Dakar (Senegal) and Niamey (Niger) were used. Obtained results have shown that annual mean temperature enhancement trends during the study period, 1976 to 2011, are similar in both cities. The maximum variations between annual mean temperatures, during 35 years, are around 2.2±0.1°C. The surface temperature seasonal cycle has given two hot periods for each city. The number of hot days and heat waves has increased and their frequency is more pronounced in the last decades. Dakar, the extreme west coastal zone, presents more hot days, which reached 20 days in 2009, and shows greater frequency but has fewer heat waves compared to Niamey in the middle Sahel which has longer lasting heat waves. The electricity consumption trends in both cities match extreme temperatures evolution well. It is low during the cold season but rises during the hot periods. In Niamey, electricity consumption reaches its first peak during its hottest period, March to May. After that, there is a decrease during rainy and cold seasons, which is followed by an enhancement during the second hot period from September to November, with a prominent consumption peak in October. Similar trends were observed for Dakar. A positive correlation has been obtained between the surface temperature and the two cities’ electricity consumption, confirming the extreme weather global impact.
Development of spherical ultrasonic motor for space. Evaluations of durability under high temperature environment

The purpose of this research is to develop the spherical ultrasonic motor (SUSM) for space. The SUSM is a small multi-DOF motor. The various performances are requested of the motor for space. The experiments under the high temperature environment were carried out to check the durability to the radiant heat from the sun this time. Our experimental results showed that SUSM for space also maintains the drive performance under the high temperature environment. The material of piezoelectric elements and adhesives which influence the performances of SUSM for space will be reported in detail.
Performance modeling of MapReduce applications for the cloud

In the last years, Cloud Computing has become a key technology that made possible running applications without needing to deploy a physical infrastructure with the advantage of lowering costs to the user by charging only for the computational resources used by the application. The challenge with deploying distributed applications in Cloud Computing environments is that the virtual machine infrastructure should be planned in a way that is time and cost-effective. Also, in the last years we have seen how the amount of data produced by applications has grown bigger than ever. This data contains valuable information that has to be extracted using tools like MapReduce. MapReduce is an important framework to analyze large amounts of data since it was proposed by Google, and made open source by Apache with its Hadoop implementation. The goal of this work is to show that the execution time of a distributed application, namely, a MapReduce application, in a Cloud computing environment, can be predicted using a mathematical model based on theoretical specifications. This prediction is made to help the users of the Cloud Computing environment to plan their deployments, i.e., quantify the number of virtual machines and its characteristics in order to have a lesser cost and/or time. After measuring the application execution time and varying parameters stated in the mathematical model, and after that, using a linear regression technique, the goal is achieved finding a model of the execution time which was then applied to predict the execution time of MapReduce applications with satisfying results. The experiments were conducted in several configurations: namely, private and public clusters, as well as commercial cloud infrastructures, running different MapReduce applications, and varying the number of nodes composing the cluster, as well as the amount of workload given to the application. Experiments showed a clear relation with the theoretical model, revealing that the model is in fact able to predict the execution time of MapReduce applications. The developed model is generic, meaning that it uses theoretical abstractions for the computing capacity of the environment and the computing cost of the MapReduce application. Further work in extending this approach to fit other types of distributed applications is encouraged, as well as including this mathematical model into Cloud services offering MapReduce platforms, in order to aid users plan their deployments.
Expressing Human Orai3 in Insect Cells for Pharmacological Studies

Bennett, Orville. M.S., Department of Neuroscience, Cell Biology and Physiology, Wright State University, 2012. Expressing human Orai3 in insect cells for pharmacological studies. The Orai3 protein forms a Ca channel with a pharmacological profile distinct from its close relative, the store-operated Ca channel Orai1. Though closely related to Orai1, the function of Orai3 in humans is still unclear. This study attempts to contribute to the body of knowledge by undertaking a pharmacological analysis of Orai3 in insect cells. We describe here the creation of a vector capable of expressing the mammalian Orai3 gene on an insect background. We demonstrate the ability to induce gene expression of Orai3 in these insect cells, and then assess the effectiveness of this system by characterizing the pharmacological properties with the drug 2-aminoethoxydiphenyl borate (2-APB). The results show that the current strategy used to express Orai3 will require additional refinement before the system can be considered generally useful for pharmacological studies, because expression of Orai3 may be affected by native proteins. The interference of expression seems confined to Orai Ca channels, as mammalian STIM1 was also expressed and a response to 2-APB, albeit unexpected, was observed.
Evolution of long-distance students’ mobility: the role of the air transport service in Italy

This paper studies the impact of the air transport service on university accessibility. Relying on the population of Italian airports and Italian traditional universities in the period 20032012, we find that improving air transportation connectivity (travel speed, presence of airports alternatives, presence of low cost carriers) increases the accessibility to university for long-distance students-i.e., students living on a distance of at least 300 km from the university of attendance. Second, we find that the evolution of the air transport service has played a role in facilitating higher education accessibility. Over the last decade, the air transport service has moderated the negative impact of the distance on universities’ attractiveness, providing to long-distance students more university alternatives.
Shariah-Compliant Screening Practices in Malaysia

This study reviews twenty-eight users of Islamic equity screening in Malaysia based on the most recent information collected in 2012. Except for the Securities Commission and two index providers, the rest of the users are mutual fund companies. Our review indicates that, with few exceptions, the majority of the local screening users are following the benchmarks set by the Securities Commission of Malaysia, in which only industry screening is applied to separate Shariah compliant from non-compliant companies. A few users, however, employ a two-tier quantitative approach in addition to the qualitative screening. The qualitative screening removes companies whose main businesses are Shariah non-compliant. Companies with mixed activities are then subject to quantitative screenings in which non-compliant contributions are measured against applicable benchmarks. The Securities Commission is scheduled to have in place a two-tier quantitative screening method which is more in line with international practices by the end of 2013.
Locally indistinguishable subspaces spanned by three-qubit unextendible product bases

We study the local distinguishability of general multiqubit states and show that local projective measurements and classical communication are as powerful as the most general local measurements and classical communication. Remarkably, this indicates that the local distinguishability of multiqubit states can be decided efficiently. Another useful consequence is that a set of orthogonal $n$-qubit states is locally distinguishable only if the summation of their orthogonal Schmidt numbers is less than the total dimension ${2}^{n}$. Employing these results, we show that any orthonormal basis of a subspace spanned by arbitrary three-qubit orthogonal unextendible product bases (UPB) cannot be exactly distinguishable by local operations and classical communication. This not only reveals another intrinsic property of three-qubit orthogonal UPB but also provides a class of locally indistinguishable subspaces with dimension $4$. We also explicitly construct locally indistinguishable subspaces with dimensions $3$ and $5$, respectively. Similar to the bipartite case, these results on multipartite locally indistinguishable subspaces can be used to estimate the one-shot environment-assisted classical capacity of a class of quantum broadcast channels.
Oxidized lipids and lipoproteins in patients with stroke: A pilot study

The objective of this pilot study was to investigate the status of oxidized lipid in Iraqi stroke patients. Blood samples were collected from subjects diagnosed with stroke and blood lipids and oxidized lipoprotein were analyzed using enzymatic and colorimetric methods. We found a significant (p < 0.001) increase in total lipids, and total lipid oxidation as measured by serum aldehyde malondialdehyde. We also found a significant increase in level of oxidized low density lipoproteins in patient with stroke in comparison with healthy individuals. In conclusion, our finding supports the use of oxidized LDL as a marker of stroke.