Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Isolation, Characterization and Quantification of Civetone from Civet Musk

Civet is an important commodity of commerce because of its use in perfume industry. It is also used to some extent in traditional medicine. Civetone is the main component of civet that is responsible for its characteristic odor. The amount of civetone in the musk of civet cat is not determined yet. In this project, rapid, simple and sensitive quantitative thin-layer chromatography method for the quantification of civetone in civet was developed and validated. The method involved extracting samples with dichloromethane by sonication, and analysis by CAMAG TLC scanner 3, after using a civetone dervatizing reagent. The densitometric scanning and analysis was done in absorbance mode at 371 nm. A new method for quantifying civetone in civet was developed in the course of this study. This involved taking a known amount of civet adding to it, a dervatizing agent 2,4-dintrophenylhydrazine, which now raises the absorption maximum to the visible range, thus making quantification work possible. The linear regression analysis data for calibration plots showed good linear relationship with r2=0.999 in the concentration range of 1-5 μg spot-1 with respect to peak area. The method was validated for accuracy, precision and recovery. The civetone value in crude civet samples, quantified by TLC was 0.8-1.2%.
Miniaturized Wideband CP Antenna Based on Metaresonator and CRLH-TLs for 5G New Radio Applications

This article presents a detailed study on an interesting compact wideband CP antenna using a novel split-ring resonator (SRR) and composite right-/left-handed transmission lines (CRLH-TLs). A novel vertical SRR made by the metallic sheets and PCB substrate is proposed, which achieves substantial size reduction. To obtain wideband CP radiation, a novel 3 dB branch-line coupler using dispersion engineered CRLH-TL is employed as the feeding circuit. The vertical SRR and CRLH-TL-based feeding network are analyzed by their own equivalent circuit models. A single-fed CP antenna and a dual-CP (LHCP/RHCP) antenna with a compact size of <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$0.277\,\,\lambda _{0} \times 0.277\,\,\lambda _{0} \times 0.033\,\,\lambda _{0}$ </tex-math></inline-formula> at 3.30 GHz are implemented, respectively. For the dual-CP antenna, both the measured −10 dB <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\vert S_{11}\vert $ </tex-math></inline-formula> bandwidth and 3 dB axial ratio (AR) bandwidth cover the 5G N78 band (3.30–3.80 GHz, 14.1%) quite well. In addition, the measured peak gain and radiation efficiency are greater than 5.4 dBic and 77% (−1.1 dB), respectively. It shows attractive features including a miniaturized size, low-cost, wide bandwidth, and good CP performance, appearing as good candidates for fifth-generation new radio (5GNR) communication systems.
In vitro cultivation of Tamarindus indica L.: explants obtention and contamination in culture medium

The tamarind tree (Tamarindus indica L.) is a common tree in tropical countries with a great exploitation potential due to its high nutritional value and important pharmaceutical characteristics, justifying its potential as a promising crop. The scarcity of scientific studies of the species, especially on propagation, hinders its availability and, consequently, the supply of the product in the market. The aim of this study was to verify the obtainment of nodal segments via sexual propagation and the in vitro establishment of sweet tamarind in MS culture medium (25, 50, 75 and 100% of salts) and with or without activated charcoal (2 g.L-1). The experiment was carried out in a completely randomized design in a 2 x 4 factorial scheme (presence and absence of activated carbon x salt concentrations), with 25 replicates, each replicate consisting of a test tube with an inoculated explant. According to the results, it is possible to conclude that from seedlings with 45 days after sowing, nodal segments of sweet tamarind are obtained for in vitro establishment. As a precursor of protocol for in vitro formation of healthy seedlings is indicated the use of MS culture medium with 75 % of the salts and added with 2 gL-1 of activated charcoal to reduce the contamination index.
An Iterative Training Sample Updating Approach for Domain Adaptation in Hyperspectral Image Classification

Acquiring training samples in remote sensing images is always expensive and time-consuming. As a consequence, it would be preferable if one domain without training samples (the target domain) could be classified given a priori knowledge from another domain (the source domain). In this letter, an iterative training sample updating (ITSU) approach is proposed based on a posteriori spatial feature extraction. First, the classifier is trained with initial training samples from the source domain and applied to the target domain, producing a preclassification map. Then, as an invariant feature, the a posteriori spatial features are extracted with a guided filter. Based on the spectral features and the a posteriori spatial features, a criterion measuring the similarity of the cross-domain samples is defined. New training samples from the target domain are assigned with pseudo-labels, and the original samples in the source domain are removed. Furthermore, the a posteriori spatial feature maps are fed back to the input images, and new classifiers are trained with an updated training sample set in the updated feature space. This procedure is repeated until the stopping rule is satisfied. Finally, the adapted classifier is obtained based on the updated training samples. The experimental results on three hyperspectral data sets indicated that ITSU achieved the best performance compared with the other two state-of-the-art methods.
A Consensus-Based Adaptive Virtual Output Impedance Control Scheme for Reactive Power Sharing in Radial Microgrids

This article presents a distributed secondary control scheme for accurate reactive power sharing in an islanded multibus radial microgrid. The scheme employs consensus control to adaptively tune the virtual output impedance (VOI) into achieving reactive power correction. The adaptive VOI-based control structure is essentially nonlinear. However, this work shows that the approximate range of stable coupling gain can be established by linearizing the problem about every probable operating point of the distributed energy resources (DERs). On the basis of islanding mode, it is also shown that only the dynamic VOI component is needed while the static component, which has been used extensively to date, can be nullified. It will also be shown that under the established gain tuning guideline, the virtual reactance typically results in quicker correction dynamics as compared to the virtual resistance. The proposed control scheme can realize an accurate power sharing among the DERs regardless of the microgrid topology, load condition, and communication delay (within the allowable limits defined by the consensus theorem). This study is carried out in conjunction with an islanded microgrid model modified from the IEEE 34 Node Test Feeder.
Resource Allocation for Energy-Efficient MEC in NOMA-Enabled Massive IoT Networks

Integrating mobile edge computing (MEC) into the Internet of Things (IoT) enables the IoT devices of limited computation capabilities and energy to offload their computation-intensive and delay-sensitive tasks to the network edge, thereby providing high quality of service to the devices. In this article, we apply non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) technique to enable massive connectivity and investigate how it can be exploited to achieve energy-efficient MEC in IoT networks. In order to maximize the energy efficiency for offloading, while simultaneously satisfying the maximum tolerable delay constraints of IoT devices, a joint radio and computation resource allocation problem is formulated, which takes both intra- and inter-cell interference into consideration. To tackle this intractable mixed integer non-convex problem, we first decouple it into separated radio and computation resource allocation problems. Then, the radio resource allocation problem is further decomposed into a subchannel allocation problem and a power allocation problem, which can be solved by matching and sequential convex programming algorithms, respectively. Based on the obtained radio resource allocation solution, the computation resource allocation problem can be solved by utilizing the Knapsack method. Numerical results validate our analysis and show that our proposed scheme can significantly improve the energy efficiency of NOMA-enabled MEC in IoT networks compared to the existing baselines.
Nanoscale Transistor Variability Modeling: How Simple Physics Enables a Powerful Prediction Platform

Process-induced variation (PIV) is the major bottleneck for using advanced CMOS technology efficiently. Even though the multigate nature of the fin field effect transistor (FinFET), nano-wire FET (NWFET), and nanosheet FET (NSFET) make the device robust toward the short channel effects (SCEs), unpredictable device-to-device variation caused by unwanted PIV remains a challenge for the designers. In this article, we propose a generic variability model to describe the impact of PIV on performance parameters of advanced devices. The major focus of this article is to demonstrate two independent analytical models capturing the impact of metal gate granularity (MGG) and line edge roughness (LER) on the threshold voltage (VT) of FinFET. The proposed model is not only limited to the variability estimation of VT, but also capable of estimating the on-current (Ion), subthreshold slope (SS), and off-current (Ioff) distribution due to LER accurately. Both the models are generic enough to be extended to be used for NWFET, and NSFET, and utilizes simple physics and mathematics, therefore, it can be implemented in any platform. The models are 100-1,000 times faster in comparison to the technology CAD (TCAD) simulations, and accuracy is on par with the TCAD results. Such models, when integrated with the existing nominal SPICE setup, the circuit-level performance prediction will be comparable to the experimental results. As the models take process-generated variations as an input to produce corresponding performance variation, it will further enable the co-optimization of the process as well as the circuit performance.
Variance components and heritability of yield and yield-related traits in tepary bean (Phaseolus acutifolius)

The extent of variance and heritability of traits influence the response to selection in crop breeding programs. The objective of this study was to determine variance components and heritability in tepary bean (Phaseolus acutifolius A.Gray) populations to identify promising genotypes for strategic breeding or direct production. Fifty genetically diverse tepary bean genotypes were evaluated under two contrasting environments using a 5 × 10 alpha lattice design with two replications. Results showed significant (p ≤ 0.05) differences among genotypes (G), environment (E) and G × E interaction for most of the studied traits. Phenotypic coefficient of variation values were higher than genotypic coefficient of variation for the studied traits, indicating greater contribution of genetic and environmental components influencing phenotypic variation. High broad-sense heritability and genetic advance were observed for grain yield (GY) and harvest index (HI), indicating better selection response for these traits in the population. Path coefficient analysis indicated that direct selection for HI could increase genetic gains for GY in tepary bean. Genotypes G40020, G40023, G40084, G40135, G40139, G40140, G40144A, G40145, G40157, G40159, G40173A, G40237 and G40284 exhibited better yield and yield components and were selected for breeding or population development in tepary bean.
The Role of the Government in the Knowledge Spillover Theory of Entrepreneurship: A Firm-Level Analysis

Despite the critical roles of knowledge filters and knowledge spillovers in the knowledge spillover theory of entrepreneurship (KSTE), the impact of knowledge filters on knowledge spillovers at the firm level remains underexplored. This article thus extends the KSTE to the firm level by directly investigating the effects of knowledge filters on knowledge spillovers (employee venturing behaviors) in incumbent firms. Moreover, based on the KSTE and institutional theory, we examine how regulatory institution (government support) and the enforceability of it (government transparency) moderate the effect of knowledge filters in incumbent firms on their employee venturing behaviors. We collect survey data from the Chinese pharmaceutical industry as it is knowledge intensive and entrepreneurially active by using a multi-informant method, that is, two senior managers from every responding company were interviewed on site by using structured questionnaires. To further minimize bias, we combine the survey data with provincial secondary data to test research hypotheses. Our findings reveal that the positive link between incumbent firms’ knowledge filters and employee venturing behaviors is enhanced by government policy support and government tax support. Furthermore, government transparency strengthens the moderating effect of government policy support whereas it weakens the moderating role of government tax support on the link between knowledge filters and employee venturing behaviors. Overall, this article explores the key proposition of the KSTE framework at the firm level, thus constructing the microfoundation of the KSTE, and substantiates the importance of integrating regulatory institutions into the firm-level KSTE.
Fish community indices of ecosystem health: How does Toronto Harbour compare to other Lake Ontario nearshore areas?

We assessed fish community status for 16 nearshore areas in Lake Ontario and the upper St. Lawrence River, from 2006 to 2016, using complementary fish sampling gear types and protocols, boat electrofishing and trap nets, and the published aquatic ecosystem health indicators associated with them. Factors influencing Indices of Biotic Integrity scores included degree of exposure to the open-waters of Lake Ontario, effective fetch, and land cover and use in surrounding watersheds. Focusing on Toronto Harbour, we determined that Indices of Biotic Integrity scores were lower (45.1 and 45.6 for electrofishing and trap net gear types, respectively) than predicted (55.5 and 59.6) based on other Lake Ontario nearshore areas with similar physical/environmental conditions but seemed reasonable given the significant influence of Canada’s largest urban area, the City of Toronto. The proportion of fish community biomass comprised of piscivores (0.21 and 0.18 for electrofishing and trap nets, respectively) approached target levels (0.20) set for the Toronto Harbour fish community, and indicated a balanced trophic structure. On-going aquatic habitat remediation and creation projects on the Leslie Street Spit (including Tommy Thompson Park) and the Toronto Islands, should ensure maintenance or improvement in Indices of Biotic Integrity scores and aquatic ecosystem health generally.
The application of behavioral economics to reforming pension systems - evidence from Great Britain and New Zealand

This article aims to evaluate the application of some of the solutions developed on the basis of the theory of behavioural economics in the practice of reforming pension systems. The research results presented regarding the use of behavioural economics in the reform of occupational pension schemes in Great Britain (automatic enrollment with a possibility of opting out at a certain time). The success of the British reform has been determined by the default option where an employee automatically enrolled in the occupational pension scheme is to remain in the program and co-pay contributions together with their employer. Quitting the program required taking the initiative and violating the status quo. In addition, a broad educational campaign has been launched, demonstrating a long-term benefit for both employees and employers (appropriate mental "formatting"), and the choice of an opt-out option (withdrawal in the first month and the recovery of the first contribution) as riskier (the mechanism of psychological risk aversion). The analysis of the implementation of occupational pension schemes with automatic enrollment demonstrates that the introduction of a similar solution in Poland constitutes a real chance for the dissemination of occupational pension schemes and would provide impetus to the development of the third pillar of the pension system in the country. The results achieved in these countries (dissemination of occupational pension schemes and an increase in the level of additional pension savings) are encouraging. On this basis, recommendations have been made on the possibility of applying similar solutions in Poland. The author also points to some of the dangers associated with the use of behavioural economics in the reform of pension systems (inter alia, manipulation of behaviour and decisions of participants not always in line with their interests, misspelling).
MAS-Encryption and its Applications in Privacy-Preserving Classifiers

Homomorphic encryption (HE) schemes, such as fully homomorphic encryption (FHE), support a number of useful computations on ciphertext in a broad range of applications, such as e-voting, private information retrieval, cloud security, and privacy protection. While FHE schemes do not require any interaction during computation, the key limitations are large ciphertext expansion and inefficiency. Thus, to overcome these limitations, we develop a novel cryptographic tool, MAS-Encryption (MASE), to support real-value input and secure computation on the multiply-add structure. The multiply-add structures exist in many important protocols, such as classifiers and outsourced protocols, and we will explain how MASE can be used to protect the privacy of these protocols, using two case study examples. Specifically, the first case study example is the privacy-preserving Naive Bayes classifier that can achieve minimal Bayes risk, and the other example is the privacy-preserving support vector machine. We prove that the constructed classifiers are secure and evaluate their performance using real-world datasets. Experiments show that our proposed MASE scheme and MASE based classifiers are efficient, in the sense that we achieve an optimal tradeoff between computation efficiency and communication interactions. Thus, we avoid the inefficiency of FHE based paradigm.
How Polling Trends Influence Compensational Coalition-Voting

Compensational voting refers to when voters cast a vote for a more extreme party than they prefer, in order to push policies closer to an ideal point. This article develops the idea of compensational voting in regard to pre-electoral coalition signals and polling trends. The argument is that a significant share of voters consider the relative strength of the parties in their preferred pre-electoral coalition, and adjust their vote choice accordingly. This is elaborated by conducting a mixed logit model over eight Swedish general elections where parties were more or less clear about their intentions to collaborate with other parties. Combining unique data from parties’ election manifestos including negative and positive quotes about other parties with polling trends and voters’ approval rating of parties, the analysis lends support to the idea that this type of coalition-oriented compensational voting occurs.
Species composition of mosquitoes associated with a livestock field station

Blood feeding nature of mosquitoes associated with livestock field stations are crucial in understanding the vectorborne disease dynamics. We investigated the species composition, abundance and blood feeding pattern of mosquitoes at a livestock field station in Uda Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. Monthly samplings were done from six animal units (cattle, swine, duck, sheep, rabbit, and goat) from December 2016 to July 2017 using hand held aspirators, UV light traps and CDC miniature light traps. Blood sources of the mosquitoes were confirmed by PCR assays. Majority of the mosquitoes (82.3 %) were belonged to the Genus Culex followed by Armigeres (7.31%), Aedes (6.70%) and Anopheles (3.65%). Culex fuscocephala (26.82%) was the most abundant species while Aedes albopictus (0.30%) and Anopheles aitkenii (0.30%) were the least. The highest mosquito abundance was reported from cattle unit (86.9%) followed by swine (12.2%) and duck (0.91 %) units. The highest mosquito abundance and diversity were reported in December (35.97%). No association were reported between climatic variables and mosquito abundance (p>0.05). Mixed blood meals were not reported and mosquitoes of cattle and swine units were identified with 100% cattle and swine blood, respectively. The generalized feeding pattern of the identified mosquitoes suggests the potential vector status of infectious diseases.
Assessing Spatial and Temporal Variability for Some Edaphic Characteristics of Mediterranean Rainfed and Irrigated Soils

Mediterranean soils are particularly threatened by salinization and low levels of organic matter content. In order to assess an edaphic sustainable use, we need to study its characteristics and better understand the temporal and spatial evolution. In this study, a total of 14,852 ha located in a western Mediterranean basin were selected as the study site where 1417 and 1451 topsoil samples were analyzed in 2001/2002 and 2011/2012, respectively, for Soil Organic Matter (SOM) content, pH water (pHw) and electrical conductivity (EC). Classical statistics and geostatistics techniques were used and the individual soil samples were related with the cultural system (CS) practiced–rainfed/irrigation–and the Reference Soil Group (RSG)–Cambisols, Calcisols, Luvisols, and Fluvisols. Predictive maps were created by interpolation using the Ordinary Kriging algorithm. The main results of this study were that, when transitioning from a rainfed to irrigation CS, SOM content is maintained in Cambisols but decreases in the other RSGs, pHw is maintained and EC increases in Fluvisols, Luvisols, and Cambisols. Over time in the rainfed CS all RSGs maintained SOM and pHw but EC increased in Fluvisols, Luvisols, and Calcisols and in the irrigation CS SOM decreased in Luvisols, pHw increased in Fluvisols and Calcisols and EC increased in all RSGs.
Methods of Composing Hierarchical Knowledge Graphs of Telecommunication Network

: The article is devoted to the issue of developing and analyzing methods of composing hierarchical knowledge graphs of telecommunication networks with a view to representing network data. The article substantiates the timeliness of discussing this issue and describes the classes of problems that can be solved using hierarchical graph models. It discusses the structure of particular hierarchical graph models, their layers, and how it is possible to connect these models layer by layer and create a single hierarchical graph model. It also discusses data formats and approaches to adding dynamic data that are applicable to the resulting hierarchical knowledge graph. It studies the advantages of the hierarchical knowledge graph over one-level analogs. To explain the advantages of using a hierarchical knowledge graph, an example of modeling such a knowledge graph for a cable TV operator’s network is given and compared with a one-level knowledge graph using a specific problem encountered by the operator. It is shown that it is much less difficult to execute queries of the same kind using a hierarchical graph. At the end of the article, conclusions are made and directions for future research are discussed.