Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Feature Extraction of Constrained Dynamic Latent Variables

Feature extraction has become an essential prerequisite of developing data-based models, control and monitoring tools from massive industrial data. When the temporal correlation is significant, the latent feature is commonly described by a dynamic model, such as the state-space model. Industrial processes are widely subject to certain boundary constraints. However, most of the existing feature extraction methods have not considered the boundary constraints on the latent features. This study develops a learning approach with consideration of boundary constrained latent features. To retain dynamic behavior with a compact probability description, a novel state transition model is developed by using the Beta distribution for the constrained state. To learn the constrained dynamic feature from regularly observed data, a nonlinear observation function is incorporated, and the variational Bayesian inference is adopted for solving the problem. The effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated through numerical simulations along with industrial data sets.
Biological screening of Hedera nepalensis

The aim of the current work was to screen the crude methanolic extract (Cr. MeOH Ext.) and various fractions of Hedera nepalensis for antibacterial, antifungal, brine-shrimp lethality, phytotoxicity, heamagglutination, insecticidal and nitric oxide free radical scavenging assay. The results revealed that chloroform (CHCl3) fraction of the plant possess good antibacterial activity (60%) against Staphylococcus aureus while the rest of the fractions and Cr. MeOH Ext. showed moderate (>40%) and low antibacterial activity (<40%). The Cr. MeOH Ext. , n-hexane and ethyl acetate (EtOAc) fractions of the plant showed good phytotoxicity at higher concentration (1000 µg/ml) while low phytotoxicity was observed at lower concentrations (100 and 10 µg/ml), against Lamina minor. The Cr. MeOH Ext. , n-hexane and CHCl3 fractions of the plant showed good nitric oxide free radical scavenging activity at a concentration of 1.5 mg/ml. Moderate brine shrimp lethality was also observed for Cr. MeOH Ext. and CHCl3 fraction at a concentration of 1000 µg/ml, against Artemisia salina. The plant materials (Cr. MeOH Ext. and various fractions) exhibited no antifungal, insecticidal or heamagglutination activity. Key words: Antibacterial, antifungal, brine-shrimp lethality, phytotoxicity, heamagglutination, insecticidal and nitric oxide free radical scavenging assay.
AN INVESTIGATION OF CONTRIBUTION OF INPUT VARIABLES IN PRODUCT QUALITY USING REGRESSION ANALYSIS BY

As competitive strategies shift to the area of quality management, this research seeks to predict contributions of input variables to quality outcome. The research was conducted using 7-Up Bottling Company Plc; Aba. Data relevant to the study were secondary data from past company production records. However, observation of manufacturing processes was done in the course of the study to enhance understanding of production and quality control processes. A random sample was analysed into human related input factors, such as education and experience of workers charged with the respective batches. Since these human factors are not quantifiable, surrogate variables were used. The study data were analysed using statistical tool of regression. The result gave rise to a regression formula that relates, inversely, contributions of education and experience to percentage defect. The F-test and t-tests were used to determine the significance of contributions of the variables collectively and individually. The research shows that a mathematical model can be found that relates contributions of input factors which allow adjustment before the actual production so as to achieve desirable outcomes. It is, therefore, recommended that such studies be carried out regularly for planning and scheduling purposes to achieve cost reductions.
NEW DETECTION ALGORITHMS FOR SINGLE INPUT MULTIPLE OUTPUT SYSTEMS WITH CARRIER FREQUENCY OFFSET

The performance of a multiple antenna wireless communication (WC) system depends significantly on the type of detection algorithm used at the receiver. This thesis proposes three different types of detection algorithms for single input multiple output (SIMO) systems and concludes with a comparative study of their performance in terms of bit error rate (BER). The proposed algorithms are based on the following classical methods: • Maximum Likelihood (ML) detection • Maximal Ratio Combining (MRC) scheme • Minimum Mean Square Error (MMSE) criterion detection The major challenge in any practical WC system is the imperfect knowledge of channel state information (CSI) and carrier frequency offset (CFO) at the receiver. The novel algorithms proposed in this thesis aim for optimal detection of the transmitted signal and are derived for a system in the presence of both CSI and CFO estimation errors. They can be treated as a generalized form of their respective type and it is mathematically shown that the conventional algorithms are a special case in the absence of the estimation error. Finally, the performance of the novel algorithms is demonstrated by exhaustive simulation for multi-level modulation techniques of phase shift keying (PSK) and quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) with increasing values of estimation error variance.
Trends in the Public Sector

Since the 1980s the number of quasi-autonomous non-governmental organizations has increased in most western countries. This article offers a theoretical explanation for politicians’ apparent preference for quangos. The model is based on rational choice sociology, neo-institutional economics and public choice. Hypotheses are formulated on the conditions that are expected to influence politicians’ choice. The statistical analysis, using a database of 124 decisions to establish 392 quangos in The Netherlands between 1950 and 1993, shows that quango proliferation is more a trend than a well-informed choice. This raises new questions for research.
Demographic, Psychological, and Social Environmental Factors of Loneliness and Satisfaction among Rural-to-Urban Migrants in Shanghai, China

This study examined factors of loneliness and satisfaction among rural-to-urban migrants in Shanghai, China. Data used in this study were from the Shanghai Rural-to-Urban Migrant Worker Survey conducted by the Institute of Demographic Research, Fudan University. Ordinal logit models were fit to test the hypotheses. A host of demographic, socioeconomic, psychosocial, and neighborhood factors were identified as strong correlates of loneliness and satisfaction among migrants. The effect of experienced discrimination was overwhelmingly negative on migrant mental well-being. Improving migrants' work and living environment, increasing neighborhood amenities, and taking measures to facilitate migrant family members' living together seem to be potentially fruitful ways to promote migrant mental well-being in China.
Species diversity, community structure and distribution of phytoplankton in the Changjiang estuary during dry and flood periods

This paper reports on the phytoplankton community, its composition, structure and distribution in Changjiang estuary from February 1999 to March 2000. Two hundred and eight species were identified in the dry and flood periods. Diatoms, with 143 species observed, was the most abundant phytoplankton group, accounting for 68.75% of the total phytoplankton species number. Skeletonema costatum was dominant among all the species. The phytoplankton of Changjiang estuary in China was divided into five ecological categories: freshwater species, estuary brackish water species, inshore low salinity species, inshore widespread species and off-sea high salinity species. During the dry period, the major phytoplankton populations in the surface layer were estuary inshore and offshore populations, distinguished from the composition of the bottom layer. The community structure was similar in the two layers during the flood period. The phytoplankton species diversity was calculated for Simpson, Shannon–Weaver diversity and evenness indices, and found to be higher in the dry period, due to the simple dominant species and low spatial heterogeneity in the flood period. Higher phytoplankton abundance was observed in the surface layer during the flood period. The phytoplankton species distribution, coinciding with the dominant species distribution, varied with salinity, and their abundance correlated significantly with nutrients and light.
A diorganotin(IV) complex with pyrazine‐2‐carbaldehyde 4‐ethylthiosemicarbazone

The reaction of pyrazine-2-carbaldehyde 4-ethyl­thio­semi­carbazone (Hapetsc) with diphenyl­tin(IV) dichloride in ethanol resulted in the formation of the title compound, dichloridodiphenyl­bis(pyrazine-2-carbaldehyde 4-ethyl­thio­semi­carbazone)tin(IV), [Sn(C6H5)2Cl2(C9H13N5S)2]. The complex exhibits a distorted octa­hedron about the Sn atom, which lies on an inversion center and is coordinated by two Cl atoms, two phenyl ligands and two Hapetsc units. The pyrazine ligands are in a trans configuration and behave as monodentate donors through their ring N atoms. The Sn—Cl distances are 2.5484 (4) A, the Sn—C distances are 2.1378 (12) A and the Sn—N distances are 2.4032 (11) A. One NH group of the thio­semicarbazone ligand forms an intra­molecular S(5) hydrogen bond with an adjacent N atom on the same ligand. The other N—H group is not involved in hydrogen bonding.
Diversité floristique sous canopée en plantation forestière de Mangombe-Edea (Cameroun)

La plantation d'arbres de Mangombe se trouve en foret dense humide de basse altitude. Six parcelles dans ce site, dont une de Mansonia altissima (A.Chev.) A.Chev. , deux de Lovoa trichilioides Harms, trois de Terminalia ivorensis A.Chev. et une foret naturelle perturbee, ont fait l'objet d'une etude floristique. Le travail consiste en l'evaluation de la diversite floristique du sous-bois en vue d'apprecier l'incidence des plantations forestieres sur la regeneration naturelle. Au total, 26 familles, 42 genres et 46 especes ont ete recenses. Les Meliaceae et Apocynaceae forment le fonds floristique. Dans la parcelle 1 de T. ivorensis, M. altissima et la foret naturelle, la faible valeur de l'equitabilite de Pielou traduit la dominance des effectifs par quelques especes et la situation transitoire de l'ecosysteme. Par contre, le reste des parcelles presente une bonne repartition des individus au sein des especes. On note une faible organisation du systeme ecologique dans la parcelle de M. altissima, ce qui correspond a des conditions du milieu favorables a l'installation de nombreuses especes representees par un petit nombre d'individus. L'indice de Shannon relativement faible dans la parcelle 1 de T. ivorensis caracterise un peuplement ou une espece est dominante. Globalement, le sous-bois des parcelles se reconstitue progressivement et reste moins diversifie que la foret naturelle environnante. La creation d'un pool genetique au moyen d'entretiens selectifs du sous-bois permettra une gestion polycyclique des parcelles dans le cadre de la production continue du bois.
Privacy Risk Analysis and Mitigation of Analytics Libraries in the Android Ecosystem

While much effort has been made to detect and measure the privacy leakage caused by the advertising (ad) libraries integrated in mobile applications, analytics libraries, which are also widely used in mobile apps have not been systematically studied for their privacy risks. Different from ad libraries, the main function of analytics libraries is to collect users’ in-app actions. Hence, by design analytics libraries are more likely to leak users’ private information. In this work, we study what information is collected by the analytics libraries integrated in popular Android apps. We design and implement a framework called “Alde”. Given an app, Alde employs both static analysis and dynamic analysis to detect the users’ in-app actions collected by analytics libraries. We also study what private information can be leaked by the apps that use the same analytics library. Moreover, we analyze apps’ privacy policies to see whether app developers have notified the users that their in-app action data is collected by analytics libraries. Finally, we select eight widely used analytics libraries to study and apply our method to 300 popular apps downloaded from both Chinese app markets and Google play. Our experimental results show that some apps indeed leak users’ personal information through analytics libraries even though their genuine purposes of using analytics services are legal. To mitigate such threats, we have developed an app named “ALManager” that leverages the Xposed framework to manage analytics libraries in other apps.
Synthesizing Wider WiFi Bandwidth for Respiration Rate Monitoring in Dynamic Environments

Respiration rate monitoring is beneficial for the diagnosis of a variety of diseases, such as heart failure and sleep disorders. Radio Frequency (RF) based respiration rate monitoring systems, namely ultra-wideband radar and COTS device, have been proposed without requiring any direct contact with the detected person. However, existing RF based systems either require expensive UWB radio (radar based) or work only in stationary environments (COTS device based). To address the limitations of both radar based and COTS device based systems, in this paper, we propose RespiRadio, a system that can detect a person’s respiration rate in dynamic ambient environments via a single TX-RX pair of WiFi cards. The key novelty of RespiRadio is that it overcomes the limit of existing COTS device based respiration rate systems by synthesizing a wider-bandwidth WiFi radio. With the synthesized WiFi radio, we can identify the path reflected by the breathing person and then analyze the periodicity of the signal power measurements only from this path to infer the respiration rate. We experimentally evaluate the performance of RespiRadio in non-static indoor environments and the results demonstrate that the overall estimation error is 0.152 breaths per minute (bpm).
Green chemistry: a tool for the sustainable development of the chemical industry

Mostmanufacturedproducts involve one or more chemical processes. We cannot imagine what our life will be like without the products produced by the chemical industry. However, on average, only a small proportion of the resources we take from the Earth is converted into the desired products in current chemical processes, and large amounts of wastes and hazardous materials are generated. How to supply humanity with enough food, energy, chemicals and materials sustainably, without damaging our planet, is an unavoidable issue. Green chemistry, which was established about two decades ago, has attracted much attention [1–3]. It reflects the efforts of academia and industry to address the challenges related to sustainable development of the chemical industry, and continuous progress is being made, both in academia and industry. Briefly, green chemistry is the utilization of a set of principles to reduce or eliminate the use or generation of hazardous substances in the design, manufacture and applications of chemical products [4]. Green chemistry is a multidisciplinary field and covers areas such as synthesis, solvents, catalysis, rawmaterials, products and efficient processes, as shown in Fig. 1.
UNIONIZATION, UNEMPLOYMENT AND ECONOMIC GROWTH; CASE OF TURKEY

In this study, unions’ impacts on economic growth and employment in Turkey is analysed by using unit root test with structural break, cointegration and casuality tests. Empirical findings show that there is an equilibrium relationship between growth,unionization and unemployment. Unionization affects both economic growth and employment negatively. Casuality test results show that between growth and unionization there is a unidrectional casuality to unionization from growth and birectional casuality between unionization and unemployment.
An Effective Factors Pattern Affecting Implementation of Strategic Plans

Concerning the competitive environment dominating on various sectors of business surrounding, requirement of strategy formulation has been increasingly apparent. Yet the main problem of managers and business owners is implementation of strategies. The studies and researches show that most big companies have had problems in implementing their strategies and in some occasions were failed in that. Regarding this situation, the importance and necessity of this research is identified, and its purpose is to identify effective factors, like: leadership, organizational structure, human resources, information systems and technology, on successful implementation of strategies in service sector. For this purpose, statistical population were random selected from Pasargad Bank branches in Tehran and include the branch presidents, their deputies and executives working in the bank branches as well as managers of Central Office of Pasargad Bank. Sampling was based on the simple random sampling. The questionnaire was used as the information gathering device. Reliability of questionnaire was studied by three experts and two managers of central office, and for validity measurement Cronbach’s Alpha test was used. We have used sign test for measuring the effects and Wilcoxon for group difference on depended variable. Findings show that all mentioned factors affect the strategy implementation but their effects rates are different.
Chlorophyll extraction from leaves, needles and microalgae: A kinetic approach

Currently, there is a strong focus on industrial production of chlorophyll as a natural pigment. Two factors are required in the economically feasible process to make chlorophyll production: material with high pigment content and efficient extraction mechanism. In this work, extraction of chlorophyll from harvested black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) leaves, Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) needles, field sow thistle (Sonchus arvensis) leaves, and green microalga (Chlorella sp.) was discussed. The highest pigment content was detected in Chlorella cells (4.46%) followed by black locust leaves (1.63%), sow thistle leaves (1.48%) and pine needles (0.38%). The chlorophyll extraction rate was the highest for black locust leaves (k = 3.59 h-1), sow thistle leaves (k = 2.90 h-1) and Chlorella cells (k = 2.80 h-1) with the use of methanol as a solvent. In investigated materials, needles showed higher resistance for chlorophyll extraction (k = 0.93 h-1) when compared to leaves and microalgae. Values of extraction kinetic constant were much lower for all materials (0.22 – 1.12 h-1) in the case of using ethanol as a solvent. Black locust leaves and Chlorella cells were proved to be the most attractive materials for chlorophyll production.
Exploiting Inherent Error Resiliency of Deep Neural Networks to Achieve Extreme Energy Efficiency Through Mixed-Signal Neurons

Neuromorphic computing, inspired by the brain, promises extreme efficiency for certain classes of learning tasks, such as classification and pattern recognition. The performance and power consumption of neuromorphic computing depend heavily on the choice of the neuron architecture. Digital neurons (Dig-N) are conventionally known to be accurate and efficient at high speed while suffering from high leakage currents from a large number of transistors in a large design. On the other hand, analog/mixed-signal neurons (MS-Ns) are prone to noise, variability, and mismatch but can lead to extremely low-power designs. In this paper, we will analyze, compare, and contrast existing neuron architectures with a proposed MS-N in terms of performance, power, and noise, thereby demonstrating the applicability of the proposed MS-N for achieving extreme energy efficiency (femtojoule/multiply and accumulate or less). The proposed MS-N is implemented in 65-nm CMOS technology and exhibits <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$> 100\times $ </tex-math></inline-formula> better energy efficiency across all frequencies over two traditional Dig-Ns synthesized in the same technology node. We also demonstrate that the inherent error resiliency of a fully connected or even convolutional neural network can handle the noise as well as the manufacturing nonidealities of the MS-N up to certain degrees. Notably, a system-level implementation on CIFAR-10 data set exhibits a worst case increase in classification error by 2.1% when the integrated noise power in the bandwidth is <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\sim 0.1 ~\mu $ </tex-math></inline-formula> V2, along with <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\pm 3\sigma $ </tex-math></inline-formula> amount of variation and mismatch introduced in the transistor parameters for the proposed neuron with 8-bit precision.
Habitat acoustics and primate communication

The acoustic characteristics of three tropical habitats were investigated to determine how they might constrain the structure of primate signals. Ambient noise was measured, along with signal attenuation and aspects of signal degradation (reverberation, amplitude fluctuations, and pulse train modulation depth). These measures allowed estimation of the effects of habitat acoustics on the distances over which calls would be audible (the “active space”) and over which primates could reliably transmit amplitude‐modulated or pulse‐coded information.
Pollinator attraction in Anacamptis papilionacea (Orchidaceae): a food or a sex promise?

The Mediterranean orchid Anacamptis papilionacea, despite showing a typical fooddeceptive floral display, has also been reported to frequently attract male pollinators, suggesting a potentiality for sexual attraction. In a survey from a southern Italian population of A. papilionacea and their hybrids with Anacamptis morio, we collected 37 pollinators belonging to five bee species carrying 126 orchid pollinia. The main pollinator of A. papilionacea was Anthophora crinipes male (48.6%), but the number of females was not negligible (22.9%). We also found pollinator sharing between the hybrid and the parental species. Our findings confirm that, contrary to other food-deceptive species, A. papilionacea mainly attracts male insects, but also that, in contrast to sexually deceptive species, this attraction is not specific. We suggest that A. papilionacea adopts a complex mix of food and sexually deceptive pollination and could represent a helpful model for studying the transition between different pollination strategies.
Nesting Ecology of the Black-Capped Vireo in Southwest Texas

Abstract There is little information about nesting ecology of the federally endangered Black-capped Vireo (Vireo atricapilla) in the southern and western region of its breeding range, which is characterized by xeric thornscrub and patchy low-growing vegetation. We mapped territories and monitored 119 Black-capped Vireo nests across seven study sites in 2009 and 2010 in Val Verde County, Texas in the Devil's River region on the western edge of the Edwards Plateau. We observed 69 nests with cameras to identify nest predators. Clutch size was significantly smaller in 2009 (3.4 ± 0.82) than in 2010 (3.8 ± 0.43). Both nest depredation and parasitism by Brown-headed Cowbirds (Molothrus ater) were >10% higher in 2009 than in 2010. There was a large diversity of nest predators identified including Brown-headed Cowbird (n = 4), snakes (n = 4), and Greater Roadrunner (Geococcyx californianus) (n = 3). Species identified that have not been previously observed as Black-capped Vireo nest predators were bobcat (Lynx rufus), common raccoon (Procyon lotor), Greater Roadrunner, and the greater arid-land katydid (Neobarrettia spinosa). Productivity of Black-capped Vireos in the Devil's River area appeared to be heavily influenced by weather, particularly precipitation during the breeding season.