Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
EXPLORING THE DYNAMICS OF DEFENSE EXPENDITURE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: A BIBLIOMETRIC ANALYSIS

This study used bibliometric analysis to derive meaningful insights from the literature related to the field of defense expenditure and economic development. The analysis covered 381 documents published across a range of journals from 1991–2021. The Scopus database and the bibliometric R package (R studio) were utilized to identify prominent journals, authors, countries, articles, and themes in the area under study. The study's findings revealed a noticeable increase in publications and citations over the years, indicating a positive yearly growth rate of 2.16%. Among the 161 journals examined, Defence and Peace Economics was found to be the most impactful, with 99 published articles, 1,743 citations, an h-index of 25, and a g-index of 34. Moreover, Dunne JP published the most papers, consistently remained the most cited author, and continued to be the most influential author, with an h-index of 12. The USA, China, and Greece produced the highest number of articles, while the collaborative networks of countries were divided into four major clusters, with researchers from the USA collaborating the most with researchers from other countries and the University of Cape Town and COMSATS Institute of Information Technology collaborating the most with other universities.
Integrated Islamic Social Instrument for Sustainable Development: Case of SDG-14

The fourteenth SDG objective summarizes discussions on waste and pollution management, marine ecosystems, limiting storm damage, and protecting marine health as part of efforts to reduce and adapt to climate change. Waqf, on the other hand, is an instrument of Islamic social finances that has a sustainable character and is relevant to the Sustainable Development Goals, therefore it can be used to safeguard the environment, particularly undersea ecosystems. This study aims to identify the waqf model that is relevant to the SDGs by prioritizing the waqf model that may be adopted in Indonesia, which is in line with SDGs 14 from a Maqashid Syariah perspective. The results indicate that the Sukuk waqf model is the appropriate capital to assist the defense of the fourteen Sustainable Development Goals, namely the protection of the undersea ecology. This research also presents an appropriate blue Sukuk waqf model framework.
Respiratory Proteomics Today: Are Technological Advances for the Identification of Biomarker Signatures Catching up with Their Promise? A Critical Review of the Literature in the Decade 2004–2013

To improve the knowledge on a variety of severe disorders, research has moved from the analysis of individual proteins to the investigation of all proteins expressed by a tissue/organism. This global proteomic approach could prove very useful: (i) for investigating the biochemical pathways involved in disease; (ii) for generating hypotheses; or (iii) as a tool for the identification of proteins differentially expressed in response to the disease state. Proteomics has not been used yet in the field of respiratory research as extensively as in other fields, only a few reproducible and clinically applicable molecular markers, which can assist in diagnosis, having been currently identified. The continuous advances in both instrumentation and methodology, which enable sensitive and quantitative proteomic analyses in much smaller amounts of biological material than before, will hopefully promote the identification of new candidate biomarkers in this area. The aim of this report is to critically review the application over the decade 2004–2013 of very sophisticated technologies to the study of respiratory disorders. The observed changes in protein expression profiles from tissues/fluids of patients affected by pulmonary disorders opens the route for the identification of novel pathological mediators of these disorders.
Testing the Impact of Robotic Lawn Mowers on European Hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus) and Designing a Safety Test

Simple Summary The declining populations of European hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus) are increasingly inhabiting areas with human occupation. However, sharing habitats with humans comes at a cost: a residential garden holds many potential dangers for hedgehogs. Previous research has shown that certain models of robotic lawn mowers may harm hedgehogs. This study investigated the effects of 19 models of robotic lawn mowers on hedgehog cadavers. The insights gained from the current and previous research led to the design of a protocol for testing the safety of robotic lawn mowers on hedgehogs. The proposed standardised safety test will hopefully be implemented in the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization (CENELEC) protocol, potentially allowing for a labelling system indicating whether a robotic lawn mower is safe for hedgehogs, guiding the consumers to purchase hedgehog-friendly robotic lawn mowers in the future, thus reducing the negative impact some models of robotic lawn mowers may have on hedgehog conservation. Abstract Previous research has established that some models of robotic lawn mowers are potentially harmful to hedgehogs. As the market for robotic lawn mowers is expanding rapidly and the populations of European hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus) are in decline, it is important to investigate this risk further to understand the potential threat which some robotic lawn mowers may pose to hedgehogs. We tested 19 models of robotic lawn mowers in collision with hedgehog cadavers to measure their effect on hedgehogs. Our results showed that some models of robotic lawn mowers may injure hedgehogs, whereas others are not harmful to them. Apart from one single incidence, all robotic lawn mowers had to physically touch the hedgehog carcasses to detect them. Larger hedgehog cadavers were less likely to be “injured”, with height being the most influential measure of size. The firmness of the tested hedgehog cadavers (frozen or thawed) did not influence the outcome of the collision tests. Neither the position of the hedgehog cadavers nor the selected technical features of the lawn mowers affected the probability of injury. Based on the results, we designed a standardised safety test to measure the effect of a specific model of robotic lawn mower on hedgehogs.
Data-driven adaptive dynamic programming for partially observable nonzero-sum games via Q-learning method

ABSTRACT This paper concerns with a class of discrete-time linear nonzero-sum games with the partially observable system state. As is known, the optimal control policy for the nonzero-sum games relies on the full state measurement which is hard to fulfil in partially observable environment. Moreover, to achieve the optimal control, one needs to know the accurate system model. To overcome these deficiencies, this paper develops a data-driven adaptive dynamic programming method via Q-learning method using measurable input/output data without any system knowledge. First, the representation of the unmeasurable inner system state is built using historical input/output data. Then, based on the representation state, a Q-function-based policy iteration approach with convergence analysis is introduced to approximate the optimal control policy iteratively. A neural network (NN)-based actor-critic framework is applied to implement the developed data-driven approach. Finally, two simulation examples are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the developed approach.
OSL dating and luminescence characteristics of aeolian deposits and their source material in Dalarna, central Sweden

Aeolian dunes, coversands, glacifluvial deltas and paraglacial mass‐movement deposits in Bonäsheden and Skattungheden in Dalarna, central Sweden were dated by optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) on quartz. The OSL ages confirm that the majority of the dunes started forming directly after deglaciation, as suggested by previous investigators. Dune formation seems to have lasted at least 1500 years, until c. 9 ka. Four younger episodes of sand drift resulting in coversand deposition were dated by OSL and/or radiocarbon to 4100±200 a, 1569–1412 cal. a BP, 970±60 a and 150±10 a. The youngest one is related to changes in land use, while the older ones may be due to regional climatic changes. The dated quartz had excellent luminescence characteristics; the luminescence was bright and dominated by the fast signal component, which made it possible to successfully analyse even untreated material, so‐called range‐finder dating. These characteristics are most likely inherited from one of the source rocks of the Quaternary deposits – the Mesoproterozoic Dala sandstone, which we show to also have very good luminescence properties.
Neural Cache: Bit-Serial In-Cache Acceleration of Deep Neural Networks

This article presents Neural Cache architecture, which repurposes cache structures to transform them into massively parallel compute units capable of running inferences for deep neural networks. Techniques to do in situ arithmetic in SRAM arrays create efficient data mapping, and reducing data movement is proposed. Neural Cache architecture is capable of fully executing convolutional, fully connected, and pooling layers in cache. Our experimental results show that the proposed architecture can improve efficiency over a GPU by $\mathbf {128\times}$128× while requiring a minimal area overhead of 2%.
Climate and Land Use/Cover Change Impacts on the Ecologically Relevant Flow Metrics in the Cahaba River Watershed

ii Acknowledgments. iv List of Tables . vii List of Figures . viii Chapter I Introduction . 1 Chapter II Modeling Impacts of Land Use/Cover Change in the Upper Cahaba River Watershed . 7 Abstract . 7 Introduction . 8 Methodology . 12 Results and discussion . 25 Summary and conclusion . 29 References . 31 Chapter III Individual, Combined and Synergistic Impacts of Land Use/Cover and Climate Change on the Ecologically Relevant Flow Metrics . 52 Abstract . 52 Inroduction . 54 Methodology . 59 Results and discussion . 69 Summary and conclusion . 78 References . 81
Technology for SMS-based assistive device for the visually impaired

The term "tunanetra" is used to refer to someone who experiences total blindness or visual impairment. Such visual limitations result in visually impaired individuals facing difficulties in accessing information quickly and performing daily activities like walking, driving, and more. Walking is one of the crucial activities for visually impaired individuals because it is one way to explore the world and engage in daily activities. Based on this issue, an assistive device for the visually impaired was designed using embedded system technology. In 2022, Serly Juliana Taneo, Jonshon Tarigan, Frederika Rambu Ngana, and Andreas Ch. Louk developed a mobility aid device for individuals with visual impairments using ultrasonic sensors for distance detection and Arduino as the microcontroller. However, the device primarily focused on mobility, and there is a need to add new features, such as emergency information using SMS technology that can send messages with the press of a button. The research results indicate that the ultrasonic sensor successfully triggers vibrations within a range of 1-100 cm, and the button can send emergency notifications via SMS when pressed. Therefore, it can be concluded that all connected components can function as intended. By combining SMS technology and ultrasonic sensors, this assistive device is expected to enhance the safety and independence of individuals with visual impairments as they navigate their surroundings.
Estimating whether partial FOAF descriptions describe the same individual

Accurately determining whether two Friend Of A Friend (FOAF) descriptions describe the same person is crucial to the success of FOAF on the Semantic Web. Unless this is possible, FOAF descriptions of the same individual originating from disparate sources can not be merged together, or "smushed", into a single description. Without smushing, data remains locked within the silos of the originating FOAF descriptions, the holistic view is lost and less can logically be stated about any specific individual. Current approaches to smushing correctly recognize that people do not have a URI unique identifier and instead rely on Inverse Functional Properties (IFP), such as an email address, to act as a weaker proxy for a globally unique identifier upon which to join descriptions. In this paper we point out the inadequacy of this approach in a broad class of FOAF application areas relating to data mining and information extraction. We describe a method capable of smushing numerous automatically extracted partial FOAF descriptions from disparate sources where suitable IFPs are unavailable.
Structural variation in the humerus and femur in the American Great Plains and adjacent regions : differences in subsistence strategy and physical terrain

Doctor of Philosophy, 2001, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Anthropology (Biological), Structural Variation in the Humerus and Femur in the American Great Plains and Adjacent Regions: Differences in Subsistence Strategy and Physical Terrain Master of Arts, 1996, Wichita State University, Anthropology, Effect of Age on Sexual Dimorphism in the Adult Cranial Base and Upper Cervical Region Bachelor of Arts, 1994, Wichita State University, Anthropology with minors in Biology and Chemistry, Magna Cum Laude
Intercalation of C60 into MXene Multilayers: A Promising Approach for Enhancing the Electrochemical Properties of Electrode Materials for High-Performance Energy Storage Applications

In this study, we report on the enhancement of the electrochemical properties of MXene by intercalating C60 nanoparticles between its layers. The aim was to increase the interlayer spacing of MXene, which has a direct effect on capacitance by allowing the electrolyte flow in the electrode. To achieve this, various concentrations of Ti3SiC2 (known as MXene) and C60 nanocomposites were prepared through a hydrothermal process under optimal conditions. The resulting composites were characterized by using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and cyclic voltammetry. Electrodes were fabricated using different concentrations of MXene and C60 nanocomposites, and current–voltage (I–V) measurements were performed at various scan rates to analyze the capacitance of pseudo supercapacitors. The results showed the highest capacitance of 348 F g1– for the nanocomposite with a composition of 90% MXene and 10% C60. We introduce MXene-C60 composites as promising electrode materials for supercapacitors and highlight their unique properties. Our work provides a new approach to designing high-performance electrode materials for supercapacitors, which can have significant implications for the development of efficient energy storage systems.
BRDF-CORRECTED VEGETATION INDICES CONFIRM SEASONAL PATTERN IN GREENING OF FRENCH GUIANA’S FORESTS

Parmi les principaux outils disponibles pour la caracterisation de la dynamique forestiere, la teledetection est particulierement adapte pour l’observation des zones forestieres reculees et inaccessibles du territoire Guyanais. Dans le but de reevaluer les hypotheses enoncees dans des etudes anterieures sur la capacite des capteurs du satellite a detecter la dynamique de la phenologie, les donnees des indices de vegetation pour 12 annees issues de 2 capteurs satellite ont ete collectees: VEGETATION (sur le satellite SPOT-4), et MODIS (MOderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer). Les donnees ont ete analysees pour evaluer les tendances saisonnieres a l'echelle de l’ensemble de la Guyane et de quatre sites repartis sur le territoire et les donnees revelent que les forets de Guyane presentent de la saisonnalite. A partir des donnees satellite, nous constatons un pic de vert au cours de la periode de septembre a octobre, dans le jeu de donnees, qui correspond a un pic de production de feuille. As a toolset for monitoring changes in forest ecosystems, remote sensing is well suited to study the remote and otherwise inaccessible tropical forest tracts of French Guiana. In order to revisit hypotheses made in earlier studies regarding the ability of satellite sensors to observe phenological dynamics in the territory, vegetation index data was extracted from 12-year archives from 2 satellite sensors: the VEGETATION instrument on SPOT-4, and the MOderate Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). Data were analyzed for seasonal trends, and at the scale of both all of French Guiana and at 4 smaller sites dispersed across the territory, the data indicate that the territory’s forests display a distinct seasonality in leaf flushing, with green-up peaks occurring each year in the September to October timeframe.
Between Nonlinearities, Complexity, and Noises: An Application on Portfolio Selection Using Kernel Principal Component Analysis

This paper discusses the effects of introducing nonlinear interactions and noise-filtering to the covariance matrix used in Markowitz’s portfolio allocation model, evaluating the technique’s performances for daily data from seven financial markets between January 2000 and August 2018. We estimated the covariance matrix by applying Kernel functions, and applied filtering following the theoretical distribution of the eigenvalues based on the Random Matrix Theory. The results were compared with the traditional linear Pearson estimator and robust estimation methods for covariance matrices. The results showed that noise-filtering yielded portfolios with significantly larger risk-adjusted profitability than its non-filtered counterpart for almost half of the tested cases. Moreover, we analyzed the improvements and setbacks of the nonlinear approaches over linear ones, discussing in which circumstances the additional complexity of nonlinear features seemed to predominantly add more noise or predictive performance.
Wafer defect extraction algorithm and analysis for TDI-based line scanning dark-field scattering

In semiconductor manufacturing, wafer defect inspection is critical, both in front-end and back-end processes. Despite the presence of conventional techniques such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and others for inspecting wafer surface defects, these techniques are not sufficient to meet the urgent demands of in-line inspection for wafer fabs. This paper introduces a new method to fast inspect wafer defects utilizing dark-field scattering in conjunction with time delay integration (TDI). In addition, a wafer surface defect extraction algorithm is designed for this method. The comparison of the postprocessing results with images captured by digital microscopy shows that the algorithm can effectively reduce the influence of column fixed pattern noise (CFPN) on the subsequent defect enhancement and can extract the defect signal from the background noise. This method provides a more targeted reference for wafer surface defect inspection and has important application potential in semiconductor manufacturing.
Information support of stakeholders in the management of energy systems: development and implementation of interfaces

The object of this study is the process of providing informational support to stakeholders of the life cycle of energy to ensure strategic management of energy systems with renewable energy sources. The task to improve and develop information technologies applied to the management of complex energy systems and the issue of their socialization and perception by people were tackled. Considerable attention was paid to the task of data visualization in order to improve the perception of information by users. An important aspect of the interaction of energy life cycle stakeholders during the management of energy systems was explored and the need to ensure their involvement and trust in information technology was emphasized. The research considers the development and implementation of interfaces for a decision support system in the management of energy microgrids using renewable energy sources such as solar panels and wind generators. The results include web application architecture design, user role assignment, user action modeling, and data visualization. Approaches to the distribution of stakeholder authority, database access, interface design and data visualization for full client support were proposed. It is noted that the proposed interface solutions are designed for a decision support system in the management of microgrids with different types of renewable energy sources, such as solar panels and wind generators. Summarizing the results, the relevance of the task to devise methods of information support and interfaces for strategic management of energy systems has been emphasized. The conclusions imply the effectiveness of the proposed solutions for the strategic management of microgrids
Humans in Action at Different Levels: the group, the whole, and the parts

Humans are never alone, they are being observed either by other humans or by cameras in many different scenarios and contexts. Substantial amount of surveillance cameras have been deployed in public spaces in recent years, largely in response to security and safety concerns, but also, and gradually evolving, to extract behavioral statistics of people in different venues such as transport infrastructures, shopping centres, and sport arenas, among others. The so-called visual analytics is broadly gaining interest in the industry, where valuable behavioral information is extremely desired by clients in the retail, sport and entertainment areas, just to name a few. The huge amount of visual information is not only being generated by surveillance videos. Specially hand-held devices, such as smartphones, are facilitating a massive production of digital media content that is constantly uploaded to the internet using multimedia social platforms such as Facebook. Such a large video collection needs automatic solutions to efficiently retrieve information from pre-defined labels that may be footages of a certain type of actions or activities. Understanding the context of a visual environment is essential to properly interpret behavior, since the context will be distinct for each application. Science fiction movies often contain visions of ubiquitous spaces that understand the behavior and anticipate the need of their inhabitants. Effective visual analysis of non-verbal signs and expressiveness is central to meaningful interaction and communication in such intelligent environments. Looking carefully to the aforementioned domain settings, surveillance, multimedia and behavioral, visual human activity analysis is crucial for all of them. However, each one provides different constraints and context. This dissertation provides a bird-eye of the ecosystem of human activity analysis in computer vision by suggesting the categorization of actions in three different levels, the group in the scene, the whole in the frame, and the parts in the body, defined by the domain settings in which the application resides. In this way, we look for an intermediate characterization that provides a natural bridge between the type of content of the application, i.e. the perceptual inputs, and the application needs, i.e. the inferences. Therefore, this thesis investigated motion and relational-context representations, as the perceptual inputs, to support the modelling an detection of human action at each defined level, as the inferences. This thesis follows an application-based methodology to define the application requirements and evaluation process. For each application is proposed a framework that encompasses a complete and functional implementation, and that also integrates solutions to research questions previously identified and defined by the domain settings. Several experiments are reported to support the evidence of both the functional and academic contributions.