Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
WIP: Towards a Certifiably Robust Defense for Multi-label Classifiers Against Adversarial Patches

—The advent of deep learning has brought about vast improvements to computer vision systems and facilitated the development of self-driving vehicles. Nevertheless, these models have been found to be susceptible to adversarial attacks. Of particular importance to the research community are patch attacks, which have been found to be realizable in the physical world. While certifiable defenses against patch attacks have been developed for tasks such as single-label classification, there does not exist a defense for multi-label classification. In this work, we propose such a defense called Multi-Label PatchCleanser, an extension of the current state-of-the-art (SOTA) method for single-label classification. We find that our approach can achieve non-trivial robustness on the MSCOCO 2014 validation dataset while maintaining high clean performance. Additionally, we leverage a key constraint between patch and object locations to develop a novel procedure and improve upon baseline robust performance.
The Civic-Minded Graduate Construct in the Context of the Engaged University—A Case Study of a University From Slovakia

Our exploratory study analyzes the civic-mindedness of university graduates in an engaged university with emphasis on Central and Eastern Europe, particularly Slovakia. The research sample consisted of 452 graduates of the second level of university studies. To map and analyze civic-mindedness, we used the Civic-Minded Graduate Questionnaire (CMG; Steinberg et al., 2011). At the selected university, graduates scored the highest in skills and dispositions and the lowest in behavioral intentions. Furthermore, we found that those graduates who volunteered during their university studies had statistically significant greater development in the areas knowledge, skills, dispositions, and behavioral intentions, as well as in CMG scale overall, than those who did not participate in volunteering. Our study showed that the CMG concept is usable in countries with different contexts of the development of the university environment and the idea of citizenship and can help map the level of civic-mindedness among university graduates.
Augmented Semi-naive Bayes Classiﬁer

The naive Bayes is a competitive classiﬁer that makes strong conditional independence assumptions. Its accuracy can be improved by relaxing these assumptions. One classiﬁer which does that is the semi-naive Bayes. The state-of-the-art algorithm for learning a semi-naive Bayes from data is the backward sequential elimination and joining (BSEJ) algorithm. We extend BSEJ with a second step which removes some of its unwarranted independence assumptions. Our classiﬁer out-performs BSEJ and ﬁve other Bayesian network classiﬁers on a set of benchmark databases, although the diﬀerence in performance is not statistically signiﬁcant.
Montclair State University Digital Montclair State University Digital Commons Commons

For students and schools, the current policy is to measure success via standardized testing. Yet the immutable factors of socioeconomic status (SES) and race have, consistently, been implicated in fostering an achievement gap. The current study explores, at the school-level, the impact of these factors on test scores. Percentage of students proficient for Language and Math was analyzed from 452 schools across the state of New Jersey. By high school, 52% of the variance in Language and 59% in Math test scores can be accounted for by SES and racial factors. At this level, a 1% increase in school minority population corresponds to a 0.19 decrease in percent Language proficient and 0.33 decrease for Math. These results have significant implications as they suggest that school-level interventions to improve academic achievement scores will be stymied by socioeconomic and racial factors and efforts to improve the achievement gap via testing have largely measured it.
STI POLICY AND MANAGEMENT

The COVID-19 pandemic has been forcing a global shift toward technical and inventive skills to increase job readiness and productivity. Vocational graduates must be able to respond competitively by acquiring added value through soft skills. This can help them to compete in the domestic and global job market. These skills are now required for professional acceptance. This study aims to investigate the role of soft skills in learning and using information technology, the internet, and computers in order to increase individual and organizational efficiency, especially for vocational graduates. The data in this study were obtained through online surveys on vocational graduates from LPP Polytechnic and comprehensive interviews with educational institutions, government agencies, industry representatives, and LPP Polytechnic graduates. The statistical results show that there is no significant difference of the graduates’ technological mastery between the time of their graduation and after employment . It is also revealed that many vocational graduates have learned to use soft skills to improve their professional competitiveness and technical abilities. ICT skills increase the employability of vocational human resources so that they are more capable of competing with undergraduate human resources. Authorship Contribution: All authors have equal contributions as the main authors
An Improvement of The MRI Segmentation Algorithm on The Human Brain

- The complexity of segmenting a brain tumor is critical in medical image processing. Treatment options and patient survival rates can only be improved if brain tumors can be prevented and treated. Segmentation of the brain is the most complex and time-consuming task to diagnose cancer utilizing a manual approach for numerous Magnetic Resonance Images. Segmentation of brain tumors must be done automatically. Brain tumor analysis was done using with state-of-the-art Artificial Intelligence algorithm like U-Net with EfficientNet-B7. Brain lesion segmentation is performed using the BraTS 2020 dataset. Based on MRI scans of the brain, the tumor segmentation technique is assessed using F 1 score, Dice Loss, and Intersection Over Union (IoU) score. The U-Net with EfficientNet-B7 architecture was shown to be crucial in the treatment of brain tumors, according to the findings of the experiments.
ZINC BIOFORTIFICATION: A NOVEL STRATEGY FOR IMPROVING HUMAN HEALTH

Zinc (Zn) is an essential trace element needed for proper growth of plants, animals and human. The area where there is deficiency of Zn in the soil is also the area with widespread occurrence of Zn deficiency in human. Zinc fertilization in the field will not only help in correcting Zn deficiency in the crop and obtaining better yield and productivity, but will also help in fighting against malnutrition due to Zn in the population relying on that crop. Various approaches like industrial fortification, food supplementation and dietary diversification are implemented to fight against micronutrient malnutrition. However, these are neither sustainable as well as cost-effective, nor do they target the rural population. Biofortification of Zn in the grains of staple food crops is a better option to reach the poorest of the poor. However, biofortifying the crops with micronutrients meet up with several challenges. More than 50% of the Zn is lost during milling. The remaining fraction of Zn is also not available to the full extent for intestinal absorption due to presence of some antinutrient factors like phytates. Therefore, the biofortification programmes should aim at engineering Zn partitioning more to seed endosperm, curbing loss of Zn, Fe and other essentials during processing and Zn profiling of food crops along with Fe and other nutrients, antinutrients and promoters to get a better crop for a healthy life.
of Native Status

Use of the term “native” when referring to plants is common in many settings. However, what “native” means to different individuals and groups is often poorly understood. Inconsistent definition of native status (“nativity”) may complicate implementation or endorsement of conservation activities, particularly those involving revegetation. Professionals in plant-related fields are typically responsible for developing revegetation projects as well as regulations that apply to these projects. To assess how definition criteria may differ between groups we developed a questionnaire that asked respondents to assess native status in 13 hypothetical revegetation scenarios. A total of 303 questionnaires were evaluated with respondents from 33 states. Different respondent groups responded differently in certain scenarios. Where differences existed, professionals in plant-related fields were more likely to regard plants native than non-professionals. Respondents associated with Native Plant Societies (NPS) were less likely to designate plants as native than non-NPS respondents. Successful conservation activities with native plants should involve open and precise definition of nativity
Eﬀicient and Transparent Wi-Fi Offloading for HTTP(S) POSTs

—With the emergence of online platforms for (social) sharing, collaboration and backing up, mobile users generate ever-increasing amounts of digital data, such as documents, photos and videos, which they upload while on the go. Cellular Internet connectivity (e.g., 3G/4G) enables mobile users to upload their data but drains the battery of their devices and overloads mobile service providers. Wi-Fi data ofﬂoading overcomes the aforementioned issues for delay-tolerant data. However, it comes at the cost of constrained mobility for users, as they are required to stay within a given area while the data is uploaded. The up-link of the broadband connection of the access point often constitutes a bottleneck and incurs waiting times of up to tens of minutes. In this paper, we advocate the exploitation of the storage capabilities of common devices located on the Wi-Fi access point’s LAN, typically residential gateways, NAS units or set-top boxes, to decrease the waiting time. We propose H OOP , a system for ofﬂoading upload tasks onto such devices. H OOP operates seamlessly on HTTP ( S ) POST , which makes it highly generic and widely applicable; it also requires limited changes on the gateways and on the web servers and none to existing protocols or browsers. H OOP is secure and, in a typical setting, reduces the waiting time by up to a factor of 46. We analyze the security of H OOP and evaluate its performance by correlating mobility traces of users with the position of the Wi-Fi access points of a leading community network (i.e., FON) that relies on major national ISPs. We show that, in practice, H OOP drastically decreases the delay between the time the photo is taken and the time it is uploaded, compared to regular Wi-Fi data ofﬂoading. We also demonstrate the practicality of H OOP by implementing it on a wireless router.
A Framework for Assessing the Impacts of Mining Development on Regional Water Resources in Colombia

Developing its large-scale mining industry is an economic priority for Colombia. However, national capacity to assess and manage the water resource impacts of mining is currently limited. This includes lack of baseline data, lack of suitable hydrological models and lack of frameworks for evaluating risks. Furthermore, public opposition to large scale mining is high and is a barrier to many proposed new mining projects mainly because of concerns about impacts on water resources. There are also concerns about impacts on the uplands that are important water sources, particularly the paramo ecosystem. This paper argues the case for a new framework for Strategic Assessment of Regional Water Impacts of Mining, aiming to support land use planning decisions by government for selected mining and prospective mining regions. The proposed framework is modelled on the Australian Government’s Bioregional Assessments program, converted into seven stages plus supporting activities that meet the Colombian development context. The seven stages are: (1) Contextual information; (2) Scenario definition; (3) Risk scoping; (4) Model development; (5) Risk analysis; (6) Database development; and (7) Dissemination by government to stakeholders including the general public. It is emphasised that the process and results should be transparent, the data and models publicly accessible, and dissemination aimed at all levels of expertise.
Emotionality in the post-pandemic primary physical education classroom

The pandemic has caused different consequences in the education and health of schoolchildren, psychological effects being one of the most worrying. The school and especially Physical Education teachers are called on to play an important role in the emotional support of schoolchildren. The aim of this study is to analyze the perceptions of elementary school Physical Education teachers regarding the emotional environment during the return to face-to-face classes. The convenience sample consisted of 12 physical education teachers who worked in elementary schools and were active during the virtual and post-pandemic years. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data regarding gender equality and years of experience. The stories emerge categories associated with emotionality in the classroom, the learning gap, the importance of teacher-student interaction, specialized emotional support, effective communication and emotional regulation. Teachers enhance the commitment in the containment and evaluation of the socio-emotional and psychological state of the students, in addition to ensuring the incorporation of methodologies that consider emotional work. Inside the classroom, teachers recognize the importance of affectivity and motivation in their didactic deployment, promoting learning through a healthy class climate.
Application of a socio-environmental vulnerability index for disasters through a Geographic Information System (GIS): a case study in Blumenau (SC)

Objective: To map and classify the socio-environmental vulnerability of regions in the municipality of Blumenau (SC) to socio-environmental disasters (floods and landslides) through the construction of a socio-environmental vulnerability index (SEVI) for the period 2000-2020. Method: The SEVI map was developed from a multicriteria analysis with the aid of a geographic information system (GIS). For the SEVI to operate, it was necessary to prepare the indices of environmental susceptibility (ES) and social vulnerability (SV), which were then cross-referenced in an impact matrix. Relevance: To develop a methodology for assessing the socio-environmental vulnerability to disasters, which considers issues related both to the local natural environment and to the ability of social groups to resist/respond to disasters. Results: The results have indicated an increase in informal settlements in permanent preservation areas, environmental degradation, social inequality and consequently a population exposed to risk. In short, Blumenau presents a pattern of high susceptibility and an exacerbated increase in social vulnerability, which thereby configures a highly vulnerable scenario for socio-environmental disasters. Contributions: Advances made in evaluation research and in formulating integrated management proposals for risk and resilience in the municipalities of Vale do Itajaí/SC/Brazil. In this context, it is essential to understand the scenarios with the greatest impact of socio-environmental disasters, as a tool for urban planning and disaster risk management in the municipality of Blumenau (SC).
Waste plastic oil as an alternative fuel for diesel engine – A Review

With increase in energy expenditure, stringent emission norms, depletion of petroleum fuels and undulate cost of petroleum products in India, it has become vital to use alternative fuels for diesel engines. The energy conversion from waste plastics has been an intelligent way to tackle the environmental pollution problem of waste plastic management in the landfills. Plastics being derived from petrochemical source has higher amount of hydrocarbon which yield oil with high calorific value. In this review, performance combustion and emission characteristics of diesel engine using neat plastic oil, blends of waste plastic oil and additives used with plastic oil as fuels are addressed. It is concluded that it is possible to use plastic oil derived from plastic wastes as an alternative fuel for diesel engines.
Effect of Water Salinity on Seedlings Growth of Brown Turkey and Royal Fig Cultivars

Saline water was previously considered unusable for irrigation but some researchers have shown that these waters can be used successfully to grow crops under certain conditions Bravdo 2000,Dordipour et al., 2004. It is well known that salt can impair the performance of production and growth of many horticultural plants especially fruit trees. (Glenn et al., 1999, Abd El-Hady et al., 2003). This study was aimed to evaluate the effect of water salinity on the vegetative growth of fig ( Ficus carica, var Brown Turkey and Royal). The study was carried out during April, May and June 2009/2010, under the conditions of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia). Four irrigation treatments were applied using four levels of sodium chloride (NaCl): 0.8, (control), 2.5, 4.6 and 5.2 dS m -1 , plus a fifth treatment that combined all concentrations starting gradually from low concentration to high concentration of NaCl. Irrigation was 1.5 L seedling -1 , 2 times per week for three months in each season. In both varieties there were significant differences among treatments in leaf chlorophyll (a) and chlorophyll (b), but no differences in total chlorophyll. Proline free concentrations of Brown Turkey were higher than those in the Royal as salinity increased. Generally, Brown Turkey was less affected by salinity than Royal. Water irrigation containing salinity levels up to5.2 dSm -1 is recommended for Brown Turkey in contrast with the Royal variety in order to overcome the shortage of water resources.
Contemporary Business Strategies to survive during Covid-19: A case Study of Zimbabwe

- The purpose of this paper is to assess the contemporary practical strategies which are being employed by businesses in the Covid-19 era. The study analyzed certain strategies which organizations are implementing in the Covid-19 era and some of the strategies which business can adopt during and post-pandemic. The study used primary data to get insights. A case study of Zimbabwean business was used to analyze boundary-specific strategies and situations. From the study conducted, effective communication with stakeholders, online business (utilization of social media), collaboration, and local support, back-door services were confirmed to be the major strategies that businesses are using to survive in Zimbabwe during the Covid-19 pandemic. Results were also presented in graphs and tables. Finally, recommendations were given as per identified strategies that can be adopted by banks during the pandemic for their survival.
РАДІОЕЛЕКТРОНІКА ТА ТЕЛЕКОМУНІКАЦІЇ RADIO ELECTRONICS AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Context. The development of information and communication technologies has led to an increase in the volume of information sent over the network. Media service platforms play an important role in the creation and processing of bitrate in the information network. Therefore, there is a need to develop a methodology for predicting bitrate in various media service platforms by creating an effective algorithm that minimizes the forecast error. Objective. The aim of the work is to synthesize in analytical form the state transition matrix of the Kalman filter for non-stationary self-similar processes when predicting the bitrate in telecommunication networks. Method. A methodology has been developed for predicting teletraffic in media service platforms, based on a modification of the Kalman filter for non-Gaussian processes. This methodology uses an original procedure for calculating statistics, which makes it possible to reduce the filtering and forecast error that arises due to the uncertainty of the analytical model of the process under study. The methodology does not require knowledge of the analytical model of the process, as well as strict restrictions on its stochastic characteristics. Results. A methodology for estimating and forecasting bitrate in telecommunication systems is proposed. This methodology was used to study teletraffic processes in the media service platforms Google Meet, Zoom, Microsoft Teams. The passage of real bitrate through the specified media service platforms was studied. A comparison of real teletraffic with predicted teletraffic was carried out. The influence of the order of the state transition matrix of the Kalman filter on the error of estimation and prediction has been studied. It has been established that even a low (second) order of the state transition matrix allows one to obtain satisfactory forecast re-sults. It is shown that the use of the proposed methodology makes it possible to predict traffic with a relative error of the order of 3– 4%. Conclusions. An original algorithm for assessing and forecasting the characteristics of media traffic has been developed. Recommendations for improving the technology for building media service platforms are formulated. It is shown that the bitrates generated by various media service platforms, in the case of applying the proposed estimation and forecasting methodology, are invariant with respect to the type of stochastic processes being processed.
East African Journal of Education Studies

This article has examined the current state of the Burundian education system by relating it to the contribution of the former coloniser and the action of Burundi's post-colonial politics and governance in a context where what goes wrong in the field is unofficially linked to colonial action and imperialist influence. Data was collected using the qualitative method through interviews with experts in the field of education, historians, teachers at all levels, professionals, parents, students, and officials of the ministry in charge of education. The processing, analysis and interpretation of the data followed the thematic approach, and the results were confronted with the existing literature to conclude that the educational system in post-colonial Burundi suffers from the decline of the language of instruction, the almost non-existence of critical thinking skills in the curricula as well as the almost non-existence of innovative problem-solving skills. Moreover, after more than 60 years of independence, it has been proven that Burundi has no reason to continue blaming the former coloniser for the difficulties that haunt this sector.