Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An Improved Algorithm for Image Edge Detection Based on Lifting Scheme

Wavelet transform is an ideal way for edge detection because of its multi-scale property, localization both in time and frequency domain, sensitivity to the abrupt change of signals, and so on. An improved algorithm for image edge detection based on Lifting Scheme is proposed in this paper. The simulation results show that our improved method can better reflect edge information of images.
Recent Advances in the Characterized Identification of Mono-to-Multi-Layer Graphene and Its Biomedical Applications: A Review

The remarkable mechanical, electrical, and thermal capabilities of monolayer graphene make it a wonder substance. As the number of layers in graphene flakes increases to few-layer graphene (number of layers ≤ 5) and multi-layer graphene (number of layers ≤ 10), its properties are affected. In order to obtain the necessary qualities, it is crucial to manage the number of layers in the graphene flake. Therefore, in the current review, we discuss the various processes for producing mono- and few-/multi-layer graphene. The impact of mono-/few-/multi-layer graphene is then assessed with regard to its qualities (including mechanical, thermal, and optical properties). Graphene possesses unique electrical features, such as good carrier mobility, typical ambipolar behaviour, and a unique energy band structure, which might be employed in field effect transistors (FETs) and utilized in radio frequency (RF) circuits, sensors, memory, and other applications. In this review, we cover graphene’s integration into devices for biomolecule detection as well as biomedical applications. The advantages of using graphene in each situation are explored, and samples of the most cutting-edge solutions for biomedical devices and other applications are documented and reviewed.
Influence of pH, light, food concentration and temperature in Aedes aegypti Linnaeus (Diptera: Culicidae) larval development

Aedes aegypti Linnaeus mosquito is a vector of several viruses that cause diseases of medical and veterinary importance. Dengue, yellow fever, Zika and Chikungunya viruses are more important arboviruses transmit by mosquitoes. A. aegypti life cycle goes through 4 stages of development and the time for development from egg to adult mosquito depends on a series of biotic and abiotic factors such as temperature, food availability and population density, studied in different species of insects. In this work we studied the effects of different food concentrations, temperatures variation, pH gradient and luminosity on the development of A. aegypti larvae. The eggs were collected in the city of Tangará da Serra/MT and larvae in the L1 stage were used for the tests. The results showed that all the factors studied interfered in the larval development. The increase in food concentration and temperature accelerated the development of larvae to pupae. The acidic pH (pH = 4) proved to be unsuitable for the development of larvae (100% lethality), with the ideal pH for the development of larval stages being equal to pH = 6. Although in all light variations (dark, light and photoperiod 10L/ 14D) there was complete development of the larvae, the photoperiod test proved to be more adequate. This study helps to better understand the success, dispersion and adaptation of the A. aegypti mosquito in different regions under different environmental conditions.
Review of entomopathogenic fungi and nematodes as biological control agents of tephritid fruit flies: current status and a future vision

Several fruit fly species (Diptera: Tephritidae) are invasive pests that damage the quality of fruits in horticultural crops and cause significant value losses worldwide. Management of fruit flies mainly depends on conventional insecticides. Unfortunately, the application of synthetic insecticides has caused environmental pollution, risks for humans and animals, and development of resistance. Furthermore, controlling fruit flies by applying synthetic insecticides is challenging because fruit containing third instars often fall from the tree – subsequently the larvae leave the decaying fruits and pupate in the soil. Consequently, both larvae and pupae are protected from surface‐applied insecticides in fruits and soil. So, there is a pressing need for more eco‐friendly and selective control measures with new modes of action. Among such measures are entomopathogenic fungi (EPFs) and nematodes (EPNs). I gathered knowledge on past and present research about EPFs and EPNs as biocontrol agents against fruit flies to investigate approaches that may improve their capacities. I also highlighted several recommendations that may help future field studies on the suppression of fruit fly populations by EPFs and EPNs.
Properties of a model for parallel computations: determinacy

This paper gives a graph-theoretic model for the description and analysis of parallel computations. Within the model, computation steps correspond to nodes of a graph, and dependency between computation steps is represented by branches with which queues of data are associated. First, it is shown that each such computation graphGrepresents a unique computation, determined independently of operation times. Next, methods of determining whether such a computation terminates and of finding the number of performances of each computation step are developed. The maximal strongly connected subgraphs of G and the loops within these subgraphs play aooutnal role in this analysis. For example, use is made of the result that either every computation step within a strongly connected snbgroph of G is performed an infinite number of times, or none is. Finally, necessary and sufficient conditions for the lengths of data queues to remain bounded are derived.
Detecting the PEX Like Domain of Matrix Metalloproteinase-14 (MMP-14) with Therapeutic Conjugated CNTs

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are essential proteins acting directly in the breakdown of the extra cellular matrix and so in cancer invasion and metastasis. Given its impact on tumor angiogenesis, monitoring MMP-14 provides strategic insights on cancer severity and treatment. In this work, we report a new approach to improve the electrochemical interaction of the MMP-14 with the electrode surface while preserving high specificity. This is based on the detection of the hemopexin (PEX) domain of MMP-14, which has a greater availability with a stable and low-cost commercial molecule, as a recognition element. This molecule, called NSC-405020, is specific of the PEX domain of MMP-14 within the binding pocket. Through the covalent grafting of the NSC-405020 molecule on carbon nanotubes (CNTs), we were able to detect and quantify MMP-14 using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy with a linear range of detection of 10 ng⋅mL−1 to 100 ng⋅mL−1, and LOD of 7.5 ng⋅mL−1. The specificity of the inhibitory small molecule was validated against the PEX domain of MMP-1. The inhibitor loaded CNTs system showed as a desirable candidate to become an alternative to the conventional recognition bioelements for the detection of MMP-14.
Professional Obstacles to Anaesthesiology Practice in Punjab, Pakistan: Qualitative Study of Consultant Anaesthesiologists’ Perspectives

Limitations in the global anaesthesia workforce contribute to the emigration of skilled anaesthesiologists from lower-income to higher-income countries, jeopardizing workforce balance and patient outcomes in Pakistan. This study aimed to explore the challenges experienced by anaesthesiologists in Punjab, Pakistan’s most populous province, and the potential changes to encourage their retention. We conducted a qualitative study, conducting semi-structured interviews with 25 purposively sampled consultant anaesthesiologists working in Punjab and analysing data thematically. Reported professional challenges and reasons consultant anaesthesiologists chose to work abroad differed between public and private sectors, each sector providing distinct challenges that compromised anaesthesia workforce numbers and quality. Key concerns were security, promotion/incentive structures, and gender inequalities in public hospitals versus inadequate salary and facilities, surgeon dependency, and the lack of out-of-theatre practice in private hospitals that minimized the scope and earnings of anaesthesiologists within Pakistan. Our findings help contextualise Pakistan’s anaesthesia workforce crisis, indicating public-sector improvements could include increasing security in hospital premises, performance-based incentives, and qualification-dependent promotion, while private-sector improvements could include decreasing surgeon dependency, fixing salary percentages by surgical case, and encouraging direct patient-anaesthesiologist relationships. National and subnational interventions to promote anaesthesiology, along with public awareness campaigns, could additionally raise its profile and encourage retention.
ALTERNATIVE APPROACH TO THE GENERALIZED POISSON ALGEBRAS

field tu, Berezin [l] introduced the Poisson Lie algebra structure on the ring gR(EM) (with respect to the operations of addition and multiplica-tion) of differentiable functions on EIJI. And Kirillov [2] generalized the Lie algebra structure on the local Lie algebra with oned-dimensional fibre. It was constructed from the pair (tu, Fi) of co and a given system of m differentiable functions Fi (i = 1,•••,m) on E"l. The conditions on (co, Ft) which make the ring gl(EM) into an infinite dimensional local Lie algebra were given in terms of the polyvector fields on gJn.
Conditional Extremes and Near-Extremes

This paper develops a theory of high and low (extremal) quantile regression: the linear models, estimation, and inference. In particular, the models coherently combine the convenient, flexible linearity with the extreme-value-theoretic restrictions on tails and the general heteroscedasticity forms. Within these models, the limit laws for extremal quantile regression statistics are obtained under the rank conditions (experiments) constructed to reflect the extremal or rare nature of tail events. An inference framework is discussed. The results apply to cross-section (and possibly dependent) data. The applications, ranging from the analysis of babies' very low birth weights, (S,s) models, tail analysis in heteroscedastic regression models, outlier-robust inference in auction models, and decision-making under extreme uncertainty, provide the motivation and applications of this theory.
Discrete conformal maps and ideal hyperbolic polyhedra

We establish a connection between two previously unrelated topics: a particular discrete version of conformal geometry for triangulated surfaces, and the geometry of ideal polyhedra in hyperbolic three-space. Two triangulated surfaces are considered discretely conformally equivalent if the edge lengths are related by scale factors associated with the vertices. This simple definition leads to a surprisingly rich theory featuring Mobius invariance, the definition of discrete conformal maps as circumcirclepreserving piecewise projective maps, and two variational principles. We show how literally the same theory can be reinterpreted to address the problem of constructing an ideal hyperbolic polyhedron with prescribed intrinsic metric. This synthesis enables us to derive a companion theory of discrete conformal maps for hyperbolic triangulations. It also shows how the definitions of discrete conformality considered here are closely related to the established definition of discrete conformality in terms of circle packings. 52C26; 52B10, 57M50
Free radical scavenging potential of methanol extract of Ficus thonningii leave and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometer (LCMS) profiling

This study evaluated the in vitro and in vivo free radical scavenging potentials of methanol extract of Ficus thonningii leaf and its liquid chromatography-mass spectrometer (LCMS) profiling. The qualitative phytochemical screening was carried out and the results show the presence of tannins, flavonoids, saponins glycoside and triterpenes. Antioxidant activities were carried out in vitro and in vivo and the reducing power shows a value of 0.53 ± 0.007 with a significant (p < 0.05) difference compared to the control and Diphenylpicrylhydrazyl (DPPH) value of 59.0 ± 0.007 with a significantly different (p < 0.05) compared to the control. However, the two assays are concentration-dependent. The in vivo analysis shows that lipid peroxidation, superoxide dismutase and catalase activities have values of 24.03± 8.04, 1.60± 0.03 and 0.003± 0.001 respectively. All the values are significantly different when compared to the control and are concentration-dependent. The LCMS results revealed the presence of some important metabolites; phenolic glycosides and quassin, which are potential molecules against free radicals. Therefore, Ficus thonningii leaf contains vital antioxidants and could be used in health management to boost the immune system or in drug development.
Spectral power distribution using time-varying operators

In this paper we consider the ability of a linear time-varying system to move energy from one frequency to another. After introducing a natural notion of rate-of-variation for linear time-varying operators, we give necessary and sufficient conditions on the rate-of-variation required of a bounded linear operator to map a given input to a given output, modulo l/sub 2/ signals. This result has applications in model validation, and in robustness analysis with time-varying uncertainty.
Measurable differentiable structures on doubling metric spaces

On metric spaces equipped with doubling measures, we prove that a differentiability theorem holds for Lipschitz functions if and only if the space supports nontrivial (metric) derivations in the sense of Weaver that satisfy an additional infinitesmal condition. In particular it extends the case of spaces supporting Poincar\'e inequalities, as first proven by Cheeger, as well as the case of spaces satisfying the Lip-lip condition of Keith. The proof relies on generalised "change of variable" arguments that are made possible by the linear algebraic structure of derivations. As a crucial step in the argument, we also prove new rank bounds for derivations with respect to doubling measures. (Note: this is an updated version of an earlier preprint, titled "Differentiability of Lipschitz functions on doubling metric measure spaces." The edits are listed in the comments.)
Linear global modes in spatially developing media

Selection criteria for self-excited global modes in doubly infinite one-dimensional domains are examined in the context of the linearized Ginzburg-Landau equation with slowly varying coefficients. Following Lynn & Keller (1970), uniformly valid approximations are sought in the complex plane in a region containing all relevant turning points. A mapping transformation is introduced to reduce the original Ginzburg-Landau equation to an exactly solvable comparison equation which qualitatively preserves the geometry of the Stokes line network. The specific case of two turning points with counted multiplicity is analysed in detail, particular attention being paid to the allowable configurations of the Stokes line network. It is shown that all global modes are either of type-1, with two simple turning points connected by a common Stokes line, or of type-2, with a single double-turning point. Explicit approximations are derived in both instances, for the global frequencies and associated eigenfunctions. It is argued, on geometrical grounds, that type-1 global modes may, in principle, be more unstable than type-2 global modes. This paper is a continuation and extension of the earlier study of Chomaz, Huerre & Redekopp (1991), where only type-2 global modes were investigated via a local WKBJ approximation scheme.
On the Schur indices of certain irreducible characters of reductive groups over finite fields

Introduction. Let Fq be a finite field with q elements, of characteristic p. Let G be a connected, reductive linear algebraic group defined over Fqy with Frobenius endomorphism F, and let G denote the group of F-fixed points of G. In [13], we investigated, under the assumption that the centre Z of G is connected, the rationality-properties of the characters \° of G induced by certain linear characters λ of a Sylow ^-subgroup of G and, using the results obtained there, proved some propositions concerning the Schur indices of the semisimple or regular irreducible characters of G. In this paper, we shall treat the general case, that is, the case that Z is not necessarily connected. The main results are stated and proved in § 2. In particular, we get the following (see Corollary 1 to Proposition 1, §2):
A new way of looking at distributional estimates; applications for the bilinear Hilbert transform

Distributional estimates for the Carleson operator acting on characteristic functions of measurable sets of finite measure were obtained by Hunt [12]. In this article we describe a simple method that yields such estimates for general operators acting on one or more functions. As an application we discuss how distributional estimates are obtained for the linear and bilinear Hilbert transform. These distributional estimates show that the square root of the bilinear Hilbert transform is exponentially integrable over compact sets. They also provide restricted type endpoint results on products of Lebesgue spaces where one exponent is 1 or the sum of the reciprocal of the exponents is 3/2. The proof of the distributional estimates for the bilinear Hilbert transform rely on an improved energy estimate for characteristic functions with respect to sets of tiles from which appropriate exceptional subsets have been removed.
The Point Spread as a Reference Point: Evidence from the National Basketball Association

A contentious literature surrounds the claim that heavy favorites’ failure to cover the point-spread in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) basketball could indicate point-shaving. This paper extends the literature by using a new methodology to show that favorites in the National Basketball Association (NBA) also frequently fail to cover the spread. However, the high salaries in the NBA make point-shaving by players unlikely. Moreover, heavy underdogs also fail to cover the point spread and lose by more than expected. These seemingly anomalous findings are consistent with underdogs’ using the point-spread as a reference point.
Multilingual Intelligence: The Politics of Poverty, Desire and Educational Reform

This paper advocates a concept, “Multilingual Intelligence” (MI), for understanding human mind in economically challenging multilingual societies of developing nations. It examines the social, cognitive and intersubjective resources a multilingual society generates, and how these contribute to the development of human intellect. The attempt here is not to replace ontologically bounded imaginaries of old concepts and theories of intelligence with a new one, but to look at human intelligence from another lens of human capacity to trans-/multilanguage. This paper discusses two paradigmatic cases - a “Multilingual Urban Poor (MUP)” and a “Multilingual Tribal Child (MTC)”- to conceptualise Multilingual Intelligence. The logic for MI is derived from the observation that because multilinguality and orality are commonplace in most societies in India, a speaker constantly trans/multi-languages and transknowledges. She reads the minds and linguistic behaviour of the interlocutors before speaking, switches between languages to enhance mutual intelligibility and, perennially lives in the realm of translation. These social-cognitive activities generate an enormous amount of cognitive flexibility, working memory, and higher inferential and metacognitive skills, making it more possible for the children to be intersubjectively attuned. Multilingual children develop a worldview that is founded primarily on connections and not on separation. Extending the two paradigmatic cases to children from other multilingual communities, this paper reflexively engages with how linguistic diversity and constraints impact human intelligence and creativity, and, if so, what should be our politics of human psychology, education and liberation.
Equitable identification of gifted students with the relationship of religiosity and ethical sensitivity level of teachers

As teachers are the gatekeepers in identification procedure, it is crucial to understand how teachers’ openness and beliefs may affect the equitable identification. To be specific, we focused on how teachers’ level of religious beliefs and ethical sensitivity impact notions of fairness in the identification of gifted students, particularly those from traditionally underrepresented groups. Study participants were 46 teachers who attended a Midwestern Catholic University in the U.S. Based on the results measuring teachers’ religiosity, ethical sensitivity, and equitable identification index from vignettes, we found that there were no statistically significant score differences of religiosity and ethics level of teachers when they were divided into two groups, one showing equitable identification versus the other comparatively not. However, the majority of teachers (70%) fairly identified students regardless of their religiosity, ethical sensitivity, school experiences, confidence level serving gifted students, and current academic status when the vignettes had different students’ race and family income status information.
Total least squares versus RBF neural networks in static calibration of transducers

The problem of static calibration of measurement channels is considered under an assumption that the raw result of measurement depends both on a scalar measurand and on a scalar influence quantity. The methodology of calibration based on the use of cubic B-splines for total-least-squares approximation of the forward static characteristics of measurements channels and on the use of radial-basis-function neural networks for approximation of the inverse static characteristics is developed and examined using synthetic data representing a measurement channel with a fibre-optic sensor. Two algorithms of calibration are compared. The accuracy of measurements, based on the results of calibration, is used as the main criterion of comparison. Some conclusions are formulated concerning the properties of the compared algorithms of calibration.
Floodplain Surface‐Water Circulation Dynamics: Congaree River, South Carolina, USA

A robustly calibrated and validated hydrodynamic model depicts flow patterns over a topographically complex floodplain with a heterogeneous main channel levee. Simulations highlight floodplain inundation dynamics for two conditions, the passage of sub‐bankfull and overbank flood waves. Sub‐bankfull inundation commences with the passage of the flood wave crest beyond the lower elevation levee breaches, and floodplain wetting is guided by the channel network. Hence, the upstream sub‐bankfull inundation area expands while much of the downstream floodplain remains dry. The onset of overbank flow is spatially variable but becomes continuous, and the through‐bank channels persist as preferential pathways that produce higher velocity flows several kilometers inland. Meanwhile, near‐stagnant zones develop between through‐bank channel mouths, where water is temporarily stored and routed to the channel network. Also, 48% of the inundation water is from the river while 52% enters the study area from the upstream floodplain. Overall, floodplain wetting and draining processes significantly influence flow direction, and characteristics of the flood wave over the floodplain surface such that a single stage in the main channel does not uniquely define floodplain flow hydraulics. Given these findings we propose that assessments of floodplain hydraulic connectivity account for the effects of heterogeneous levee structure and intra‐floodplain exchanges, as well as the typical flow thresholds associated with submergence and emergence of topography.