Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A Next-Generation Computing Engine for an Embedded IoT Systems-Based Intelligent English Classroom Learning System

In order to improve the effect of intelligent English teaching, this paper explores the scientific connotation of the current intelligent classroom and the construction ideas of information technology courses based on the intelligent classroom supported by electronic schoolbag equipment. Moreover, algorithm analysis is performed on the next-generation computing engine of the Internet of Things platform. Based on the characteristics of a large number of intelligent heterogeneous network elements in the perception layer of the Internet of Things and the need for real-time processing of the perception data of the Internet of Things front-end, a ubiquitous storage model of the Internet of Things and a layered expansion ubiquitous storage strategy are proposed. Moreover, through in-depth research on the requirements and query technology of multi-objective decision-making applications in the Internet of Things, this paper proposes an efficient query method for multi-dimensional perception data. In addition, this paper constructs an English classroom learning system and conducts systematic evaluation through experimental teaching. The research results show that the teaching system constructed in this paper is effective.
Protein conformational ensembles in function: roles and mechanisms

The sequence-structure-function paradigm has dominated twentieth century molecular biology. The paradigm tacitly stipulated that for each sequence there exists a single, well-organized protein structure. Yet, to sustain cell life, function requires (i) that there be more than a single structure, (ii) that there be switching between the structures, and (iii) that the structures be incompletely organized. These fundamental tenets called for an updated sequence-conformational ensemble-function paradigm. The powerful energy landscape idea, which is the foundation of modernized molecular biology, imported the conformational ensemble framework from physics and chemistry. This framework embraces the recognition that proteins are dynamic and are always interconverting between conformational states with varying energies. The more stable the conformation the more populated it is. The changes in the populations of the states are required for cell life. As an example, in vivo, under physiological conditions, wild type kinases commonly populate their more stable “closed”, inactive, conformations. However, there are minor populations of the “open”, ligand-free states. Upon their stabilization, e.g., by high affinity interactions or mutations, their ensembles shift to occupy the active states. Here we discuss the role of conformational propensities in function. We provide multiple examples of diverse systems, including protein kinases, lipid kinases, and Ras GTPases, discuss diverse conformational mechanisms, and provide a broad outlook on protein ensembles in the cell. We propose that the number of molecules in the active state (inactive for repressors), determine protein function, and that the dynamic, relative conformational propensities, rather than the rigid structures, are the hallmark of cell life.
Lava Cave Microbial Mat and Secondary Mineral Deposit Communities: Implications for Life Detection on Other Planets

1 Biology Department, MSC03 2020, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131 USA (+1-505-277-5232 (v); +1-505-277-6318 (fax), dnorthup@unm.edu); 2 Institute of Meteoritics, University of New Mexico; University of Hawaii at Hilo; Bishop Museum; Earth and Environmental Sciences, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology; National Cave and Karst Research Institute; CITA-A, Departamento de Ciencias Agrarias, Universidade dos Acores
Investigation into the effects of pesticides on amphibians

Amphibian population decline is a recognised phenomenon spanning at least the last 40 years, and it is likely that a number of factors have contributed, including environmental contamination. Amphibians are vulnerable to agrochemical uptake as they must breed in water, and often spend the aquatic phase of their lifecycle in agricultural water bodies, which may contain a complex mixture of biologically active chemicals. Endocrine disrupting compounds may cause reproductive effects in humans and wildlife, although the link between pesticides and endocrine disruption is largely unknown. Therefore, in this study, the role of pesticides in endocrine disruption, in relation to amphibian metamorphosis and reproductive development, was investigated. To achieve this objective, population data were used to select suitable field sites, water from which was tested for endocrine activity using the yeast estrogen/androgen screen, hepatocyte culture (estrogenic response), and a transgenic Xenopus test (thyroid disruption). Toad (Bufo bufo) specimens from a subsample of these sites were used to compare morphology, thyroidal, and gonadal development of caged and wild-caught tadpoles/metamorphs, to their laboratory-raised counterparts. In addition, environmentally relevant pesticides were tested for endocrine effects in vitro, and a short-term in vivo exposure was used to assess the predictive ability of the in vitro screens in Xenopus. Mortality of Bufo bufo was high in both laboratory-reared and caged individuals, which hindered the interpretation of results due to low n values. However, laboratory-reared individuals from different sites had distinct morphology and gonadal differentiation, possibly suggesting maternal transfer, a latent effect of the pond environment, and/or genetic effects. In addition, caged and wild-caught individuals were smaller, metamorphosed later, and had retarded gonadal differentiation or increased incidence of intersex, compared to their laboratory-reared counterparts. Extracts of water samples from these sites were predominantly antiestrogenic, and/or anti-androgenic in yeast based assays, and this was also the effect observed in response to environmentally relevant pesticides tested in the same assays. Pesticides also affected ovarian steroidogenesis in vitro, and pentachlorophenol had a reprotoxic effect on adult female Xenopus laevis. Data reported in this study suggest there may be endocrine disrupting effects in native amphibians in the agricultural landscape, although further investigation is needed to confirm these findings.
Beyond the comfort zone: digital nudges for off-profile recommendations

ALVES, G. Beyond the comfort zone: digital nudges for off-profile recommendations. 2023. 89 p. Dissertação (Mestrado em Ciências – Ciências de Computação e Matemática Computacional) – Instituto de Ciências Matemáticas e de Computação, Universidade de São Paulo, São Carlos – SP, 2023. In today’s constantly evolving society, recommendation systems have emerged as a crucial tool in the digital age. In many application areas of recommendation systems, such as media streaming sites, the main objective of service providers is to increase user engagement by helping them discover new types of content they like. Standard collaborative filtering algorithms typically lead to some level of discovery. However, in some cases, it is useful to actively promote out-of-profile items so that users can explore new possibilities. But when showing out-of-profile items to users along with more familiar ones, new items may go unnoticed. In this research, we examine how the technique of "digital nudging", or subtly directing user choices in a specific direction, can help increase user attention and interest in out-of-profile content. We conducted a user study (N=1,064) in a real book recommendation application. We found that by directing users to recommended books of non-preferred genres, there was a significant increase in out-of-profile books added to reading lists, confirming the effectiveness of digital nudging. However, we also found that the subjective perception of recommendation relevance may decrease when using nudging, resulting in lower satisfaction and lower intention to reuse the system. Therefore, digital nudging in recommendations is effective in the short term, but should be used with caution, keeping an eye on users’ overall perceptions of quality and potential long-term harmful effects.
CUMULATIVE PLASTIC STRAIN AND THRESHOLD STRESS OF A QUASI-SATURATED COMPACTED SILTY CLAY

The knowledge of cumulative plastic strain and stability threshold of subgrade soil under cyclic loading is of prime importance in a proper design and maintenance planning of highway pavement structures and railway tracks. The soil beneath a pavement or a track usually exists under quasi-saturated conditions wherein the water voids in the soil remain continuous. Quasi-saturated specimens are essentially partially saturated at low confining pressures. However, with the increase in confining stresses, the air voids in the quasi-saturated specimens are dissolved into solution and the soil behaves like saturated material. Both monotonic and cyclic undrained triaxial tests have been carried out on quasi-saturated compacted specimens of a silty clay. The monotonic tests have been used to develop critical state soil mechanics framework for quasi-saturated behavior. The cyclic undrained behavior of quasi-saturated specimens has been then interpreted using this critical state framework. A generalized bilinear log-log model is proposed for the prediction of cumulative plastic strain with number of load cycles for fine-grained soils. Threshold stress is evaluated using both plastic strain development and pore pressure generation criteria. A generalized relationship between threshold stress ratio and plasticity index is proposed for a variety of soils at low and relatively high confining stresses.
Seasonal Prediction Assessment of the South Asian Summer Monsoon: ENSEMBLES versus DEMETER

Abstract The seasonal forecasting skill with respect to the South Asian summer monsoon (SASM) was compared between the European Commission FP7 project (ENSEMBLES) and the Development of a European Multimodel Ensemble System for Seasonal to Interannual Prediction project (DEMETER). The Webster-Yang index (WYI) was chosen to represent the intensity of the SASM. First, the authors compared the ability to forecast the zonal wind at 850 hPa (U850) and 200 hPa (U200) between ENSEMBLES and DEMETER models. The results indicated that the models from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, International Organization (ECMWF) and UK Met Office (UKMO) in ENSEMBLES possess greater skill in seasonally forecasting the JJA (June, July, and August) U850, U200, and U850 minus U200 than in DEMETER. Compared to in DEMETER, the JJA U200 and U850 minus U200 forecasting skill was greater for the model from Météo-France (MF) in ENSEMBLES over most of the SASM region. The three coupled models (ECMWF, MF, and UKMO), especially the UKMO model in ENSEMBLES, all demonstrated improved skill in their seasonal forecasts compared to in DEMETER with respect to the interannual variability of the SASM. The three ENSEMBLES models also showed better ability in forecasting the sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTAs) over the eastern equatorial Pacific and North Indian Ocean, and more accurately reproduced the large-scale atmospheric circulation and precipitation over northern India, which are related to the SASM. It seems that the couple between the atmospheric system and external forcing of ENSMBLES over Indian Ocean and Pacific is better than that of DEMETER.
Regularities of Formation of Structure, Phase Composition and Properties of Chromium–Manganese Alloys in the Initial Cast State during the Process of Friction Wear

Structural and phase transformations, as well as changes in the microhardness of the matrix, austenite-carbide eutectic, and total hardness that occur in chromium–manganese alloys in the cast state during wear by friction under different loads are studied. As shown, a high wear resistance of chromium–manganese alloy (C—3.1%, Cr—13.1%, Mn—15.75%, Ni—1.15%) is associated with high microhardness of the matrix, austenitic-carbide eutectic based on Me 7 C 3 carbide and determined by the degree of doping and the parameter of the shape of the eutectic carbide, as well as due to the defor-mation-phase transformations that occur in the investigated alloys during friction wear.
Remote Sensing of Environment

Information on the timing of melt onset over sea ice is important for understanding the Arctic’s changing climate. The daily temporal resolution of passive microwave brightness temperatures provides the most widely utilized observations to detect melt onset but are limited to a spatial resolution of 25 km. Wide-swath synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery provides a much higher spatial resolution (20–100 m) but melt onset detection remains challenging because of i) insufficient temporal resolution to facilitate accurate melt onset detection, ii) inconsistent viewing geometries and iii) limited image availability across the Arctic. Here, we construct high temporal resolution composite gamma nought backscatter products (1 day, 1–2 day and 2–4 day) using Sentinel-1 and RADARSAT-2 over a close-to-seamless revisit region located in northern Canadian Arctic and Greenland for estimating melt onset over Arctic sea ice in 2016 and 2017. We employ the necessary radiometric terrain flattening and local resolution weighting techniques to generate normalised backscatter over the entire study region, removing restrictions limiting analysis to a single sensor or track’s swath width by integrating both ascending and descending passes into the composite products. Results indicate that higher temporal resolution multi-sensor composite gamma nought products (1 day) that make use of the most imagery provide a robust temporal evolution of the backscatter. This allows for more representative estimates of melt onset as it is easier to separate the melt onset threshold from winter variability that is otherwise a considerable challenge for SAR based melt onset algorithms because of inconsistent temporal resolution. Multi-sensor composite gamma naught melt onset detection is in good agreement with melt onset estimates derived from the Advance Scatterometer (ASCAT) backscatter values and passive microwave brightness temperatures over homogenous sea ice regions but very noticeable improvement was found within narrow channels and regions with more heterogeneous sea ice. In anticipation of the availability of data from even more SAR satellites with the launch of the RADARSAT Constellation Mission, the multi-sensor composite gamma nought approach presented here may offer the most robust approach to estimate the timing of melt onset over sea ice across the Arctic using high spatiotemporal resolution SAR. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse. 2019.04.031 Posted at the Zurich Open Repository and Archive, University of Zurich ZORA URL: https://doi.org/10.5167/uzh-171432 Journal Article Published Version The following work is licensed under a Creative Commons: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) License. Originally published at: Howell, Stephen E L; Small, David; Rohner, Christoph; Mahmud, Mallik S; Yackel, John J; Brady, Michael (2019). Estimating melt onset over Arctic sea ice from time series multi-sensor Sentinel-1 and RADARSAT-2 backscatter. Remote Sensing of Environment, 229:48-59. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse. 2019.04.031
Subjective and Objective Quality Evaluation of Lightly Distorted Synthetic Images

Measuring visual quality, as perceived by human observers, is becoming increasingly important in a large number of applications in which humans are the ultimate consumers of visual information. To aid in the developing of objective image quality assessment (IQA) algorithms, many natural image databases have been developed that contain the subjective ratings of the images by human observers. Subjective quality evaluation data is less available for synthetic images such as those commonly encountered in viewing video games or animated movies. In addition, a variety of powerful full-reference, reduced-reference and no-reference IQA algorithms have been proposed over the past decade or so for natural images, but their performance has not been evaluated on synthetic images. In this paper we (1) conduct a series of subjective tests on a new publicly available Embedded Signal Processing System (ESPL) Synthetic Image Database containing 500 distorted images (20 distorted images for each of the 25 original images) in 1920 × 1080 format, and (2) evaluate the performance of more than 50 publicly available IQA algorithms which we use on the new database. We also conducted a human study on the database, collecting 26000 individual human ratings and associated mean opinion scores for each image to statistically evaluate full-reference, reducedreference and no-reference IQA algorithm performance. We find that natural scene statistics can be successfully used to predict the perceptual quality of synthetic scenes and we also identify statistical features that can be used to represent distortions of synthetic images.
GRADUATE SCHOOL OF NATURAL AND APPLIED SCIENCES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGIES IN VITRO PATHOGENICITY OF Pseudomonas savastanoi ISOLATED FROM OLIVE TREES IN IRAQ ON FRUITS OF VARIOUS PLANT SPECIES AND THEIR MOLECULAR CHARACTERISATION Prepared By Ghaith

The present study was carried out to determine the pathogenicity of Pseudomonas savastanoi on carrots and some other fruits, and to characterize the isolates using molecular methods. Pathogenic Pseudomonas savastanoi bacterial samples were collected from olive trees with olive knot after a field survey of olive trees from around Duhok province in Iraq. The study period was determined to include the beginning of March until the end of May, when after collecting the samples and transferring the samples to the laboratory and growing them on culture media. The samples were cultured on Blood agar, MacConkey agar and Cetrimide agar mediums for the diagnosis of Pseudomonas savastanoi and further studies. After activation, bacteria were inoculated on the carrots and other fruits of plants such as, lemons, beans, local apples and commercial apples. These fruits were subjected to the same environmental conditions of humidity, temperature and incubation period. Results revealed that infection symptoms not appeared on the fruits after bacterial exposure. However, only some of the carrots were found to be infected after 13 days of incubation. On the other hand, when the incubation period was prolonged to 20 days, all the carrots samples were infected. Bacteria were re-isolated from infected carrots and some basic microscopic, phenotypic and biochemical tests including oxidase, catalase and urease were performed on them. In addition, VITEK2 system were used for determining the isolates in species level. Also, PCR and RT-PCR and sequencing of 16S rRNA were performed to detect possible mutations .
Perspectives on Player Performance during FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022: A Brief Report

Changing the date of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 may represent a factor to consider for the expected performance of participating players. This was due to fixture congestion at the start of the season and expected weather conditions during the competition. Thus, the main purpose of this brief report was to critically analyze the potential impact of changing the competition date and weather conditions on players’ performance. In addition, a brief description about the performance during the World Cup is also provided. For the research, the Web of Science, PubMed and SPORTDiscus databases were accessed using the primary keywords FIFA World Cup and World Soccer Cup associated with the secondary keywords match running performance, fixture congestion, fatigue and weather conditions. After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, 52 articles were considered for analysis. The results seem to indicate that although changes were expected due to the modifications made (i.e., the competition date and scheduling congestion), the performance of the players seems not to have been affected in terms of the analyzed indicators. Furthermore, it seems possible to identify some patterns in the behavior of the teams that reached the most advanced stages of the competition.
Exploring the Relationship Between Household Income and Healthcare Travel Patterns

Introduction: Transportation is a social determinant of health which affects how easily individuals attend clinic appointments, obtain medications, or seek emergency care. Despite the importance of transportation, there are few large-scale studies characterizing typical transportation behaviors related to seeking healthcare. This study investigates demographic differences in travel times and transportation mode for healthcare/medical related trips using the National Household Travel Survey (NHTS) dataset and identifies potential access inequities. Methods Medical trip data was obtained from the 2017 NHTS dataset. All analysis was adjusted by survey weights. Multiple linear regression models were developed to investigate the relationships between demographic variables, transportation mode, and travel time. Additionally, a logistic regression model was used to investigate the relationship between demographics and transportation mode. Results Medical trips using public transportation were found to be significantly longer relative to personal automobile trips. Higher household income was found to be associated with shorter travel times, but the effect size decreased with the inclusion of transportation mode. Higher household income respondents were also likely to use public transportation. Respondent race was not significantly associated with any differences in travel times, but there were significant differences across races in public transportation use. Conclusions This study demonstrates that individuals with lower household incomes tended to have longer medical trips. Additionally, it identifies public transit to be a potential mediating factor for this difference, as lower-income residents were significantly more likely to use public transit. This analysis highlights the importance of maintaining accessible and efficient public transportation for access to healthcare, especially for populations which have traditionally been at-risk for health disparities.
Selection and Scaling of Seismic Excitations for Time-History Analysis of Reinforced Concrete Frame Buildings

Time history-analyses of building structures have been used for a quite long time for research at universities. Considering the advantage of time-history analysis relative to the equivalent static force method, the National Building of Canada and other modern building codes around the world require the use of time-history analysis in the design of specified types of buildings located in seismic regions. One of the main issues in the use of time-history analysis is related to the selection and scaling of the seismic excitations (i.e., accelerograms) to be compatible with the design spectrum for the location considered. Currently, both recorded (i.e., “real”) accelerograms and artificial accelerograms are used in the analyses. The objective of this study is to determine the effects of the selection and scaling of seismic excitations on the response of reinforced concrete frame buildings. Three reinforced concrete frame buildings with heights of 4 storey, 10 storey and 16 storey, designed for Vancouver (high seismic zone) were used in this study. Five sets of seismic excitations were used in the analysis – one set of “real” accelerograms, and four sets of artificial accelerograms obtained by different methods. All sets were scaled to be compatible with the design spectrum for Vancouver. Both linear and nonlinear time history analyses were conducted on the buildings considered. Interstorey drifts and storey shear forces were used as response parameters. The results from the linear analysis show that both the interstorey drifts and the shear forces are affected significantly by the type of the excitation set. Similarly, the effects of the type of the seismic excitations on the drifts from nonlinear analysis are