Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Assessment of food insecurity and food coping strategies among fishermen household during monsoon in Terengganu, Malaysia

Most fishermen’s families have insufficient food, especially during the monsoon season. However, few studies have been done assessing their food insecurity and food coping strategies to sustain food availability. This cross-sectional study using convenience sampling was researcher administered to assess food insecurity (via Household Food Insecurity Access Scale - HFIAS) and food coping strategies (via Coping Strategies Index) among fishermen households during monsoon in Terengganu and to examine association between demographic, socioeconomic factors and household food insecurity level. This study was carried out among 80 respondents from fishermen households meeting eligible criterion and included married people aged 18-65 years old living in fisherman villages and wakaf beach areas in Kuala Nerus. The results showed that about 98.8% of the fishermen households in Terengganu were severely food insecure, and the remaining were moderately food insecure during the monsoon season. While for food coping strategies, ‘reduce amount of food cooked for meals’, ‘using less expensive food’, ‘cook whatever food is available at home’, and ‘reduce daily/monthly spending’ was the most highly adopted food coping strategies during monsoon season. There is a significant association found between household monthly income and food insecurity (χ2=2.85 p<0.05). This may indicates that household income of the fishermen do influence their food insecurity status. The most obvious finding to emerge from this study is that most of the fishermen household is experiencing food insecure during the monsoon season. Thus, more studies need to be conducted to yield further evidence in regards to household food insecurity among fishermen in other states in Malaysia especially during monsoon season.
Warped Implementation of Parallel Second-Order Filters with Optimized Quantization Noise Performance

Fixed-pole second-order parallel filters provide an efficient way of implementing IIR filters with a logarithmic frequency resolution. However, the fine frequency resolution needed at low frequencies can only be achieved by poles near the unit circle. This may lead to large roundoff noise at low frequencies when the filters are implemented using bit-depths of 24 bits or lower in fixed-point arithmetic. This paper investigates the performance improvement when the parallel second-order sections are implemented as warped IIR filters. In addition, an analytical expression is given for computing the warping parameter as a function of the pole location of the original second-order section so that the quantization noise power is minimized.
Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) (Diptera: Tephritidae) is not invasive through Asia: It's been there all along

Oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel), is a highly polyphagous fruit fly which, in the last 15 years, has invaded (with or without establishment) Africa, Europe and North America. As a direct result of these invasions, there is increasing research interest in the invasion history and spread patterns of this fly. A statement being repeatedly used in the B. dorsalis invasion literature is that the species was first identified from Taiwan in 1912 and that it subsequently spread through South‐East and South Asia during the 20th century. This assumption is incorrect and stems from: (a) an incomplete knowledge of B. dorsalis taxonomic history; and (b) a confounding of first taxonomic record with first invasion record. Rather than being first detected in Taiwan in 1912, the first record of oriental fruit fly was from “East India” (India orientali) under the synonymous name of Musca ferruginea by Fabricius in 1794, and in the 1910s, it was known not only from Taiwan, but widely across tropical Asia with records from India, Burma, Bengal, Sri Lanka (as Ceylon), Singapore and Indonesia (multiple islands). The taxonomic literature is very clear that oriental fruit fly has not invaded the rest of Asia from Taiwan since 1912, and this error should not continue to be repeated in the literature.
Accuracy Investigation of a Neuromorphic Machine Learning System Due to Electromagnetic Noises Using PEEC Model

The accuracy of a neuromorphic machine learning system was investigated using the partial equivalent element circuit (PEEC) model to analyze electromagnetic effects. A multilayer neural network (MNN) model for a classification task was introduced, and the corresponding neuromorphic circuit was designed. An efficient PEEC model for crossbar structures was proposed and validated by comparison with HFSS simulations. The designed neuromorphic circuit including the PEEC crossbar array model was simulated using SPICE while varying operation speed, structure size, and the activation function. Test cases compared electromagnetic noises and the accuracy of the neuromorphic system for the classification task.
Smooth 3d Surface Reconstruction from Contours of Biological Data with Mpu Implicits

Smooth 3D Surface Reconstruction from Contours of Biological Data with MPU Implicits Ilya Braude David E. Breen, Ph. D. With the enhancement of computer and imaging technology, increasing amounts of biological data are being generated. The data include Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Computed Tomography (CT), and histological scans of objects. The goal of the work presented in this thesis is to accurately and efficiently reconstruct smooth 3D implicit surface models of the structures that are described by contours from biological cross-section data. Two methods are presented for performing contour reconstruction that use Multi-level Partition of Unity (MPU) implicit surfaces. A convenient method is proposed to estimate surface normals for contours so that implicit point set-based surface representations can be applied. First, a slice-based approach is discussed. In the slice-based approach, a distance field is generated for each contour slice using MPU implicits. The distance fields are stacked to produce a 3D volume, from which a 3D surface model is extracted. Second, a volume-based approach is presented. This approach treats the points on every contour as a single point set and constructs a smooth but accurate 3D surface. The techniques presented here are compared to several other reconstruction methods described in the literature. Further, the reconstruction process is shown to be effective at dealing with noise and to generally have sub-voxel accuracy with respect to the input data. The volume-based approach is also invariant under anisotropic sampling of the original data, producing accurate results even in the presence of missing slices.
The Study on People’s Satisfaction towards Public Services of Viet Nam: Evidence of Tra Vinh Provincial Center of Public Administrative Services

The paper aims to provide some recommendations to improve the operational capacity of the Tra Vinh Provincial Center of Public Administrative Services and to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of management in the State administrative agencies. The study on people's satisfaction towards public services of Tra Vinh Provincial Center of Public Administrative Services was conducted by collecting primary data of 300 people who used public services provided by this Center from September 2018 to November 2018. By using the multivariate regression method, the author found that there were a number of factors affecting people's satisfaction towards public services at the Center, including procedures, service fee, and attitudes of the staff, empathy, staff capacity, and trust. These factors had an impact on people's satisfaction towards public administrative services performed by staff officers from Tra Vinh Provincial Center of Public Administrative Services. Since then, the study has proposed policy implications to improve people's satisfaction on service quality at the Center such as: Develop a flexible charge mechanism of public services; Enhance the sense of responsibility of staff officers; Pay attention to improving administrative procedures; Establish trustworthiness to people; Pay attention to professional improvement; and Build up a friendly and respectful team of staff.
LE DDMRP : PREMIERS ÉLÉMENTS EMPIRIQUES DE COMPRÉHENSION DE SON CHOIX ET DE SON FONCTIONNEMENT.

HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access archive for the deposit and dissemination of scientific research documents, whether they are published or not. The documents may come from teaching and research institutions in France or abroad, or from public or private research centers. L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires publics ou privés. LE DDMRP : PREMIERS ÉLÉMENTS EMPIRIQUES DE COMPRÉHENSION DE SON CHOIX ET DE SON FONCTIONNEMENT. Batiste Bahu, Laurent Bironneau, Vincent Hovelaque, Laurent Vigouroux
Screening of extra-coronary arteriopathy with magnetic resonance angiography in patients with spontaneous coronary artery dissection: a single-centre experience.

Background Current consensus recommends extended vascular investigation in patients with spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD). We here report our experience with the use of magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) for screening extra-coronary arteriopathy in patients presenting with SCAD. Methods Patients presenting with SCAD in a Spanish centre underwent prospective contrast-enhanced MRA to assess the cephalic and abdominopelvic arterial territories. Fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD) was diagnosed following European consensus criteria. Other vascular abnormalities were recorded separately. Two vascular radiologists supervised the acquisitions and independently analysed the results for all cases. Results Forty patients with SCAD [mean age 50.9±8.6 years, 90% (n=36) women] were included in the study, 12 patients declined to participate and 5 were excluded (metallic implanted devices). All enrolled patients underwent the screening protocol without complications. MRA demonstrated at least one extra-coronary vascular abnormality in 16 patients (40%): 5 (12.5%) were diagnosed with FMD, 6 (15%) showed arterial tortuosity, 3 (7.5%) had non-FMD focal stenoses, and 2 (5%) were found to have small aneurysms at the celiac trunk and splenic artery. No intracranial aneurysms were detected. At a mean follow-up of 4±3 years from the index episode, two cases experienced SCAD recurrences, one in a patient with FMD and the other one in a patient with arterial tortuosity. No deaths or strokes occurred. Conclusions Systematic extended vascular study with MRA was feasible and demonstrated associated extra-coronary arteriopathy in a substantial proportion of patients presenting with SCAD; however, none required additional intervention or led to vascular events. MRA, being a radiation-free modality, may be the preferred method for screening extracoronary arteriopathy in SCAD, a condition primarily affecting young and middle-age women sensitive to the risks of radiation.
Review on plant growth promoting rhizobacteria and its effect on plant growth

Both biotic and abiotic stresses are major constrains to agricultural production. Under stress conditions, plant growth is affected by a number of factors such as hormonal and nutritional imbalance, ion toxicity, physiological disorders and susceptibility to disease. Plant growth under stress conditions may be enhanced by the application of microbial inoculation including PGPR. These microbes can promote plant growth by regulating nutritional and hormonal balance, producing plant growth regulators and solubilizing nutrients. In addition to their interactions with plants, these microbes also show synergistic interactions with other microbes in the soil environment. These interactions may be vital for sustainable agriculture because they mainly depend on biological process rather than on agrochemicals to maintain plant growth and development as well as proper health under stress conditions. Biological interactions of PGPR with soil microbes are believed to cause a cumulative effect on all rhizosphere components which regulating the plant growth.
Surgical Procedures, Pathological Features and Prognosis in Young Women with Breast Cancer in China – a Single Institute Experience

Objective : To compare the differences in surgical procedures, pathological features and prognosis between young and elderly women with breast cancer in China. Methods : A retrospective study compared the data of surgical procedures, pathological features and prognosis of 61 cases of young females (≤ 40 years) and 507 cases of elderly females (> 40 years), treated in our department from August 2011 to July 2018. This data was analyzed using SPSS 23.0 program. Results : 10.74% of total cases, in this period of time, involve young females. In terms of surgical procedures, 24.59% of young patients underwent breast conserving surgery (8.48% elderly, respectively), and 13.11% underwent reconstruction surgery (1.18% elderly, respectively), with statistically significant differences existing between the two groups ( P < 0.05). Progesterone receptor (PR) expression in young women was significantly higher than in elderly females ( P < 0.05). There were no significant differences between the two groups in the proportion of invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC), axillary lymph node metastasis (ALNM), expression of estrogen receptor (ER), human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER-2) and Ki-67, but the lymphatic metastasis stage showed an increasing rate with younger age. No significant difference was found in 3-year disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). Conclusion : The selection rate of breast conserving and reconstructive surgery in young women with breast cancer is significantly higher than that in elderly women. The younger the patient, the more frequently the PR positive expression, and the more likely ALNM to occur. The 3-year prognosis of the young and elderly patients is similar.
Mathematical Model Investigating the Effects of Neurostimulation Therapies on Neural Functioning: Comparing the Effects of Neuromodulation Techniques on Ion Channel Gating and Ionic Flux Using Finite Element Analysis

Neurostimulation therapies demonstrate success as a medical intervention for individuals with neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease. Despite promising results from these treatments, the influence of an electric current on ion concentrations and subsequent transmembrane voltage is unclear. This project focuses on developing a unique cellular-level mathematical model of neurostimulation to better understand its e↵ects on neuronal electrodynamics. The mathematical model presented here integrates the Poisson-Nernst-Planck system of PDEs and Hodgkin-Huxley based ODEs to model the e↵ects of this neurotherapy on transmembrane voltage, ion channel gating, and ionic mobility. This system is decoupled using the Gauss-Seidel method and then the equations are solved using the finite element method on a biologically-inspired discretized domain. Results demonstrate the influence of transcranial electrical stimulation on membrane voltage, ion channel gating, and transmembrane flux. Simulations also compare the e↵ects of two di↵erent types of neurostimulation (transcranial electrical stimulation and deep brain stimulation) showcasing cellular-level di↵erences resulting from these distinct forms of electrical therapy. Hopefully this work will ultimately help elucidate the principles by which neurostimulation alleviates disease symptoms.
Identification of Suitable Reference Genes for RT-qPCR Assays in Liriodendron chinense (Hemsl.) Sarg

The precision and reliability of reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) depend mainly on suitable reference genes; however, reference genes have not yet been identified for Liriodendron chinense (Hemsl.) Sarg. In this study, the expression stability of 15 candidate reference genes, ACT7, ACT97, UBQ1, eIF2, eIF3, HIS, BIG, AGD11, EFG, GAPDH, CYP, RPL25, UBC, RPB1, and TUB, was tested across multiple organs of L. chinense using four algorithms, geNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper, and RefFinder. To understand the difference between the selected reference genes and the unsuitable candidate reference genes, the expression level of a target gene, LcPAT7, was normalized across various plant samples. ACT97 and eIF3 represented the best combination across all samples tested, while AGD11 and UBQ1 were unsuitable for normalization in this case. In the vegetative organ subset, ACT97, ACT7, and GAPDH showed the highest expression stability. For floral organs, UBC and eIF3 were the most stable reference genes. Unsuitable reference genes underestimated the expression levels of a target gene, LcPAT7. This study identified two reference genes (ACT97 and eIF3) for the precise and reliable normalization of L. chinense RT-qPCR data across various organs. Our work provides an effective framework for quantifying gene expression in L. chinense.
Preparação e caracterização de biofimes comestíveis a base de nanoestruturas poliméricas em matriz de pectina

O objetivo deste trabalho foi produzir filmes biodegradaveis com nanoparticulas de quitosana em matriz de pectina. As nanoparticulas foram obtidas por condensacao de refluxo e os filmes foram produzidos pela tecnica de casting, utilizando-se uma solucao filmogenica composta por nanoparticulas de quitosana (NPsQs) e pectina. As nanoparticulas em solucao foram caracterizadas quanto ao seu tamanho, atraves de espalhamento dinâmico de luz (DLS) e sua estabilidade, medida pelo potencial Zeta. Os filmes foram analisados por Espectrometria de Infravermelho com Transformada de Fourier (FT-IR). Os filmes obtidos apresentaram uma superficie bastante homogenea. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.30609/JETI.2019-7766
Rewards and organizational commitment among employees of the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development

The study aimed at examining the relationship between rewards management and organizational commitment among employees of the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development. The study adopted a correlation research design having a population of 100 employees from different departments. Simple random sampling technique was used to draw a sample of 70 respondents from the population. Data was collected from respondents using selfadministered standard questionnaire and through entering data into Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 23 computer software, it was analyzed. Descriptive statistics showed that 55.7% of the respondents were male and 44.3% were female, majority were between 26-31 years of age. Results from Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient (r) further indicated that there was a statistically significant positive relationship between rewards and organizational commitment (r=-0.729, P˂0.01). Basing on the findings, Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development needs to establish a more effective reward management policy/system and involve employees in determining acceptable and affordable rewards based on achievement of performance targets and the organization’s ability to pay or provide for these rewards in order to increase the level of employee commitment. This can be done in liaison with the government agencies such as the public service commission and other state corporations in Uganda whose focus is research.
Impulse Noise Removal Using Unbiased Weighted Mean Filter

Digital imaging technology has provided countless opportunities for human visual applications and many scientific disciplines such as astronomy and microbiology. Digital images are subject to various noise due to environmental factors or faults in hardware. One type of noise — impulse noise — manifests itself with the highest or the lowest intensity value in the dynamic range during digitization process. Impulse noise involves high frequency components which are undesirable. Therefore, it is vital to restore contaminated digital images before utilizing them in various applications. In this thesis, we have investigated Nonlinear Fixed-Valued Impulse (salt-and-pepper) Noise removal methods. Restoration of a contaminated image is composed of two stages. These are noise detection and restoration. The performance of various state-ofthe-art impulse noise removal methods are empirically compared for these two stages. For detection, misclassification and false-alarm rates are used for objective measurement. Restoration capabilities are compared in terms of Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio (PSNR), Structural Similarity (SSIM) and Mean Absolute Error (MAE). We have also identified a common problem among impulse noise removal methods, namely, spatial bias. Asymmetric distribution of corruption prevents an equal contribution of uncorrupted pixels in the filtering window from a spatial perspective, effectively yielding a biased estimation of the original intensity value. In order to eliminate spatial bias, we have proposed Unbiased Weighted Mean Filter (UWMF). UWMF eliminates spatial bias by recalibrating pixel weights based on the positional distribution of corrupted pixels in the filtering window. Recalibrated weights reflect the spatial properties of corruption and compensate the missing contribution.
Gadoxetic acid magnetic resonance of the liver in cirrhotic patients with suspicious HCC after MDCT: preliminary results of a prospective monocentric study

Poster: "ECR 2018 / C-1169 / Gadoxetic acid magnetic resonance of the liver in cirrhotic patients with suspicious HCC after MDCT: preliminary results of a prospective monocentric study " by: " S. Fiore , E. Caramia, M. Gatti, L. J. Pavan, S. Molinaro, A. Depaoli, R. Faletti, P. Fonio; Turin/IT"
LT Expertfinder: An Evaluation Framework for Expert Finding Methods

Expert finding is the task of ranking persons for a predefined topic or search query. Finding experts for a specified area is an important task and has attracted much attention in the information retrieval community. Most approaches for this task are evaluated in a supervised fashion, which depend on predefined topics of interest as well as gold standard expert rankings. Famous representatives of such datasets are enriched versions of DBLP provided by the ArnetMiner projet or the W3C Corpus of TREC. However, manually ranking experts can be considered highly subjective and detailed rankings are hardly distinguishable. Evaluating these datasets does not necessarily guarantee a good or bad performance of the system. Particularly for dynamic systems, where topics are not predefined but formulated as a search query, we believe a more informative approach is to perform user studies for directly comparing different methods in the same view. In order to accomplish this in a user-friendly way, we present the LT Expert Finder web-application, which is equipped with various query-based expert finding methods that can be easily extended, a detailed expert profile view, detailed evidence in form of relevant documents and statistics, and an evaluation component that allows the qualitative comparison between different rankings.