Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Global Cyber Trends a South African Reality

Cyber trends are a reality across the globe. Not o nly are technology and electronic devices and media used more regularly in easing everyday activities, but these technological advances are also used in sophi sticated criminal activities. Regardless of the global innovation and development ranking of a country, all countries tend to show the same global trends, eith er on a more or lesser scale. Some of the more prominent global trends are identified and discussed. This paper aims to show that these global cyber trends are also a real ity in South Africa, by addressing some of the most prominent global trends. Based on the statistics available to support the presence of high cyber trends, as present in hi gh ranked countries across the globe, this article shows that technology within So uth Africa has advanced to such an extent that the country is not unduly hurdled by large scale lack of connectivity and bandwidth, computer illiteracy, low Internet pe netration and inadequate cyber crime related legislation. The discussion within t his paper places South Africa on par with first world countries in terms of cyber tr ends.
Modelling and Understanding of Speech and Speaker Recognition

The main goal of automatic speech and speaker recognition (ASSR) is to transcribe natural speech and recognize its speaker. Recognizing a spoken sentence is obviously a knowledgeintensive process, which must take into account all variable information about the speech communication process. Out of several approaches, artificial intelligence approach has been observed to give remarkable results by visualizing, analysing and finally making a decision on the acoustic patterns. The present chapter deals with two basic processes for ASSR: modelling process and understanding process. The modelling process involves three stages: enhancement, segmentation and pre-processing. The understanding phase involves the recognition of the speech and the speaker through the known knowledge-based model. It has been observed from the literature that, in any speech processing system, because of channel coupling, many source signals mix together. Thus there may be a chance of variability in speech signals affecting the performance of the speech systems due to some factors like: background and channel noise, electrical noise from different sources, meaningless sounds (a sneeze) or filler words (‘uh’ or ‘um’) between words, different speaking rate, mood and styles of speakers. Due to this some signals may not be observed and may result to out-of-vocabulary (OOV) word problem during recognition or understanding process. Thus speech enhancement has played a vital role in the development of a perfect acoustic model or noise – free artificial word model (AWM) and vowel diphthong model (VDM). To process for speech enhancement in frequency – domain, the speech signal has to be split into frames using blind signal separation (BSS) method (Yilmaz and Richard 2004; Yamashita and Hirai 2004; Araki et al 2002; Murata et al 2001; G. J. Jang and Lee 2003; F. Bach and Jordan 2005; B. A. Pearl Mutter and Olsson 2006). Further the spectrum of the background noise has to be estimated by subtracting the noise spectrum from the spectrum of the frame (M. Berouli et al 1979; Yasser Ghanbari and Md. Reza 2004). It has been observed that some of the noise remains in the spectrum when the value of noise is greater than its mean. At the same time, some of the speech spectrum gets removed when noise is greater than the actual value of noise. In the spectrum this produces negative values and have to be set to zero. The overall effect puts a noise in the output signal known as
Female Labor Supply, Income Taxes and Hours Restrictions - An empirical analysis for Switzerland

Two models of female labor supply, both specified as discrete choice models, are estimated for Switzerland. The first model is simply the discrete choice variant of the traditional labor supply model that is used in most empirical applications. The second model explicitly takes possible hours restrictions into account by introducing a random job offer mechanism. The estimation results lead to the conclusion that hours restrictions are important and have considerable influence on the estimated preference parameters. The hours restrictions imply that desired and actual labor supply differ in general, i.e. most women are not observed on their labor supply curve. Two results for economic policy emerge from the welfare analysis: First, there is some scope for tax reforms to reduce welfare losses, but they would not have a significant impact on labor supply and especially the participation rate. Second, hours restrictions cause much higher welfare losses than the tax system. This implies that measures aiming at a more flexible labor market are more important than tax reforms.
The MCM v3.3.1 degradation scheme for isoprene

Abstract. The chemistry of isoprene degradation in the Master Chemical Mechanism (MCM) has been systematically refined and updated to reflect recent advances in understanding, with these updates appearing in the latest version, MCM v3.3. 1. The complete isoprene degradation mechanism in MCM v3.3. 1 consists of 1926 reactions of 602 closed shell and free radical species, which treat the chemistry initiated by reaction with OH radicals, NO3 radicals and ozone (O3). A detailed overview of the updates is provided, within the context of reported kinetic and mechanistic information. The revisions mainly relate to the OH-initiated chemistry, which tends to dominate under atmospheric conditions, although these include updates to the chemistry of some products that are also generated from the O3- and NO3-initiated oxidation. The revisions have impacts in a number of key areas, including HOx recycling, NOx recycling and the formation of species reported to play a role in SOA (secondary organic aerosol)-formation mechanisms. The performance of the MCM v3.3. 1 isoprene mechanism has been compared with those of earlier versions (MCM v3.1 and MCM v3.2) over a range of relevant conditions, using a box model of the tropical forested boundary layer. The results of these calculations are presented and discussed and are used to illustrate the impacts of the mechanistic updates in MCM v3.3. 1.
Transition to Clean Capital, Irreversible Investment and Stranded Assets

This paper uses a Ramsey model with two types of capital to analyze the optimal transition to clean capital when polluting investment is irreversible. The cost of climate mitigation decomposes as a technical cost of using clean instead of polluting capital and a transition cost from the irreversibility of pre-existing polluting capital. With a carbon price, the transition cost can be limited by underutilizing polluting capital, at the expense of a loss in the value of polluting assets (stranded assets) and a drop in income. In contrast, policy instruments that focus on redirecting investments -- such as feebates or environmental standards -- prevent underutilization of existing capital, avoid stranded assets, and reduce short-term losses; but they reduce emissions more slowly and increase the intertemporal cost of the transition. The paper investigates inter- and intra-generational distributional impacts and the political acceptability of climate change mitigation policy instruments.
Estimación del riesgo de caries dental en escolares mediante el cariograma (Caries risk estimation in schoolchildren using the cariogram)

SUMMARY Objective. To determine risk level for caries development using the Cariogram suggested by Bratthall et al. (1997). Methods. One hundred and fifty urban schoolchildren were selected randomly. All of them were studied in order to determine S. mutans and Lactobacillus ufc, the saliva flow rate and its buffer capacity, and a clinical evaluation for dental health (DMFT and SIP) was performed according with WHO parameters in order to evaluate caries risk using the Cariogram. Results. The average of the DMFT was 1.55 ± 1.8. The 45% of population evaluated was caries free. According with the cariogram, the caries risk groups: high and moderate, was higher in males. For the whole sample, 50% were in low risk for caries development and 8.7% had been in a high risk, according with the cariogram. Conclusion. The cariogram is a useful tool to allow evaluate some factors associated to the development of caries. It could be used for prevention in healthy persons and for monitoring patient with caries or with predisposition for this disease.
The Development of Market Method of Asset Appraisal Based on the Application of Big Data

Big data could be utilized in work and life. Asset appraisal could also make full use of big data to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of appraisal. The paper is going to study the application of big data in different fields to learn how big data works in practices and what the effect is after utilizing the new tool. Then, the paper is going to apply big data in appraisal in specific work environment. By collecting information, researching literature and practicing with appraisers, this paper finds some means to improve market method by making full use of big data. The article researched further by applying the method in different projects of asset appraisal. Real estate, intangible asset, corporate valuation and machines could be valued by the market method improved by big data. There are different details for appraisers to be careful in practical work. Some companies have already put the technology into practice and achieved great benefit, which makes the application of big data meaningful.
Variably Saturated Reactive Transport of Arsenic in Heap‐Leach Facilities

A variably saturated reactive transport software package, UNSATCHEM, has been modified for the purposes of simulating As oxyanion transport in gold mine heap‐leach facilities. Gold‐ore deposits in the Carlin Trend, located in northeastern Nevada and western Utah, are characterized in part by the occurrence of As‐bearing minerals. The large‐scale mining methodology used on the Carlin Trend includes the use of large‐scale heap‐leach facilities in which an extractive solution is used to dissolve the gold from the ore. This solution also is capable of dissolving other minerals, including those that contain As. While these facilities are generally environmentally benign compared with sulfide waste rock dumps associated with other mining provinces around the world, controlling the flux of As from the heap‐leach facility after mining has ceased is of interest to the mining and regulatory communities. We present three examples that use the As transport capable version of UNSATCHEM to simulate the effect of three commonly applied heap‐leach facility closure methodologies. The results demonstrate the importance of including geochemistry in transport simulations and illustrate the highly nonlinear behavior that is produced from a coupled flow and reactive geochemistry numerical solver.
Crowdsourced Recommender System

The use of artificially intelligent techniques to overcome specific shortcomings within e-learning systems is a well-researched area that keeps on evolving in an attempt to optimise such resourceful practices. The lack of personalization and the sentiment of isolation coupled with a feeling of being treated like all others, tends to discourage and push learners away from courses that are very well prepared academically and excellently projected intellectually. The use of recommender systems to deliver relevant information in a timely manner that is specifically differentiated to a unique learner is once more being investigated to alievate the e-learning issue of being impersonal. The application of such a technique also assists the learner by reducing information overload and providing learning material that can be shared, criticized and reviewed at one’s own pace. In this paper we propose the use of a fully automated recommender system based on recent AI developments together with Web 2.0 applications and socially networked technologies. We argue that such technologies have provided the extra capabilities that were required to deliver a realistic and practical interfacing medium to assist online learners and take recommender systems to the next level.
FORMULATION AND EVALUATION OF NICORANDIL MICROSPHERES

Objectives: Nicorandil is a potassium channel opener and used in treatment of angina. It has a short half life of 1 hrs, so it requires frequent administration. The objective of present study was to develop sustained release Nicorandil microspheres. Method: The microspheres for sustained delivery of Nicorandil were formulated using ethyl cellulose polymer by non aqueous solvent evaporation method and study the effect different variables such as drug: polymer ratio and heavy: light liquid paraffin ratio on % Yield, % Entrapment efficiency, particle size and In vitro drug release. Results: The Entrapment efficiency was found to be 85.33% to 88.65% and In-vitro release study showed release of drug 98.25 % up to 12 hours. Conclusions: It was found that increases the concentration of Heavy liquid paraffin resulted in decrease the particle size and increase the release rate. Drug: Polymer ratio had significant effect on % Yield, % Entrapment efficiency, and particle size and release rate.
Ecology and Traits of Plant Species that Compete with Boreal and Temperate Forest Conifers: An Overview of Available Information and its Use in Forest Management in Canada

In boreal and temperate forests in Canada, at least 71 plant species, including trees, shrubs, herbs, grasses, and ferns, have the potential to significantly reduce the growth of conifer regeneration. A thorough understanding of the autecology of these plants—their response to their environment—can help resource managers to improve their approaches to vegetation management, thereby maximizing crop tree growth and survival. In this paper, we highlight key sources of information about the autecology of the major species that compete with forest conifers, including books and field guides, journal series, Web sites, and plant trait databases. We suggest ways that this information can be applied in resource management, recommend approaches for maintaining and updating this information, and underline the needs for developing a single, consolidated, comprehensive source of such information for use by resource managers and researchers. Information gaps are also briefly discussed.
Land use change exacerbates tropical South American drought by sea surface temperature variability

Observations of tropical South American precipitation over the last three decades indicate an increasing rainfall trend to the north and a decreasing trend to the south. Given that tropical South America has experienced significant land use change over the same period, it is of interest to assess the extent to which changing land use may have contributed to the precipitation trends. Simulations of the National Center for Atmospheric Research Community Atmosphere Model (NCAR CAM3) analyzed here suggest a non‐negligible impact of land use on this precipitation behavior. While forcing the model by imposed historical sea surface temperatures (SSTs) alone produces a plausible north‐south precipitation dipole over South America, NCAR CAM substantially underestimates the magnitude of the observed southern decrease in rainfall unless forcing associated with human‐induced land use change is included. The impact of land use change on simulated precipitation occurs primarily during the local dry season and in regions of relatively low annual‐mean rainfall, as the incidence of very low monthly‐mean accumulations (<10 mm/month) increases significantly when land use change is imposed. Land use change also contributes to the simulated temperature increase by shifting the surface turbulent flux partitioning to favor sensible over latent heating. Moving forward, continuing pressure from deforestation in tropical South America will likely increase the occurrence of significant drought beyond what would be expected by anthropogenic warming alone and in turn compound biodiversity decline from habitat loss and fragmentation.
Submerged fermentation of the hybrid of pleurotus tuberregium and pleurotus pulmonarius in zobo and synthetic media

This research work used the hybrid of Pleurotus tuberrigium and Pleurotus pulmonarius in Zobo and synthetic media, to investigate their ability to grow and produce mycelia mat during submerged fermentation. It was discovered that the ability of the hybrid of the two mushrooms in Zobo medium to form mycelia mat was lower compared to that of the synthetic medium; the mycelia mat weight in the synthetic medium and Zobo medium were 0.82g and 0.47g respectively. Moreover, the lag phase of the hybrid of the two mushrooms in the synthetic medium was shorter than that in the Zobo medium, this was shown by the turbidity of the medium on the second day while the Zobo medium became turbid on the third day. Changes in the colour of the Zobo medium showed that the hybrid of the two mushrooms has the ability of utilizing the medium for growth. There was a significant difference in the turbidity values of the Zobo medium compared to that of the synthetic medium, considering their means and t-test value of 5.58 and 7.80 for Zobo and synthetic medium respectively. (J. A. Amao and J. K. Oloke. Submerged fermentation of the hybrid of pleurotus tuberregium and pleurotus pulmonarius in zobo and synthetic media. Nat Sci 2013;11(12):8-11). (ISSN: 1545-0740). http://www.sciencepub. net/nature . 2 Keyword: hybrid, Zobo medium, mycelia mat, turbidity values, Pleurotus tuberrigium, Pleurotus pulmonarius
Hepatitis B Virus–Related Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Carcinogenesis, Prevention, and Treatment

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the sixth most common cancer in the world and the second leading cause of cancer death. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is one of the major risk factors for the development of HCC in the world. Most of the burden of disease (85%) is observed in the HBV endemic regions. Chronic infection with HBV predisposes patients with or without cirrhosis to HCC. Patients with high HBV DNA levels are at an increased risk for HCC. Studies have shown that the suppression of HBV with anti-viral therapy (nucleos(t)ide analogs) (NAs) decreases the incidence of HCC but does not eliminate the risk entirely. Chronic viral suppression alone is not sufficient treatment to prevent HCC development. Therefore, along with NAs, treatment may need to include targeting the cccDNA and inhibiting the viral entry into the newly formed hepatocytes and T-cell vaccine which specifically targets HBV and enhancing innate immunity with Toll-like receptor agonist. With all of these working together, we may achieve the goal of HBV cure.
Transformation from below in Bolivia and Bangladesh: decentralization, local governance, and systemic change

I examine decentralization through the lens of the local dynamics it unleashed in the much-noted case of Bolivia and the less-noted case of Bangladesh. I argue that the national effects of decentralization are largely the sum of its local-level effects. Hence to understand decentralization we must first understand how local government works. This implies analysing not only decentralization, but also democracy, from the bottom up. Beginning with Bolivia, I explore the deep economic and institutional determinants of government quality in two extremes of municipal performance. From this I derive a model of local government responsiveness as the product of political openness and substantive competition. The quality of politics, in turn, emerges endogenously as a joint product of the lobbying and political engagement of local firms/interests, and the organizational density and ability of civil society. The model explains the micro-foundations of good vs. bad local government performance, and hence of Bolivia’s overall decentralization success. I then test these ideas using qualitative data from Bangladesh. The evidence shows that civic organizations worked with NGOs and local governments to effect transformative change from the grass-roots upwards – not just to public budgets and outputs, but to the underlying behaviours and ideas that underpin social development. In the aggregate, these effects were powerful. Key development indicators show Bangladesh leap-frogging past much wealthier India between 1990 and 2015. The combination of tests shows that the model generalizes to very different institutional, cultural, and economic contexts.
Shopping Mall Directory: A Detailed-Guide Application for Android-Based Mobile Devices

The purpose of this paper is to describe the development of mobile application for shopping mall directory. The Location Based Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) Mall Indoor Directory (LBWMID) aims to provide information for consumers to enhance their experience in the shopping mall. The features that were included in this proposed work are Wi-Fi based indoor Positioning System to locate consumer’s current location, directions from current location to another location, shops’ information and map module. Current location of consumers could be located using two or more access points that are in the range. Strongest signal will be compared to get accurate readings of the current location. Directions are provided from the current location using a search function to enable consumers to search for shops they wish to visit. A simple directions statement will be provided to guide consumers. Shops information such as shop names, categories, locations, descriptions and floor layout are also provided in this mobile application. Floor layouts are provided with multi-touch and scalable functions that enable consumers to get the accurate readings of the map. Our main contribution here is providing technical details which may be used as a guide for students, developers, and researchers. As a second contribution, we have explained the current solutions for the indoor navigation problems.
Visible-near infrared ultra-broadband polarization-independent metamaterial perfect absorber involving phase-change materials

We numerically demonstrate a novel ultra-broadband polarization-independent metamaterial perfect absorber in the visible and near-infrared region involving the phase-change material Ge2Sb2Te5 (GST). The novel perfect absorber scheme consists of an array of high-index strong-absorbance GST square resonators separated from a continuous Au substrate by a low-index lossless dielectric layer (silica) and a high-index GST planar cavity. Three absorption peaks with the maximal absorbance up to 99.94% are achieved, owing to the excitation of plasmon-like dipolar or quadrupole resonances from the high-index GST resonators and cavity resonances generated by the GST planar cavity. The intensities and positions of the absorption peaks show strong dependence on structural parameters. A heat transfer model is used to investigate the temporal variation of temperature within the GST region. The results show that the temperature of amorphous GST can reach up to 433 K of the phase transition temperature from room temperature in just 0.37 ns with a relatively low incident light intensity of 1.11×108 W/m2, due to the enhanced ultra-broadband light absorbance through strong plasmon resonances and cavity resonance in the absorber. The study suggests a feasible means to lower the power requirements for photonic devices based on a thermal phase change via engineering ultra-broadband light absorbers.