Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Attention-Aware Convolutional Neural Network for Age-Related Macular Degeneration Classification

Though age-related macular degeneration (AMD) poses an important personal and public health burden, studies on AMD is hampered by different approaches to classify AMD. In this paper, we propose convolutional neural networks (CNN) based models for fundus retinal images that classify four types of AMD automatically. We use deep residual network (ResNet50) to extract high-dimensional features and be trained end-to-end to classify AMD. Furthermore, we apply attention mechanism to deep residual network (Atten-ResNet) which enables to further select features adaptively. Experimental results show that comparing to HOG-SVM and Visual Geometry Group (VGG), the ResNet50 based method could achieve 17.2% and 12.1% overall classification accuracy improvement. The Atten-ResNet based method has more 0.4% accuracy improvement than ResNet50 based method.
Flexion Detection Algorithm’s Applied to Classifying Joint Movements Based on Fiber Sensors

Telepresence is a necessity in today’s world, and it is very important to develop it with great precision for assisted robot. Analyzed the movement during the flexion in joins is important to adapt them to robots. This paper presents the signal processing to synthetize the finger movements applied to service robot. Fiber optics sensor is used to detect the angle in the join, after that Recursive Least Square algorithm was carried out to reduce the noise in the signal. Furthermore, statistical feature extraction and machine learning algorithm was performed to classifying the thresholds angle in the join. Comparative analysis was developed to select the best algorithm to detect the angle in the join.
The Power of ARM64 in Public Clouds

ARM processors, with their low power consumption and heat dissipation, have been highly successful in embedded systems. In the recent past, there have been attempts to adopt these energy-efficient processors for servers in data centers. However, a fundamental question remains open with ARM-based systems on server side is whether they are capable of handling compute-intensive workloads at scale. This paper gives our answer to this question with an empirical approach. We study the performance characteristics of the Amazon Graviton Processor – an ARM64 processor with the Cortex-A72 micro-architecture – using the A1 (Graviton) product family on AWS EC2, with comparisons to the I3 and M5 product families based on Intel Xeon processors. We use a combination of micro benchmark and performance counters to identify the lack of L3 cache and the slower memory access speed limit Graviton’s capability in achieving higher performance. We confirm Graviton’s capability in handling various large-scale horizontally scalable compute-intensive workloads, including multi-tier web service, video transcoding and terabyte scale sorting. In our large-scale evaluations, the test worker fleet has up to 1600 vCPU cores, which is by far the largest ARM64 cluster that has been reported. We observe that the A1 product family achieves the same price-performance in multi-tier web service, up to 37% cost saving in video transcoding, and up to 65% cost saving in terabyte scale sorting, as compared with the I3 and M5 product families.
Comparison of OFDM and OFDM/OQAM Systems in Nonlinear Interference

Coherent optical orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (CO-OFDM) divides the high speed optical signals into several low speed orthogonal sub-carriers. With the insert of cyclic prefix (CP) between consecutive OFDM blocks for the inter-symbol-interference (ISI) induced by chromatic dispersion (CD) and polarization-mode-dispersion (PMD) could be combated. CO-OFDM achieve high spectral efficiency. With the increase of transmission distance, the channel memory length increases with the accumulation of CD and PMD, the system spectral efficiency deteriorates accordingly. Orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing offset-quadrature amplitude modulation (OFDM/OQAM) removes the CP inserted to increases the system spectral efficiency. Nonlinear effect includes self-phase modulation (SPM) and cross-phase modulation (XPM) induced by Kerr effect of fiber channel has great influence on OFDM and OFDM/OQAM in long distance transmission. We systematically analyze the ability of CO-OFDM system and CO-OFDM/OQAM system to resist the nonlinear interference for the first time. The establishment of mathematical model is based on Volterra series. Simulation shows that CO- OFDM/OQAM system has strong resistance to nonlinear interference.
A Hybrid Optimization Method Combining Network Expansion Planning and Switching State Optimization

Combining switching state optimization (SSO) and network expansion planning (NEP) in AC systems results in a mixed-integer non-linear optimization problem. Two methodically different solution approaches are mathematical programming and heuristic methods. In this paper, we develop a hybrid optimization method combining both methods to solve the combined optimization of SSO and NEP. The presented hybrid method applies a DC programming model as an initialization strategy to reduce the search space of the heuristic. A greedy heuristic ensures that the obtained solutions are AC feasible. We compare the hybrid method with other heuristic methods and three mathematical programming models on the same set of planning problems. We show optimization results for four realistic sized power system study cases. Evaluation criteria are convergence, solution cost, and run time. Results show that the hybrid method is able to find a higher number of valid AC-solutions in comparisons to the mathematical programming methods. Furthermore, the obtained solutions have lower expansions costs and are obtained in a shorter run-time compared to the remaining methods for the analyzed study cases. As an addition to this paper, the hybrid implementation and the defined benchmark cases are available as open-source software.
Inter‐ and intra‐morph patterns in helminth communities of sympatric whitefish morphs

Infection patterns of trophically transmitted helminth parasites were compared with feeding ecology in two sympatric whitefish Coregonus lavaretus morphs from two lake systems in northern Norway. In both lakes, the pelagic morph was an obligate zooplanktivore, while the benthic morph utilized both the benthivore and zooplanktivore trophic niches. The differences in niche utilization between the two morphs were associated with differences in trophic morphology (gill raker numbers), suggesting that they were genetically dissimilar and reproductively isolated. The benthic morph had the highest number of helminth species, probably because they exhibited a broader niche width compared to the pelagic morph. In both lakes, the species composition and intensities of helminths reflected the trophic diversification of the whitefish ecotypes with respect to different habitat choice (benthic v. pelagic) and dietary specialization (benthivore v. zooplanktivore feeding strategies within the benthic whitefish morph). Zooplanktivorous fish from both morphs acquired parasites mainly from pelagic copepods and in almost equal quantities. The benthivore feeders within the benthic morph had the highest proportion of parasites with transmission stages from benthic organisms. Host feeding behaviour seemed to be a major determinant of the helminth community structure, and helminths appeared to be useful indicators of long-term trophic specialization of whitefish ecotypes.
Growth and morphology of submersed freshwater macrophytes in relation to light and temperature

Variations in the growth and morphology of three North American freshwater macrophyte species, Elodea canadensis Michx. , Potamogeton nodosus Poiret (P. americanus), and Vallisneria americana Michx. , were investigated in large white fiberglass tanks over broad experimental ranges of greenhouse light (ca. 100–1500 μE∙m2∙s−1 as midday maximum photosynthetically active radiation (PAR)) and temperature (12–32 °C). Response variables considered in the study included biomass production, shoot density, shoot length, and various characteristics of leaf form.Total biomass production in all species generally increased with both increasing light and increasing temperature (to at least 28 °C). However, variations in biomass and other parameters as well were highly influenced by the interactive relationship between light and temperature. Shoot density correlated directly with biomass production in these species under all experimental conditions. In contrast, light and temperature elicited opposing responses in shoot le.
Protection Behaviours: a diversity of individual strategies

The aim of the article is to study the determinants of privacy protection behaviours using a qualitative approach with face-to-face interviews of students in France (N=49). Based on our interviews, we are able to identify two main behaviours regarding privacy: surrender and defender. We found empirical evidence for the privacy paradox. More than a static position, we show a dynamic positioning of our respondents between surrender and defender of their online privacy that depends on: perceived personal susceptibility to digital threat; self-efficacy; catalytic information; social vs. institutional space; type of shared information; and age. Our research also shows that privacy protection behaviour is highly related to cybersecurity behaviour.
The Efficacy of Ethyl Acetate Extract of TrichodermaCulture Broth on Growth Inhibition and Aflatoxin Production by Aspergillus flavusIMI 242684

Antifungal metabolites from Trichodermaspp. isolates TISTR 3167, KMC 5, SRS 4 and SCP III were extracted from cell pellets by methanol and also from culture filtrates by three different solvents, i.e. hexane, ethyl acetate and n-butanol and tested for growth inhibition of A. flavusIMI 242684 using paper disc diffusion assay on potato dextrose agar. Ethyl acetate extracts from TISTR 3167, KMC 5 and SRS 4 were most active against A. flavusIMI 242684 and 50 mg/ml was the optimal concentration. When ethyl acetate extracts of the 3 isolates at 50 mg/ml were further applied to peanut grains, the growth and aflatoxin (B1and B2) production by A. flavus IMI 242684 were inhibited during 21 days of storage at room temperature.
Evaluation of Machine Learning Algorithms for Anomaly Detection

Malicious attack detection is one of the critical cyber-security challenges in the peer-to-peer smart grid platforms due to the fact that attackers’ behaviours change continuously over time. In this paper, we evaluate twelve Machine Learning (ML) algorithms in terms of their ability to detect anomalous behaviours over the networking practice. The evaluation is performed on three publicly available datasets: CICIDS-2017, UNSW-NB15 and the Industrial Control System (ICS) cyber-attack datasets. The experimental work is performed through the ALICE high-performance computing facility at the University of Leicester. Based on these experiments, a comprehensive analysis of the ML algorithms is presented. The evaluation results verify that the Random Forest (RF) algorithm achieves the best performance in terms of accuracy, precision, Recall, F1-Score and Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves on all these datasets. It is worth pointing out that other algorithms perform closely to RF and that the decision regarding which ML algorithm to select depends on the data produced by the application system.
Security Issues in Automatic Dependent Surveillance - Broadcast (ADS-B): A Survey

As a new generation of air transportation surveillance technology, the automatic dependent surveillance - broadcast (ADS-B) system mainly completes the extraction and processing of the position information and other additional information of the aviation aircraft to form a clear and intuitive background map and trajectory. However, ADS-B broadcasts information via open and unencrypted protocols, it is vulnerable to deliberate intrusions and attacks, which poses a great security risk. This paper studies the security issues of the ADS-B system in information leakage and tampering. Starting from the vulnerability of the ADS-B system, it is divided into vulnerability based on attack intention and vulnerability based on security requirements. Various solutions for solving vulnerabilities from two aspects, secure location authentication, and secure broadcast authentication are proposed, and the solutions are compared in terms of security and feasibility. The research results show that a single solution does not fully protect the security of the ADS-B system. For example, the PKI (Public Key Infrastructure) technology and the SS (Spread Spectrum) technology can resist most attacks, but there are still deficiencies. Therefore, this paper proposes to propose a multi-layered security framework in future research work, which includes detecting and preventing different attacks in the ADS-B system.
CDD: Coordinating Data Dissemination in Heterogeneous IoT Networks

Data dissemination in Internet of Things (IoT) networks provides a fundamental service for many critical applications. However, traditional dissemination schemes were investigated for an isolated IoT network, and did not fit the coexistence scenario of heterogeneous IoT networks. Motivated by the latest innovations in cross-technology communication (CTC) techniques, this article proposes CDD, a framework utilizing a WiFi-based access point (AP) to simultaneously conduct fast data diffusion in heterogeneous IoT networks (e.g., WiFi and ZigBee). We shed light on the network features in the coexistence scenario and then review the key challenges of coordinating dissemination based on CTC techniques. With these network features and challenges in mind, the CDD framework includes a series of designs to conduct efficient data dissemination in heterogeneous networks using a WiFi AP. The framework is implemented and evaluated on a real-world testbed. The results demonstrate that CDD can reduce the dissemination delay and significantly outperform the state-of-the-art approaches.
Augmentation Du Couvert En Peuplier Faux-Tremble Dans Les Pessières Noires Du Nord-Ouest Du Québec Après Coupe Totale

Abstract: In the eastern Canadian boreal forest, the term hardwood expansion or encroachment (enfeuillement in French) generally refers to the phenomenon of increasing cover of intolerant hardwoods, notably aspen (Populus tremuloides), following clearcutting. Such expansion is perceived as a local (stand-level) process that is reflected at a larger, regional scale. The objective of this study was to characterize the increase in aspen cover following clearcutting in the clay belt of Abitibi, in northwestern Quebec. Regional data from 3 province-wide forest inventories (1970, 1980, and 1990) conducted by the Quebec Ministry of Natural Resources and Wildlife were analyzed for 2 ecological regions, the Abitibi Plain (western balsam fir-white birch bioclimatic subdomain) and the Matagami Lake Plain (western black spruce-feathermoss bioclimatic subdomain). An assessment was done of forest cover transformations following clearcutting over 3 decades based on time since harvesting, surface deposit/drainage, and ecological region. Results show that mesic clay sites are particularly susceptible to aspen encroachment and that the overall rate of encroachment from the 1970s to the 1990s in the black spruce and balsam fir regions has been about 30%. Moreover, despite the greater abundance of poorly drained and organic sites, less favourable to hardwood establishment, in the more northerly black spruce region, the 2 regions appear to present the same sensitivity (or propensity) to intolerant hardwood expansion. On sensitive sites, management of black spruce forests should include adaptive practices to limit increases of the hardwood component. Nomenclature: Marie-Victorin, 1995.
Power-Law Processor Over Segmentation for Variable Length Transients Detection

In this letter, we aim to apply Nuttall's power-law processor, for which available data are raised to a power prior to summation, to the detection of variable length transient signals. The available data are often couched in frequency domain, where aggregation of transient signal energy into relatively small number of frequency bins is achieved by matching the DFT size with the transient length. However, without prior knowledge of the transient duration, performance degrades due to mismatch and the spread of transient energy over frequency bins as a result. A simple segmentation scheme is proposed to deal with the mismatch problem by exploiting robustness of power-law processor and contiguity of transients in time domain. Performance of the proposed segmentation scheme is evaluated, and is compared with two time domain detectors with and without the prior knowledge of transient length.
Home range and elevated egg densities within an inshore spawning ground of coastal cod

Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) along the Norwegian Skagerrak coast are structured into genetically distinct local populations. Mechanisms contributing to this genetic structure may include spawning site fidelity of adult cod as well as retention of pelagic early life stages close to the spawning grounds. Spawning in sheltered inshore localities is likely to favour retention of eggs and larvae, the opposite situation to offshore spawning. A combined study was made of area utilization by adult cod and the distribution of cod eggs within an inshore locality of the Norwegian Skagerrak coast. The behaviour of adult cod was studied using acoustic telemetry and kernel modelling, and eggs were sampled throughout the spawning season. Generalized additive models were applied to test hypotheses about the spatial dynamics of the eggs, and the best model described a central spawning area that retained its integrity through time. Adult cod were confined to small parts of the study area and remained there throughout the spawning season. The average home range of the adult cod was 27 ha. Overall, the study demonstrated two mechanisms by which coastal (i.e. inshore) cod maintain their population structure: spawning site fidelity and the spatial dynamics of their eggs.
Similarity and Diversity in Visual Cortex: Is There a Unifying Theory of Cortical Computation?

The cerebral cortex, with its conserved 6-layer structure, has inspired many unifying models of function. However, recent comparative studies of primary visual cortex have revealed considerable structural diversity, raising doubts about the possibility of an all-encompassing theory. This review examines similarities and differences in V1 across mammals. Gross laminar interconnections are relatively conserved. Major functional response classes are found universally or nearly universally. Orientation and spatial frequency tuning bandwidths are quite similar despite an enormous range of visual resolution across species, and orientation tuning is contrast-invariant. Nevertheless, there is considerable diversity in the abundance of different cell classes, laminar organization, functional architecture, and functional connectivity. Orientation-selective responses arise in different layers in different species. Some mammals have elaborate columnar architecture like orientation maps and ocular dominance bands, but.
Technological solution for the identification and reduction of stress level using wearables

In this article, a technological solution is proposed to identify and reduce the level of mental stress of a person through a wearable device. The proposal identifies a physiological variable: heart rate, through the integration between a wearable and a mobile application through text recognition using the back camera of a smartphone. As part of the process, the technological solution shows a list of guidelines depending on the level of stress obtained in a given time. Once completed, it can be measured again in order to confirm the evolution of your stress level. This proposal allows the patient to keep his stress level under control in an effective and accessible way in real time. The proposal consists of four phases: 1. Collection of parameters through the wearable; 2. Data reception by the mobile application; 3. Data storage in a cloud environment and 4. Data collection and processing; this last phase is divided into 4 sub-phases: 4.1. Stress level analysis, 4.2. Recommendations to decrease the level obtained, 4.3. Comparison between measurements and 4.4. Measurement history per day. The proposal was validated in a workplace with people from 20 to 35 years old located in Lima, Peru. Preliminary results showed that 80% of patients managed to reduce their stress level with the proposed solution.
Information Systems User Satisfaction: Application of a model for e-Government

The growing increase in the digitization of government services points to the need to measure the success of the information systems used. One solution to evaluate these systems is to measure user satisfaction. The aim of this article is to present a model for measuring user satisfaction in information systems for government use. The research was of the descriptive type, carried out through a questionnaire to a sample of 1260 users of the system. The research model was calculated using structural equations via variance. The results revealed that the DeLone & McLean model is an adequate model for measuring government information systems. In this study, the model managed to explain 76.9% of user satisfaction in information systems, with perceived utility, quality of information, quality of the system and quality of services being the most important variables, respectively.
PI‐3K/Akt and NF‐κB/IκBα pathways are activated in Jurkat T cells in response to TRAIL treatment

The aim of this work was to evaluate the involvement of survival pathways in the response of Jurkat T leukaemic cells sensitive to the cytotoxic action of tumour necrosis factor (TNF)‐related apoptosis‐inducing ligand (TRAIL)/Apo2L. Jurkat T cells express TRAIL‐R2/DR5 and TRAIL‐R4/DcR2 receptors and start to die by apoptosis early (3 h) upon TRAIL administration reaching a dose‐dependent increase in the percentage of dead cells within 48 h (up to 85–90%). This increase in cell death is accompanied by a dose‐dependent significant (P < 0.05) increase in the G0/G1 phase of the cell cycle and reverted by the treatment with a broad inhibitor of caspases, z‐VAD‐fmk. Co‐treatment of the cells with inhibitors of PI‐3 kinase (LY294002) and nuclear factor kappa B (NF‐κB) (SN50) pathways leads to an earlier significantly increased cytotoxicity, respectively in the form of apoptosis and necrosis. Consistently with the data obtained with the pharmacological inhibitors, the activation and nuclear translocation of both PI‐3K and NF‐κB were observed. In summary, our results provide evidence that even in sensitive neoplastic cells TRAIL paradoxically activates pro‐survival pathways, which protect against TRAIL‐mediated death since their inhibition leads to an earlier and increased cytotoxicity. © 2004 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.