Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Design, Development and Performance Evaluation of Intelligent Sensors

Many electronic devices, instruments and sensors exhibit inherent nonlinear input-output characteristics. Nonlinearity also creeps in due to change in environmental conditions such as temperature and humidity. In addition, aging of the sensors also introduce nonlinearity. Due to such nonlinearities direct digital readout is not possible. As a result the devices or sensors are used only in the linear region of their characteristics. In other words the usable range of these devices gets restricted due to nonlinearity problem. The accuracy of measurement is also affected if the full range of the instrument is used. The nonlinearity present in the characteristics is usually time-varying and unpredictable as it depends on many uncertain factors stated above. Hence the prime objective of the thesis is to study the nonlinearity problem associated with these devices and suggest novel methods of circumventing these effects by suitably designing intelligent systems. In the present investigation, sensors such as, capacitive pressure sensor (CPS), linear variable differential transformer (LVDT) and control valve actuator are selected for adaptive linearization. In corporation of the intelligent inverse model is in series with the nonlinear device alleviates the associated nonlinearity and permits accurate measurement for the full dynamic range. The existing fixed type nonlinearity compensators are not be effective for time varying nonlinear devices. However, adaptive techniques using Artificial Neural Network (ANN) are better candidates for solving such problems. Therefore, in the present thesis, the following major tasks have been carried out. (i) Development of adaptive system identification model (direct model) of the CPS for analyzing the inherent time varying nonlinearity present in their characteristics mainly due to the variation in temperatures, (ii) Development of an inverse model of the CPS for the full range of operations and placing in series with the device for achieving time varying nonlinearity compensation. These models (direct and inverse) have been developed using: (a) Adaptive tap-delay filter (b) The Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP) (c) The Radial Basis Function based Neural Network (RBFNN) (d) The Functional-Link Artificial Neural Network (FLANN)
Quality Control of Fungal and Viral Biocontrol Agents - Assurance of Product Performance

An essential feature of the production of all microbial control agents is an effective quality control system. Well-defined product specifications with accompanying quality control procedures help to maximize product performance, ensure product safety, standardize manufacturing costs and reduce the risks of supply failure, thus building user confidence. A production system that does not have a quality control system is one whose output is uncontrolled and a lack of thorough quality feedback can result in batches of product with variable concentrations of active agent. This results in products with variable performance leading to control failures by users and serious loss of user confidence. Strict quality control procedures are not only essential for product consistency, but also for safety. Where quality control is inadequate, microbial contamination of the final product is inevitable. In most of such cases this will merely lead to a loss of efficacy due to dilution of the active ingredient by competing microorganisms, but also the potential of producing human pathogens must be ruled out. Recognition of contaminants and quantification of the degree of contamination are therefore important in determining any possible risk to human health. Many low technology production systems in use around the world have minimal or no quality control procedures. This is unacceptable and can damage the reputation of microbial control in addition to possibly posing health risks to those that produce or are exposed to the product. Two case studies from developing countries, are used to illustrate how the lack of quality control procedures can lead to the production of low viability, highly contaminated products with low or negligible concentrations of the active ingredient. However, it is also demonstrated that low technology production systems in developing countries can produce high quality products, provided appropriate quality control procedures are firmly implemented. It must be recognized that quality control procedures can be more complex and technologically demanding than the production procedures themselves, but it is largely on the effectiveness of these control procedures that the long-term acceptability of fungal and viral products depends. This paper details the quality control procedures considered necessary in the mass production of fungi and viruses for use as biocontrol agents, and attempts to suggest reasonable standards that can be achieved by all producers.
Causal Effect Identifiability under Partial-Observability

Causal effect identifiability is concerned with establishing the effect of intervening on a set of variables on another set of variables from observational or interventional distributions under causal assumptions that are usually encoded in the form of a causal graph. Most of the results of this literature implicitly assume that every variable modeled in the graph is measured in the available distributions. In practice, however, the data collections of the different studies considered do not measure the same variables, consistently. In this paper, we study the causal effect identifiability problem when the available distributions encompass different sets of variables, which we refer to as identification under partial-observability. We study a number of properties of the factors that comprise a causal effect under various levels of abstraction, and then characterize the relationship between them with respect to their status relative to the identification of a targeted intervention. We establish a sufficient graphical criterion for determining whether the effects are identifiable from partially-observed distributions. Finally, building on these graphical properties, we develop an algorithm that returns a formula for a causal effect in terms of the available distributions.
The influence of landscape change on multiple dimensions of human–nature connectedness

Human–nature connectedness is hailed as a potential remedy for the current sustainability crisis, yet it is also deeply affected by it. Here, we perform a comprehensive assessment of human–nature connectedness that includes material, experiential, cognitive, emotional, and philosophical dimensions. We show that these dimensions of human–nature connectedness are strongly interlinked, especially via emotional and experiential connectedness. Our findings showcase a cross-country comparison of four focal landscapes in Transylvania, Romania and Lower Saxony, Germany, which represent gradients from minor and gradual to relatively major and rapid landscape change. Based on content analysis of 73 in-depth interviews, we show that landscape change was seen by the interviewees to have a strong, and often negative, influence on multiple dimensions of human–nature connectedness. Focusing only on isolated dimensions of human–nature connectedness could inadvertently exacerbate the sustainability crisis because unawareness about relationships between dimensions of connectedness may lead to false predictions regarding policy implications.
Audio-visual synchrony perception

• A submitted manuscript is the version of the article upon submission and before peer-review. There can be important differences between the submitted version and the official published version of record. People interested in the research are advised to contact the author for the final version of the publication, or visit the DOI to the publisher's website. • The final author version and the galley proof are versions of the publication after peer review. • The final published version features the final layout of the paper including the volume, issue and page numbers.
The Problem of Psychology and the Integration of Human Knowledge Contrasting Wilson's Consilience with the Tree of Knowledge System

The central thesis of this essay is that the problem of psychology lies at the very heart of the difficulties associated with integrating human knowledge. The startling consequence of this insight is that it means the solution to psychology's epistemological woes opens up a new pathway for achieving unified knowledge. A brief overview of the fragmentation of knowledge will be offered and special attention will be paid to Wilson's (1998) proposal. The problem of psychology, Wilson's failure to address it, and the reasons why it is integral to any proposal for unifying knowledge will then be specified. The article concludes with an articulation of how the Tree of Knowledge (ToK) System solves the problem of psychology, resolves many of the fundamental issues associated with integrating human knowledge, and is commensurate with the foremost concerns of natural sci - entists, social scientists, and humanists, allowing for objectivity, coherence, and pluralism.
A Relation of Size to Swimming Speed in Rainbow Trout

Cruising speed at 10 C of rainbow trout 4–100 g was measured in a rotating chamber and found to vary as weight0.13. Weight varied as length2.91, so that swimming speed was dependent on length0.4, close to the relation found for other salmonids by other authors. A 10-g fish could swim at approximately 9 body lengths (L) sec−1 whereas at 100 g the cruising speed was 5.5 L sec−1. By extrapolation the rate at 1000 g was 3 L sec−1.
Pre-pandemic psychiatric disorders and risk of COVID-19: a cohort analysis in the UK Biobank

Objective To determine the association between pre-pandemic psychiatric disorders and the risk of COVID-19. Design Community-based prospective cohort study. Setting UK Biobank population. Participants 421,048 participants who were recruited in England and alive by January 31st 2020, i.e., the start of COVID-19 outbreak in the UK. 50,815 individuals with psychiatric disorders recorded in the UK Biobank inpatient hospital data before the outbreak were included in the exposed group, while 370,233 participants without such conditions were in the unexposed group. Measurements We obtained information on positive results of COVID-19 test as registered in the Public Health England, COVID-19 related hospitalizations in the UK Biobank inpatient hospital data, and COIVD-19 related deaths from the death registers. We also identified individuals who was hospitalized for infections other than COVID-19 during the follow-up. Logistic regression models were used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs), controlling for multiple confounders. Results The mean age at outbreak was 67.8 years and around 43% of the study participants were male. We observed an elevated risk of COVID-19 among individuals with pre-pandemic psychiatric disorder, compared with those without such diagnoses. The fully adjusted ORs were 1.44 (95%CI 1.27 to 1.64), 1.67 (1.42 to 1.98), and 2.03 (1.56 to 2.63) for any COVID-19, inpatient COVID-19, COVID-19 related death, respectively. The excess risk was observed across all levels of somatic comorbidities and subtypes of pre-pandemic psychiatric disorders, while further increased with greater number of pre-pandemic psychiatric disorders. We also observed an association between pre-pandemic psychiatric disorders and increased risk of hospitalization for other infections (1.85 [1.65 to 2.07]). Conclusions Pre-pandemic psychiatric disorders are associated with increased risk of COVID-19, especially severe and fatal COVID-19. The similar association observed for hospitalization for other infections suggests a shared pathway between psychiatric disorders and different infections, including altered immune responses.
Outcome of Conservative Therapy in COVID-19 Patients Presenting with Gastrointestinal Bleeding

Background: There is a paucity of data on the management of gastrointestinal(GI) bleeding in patients with COVID-19 amid concerns about the risk of transmission during endoscopic procedures.We aimed to study the outcomes of conservative treatment for GI bleeding in patients with COVID-19. Methods: In this retrospective analysis, 24 of 1342(1.8%) patients with COVID-19, presenting with GI bleeding from 22ndApril to 22ndJuly 2020, were included. Results: The mean age of patients was 45.8+/-12.7 years; 17(70.8%) were males; upper GI(UGI) bleeding: lower GI(LGI) 23:1. Twenty-two(91.6%) patients had evidence of cirrhosis- 21 presented with UGI bleeding while one had bleeding from hemorrhoids. Two patients without cirrhosis were presumed to have non-variceal bleeding. The medical therapy for UGI bleeding included vasoconstrictors- somatostatin in 17(73.9%) and terlipressin in 4(17.4%) patients. All patients with UGI bleeding received proton pump inhibitors and antibiotics. Packed red blood cells(PRBCs), fresh frozen plasma and platelets were transfused in 14(60.9%), 3(13.0%) and 3(13.0%), respectively. The median PRBCs transfused was 1(0-3) unit(s). The initial control of UGI bleeding was achieved in all 23 patients and none required an emergency endoscopy. At 5-day follow-up, none rebled or died. Two patients later rebled, one had intermittent bleed due to gastric antral vascular ectasia, while another had rebleed 19 days after discharge. Three(12.5%) cirrhosis patients succumbed to acute hypoxemic respiratory failure during hospital stay. Conclusion: Conservative management strategies including pharmacotherapy, restrictive transfusion strategy, and close hemodynamic monitoring can successfully manage GI bleeding in COVID-19 patients and reduce need for urgent endoscopy.
Effective process times for aggregate modeling of manufacturing systems

• A submitted manuscript is the author's version of the article upon submission and before peer-review. There can be important differences between the submitted version and the official published version of record. People interested in the research are advised to contact the author for the final version of the publication, or visit the DOI to the publisher's website. • The final author version and the galley proof are versions of the publication after peer review. • The final published version features the final layout of the paper including the volume, issue and page numbers.
Inter simple sequence repeat ( ISSR ) markers as reproducible and specific tools for genetic diversity analysis of rose species

Rose is one of the most important cultivated ornamental plants in the world. A molecular approach using inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers was applied to seven species of Rosa. To obtain clear and reproducible bands on 2% agarose gels, 9 ISSR primers and 5 parameters (annealing temperature, DNA concentrations, primer concentrations, Taq DNA polymerase and MgCl2 concentrations) were screened. The resolution of six ISSR markers was performed, with optimal annealing temperature (Ta) varying from 45 to 50°C. A total of 66 DNA fragments were amplified, of which 50 were polymorphic. The optimal conditions for ISSR system were determined as follows: MgCl2 concentration was 2 mM, the quantity of Taq DNA polymerase 1 U, template DNA 30 ng and the concentration of primer was 1 μM and the reaction program was: initial denaturation for 5 min at 94°C, 35 cycles of denaturation for 30 s at 94°C, annealing for 45 s at specific annealing temperature for each primer, extension for 2 min at 72°C and a final 10 min extension at 72°C.
Effect of condensed tannins in Lotus corniculatus upon lactation performance in ewes

SUMMARY A grazing experiment was conducted for 8 weeks in the spring/summer of 1993 at Palmerston North, New Zealand, to study the effects of condensed tannins (CT) in Lotus corniculatus (birdsfoot trefoil cv. Grasslands Goldie) upon the lactation performance of ewes rearing twin lambs. Effects of CT were evaluated by studying the responses of ewes to twice daily oral supplementation with polyethylene glycol (PEG; MW 3500), which binds and inactivates CT. A rotational grazing system with restricted feed allowance was used. Measurements were made of pre- and post-grazing herbage mass, the composition of the feed on offer and diet selected, voluntary feed intake (VF1), milk yield and composition, liveweight gain and wool production. The concentration of metabolites in rumen fluid and in blood plasma was also measured. Lotus contained 35–5 g total nitrogen and 44–5 g total CT/kg dry matter in the diet selected, with an in vitro digestibility of 73%. At peak lactation (weeks 3 and 4) milk yield and composition were similar for control (CT-acting) and PEG-supplemented (CTinactivated) ewes but, as lactation progressed, the decline in milk production and in the secretion rates of protein and lactose were less for control than for PEG-supplemented ewes. In mid and late lactation (weeks 6–11), control ewes secreted more milk (21 %), more milk protein (14%) and more lactose (12%) than PEG-supplemented ewes. Milk fat percentage was lower for control than for PEG-supplemented ewes, but secretion rates of fat were similar for the two groups. VFI, liveweight gain and wool growth were similar for both groups. Plasma urea and glucose concentrations were lower for control than for PEG-supplemented ewes, but concentrations of non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), growth hormone and insulin were similar for the two groups. The concentrations of ammonia and molar proportions of iso-butyric, iso-and n-valeric acids in rumen fluid were lower for control than for PEG-supplemented ewes; molar proportions of acetic, propionic and H-butyric acids were similar for the two groups. It was concluded that for ewes rearing twin lambs grazing L. corniculatus, the action of CT increased milk yield and the secretion rates of protein and lactose without affecting VFI, thereby increasing the efficiency of milk production. The increased milk production did not appear to be mediated by effects on plasma concentrations of growth hormone or insulin.
Multivariate degradation modelling and its application to reliability testing

• A submitted manuscript is the version of the article upon submission and before peer-review. There can be important differences between the submitted version and the official published version of record. People interested in the research are advised to contact the author for the final version of the publication, or visit the DOI to the publisher's website. • The final author version and the galley proof are versions of the publication after peer review. • The final published version features the final layout of the paper including the volume, issue and page numbers.
Sexual cannibalism, competition, and size dimorphism in the orb-weaving spider Nephila plumipes Latreille (Araneae: Araneoidea)

The degree and direction of sexual dimorphism varies widely, but in several taxa of orb-weaving spiders, including Nephila, males may be less than one-tendi the size of females. This difference is commonly attributed to selection dirough precopulation sexual cannibalism: females may eidier fail to detect very small males, or ignore them as potential prey items. However, there is often the potential for male-male competition in these species because several males can be found on die web of a single female. We investigated experimentally the effects of sexual cannibalism and male-male competition on male body size and hence sexual dimorphism in die Australian golden orb-weaver (Nephila plumipes). Small males were less likely to be detected and cannibalized than larger males. However, larger males excluded small males from die central hub of the web, where mating takes place. The conflicting effects of sexual cannibalism and male-male competition may be responsible for die relatively large variation in male body size in diis species.
Enhanced oil recovery three dimensional sandpack simulation of ultramicrobacteria resuscitation in reservoir formation

Summary: Changes in cell size and shape associated with bacterial starvation and resuscitation were used as a technique to enhance oil recovery. Injection of starved bacteria followed by nutrients into rock cores produced deep bacterial plugs. This work reports on an investigation of the dispersion and resuscitation of ultramicrobacteria (UMB) produced by starvation of Pseudomonas sp. FC3. Initially, the UMB were injected into one-dimensional sandcores; in other words, flow was from the inlet to the outlet in one direction. To provide closer simulation of oil well conditions, the UMB were injected into a three-dimensional reservoir simulator, 45 cm in diameter by 38 cm in length. Sample probes strategically positioned within the sandpack detected the UMB as they dispersed throughout the pack. After 24 d of nutrient stimulation, the sandpack was dismantled and analysed. Scanning electron microscopy and carbohydrate assays of the sandpack sections showed glycocalyx (polymer) production in every section. The three-dimensional model confirmed the findings of the unidirectional core models in that the UMB penetrated the sandpack, resuscitated and grew in situ to form a confluent bacterial plug when nutrient-stimulated.
MultiSurv: Long-term cancer survival prediction using multimodal deep learning

The age of precision medicine demands powerful computational techniques to handle high-dimensional patient data. We present MultiSurv, a multimodal deep learning method for long-term pan-cancer survival prediction. MultiSurv is composed of three main modules. A feature representation module includes a dedicated submodel for each input data modality. A data fusion layer aggregates the multimodal representations. Finally, a prediction submodel yields conditional survival probabilities for a predefined set of follow-up time intervals. We trained MultiSurv on clinical, imaging, and four different high-dimensional omics data modalities from patients diagnosed with one of 33 different cancer types. We evaluated unimodal input configurations against several previous methods and different multimodal data combinations. MultiSurv achieved the best results according to different time-dependent metrics and delivered highly accurate long-term patient survival curves. The best performance was obtained when combining clinical information with either gene expression or DNA methylation data, depending on the evaluation metric. Additionally, MultiSurv can handle missing data, including missing values and complete data modalities. Interestingly, for unimodal data we found that simpler modeling approaches, including the classical Cox proportional hazards method, can achieve results rivaling those of more complex methods for certain data modalities. We also show how the learned feature representations of MultiSurv can be used to visualize relationships between cancer types and individual patients, after embedding into a low-dimensional space.
Spin Wave Confinement

Introduction Chapter 1. Quantized Spin-Wave Models due to Lateral Con_nement S. O. Demokritov and V. E. Demidov Chapter 2. Brillouin Light Scattering Study of Spin Dynamics in Patterned Nano-Elements: From Single-Layer to Multilayered Structures G. Gubbiotti, M. Madami, S. Tacchi, and G. Carlotti Chapter 3. Non-Uniform Magnetization Dynamics in Ultra-Small Ferromagnetic Planar Elements V. V. Kruglyak, P. S. Keatley, R. J. Hicken, J. R. Childress, and J. A. Katine Chapter 4. Mode Structure of Ferromagnetic Squares M. Bailleul and C. Back Chapter 5. Spin Waves in the Inhomogeneous Internal Field of Nanostructured Rings D. Grundler, F. Giesen, and J. Podbielski Chapter 6. Localized Spin Wave Modes Excited by Spin-Polarized Current A. N. Slavin and V. S. Tiberkevich Index