Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Variation of Greenhouse Gases in Urban Areas-Case Study: CO2, CO and CH4 in Three Romanian Cities

The natural equilibrium of atmospheric gases has been maintained for millions of years, but with the beginning of the industrial age, it became more fragile due to human activity. In the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Report (IPCC) named “Climate Change 2007” (IPCC-AR4, 2007) it is specified that “the keep going emissions of the greenhouse gases (GHG) at/over current rate, will cause in the future global warming and will induce more global climate changes in the 21st century than those of 20th century”. More than , in the coming IPCC Report named “Carbon cycle including ocean acidification (CCT)” (IPCC-AR5, 2010) is stipulated that ocean acidification will be a further critical and direct consequence of increasing atmospheric GHG concentrations. In 1886, the chemist Svante Arrhenius (Nobel prize for Chemistry in 1903) calculated for the first time the CO2 contribution (from fossil fuel combustion) to climatic changes and used for the first time the term of “greenhouse effect”. Almost 100 years were necessary for the confirmation of Arrhenius predictions about the evolution of global climatic factors, and the fact that CO2 is the main greenhouse gas, with a contribution of 55% to Global Warming Effect. The first IPCC Report (IPCC-FAR, 1990) draws the conclusion about the possible existence of a global warming phenomenon. The second IPCC Report (IPCC-SAR, 1995) shows the contribution of humans to global warming and predicts a major warming in the 21st century. The third IPCC Report (IPCC-TAR, 2001) affirms a very probable (60% 90%) warming for the next century. In the IPCC-AR4 Report (IPCC-AR4, 2007) adds for the understanding of the impact of climate changes over the vulnerability and the adaptation of the environment, the most relevant scientific, technical and socio-economical information from more than 1500 scientific papers. This report accepts with a probability of over 90% that the emission of greenhouse gases and not the environmental conditions gives the global warming effect. The IPCC Guide from 2006 makes an inventory of gases from atmosphere and distinguishes between: a. gases with GWP (Global Warming Potential) listed in IPCC 2001: CO2, CH4, N2O, hydro fluorocarbons, per fluorocarbons, SF6, NF3, SF5CF3, halogenated ether, C4F9OC2H5, CHF2OCF2OC2F4OCHF2, CHF2OCF2OCHF2 and other halocarbons CF3I, CH2Br2, CHCl3, CH3Cl, CH2Cl2.
Indoor-Outdoor Volatile Organic Compounds ( VOCs ) levels : The Case of Dhaka Urban and Industrial Area

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are of concern both as indoor and outdoor air pollutants for their potential adverse impact on health of people who are exposed and ability to create photochemical smog under certain conditions. Although VOCs are expected to be an important environmental and health risk factor for the rapidly industrializing countries like Bangladesh but there are limited studies on the outdoor and indoor air levels of VOCs in different environments such as industrial and urban areas. On the other hand, there is no known published data yet to assess the indoor VOCs of residential houses in Bangladesh. Therefore, the presence and concentration levels of VOCs were investigated for urban (Mirpur) and industrial (Tejgaon) areas of Dhaka city, Bangladesh in this study. For this purpose six places were selected in two areas (urban and industrial area) for sampling campaigns from 30 of August 2013 to 11 September 2013. Outdoor and indoor samples from both areas were obtained by means of active sampling using Tenax TA tubes as sorbent material during the sampling time. Analysis and quantification were done by thermal desorption-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (TD-GC-MS) and internal standard calibration. A total set of 44 VOCs consisting of (cyclo)-alkanes, aromatic compounds, halogenated compounds, oxygenated compounds and terpenes were identified from the six sampling sites. Considering safe sampling volume (SSV) 5 VOCs excluded from the data interpretation. Data were interpreted in terms of total volatile organic compounds(TVOCs) which is the sum of 39 VOCs, individual groups and subgroups of TVOCs. The highest mean of TVOCs was measured in the roadside of the industrial street (mean: 96μg/m3; maximum: around 151μg/m3). The lowest mean of TVOCs was measured in the park of the urban area (mean: 28μg/m3; minimum: around 14μg/m3). Although this work has brought forward new data on VOCs concentrations level on wide range of VOCs, further studies concerning more sites and seasonal variations are recommended.
Joint synchronization and detection from samples taken through integrate-and-dump

The problem of sequence and timing error estimation for arbitrary baseband pulse shapes and arbitrary sampling rates in integrate-and-dump optical communications is studied. It is shown that the error probability due to timing error reduces to the same as that with perfect synchronization as the sampling rate goes to infinity, and a lower bound on the error probability is also derived. The general results are then applied to the popular cases of OOK and BPPM. The same problem is also studied for the Gaussian channel with samples taken by an integrate-and-dump filter. A lower bound on the error probability is also derived, and it is shown to be the same as the one with samples taken from the matched filter for NRZ signaling. <<ETX>>
Experimental verification of the frequency response method for pipeline leak detection

This paper presents an experimental validation of the frequency response method for pipeline leak detection. The presence of a leak within the pipe imposes a periodic pattern on the resonant peaks of the frequency response diagram. This pattern can be used as an indicator of leaks without requiring the “no-leak” benchmark for comparison. In addition to the experimental verification of the technique, important issues, such as the procedure for frequency response extraction and methods for dealing with frequency-dependent friction are considered in this paper. In this study, transient signals are generated by a side-discharge solenoid valve. Non-linearity errors associated with large valve movements can be prevented by a change in the input parameter to the system. The optimum measuring and generating position for two different system boundary configurations—a symmetric and an antisymmetric system—are discussed in the paper and the analytical expression for the leak-induced pattern in these two cases is derived
Using genomics to improve Bacillus anthracis diagnostics and outbreak investigations

The bacterium Bacillus anthracis causes the disease anthrax, primarily in herbivores but many mammals are susceptible to the disease. Its infective form is as a dormant spore that can lie in the soil for decades. Thus, in its cycle of infection, it spends most of the time in an inactive state and replication-induced DNA-mutations are therefore kept at a minimum. Partly due to these long periods of inactivity, all B. anthracis isolates found in the world are genetically very similar. This makes strain characterization difficult and requires high-resolution technologies. Bacillus anthracis also has similar DNA-content as other Bacillus spp. and therefore diagnostic cross-reactions are not uncommon. Anthrax incidence has steadily declined in the world during the last century but there are still endemic areas. In 2008 and in 2011 Sweden suffered two large and costly outbreaks, most likely caused by the disturbance of old anthrax epizootic graves from the 1940s and 1950s. Several studies emanated from these outbreaks including how the bacteria in cows treated with penicillin developed penicillin resistance. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) has revolutionized the way DNA is sequenced and the whole genome (i.e., all the DNA) of a bacterium can now be sequenced in only a few days. In this doctoral thesis, NGS and genomics were used to improve our capability to deal with anthrax outbreaks. Genomic and genetic studies were applied to identify the non-anthrax Bacillus spp. available that were most closely related to B. anthracis. How well the strains could mimic B. anthracis in a model system for B. anthracis spores was evaluated and the best model strains found have since been used in exercises and as controls in real samples. For genome comparisons, a software was created that can compare the genetic content of several hundreds of bacterial genomes. This ensures a rapid characterization of an outbreak pathogen’s genome. The software was also used to in silico-compare all published anthrax PCR-assays to determine which assays that had the highest specificity. This workflow ensures that our molecular diagnostics are as specific for B. anthracis as possible. By using isolates from an anthrax outbreak, the mechanisms of beta-lactam resistance in B. anthracis were studied and chromosomal mutations in a negative sigma factor were found to be the cause. The genomic divergence of a strain during an outbreak was also studied to gain knowledge of the strengths and limitations of using NGS for epidemiological investigations. In summary, this thesis describes different genomic approaches that have improved diagnostic methods, explained ambiguous antimicrobial resistance findings and enhanced the resolution of genomic epidemiological investigation to ensure a robust handling of future anthrax outbreaks.
The Relationship Between The Surgical Stress Associaed with Total Hip Arthroplasty and DNA Oxidative Damage

Introduction The aim of the present study was to investigate whether 8OHdG (8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine), which thus indicates DNA oxidative damage, can be used as a parameter to assess surgical stress. Surgical stress involves complex interrelationship of physical stress and mental factors. The results of the reaction to surgical stress can elicit a characteristic response involving increased circulating concentrations of stress hormones (such as cortisol and catecholamines), the synthesis and release of various humoral mediators (such as proinflammatory cytokines), the induction of synthesis and the release of acute-phase proteins such as C-reactive protein (CRP), and it may also induce various metabolic changes (such as lipolysis or hyperglycemia ). Cytokines and the acute-phase responses play an important role in controlling the human immune system. Proinflammatory cytokines, such as tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8(IL-8), are all considered to be important mediators of the pathological changes associated with surgery. Various studies have suggested interleukin (IL)-6 to be a major mediator of the acute-phase protein response and it is also recognized to be a marker of post operative tissue trauma. The value of IL-6 for monitoring inflammation in trauma, sepsis, shock, and after major cardiac and abdominal surgery has been shown in several series. These cytokines are upregulated after surgical stress to maintain homeostasis; however, an impaired balance of these cytokines can lead to the development of either systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) or compensatory anti-inflammatory response syndrome (CARS), thus occasionally resulting in multiple-organ failure. However, orthopaedic surgery is generally associated with less surgical stress than abdominal and cardiac surgeries, and SIRS or CARS are very rare after orthopaedic surgery. Therefore, one should be cautious when attempting to estimate the surgical stress associated with orthopaedic surgery by IL-6. 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8OHdG) which is oxidized from 2'-deoxyguanosine (dG) is an excellent marker of oxidative DNA damage and the 8OHdG/dG ratio in the cell and the tissue is a critical marker of DNA damage, thus resulting in mutagenesis (G :C → T : A transversion), carcinogenesis, apoptosis, etc. Therefore, the 8OHdG and 8OHdG/dG ratio has recently gained much attention because of its mutagenic potential, influence on cancer, geriatric disease, mental health, and so on. Because the 8OHdG and 8OHdG/dG ratio can increase in response to both physical and mental stress, it may therefore be potentially useful as an index for surgical stress in orthopaedic surgery. this study investigated the level of 8OHdG and the 8OHdG/dG ratio before and after total hip arthroplasty (THA).
Ingestion of U(nat), 226Ra, 230Th and 210Po in vegetables by adult inhabitants of Bagjata uranium mining area, Jharkhand, India

Ingestion of radionuclides through food intake accounts for a substantial part of radiation doses and vegetables constitute essential components of the diet, by contributing protein, vitamins, iron, calcium and other nutrients. Radionuclides can be apprehended in the ecosystem of the East Singhbhum region which is known for its viable grades of uranium. In the present study, vegetables were collected from the villages around the proposed Bagjata mining area and analysed for U(nat), 226 Ra, 230 Th and 210 Po. The geometric mean concentration of U(nat), 226 Ra, 230 Th, and 210 Po were 0.05, 0.09, 0.17 and 1.12 Bq kg-1 fresh weight, respectively. The intake of the radionuclides from vegetables was found to be 49.58 Bq y-1 while the ingestion dose was calculated to be 11.51 µSv y-1 , respectively. The estimated doses are reflecting the natural background dose via the route of ingestion, which is much below the 1 mSv limit set in the new ICRP recommendations. It is lower than the global average annual radiation dose of 2 400 µSv to man from the natural radiation sources as proposed by UNSCEAR. The total cancer risk due to the consumption of vegetables was calculated to be 6.65 × 10-9 which is negligible and much lower than the threshold risk value of 10-6 . The study also reveals that water is more conducive for high radioactivity occurrence in vegetables compared to soil systems.
Periodicity and Stochastic Trends in Economic Time Series

This book provides a self-contained account of periodic models for seasonally observed economic time series with stochastic trends. Two key concepts are periodic integration and periodic cointegration. Periodic integration implies that a seasonally varying differencing filter is required to remove a stochastic trend. Period cointegration amounts to allowing cointegration part-term adjustment parameters to vary with the season. The emphasis is on econometric models that explicitly describe seasonal variation and can reasonably be interpreted in terms of economic behaviour. The analysis considers econometric theory, Monte Carlo simulation, and forecasting, and it is illustrated with numerous empirical time series. A key feature of the proposed models is that changing seasonal fluctuations depend on the trend and business cycle fluctuations. In the case of such dependence, it is shown that seasonal adjustment leads to inappropriate results.
Role of early post-settlement mortality in recruitment of benthic marine invertebrates

Newly settled invertebrates usually are subject to high rates of mortality (Type 111 survivorship). Therefore, knowledge of early post-settlement events is critical in determ~nlng if and when patterns of abundance and distribution of juveniles reflect settlement patterns. Causes of mortality of early juvenile invertebrates include delay of metamorphosis, biological disturbance, physical disturbance and hydrodynamics, physiological stress, predation, and competition. Predation is the best documented cause of early n~ortallty, particularly for mobile species. Other possible causes which have not yet been investigated are developmental abnormalities, insufficient energy reserves, disease and parasitism In most studies of sessile invertebrates, early post-settlement mortality did not obscure the relationship between recruit and settler abundance. This relatlonsh~p appears to be more varlable among mobile species for which migrat~on also can modify the distnbution of settlers. There is still insufficient data to support general conclusions about the conditions under which recruitment rate can be predicted from settlement rate. Studies have found evidence of the effects of both settlement and early post-settlement mortality on the dlstributlon of some sessile species at small spatial scales, but mortality appears to have less influence a t larger scales. Much of the present knowledge of the early postsettlement period has come from studies of barnacles and ascidians and more information is needed for other groups of benthic marine invertebrates, particularly mobile species. The relative importance of mortality during the early post-settlement period compared to other life history stages can only be detel-mined in studies which examlne several stages.
Context Analysis for Situation Assessment in Automotive Applications

In the last few years, the application of ICT technologies in automotive field has taken an increasing role in improving both the safety and the driving comfort. In this context, systems capable of determining the traffic situation and/or driver behaviour through the analysis of signals from multiple sensors (e.g. radar, cameras, etc.) are the subject of active research in both industrial and academic sectors (Trivedi et al., 2007); (Yu et al., 2009); (Schneider et al., 2008). These systems, unlike autonomous vehicles or automated control systems are more acceptable for near future real applications since they try to improve driver’s sensing capabilities and to help the decision process in a non-intrusive way. According to this statement, car manufacturers are starting to introduce driving support systems in luxury vehicles as, for instance, parking sensors. The extraction of contextual information through the analysis of video streams captured by cameras can therefore have implications in many applications focused both on prevention of incidents and on provision of useful messages to drivers as traffic flows analysis, dangerous behaviour detection, traffic laws infringements (e.g. speed limits), etc. For these applications the analysis of what happens inside and outside a car is a relevant source of information. A framework is proposed, integrating a dual camera network and a set of heterogeneous sensors communicating through a CAN-bus for the extraction of context data from on-board cameras mounted on vehicles and of other data as steering angle, speed, brakes, etc. A camera is oriented so as to frame the portion of road in front of the vehicle while the other one is positioned inside the vehicle and pointed on the driver. As a matter of fact, the joint analysis of on board/off board car context can be used to derive considerations on driver’s behaviour and then to detect possible dangerous situations (sleep, dangerous lane changes, etc.) or a driving style which does not respect traffic regulation. Three blocks are considered: a) internal processing, b) external processing and c) vehicle status data coming from the CAN-bus. The most significant data that can be extracted from a camera monitoring the driver are the gaze direction, the position of face, frequency of blinking eyes and mouth movement. As well, the camera looking outside the vehicle allows detecting the position of the vehicle on the road and the lane changes. Moreover, the analysis of the road type (highway, urban road, etc.) and of traffic can provide relevant information to evaluate the possible risks of the driving behaviour. Finally, the data
A Review of Plant Species Identification Techniques

Plants identification process is rather problematical, time consuming so automated species identificationis important. In this paper a review on a various methods of plant species identification is presented. We focused on plants identification approaches that based on leaves, flowers, and fruits regardless seeds and style of branching. The main goal of this review is discussing different techniques of plantsidentification, features extraction methods and how it is mathematically represented. The overview will be beneficial for beginner researchers.
Integrating Classical Planning and Real Robots in Industrial and Service Robotics Domains

In this paper we propose an architecture to integrate classical planning and real autonomous mobile robots. We start by providing with a high level description of all necessary components to set the goals, generate plans and execute them on real robots and monitor the outcome of their actions. At the core of our method and to deal with execution issues we code the agent actions with automatas. We prove the flexibility of the system by testing on two different domains: industrial (Basic Transportation Test) and domestic (General Purpose Service Robot) in the context of the international RoboCup competition. Additionally we benchmark the scalability of the planning system in two domains on a set of planning problems with increasing complexity. The proposed framework is open source1 and can be easily extended.
Designing an IVR Based Framework for Telephony Speech Data Collection and Transcription in Under-Resourced Languages

Scarcity of digitally available language resources restricts development of large scale speech applications in Indian scenario. This paper describes a unique design framework for telephony speech data collection in under-resourced languages using interactive voice response (IVR) technology. IVR systems provide a fast, reliable, automated and relatively low cost medium for simultaneous multilingual audio resource collection from remote users and help in structured storage of resources for further usage. The framework needs IVR hardware & API, related software tools and text resources as its necessary components. Detailed functional design and development process of such a running IVR system are stepwise elaborated. Sample IVR call-flow design templates and offline audio transcription procedure is also presented for ease of understanding. Entire methodology is language independent and is adaptable to similar tasks in other languages and specially beneficial to accelerate resource creation process in under-resourced languages, minimizing manual efforts of data collection and transcription.
Simulated annealing algorithm : technical improvements

We present an overview of the main problem-independent sequential and parallel amelioration techniques of the Simulated Annealing algorithm. We begin by briefly exposing the theoretical framework encompassing the standard markovian model, the notion of cycle and the optimal temperature schedules. Theory of cycles yields explicit relationships between the geometry of the energy landscape and the expected behavior of the algorithm. It leads to the design of efficient temperature schedules, as well as to improvements of the algorithm behavior by distorting the cost function. Next, we present a survey of parallelization techniques, focussing on problem-independent synchronous strategies. They provide flexible and general tools, allowing operational research practitioners to take advantage of the computational power of parallel architectures. We conclude with an application. It concerns the search for Hamiltonian paths in cubic graphs. It brings to the fore the efficiency of the cost function distortions technique, when used in combination with Parallel Simulated Annealing.