Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Morphological and Physiological Performances of 18 Soybean Varieties Exposed to Salinity Stress Penampilan Morfologi dan Fisiologi pada 18 Varietas Kedelai pada Cekaman Salinitas

Increasing soybean production can be done by growing the crops in marginal soil, such as saline soil. Therefore, salinetolerant genotypes are important to support the cultivation. The objective of the experiment was to evaluate the performance of 18 soybean varieties grown under salinity stress. The experiment was done from May to July 2021 at the greenhouse of the Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Bengkulu University, about 10 m above sea level. Soybean seedlings were grown in 10 cm diameter plastic pots fertilized with AB-mix solutions supplemented with 0 or 6 dSm-1 NaCl for 15 days. The growth and stress-tolerant index of the seedlings were measured. The results showed that soybean variety had different growth as responses to salinity. Moreover, salinity stress imposed at 6 dSm-1 NaCl significantly reduced crops growth and promoted leaf senescence. We found that 18 soybeans varieties were classified as salinity tolerant at 6 dSm-1.
Measurement of Serum Antibodies to Selected Biologic Agents

PLEASE NOTE: Contracts exclude from coverage, among other things, services or procedures that are considered investigational or cosmetic. Providers may bill members for services or procedures that are considered investigational or cosmetic. Providers are encouraged to inform members before rendering such services that the members are likely to be financially responsible for the cost of these services.
Conventional and decentralized urban stormwater management: A comparison through case studies of Singapore and Berlin, Germany

Abstract Urban stormwater runoff is both a significant pollution source and a potentially valuable resource. This study compares stormwater management in two cities: Singapore and Berlin, Germany. In comparing the strategies for stormwater management, we illustrate how differences in geography (e.g., land and water availability), urban infrastructure, regulatory regimes, legislation and intensives between the two cities have led to different solutions for stormwater management. Singapore, faced with a serious issue of water scarcity, has placed an increasing emphasis on stormwater management through developing a comprehensive network of drains and canals, mainly with the aim of controlling flooding and potable water supply. In contrast, in Berlin, concerns for the protection of surface water quality and non-potable water supply in the urban areas have resulted in a shift in management goals towards a low impact solution based on source control. The cost analysis indicated that the decentralized rainwater harvesting as practiced in Berlin leads to a higher economic efficiency where potable water can be substituted by stormwater, compared to the centralized drainage system in Singapore. Additionally, green roofs result in energy savings by serving as mitigation strategies against the effect of urban heat islands and global warming. In the near future, it is envisioned that a combination of both conventional and decentralized urban stormwater management will prove to be the most practical solution for most cities.
Parametrisierung - Ein Werkzeug zur Berechnung optimaler Steuerungen / Parametrization - A tool for computing optimal controls

Das schwierige Problem der Einbeziehung von Modelldefekten ist hier erstmals angegangen worden. Es soll unter Einbeziehung statistischer Methoden fortentwickelt werden. Insbesondere ist daran gedacht, alle Methoden auch auf dynamische Systeme zu übertragen. Zugänge zu deren Lösung bieten Verfahren der analytischen Redundanz, wie sie beispielsweise zur Fehlerdiagnose in [5] zum Einsatz gekommen sind.
Direction Measurement of a Sound Source in 2D Space Utilizing Differences of Sound Levels Given by Two Sets of Condenser Microphones

This paper proposes the measurement principle of a sound source direction in the two-dimensional space. Such kind of differences like the transferring time, phase shift, and level of the sound wave are treated for the measurement in general. Our approach is to use the differences of sound levels by taking the advantage of the condenser microphone's simple sensitivity characteristics in directivity so that the direction is obtained by the simple signal processing. Basically the minimum number of the microphone set is three for the triangular arrangement. However, the set composed of four microphones for the orthogonal arrangement is treated for high accuracy. Formulation of the relations among the differences of the sound levels is shown. Also, the calculation procedure for determining the direction is extracted and experimental results are shown to verify the validity of the measurement.
A Social Environmental Monitoring Robot that Interacts with People to Collect Information and Instruct

This paper reports ongoing research into social robots in public environments as agents to monitor levels of pollutive gasses in the air. Next to licensed environmental agents and immobile chemical sensors, mobile technologies such as robotic agents are needed to collect complaints and smell descriptions from humans in urban industrial areas. These robots will need to interact with members of the public and ensure responsiveness and accuracy of responses. Highly developed social skills will be important to achieve this as well as compliance to the environmental robot’s instructions in the case of a calamity. In this paper we will describe the intelligent environment the environmental robot is part of and discuss preliminary work on the effects of robot empathic and touch behaviors on human responses to robots. These and future findings will inform the design of social monitoring robot behaviors in public settings.
Algorithms & Antitrust: an overview of EU and national case law

Humans have been creating and using algorithms for thousands of years [1] , but never before have the effects of algorithms been so pervasive in our everyday lives and the functioning of the economy as a whole. Recent developments in technologies relating to computer processing power, data storage, and arti cial intelligence have enabled the adoption of increasingly sophisticated algorithms that are reshaping competitive landscapes across industries, raising many new questions about competition and antitrust in the process. This article focuses on three areas of antitrust where the use of algorithms has drawn scrutiny from both enforcers and practitioners around the globe: collusion, mergers, and algorithm self-preferencing.
Widespread transposon co-option in the Caenorhabditis germline regulatory network

The movement of selfish DNA elements can lead to widespread genomic alterations with potential to create novel functions. Here we show that transposon expansions in Caenorhabditis nematodes led to extensive rewiring of germline transcriptional regulation. We find that about one third of C. elegans germline-specific promoters have been co-opted from two related Miniature Inverted Repeat Transposable Elements (MITEs), CERP2 and CELE2. The promoters are regulated by HIM-17, a THAP domain-containing transcription factor related to a transposase. Expansion of CERP2 occurred prior to radiation of the Caenorhabditis genus, as did fixation of mutations in HIM-17 through positive selection, whereas CELE2 expanded only in C. elegans. Through comparative analyses in C. briggsae, we find evolutionary conservation of most CERP2 co-opted promoters, but a substantial fraction of events are species specific. Our work reveals the emergence of a novel transcriptional network driven by TE co-option with a major impact on regulatory evolution.
Real Time Mobile Cloud Audio Reading System for Blind Persons

According to the World Health Organization there are approximately 285 million blind people around the world. These people are faced challenges when reading a book. This paper aims to design and implementation new real time mobile cloud audio reading system for blind persons. The proposed methodology consists of following steps: In Client Side, firstly, capture image of text by camera. Secondly, check the page localization. Thirdly, send image to server. In Cloud Side (Server Side), firstly, apply the modify EAST algorithm on received image to text detection. Secondly, apply OCR algorithm to extract text from image. Thirdly, apply post-processing step to correct the in corrected text. Finally, return text to client side to speak it using text-to-speech algorithm.
ALOHA 1.55μm Implementation on the CHARA Telescope Array: On-Sky Sensitivity Tests

We intend to implement the ALOHA at 1. 55μm up-conversion interferometer on the CHARA Array. After a full laboratory investigation, a sensitivity evaluation is conducted on several stars using a single interferometric arm in a photometric mode. The on-sky photometric results allows us to calibrate a numerical simulation of the interferometric configuration, and to predict the future performance of ALOHA at 1. 55μm as a function of the seeing conditions.
Functional gradients in the human lateral prefrontal cortex revealed by a comprehensive coordinate-based meta-analysis

The human lateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC) enables flexible goal-directed behavior. Yet, its organizing principles remain actively debated despite decades of research. Meta-analysis efforts to map the LPFC have either been restricted in scope or suffered from limited expressivity in meta-analysis tools. The latter short-coming hinders the complexity of questions that can be expressed in a meta-analysis and hence limits the specificity of structure-function associations. Here, we adopt NeuroLang, a novel approach to meta-analysis based on first-order probabilistic logic programming, to infer the organizing principles of the LPFC with greater specificity from 14,371 neuroimaging publications. Our results reveal a rostrocaudal and a dorsoventral gradient, respectively explaining the most and second-most variance in whole-brain meta-analytic connectivity in the LPFC. Moreover, we find a cross-study agreement on a spectrum of increasing abstraction from caudal to rostral LPFC both in specific network connectivity and structure-function associations that supports a domain-general role for the mid-LPFC. Furthermore, meta-analyzing inter-hemispheric asymmetries along the rostrocaudal gradient reveals specific associations with topics of language, memory, response inhibition, and error processing. Overall, we provide a comprehensive mapping of the organizing principles of task-dependent activity in the LPFC, grounding future hypothesis generation on a quantitative overview of past findings.
Evaluation of shipyard selection criteria for shipowners using a fuzzy technique

There are various stages to the process of acquiring a vessel. First, a decision must be made on what vessel is needed. Next, an appropriate shipyard is selected; this decision is very significant, as it will determine the workmanship quality and delivery date of the vessel to be manufactured. From the point of view of a shipowner, receiving the vessel on time and manufactured to specification is crucial. From the point of view of the shipyard, it is vital to take as many orders as possible; therefore, one of the highest priorities of shipyards is to be the first choice for as many shipowners as possible in order to increase their requirement for steel fabrication and consequently their profits. In this study, the shipyard selection criteria for shipowners are presented and the degree of importance of each criterion is determined using a fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (AHP) technique. The aim of the study is to provide shipyards with information about the perspective of shipowners with regard to the shipyard selection process, thus allowing shipyards to strengthen their weaknesses and increase the number of shipowners which choose them to manufacture their ships.
Securing Information and Communications Systems: Principles, Technologies, and Applications

Slamming the door on security threats just got easier for IT professionals. This total resource on security design and operations puts today's most powerful tools and techniques at their command, providing the latest hands-on expertise on everything from access control to privacy enhancement. Written by an international team of experts, this one-stop reference maps out the latest user authentication methods, as well as authorization and access controls and their applications in today's database systems. The book addresses network security in depth, offering a fresh look at anti-intrusion approaches, intrusion detection systems, authentication and authorization infrastructures, identity certificates, smart cards, and tokens.
Compact reconfigurable multiple-input-multiple-output antenna for ultra wideband applications

This study presents a two element multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) reconfigurable antenna for ultra wideband (UWB) applications. Each individual antenna is composed of a modified square radiating patch. The array can be reconfigured by either placing antenna elements orthogonally for corner installation or by placing them back-to-back for compact three-dimensional (3D) modules. The design is fabricated on FR4 substrate having dimensions 40 mm × 37.5 mm × 1.5 mm. Port isolation greater than 20 dB in the complete band is achieved by introducing an efficient decoupling structure in the ground plane. Performance parameters such as S-parameters, radiation patterns, envelope correlation coefficient, total active reflection coefficient and channel capacity loss indicate that the proposed MIMO design is a suitable candidate for high data rate UWB applications. The proposed solution is suitable for non-planar designs around wall corners or for compact 3D structures where side-by-side placement is not practical due to size constraints.
Using an Activity-Based Model to Explore the Potential Impacts of Automated Vehicles

Automated vehicles (AVs) may enter the consumer market with various stages of automation in 10 years or even sooner. Meanwhile, regional planning agencies are envisioning plans for time horizons out to 2040 and beyond. To help decision makers understand the effect of AV technology on regional plans, modeling tools should anticipate its impact on transportation networks and traveler choices. This research uses the Seattle, Washington, region's activity-based travel model to test a range of travel behavior impacts from AV technology development. The existing model was not originally designed with AVs in mind, so some modifications to the model assumptions are described in areas of roadway capacity, user values of time, and parking costs. Larger structural model changes were not yet considered. Results of four scenario tests show that improvements in roadway capacity and in the quality of the driving trip may lead to large increases in vehicle miles traveled, while a shift to per mile usage charges may counteract that trend. Travel models will need to have major improvements in the coming years, especially with regard to shared ride, taxi modes, and the effect of multitasking opportunities, to better anticipate the arrival of this technology.
Probabilistic edge weights fine-tune Boolean network dynamics

Biological systems are noisy by nature. This aspect is reflected in our experimental measurements and should be reflected in the models we build to better understand these systems. Noise can be especially consequential when trying to interpret specific regulatory interactions, i.e. regulatory network edges. In this paper, we propose a method to explicitly encode edge-noise in Boolean dynamical systems by probabilistic edge-weight (PEW) operators. PEW operators have two important features: first, they introduce a form of edge-weight into Boolean models through the noise, second, the noise is dependent on the dynamical state of the system, which enables more biologically meaningful modeling choices. Moreover, we offer a simple-to-use implementation in the already well-established BooleanNet framework. In two application cases, we show how the introduction of just a few PEW operators in Boolean models can fine-tune the emergent dynamics and increase the accuracy of qualitative predictions. This includes fine-tuning interactions which cause non-biological behaviors when switching between asynchronous and synchronous update schemes in dynamical simulations. Moreover, PEW operators also open the way to encode more exotic cellular dynamics, such as cellular learning, and to implementing edge-weights for regulatory networks inferred from omics data.
Plastic Scintillation microspheres for radioactivity determination: synthesis, characterization and production

Plastic scintillation microspheres (PSm) are a solid dispersion of one or more fluorescent solutes encapsulated within a polymeric matrix. PSm appear as an alternative to the use of liquid scintillation cocktails for radioactivity determination with the advantage of avoiding the mixed waste, for the measurement of salty samples, for performing measurements in continuous, or for employing them as a medium to join the measurement and separation steps. However, PSm are not completely available in the market, since only a few providers supply them at a high cost and with a limited range of sizes and compositions. This thesis has been focused in two main objectives. The first one has been the evaluation of the feasibility of different methodologies to produce PSm, starting at laboratory scale and addressing their production at a higher scale. The second one has been to increase the knowledge about the energy transfer mechanism through the evaluation of different quenching agents and different organic scintillators. The production of PSm was successfully performed through organic solvent extraction/evaporation methodology (E/E). Other techniques based on drying, the Spray Drying (SD) and the supercritical antisolvent (SAS) were also evaluated. The E/E allowed the production of PSm at laboratory and at large scale with features and radiometric performances comparable to those of the commercial ones, and also producing PSm with the ability for alpha/beta discrimination. On the other hand, SD and SAS proved to produce PSm and polystyrene based submicron particles, respectively, which enabled the measurement of radioactivity but involving a high associated operational cost and a low production yield. Finally, the evaluation of the energy transfer mechanism was performed by conducting a systematic study of the interference of several quenching agents when different organic scintillators were employed. Moreover, the wide range of PSm diameters obtained allowed the study of the relationship between the size and the radiometric capacities, resulting in a better understanding of the energy transfer mechanism through the evaluation of the particle and optical quenching.
IMPROVING ENERGY CONSUMPTION IN BUILDING PRODUCTS USING LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT AND ENERGY ANALYSIS

Modern building products have the potentials to save energy and improve environmental impacts in comparison to conventional products. However, in order to reduce of the energy and environmental impacts of any building product, its materials and energy consumption must be evaluated over its entire life cycle. This study analyzed the energy consumption associated with the total life cycle of the building products. It reviewed the literatures and information provided in existing life cycle assessment studies and reports to develop a comprehensive analysis of the life cycle energy for the building products. The analysis comprised three main phases: manufacturing, transportation, and operation. The results confirmed that the life cycle energy analysis could assign the useful metrics for equal comparison the products types and reduced uncertainty throughout quantifying the energy consumption and environmental impacts of the entire life cycle of the building products. Moreover, the life cycle energy analysis provided the facility of continuing improvements to efficiency and operating lifetime of the building products.
A Traffic Movement Monitoring Computer for Pre-emptive Runway Conflict Detection

** † Runway conflict is a significant hazard in commercial aviation. Despite the stringent procedures and ATC ground systems, runway incursions continue to occur regularly making up 25% of worldwide registered accident and incidents during the period 1991-2004. The increasing density of close proximity traffic manoeuvres dictates the need of airborne equipment to provide autonomous situational awareness and collision avoidance capability to the crew. This paper describes the fundamental concepts for the design of preventive and reactive runway collision avoidance functions. The preventive function is intended to provide the crew with clearance awareness while the reactive function is intended to improve the crew’s situational awareness - in particular during adverse weather conditions.
Pressure Estimation-Based Robust Force Control of Pneumatic Actuators

Abstract Pneumatic actuators enjoy a number of unique advantages, such as high power density and low cost, in comparison with the widely used electromagnetic actuators. In this paper, a new force control approach is presented for pneumatic actuation systems, with the objective of providing robust control performance while eliminating the need for pressure sensors to reduce the cost and complexity of the system. To achieve this goal, a unique pressure estimation algorithm is developed to provide the required chamber pressure information. This pressure estimation algorithm is formulated according to two simultaneous conditions, established based on the measured actuation force and the average air pressure in the actuator. Utilizing these conditions, the chamber pressures can be calculated through simple algebraic equations instead of complex pressure observers. For the force controller design, the dynamic model of the entire system is developed, and the standard sliding mode control approach is applied to obtain a robust control law. In the experiments, the hypothesis of constant average pressure was verified. Also, the pressure estimation algorithm and the corresponding robust control approach were implemented, and the effectiveness demonstrated by the sinusoidal and square-wave force tracking.
PROFIT BASED SELF SCHEDULING OF THE GENCO'S BY USING PARTICLE SWARM OPTIMIZATION

This paper presents an approach for maximizing Genco’s profit in a constrained power market. The main objective of this work is to develop simple, reliable and efficient stochastic algorithm for solving the optimal self scheduling of the Genco’s in a deregulated environment. The solution of this problem is a two level optimization problem. In the first level the generator operators has to predict the Market Clearing Price (MCP) for the scheduling day, in the second level Genco’s are self scheduling their resources to maximize their profit. A neural network based forecasting method is proposed in this paper to forecast the MCP. The solution of the self scheduling problem became complex due to the generator operating and the system constraints. In this paper a novel hybrid optimization technique based on Memetic Particle Swarm Optimization (MPSO) with Cauchy Mutation (CM) is proposed to solve the self scheduling problem. In this algorithm, PSO is used as a global optimizer and Daviden Fletcher Powel (DFP) method is used as the local optimizer. CM is used to reduce the diversity in the searching process of the PSO. The combination of the PSO with local search is referred as MPSO. Simulations have been carried out on a 5-bus practical system and a modified IEEE 30-bus system, to show the robustness and the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.