Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Influence of Long-Term Demographic Trends on Migration Dynamics

This deliverable aims to lay out the impact of demographic drivers on migratory movements, and in particular on critical increases in flows of migration. To do so, this working paper first quantifies crisis in terms of numbers of rapid increases of outflows from countries of origin for a time period of 1960-2015. Having laid out the specific operationalizations of the independent variables that are proxies of demographic drivers and the control variables, it presents the flows and crisis level flows of migration cross sectionally and across time. Having considered the crisis from the perspective of countries of origin, it then incorporates the recipient countries via exploring the main corridors with the help of dyadic data, which takes relationality of the country pairs into consideration. The results contribute to the discussion on the role of urbanization, labor market characteristics and human development indicators in important ways. Consistently, many demographic drivers showed statistically significant impact especially through being pull factors in destination countries. The results further underline the value added of this crisis approach to the conventinal flow conceptualization and directions for further research. D1.4. Long-Term Demographic Trends and Migration Dynamics
Image inpainting by Applying Reference Pixel Choosing Method

Image inpainting is the science of filling in the missing or damaged area of an image from the enclosing area‟s information. Its purpose is to recover images with limited data loss and tries to obtain inpainting outputs of damaged parts in such a way that the recovered images look usual. In our proposed method we will divide the damaged portion of image in the form of reference pixel according to their dissipating property. Then by applying image inpainting we have obtained an image whose visuable quality is identical to cover image. © 2016 Elixir All rights reserved. Elixir Elec. Engg. 95 (2016) 40933-40936 Electrical Engineering Available online at www.elixirpublishers. com (Elixir International Journal) Narendra Kumar Sharma and Dr.G R Sinha/ Elixir Elec. Engg. 95 (2016) 40933-40936 40934 They adopted the fact that the output of inpainting process rely (in general) on the order of filling-in the hole. Also roughness with respect to the structure of the manually selected damaged region is also indicated. Figure 1(a) Original Image Figure 1(b) Damaged Image Figure 2. Block representation of proposed system. III. Proposed System In 2013 Chuan Qin et.al [13] given an algorithm for image inpainting known as curvature driven diffusion model or CDD model. In this, first they adopted adaptive reference pixel choosing method in which less reference pixels are chosen in the continuous region and large reference pixels are chosen in the complicated region. Then pixel prediction is done by third order partial differential equation to generate inpainted image which has similar structure as cover image. This method has somewhat minimized the limitation produced by TV model. This method of choosing reference pixels adaptively suggested by Chaun Qin et. al produced greater possibility of recovering back all the damaged pixels as it covers all the pixels from both smooth region and complex region. In our proposed method we have modified Chuan Qin et.al method by choosing equal number of reference pixels from both continuous and complicated region. The block diagram of proposed system is shown in figure 2. III. A Reference Pixel Choosing We Denote X(i, j) as the pixel value at the location (i, j) of the Damaged image X sized M × N. Assume that Q is a binary mask image with the similar size as the Damaged image X, which has the locations of reference pixels.
Does eWOM Affect Demand for Mobile Device Applications?

Electronic Word of Mouth (eWOM) is a powerful instrument that marketers can use to more effectively spread the message about their products. Reviewing and rating systems attached to product sites allow consumers to be able to convey their experiences with products and represent a form of eWOM. Understanding how eWOM affects consumer behavior can help marketers better calibrate their promotional activities. The focus of this paper is to assess the relationship between the ratings and reviews associated with Apple apps, as a case in point, and its number of downloads as a test case from which to speculate about the effectiveness of the rating and review system’s influence on consumption.
A PSO-GA based hybrid Algorithm for the composite SaaS Placement Problem in the Cloud

Cloud computing is an emerging computing paradigm in which applications, data and IT resources are provided as a service to users over the Internet. One kind of services that can be offered through the cloud is Software as a Service or (SaaS). For SaaS placement in the Cloud, the problem relates to how a composite SaaS should be placed in a Cloud by the Cloud’s providers such that its performance is optimal based on its estimated execution time. The challenges in the SaaS placement process rely on several factors, including the size of the Cloud network, SaaS competing resource requirements, SaaS interactions between its components and SaaS interactions with its data components. This paper proposes a PSO-GA (Particle Swarm Optimizing-Genetic Algorithm) based hybrid algorithm to the composite SaaS placement problem in the Cloud storage for minimizing the execution time and execution cost of applications on the resources provided by cloud.
Solidification Process, Mechanical and Electrochemical Properties of Amorphous and Nanocrystalline Iron Alloy for a Power System Application

Nanocrystalline alloy is widely used in power systems because of its advantages of high magnetic conductivity, low loss, high strength and high resistivity. The amorphous method was used to prepare iron with the best amorphous thin strip processing parameters: the size of circular quartz tube was 0.8 mm; the distance between the nozzle and the surface of copper roller was 0.5 mm; the linear speed of copper roller surface was 41 m/s; the pressure difference between the inside and outside of quartz tube was 0.03 MPa; the spray angle was 0°. The solidification of the Fe based nanocrystalline alloy was studied by the solidification morphology, X-ray diffraction analysis, magnetic properties and mechanical properties. According to EIS studies, a 360K undercooling temperature leads to an increase in the penetration of electrolyte ions into electrode structures due to the formation of a high surface area and a high electron-transfer rate. The experimental results show that the undercooling of the alloy melt can be significantly improved by the amorphous method; the crystallization process of the prepared nanocrystalline alloy was controlled by the growth of the nanocrystalline; the prepared Fe based nanocrystalline alloy was more suitable for the common mode choke core, and can reflect different degrees of magnetic properties under the influence of different annealing temperatures; the prepared Fe based nanocrystalline alloy was better than the coarse-grained alloy. It had higher microhardness and elastic modulus. The solidification sensitivity of this nanocrystalline alloy was completely confirmed by these experimental findings.
Determination of trace amount of silver in water samples by flame atomic absorption after preconcentration by ZnO nano sorbent

ABSTRACT A simple and fast method based on solid phase extraction (SPE) applying zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles and atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) was developed for the trace amount determination of silver (Ag) in aqueous samples. The method linearity was in the range of 14 to 700 ng mL−1. The extraction efficiency of Ag was greater than 98% and limit of detection (LOD) was 4.2 ng mL−1. The preconcentration factor was 200 and the relative standard deviation (RSD%) of the method was 3.7% (n = 6).
Inducing Bilingual Lexicon Using Pivot Language

In this paper we proposed a heuristic framework which aims at inducing one-to-one mapping bilingual lexicon of intra-family languages from preexisting bilingual lexicons in which a cross-family language is involved. The experiment based on some simple heuristics regarding syntactics and semantics revealed that, with our framework, we can not only perform automated creation of high quality bilingual lexicon, but also potentially create room for effective human interaction by intruding iterative induction model. In addition, we also designed a tool as an implementation of the framework which enables users to fully visualize the induction process.
WATER AS A REAGENT FOR SOIL REMEDIATION

SRI International conducted experiments in a two-year, two-phase process to develop and evaluate hydrothermal extraction technology, also known as hot water extraction (HWE) technology, to separate petroleum-related contaminants and other hazardous pollutants from soil and sediments. In this process, water with added electrolytes (inexpensive and environmentally friendly) is used as the extracting solvent under subcritical conditions (150-300 C). The use of electrolytes allows us to operate reactors under mild conditions and to obtain high separation efficiencies that were hitherto impossible. Unlike common organic solvents, water under subcritical conditions dissolves both organics and inorganics, thus allowing opportunities for separation of both organic and inorganic material from soil. In developing this technology, our systematic approach was to (1) establish fundamental solubility data, (2) conduct treatability studies with industrial soils, and (3) perform a bench-scale demonstration using a highly contaminated soil. The bench-scale demonstration of the process has shown great promise. The next step of the development process is the successful pilot demonstration of this technology. Once pilot tested, this technology can be implemented quite easily, since most of the basic components are readily available from mature technologies (e.g., steam stripping, soil washing, thermal desorption). The implementation of this technology will revolutionize the conventional use of water in soil remediation technologies and will provide a stand-alone technology for removal of both volatile and heavy components from contaminated soil.
PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS OF FUJISAKI INTONATION MODEL IN KANNADA SPEECH SYNTHESIS

The speech synthesis is a process or mechanism of generating human like voice by a machine or a system is called speech synthesis. A system which synthesizes artificial speech corresponding to text input is called Text To Speech (TTS) system. In TTS the naturalness and intelligibility of the synthesized speech mainly depends on the prosodic models used. This work mainly concentrates on building Fujisaki intonation model using Festival frame work for the Kannada language, one of the important languages of the southern India. In this work performance analysis of TTS system is measured by measuring Mel Cepstral Distortion (MCD) score with and without Fujisaki intonation model. The MCD score of synthesized speech without intonation model is in the range 3.52 to 5.02 dB, whereas with intonation model the range is in between 1.62 to 2.43dB. It is also observed that intonation model has improved the intelligibility and naturalness to significant extent.
Ecology and taxation: converging struggles? The introduction of a carbon component into the TICPE in France Ecology and taxation: converging struggles? The introduction of a carbon component into the TICPE in France

The 2014 Finance Bill (PLF 2014) introduced a carbon component, also called a climate-energy contribution or carbon tax, into the Domestic Consumption Tax on Energy Products (TICPE). The incorporation of this measure into the 2014 Finance Bill was a government act which formally drew on the work of a Standing Committee on Ecological Taxation (CFE), work that we studied in order to understand the background to the introduction of the carbon tax into the TICPE. On this empirical basis (numerous CFE documents and interviews conducted with members of the standing committee), the purpose of this article is to show the interdependence between tax and energy policy that emerged from the committee’s work, which culminated in the vote in favour of the reform of the TICPE. Our analysis shows how the members of the CFE had to accommodate to rules and arrangements imposed by the tax system. Indeed, the influence of these rules is apparent in the decision to go through the TICPE, which reflects a twofold imperative: first, the requirement to generate returns, since a tax is above all a source of revenue; and second, the requirement not to create a new tax. There are several features of the decision to reform the TICPE that are meaningful in public policy terms. On the one hand, the use of a fiscal instrument brought into play arguments concerning a tax shift – a fiscal transition . At the same time, the focus on fossil fuel consumption and the associated CO 2 emissions, fostered discussions on the quest for energy frugality – an energy transition . Of course, in reality, the two orientations are not separate but interdependent
Optogenetics Restores Partial Vision in a Patient With Blindness.

a Patient With Blindness A recent case report in Nature Medicine described a man with long-term blindness in whom experimental optogenetic treatment restored partial vision. The approach uses light pulses to control cells that have been genetically modified to respond to the stimulation. The 58-year-old man could perceive light but not objects before the therapy. Four decades ago, he was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa (RP), a group of progressive inherited diseases in which the light-sensitive cells in the retina break down and are lost. Aside from a genereplacement therapy for 1 early-onset form of the disease, no approved treatments exist for RP, which affects more than 2 million people globally. Re s e a r c h e r s i n j e c t e d a n a d e n o – associated viral vector encoding a lightsensing protein into the man’s worseseeing eye. He tolerated the treatment well, with no adverse events, eye inflammation, or retinal anatomy changes. The patient began visual training with light-stimulating goggles a few months after the injection and within 7 months began to report signs of visual improvement. Over time, he gained the ability to recognize, count, locate, and touch objects only with his treated eye while wearing the engineered goggles. The device uses a camera to detect light intensity changes in the environment and then projects corresponding light pulses onto the retina in real time, activating the eye’s modified cells. According to the researchers, this is the first case of partial functional recovery in a patient with a neurodegenerative disease using optogenetic therapy. The technique shows promise for partially restoring vision in patients with advanced RP. “[T]reatment by the combination of an optogenetic vector with light-stimulating goggles led to a level of visual recovery in this patient that was likely to be of meaningful benefit in daily life,” the study’s authors wrote. Potential New Blood Biomarker for Myocarditis Detection Myocarditis—heart muscle inflammation— can masquerade as a heart attack. A diagnosis usually requires cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging, which may not always be available, and gold-standard endomyocardial biopsies are invasive. Now, researchers have discovered a potential plasma biomarker for the task.
Design, synthesis, and molecular dynamics simulation studies of quinoline derivatives as protease inhibitors against SARS-CoV-2

Abstract A new series of quinoline derivatives has been designed and synthesized as probable protease inhibitors (PIs) against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. In silico studies using DS v20.1. 0.19295 software have shown that these compounds behaved as PIs while interacting at the allosteric site of target Mpro enzyme (6LU7). The designed compounds have shown promising docking results, which revealed that all compounds formed hydrogen bonds with His41, His164, Glu166, Tyr54, Asp187, and showed π-interaction with His41, the highly conserved amino acids in the target protein. Toxicity Prediction by Komputer Assisted Technology results confirmed that the compounds were found to be less toxic than the reference drug. Further, molecular dynamics simulations were performed on compound 5 and remdesivir with protease enzyme. Analysis of conformational stability, residue flexibility, compactness, hydrogen bonding, solvent accessible surface area (SASA), and binding free energy revealed comparable stability of protease:5 complex to the protease: remdesivir complex. The result of hydrogen bonding showed a large number of intermolecular hydrogen bonds formed between protein residues (Glu166 and Gln189) and ligand 5, indicating strong interaction, which validated the docking result. Further, compactness analysis, SASA and interactions like hydrogen-bonding demonstrated inhibitory properties of compound 5 similar to the existing reference drug. Thus, the designed compound 5 might act as a potential inhibitor against the protease enzyme. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma Highlights Quinoline derivatives have been designed as protease inhibitors against SARS-CoV-2. The compounds were docked at the allosteric site of SARS-CoV-2-Mpro enzyme (PDB ID: 6LU7) to study the stability of protein-ligand complex. Docking studies indicated the stable ligand-protein complexes for all designed compounds. The Toxicity Prediction by Komputer Assisted Technology protocol in DS v20.1. 0.19295 software was used to evaluate the toxicity of the designed quinoline derivatives. Molecular dynamics studies indicated the formation of stable ligand-Mpro complexes.
Viromics unveils extraordinary genetic diversity of the family Closteroviridae in wild citrus

Our knowledge of citrus viruses is largely skewed toward virus pathology in cultivated orchards. Little is known about the virus diversity in wild citrus species. Here, we used a metatranscriptomics approach to characterize the virus diversity in a wild citrus habitat within the proposed center of the origin of citrus plants. We discovered a total of 44 virus isolates that could be classified into species Citrus tristeza virus and putative species citrus associated ampelovirus 1, citrus associated ampelovirus 2, and citrus virus B within the family Closteroviridae, providing important information to explore the factors facilitating outbreaks of citrus viruses and the evolutionary history of the family Closteroviridae. We found that frequent horizontal gene transfer, gene duplication, and alteration of expression strategy have shaped the genome complexity and diversification of the family Closteroviridae. Recombination frequently occurred among distinct Closteroviridae members, thereby facilitating the evolution of Closteroviridae. Given the potential emergence of similar wild-citrus-originated novel viruses as pathogens, the need for surveillance of their pathogenic and epidemiological characteristics is of utmost priority for global citrus production.
131I-radioisotope modified in PEGylation metal organic frameworks for sensitization in refractory differentiated thyroid cancer treatment

Radiation therapy for cancer can lead to off-target toxicity and can be ineffective against refractory differentiated thyroid cancer. The nanoscale metal organic frameworks (NMOFs) have shown great potential in cancer diagnostic and treatment due to their advantages in the aspect of structural diversities, high intrinsic biodegradability and drug-loading capacities. Here, we provide that intratumoral injection, in mouse of refractory differentiated thyroid cancer. In this work, we used the therapeutic 131I radioisotope modified Zr-MOF (Zr-MOF@131I) with aim to enable long-term relief of tumour therapy, which has successfully eliminated tumour at ralatively low radioactivity doses. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) was coated into Zr-MOF and, as a result, circulation time was significantly improved by intratumoral injection. These findings therefore suggest that nanoparticles could be used in vivo combined therapy. On injection, while it is a highly effective drug for radioisotope, Zr-MOF with attenuation ability could apply for a radio-sensitizer to enhance inner radiotherapy (RT). The local therapy, which uses only biocompatible components, might enable new strategies for local tumour treatments. These could be further combined with systemic therapeutic responses for the inhibition of refractory differentiated thyroid cancer and the prevention of tumour recurrence in patients.
Particulate matter exposure is highly correlated to pediatric asthma exacerbation

Asthma is a heterogeneous disease in which environmental factors play an important role, and the effect of particulate matter (PM) on the occurrence and severity of asthma is drawing more attention. This study aims to identify the correlation between PM and pediatric asthma exacerbation and explore the potential mechanisms. The asthma visits data (N = 16,779,739) in a university-based tertiary children’s hospital from January 2013 to December 2017 were collected, and the relationship between asthma visits and local PM concentration was analyzed. For further study, we established a house dust mite (HDM)-induced allergic airway inflammation model with PM intervention. We detected a correlation between PM concentration and pediatric asthma visits, especially in children under 6 years old. The in vivo data showed that PM aggravated HDM-induced airway inflammation, and IL-33 neutralizing antibody exerted a protective role. Our study suggests that PM is a risk factor in promoting pediatric asthma exacerbation, in which IL-33 might be a promising target.