Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Reinforcement Learning for Security-Aware Computation Offloading in Satellite Networks

The rise of NewSpace provides a platform for small and medium businesses to commercially launch and operate satellites in space. In contrast to traditional satellites, NewSpace provides the opportunity for delivering computing platforms in space. However, computational resources within space are usually expensive and satellites may not be able to compute all computational tasks locally. Computation offloading (CO), a popular practice in Edge/Fog computing, could prove effective in saving energy and time in this resource-limited space ecosystem. However, CO alters the threat and risk profile of the system. In this article, we analyze security issues in space systems and propose a security-aware algorithm for CO. Our method is based on the reinforcement learning technique, deep deterministic policy gradient (DDPG). We show, using Monte-Carlo simulations, that our algorithm is effective under a variety of environment and network conditions and provide novel insights into the challenge of optimized location of computation.
Toward Detection of the Molecular Parity Violation in Chiral Ru(acac)3 and Os(acac)3

We present a theory-experiment investigation of the helically chiral compounds Ru(acac)3 and Os(acac)3 as candidates for next-generation experiments for detection of molecular parity violation (PV) in vibrational spectra. We used relativistic density functional theory calculations to identify optimal vibrational modes with expected PV effects exceeding by up to 2 orders of magnitude the projected instrumental sensitivity of the ultrahigh resolution experiment under construction at the Laboratoire de Physique des Lasers in Paris. Preliminary measurements of the vibrational spectrum of Ru(acac)3 carried out as the first steps toward the planned experiment are presented.
Learned Dynamics of Electrothermally-Actuated Soft Robot Limbs Using LSTM Neural Networks

—Modeling the dynamics of soft robot limbs with electrothermal actuators is generally challenging due to thermal and mechanical hysteresis and the complex physical interactions that can arise during robot operation. This article proposes a neural network based on long short-term memory (LSTM) to address these challenges in actuator modeling. A planar soft limb, actuated by a pair of shape memory alloy (SMA) coils and containing embedded sensors for temperature and angular deﬂection, is used as a test platform. Data from this robot are used to train LSTM neural networks, using different combinations of sensor data, to model both unidirectional (one SMA) and bidirectional (both SMAs) motion. Open-loop rollout results show that the learned model is able to predict motions over extraordinarily long open-loop timescales (10 minutes) with little drift. Prediction errors are on the order of the soft deﬂection sensor’s accuracy, even when using only the actuator’s pulse width modulation inputs for learning. These LSTM models can be used in-situ, without extensive sensing, helping to bring soft electrothermally-actuated robots into practical application.
Cold Brew: Distilling Graph Node Representations with Incomplete or Missing Neighborhoods

Graph Neural Networks (GNNs) have achieved state-of-the-art performance in node classification, regression, and recommendation tasks. GNNs work well when rich and high-quality connections are available. However, their effectiveness is often jeopardized in many real-world graphs in which node degrees have power-law distributions. The extreme case of this situation, where a node may have no neighbors, is called Strict Cold Start (SCS). SCS forces the prediction to rely completely on the node's own features. We propose Cold Brew, a teacher-student distillation approach to address the SCS and noisy-neighbor challenges for GNNs. We also introduce feature contribution ratio (FCR), a metric to quantify the behavior of inductive GNNs to solve SCS. We experimentally show that FCR disentangles the contributions of different graph data components and helps select the best architecture for SCS generalization. We further demonstrate the superior performance of Cold Brew on several public benchmark and proprietary e-commerce datasets, where many nodes have either very few or noisy connections. Our source code is available at https://github.com/amazon-research/gnn-tail-generalization.
Users introduce component based automation solutions

Component based automation (CBA), the decentralized approach to automation with distributed intelligence in technological modules, is picking up speed. Component based automation clearly simplifies planning, engineering and commissioning of complex plans and reduces the time needed for the start of production by between 10% and 15%. The author discusses prospects for the future of automation with Totally Integrated Automation. TIA will be characterized by further vertical integration with Profinet, further integration of functionalities in the hardware, and further integration along the engineering flow. With the advantages of time and cost reduction, component based automation will enhance users' competitive capabilities in all sectors, thus offering a clear perspective for the automation.
Construction project partnering using fuzzy based decision making methodology

Since 1990, key industry players have adopted alliance and partnering strategies. Partnering creates both a win-win situation and more synergy in team work. However, not all projects are successful. The increasing complexity of construction projects has plagued the construction industry substantially. Project partnering (PP), therefore, has become the critical factor in project success. Two parameters should be considered in PP – project management performance (PMP) and participant satisfaction (PS). There are also many possible PP factors that could influence a project's success or failure and these factors should be incorporated during evaluation. A critical factor index is therefore introduced to address these factors and integrate them into the project partnering assessment (PPA) to deal with the complications in construction partnerships. The application of ‘fuzzy-reasoning’ techniques is useful in handling the variables that arise from the construction process. An analytical hierarchy process (AHP) is used to structure and prioritize the diverse PP factors. Finally, an example of PP analysis of library building is used to illustrate the proposed methodology and the results have proved that it works effectively as expected.
AI-Based Trajectory Design and Radio Resource Management in CoMP UAV VLC Networks

—In this paper, we consider unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) equipped with a visible light communication (VLC) access point and coordinated multipoint (CoMP) capability that allows users to connect to more than one UAV. UAVs can move in 3-dimensional (3D) at a constant acceleration in each time scale, where a central server is responsible for synchronization and cooperation among UAVs. The effect of accelerated motion in UAV is necessary to be considered. We deﬁne the data rate for each user type, CoMP and non-CoMP. Unlike most existing works, we see the effect of variable speed on kinetic and allocation formulas. For the proposed system model, we deﬁne two different timescales. In the master timescale, the acceleration of each UAV is speciﬁed, and in each short timescale, radio resources are allocated. The initial velocity in each small time slot is obtained from the previous time slot’s velocity. Our goal is to formulate a multiobjective optimization problem where the total data rate is maximized and the total communication power consumption is minimized simultaneously. To handle this multiobjective optimization, we ﬁrst apply the scalarization method and then apply multi-agent deep deterministic policy gradient (MADDPG) which is a multi-agent method based on deep deterministic policy gradient (DDPG) that ensures stable and fast convergence. We improve this solution method by adding two critic networks together with allocating the two step acceleration. Simulation results indicate that the constant acceleration motion of UAVs shows about 8% better results than conventional motion systems in terms of performance. Furthermore, CoMP supports the system to achieve an average 12% average higher rates compared to a non-CoMP system.
Structural and Thermal Analysis of Automotive Disc Brake Rotor

The main purpose of this study is to analyze the thermomechanical behavior of the dry contact between the brake disc and pads during the braking phase. The simulation strategy is based on softawe ANSYS11. The modeling of transient temperature in the disc brake is actually used to identify the factor of geometric design of the disc to install the ventilation system in vehicles. The thermal-structural analysis is then used with coupling to determine the deformation established and the Von Mises stress in the disc, the contact pressure distribution in pads. The results are satisfactory compared to those of the specialized literature.
Ultrasonic transducers and arrays

Ultrasonic imaging is one of the most important and still growing diagnostic tools in use today. To better understand transducer/array performance and some of the factors that prevent ultrasonic imagers from reaching higher resolution, this article reviews past achievements and current developments in the technology, including piezoelectric materials, transducer/array fabrication and design, and modeling. It is concluded that the array or transducer is a crucial part of an ultrasonic imaging system. Although much progress has been made in recent years to improve performance, it is still a limiting factor in preventing ultrasonic imaging systems from reaching their theoretical resolution. Investigations into novel piezoelectric materials, array stack architecture design, and modeling are being pursued. In the future, it is likely that multidimensional arrays will gradually replace linear arrays as the industry standard.
Accuracy of different cutoffs of the waist‐to‐height ratio as a screening tool for cardiometabolic risk in children and adolescents: A systematic review and meta‐analysis of diagnostic test accuracy studies

The present systematic review with meta‐analysis sought to estimate the accuracy of different waist‐to‐height ratio (WHtR) cutoff ranges as risk indicators for cardiometabolic health in different populations of children and adolescents. Systematic searches were undertaken to identify studies in apparently healthy participants aged 3–18 years that conducted receiver operating characteristic curve analysis and reported area under the receiver operating characteristic curves for WHtR with any cardiometabolic biomarker. Forty‐one cross‐sectional studies were included in the meta‐analysis, including 138,561 young individuals (50% girls). Higher area under summary receiver operating characteristic (AUSROC) values were observed in cutoffs between 0.46 and 0.50 (AUSROC = 0.83, 95%CI: 0.80–0.86) and ≥0.51 (AUSROC = 0.87, 95%CI: 0.84–0.90) (p < 0.001 in comparison with cutoffs 0.41 to 0.45), with similar results in both sexes. The AUSROC value increased in the East and Southeast Asian regions using a WHtR cutoff of ≥0.46 (AUSROC = 0.90, 95%CI: 0.87 to 0.92). A cutoff of ≥0.54 was optimal for the Latin American region (AUSROC = 0.96, 95%CI: 0.94–0.97). Our meta‐analysis identified optimal cutoff values of WHtR for use in children and adolescents from different regions. Despite the widely accepted WHtR cutoff of 0.50, the present study indicated that a single cutoff value of WHtR may be inappropriate.
Myricetin Disturbs the Cell Wall Integrity and Increases the Membrane Permeability of Candida albicans

The fungal cell wall and membrane are the principal targets of antifungals. Herein, we report that myricetin exerts antifungal activity against Candida albicans by damaging the cell wall integrity and notably enhancing the membrane permeability. In the presence of sorbitol, an osmotic protectant, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of myricetin against C. albicans increased from 20 to 40 and 80 μg/ml in 24 and 72 h, respectively, demonstrating that myricetin disturbs the cell wall integrity of C. albicans. Fluorescence microscopic images showed the presence of propidium iodidestained C. albicans cells, indicating the myricetin-induced initial damage of the cell membrane. The effects of myricetin on the membrane permeability of C. albicans cells were assessed using crystal violet-uptake and intracellular material-leakage assays. The percentage uptakes of crystal violet for myricetin-treated C. albicans cells at 1×, 2×, and 4× the MIC of myricetin were 36.5, 60.6, and 79.4%, respectively, while those for DMSO-treated C. albicans cells were 28.2, 28.9, and 29.7%, respectively. Additionally, myricetin-treated C. albicans cells showed notable DNA and protein leakage, compared with the DMSO-treated controls. Furthermore, treatment of C. albicans cells with 1× the MIC of myricetin showed a 17.2 and 28.0% reduction in the binding of the lipophilic probes diphenylhexatriene and Nile red, respectively, indicating that myricetin alters the lipid components or order in the C. albicans cell membrane, leading to increased membrane permeability. Therefore, these data will provide insights into the pharmacological worth of myricetin as a prospective antifungal for treating C. albicans infections.
Semantic Model for Disaster Plans of China - National Earthquake Plans as a Case Study

In China, currently, more that 240 million emergency plans have been published. Most of them are written by paper. Because of the length and organization of these documents, the useful information cannot easily be gotten from them. So a semantic model for plans is proposed in this article. With it, the responders can retrieval useful information from it. KeywordsOWL; Emergency Plans; Semantic Model; OWL; N-ary Relation
Development of a capillary electrophoresis method for the separation of flavonolignans in silymarin complex

CE method for the baseline separation of structurally similar flavonolignans silybin A, silybin B, isosilybin A, isosilybin B, silychristin, silydianin, and their precursor taxifolin in silymarin complex has been developed and validated. The optimized background electrolyte was 100 mmol/L boric acid (pH 9.0) containing 5 mmol/L heptakis(2,3,6‐tri‐O‐methyl)‐β‐CD and 10% (v/v) of methanol. The separation was carried out in an 80.5/72 cm (50 μm id) fused silica capillary at +25 kV with UV detection at 200 nm. Genistein (10 μg/mL) was used as internal standard. The resolution between the diastereomers of silybin and isosilybin was 1.73 and 2.59, respectively. The method was validated for each analyte in a concentration range of 2.5–50 μg/mL. The calibration curves were rectilinear with correlation coefficients ≥0.9972. The method was applied to determine flavonolignans in two dietary supplements containing Silybum marianum extract. The accuracy was evaluated by comparing the results of the CE analyses of the dietary supplements with those of the reference United States Pharmacopeial HPLC method. The unpaired t‐test did not show a statistically significant difference between the results of both the proposed CE and the reference method (p > 0.05, n = 3).
A novel Trichoderma asperellum strain DQ-1 promotes tomato growth and induces resistance to gray mold caused by Botrytis cinerea.

Gray mold caused by Botrytis cinerea is a major cause of economic losses during tomato production. In this study, we obtained 23 Trichoderma strains from tomato rhizosphere soil, and their inhibitory effects on B. cinerea and the promoting effects on tomato growth were determined. Among them, the inhibition rate of strain DQ-1 on B. cinerea was 88.56%; compared with the control group, after treatment with strain DQ-1, the seeds germination rate and root length of tomato increased by 5.55% and 37.86%. The induced disease resistance of strain DQ-1 was evaluated by pot experiments. The disease incidence (DI) and disease severity index (DSI) of tomato pre-inoculated with strain DQ-1 and then inoculated with B. cinerea were reduced by 38% and 64% compared with the control. Furthermore, we detected the expression levels of tomato disease resistance related genes PR2 and TPX, ethylene pathway related genes ETR1 and CTR1 and jasmonic acid pathway related genes LOX1 and PAL in challenging and non-challenging inoculation treatments. The results showed that the tomato treated with strain DQ-1 triggered the system acquired resistance (SAR) and induced systemic resistance (ISR) pathway, thereby enhancing the disease resistance of tomato. Then the strain DQ-1 was identified as Trichoderma asperellum based on morphological characteristics and phylogenetic information. This study suggests that the novel Trichoderma asperellum strain DQ-1 can be a potential candidate for the biological control of gray mold in tomato.
Management of sleep disorders in the menopausal transition

The menopausal transition is associated with increasing sleep disorders including sleep apnoea and restless leg syndrome. Insomnia is the most common and is recognised as a core symptom of the menopause. Guidelines to support decision making for women with sleep problems during the menopausal transition are lacking. Sleep problems are associated with negative impacts on healthcare utilisation, quality of life and work productivity. Sleep deprivation is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity and neurobehavioral dysfunction. Declining oestrogen is implicated as a cause of menopausal sleep disruption. Vasomotor symptoms (VMS) and menopausal mood disturbance are also factors in the complex aetiology. VMS commonly precipitate insomnia and, due to their prolonged duration, they often perpetuate the condition. Insomnia in the general population is most effectively treated with cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) (also effective in the menopausal transition.) The associations of menopausal sleep disturbance with VMS and depression mean that other treatment options must be considered. Existing guidelines outline effectiveness of hormone replacement therapy (HRT), CBT and antidepressants. HRT may indirectly help with sleep disturbance by treating VMS and also via beneficial effect on mood symptoms. The evidence base underpinning menopausal insomnia often references risks associated with HRT that are not in line with current international menopause guidelines. This may influence clinicians managing sleep disorders, leading to hesitation in offering HRT, despite evidence of effectiveness. Viewing sleep symptoms on an axis of menopausal symptoms – towards vasomotor symptoms or towards mood symptoms may help tailor treatment options towards the symptom profile.
Flexural response predictions for ultra-high-performance fibre-reinforced concrete beams

This paper proposes a method for predicting the flexural response of ultra-high-performance fibre-reinforced concrete (UHPFRC) beams, including an experimental test framework and associated numerical analyses. The experimental programme includes compressive and tensile tests at the material level and a beam test at the structural level. Detailed experimental test results for the flexural behaviour of UHPFRC beams are also provided. An analytical method is described to predict the structural response of UHPFRC to bending, and this method is applied to interpret the experimental test results. The study focuses primarily on the bending behaviour of UHPFRC beams. The analytical model for the bending behaviour of beams takes tensile softening into account. Tensile softening is simulated using the fictitious crack model and calculated by inverse analysis using the load–crack-mouth-opening displacement (CMOD) relationship. Test data and numerical analysis results for the moment–curvature relationship are compare.
Nontyphoidal Salmonella among Children under 5 Years Old in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia in the Global Enteric Multicenter Study

ABSTRACT. Factors associated with nontyphoidal Salmonella (NTS) infection have not been well characterized to date. We aimed to compare the associated factors among children under age 5 years with NTS infection in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Data from children having moderate-to-severe diarrhea (MSD) and asymptomatic children with NTS isolated from fecal specimens were extracted from the Global Enteric Multicenter Study (GEMS), conducted from December 2007 to March 2011. Compared with NTS-negative children, NTS-associated MSD cases in South Asia were associated with the presence of goat in the house (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 2.15; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.25–3.70) and handwashing after handling an animal (aOR: 2.26; 95% CI: 1.36–3.74). In sub-Saharan Africa, children with NTS associated MSD had a greater association with stunting (1.21 95% CI: 1.01–1.45), longer duration of diarrhea (aOR: 1.25 95% CI: 1.19–1.31); presence of cow in house (aOR: 1.54 95% CI: 1.09–2.16), handwashing after handling animal (aOR: 2.41 95% CI: 1.74–3.33). Drinking tube well water (aOR: 0.54 95% CI: 0.32–0.91), availability of toilet facility (aOR: 0.58 95% CI: 0.53–0.65), and handwashing before eating (aOR: 0.76 95% CI: 0.57–1.00) and after defecation (aOR: 0.80 95% CI: 0.69, 0.94) were found to be protective. The differentials between children of both regions having fecal NTS are distinct and underscore the need for policymaking for preventive and control strategies targeting stunted children.
Current-controlled synchronous rectification

This paper presents several strategies for implementing a current-controlled synchronous rectifier. One approach utilizes a current-sensing transformer in series with the rectifying MOSFET to derive the required gating signals. The second method uses the mirror current of a current-sensing MOSFET. Experimental results obtained with current-driven rectifiers in a center-tapped, full-wave configuration are presented. <<ETX>>
Twenty Years of Simulation/Gaming: Reminiscences and Thoughts of a Scottish Practitioner

In this essay, the author looks back on 20 years of experience in simulation/gaming. He begins by describing how he changed careers from physics to educational technology in 1973 and how he immediately became involved in the development of two major simulation/games-THE POWER STATION GAME and the BRUCE OIL MANAGEMENT GAME-each of which subsequently spawned a large number of other gaming and simulation projects. He then looks at how the use of games and simulations has spread throughout education and training during the past 20 years and examines the impact that electronic calculators and computers have had on simulation/gaming, using his own experiences as illustrations in both cases. Finally, he offers a personal view on the likely future role of simulation/gaming in education and training.
Use of Colony-Stimulating Factors in Patients With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease that commonly manifests as cutaneous rashes, renal disease, gastrointestinal dysfunction, and cytopenia. Hematological anomalies are frequently associated with drug-induced toxicity in SLE patients. Colony-stimulating factors have been used to treat drug-induced cytopenia in past case reports; however, evidence suggests that colony-stimulating factors can exacerbate autoimmune disorders, including SLE. This case report presents two patients with SLE exacerbations after colony-stimulating factor administration. The first case is a young male with SLE who developed pancytopenia with a white blood cell count (WBC) of 1 × 109 cells/L. The patient was administered filgrastim during his initial admission and presented to the hospital 2 days after discharge in cardiac arrest with a WBC of 66.7 × 109 cells/L. The second case is a 49-year-old female with SLE who was administered sargramostim in response to a WBC count of 9 × 109 cells/L. The patient experienced a drastic increase in WBC followed by a cardiac arrest. These cases highlight the need for more research regarding the safe use of colony-stimulating factors in SLE patients.