Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Highly Efficient Capture and Quantification of the Airborne Fungal Pathogen Sclerotinia sclerotiorum Employing a Nanoelectrode-Activated Microwell Array

In this study, we present a microdevice for the capture and quantification of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum spores, pathogenic agents of one of the most harmful infectious diseases of crops, Sclerotinia stem rot. The early prognosis of an outbreak is critical to avoid severe economic losses and can be achieved by the detection of a small number of airborne spores. However, the current lack of simple and effective methods to quantify fungal airborne pathogens has hindered the development of an accurate early warning system. We developed a device that remedies these limitations based on a microfluidic design that contains a nanothick aluminum electrode structure integrated with a picoliter well array for dielectrophoresis-driven capture of spores and on-chip quantitative detection employing impedimetric sensing. Based on experimental results, we demonstrated a highly efficient spore trapping rate of more than 90% with an effective impedimetric sensing method that allowed the spore quantification of each column in the array and achieved a sensitivity of 2%/spore at 5 kHz and 1.6%/spore at 20 kHz, enabling single spore detection. We envision that our device will contribute to the development of a low-cost microfluidic platform that could be integrated into an infectious plant disease forecasting tool for crop protection.
Coping practices and gender relations: Rohingya refugee forced migrations from Myanmar to India

Abstract Rohingya experiences of displacement and refuge are heavily gendered. Sexual and gender-based violence have been used as weapons against Rohingya women, men, girls and boys in Myanmar for decades. Trafficking and exploitation are rife on the flight out of the country, and host states such as India present their own gendered challenges to family survival and individual coping. In this paper, we examine how some of those violent and disruptive experiences have affected gender roles for individuals and families as they have fled Myanmar (often more than once) and sought refuge in India via Bangladesh. We present new insight into the dynamic subjectivity of Rohingya women as we show how, contrary to dominant depictions of passive victimhood, many have lead family migration across borders, taken up NGO/community leadership roles, or made the best ‘home’ possible within the limitations of the host context. This is because personal and family agency is sensitive to transitional opportunities and threats—i.e., gender norms of home and host contexts, interactions with host communities, and trust relations with NGOs, to name a few. Crucially, these social practices and experiences are not static or linear; they span generations and sprawling geographies.
A Review of Aging and the Lower Urinary Tract: The Future of Urology

Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) are common among elderly people, with significant effects on individuals, caregivers, and the wider health care system. As the elderly population with multiple comorbidities is increasing, the burden of LUTS will increase. This review describes the demographic trends in the aging society, changes in lower urinary tract function with aging, and deterioration of physical and cognitive function in aging, as well as what has been done regarding geriatric urology and what urologists should do to meet the health care needs of the aging population. Frailty and dementia are unmissable factors in the evaluation of elderly patients. Numerous reports have described associations between LUTS and frailty and between LUTS and dementia. Urologists must be aware of the multiplex physical, cognitive, and social characteristics of elderly people. Maintaining a geriatric viewpoint in the diagnosis, treatment, and management of elderly individuals with LUTS will fulfill the unmet needs of elderly people. It is also essential to discuss the treatment and management goals of LUTS with patients and caregivers. Active case identification, appropriate evaluations of LUTS and comorbidities, and a multidisciplinary approach with other health-care professionals are recommended for better treatment and management.
Performance of Machine Learning-Based Techniques for Spectrum Sensing in Mobile Cognitive Radio Networks

Communication technologies are evolving drastically in recent years. However, the scarcity of spectrum began to appear with the accelerating usage of various communication technologies, as well as the preservation of traditional channel access methods. Cognitive Radio (CR) is an innovative solution for spectrum scarcity. Spectrum sensing is a key task of the CR life-cycle that gains significance as spectrum holes can be detected during this task. This paper studies and compares the performance of the KMeans-based spectrum sensing technique with the non-cooperative spectrum sensing technique, the And-based spectrum sensing technique, and the Or-based spectrum sensing technique in stationary and mobile CR networks (CRNs). The effect of the fading channel type has also been considered. Small-scale CRNs were simulated using the third version of the network simulator. In this context, two models have been developed. The first was built based on the well-known $\kappa -\mu $ general fading model to simulate the fading effects. The latter is the noise model to simulate different noise conditions. The results reveal that spectrum sensing techniques provide better performance in stationary networks as compared to mobile networks. Further, our experimental results show that at least three secondary users and about 1500 samples are needed to reach acceptable performance. In addition, the results show that the KMeans-based technique slightly outperforms the Or-based technique, especially in highly noisy environments and under severe fading channels.
Multifactor Authentication in Automated Teller Machine

Abstract: Skimming of card details is the primary problem faced by many people in today’s world. This can be done in many ways. For instance, a thief can insert a small device into the machine and steal the information. When a person swipes or inserts a card, the details will be captured and stored. This problem can be solved using biometrics. Biometrics include fingerprint, iris, face, retina scanning, etc. This paper focused on solving this issue using fingerprint and iris recognition using OpenCV and propose a suitable method for this issue. Fingerprint and iris recognition are performed by identifying the keypoints and descriptors and matching those with the test data. Keywords: Biometrics, Fingerprint recognition, Iris recognition, Scale Invariant Feature Transform, Oriented FAST and Rotated BRIEF, OpenCV
Computer as Chalk: Supporting Youth as Designers of Tangible User Interfaces

This report covers an effort to develop engaging technological tools and activities that promote learning and creative expression. It argues that the ways in which people use chalk can serve as an inspiration for rethinking how people can harness the expressive power of computational technologies. The report introduces the Hook-ups System, a set of technologies and activities designed to enable young people to create interactive experiences by programming connections between physical and digital media. With it, young people integrate sensors with various materials to create tangible interfaces for controlling images and sounds in computer programs. Research questions explored in an evolving design experiment probed how attributes of the Hook-ups System enabled youth from two after-school technology centers to engage in building personally meaningful projects, express themselves, and transform how they approached design.
Optimization of large-scale offshore wind farm electrical collection systems based on improved FCM

This paper has done some research on how to economically optimize electrical collection systems containing the internal electrical network and the connecting parts to the grid of the offshore wind farm. First the paper summarizes the main factors that affect the economy of the offshore wind farm planning program and establishes the relationship flow graph used for the economic optimization. Then on the basis of the original economic optimization model and its special characteristics, the paper optimizes and solves the problem on its sub-regional levels using the combination of graph theory and the improved FCM algorithm. Finally an actual offshore wind farm presented in this paper proves that the large-scale offshore wind farm electrical collection system optimization method is fast and efficient. (5 pages)
MOS realization of the double-scroll-like chaotic equation

This brief presents a new chaotic circuit based on Gm-C integrators. The circuit realizes the double-scroll-like chaotic equation presented by Sprott (2000) and Elwakil and Kennedy (2001). The mentioned equation describes double-scroll dynamics with a simple mathematical model. The proposed circuit uses a current-mode technique that is suitable for integrated circuit implementation and high-frequency operation using low supply voltage. A general block diagram is presented based on Gm-C integrators. Its realization using MOS transistors and three grounded capacitors is also given. Simulation results to demonstrate the practicality of the circuit are included.
Achieving software quality through requirements analysis

A thorough requirements analysis prior to developing software can significantly improve the quality of the end product. The key benefit of this analysis is a better understanding of the end users' actual and underlying needs. Often the initial description of requirements does not accurately portray what the end users want. The outlined methodology including interviews with a cross section of users identifies three types of key information: what tasks are to be accomplished; the information flow; and future requirements. Armed with this knowledge, the system design and coding can be accomplished more quickly and accurately, user needs met effectively, and costs due to rework reduced substantially. <<ETX>>
Pretreatment of Secondary Effluent for Drip Irrigation

A pilot-scale treatment system, for developing drip-irrigation pretreatment criteria, was designed, installed, and operated intermittently over 5,300 h using activated sludge secondary effluent. Principal unit processes studied were granular-medium filtration and screen filters for removal of suspended solids, and chlorination treatment at various injection frequencies and concentrations to prevent biofilm formation in emitters and distribution lines. Two types of 4 L/h (1 gal./h) drip emitters were tested—automatic self-flushing and tortuous-path turbulent-flow emitters. Adequate filtration reduced both the required frequency of chlorination and lateral flushing. Intermittent chlorination with 2 mg/L free residual chlorine during the last hour of an irrigation cycle was found as effective as continuous chlorination with 0.4 mg/L free residual chlorine in preventing biofilm formation in emitters and distribution networks. Pretreatment recommendations for these types of emitter designs are presented.
Analysis of bulk email campaigns using a challenge-response anti-spam system

The spam phenomenon exists already for over one and a half centuries, with the first copies of it being sent over the telegraph lines. Although the first electronic spam appeared in the 1980s, in 2002 email spam accounted to only 9% of the email traffic. But since that year, spam business took off and moved to the next level: the release of spamming tools, malware attachments, and massive abuses of open-relays led to a rapid increase of spam that reached 72% of the email traffic in 2004. The numbers continued to increase in the next years, reaching its pick in 2010 – 89% of emails were spam. On the other side, today user mailbox also started receiving large amounts of other types of bulk emails. According to the Email Intelligence Report by ReturnPath published in 2012, newsletters and automated notifications messages summed up to 42% of inbox messages. At the same time, 16% of emails containing advertisements or marketing information were flagged as spam. At a first glance, many people would consider this “side-effect” as an advantage. But while a conventional definition of spam encompasses unsolicited messages sent in bulk – large number of copies, it is not that obvious to make a difference between unsolicited emails. Therefore, while most of the existing research studies the efficiency of anti-spam techniques and their enhancements, this thesis focuses on the thin line that separates the two categories: those few cases in which the existing techniques fail. In particular, we limit our study to the often overlooked area of gray emails, i.e., those ambiguous messages that cannot be clearly categorized one way or the other by automated spam filters. We approach the study of gray area as bulk emails, by focusing on the analysis of email campaigns. We propose a three-phase approach based on message clustering, classification, and graph-based refinement that is based only on email headers data. Our technique is able to automatically classify 50% of the gray emails with only 0.2% of false positives. Moreover, we demonstrate that by using a graph-based refinement method, legitimate email campaigns can be often identified based only on sender information. During the study of gray area, we identified three email campaign categories – commercial, newsletters, and botnet – for which our classification method works well. To identify 419 scam campaigns, an advanced fee fraud primarily based on confidence, we propose instead a technique based on the phone numbers. The reasoning behind the idea is that scam as a business requires a communication channel for getting in contact with the victim, thus phone numbers play a particular role in 419 scam. We next rely on this insight to identify and characterize 419 scam campaigns by describing several illustrative examples that demonstrate the diversity of such campaigns and their international geographic distribution. As part of this thesis was conducted inside a commercial anti-spam company, MailInBlack, specialized in email management based on a Challenge-Response (CR)
Pathogenic “germline” variants associated with myeloproliferative disorders in apparently normal individuals: Inherited or acquired genetic alterations?

Myeloproliferative syndromes (MPS) are hematologic malignancies due to the expansion of an abnormal hematopoietic stem cell. They include chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and non‐CML MPS such as polycythemia vera, essential thrombocythemia and primary myelofibrosis. The latter are distinguished by somatic pathogenic variants affecting JAK2, CALR, or MPL genes. Apparent germline pathogenic variants have been reported in the general population. Here, we found that two gnomAD data‐sets report more homozygotes than expected for the JAK2 c.1849G > T(Val617Phe) variant. We propose that somatic gene conversion can explain the presence of those unexpected homozygotes in normal populations. Consistently, homozygous individuals are older than 65 years. We also found a lower‐than‐expected frequency of the JAK2 variant in younger individuals suggesting that somatic mutation can underlie its presence in (at least some) heterozygotes. Regarding pathogenic variants in MPL and CALR, they are also present in the gnomAD data‐sets explored. However, we cannot conclude that such seemingly germline variants are in fact somatic alterations. These results suggest that apparently normal individuals bearing MPS‐related variants can be subclinical/undiagnosed MPS cases of somatic origin. It would be interesting to assess the hematologic phenotype of such individuals and the presence of the relevant variants in other tissues.
Security Inspection Scenarios - A Facet of Security Conducting Vulnerability-based Code Inspections

Today's software is often subject to attacks that exploit vulnerabilities. Since in the area of security, vulnerabilities are hard to find, quality assurance needs detailed guidance. Focusing on early quality assurance, we propose Security Inspection Scenarios as reading support for static quality assurance. They provide detailed guidance and clear and comprehensible structuring. As the vulnerabilities are partly dependent on the operating system and programming language used, we need to build generic scenarios and instantiate them. In this paper, we show how to create Security Inspection Scenarios, accompanied by a short example demonstrating their usage. After an analysis of the possible benefits of our approach, a proposal for an evaluation is presented. We assume our scenarios support practitioners in a beneficial way and are applicable in most development lifecycles which are interested in security aspects.
Antiviral Strategies Using Natural Source-Derived Sulfated Polysaccharides in the Light of the COVID-19 Pandemic and Major Human Pathogenic Viruses

Only a mere fraction of the huge variety of human pathogenic viruses can be targeted by the currently available spectrum of antiviral drugs. The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) outbreak has highlighted the urgent need for molecules that can be deployed quickly to treat novel, developing or re-emerging viral infections. Sulfated polysaccharides are found on the surfaces of both the susceptible host cells and the majority of human viruses, and thus can play an important role during viral infection. Such polysaccharides widely occurring in natural sources, specifically those converted into sulfated varieties, have already proved to possess a high level and sometimes also broad-spectrum antiviral activity. This antiviral potency can be determined through multifold molecular pathways, which in many cases have low profiles of cytotoxicity. Consequently, several new polysaccharide-derived drugs are currently being investigated in clinical settings. We reviewed the present status of research on sulfated polysaccharide-based antiviral agents, their structural characteristics, structure–activity relationships, and the potential of clinical application. Furthermore, the molecular mechanisms of sulfated polysaccharides involved in viral infection or in antiviral activity, respectively, are discussed, together with a focus on the emerging methodology contributing to polysaccharide-based drug development.
Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on a human research islet program

Designated a pandemic in March 2020, the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome virus 2 (SARS-CoV2), the virus responsible for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), led to new guidelines and restrictions being implemented for individuals, businesses, and societies in efforts to limit the impacts of COVID-19 on personal health and healthcare systems. Here we report the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on pancreas processing and islet isolation/distribution outcomes at the Alberta Diabetes Institute IsletCore, a facility specialising in the processing and distribution of human pancreatic islets for research. While the number of organs processed was significantly reduced, organ quality and the function of cellular outputs were minimally impacted during the pandemic when compared to an equivalent period immediately prior. Despite the maintained quality of isolated islets, recipient groups reported poorer feedback regarding the samples. Our findings suggest this is likely due to disrupted distribution which led to increased transit times to recipient labs, particularly those overseas. Thus, to improve overall outcomes in a climate of limited research islet supply, prioritization of tissue recipients based on likely tissue transit times may be needed.
Smartgrid applications using narrow band power line carrier in underground power distribution systems. PLC Fault Locator

Within the scope of distribution automation, there is a wide range of applications that should work co-ordinately. As the devices supporting such applications are, in general, spread over a large part of the distribution network, one of the key issues to be considered is the communication, understood as: technology, equipment, protocols, standardization… Since equipment and functions are located at different hierarchical levels, they should be able to share information among them, no matter their relative position within the hierarchy. It is also important, in order to minimize restrictions, to have the possibility of using various technologies even to support the same application.
A low-noise CMOS interface for capacitive microaccelerometers

for his guidance during the course of this research. Without his guidance in choosing the problem, planning the experimental work, and preparation of the manuscript, this work would never have been possible. Ghovanloo for providing me with the use of the measurement facilities from their experiment stations. Without their aid, the experimental work would have been impossible. Also, I am indebted to my fellow colleagues at the IMEMS group for their support. Finally, I want to thank my mother for her constant support and encouragement throughout the course of this work, and especially through the harder times. Figure 2.3: (a) the custom layout at 0.6 μm process and (b) Lateral PNP BJT diagram. 33 Figure 2.4: Main dc characteristics of 40-emitter-in-parallel LBJT from 0.6 μm process.
Uncovering the nature of the reciprocal relationship between product and process innovation: A study within the food packaging industry.

Process innovation is of critical importance to the firm. These innovations hold the potential to generate enormous wealth for the firm, and their potential to deliver benefits have been clearly demonstrated by a number of famous examples, such as Ford? s Model T production line, Pilkington? s float glass production process and SAP? s Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems. In a major study of why firms engage in process innovation (Reichstein and Salter, 2006) found that product and process innovations are interdependent. Yet, virtually every book on technological change has compared innovations in products with innovations in processes (Simonetti et al., 1995). This paper explores the relationship between product and process innovations using four case studies from the food packaging industry. The findings of the paper reveal a dynamic relationship between product innovation and process innovation. The findings also uncover the significant role and influence of the capital equipment investments on product innovation. Our findings lead us to suggest that within the food packaging industry the distinction between these terms is artificial.