Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Enabling rapid disaster response using artificial intelligence and social media

Disasters and emergencies often bring unanticipated situations for the members of public and formal response organizations. During such times, access to rapidly changing information plays an important role to understand the situation as it unfolds. However, information scarcity, especially in the early hours, hinders this task and ultimately delays response operations. Social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook are gaining attention of both formal response organizations and affected individuals. People use social media to share a variety of information online including requests for help, and other urgent needs such as food, water, and shelter. This online information can be useful for humanitarian organizations if processed timely. This work presents a number of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies developed at the Qatar Computing Research Institute (QCRI) to aid disaster response and management. These technologies include machine learning platforms to automatically process textual messages (e.g., tweets) into humanitarian categories such as reports of needs, injured or dead people, and to process imagery data. The platforms work in real-time to collect and analyze data on social media to help humanitarian organization gain situational awareness and extract actionable information. These technologies were deployed during the Hurricane Maria and in this paper we present our findings and insights from this real-world natural disaster.
Role of phospholipase C g at fertilization and during mitosis in sea urchin eggs and embryos

of the InsP 3 may the a complete inhibition of calcium release fertilization pentosan polyphosphate, an inhibitor of the InsP 3 receptor. heparin, pentosan polyphosphate It is well known that stimulation of egg metabolism after fertilization is due to a rise in intracellular free calcium concentration. In sea urchin eggs, this ﬁrst calcium signal is followed by other calcium transients that allow progression through mitotic control points of the cell cycle of the early embryo. How sperm induces these calcium transients is still far from being understood. In sea urchin eggs, both InsP 3 and ryanodine receptors contribute to generate the fertilization calcium transient, while the InsP 3 receptor generates the subsequent mitotic calcium transients. The identity of the mechanisms that generate InsP 3 after fertilization remains an enigma.
Artificial Neural Networks to Assess Emotional States from Brain-Computer Interface

Estimation of human emotions plays an important role in the development of modern brain-computer interface devices like the Emotiv EPOC+ headset. In this paper, we present an experiment to assess the classification accuracy of the emotional states provided by the headset’s application programming interface (API). In this experiment, several sets of images selected from the International Affective Picture System (IAPS) dataset are shown to sixteen participants wearing the headset. Firstly, the participants’ responses in form of a self-assessment manikin questionnaire to the emotions elicited are compared with the validated IAPS predefined valence, arousal and dominance values. After statistically demonstrating that the responses are highly correlated with the IAPS values, several artificial neural networks (ANNs) based on the multilayer perceptron architecture are tested to calculate the classification accuracy of the Emotiv EPOC+ API emotional outcomes. The best result is obtained for an ANN configuration with three hidden layers, and 30, 8 and 3 neurons for layers 1, 2 and 3, respectively. This configuration offers 85% classification accuracy, which means that the emotional estimation provided by the headset can be used with high confidence in real-time applications that are based on users’ emotional states. Thus the emotional states given by the headset’s API may be used with no further processing of the electroencephalogram signals acquired from the scalp, which would add a level of difficulty.
Automatic Detection of Shadda in Modern Standard Arabic Continuous Speech

The presence of diacritics Shadda in Arabic continuous speech may lead to the reduction of the accuracy of automatic Word Boundary Detection (WBD), which caused one word will be wrongly detected as two words. Therefore, this will affect the accuracy of Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR), if it is based on WBD. Shadda is one of the essential characteristics of the Arabic language which represents a consonant doubling. In this paper, a proposed method of automatic detection of Shadda in Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) continuous speech was introduced to improve the accuracy of WBD in MSA continuous speech. The prosodic features namely Short Time Energy (STE), Fundamental Frequency and Intensity were investigated for its ability as Shadda pattern detection in continuous MSA speech. We have analyzed the proposed features by implementing a separated algorithm for each feature to detect Shadda pattern automatically. In addition, a new proposed method which is a combination of STE and Intensity were introduced. The dataset in this work is a collection of 1-hour TV broadcast news from Aljazeera Arabic TV channel for 2018 - broadcasters. We found that the Shadda pattern is very similar to unvoiced regions of speech, and this represents a big challenge for the improvement of WDB using Shadda. Results showed that the detection of Shadda using Short Time Energy and Intensity outperforms the Fundamental frequency with 55% of accuracy. Intensity achieved 71.5% in accuracy. In addition, a combination between Intensity & STE features was performed and achieved good results with 67.15% in accuracy. The number of false positive too has been reduced compared to Intensity alone.
Quantum parameter estimation in a spin-boson dephasing quantum system by periodical projective measurements

In this paper, we explore how to estimate the phase damping parameter γ and the tunneling amplitude parameter Δ from a spin-boson dephasing quantum model by periodical projective measurements. The preparation of initial states is accomplished by performing the period measurements in our scheme. The parameter γ can be always estimated when projective measurement bases are chosen as θ = π/2 and ϕ = 0. Based on the estimated value of γ and the interval information of Δ, we can select another measurement bases (θ = π/4 and ϕ = π/2) to obtain the estimated value of Δ. A coherent control is indispensable to estimate Δ if γ is in the interval of Δ; whereas the control is not necessary if γ is out of the known interval of Δ. We establish the relation between the optimal period time and the parameter γ or Δ in terms of Fisher information. Although the optimal measurement period cannot be selected beforehand, the aforementioned relation can be utilized to adjust the measurement period to approach the optimal one.
Dynamics of a massive piston in an ideal gas

This survey is a study of a dynamical system consisting of a massive piston in a cubic container of large size filled with an ideal gas. The piston has mass and undergoes elastic collisions with non-interacting gas particles of mass . It is found that under suitable initial conditions there is a scaling regime with time and space scaled by in which the motion of the piston and the one-particle distribution of the gas satisfy autonomous coupled equations (hydrodynamic equations) such that in the limit the mechanical trajectory of the piston converges in probability to the solution of the hydrodynamic equations for a certain period of time. There is also a heuristic discussion of the dynamics of the system on longer intervals of time.
Whole Body Mechanical Vibrations of Passengers Travelling in Busses in Sri Lanka

One of the main passenger transportations in Sri Lanka is the bus. Most of these busses used for the passenger transportation do not have proper vibration dampers and passengers who travel in them are subjected to severe vibration levels as most of the time they are travelling standing up rather than sitting down on comfortable seats. Sever vibration levels produced by the engines of the busses and the poor road conditions in Sri Lanka are directly transfer to the passengers due to poor vibration damping of the busses. This paper discusses the vibration levels that the passengers travelling in Sri Lankan busses encounter by using accelerometers and the mechanical modelling of the passenger whole body vibrations. A new model is put forward to account for the nonlinear effects. Also the paper compares the passenger vibration levels with the international standards for safer passenger vibration levels (ISO2631). First part of the paper discusses the power spectral densities of the vibrations generated in the busses and also transferring from the road on to different locations of the busses where the passengers are normally travelling. Also the paper further discusses improved lumped parameter based mechanical dynamics model for standing up travelers subjected these vibrations, catering for the nonlinear effects by using additional viscous springs and dampers. Final part of the paper discusses the effectiveness of the use of commonly available elastic soles, elastic insert pads or elastic slippers foot ware to reduce the harmful vibrational effects of frequent travelers. Keywords—whole body vibration, passenger bus, ISO2631
Clustering the occupant behavior in residential buildings: a method comparison

The aim of this paper is to investigate possible patterns of the occupant behavior in residential buildings. Measurements were taken in multi‐family buildings where several occupant‐related variables were recorded. We chose and compared two different clustering methods: whole time series and features clustering (k‐means algorithm). The mentioned methods were performed selecting two variables (window opening and indoor temperature) and tested with supervised learning methods. Results suggest that features clustering can perform better than whole time series. The representation of the occupant behavior through features is meant to be applied in future work regarding the optimization of control strategies in ventilation systems.
Subjective Evaluation of a Passive Industrial Exoskeleton for Lower-back Support: A Field Study in the Automotive Sector

OCCUPATIONAL APPLICATIONS A passive, low-back support exoskeleton (Laevo) was tested in a four-week field study with workers in several automobile manufacturing workplaces that included both static trunk postures (forward bending) and dynamic repositioning (manual material handling). The aims of the study were to obtain subjective evaluations of the impacts of exoskeleton use, including discomfort, usability, and user acceptance. Workers overall reported a decrease in physical discomfort in the lower back when using the passive exoskeleton, although this decrease was only evident in work requiring static vs. dynamic postures. There was also evidence of a load redistribution, specifically to the chest region, as evidenced by increase wearing discomfort. Workers provided moderate-to-high ratings of perceived usability, though these ratings were lower at the end of the field study, and a similar outcome was found regarding user acceptance (“intention-to-use”) of the exoskeleton. User acceptance was strongly influenced by perceived usability, as well as the level of discomfort experienced when using the exoskeleton.
Information Systems: To Be, or Not To Be, a Science? Is that the Question?

In this commentary, we complement McBride’s (2018) paper by setting the debate in its historical context and building on the “rite of passage” notion that Chughtai and Myers (2017) introduced to denote the process of researchers entering a field of practice. We first summarize McBride’s (2018) main point concerning whether or not IS is a science and pick up on the systemic nature of IS. In doing so, we incorporate how researchers have historically treated the debate and distinguish science per se from the scientific method. We turn then to reflect on the point that this debate apparently refuses to die. We conclude with a forward-thinking section in which we consider the implications of our considering the topic not for the field as a whole but for individual IS researchers. We end with our own modest call for action in terms of focusing on the everyday practices of IS researchers— specifically, the rites of passage or transitions (and lack of them) we (should? ) go through in how we practice our research.
ZVS/ZCS Vienna rectifier topology for high power applications

This paper focuses on the study of a soft-switched unidirectional boost-type rectifier employing a snubber circuit, used as a front-end converter stage in high-power applications. The proposed rectifier operates with soft switching which results in high efficiency and low cost. The switching losses and electromagnetic interference (EMI) result in poor efficiency, therefore, soft switching techniques need to be developed to improve the efficiency. To achieve the desired result, the snubber circuit which consists of a lossless snubber switch cell and a resonant inductor, is introduced in the above-mentioned converter. The topology of the proposed converter is derived from the conventional T-type three-level boost rectifier. The circuit operation, theoretical analysis, and simulation of the converter in MATLAB/Simulink environment are carried out. Finally, a 10 kW laboratory set-up of the proposed soft-switched unidirectional rectifier is built. The experimental results obtained validate the theoretical analysis of the circuit.
Adaptive synchronization control of coupled chaotic neurons in an external electrical stimulation

In this paper we present a combined algorithm for the synchronization control of two gap junction coupled chaotic FitzHugh—Nagumo (FHN) neurons in an external electrical stimulation. The controller consists of a combination of dynamical sliding mode control and adaptive backstepping control. The combined algorithm yields an adaptive dynamical sliding mode control law which has the advantage over static sliding mode-based controllers of being chattering-free, i.e., a sufficiently smooth control input signal is generated. It is shown that the proposed control scheme can not only compensate for the system uncertainty, but also guarantee the stability of the synchronized error system. In addition, numerical simulations are also performed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed adaptive controller.
An ultra‐small cavity‐backed sector antenna with fractal transmission lines and NRI‐TLs for VHF application

A novel ultra‐small cavity‐backed sector antenna with fractal transmission lines (FTLs) and negative refractive index transmission lines (NRI‐TLs) is proposed in this paper. The proposed antenna comprises three parts. The first one is a U‐shaped cavity‐backed antenna composed of a planar double‐sector patch and a U‐shaped backed‐cavity. The other two parts are FTLs and NRI‐TLs, respectively, both of which are used to achieve bandwidth enhancement and size reduction for the U‐shaped cavity‐backed antenna. Although the U‐shaped cavity‐backed antenna and the proposed antenna have the same size of 36 cm × 40 cm × 25 cm, the proposed antenna can operate in a lower frequency band. Due to the introduction of the negative refractive index transmission lines, the overall size reduction is up to 12.3%. With features such as ultra‐small size, moderate bandwidth and good radiation property, the proposed antenna can meet the demanding requirements to the application of UAV airborne system.
The stratosphere-troposphere connection in ensemble forecasts

By now, it has become generally accepted that both the troposphere and the stratosphere play an important role in defining the atmospheric circulation. Baldwin and Dunkerton (1999) showed, by using 40 years of daily data, that the largest amplitude anomalies in the lower stratosphere (around 10 hPa) frequently appear to descend to the troposphere on a timescale of 3 weeks. The predictive skill associated with the downward propagation has been estimated by e.g. Baldwin et al. (2003) and Charlton et al. (2003), by using statistical models. Both studies conclude that an extra skill of 5% can be obtained in Northern Hemisphere weather on time scales of 10 to 45 days. In fact, already for lead times larger than 5 days, the stratosphere seems to be a better predictor for the tropospheric circulation than the troposphere itself, see e.g., Christiansen (2005) and Siegmund (2005).
Evolution dynamics in terraced NK landscapes

We consider populations of agents evolving in the fitness landscape of an extended NK model with a tunable amount of neutrality. We study the statistics of the jumps in mean population fitness which occur in the "punctuated equilibrium” regime and show that, for a wide range of landscapes parameters, the number of events in time t is Poisson distributed, with the time parameter replaced by the logarithm of time. This simple log-Poisson statistics likewise describes the number of records in any sequence of t independently generated random numbers. The implications of such behavior for evolution dynamics are discussed.
Computing Systems for Railways - A Role for Domain Engineering. Relations to Requirements Engineering and Software for Control Applications}

Railways are usually considered to be very large scale, infrastructure supporting systems. They are distributed. They exhibit thousands of concurrent, but highly related (interwoven) activities. And, even without any computing or communication support, railway systems function as a result of critical interplays between railway staff, users and railway (and other, technological) equipment. To develop computing systems support for railway activities requires, it is emphasised in this paper, first that the developers understand those parts of the railways which are to be supported, we call it the domain (D); secondly that the developers understand what support is desired, we call it the requirements (R); and, thirdly, that the developers correctly implement these requirements as some computing system (S). Correctness is needed in order to deliver expected railway services, to avoid failures that may lead to injury to people or loss of property or human life. Correctness can be expressed as a relation: D,S |= R: The computing system implementation (S) can be shown to implement the requirements (R) based on assumptions made about the domain (D). To help ensure correctness, the domain, the requirements and the computing system are suitably formalised. The formal models, D,R, and S, are usually rather large documents. For developers and clients to trust that these formal specifications indeed do describe, what is intended, they need be structured such that their readers can grasp smaller parts (“a page at a time” ) and their composition. To develop a domain description we propose to decompose the overall development into the development of descriptions of domain intrinsics, domain technologies, domain management & organisation, domain rules & regulations, domain human behaviour, and possibly other domain facets. The paper will briefly explain — and exemplify — some of these development concepts. Invited paper for the IDPT’2002 Session on Integration of Modelling Techniques for Train Control Systems (Pasadena, Calif., 24–28 June 2002) (a)’s Work on this paper was partially supported by the Commission of the European Communities (EU) under contract HPRN–CT–1999– 00104 AMORE: Algorithmic Methods for Optimising Railways in Europe. (b–c)’s Work was partially supported by UNU/IIST.
A Batteryless Single-Inductor Boost Converter With 190 mV Self-Startup Voltage for Thermal Energy Harvesting Over a Wide Temperature Range

In this brief, a batteryless boost converter for thermal energy harvesting is presented. Only single off-chip inductor is employed through inductor sharing technique. A stepping-up architecture consisting of a startup converter and a main converter is adopted. The startup converter activates the chip with an input voltage as low as 190 mV. With zero-current switching and maximum power point tracking techniques, the main converter achieves a peak efficiency of 60% and outputs a maximum power of 400 ${\mu }\text{W}$ . The converter is capable of maintaining its operation under a minimum input voltage of 50 mV over a wide temperature range from −30 °C to 80 °C. The proposed design has been fabricated with 180 nm CMOS process and been demonstrated with thermal energy harvesting.
Laser linewidth hazard in optomechanical cooling

I discuss the robustness of pumped cavity dynamics against phase diffusion of the laser and conclude that optomechanical cooling has extreme sensitivity compared to laser cooling of atoms. Certain proposals for ground-state optomechanical cooling by a single cavity would require an unrealistically sharp laser linewidth or, equivalently, a very low level of phase noise. A systematic way to cancel classical excess phase noise is the interferometric twin-cavity pumping, initiated for optically trapped macromirrors of future gravitational-wave detectors.
A Novel Filter Extracted Equivalent Control Based Fixed Frequency Sliding Mode Approach for Power Electronic Converters

The key issue in the implementation of the Sliding Mode Control (SMC) in analogue circuits and power electronic converters is its variable switching frequency. The drifting frequency causes electromagnetic compatibility issues and also adversely affect the efficiency of the converter, because the proper size of the inductor and the capacitor depends upon the switching frequency. Pulse Width Modulation based SMC (PWM-SMC) offers the solution, however, it uses either boundary layer approach or employs pulse width modulation of the ideal equivalent control signal. The first technique compromises the performance within the boundary layer, while the latter may not possess properties like robustness and order reduction due to the absence of the discontinuous function. In this research, a novel approach to fix the switching frequency in SMC is proposed, that employs a low pass filter to extract the equivalent control from the discontinuous function, such that the performance and robustness remains intact. To benchmark the experimental observations, a comparison with existing double integral type PWM-SMC is also presented. The results confirm that an improvement of 20% in the rise time and 25.3% in the settling time is obtained. The voltage sag during step change in load is reduced to 42.86%, indicating the increase in the robustness. The experiments prove the hypothesis that a discontinuous function based fixed frequency SMC performs better in terms of disturbances rejection as compared to its counterpart based solely on ideal equivalent control.
Ordinal Utility and Indifference Curves

The claim that modern economic theory can be founded on indifference curves of ordinal utility functions is based on errors. For the same reasons that the mathematical theory of thermodynamics cannot be founded on ordinal temperature scales, modern economic theory cannot be founded on ordinal data. Economic theory should be corrected using utility scales that enable the “powerful weapons” of algebra and calculus.