Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Profiling Agricultural Engineering Technologies for Mechanizing Smallholder Agriculture in Uganda

Developing countries are grappling with numerous challenges including feeding rapidly growing populations, alleviating poverty, protecting the environment and mitigating adverse impacts of climate change. For the coming years, one of the main agricultural development agenda for Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) should be to increase agricultural productivity and production to achieve food security through agricultural mechanization with Agricultural Engineering Technologies (AETs) as major inputs. However, there is paucity of information on the status of existing AETs and their contribution to mechanizing smallholder agriculture which is crucial to effective planning and strategy formulation. Therefore, the overarching objective of this paper is to review past and present status, constraints to adoption and future of AETs in Uganda in the context of mechanizing smallholder agriculture. Several proven AETs developed through research institutions and universities have been profiled in different areas of farm power and mechanization systems, agro-processing for value addition; renewable energy systems; water harnessing and utilization and other emerging agricultural engineering fields. The future of AETs in Uganda is hinged on the interaction of AETs with key drivers that include policy, social, cultural, economic, environmental, vocational skills development, innovation protection, research and institutional partnerships.
Tourism for Suatainable Livelihood in Nepal

The main objective of the paper is to clarify the different adaptive strategies and livelihood pattern based on sports tourism initiatives in Nepali rural villages. The sustainable livelihood and adaptation of the natural resources especially in the rural areas of the country have been demanded to raise awareness and building capacity by attracting people from different countries through the organization of in-house and cross country tournaments and youth exchange programs. The livelihood is shaped as per the natural resources and other means provided in the area. This study has attempted to survey the climate change effects in the territory in long run. It has been possible by studying the changes and advancements experienced for twenty years back to today. While analyzing the different researches and studies of the past and the study has concluded that there are number of challenges despite of some progress and advancement in the livelihood. The majority of the population of Nepal resides in the rural areas so that the livelihood in general is critical in such areas. While studying for 20 years there have been changes and progresses in the livelihood pattern and adaptation strategies. The sports tourism has been found effective and efficient tool for the advocacy and lobbying in favor of livelihood promotion as well as sustainable development. The study and analysis of the documents have revealed that there has been tremendous efforts carried out in local level and more demand has been raised for national as well as international events. The sports tourism initiatives have been demanded for the accumulation of the climatic change effects as well as the environmental factors for poverty alleviation along with socio cultural prosperity.
Optimize Pollutant Emissions through Adaptive Highway Management

In this project, we investigated the possibility to reduce green house emission (mainly CO2) from urban highways by adaptive ramp meter control. QUADSTONE PARAMICS software was used to build a microscopic traffic model for a 4-lane highway section containing on/off ramps. A mathematical model of CO2 emission as a function of vehicle’s speed and acceleration was also developed. Total emission of simulated highway section was calculated under on a variety of ramp meter control scenarios and traffic densities. It has been found that the emission rate of greenhouse gases varies non-linearly with vehicle’s speed. While vehicles move at relatively high speed (i.e. greater than 50 mph), the emission rate increases monotonically with speed of vehicle. On the other hand, when vehicles move at extremely low speed (i.e. less than 20 mph), the emission rate is reversely proportional to vehicle’s speed. In addition, vehicle’s acceleration also plays an important role. This non-linear behavior of emission rate indicates the possibility to optimize greenhouse emission through smart speed and mobility control on urban corridors. A test model of a 1.5-mile 4-lane highway section with one on-ramp and one offramp was developed. A fixed time ramp meter is placed on the on-ramp and simulated the model at different scenarios by adjusting the red-time interval of the meter. It is observed that in light or moderate traffic senarios, the optimal red time interval increases with traffic density. However, when the traffic becomes very heavy or jammed, the optimal red time actually decreases. Our simulation also shows the overall emission decreases with highway speed limit. The fact that the red time interval needs to be reduced under heavy traffic in order to reduce CO2 emission indicates a trade-off between improving highway throughput and reducing CO2 emission. Optimization plans solely targeting for higher throughput not necessarily leads to lower emission, on the contrary, it may increase the emission in some cases. It is also observed that implementing ramp meter control works better for heavy traffic situations than light traffic ones; while speed limit control works better for light traffic situations. This suggests implementing both active ramp meter control and active speed control could potentially minimize the average emission. Table of
Reducing sampling points for estimating far-field from phaseless planar near-field with probe-positioning error

In this paper, 1D sampling which exploits the symmetry of the phaseless planar near-field distributions of antenna is presented to reduce sampling points and the measuring time of the phase retrieval method. Not only the accuracy of the estimation but also the tolerance of probe-positioning error of sampling points are necessary in high frequency measurements because of its short wavelength. Using 1D sampling including the probepositioning error, the far-field pattern is estimated with sufficiently small error in the simulation. In the measurement, the far-field can also be estimated from 1D near-field including probe-positioning error.
Testability of Reversible Iterative Logic Arrays

— Iterative Logic Arrays (ILAs) are ideal as VLSI sub-systems because of their regular structure and it’s close resemblance with FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Arrays). Reversible circuits are of interest in the design of very low power circuits where energy loss implied by high frequency switching is not of much consideration. Reversibility is essential for Quantum Computing. This paper examines the testability of Reversible Iterative Logic Arrays (ILAs) composed of reversible k-CNOT gates. For certain ILAs it is possible to find a test set whose size remains constant irrespective of the size of the ILA, while for others it varies with array size. Former type of ILAs is known as Constant-Testable, i.e. C-Testable. It has been shown that Reversible Logic Arrays are C-Testable and size of test set is equal to number of entries in cell’s truth table implying that the reversible ILAs are also Optimal-Testable, i.e. O-Testable. Uniform-Testability, i.e. U-Testability has been defined and Reversible Heterogeneous ILAs have been characterized as U-Testable. The test generation problem has been shown to be related to certain properties of cycles in a set of graphs derived from cell truth table. By careful analysis of these cycles an efficient test generation technique that can be easily converted to an ATPG program has been presented for both 1-D and 2D ILAs. The same algorithms can be easily extended for n-Dimensional Reversible ILAs.
Convergent ICT as a key factor of technological progress in the coming decades and their impact on world economic development

The article considers the impact of ICT (information and communication technologies) on productivity and economic growth. Proposed information model for the calculation of the contribution of ICT in the rate of technological progress established by R. Kurzweil, which uses the laws of growth of technological knowledge in the ICT sector. Three simple information models are developed to calculate technological progress related to the production and use of ICT products and services that allow you to calculate the projected rate of technological progress according to the dynamics of the number of active researchers in the ICT and the dynamics of the number of patents granted in the field of ICT research sector
Verification of airgun sound field models for environmental impact assessment

The potential impact of seismic surveys on marine life has given regulators and scientists a shared interest in quantifying the sound field radiated by airgun arrays. Predictions do not always agree well with measurements, and there is a need to build confidence in model accuracy. To address this need, experts in airgun sound field modeling were invited to participate in an international workshop that took place in Dublin on 16 July 2016.The purpose of the Dublin workshop was to improve insight in the characterization of the airgun array sound field, including the interaction between source and propagation models. Well-specified, biologically relevant scenarios were developed, solutions were compared and the differences quantified. Possible causes of these differences were discussed. Qualitative agreement was demonstrated in the time domain source signature. In the frequency domain, inter-model differences exceeded 30 dB above 1 kHz. Differences in initial rise time were identified as the probable cause of these high frequency spectral differences. Observed differences in modeled far field sound levels are largely attributed to these differences in the source signature. Validation of the source models is identified as a priority.The potential impact of seismic surveys on marine life has given regulators and scientists a shared interest in quantifying the sound field radiated by airgun arrays. Predictions do not always agree well with measurements, and there is a need to build confidence in model accuracy. To address this need, experts in airgun sound field modeling were invited to participate in an international workshop that took place in Dublin on 16 July 2016.The purpose of the Dublin workshop was to improve insight in the characterization of the airgun array sound field, including the interaction between source and propagation models. Well-specified, biologically relevant scenarios were developed, solutions were compared and the differences quantified. Possible causes of these differences were discussed. Qualitative agreement was demonstrated in the time domain source signature. In the frequency domain, inter-model differences exceeded 30 dB above 1 kHz. Differences in initial rise time were identified as the probable cause o.
An out-of-plane displacement measurement system based on hardware tracking

In this work, we propose an laser-interference based measurement method that employs a hardware device in the reference arm to track the out-of-plane displacement in the objective arm. Then a real-time one-point out-of-plane displacement measurement system is built up using a Michelson interferometer, a PZT device, a CCD camera and a tracking control system. The system works by checking the movement of fringes and then promoting PZT to track the displacement. A tracking algorithm including direction judgment and correlation computation is developed to decide whether PZT is started and the distance that PZT is ordered to move. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the system and finally the detailed mechanism of the system is discussed.
Stress and Strain Analysis in Critical Joints of the Bearing Parts of the Mobile Platform Using Tensometry

At present, there has been a rapid advancement in the use of new materials and modern technologies in the design and technical improvement of robotic systems. Methods of numerical modeling are most commonly used in the design and development of load-bearing parts of mechanisms. When designing complicated mechanical systems such as robotic systems, it is often difficult to correctly define boundary conditions that correspond to the actual operational state using the results obtained through numerical modeling. The paper presents methods of verification of the results obtained by numerical modeling in the selected load-bearing component of a six-leg robot from experimental measurement using tensometry with the aim to take into account the strength and stiffness parameters of the load-bearing part in order not to jeopardize safe and reliable operation of the mobile robotic platform.
Análise de redes sociais aplicadas ao transporte aeroviário de cargas

The present work objective is the analysis of the United States air cargo transport during a decade, from the year 2004 to 2014. The network theory is used and indicators such as closeness and betweenness are calculated. The present work compares the networks and the respective metrics of the two main airlines of the industry and the other 18 biggest companies what enables the evaluation of the impact of economic recessions, such as the one from 2008, on these networks and the detection of assymetries between companies of different sizes. It is possible to note that, among other aspects, the air cargo transport graph is heavily influenced by the two main private companies of the sector, FedEx and UPS, what can be pointed out by, e.g., the number of nodes of 178 and 106 in 2014 respectively for these networks compared to 81 from the other 18 biggest companies.
Lithium attenuates blood–brain barrier damage and brain edema following intracerebral hemorrhage via an endothelial Wnt/β‐catenin signaling‐dependent mechanism in mice

Vasogenic cerebral edema resulting from blood–brain barrier (BBB) damage aggravates the devastating consequences of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Although augmentation of endothelial Wnt/β‐catenin signaling substantially alleviates BBB breakdown in animals, no agents based on this mechanism are clinically available. Lithium is a medication used to treat bipolar mood disorders and can upregulate Wnt/β‐catenin signaling.
Detecting spontaneous deception in the brain

Deception detection can be of great value during the juristic investigation. Although the neural signatures of deception have been widely documented, most prior studies were biased by difficulty levels. That is, deceptive behavior typically required more effort, making deception detection possibly effort detection. Furthermore, no study has examined the generalizability across instructed and spontaneous responses and across participants. To explore these issues, we used a dual‐task paradigm, where the difficulty level was balanced between truth‐telling and lying, and the instructed and spontaneous truth‐telling and lying were collected independently. Using Multivoxel pattern analysis, we were able to decode truth‐telling versus lying with a balanced difficulty level. Results showed that the angular gyrus (AG), inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), and postcentral gyrus could differentiate lying from truth‐telling. Critically, linear classifiers trained to distinguish instructed truthful and deceptive responses could correctly differentiate spontaneous truthful and deceptive responses in AG and IFG with above‐chance accuracy. In addition, with a leave‐one‐participant‐out analysis, multivoxel neural patterns from AG could classify if the left‐out participant was lying or not in a trial. These results indicate the commonality of neural responses subserved instructed and spontaneous deceptive behavior as well as the feasibility of cross‐participant deception validation.
Mechanism of Mesenchymal Stem Cells as a Multitarget Disease-Modifying Therapy for Parkinson's Disease

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is one of the most prevalent neurodegenerative disorders, affecting the basal nuclei, causing impairment of motor and cognitive functions. Loss of dopaminergic (DAergic) neurons or their degeneration and the aggregation of Lewy bodies is the hallmark of this disease. The medications used to treat PD relieve the symptoms and maintain quality of life, but currently, there is no cure. There is a need for the development of therapies that can cease or perhaps reverse neurodegeneration effectively. With the rapid advancements in cell replacement therapy techniques, medical professionals are trying to find a cure by which restoration of dopamine neurotransmitters can occur. Researchers have started focusing on cell-based therapies using mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) due to their abundance in the body, the ability of proliferation, and immunomodulation. Here we review the MSC-based treatment in Parkinson's disease and the various mechanisms it repairs DAergic neurons in parkinsonian patients.
“Time is aorta?”: Timeliness of surgical repair in type A aortic dissection

Acute type A aortic dissection is a life‐threatening event that requires prompt management, a complex interaction among the timing of aortic surgical repair, presence or absence of organ malperfusion, and surgical outcomes exists. Whether resection of intimal entry tear should be deferred after reversal of malperfusion and end‐organ ischemia is a matter of controversy. In fact, the timing of aortic repair should be considered within the clinical presentation and baseline characteristics of each patient. Moreover, every effort should be made to minimize times between symptom onset, diagnosis, and surgery.
How does the introduction of a new year three GP curriculum affect future commitment to teach? An evaluation using a realist approach

ABSTRACT In western countries, there is a trend towards increasing amounts of undergraduate medical education being delivered in General Practice (GP). However, many medical schools report difficulties with the recruitment and retainment of GP clinical teachers. Newcastle University recently introduced a new year three GP curriculum, involving an increased quantity of community-based teaching and changes to the responsibilities of GP clinical teachers. We sought to explore and explain how this curricular change affects the future teaching commitment of year three GP clinical teachers. We adopted a realist approach. We firstly developed a candidate theory of how the new curriculum may affect future teaching commitment. Data collection and analysis then involved interviews of 10 GP teachers to refine this theory and produce a final Programme Theory. The results suggest that different teachers are affected in different ways, influenced by practice and individual contexts. Some parts of the new curriculum tend to reduce future teaching commitment, whereas other aspects tend to increase commitment. Mechanisms include changes to autonomy and sense of value. The results allow medical schools to better understand how GP teacher retention can be facilitated during curricular change. We make numerous recommendations, including advocating a team-based approach to teaching, paying attention to teacher autonomy, and considering patient contact in relation to generalist, primary care-orientated medicine as a core component of GP teaching.
Activation of histamine type 2 receptors enhances intrinsic excitability of medium spiny neurons in the nucleus accumbens

Histaminergic neurons are exclusively located in the hypothalamic tuberomammillary nucleus, from where they project to many brain areas including the nucleus accumbens (NAc), a brain area that integrates diverse monoaminergic inputs to coordinate motivated behaviours. While the NAc expresses various histamine receptor subtypes, the mechanisms by which histamine modulates NAc activity are still poorly understood. Using whole‐cell patch‐clamp recordings, we found that pharmacological activation of histamine 2 (H2) receptors elevates the excitability of NAc medium spiny neurons (MSNs), while activation of H1 receptors failed to significantly affect MSN excitability. The evoked firing of MSNs increased after seconds of local H2 agonist administration and remained elevated for minutes. H2 receptor (H2R) activation accelerated subthreshold depolarization in response to current injection, reduced the latency to fire, diminished action potential afterhyperpolarization and increased the action potential half‐width. The increased excitability was protein kinase A‐dependent and associated with decreased A‐type K+ currents. In addition, selective pharmacological inhibition of the Kv4.2 channel, the main molecular determinant of A‐type K+ currents in MSNs, mimicked and occluded the increased excitability induced by H2R activation. Our results indicate that histaminergic transmission in the NAc increases MSN intrinsic excitability through H2R‐dependent modulation of Kv4.2 channels. Activation of H2R will significantly alter spike firing in MSNs in vivo, and this effect could be an important mechanism by which these receptors mediate certain aspects of goal‐induced behaviours.
Targeting the Nucleosome Acidic Patch by Viral Proteins: Two Birds with One Stone?

The past decade illuminated the H2A-H2B acidic patch as a cornerstone for both nucleosome recognition and chromatin structure regulation. Higher-order folding of chromatin arrays is mediated by interactions of histone H4 tail with an adjacent nucleosome acidic patch. ABSTRACT The past decade illuminated the H2A-H2B acidic patch as a cornerstone for both nucleosome recognition and chromatin structure regulation. Higher-order folding of chromatin arrays is mediated by interactions of histone H4 tail with an adjacent nucleosome acidic patch. Dynamic chromatin folding ensures a proper regulation of nuclear functions fundamental to cellular homeostasis. Many cellular factors have been shown to act on chromatin by tethering nucleosomes via an arginine anchor binding to the acidic patch. This tethering mechanism has also been described for several viral proteins. In this minireview, we will discuss the structural basis for acidic patch engagement by viral proteins and the implications during respective viral infections. We will also discuss a model in which acidic patch occupancy by these non-self viral proteins alters the local chromatin state by preventing H4 tail-mediated higher-order chromatin folding.