Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Effects of Climate Change on the Probability of Occurrence of the First Fall Frost and the Last Spring Frost (Case Study: Isfahan)

Changing the date of the first fall frost and the last spring frost is an important phenomenon in agriculture that can be one of the consequences of global warming. Using general circulation models (GCMs) is a way to study future climate. In this study, observations of temperature and precipitation were weighted by using Mean Observed Temperature-Precipitation (MOTP) method. This method considers the ability of each model in simulating the difference between the mean simulated temperature and mean precipitation in each month in the baseline period and the corresponding observed values. The model that had more weight, selected as the optimum model because it is expected that the model will be valid for the future. But, these models are not indicative of stationary climate change due to their low spatial resolution. Therefore, in this research, the outputs of GCM models are based on the three emission scenarios A 2 and B 1 and A 1 B, downscaled by LARS-WG for Isfahan station. The data were analyzed by SPSS software at a 95% confidence level (P<0.05). The results indicated that in the Isfahan in the future period 2020-2049 based on the three scenarios, as compared with baseline period 1971-2000, the first fall frost will occur later and the last spring frost will occur earlier. The first fall frost will occur later for 2 days (based on the A 1 B emission scenario) to 5 days (based on the A 2 emission scenario) and the last spring frost will occur earlier for 2 days (based on the and B 1 emission scenario) to 4 days (based on the A 2 emission scenario). Finally, the best distribution functions for the first fall frost and the last spring frost for the baseline period and under climate change were selected and compared using the EasyFit software.
Small Bowel Malignancies in Patients Undergoing Capsule Endoscopy for Iron Deficiency Anemia

Small bowel malignancies are rare and usually asymptomatic or symptoms are nonspecific. Therefore, small bowel tumors are difficult to diagnose. In patients with iron deficiency anemia (IDA) who have negative bidirectional endoscopy results, the small bowel may be considered the source of bleeding. However, in asymptomatic IDA patients with negative bidirectional endoscopy results, evidence supporting the routine use of capsule endoscopy (CE) is insufficient. CE can be considered in selected patients with recurrent or persistent IDA. The frequency of small bowel malignancies is low in patients undergoing CE for IDA, but the usefulness of CE for the diagnosis of small bowel malignancies in younger age groups with IDA has been reported. For patients with risk factors for small bowel malignancy, investigation of the small bowel should be considered. Efforts should be made to prevent adverse events, such as capsule retention or capsule aspiration, through meticulous history taking and endoscopic capsule delivery as necessary.
EMG-Driven Machine Learning Control of a Soft Glove for Grasping Assistance and Rehabilitation

In the field of rehabilitation robotics, transparent, precise and intuitive control of hand exoskeletons still represents a substantial challenge. In particular, the use of compliant systems often leads to a trade-off between lightness and material flexibility, and control precision. In this letter, we present a compliant, actuated glove with a control scheme to detectthe user’s motion intent, which is estimated by a machine learning algorithm based on muscle activity. Six healthy study participants used the glove in three assistance conditions during a force reaching task. The results suggest that active assistance from the glove can aid the user, reducing the muscular activity needed to attain a medium-high grasp force, and that closed-loop control of a compliant assistive glove can successfully be implemented by means of a machine learning algorithm.
Effect of Sodium Hydroxide/Urea/Deionised Water Solution Ratio on the Solubility of Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunches Extracted Biocellulose

Biocellulose extracted from oil palm empty fruit bunches (OPEFB) is attracting increased research interest in versatile applications as an alternative material to synthetic cellulose. Normally, biocellulose needs to undergo dissolution prior its applications. Among all explored solvents to dissolve biocellulose, aqueous sodium hydroxide (NaOH)/urea solution is gaining increased attention. OPEFB biocellulose solubility in NaOH/urea/deionised (DI) water solution has not been fully studied by researchers. This study aimed to investigate the solubility of OPEFB biocellulose in NaOH/urea/DI water solution by manipulating the NaOH/urea/DI water solution ratio and weight percentage of OPEFB biocellulose. Results indicated that increasing the NaOH/urea/DI water solution ratio increased the solubility of OPEFB biocellulose. Further increased NaOH/urea/DI water solution ratio resulted in decreased solubility. Meanwhile, increased OPEFB biocellulose weight percentage decreased the solubility of OPEFB biocellulose in NaOH/urea/DI water solution. The highest solubility of 70.89%±1.85% was exhibited by 7% NaOH/12% urea/81% DI water (w/w) solution and 1 w/v% OPEFB biocellulose. This study on OPEFB biocellulose solubility in NaOH/urea/DI water solution can promote cost-effective and wide utilisation of the abundantly available OPEFB for the synthesis of cellulose fibres, films, and hydrogels in the textile, packaging, and biomedical industries.
The Jigsaw Design Challenge

This article highlights an innovative take on the jigsaw format, an inclusive and cooperative active learning strategy, implemented in an upper-level engineering elective course. After students complete the usual two steps of the jigsaw method—first gaining mastery in “expert groups” and then collaboratively teaching their peers in “jigsaw groups”—they then complete a third step in their jigsaw groups, in which they work together on an authentic design problem, offering a practical take on applying course content. This activity was implemented in three courses offered both in person and remotely (online only). We share how this innovation can promote learning, problem-solving, perspective sharing, and teamwork in contexts with students from different backgrounds and levels of experience.
Effects of dietary supplementation of ginger, garlic and onion on semen profile, haematological and serum antioxidant status of rabbit bucks raised in the dry season of the humid tropic

Purpose: The study evaluated the semen, haematological and antioxidant status of rabbit bucks fed ginger, garlic and onion supplemented diets under a severely heat stressed condition. This is to evaluate the effect of heat stress and spice supplementation on seminal parameters, haematology and antioxidant capacity of rabbit buck raised in the tropics. Research Method: Fifty five bucks were allotted to 11 treatments comprising of control diet, three each of ginger, garlic and onion at 5g, 10g and 15g/kg feed plus positive control diet. Seminal, haematological and antioxidant traits of the bucks and their pen's Temperature – Humidity index (THI) were observed for 8 weeks. Findings: THI (29.30 31.10°C) recorded during the study indicated the prevalence of severe to very severe heat stress. Heat stress impacted negatively more on sperm morphology than on other seminal parameters. Sperm cell motility, viability and abnormality were similar within supplemented groups and the controls. Semen volume and concentration were highest in animals fed garlic at 10 and 15g/kg feed respectively. Spice supplementation had no significant effect (p>0.05) on the haematology and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) of the experimental animals. Originality/value: The study concluded that spice supplementation mitigated heat stress effect on sperm cell morphology and was not deleterious on haematology and TAC of the bucks.
Liver Tumor segmentation in CT images using probabilistic

Liver tumors segmentation is an important prerequisite for planning of surgical interventions. For clinical applicability, the segmentation approach must be able to cope with the high variation in shape and gray-value appearance of the liver. We present a fully automatic 3D segmentation method for the liver tumors from contrast-enhanced CT data. The method consists of two main stages. First an initial histogram and statistical distribution functions are created, and from them a new image is created where, in each voxel, a weighted function is attached in accordance with the probability of the voxel grey level. Next, we use the active contour method on the new image, where the active contour evolution is based upon the minimization of variances between the liver tumor and its closest neighborhood.
The Impact of Digital Marketing and Digital Transformation on Brand Promotion and Brand Positioning in Kosovo’s Enterprises

Digitalization is very important for every company in today’s fierce competition. The development of Information Technologies has helped companies change means of reaching their clients and changing their working practices. The paper tries to assess digital marketing (DM) and digital transformation (DT) techniques that impact enterprises in Kosovo in the process of their brand promotion and brand positioning using google analytics, social media, e-commerce, search engines, mobile apps, or other digital channels. DT is profoundly important to every company, yet the correlation between DT, brand promotion, and brand positioning for Kosovo’s enterprises has not been researched a lot. With the DT, many companies are redefining business procedures and marketing strategies. The research will collect data using a survey with 150 companies generated by the Kosovo Business Registration Agency. Partial Least Square is used to analyse the collected data. Structural Equation modelling is used to assess the relationship between exogenous and endogenous variables used in the research proposed model. A moderation effect is used to test whether COVID-19 or the company's size is linked to the usage of DM and DT. The results are expected to reveal that DM and the digitalization process of enterprises affect brand promotion and brand position. The findings also imply that social media are widely used relative to other marketing channels. Companies that use DM and invest more in technology have better chances to promote and position their brands. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Can Grassland Chemical Quality Be Quantified Using Transform Near-Infrared Spectroscopy?

Simple Summary Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) has been applied to analyse the quality of forage and animal feed. However, grasslands more than other raw materials are linked to many variability factors (e.g., site, year, occurring species, etc.) that can represent strong points as well as weak points in NIRS estimation. This research is aimed at testing NIRS application for the determination of chemical characteristics of fresh, undried and unground samples of meadows and grasslands located in north-central Apennine. The interest lies in the possibility of monitoring grassland resources, supporting the decision in terms of the need of supplementation and identifying the critical periods for cutting grassland intended for animal feeding. The results indicated that FT-NIRS models could be used in the real-time quantification of crude protein, fibrous fraction and dry matter, while for lignin only a screening test could be considered. Minor components of grassland such as ash and lipids need improvement. As a practical point, a key factor of FT-NIRS in grassland chemical quality estimation is the absence of samples preparation and the importance of the parameters that have obtained the best results in animal diet formulation. Abstract Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and closed spectroscopy methods have been applied to analyse the quality of forage and animal feed. However, grasslands are linked to variability factors (e.g., site, year, occurring species, etc.) which restrict the prediction capacity of the NIRS. The aim of this study is to test the Fourier transform NIRS application in order to determine the chemical characteristics of fresh, undried and unground samples of grassland located in north-central Apennine. The results indicated the success of FT-NIRS models for dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), acid detergent fibre (ADF), neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and acid detergent lignin (ADL) on fresh grassland samples (R2 > 0.90, in validation). The model can be used to quantitatively determine CP and ADF (residual prediction deviation-RPD > 3 and range error ratio- RER > 10), followed by DM and NDF that maintain a RER > 10, and are sufficient for screening for the lignin fraction (RPD = 2.4 and RER = 8.8). On the contrary, models for both lipid and ash seem not to be usable at a practical level. The success of FT-NIRS quantification for the main chemical parameters is promising from the practical point of view considering both the absence of samples preparation and the importance of these parameters for diet formulation.
Impact of the integration of electric vehicles in low voltage residential electrical networks

This paper assess the impact of the inclusion of electric vehicles on existing residential networks in Santander, a region in Colombia. The study is based on consumer profiles supplied by the network operator and takes in account the specifications and rules regulat-ing the design and construction of residential electrical networks as well as the charging profiles of commercial electric vehicles. The paper aims to determine whether an electrical vehicle can be plugged in the existing electrical low voltage network.
Effects of Terazosin, Silodosin and Alfuzosin on Depression and Anxiety in Mice

Aims: Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is common urological disease, is characterized by lower urinary tract syndrome, usually associated with sexual dysfunctions. The aim of present study is to investigate the effects of terazosin, silodosin and alfuzosin which are the main treatment options for BPH on depression and anxiety to understand whether these drugs may be effective in BPH caused mood disorders. Study Design: All the drugs were given intraperitoneally (i.p.) in a volume of 0.1 ml per 10 g body weight of mice. Drugs were given 30 min before the experiment. We investigated the effects of terazosin, silodosin and alfuzosin on depression and anxiety, in mice. Place and Duration of Study: Sample: Department of Pharmacology and Department of Urology, Sakarya University, Animal Research Center, between June 2019 and September 2020. Methodology: Here, we examined the effects of terazosin (0.5, 1, 2 mg/kg), silodosin silodosin (1, 3, 10 mg/kg) and alfuzosin (3, 6 and 9 mg/kg) on depression and anxiety by using forced swimming test and elevated plus maze test, respectively, in mice (n:96). Additionally, the locomotor activity was evaluated by open field test. Results: All doses of terazosin, alfuzosin and silodosin significantly increased immobility time, compared to saline group. Silodosin and alfuzosin prolonged the time spent in open arms but terazosin decreased the time spent in open arms compared to saline group. Terazosin, silodosin (1 and 3 mg/kg) and alfuzosin (3 and 6 mg/kg) did not have any effect on the number of entries into the open arms while silodosin (10 mg/kg) and alfuzosin (9 mg/kg) increased the number of entries into open arms. Conclusion: We found that silodosin and alfuzosin had antidepressant and anxiolytic-like effects, while terazosin had depressant and anxiogenic effects. Patients with BPH who need antidepressant and anxiolytic treatment can be treated with a single drug instead of multiple medications.
The Role of the Village and Community Empowerment Service in the Development of Village Owned Enterprises (BUMDes) in North Labuhanbatu Regency

This research aims to find out the role of community and village empowerment agencies in the development of BUMDes in North Labuhanbatu Regency. As an office that handles about villages, community and village empowerment agencies have the task of carrying out training, coaching, and mentoring to the development of BUMDes. The formulation of this research problem is "whether the role of training, coaching and mentoring affects bumdes development in North Labuhanbatu Regency. In this study, data was collected through questionnaire methods of 74 BUMDes administrators to find out respondents' responses to each variable. Then an analysis of the data obtained in the form of validity and rehabilitation tests, classical assumption tests, multiple regression analysis, simultaneous hypothesis tests, partial hypothesis tests and coefficients of determination. The results of this study are: partial test that the variables of training, coaching and mentoring have a positive and significant effect on the development of BUMDes, while simultaneous tests that the variables of training, coaching and mentoring together have a significant effect on the development of BUMDes in North Labuhanbatu Regency.
Are dolphins modulating whistles in interspecific group contexts?

ABSTRACT Cetaceans depend highly on acoustic signals, such as whistles, for social communication. Mixed-species associations (MSAs), temporary or long-term encounters between different species, may play an important role on the acoustic dynamics of the species involved. Because of whistles’ communication function, we used these sounds to investigate the acoustic relationships of Tursiops truncatus when involved in different group contexts: in MSAs with two other delphinid species and in single species group. Acoustic recordings of T. truncatus single species groups and in associations with Globicephala melas and Grampus griseus were collected in the Western South Atlantic Ocean through a towed array of hydrophones. A total of 1267 whistles were analysed and acoustical parameters were extracted. To verify the differences among whistles produced in such contexts a support vector machine and random forest analysis were implemented. Both analyses revealed a clear separation of whistles from the single species versus the MSA as well as between both MSAs. The results indicate that interspecific associations may influence the whistle structure and suggests that T. truncatus whistles can be modified during interspecific interactions. These findings are useful to elucidate the possible factors underlying behavioural plasticity and interspecific associations and to understand dolphins’ acoustic communication.
3D Segmentation In The Clinic: A Grand Challenge II at MICCAI 2008 - MS Lesion Segmentation

This document examines the application of a new parametric method on the segmentation of MS lesions in brain sMRI, as applied to the data provided for the MS Lesion Segmentation Challenge at MICCAI 2008. The method uses the vector image joint histogram, built over a training set, as an explicit model of the feature vectors indicating lesion. The histogram is used to predict lesions in the test data by labeling feature vectors consistent with lesion feature vectors in the training set. The results are evaluated using STAPLE to compare against two separate human raters.
Wind throw detection using deep learning on PlanetScope and high-resolution aerial images

Due to climate change, the number of storms that cause damage to forests has been increasing over the past years. Trees knocked over by wind throw are a loss of timber if not harvested in time, therefore the damaged area has to be identified as quickly as possible. Current state of the art forest damage detection methods are mainly based on change detection using a before after comparison as well as manual damage assessment using satellite and aerial images, which takes a great amount of time and effort. In this thesis two custom deep learning models based on the U‐Net architecture are trained on satellite and aerial images to predict storm damage in forests. The study area is located in the state of Bavaria in Germany and covers 160 km2 of forest, fields and villages. PlanetScope satellite images of PlanetLabs Inc. with a resolution of 3 × 3 m are rapidly available after storm events and are used for first damage assessment. Aerial ortho images with a resolution of 0.2 × 0.2 m are used to get a more accurate prediction if necessary. The achieved accuracy of the models are comparable to current state of the art detection methods when used on similar test data, but is considerably lower when used on a different data set. Methods to improve the transfer ability are discussed and implemented using transfer learning. The models are integrated into ArcGIS Pro for damage prediction on large scale and subsequent processing steps of the results.
Evaluation of Different Land Preparation Techniques for Preparing Medium Textured Soil in Rice Production under Agro-Ecological Conditions of Sheikhupura-Pakistan

Tillage is an important factor affecting different soil properties and crop yields. Tillage relates to applying forces to soil using different implements for preparation of a proper seed bed. For rice crop, land preparation is a rigorous and time consuming operation that needs special attention for preparing a puddled soil condition to transplant the weak and tender rice seedlings. A field experiment was established under agro-ecological conditions of Sheikhupura to evaluate different land preparation techniques during fall in 2017 and 2018 years. The experiment was performed at Adaptive Research Farm Sheikhupura. It was laid out in randomized complete block design (RCBD) with four different land preparation techniques including T1= Cultivator (4 times) + Planking (2 times) (Farmer’s Practice), T2=MB plough (1 time) + Disc Harrow (1 time) + Planking (2 Times), T3=MB plough (1 time) + Cultivator (2 times) + Planking (2 Times) and T4= Rotavator (1 time) + Disc Harrow (1 time) + Planking (2 Times), each treatment replicated thrice during both the years. All the other agronomic and crop husbandry operations were kept uniform throughout the growing season every year. The results revealed that preparing land with MB plough (1 time), Disc Harrow (1 time) and Planking (2 times) is the best land preparation method can increase the paddy yield 13.5-17.5% as compared to the traditional method practised by the farmers. Moreover, highest plant height (134.00 cm and 132.00 cm), number of tillers (224 and 220 m-2), number of grains per spike (130 and 116) and 1000-grain weight (23.0 and 22.0 g) respectively during Kharif-18 and Kharif-19 was also recorded in the same treatment. So, preparation of land for paddy in agro-ecological conditions of Sheikhupura using MB plough (1 time), Disc Harrow (1 time) and Planking (2 times) can significantly enhance the paddy yield.
Analysis of Wood’s Capacitance Characteristic to its Hardness

A capacitance sensor has been designed to investigate the correlation between wood capacitance value, Janka hardness rating and density. The sensor was developed based on parallel plates using copper as the electrodes. Capacitance values were measured using CV-circuit, 20 Vp-p, 2.5 MHz. Five wood specimens from forest plantation that is Karet (Hevea brasiliensis), Pulai (Alstonia sp.), Pinus (Pinus mercusii), Sengon (Paraserianthes falcataria), and fast growing teak (Tectona grandis) were tested. Each specimen was measured in tangential and radial directions under 0% moisture content conditions. The designed sensor was capable to distinguish the capacitance values in tangential and radial directions. The measurement results showed that wood capacitance value has a good relation with wood’s hardness and density.