Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Linearization for microwave photonic SEFDM transmission systems based on an iterative algorithm

Spectrally Efficient Frequency-Division Multiplexing (SEFDM) is a promising solution to increase communication spectral efficiency, which can pack even more sub-carriers than the orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing in a given bandwidth. However, the cost is the introduction of Inter-Carrier Interference (ICI), increasing the difficulty of signal reception and demodulation. When SEFDM signals are incorporated into a microwave photonic link, in addition to ICI, the nonlinear interference introduced by the nonlinearity of the microwave photonic link should also be considered. In this work, an iterative algorithm for microwave photonic SEFDM transmission systems is proposed to compensate for the inherent ICI of the SEFDM signal and reduce the third-order Intermodulation Distortion (IMD3) introduced by the microwave photonic transmission link. In the digital algorithm, the received 16 Quadrature-Amplitude Modulation (QAM) SEFDM signal experiences several iterations, and in each iteration, the input SEFDM signal is modified, demodulated, and Forward Error Correction (FEC) decoded into a bit sequence, which is remapped to QAM symbols to reconstruct the interference signals for canceling the distortion. Experimental results show that 16-QAM SEFDM signals with a bandwidth compression factor of 0.85 and high nonlinearity are successfully recovered from a microwave photonic link. The proposed method integrates the demodulation of SEFDM signals with the elimination of IMD3. Due to the employment of the FEC, compared with the traditional iterative ICI compensation (IIC) algorithm only for SEFDM signal demodulation, the signal demodulation capability is improved, and the improvement of signal demodulation capability also provides great help for the elimination of IMD3.
Modelling soil loss rates in the Ethiopian Highlands by integration of high resolution MOMS-02/D2-stereo-data in a GIS

Landscape degradation by soil erosion has increased considerably in the Ethiopian Highlands since the deforestation of the natural mountain forests and the cultivation of large areas, resulting in a serious threat to the Ethiopian population. This investigation shows how to integrate remote sensing data into a geographical information system (GIS) for modelling soil loss rates. Stereoimage data of the MOMS-02/D2-sensor, tested during the Second German Spacelab-Mission D-2, served as main database. By application of the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) thematic maps were produced, which emphasize the spatial impact of different soil erosion factors and show the expected dimensions of soil loss. The result shows that the integration of remote sensing data into a GIS offers various applications for resource management in developing countries.
Eradicating backscattering through circular conversion dichroism in optical regime

Circular dichroism (CD) and asymmetric transmission (AT) are two outstanding chiroptical effects, which can be produced by planar chiral devices due to their distinct response to oppositely handed input light. The chiroptical effects have so far been used in realization of different applications including chiral imaging and sensing. This research realizes CD in the optical regime to attain AT for an optical wavelength regime by employing a supercell of hydrogenated amorphous Silicon nano-bars. The supercell is made of four achiral nanofins which are engineered in such a way that they exhibit a notable CD and AT. The design successfully achieves a CD of 55% and that of AT of 58% at the operating wavelength of 633 nm. The supercell absorbs the right circularly polarized light and transmits left circularly polarized light, thus behaving as a perfect circular polarization wave isolator i.e. the presented design can completely eradicate backscattering by minimizing reflectance.
Development, usability, formative assessment, and story immersion of Nutrigame, a mHealth nutrition education app

The replacement of unprocessed and minimally processed foods with processed and ultra-processed ones can be a contributor to the increased prevalence of obesity amongst adults and adolescents. Mobile health (mHealth) innovations, such as mobile applications (apps), especially games, can be used to improve health behaviors and increase adolescent knowledge. The aim of this qualitative research was to describe the development, assessment, and story immersion of a mHealth nutrition education app developed to improve the food knowledge of adolescents. This study employed the stepwise approach model to the mHealth app development, according to the person-based approach and evidence-based behavior change techniques. The mHealth app was based on the concepts of the NOVA system food classification, present in the Brazilian dietary guidelines. The developed app, Nutrigame – your food guide, is a story-based serious game set in the food routine of an adolescent who needs to choose what to eat, when, where, and with whom the meals are taken. The first version of the app was tested by a group of adolescents (convenience sample, n=6, mean age: 15.8 ± 0.9 years) for 30 days. To assess usability, feasibility, engagement (user testing), and formative evaluation from the user's perspective, five individual interviews. After the last interview, the participants were required to complete a 13-item immersion scale, adapted from the narrative transportation scale to assess story immersion game. The final version of the game was adapted to meet the suggestions presented by the adolescents. All steps used for the app development are described. The gamification elements chosen led to the comprehension of the main learning contents. The mean story immersion score (30.3 ± 1.9) demonstrates the participant's involvement with the game's narrative. This study can provide useful insights to public health researchers and nutrition educators who are planning to develop a mHealth nutrition education app from a practical perspective.
The effect of model uncertainties in the reinforcement learning based regulation problem: An experimental case study with inverted pendulum

This work aims to improve the classical white‐box model of an inverted pendulum in order to reach a more accurate representation of an actual pendulum on a cart system. The purpose of the model is to train different controllers based on machine learning algorithms. In the context of this paper, the inverted pendulum system is driven by a belt drive that is controlled by a stepper motor. Due to the nature of the controller, the input to the stepper motor is in the form of a non‐smooth bang‐bang‐like signal that moves the cart to the left, right, or terminates its movement. One of the main challenges, in this case, is to find a proper function to model the stepper motor as its dynamics cannot be captured with a constant gain. It has been shown that the transient behavior of the stepper motor when changing direction or stopping is not negligible in the closed‐loop control performance. Accordingly, a grey‐box scheme, which accounts for the uncertainties that are not included in the vanilla white‐box model, is utilized to achieve a lower model mismatch compared to the actual pendulum. Initially, the equation of motion was derived using the Euler‐Lagrange equation with force on the cart as the control input. But in the real‐time experiment, the interface is realized by the stepper motor's frequency modulator, hence a transfer function representing the relationship between the frequency and the force applied on the cart (in the model) is calculated as a black‐box model. To improve the accuracy of the transfer function, an experimental data‐driven design of this function is performed based on modern schemes in system identification. For this purpose, the applied frequency to the stepper motor and the states from the actual system are recorded. Then, the applied force on the cart is calculated using the equation of motion and the recorded states. It is also shown that the frequency‐force transfer function uncertainty due to exogenous disturbances is non‐negligible and with the aim of having a more accurate model, an artificial neural network is introduced. Finally, the effectiveness of this grey‐box model is shown by training and implementing a deep Q‐network based controller to swing up and balance the inverted pendulum.
Species profiles: Life histories and environmental requirements of coastal fishes and invertebrates (South Atlantic): Bluefish

Abstract : Species profiles are literature summaries of the life history, distribution, and environmental requirements of coastal fishes and invertebrates. Profiles are prepared to assist with environmental impact assessment. The bluefish (Pomatomus saltatrix) is a valuable recreational and commercial fish on the Atlantic Coast. In the South Atlantic Region the recreational catch exceeds the commercial catch. The bluefish is a migratory pelagic fish that generally travels northward in spring and summer and southward in fall and winter along the Atlantic seaboard. In the South Atlantic Region, spawning occurs primarily during spring in waters just shoreward of the Gulf Stream from southern North Carolina to Florida. Most larvae are carried northward by the Gulf Stream and are dispersed over the continental slope of the Middle Atlantic Region. Adult bluefish inhabit nearshore areas in the South Atlantic Region during their southernly migration in fall and winter. Larval bluefish eat mostly copepods, cladocerans, and invertebrate eggs; juveniles eat larger invertebrates and fishes. Adult bluefish eat fishes and seem to prefer schooling coastal species. Bluefish have been reported to avoid areas of low dissolved oxygen. Water turbidity may affect feeding because bluefish rely on vision to locate prey. Environmental disturbances which affect the dissolved oxygen concentration or turbidity of estuarine and nearshore waters may, therefore, affect bluefish distribution and feeding. Keywords: Estuaries; Life cycles; Feeding; Habitats; Fishes; Reproduction Physiology; Growth Physiology; Bluefish; Pomatomus saltatrix; Spawning; Fisheries.
Derivation of leaf area index for grassland within alpine upland using multi-temporal RapidEye data

Biophysical parameters such as leaf area index (LAI) are key variables for vegetation monitoring and particularly important for modelling energy and matter fluxes in the biosphere. Therefore LAI has been derived from remote sensing data operationally based on data with a somewhat coarse spatial resolution. This study aims at deriving high-spatial resolution (6.5 m) multi-temporal LAI for grasslands based on RapidEye data by statistical regressions between vegetation indices (VIs) and field samplings. However, the suitability of those data for grassland LAI derivation has not been tested to date. Thus, the potential of RapidEye data in general and its red edge band in particular are investigated, as well as the robustness of the established relationships for different points in time. LAI was measured repeatedly over summer 2011 at about 30 different meadows in the Bavarian alpine upland using the LAI-2000 and correlated with VI values. The best relationships resulted from using the ratio vegetation index and red edge indices (NDVIrededge, rededge ratio index 1, and relative length) in non-linear models. Thus the indices based on the red edge channel improved regression modelling. The associated transfer functions achieved R2 values ranging from 0.57 to 0.85. The temporal transferability of those transfer functions to other dates was shown to be limited, with the root mean square errors (RMSEs) of several scenes exceeding one. However, when the LAI ranges are similar, a reliable transfer is possible: for example, the transfer of the regression function based on early autumn measurements showed RMSEs of only 0.77–0.95 for the other scenes except for the high-density stage in July, when the LAI reaches unprecedented maximal values. Also, the combination of multi-temporal training data shows no saturation of the selected indices and enables a satisfactory LAI mapping of different dates (RMSE = 0.59 – 1.02).
Daño al ADN en mujeres expuestas al humo de la leña en Chiapas, México

DNA DAMAGE IN WOMEN EXPOSED TO FIREWOOD FUEL SMOKE, IN CHIAPAS, MEXICO. Crispín Herrera-Portugal; Guadalupe Franco-Sánchez; Marina Pelayes Cruz; Yolanda Schlottfeldt Trujillo; Blanca Lilia Pérez Solís. Acta Toxicol. Argent. (2009) 17 (2): 56-61. Currently, about a quarter of the Mexican population, between 25 and 28 million people, cook with firewood. However, wood smoke contains a wide range of toxic substances, including carbon monoxide (CO) whose impact on health of the rural population should be studied. Therefore, the potential DNA damage associated with the exposition to CO of 30 women who cooked with wood in Chiapas, Mexico, was assessed using Comet Assay. Results were compared with 30 controls of similar age and socioeconomic status, who cooked with liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). We obtained whole blood samples to measure carboxyhemoglobin (% COHb) and perform the comet assay. There was a significant difference (P <0.001) in the percentages of COHb between women who cooked with wood (mean= 6.6%) and those who did it with LPG (mean=1.8%) being 3.6 times higher in the former compared with the latter. There was a significant difference in comet tail length between the two groups examined (mean 18.5 +/4.21 versus 5.97 +/1.0 μm, P <0.001) and tail moment (mean 4.55 +/1.5 versus 1.5 +/0.40, P <0.001). The results of this study strongly suggest that exposure to carbon monoxide and compounds present in wood smoke can cause genotoxic damage to women who use this fuel, so it is necessary to implement measures to reduce this exposure.
Mapping the crisis of the third century

This chapter concerns not only how to understand the nature of the crisis as a complex set of related events, but also how to explain the complexities of the crisis to others, especially to students. It presents the chart which represents the crisis legend of the third century. Mapping History project, supported by grants from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and various private donors in the United States, provides a set of interactive and animated maps on a variety of historical problems. This project offers a system to illustrate those historical problems that lend themselves to this kind of cartographic representation. Though funding was originally provided to make available material for instructional purposes, there is no reason why the same structure cannot be employed to illustrate the scholarly data on other historical problems. Keywords: crisis legend; historical problems; Mapping History project; third century
Developing child-friendly cities: Young children’s participation in urban planning

This article is based on a collaborative project between a municipality and a research team, aiming to investigate participatory methods that promote young children’s interest and participation in, and access to express their views in connection with, urban planning processes. The research question was: What characterizes a child-friendly city for young children and their families? The article is framed within the perspective of children’s rights, affordance and child-friendly outdoor environments. The project has employed multiple research methods. The participants were children (aged 3-6) and parents from three early childhood education and care institutions. The children (n=16) participated in guided tours, field conversations, drawing and constructive play using Lego. The parents (n=14) participated by identifying the locations that they preferred to frequent with their children, and a structured survey was used to identify what the parents liked and disliked about the places they identified. Our findings indicate that there are four important features that characterise a child-friendly city: 1) The availability of ‘green lungs’, 2) Creative and challenging play opportunities, 3) Places for the whole family, and 4) Safe playgrounds and walking routes. We discuss how better knowledge of what characterizes a child-friendly city can contribute to planning processes.
Alisma Shugan Decoction attenuates hepatic fibrosis and endoplasmic reticulum stress in mice with carbon tetrachloride-induced fibrosis

Background Over the years, Alisma Shugan Decoction (ASD), because of its potent anti-inflammation activity, has been used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) for treatment of many inflammation-associated disorders including those of the heart, blood vessel and brain. Methods Herein, we examined the probable therapeutic effect of ASD in carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced liver injury and fibrosis mice models. Results Our results demonstrate that ASD dose-dependently reduced the fibrosis-related increased collagen deposition secondary to liver tissue exposure to CCl4. Data from our biochemical analyses showed significantly less liver damage biomarkers including ALT, AST and hydroxyproline in the ASD-treated samples, suggesting hepato-protective effect of ASD. Furthermore, we demonstrated that treatment with ASD significantly reversed CCl4-induced elevation of TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β and MP-1. Interestingly, NF-κB signalling, a principal regulator of inflammation was markedly suppressed by ASD treatment. In addition, treatment with ASD deregulated stress signalling pathways by suppressing the expression of markers of unfolded protein response, such as ATF6, IRE and GRP78. Conclusion In conclusion, the present study provides preclinical evidence for the use of ASD as an efficacious therapeutic option in cases of chemical-induced liver damage and/or fibrosis. Further large-cohort validation of these findings is warranted.
Submonthly Indian Ocean Cooling Events and Their Interaction with Large-Scale Conditions

Abstract The Indian Ocean exhibits strong variability on a number of time scales, including prominent intraseasonal variations in both the atmosphere and ocean. Of particular interest is the south tropical Indian Ocean thermocline ridge, a region located between 12° and 5°S, which exhibits prominent variability in sea surface temperature (SST) due to dominant winds that raise the thermocline and shoal the mixed layer. In this paper, submonthly (less than 30 day) cooling events in the thermocline ridge region are diagnosed with observations and models, and are related to large-scale conditions in the Indo-Pacific region. Observations from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Microwave Imager (TMI) satellite were used to identify 16 cooling events in the period 1998–2007, which on average cannot be fully accounted for by air–sea enthalpy fluxes. Analysis of observations and a hierarchy of models, including two coupled global climate models (GFDL CM2.1 and GFDL CM2.4), indicates that ocean dynamica.
Total ozone column from direct and diffuse spectral solar irradiance in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula

[1] Daily total ozone column (TOC) measurements from the Brewer spectroradiometer located at El Arenosillo (Spain) and the Spectrometer for Atmospheric TRAcers Monitoring (SPATRAM) located at Evora (Portugal) are analyzed for the period 2006–2008. The main goal of this study is to compare TOC estimates retrieved with the passive differential optical absorption spectroscopy (DOAS) methodology from zenith-sky observations by the SPATRAM spectrometer with highly accurate TOC estimates retrieved from direct-sun recordings by a well-calibrated Brewer instrument. On average, SPATRAM TOC estimates are (1.69 ± 0.18)% smaller than collocated Brewer TOC estimates. Significant relative differences between SPATRAM and Brewer total ozone data are detected in some periods caused by the influence of high aerosol load episodes over the SPATRAM data. Satellite data recorded by the ozone monitoring instrument (OMI)-DOAS algorithm aboard the NASA EOS-Aura satellite have been used to quantify the natural spatial variability of TOC over the region of interest as a potential source of uncertainty in the SPATRAM-Brewer comparison. Our results show that the differences observed between both systems is not associated with the natural spatial variability of TOC. In addition, the OMI-DOAS total ozone data have been compared to the ground-based spectroradiometer data showing an excellent agreement for the Brewer spectroradiometer (R2 ∼ 0.95) and a fairly good agreement for the SPATRAM instrument (R2 ∼ 0.89).
Using Molecular Workbench in a Collaborative Discovery Learning Environment to Improve Students’ Activities and Critical Thinking Abilities in Chemical Equilibrium

This study aimed to determine the effect of computer simulation using molecular workbench in a collaborative discovery learning environment to improve critical thinking abilities and learning activities of high school students. A quasi-experiment with a matching-only pretest-posttest control group design was applied in this study. A total of 60 students consisting of 30 students in both the experimental and control groups were selected purposively from the population of grade 11 MAN 1 Bandar Lampung, Indonesia in the academic year 2019–2020. A series of descriptive and inferential statistics were used to determine the effectiveness of the treatment on students’ learning activities and critical thinking abilities. The results showed that the n-gain value of the experimental group ranging between 0.62 to 0.93 higher than the control group with n-gain ranging between 0.18 to 0.57. Furthermore, the analysis of the independent sample t-test yielded a sig < 0.05, which confirms the effectivity of molecular dynamics simulation in a discovery learning environment in fostering the critical thinking abilities. In addition, other findings also inform that discovery activities with computer simulations can increase student learning activities such as asking questions, communication attitudes, conscientiousness, and cooperation. Molecular dynamics simulation activities facilitate student learning and develop thinking skills, especially in discovering chemical concepts.
Microbiological effects on slope stability: an experimental analysis

A natural, pure quartz sand has been seeded with the bacterium Pseudomonas atlantica and the fungus Penicillium chrysogenum, and angles of avalanche and repose have been measured under water using a laboratory clinometer. The lowest angles of avalanche occur in freshly packed clean sediment (control), with the seeded sediments having higher values. Among the latter, the lowest angles of repose occur in the bacterial seeded sediments, and the highest in the fungal seeded sediments. The largest differences between the angle of avalanche and angle of repose occur in the bacterial seeded and media control sediments. The smallest differences occur in the fungal seeded sediment. In most cases the second angle of avalanche is lower than the first angle of avalanche, whilst the second angle of repose is higher than the first angle of repose. The bacteria bind particles together with their extracellular polymeric material, while the fungus binds particles by holding them together with a network of hyphal filaments. In the bacterial seeded sediment growth is uniform over the sediment surface. In the fungal seeded sediment growth occurs as discrete colonies separated by bare sediment, and the fungal hyphae penetrate the sediment to a significant depth. On avalanching, the fungal colonies move down the slope with the hyphal filaments trailing behind them in the sediment. Overall, both the bacterium and the fungus increase slope stability. However, the fungal colonies maintain slope stability after avalanching more effectively than does the uniform bacterial growth. The results are discussed in relation to the wide range of biological effects that stabilize flat sediments and to laboratory and field studies on the stability of sediment slopes.