Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
A neural network-based ensemble forecasting method for financial market prediction

This paper presents a neural network-based ensemble forecasting method for financial market prediction. In the proposed approach, each of the predictors is firstly constructed by training on a set of samples produced by bootstrapping using neural networks. Then, the constraint conditions are offered to select competitive predictors in order to improve the forecast performance. Finally, with the proper predictors, several ensemble strategies are suggested to combine the results of single predictors. During the process, the network structures of neural networks are discussed, and the optimal network structure and appropriate parameters of the proposed model are determined by grid search method. To validate the proposed method, stock price data is used for evaluation. The results show that the neural network-based ensemble method outperforms traditional bagging forecasting method and single neural network predictor. These findings imply that the proposed method is a promising approach for financial market prediction.
Integrated Nine-Switch Power Converter Based on Discontinuous Pulse-Width Modulation

This paper evaluates the shortcomings of the application experience before nine-switch the newly proposed converter. A better understanding of development, the conclusion is, nine-switch converter is not an attractive option "alternative of two consecutive converter parallel of the bridge. Instead, nine-switch converter is more suitable for replace back-to-back inverter in" series-shunt "of the system, in a good example is the unified power quality conditioner.
Security TF Card Based Short Message Security Enhancement Method for Mobile Terminal System

The paper presents a security enhancement method, which is based on smart security TF card (STF), to improve the security of short message for mobile terminal system (MTS). The method consists of three parts: the use of STF as a secure cryptography service module, increasing and then invoking encryption/decryption components for SMS processing in MTS, increasing secure SMS gateway (SSG) on the SMS server side. Following the method, the confidentiality of the message can be guaranteed either in the air or in mobile terminal itself and message traffic analysis attack can also be prevented to some extent.
Managing software development to cost and schedule

The author reviews the approach and experiences in managing software development to cost and schedule on the survivable adaptive planning experiment (SAPE) program. SAPE was an Air Force Systems Command-Rome Laboratory program initiated to demonstrate the applicability of advanced computer and communications technology to the problem of quickly producing and maintaining the nation's strategic nuclear weapons plan. An overview of the program is followed by a discussion of the program challenges and experiences including a review of the software development model and management approach. The performance of the SAPE program was a remarkable achievement in that over 970 K source lines of code was successfully developed, integrated and demonstrated over a two year time period by a staff that peaked at approximately 50 personnel. The SAPE program success together with experience on and observations of a number of other projects to build large, complex software systems confirm that the correlation between success and failure for these systems is due to the engineering process chosen, i.e., the software development model, and the management process. <<ETX>>
Staphylococcus aureus in Substrates for Black Soldier Fly Larvae (Hermetia illucens) and Its Dynamics during Rearing

Given the increasing need for (more sustainable) methods to upcycle organic waste streams, the interest to rear insects, like black soldier fly larvae (BSFL), on such streams is increasing. This study reveals that S. aureus is abundantly present in such waste streams, which might be a point of attention for insect producers. ABSTRACT Black soldier fly larvae (BSFL; Hermetia illucens) are promising insects for the conversion of organic waste streams into valuable biomolecules. Such waste streams can contain foodborne pathogens. To assess this risk factor, this study evaluated the presence of Staphylococcus aureus in waste streams as a substrate ingredient for BSFL production as well as in the rearing process. First, the general microbiological quality and the occurrence of S. aureus were investigated for different waste streams. Staphylococcus aureus was abundantly present. Control of pH and water activity should avoid pathogens, which cannot grow in single-substrate ingredients, redeveloping when mixing streams for optimal substrate conditions for BSFL production. Next, it was investigated whether S. aureus present in the substrate was ingested and/or eradicated by BSFL. In inoculation trials, with S. aureus added to chicken feed as the substrate at 3 or 7 log CFU/g, the larvae showed a reducing effect on S. aureus. After 6 days, S. aureus counts were below the detection limit (2.0 log CFU/g) in all larvae samples and decreased in the substrate to <2.0 and <3.1 log CFU/g for inoculation levels of 3 and 7 log CFU/g, respectively. While this is promising, it is still recommended to monitor and control this pathogen in BSFL rearing. Intriguingly, screening of antimicrobial activity of dominant microorganisms associated with BSFL showed a clear activity of Trichosporon isolates against S. aureus. Future research should explore whether Trichosporon, which is frequently observed in BSFL, plays a role in controlling specific microorganisms, such as S. aureus. IMPORTANCE Given the increasing need for (more sustainable) methods to upcycle organic waste streams, the interest to rear insects, like black soldier fly larvae (BSFL), on such streams is increasing. This study reveals that S. aureus is abundantly present in such waste streams, which might be a point of attention for insect producers. At the same time, it reveals that when S. aureus was inoculated in chicken feed as the substrate, it was not detected in the larvae and was reduced in the substrate after 6 days. Future inoculation trials should investigate whether this reduction is substrate dependent or not. Toward the future, the role of the BSFL microbiota in controlling intestinal bacterial community homeostasis should be explored, because one of the dominant microorganisms associated with BSFL, Trichosporon spp. , showed clear activity against S. aureus.
The Effect of Employees’ Job Satisfaction on Customer Satisfaction and Loyalty: An Empirical Study in Vietnam

In the context of economic integration and fierce competition, organizations are very concerned about customer orientation so as to build close relationships and ensure customer satisfaction and improve customer loyalty. In company strategy, customer relationship orientation is critical. Customer satisfaction and loyalty will improve if employees perform well in the customer-oriented process. The study’s purpose is to examine the links between doctors’ job happiness, customer orientation, customer satisfaction, and customer loyalty in international hospitals in Vietnam. In international hospitals, data was collected from 204 clinicians and 408 patients. By applying structural equation modeling. The study found that doctors’ job satisfaction had a significant impact on customer orientation and satisfaction in international hospitals. Customer satisfaction may be improved with a good customer orientation. The doctors’ job satisfaction and effective customer orientation improve customer satisfaction and loyalty towards international hospitals in Vietnam, thanks to the impact of spreading emotions. In particular, if doctors are satisfied with their jobs, it promotes customer satisfaction when using medical services at international hospitals. The study has proved the essential role of customer-oriented strategy and doctors’ job satisfaction in customer satisfaction and loyalty towards international hospitals.
Real-Time Locating System for Industrial Management Using Ultrawideband (UWB)

Abstract – There are various Real-Time Locating Systems (RTLS) available in the market. Each type of RTLS is used for different business solutions, depending on its range. There is an RTLS that gives the highest precision than ever, that is UltraWide band (UWB) RTLS. The objective behind this research is to develop an RTLS system using Ultra-Wide band Technology which will monitor employees working in the Manufacturing industry.
The Impact of Patient Characteristics on Their Attitudes Toward an Online Patient Portal for Communicating Laboratory Test Results: Real-World Study

Background Patient portals are promising tools to increase patient involvement and allow them to manage their health. To optimally facilitate patients, laboratory test results should be explained in easy language. Patient characteristics affect the usage of portals and the user satisfaction. However, limited research is available, specified for online communicating laboratory test results, on whether portal use and acceptance differ between groups. Objective The aim of this study was to assess the effect of patient characteristics (gender, age, education, and chronic disease) on the self-efficacy and perceived usability of an online patient portal that communicates diagnostic test results. Methods We used the online-administered eHealth impact questionnaire (eHIQ) to explore patients’ attitudes toward the portal. Patients visiting the portal were asked to complete the questionnaire and to answer questions regarding gender, age, education, and chronic disease. The subscale “information and presentation” of the eHIQ assessed the usability of the patient portal and the subscale “motivation and confidence to act” assessed self-efficacy to determine whether patients were motivated to act on the presented information. Age, gender, education, and chronic disease were the determinants to analyze the effect on usability and self-efficacy. Descriptive analyses were performed to explore patient characteristics, usability, and self-efficacy. Univariable and multivariable regression analyses were performed with age, gender, education, and chronic disease as determinants, and usability and self-efficacy as outcomes. Results The questionnaire was completed by 748 respondents, of which 428 (57.2%) were female, 423 (56.6%) were highly educated, and 509 (68%) had no chronic disease. The mean age was 58.5 years (SD 16.4). Higher age, high education, and asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were significant determinants for decreased usability; respectively, b=-. 094, 95% CI -1147 to 0.042 (P<.001); b=-2.512, 95% CI -4.791 to -0.232 (P=.03); and b=-3.630, 95% CI -6.545 to -0.715 (P=.02). High education was also a significant determinant for a lower self-efficacy (b=-3.521, 95% CI -6.469 to -0.572; P=.02). Other determinants were not significant. Conclusions This study showed that the higher-educated users of a patient portal scored lower on usability and self-efficacy. Usability was also lower for older people and for patients with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The results portal is not tailored for different groups. Further research should investigate which factors from a patient’s perspective are essential to tailor the portal for different groups and how a result portal can be optimally integrated within the daily practice of a doctor.
Punicalagin Suppresses Mediators Involved in Labor Onset and Progression in vitro

Obstetrics, Nutrition and Endocrinology Group, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Melbourne, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia Mercy Perinatal Research Centre, Mercy Hospital for Women, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia School of Allied Health, College of Science, Health and Engineering, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia Deptartment of School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia Centre for Quality and Patient Safety Research – Epworth HealthCare Partnership, Institute of Health Transformation, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Deakin University, Burwood, Australia
Isolation and Screening of Quorum Quenching Rhizobacterial Isolates from the Experimental Farms of Gandhi krishi vigyana Kendra, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

A group of synergistic bacteria that nestles on the root surface and provide a benefitting response to the plants are the rhizobacteria. The rhizobacteria benefit the plants by promoting growth and acts as biocontrol agents. Antibiosis, competition, synthesis of cell wall degrading enzymes, and eliciting induced systemic resistance are the mechanisms of biocontrol exhibited by rhizobacteria. Quorum quenching (QQ) is a new mechanism of biocontrol of pathogens whose virulence is induced by population density dependant chemical signaling. Efficient quorum quenching rhizobacteria isolated from the crop rhizospheres can be used as potential inoculums to control phytopathogens. Soft rot is one pernicious plant and storage disease affecting almost all vegetable crops. Hence, the present study was conducted to isolate rhizobacteria from the rhizospheres of six crops Rice (Oryza sativa), Maize (Zea mays), Finger millet (Eleusine coracana), Dolichos Bean (Lablab purpureus), Amaranthus (Amaranthus viridis), Field bean (Vicia faba) from the environs of GKVK. A total number of 96 rhizobacterial cultures were isolated from experimental fields of GKVK. The isolated cultures were screened for their quorum quenching ability by soft agar overlay assay and twenty-four out of Original Research Article Packialakshmi et al.; CJAST, 40(37): 1-11, 2021; Article no.CJAST. 78481 2 ninety-six cultures were affirmative quorum quenchers. Proportionately, 25% of the total rhizobacterial isolates were quorum quenchers. The isolates were characterized morphologically and biochemically and a discussion of the obtained results are deliberately discussed.
Evaluation of CGIAR Platform for Big Data in Agriculture

Purpose This document presents the Discussion Version of the external evaluation report of the CGIAR Platform for Big Data in Agriculture. This evaluation is delivered in response to the request of CGIAR System Council and aligned with the Terms of Reference for the evaluation of CGIAR Big Data in Agriculture Platform endorsed by the Strategic Impact, Monitoring and Evaluation Committee (SIMEC) in June 2021, as part of the Advisory Services 2021 workplan. CGIAR Advisory Services has vetted this evaluation report with SIMEC and wishes to put it immediately into the public domain, to ensure availability of relevant evaluative evidence to CGIAR governance and management on a timely basis.
Sensorless-Oriented Design of Concentrated-Winding IPM Motor for General Industrial Applications

This paper presents the design of the concentrated-winding IPM motor under saliency-based sensorless drive with a high-frequency signal injection. Finite element analysis is used to examine the influence of the IPM rotor geometry on the operating region during the sensorless drive. On the basis of this analysis, a design procedure has been established to obtain a suitable rotor geometry that can maximize the torque capability during the sensorless drive. The 45Nm 5.5kW 6 pole 9 slot IPM motor is optimally designed for general industrial application. The validity of the proposed design is experimentally verified by using the prototype.
HeteroGen: Automatic Synthesis of Heterogeneous Cache Coherence Protocols

We solve the two challenges architects face when designing heterogeneous processors with cache coherent shared memory. First, we develop an automated tool, called HeteroGen, for composing clusters of cores, each with its own coherence protocol. Second, we show that the output of HeteroGen adheres to a precisely defined memory consistency model that we call a compound consistency model. For a wide variety of protocols—including the MOESI variants, as well as those that are targeted towards Total Store Order and Release Consistency—we show that HeteroGen can correctly fuse them. To validate HeteroGen, we develop the first litmus tests for verifying that heterogeneous protocols satisfy compound consistency models. To understand the possible performance implications of automatic protocol generation, we compared against a publicly available manually-generated heterogeneous protocol. Our results show that performance is comparable.
Optimization of the drying parameters for the short-form spray dryer producing powdered egg with 20% tapioca starch additive

Spray drying is one of the common methods of preserving eggs. A study had shown that addition of 20% tapioca starch to liquid egg prior to drying increases the shelf-life of the powdered product. However, although the said factor has been identified, production in a larger capacity is still a problem. One way to solve this predicament is to identify the optimum drying parameter that would produce a higher yield of dried eggs but retain the quality of the desired product such as the moisture content and water activity. The key issue in optimizing the dryer operation is flow stability wherein the airflow patterns, such as velocity, temperature, and relative humidity, existing inside the drying chamber are considered as the primary factor that influences the histories of the droplets produced. In this article, the author used ANSYS-Fluent version 14.5, a computational fluid dynamics software, to analyze the flow pattern of the continuous phase and to track the particle histories of the disperse phase inside the short-form drying chamber that produces powdered egg with 20% tapioca starch additive. Simulations for the short-form dryer showed that the optimized inlet air temperature and outlet particle temperature were 438 and 385 K, respectively. Based on the results, the calculated moisture content and water activity are 4.55% and 0.02 a w , respectively. Note that the critical moisture content and water activity for powdered eggs are 5% and 0.4 a w , respectively. The values beyond these limits will cause abrupt spoilage of the dried egg.
Pervasive Security & Privacy – A Brief Reﬂection on Challenges and Opportunities

DEVELOPMENTS IN PERVASIVE COMPUTING trigger a need to rethink security and privacy mechanisms. At the same time, security and privacy methods and systems can likewise benefit from the proliferation of pervasive computing technology, making novel approaches possible. In light of these exciting changes, beginning with this introductory column, IEEE Pervasive Computing introduces a new Security and Privacy Department in which I will invite columns on new developments and topics.
PRECONDITIONING WITH TRANSFORMING GROWTH FACTOR ALPHA; A STRATEGY TO ELEVATE CHONDROGENESIS IN HUMAN AMNIOTIC FLUID STEM CELLS

For tissue regeneration, preconditioning of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) prior to cell transplantation has been noted to activate target gene set and specific molecular functions. An efficient MSC source for tissue regeneration is amniotic fluid-derived MSC (AF-MSC) owing to their potential in tissue repair and paracrine secretion. However, a standard chondrogenic differentiation medium of MSC, which promotes differentiation through a signal of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1, makes for an unstable and limited outcome on amniotic fluid-derived MSC (AF-MSC) differentiation into chondrogenic lineage. To increase the differentiation outcome of AF-MSC, we investigated chondrogenic differentiation effects of eight growth factors (GFs)/cytokines on AF-MSC through expression of chondrogenesis-related genes, including Col-I, Col-II, ACAN, RunX2 and SOX9. Our work demonstrates that anabolic Col-II gene can be increased by stimulation of TGF-α, insulin like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and stromal derived factor 1 α (SDF-1α) with a concentrationdependency. We found that TGF-α elevated anabolic gene function and declined expression of Col-I, typically present in fibrocartilage, during chondrogenic differentiation of AF-MSC. Moreover, TGF-α was not toxic to micro-environment for AF-MSC differentiation. Substitution of TGF-β1 by TGF-α in the condition medium can enhance over two times expression of Col-II and SOX9 genes in AFMSC. The current study also demonstrated that single GF/cytokine has a greater effect to elevate chondrogenic differentiation of AFMSC than the GF/cytokine combinations. We conclude that TGF-α preconditioning improved chondrogenesis in AF-MSC for cartilage regeneration.
24 9 v 1 27 J ul 2 00 2 Introduction to String Theory

We give a pedagogical introduction to string theory, D-branes and p-brane solutions. 1 Introductory remarks These notes are based on lectures given at the 271-th WE-Haereus-Seminar ‘Aspects of Quantum Gravity’. Their aim is to give an introduction to string theory for students and interested researches. No previous knowledge of string theory is assumed. The focus is on gravitational aspects and we explain in some detail how gravity is described in string theory in terms of the graviton excitation of the string and through background gravitational fields. We include Dirichlet boundary conditions and D-branes from the beginning and devote one section to p-brane solutions and their relation to D-branes. In the final section we briefly indicate how string theory fits into the larger picture of M-theory and mention some of the more recent developments, like brane world scenarios. The WE-Haereus-Seminar ‘Aspects of Quantum Gravity’ covered both main approaches to quantum gravity: string theory and canonical quantum gravity. Both are complementary in many respects. While the canonical approach stresses background independence and provides a non-perturbative framework, the cornerstone of string theory still is perturbation theory in a fixed background geometry. Another difference is that in the canonical approach gravity and other interactions are independent from each other, while string theory automatically is a unified theory of gravity, other interactions and matter. There is a single dimensionful constant and all couplings are functions of this constant and of vacuum expectation values of scalars. The matter content is uniquely fixed by the symmetries of the underlying string theory. Moreover, when formulating the theory in Minkowski space, the number of space-time dimensions is fixed. As we will see, there are only five distinct supersymmetric string theories in tendimensional Minkowski space. The most important feature of string perturbation theory is the absence of UV divergencies. This allows one to compute quantum corrections to scattering amplitudes and to the effective action, including gravitational effects. More recently, significant progress has been made in understanding non-perturbative aspects of the theory, through the study of solitons and instantons, and through string dualities which map the strong coupling behaviour of one string theory to the weak coupling behaviour of a dual theory. Moreover, string dualities relate
THE SITUATION OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SECURITY POLICY IN UNIVERSITIES IN KENYA

Despite assertion by many scholars that IT security is instrumental in the management of system security, existing studies hardly delve into the adoption, sensitization and implementation IT security policy in organizations. This survey conducted in the context of universities in Kenya aimed to assess the: availability of IT security policy , IT security training and policy sensitization, and levels of implementation of IT security policy's KPIs. Questionnaires were used to collect data from university staff members, then the data was analyzed using Microsoft Excel to yield frequencies which were expressed into percentages for ease of understanding. Results showed that while IT security policy is vital in system security management, many universities have not adopted it. Further, many staff members are neither trained, nor sensitized on IT security policy. Therefore, it is recommended that IT security policy with relevant KPIs ought to be adopted in all universities, staff trained and sensitized on the security policy for better information systems security management.