Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Facial Video-Based Robust Measurement of Respiratory Rates in Various Environmental Conditions

This paper addresses the process of respiration, which involves providing oxygen to the body’s cells, blood, and tissues. The significance of respiratory signals as predictors of diverse physical conditions, including respiratory health and disorders, is emphasized. Technologies such as pressure-sensor belts for chest or abdominal movement detection, carbon-dioxide sensors placed under the nose, and photoplethysmography (PPG) have been developed for real-time monitoring of respiratory signals. However, wearable devices with direct body contact may inconvenience sleeping patients, newborns, or individuals with sensitive skin. Noncontact and noninvasive respiratory rate measurements utilizing facial videos have been explored, albeit within controlled environments. This study introduces a novel approach to measure robust respiratory signals and facial respiratory rates (FRR) using facial videos. The proposed method employs bounding box stabilization to eliminate high-frequency components stemming from face detection. Real-time coordinate correction is implemented to ensure accurate respiration signal calculation across varying environments. The method defines a region of interest (ROI) on the face, computes RGB data, and transforms the RGB channel into a YCgCo channel. The respiratory signal is subsequently derived by applying partial zero padding-based fast Fourier transform (FFT) and inverse FFT (iFFT) to the Cg signal within the frequency band associated with respiration. The FRR is accurately measured by analyzing peak-to-peak intervals within the respiratory signal. The efficacy of the proposed method is demonstrated through a comparative analysis of respiratory rates calculated from PPG devices and facial videos across four scenarios (indoor, outdoor, car, and drone). The results highlight the reliability and precision of the suggested approach in accurately computing respiratory rates across diverse environments.
Modelling nutrient retention in floodplains

Although there are detailed studies on nutrient retention in single wetlands and floodplains, the role of riparian floodplains for nutrient retention is not investigated very well on a landscape scale, since knowledge on the most important parameters for nutrient retention, inundated floodplains and incoming load, is insufficient. Additionally, a method for describing these parameters as discharge dependent variables is missing. Therefore, the present work analyzes the flooding frequencies on floodplains of three study rivers, Elbe, Main and Rhine. The relation of inundated floodplain extent and current discharge conditions based on detailed results of the established Software Flys is deduced empirically. Based on these subsequently generalized results, methods and concepts are improved iteratively to calculate average and finally event related average inundated floodplain extent respectively, incoming nutrient loads by considering the effects of the yearly respectively monthly hydrologic conditions of each river system. Therefore, available data (land use, active floodplain extent, discharge, water quality, slope) is used and processed to create a discharge dependent database which in turn serves as input data for different empirical retention models. The calculated nutrient retention in floodplains varies with hydrological connectivity of the floodplain to the surface waters as well as with the current hydrologic condition of the river system. For this reason the finally developed concept of event related nutrient retention is suggested as the most realistic in combination with hydro-exponential retention models. The Elbe floodplains are the most natural, and in years with high floods nutrient retention in the floodplains contributes up to 9% respectively 10% of the monthly transported load of TP and NO3-N , which is significant. The transfer of the results to a German-wide application is possible due the generalization of the methods carried out. With the presented results the hydrology dependent role of floodplains for nutrient balances in river systems can be quantified on a landscape scale.
Interannual variability of European extreme winter rainfall and links with mean large‐scale circulation

December–February (DJF) extreme rainfall was analysed at 347 European stations for the period 1958–2000. Two indices of extreme rainfall were examined: the maximum number of consecutive dry days (CDD); and the number of days above the 1961–90 90th percentile of wet‐day amounts (R90N). A principal component analysis of CDD found six components that accounted for 52.4% of the total variance. Six components of DJF R90N were also retained that accounted for 39.1% of the total variance. The second component of R90N has a very significant trend and the factor loadings closely resemble the observed linear trend in this index, suggesting that the analysis has isolated the mode of variability causing the trend as a separate component. The principal components of the indices were correlated with surface and upper‐air observations over the North Atlantic. The best correlations were generally found to be with sea‐level pressure (SLP) observations. A separate canonical correlation analysis of each of the two indices with SLP revealed several coupled modes of variability. The North Atlantic oscillation (NAO) was isolated as the first canonical pattern for R90N. For CDD the first two canonical coefficients of CDD were significantly correlated with the NAO index. Generally, the canonical coefficients with the highest correlations with the NAO had the most significant trends, suggesting that the observed trend in the NAO has strongly contributed to the observed trends in the indices. Two other important canonical patterns were isolated: a pattern of anomalous mean SLP (MSLP) centred over the North Sea, which seems to be related to local sea‐surface temperature over this region; and a dipole‐like pattern of MSLP with poles over the eastern Mediterranean and the central North Atlantic. Repeating the canonical correlation analysis with two other indices of extreme rainfall, the 90th percentile of wet day amounts and the maximum 10 day rainfall total, gives very similar coupled patterns. Copyright © 2004 Royal Meteorological Society.
Comparison of the Effectiveness of Prolonged Infusion and Intermittent Infusion of Meropenem in Patients With Sepsis: A Meta-Analysis

The aim of this study was to compare the clinical effectiveness of prolonged infusion and intermittent infusion of meropenem in patients with sepsis. This meta-analysis was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) 2020 guidelines. PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library were searched without any language or time restrictions, up to September 25, 2023. The primary outcomes assessed in this meta-analysis included clinical success and all-cause mortality. Other outcomes assessed in this study encompassed the mean length of ICU stay. Total eight studies met the eligibility criteria and were included in this meta-analysis. Pooled analysis showed that the clinical success rate was significantly higher in patients receiving prolonged infusion of meropenem compared to intermittent infusion (RR: 1.49, 95% CI: 1.30 to 1.70). All-cause mortality was 24% significantly lower in patients receiving prolonged infusion of meropenem compared to intermittent infusion (RR: 0.76, 95% CI: 0.60 to 0.96). The results suggest that prolonged infusion of meropenem could be a more effective and efficient treatment for sepsis patients. However, more randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm these findings and to establish the optimal dosing and administration schedule for prolonged infusion of meropenem.
Naturally Occurring Yeasts Associated with Thaumatotibia leucotreta Can Enhance the Efficacy of the Cryptophlebia Leucotreta Granulovirus

Yeasts associated with lepidopteran pests have been shown to play a role in their survival, development, and oviposition preference. It has been demonstrated that combining these yeasts with existing biological control agents can enhance their efficacy. The tortricid Thaumatotibia leucotreta is a phytosanitary pest in the South African citrus industry, with the baculovirus Cryptophlebia leucotreta granulovirus (CrleGV) being one of the components that can control this pest. Several yeast species were shown to be associated with T. leucotreta larvae, which affected their behaviour and development. A series of detached fruit bioassays were performed to determine whether the combination of yeast with CrleGV enhances its efficacy. These assays included determining the optimal yeast/virus ratio, testing all isolated yeast species in combination with CrleGV, and further improving yeast/virus formulation by adding an adjuvant. The optimal yeast concentration to use alongside CrleGV was determined to be 106 cells·mL−1. Pichia kluyveri, P. kudriavzevii, Kluyveromyces marxianus, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae in combination with CrleGV reduced larval survival compared to CrleGV alone. The addition of molasses and BREAK-THRU® S 240 to P. kudriavzevii and S. cerevisiae in combination with CrleGV did not notably improve their effectiveness; however, there was an observed decrease in larval survival. In future studies, field trials will be conducted with combinations of CrleGV and P. kudriavzevii or S. cerevisiae to investigate whether these laboratory findings can be replicated in orchard conditions.
Strategic Survey of Therapeutic Drugs in the Rivers Po and Lambro in Northern Italy

A survey was done in the river Po (Italy) to check for therapeutic drugs in the environment. A number of pharmaceuticals were selected for analysis on the basis of high consumption and excretion as parent compound in humans. Eight sampling stations along the rivers Po and Lambro made it possible to plot the patterns of contamination in a highly populated region with a large number of animal farms. Atenolol, lincomycin, erythromycin, clarithromycin, bezafibrate, and furosemide were present at all the sampling sites, and other drugs were found only in some. Concentrations ranged from 0.1 to 250 ng/L, and several drugs exceeded the trigger value (10 ng/L) suggested by recent documents from the European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products (EMEA), assessing environmental risks for these chemicals. The patterns of contamination showed differences among sub-basins which correlated with the presence of large human settlements and/or animal farms. The ratio of measured to predicted concentrations (MEC/.
Pliocene-Pleistocene ice rafting history and cyclicity in the Nordic Seas during the last 3.5 Myr

A continuous 3.5 Myr IRD record was produced from Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Site 907. A timescale based on magnetic polarity chrons, oxygen isotope stratigraphy (for the last 1Myr) and orbital tuning was developed. The record documents a stepwise inception of large-scale glacial cycles in the Nordic Seas region, the first being a marked expansion of the Greenland ice sheet at 3.3 Ma. A second step occurred at 2.74 Ma by an expansion of large scale ice sheets in the Northern Hemisphere. Ice sheet variability around the Nordic Seas was tightly coupled to global ice volume over the past 3.3 Myr. Between 3 and 1 Ma, most of the variance of the IRD signal is in the 41 kyr band, whereas the last 1 Myr is characterized by stronger 100 kyr variance. The Gamma Ray Porosity Evaluator (GRAPE) density record is closely linked with IRD variations and documents sub orbital variability resembling the late Quaternary Heinrich/Bond cycles.
Quantitative Evaluation of Android Application Privacy Security Based on Privacy Policy and Behaviour

The emerging landscape of Android applications in mobile phones encompasses industries involving millions and billions of app developers to improve usability and comfort for smartphone users. Popular apps are categorized into social media, entertainment, games, news, lifestyle, health and fitness. In this vein, privacy security is categorized into two major sections: distribution and development of particularities and running software on the user's mobile. According to European Union, the major issues of legal and regulations arising from the requirement from the GDPR, the Personal information protection law of China and other related regulations combined with the behaviour and privacy policy of application. In this article, Privacy security was quantitatively analyzed through data collection and analysis of scores by comparing the comprehensive use of ML, NLP and other technologies. E-privacy was regulated in the environment of mobile applications. The features were analyzed in privacy and data protection. The scope of this study is to evaluate the privacy security of the application in Android devices based on the privacy policy and behaviour.
The Effect of Al and Sn Doping on the Optical and Electrical Properties of ZnO Nanostructures

: This work presents a comparison between the impact of Al and Sn doping on the structural, electrical, and optical properties of ZnO nanostructures (NSs). The samples have been synthesized using the well-known chemical vapor deposition at optimized conditions of temperature and ambient gas. The formation of the hexagonal Wurtzite structure of the ZnO has been confirmed using the x-ray diffraction technique. The impact of doping by Al and Sn on the morphology and particle shapes of ZnO has been explored using a field emission scanning electron microscope. The Kubelka-Munk's and Tauc’s equations have been used for studying the optical properties while the Burstein Moss shift effect has been employed to explain the increase in the optical energy gap upon doping. The undoped and doped nanostructures show typical semiconductor features and the electrical conduction mechanisms have been described using Arrhenius's model.
Optimizing Layout and Material Handling Cost: A Case Study of a Small and
 Medium-Sized Enterprise in the Food and Beverage Industry

Mahakam Restaurant is a company operating in the food industry field. In its operational, Mahakam Restaurant is still not efficient in its process. In its operations, Mahakam Restaurant is still experiencing problems in the form of an inefficient implementation process. This of course has an effect on increased operational costs due to the high cost of moving materials. In addition, Mahakam Restaurant is also experiencing concerns regarding the existing OHS procedures. In this study, researchers made observations and analyzed these problems using systematic layout planning to achieve efficiency in the processes in the restaurant. The existing data is then processed using food service layout performance indicator, time process, ARC, ARD, AAD, and MHC analysis. The process resulted in a layout recommendation with significant improvements, namely reducing the moving distance by 10.05% and reducing material handling costs by 40.06%.
Latin American Federative Variables for ICT and Development Research: A Comparison between Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela

From the perspective of the information revolution and based on the methodology put forward by the TelecommunicationsLaw Indicators for Comparative Studies (TLICS) Model published in 2011 and 2012, this paper builds on the federativeindicator used by the literature on dependence of economic development on ICT to answer the following research question:What indicators better represent the institutional federative background of eight representative Latin American countries forthe ICT comparative research? Six sets of federative indicators on revenue, fiscal transfer, regulation, adjudication, planning,and media are put together to compare the Latin American federative environment as a groundwork for the ICT comparativeresearch. The empirical universe of the paper encompassed eight countries that formed a potpourri of four officially unitarycountries – Chile, Colombia, Peru, and Uruguay –, and four federative countries – Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, and Venezuela–, that account for 82% of the Latin American surface area, 81% of its population, and 92% of its GNI (World Bank Data2011). The article is organized in three main parts. A detailed description of the ICT federative indicators of the TLICSmodel and their underpinning concepts is performed in the first part. The second part applies these variables to theaforementioned Latin American countries. The third part delves into the comparison of the countries analyzed by means ofcategorizing the differences and commonalities revealed by those indicators. As a main outcome, based on data collectedfrom the institutional background of those countries, we found clusters of commonalities between federative and nonfederativecountries that support the assumption that the sole reference to a single federative category, as opposed to the useof atomized indicators, cannot provide a real picture of their institutional background for ICT and development comparativepurposes. DOI: 10.15213/redes.n9. p211
Predicting PM2.5 Concentrations Across USA Using Machine Learning

Economic growth, air pollution, and forest fires in some states in the United States have increased the concentration of particulate matter with a diameter less than or equal to 2.5 μm (PM2.5). Although previous studies have tried to observe PM2.5 both spatially and temporally using aerosol remote sensing and geostatistical estimation, they were limited in accuracy by coarse resolution. In this paper, the performance of machine learning models on predicting PM2.5 is assessed with linear regression (LR), decision tree (DT), gradient boosting regression (GBR), AdaBoost regression (ABR), XGBoost (XGB), k‐nearest neighbors (K‐NN), long short‐term memory (LSTM), random forest (RF), and support vector machine (SVM) using PM2.5 station data from 2017 to 2021. To compare the accuracy of all the nine machine learning models, the coefficient of determination (R2), root mean square error (RMSE), Nash‐Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE), root mean square error ratio (RSR), and percent bias (PBIAS) were evaluated. Among all nine models, the RF (100 decision trees with a max depth of 20) and support vector regression (SVR; nonlinear kernel, degree 3 polynomial) models were the best for predicting PM2.5 concentrations. Additionally, comparison of the PM2.5 performance metrics displayed that the models had better predictive behavior in the western United States than that in the eastern United States.
Hybrid Retrievers with Generative Re-Rankers

The passage retrieval task was announced during PolEval 2022 (SemEval-inspired evaluation campaign for natural language processing tools for Polish). Passage retrieval is a crucial part of modern open-domain question answering systems that rely on precise and efficient retrieval components to identify passages that contain correct answers. Our solution to this task is a multi-stage neural information retrieval system. The first stage consists of a candidate passage retrieval step in which passages are retrieved using federated search over sparse (BM25) and dense indexes (two FAISS indexes built using bi-encoder type retrievers based on Polish RoBERTa models). The second stage consists of a re-ranking step of the previously selected passages with a neural model, mt5-13b-mmarco. The model scores each passage by its relevance to a given query. The highest-scoring passages are then retained as the final result. Our system achieved second place in the competition.
Design of Novel Knot-like Structures Based on Ovotransferrin Fibril–Gum Arabic Complexes: Effective Strategies to Stabilize Pickering Emulsions

This work aimed to clarify the effects of gum arabic (GA) on the morphology and properties of ovotransferrin fibrils (OVTFs). By constructing OVTF–GA complexes and exploring the dispersion stability, turbidity and the ζ-potential of the complexes, the optimum mass ratio of OVTFs to GA and pH for complex formation were confirmed as being 1:1 and pH 4.6, respectively. The interaction between OVTFs and GA was determined to be predominantly driven by electrostatic attraction. The OVTF–GA complexes exhibited a knot-like structure when observed using atomic force microscopy. Then, OVTFs and OVTF–GA complexes were compared in terms of contact angle, surface hydrophobicity and dynamic interfacial tension. The combination of OVTFs and GA decreased the contact angle of OVTFs from 80.85° to 70.36°. In comparison with OVTFs, OVTF–GA complexes reduced the oil–water interfacial tension to a lower level (8.14 mN/m). Furthermore, the capacities of OVTF–GA complexes in stabilizing emulsions were explored. OVTF–GA complex-stabilized oleogel-based Pickering emulsion (OGPE) was constructed, and OVTF-stabilized oleogel-based Pickering emulsion (OPE) was used as the control. OGPE had a higher emulsified phase volume fraction (EPVF) and stability index (SI). The EPVF of OGPE was 100.0% and 99.4% before and after one-month storage, respectively, compared with 98.3% and 95.7% of OPE. This work can provide some useful references for the design of biopolymers with novel structures composed of protein fibrils and polysaccharides, which may also help to construct and apply protein fibril–polysaccharide complexes under specific needs.
Efficacy of Colistin with Carbapenems Combination by Checkerboard Assay against Carbapenem Resistant Non Lactose Fermenting Gram Negative Bacteria

Recent emergence of carbapenem resistant non-fermenting Gram negative bacteria (CRNFGNB) predominantly Pseudomonas and Acinetobacter species are responsible for significant proportion of nosocomial infections with increased mortality. Of the various mechanisms known, carbapenemases especially metallo beta lactamase (MBL) mediated resistance is the most concerning because of its easy transmissibility via mobile genetic elements and lack of MBL inhibitors for clinical use. In the present study we determined to estimate the prevalence of carbapenem resistant Pseudomonas and Acinetobacter species, their resistance mechanisms by phenotypic tests and synergistic studies with Colistin and carbapenems combination by checkerboard assay. Carbapenem resistance among these two bacteria is 53.2% being isolated predominantly from pus and endotracheal secretions and from patients within the age group of less than 9 years (44%) and more than 60 years (23%). The incidence of carbapenemase and MBL production in NFGNB is 89.8% and 87.9%, respectively. Only Colistin and Tigecycline show significant antibacterial activity while most of the tested antibiotics were found to be least effective against carbapenem resistant NFGNB. Colistin and Imipenem combination demonstrated synergistic activity in majority of the NFGNB species; however, translation of such in vitro efficacy models into highly variable in vivo conditions could be possible only with strong clinical support.
On the computation of the electrical potential inside a horizontally‐layered half‐space

A new formulation is proposed for the electrical potential developed inside a horizontally‐layered half‐space for a direct current point‐source at the surface. The recursion formula for the kernel coefficient in the potential integral is simpler than the generally used two‐coefficient recursion. The numerical difficulties that may occur during the computation of the integrals and near the source axis are examined and solutions are proposed. The set of equations permits a stable and accurate computation of the tabular potential everywhere in the medium.