SIRIS-Lab/unlabelled-sti-corpus huggingface dataset:
Diversity of Local Fruit Trees and Their Contribution in Sustaining the Rural Livelihood in the Northern Cameroon

The northern Cameroon ecosystems harbor a diversity of useful tree species producing non wood forest products (NWFPs). Indigenous fruit trees are very important for the nutritional quality of rural population and contribute to their income. A better knowledge of the potential utilization of these species and the constraints attached to the transformation of their products and commercialization would favor their promotion. Methodological approach included ethno-nutritional and market surveys, and chemical analysis. Results showed that a total of 55 fruit tree species were valued by the farmers. The top sixteen are represented by Adansonia digitata L., Aframomum latifolium (Afz.) K. Schum, Balanites aegyptiaca (L.) Del., Borassus aethiopum Mart, Deatrium microcarpum Guill. et Perr., Diospyros mespiliformis Hochst ex.A.Rich. Haematostaphis barteri Hook F., Hyphaena thebaica (L.)Mart, Parkia biglobosa (Jacq) R.Br.ex.G.Don, Sclerocarya birrea (A.Rich) Hochst, Syzygium guineense var. macrocarpum (Engl.) F. White, Ximenia americana L., Vitellaria paradoxa Gaertn.f, , Vitex doniana Sweet, Tamarindus indica L, and Ziziphus mauritiana Lam. They are the most preferred and the most commercialized. The chemical composition of these fruits showed that S. birrea has the highest vitamin C value (13.60 mg/100g) and S. guineense has the highest amount of total soluble sugars (93.98 % of DW). Oil contents are low for all the fruits evaluated except C. edulis with 21.04 % of lipid. Iron value varies from 0.48 to 48.07 mg/100g respectively for P. guajava and A. senegalensis. The richest source of calcium and magnesium is A. senegalensis (558.74 and 18.20 &mu;g/g respectively). The nutritive potential of the fruit tree species and their dietary applications are important. Species with high nutritious value can be recommended for a domestication program, which is important to diversify agricultural production and to reduce poverty in Northern Cameroon.Key words: Northern Cameroon, Fruits, Marketing, Chemical composition, Domestication.
Scattering and delay time for 1D asymmetric potentials: The step-linear and the step-exponential case

We analyze the quantum-mechanical behavior of a system described by a one-dimensional asymmetric potential constituted by a step plus (i) a linear barrier or (ii) an exponential barrier. We solve the energy eigenvalue equation by means of the integral representation method, classifying the independent solutions as equivalence classes of homotopic paths in the complex plane. We discuss the structure of the bound states as function of the height U 0 of the step and we study the propagation of a sharp-peaked wave packet reflected by the barrier. For both the linear and the exponential barrier we provide an explicit formula for the delay time τ ( E ) as a function of the peak energy E. We display the resonant behavior of τ ( E ) at energies close to U 0. By analyzing the asymptotic behavior for large energies of the eigenfunctions of the continuous spectrum we also show that, as expected, τ ( E ) approaches the classical value for E → ∞, thus diverging for the step-linear case and vanishing for the step-exponential one.
End-to-end distortion optimized error control for real-time wireless video streaming

In wireless video streaming, the packet loss often occurs and affects the end-user visual quality. To alleviate the transmission error effects, intra refresh coding is usually used to improve the streaming error resilience ability from the view of source coding. At the physical layer, the adaptive modulation and coding (AMC) is also used to promote the transmission reliability at the transporting level. Both the error control components have their own influences on the received video quality. To achieve the best video transmission performance, it is crucial to make an error control tradeoff between intra refresh coding and AMC. In this paper, we propose an end-to-end video distortion optimized cross-layer error control method which jointly considers the video quantization parameter (QP) and intra refresh rate at the application layer, and AMC at the physical layer for delay-constraint real-time video streaming. The experimental results show that the proposed cross-layer error control streaming method can achieve the superior objective and subjective performances to the layer-independent error control streaming methods with and without cross-layer optimization.
Il difensore civico regionale in Italia

In questo articolo si analizza il defensore civico regionale in Italia, essenzialmente le sue caratteristiche e funzioni. Finalmente, si conclude con una proposta per il Cile.
How should learning classifier systems cover a state-action space?

A learning strategy in Learning Classifier Systems (LCSs) defines how classifiers cover a state-action space in a problem. Previous analyses in classification problems have empirically claimed an adequate learning strategy can be decided depending on the types of noise in the problem. This issue is still arguable from two aspects. First, there lacks comparison of learning strategies in reinforcement learning problems with different types of noise. Second, when we can claim so, a further issue is how should classifiers cover the state-action space in order to improve the stability of LCS performance on as many types of noise as possible? This paper first attempts to empirically conclude these issues on a version of LCSs (i.e., the XCS classifier system). That is, we present a new concept of learning strategy for LCSs, and complement that claim by comparing it with the existing learning strategies on a reinforcement learning problem. Our learning strategy covers all state-action pairs but assigns more classifiers to the highest-return action at each state than other actions. Our results support that claim that existing learning strategies have dependencies on the types of noise in reinforcement learning problems. However, our learning strategy improves the stability of XCS performance compared with the existing strategies on all types of noise employed in this paper.
Real-Time online quality assurance for reuse of water

Water is needed in everything we do in our daily lives from personal use through to production of almost all goods. Water sources are a critical infrastructure and must be maintained and monitored as any negative change in quality can cause dramatic effects. 
 	Water born contamination in drinking, source and recycled water is a serious threat to water infrastructure, consumers, and for industrial process water.
 	Lack of early detection and warning coupled with random sampling amplifies the unpredicted danger of contamination from bacteria like E. coli and parasites like Cryptosporidium and Giardia.
 	Contaminated water is a significant threat to industries that depend on use of water in their process and product.
Aqua-Q are an innovative Swedish SME at the forefront of the industry with a core mission of early detection of microbiological contamination in drinking, source and waste water for reuse.  We have received the World’s most prestigious environmental National Energy Globe Award 2017 for the outstanding innovative achievement on real-time optical monitoring & sampling solution for quality control of drinking water & water for reuse.
Aqua-Q have designed and created an innovative technological solution AQUATRACK™ for use in water treatment plants and water distribution infrastructure. Our Early Warning System AQUATRACK® is a one of a kind solution. It is a real-time, online early warning system for the monitoring of water quality 24/7. The system is designed to trigger a series of events when a deviation in the baseline ‘fingerprint’ of the water source is detected. Other solutions claiming to be ‘real-time‘ are only triggered by elapsed-time – whereas AQUATRACK® is triggered by exceptional events and can respond with appropriate action within seconds, this can save valuable and critical time when a contamination is detected.
Through commercialisation of AQUATRACK® with our defined early routes to market, we will achieve an ROI of 604% on our 5-yr profits.
Innovative polymeric batteries by 3d printing

One of the actual limitations of the current batteries is their rigidity and limited shape availability (cylindrical or flat). Furthermore, the manufacturing of current electrodes/cells is a long process which requires big investments  for battery fabrication facilities. The idea of “iPES-3DBat” Proof of Concept grant will be to develop polymer batteries by  a fast and cheap 3D printing process. Compared to the traditional planar structure of cells, 3D structuring provides different shapes as well as other advantages such as higher power density and higher energy density due to the increased surface area of electrodes. The iPES-3DBat research will be dedicated to develop 3D printable inks with the already developed energetic polymers. These new inks will be patented and used to build all polymer cell prototypes by 3D printing with different geometries, flexibility, low weight and recyclability. This new  technology will target future applications in wearable electronics, medical devices, fitness, toys and other small electronic devices. After a strict market study, the creation of a spin-off will be pursued. 
iPES-3DBat PoC will move the polymers developed within iPES ERC grant towards the commercialization stage. This PoC will take advantage of the possibility of polymers to be processed by 3D printing. At the same time, the benefits of 3D printing will be used to develop battery prototypes in a fast way, to save money by using a cheap method, to accelerate the innovation process and shorten the time-to-market. The success of this idea will involve the development of energetic inks/materials which allow the delocalization of the manufacturing of batteries with the possibility of producing anywhere.
Industrial Policies of Chinese Rare-earth and Their Impacts on the Export Markets

Chinese government has taken a series of measures to regulate the development of rare-earth industry in the past few years,which result in the decline of export quantities,and the increase of export prices.The structure of the export products has been improved.The policies seemed to have significant effect until the year of 2009.The policies' lagging effect,the mono-posony in the international rare-earth market,and the weak executive power are responsible for the consequences.As for the relationship between the quantity and price for some specific rare-earth products,we find that the export prices of rare-earth fluctuated at a low level before the year of 2010.Since the year of 2010,the quantity came to have negative effect on the price.
Herpetofauna of the Serra do Tombador Nature Reserve, State of Goiás, Central Brazil

Data on species occurrence and richness are important to support conservation actions for strategic areas. To increase knowledge about the herpetofauna of the Cerrado biome, we present a list of amphibians and reptiles' species from the Private Reserve of Natural Heritage Serra do Tombador (RNST). The fieldwork was performed in November 2016 and the samplings were carried out through pitfall traps, active search, occasional encounters, and third-party records. We also consider the species recorded in the RNST Management Plan. We recorded 34 amphibians and 55 reptiles, and expanded the known distribution of some species. The observed and estimated amphibian species curves showed a tendency to stabilize, with the observed richness representing 89% of the number of species expected. On the other hand, observed and estimated reptile species curves did not show a stabilization trend. Even considering the smallest sample period in this study, the richness of amphibian and reptile species was similar or greater to those found in protected areas in the Cerrado, close to the RNST. The presence of species with restricted endemism, recently described, and data deficient highlights the importance of the RNST for the conservation of the Cerrado herpetofauna.
To corporatize or not to corporatize (and if so, how?)

Governments around the world are increasingly turning to the use of stand-alone, state-owned utilities to deliver core services such as water and electricity. This article reviews the history of such ‘corporatization’ and argues that its recent resurgence has been heavily influenced by neoliberal theory and practice, raising important questions about whether it should be adopted as a public service model. Not all corporatizations promote commercialization, however. The article also discusses stand-alone utilities that have managed to stave off market pressures and develop in more equity-oriented directions. The scope for non-commercialized corporatization is narrow, but given the expansion of this organizational model it is important that we understand both its limitations and potentials, particularly in low-income countries in the South where service gaps are large and equity is a major challenge.
Multidimensional Israeliness and Tel Aviv'sTachanah Merkazit: Hearing Culture in a Polyphonic Transit Hub

Israel's heated public debate over the socio-political implications of increasing demographic diversity plays out with special prominence in Tel Aviv, home to large minority citizen populations and a destination for foreign workers and refugees from Asia and Africa. The city's New Central Bus Station, or tachanah merkazit, is a transit hub and commercial complex in which multiple ethnic groups enact aesthetic and cultural dimensions of Israeli urban and national identity in flux. This paper presents a sensory ethnography of the tachanah: sonic and musical expressions of “local” and “global” Israeliness are analyzed against a backdrop of near-constant motion and transit. The somatic and ideological dimensions of movement enable Jewish Israelis, minority citizens and foreigners to assimilate sounds of culture within the tachanah at deeply-felt, personal levels. The tachanah's sonic activity is inherently political, having the potential to impact collective identity and civic reality in Tel Aviv and across Israel. [soundscape, sensory ethnography, migration, ethnicity, Israel]
Speeding up intra-system data transfer through optical data links and minimizing energy demand by a new generation of integrated circuits

The application of cutting-edge technologies like AR/VR or artificial intelligence in consumer products and industry demand for high-performance data transfer between processors, memory and peripherals. This is valid for e.g. self-driving cars but also for industrial data centres. However, the limiting factor nowadays (and for future scaling) is the data transfer within the system, specifically, by the factors: bandwidth, power, and space. In fact, so-called interconnects cause 30% of power consumption in data centres today (and data centres account for currently 2%, in the future estimated 8%, of electricity worldwide). At higher speeds, the electricity cost of currently used copper links already dominates over the hardware cost. Due to this and their unsustainable signal loss, copper links are increasingly replaced by optical solutions, e.g. vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL), which provide negligible frequency dependent loss, a high bandwidth and 10-times lower power consumption. The VIS team has repeatedly reached performance world records for their VCSEL products based on proprietary transmitter and receiver assemblies and own integrated circuits (ICs). Facing the challenge of continued scaling and data transmission capacity needs >200Gb/s, the industry needs a new generation of VCSEL chips. To develop those, some further optimized ICs are most important. Currently, IC development is outsourced by VIS with a significant supervising effort. Main objective of this proposal is to hire and integrate an IC design expert to finally extend IC performance in VIS VCSELs to enable 224Gb/s PAM4 single channel transmission at energy consumption of 1mW/Gbps (triple speed performance and -50% energy demand). The VIS business opportunity is to provide complete proprietary VCSEL solutions, triplicating the revenues and gaining a market share of >20 % of the datacom segment of this market within 5y. The innovation associate will gain a long-term career opportunity.
BRAIDED ARTICLE OF FOOTWEAR INCORPORATING FLAT YARN

An upper for an article of footwear is provided, having a braided structure comprising a first yarn having a first cross-sectional shape and a second yarn having a second cross-sectional shape different than the first cross-sectional shape. The first cross-sectional shape comprises an outer surface parallel to an inner surface in a rectangular orientation. Additionally, the first yarn is oriented such that at least a portion of the outer surface comprises the first side of the first yarn and at least a portion of the inner surface comprises the second side of the first yarn.
Private discovery of common social contacts

Digital services that are offered, and consumed, on the basis of social relationships form the backbone of social clouds--an emerging new concept that finds its roots in online social networks. The latter have already taken an essential role in people's daily life, helping users to build and reflect their social relationships to other participants. A key step in establishing new links entails the reconciliation of shared contacts and friends. However, for many individuals, personal relationships belong to the private sphere, and, as such, should be concealed from potentially prying eyes of strangers. Consequently, the transition toward social clouds cannot set aside mechanisms to control the disclosure of social links. This paper motivates and introduces the concept of Private Discovery of Common Social Contacts, which allows two users to assess their social proximity through interaction and learn the set of contacts (e.g., friends) that are common to both users, while hiding contacts that they do not share. We realize private contact discovery using a new cryptographic primitive, called contact discovery scheme (CDS), whose functionality and privacy is formalized in this work. To this end, we define a novel privacy feature, called contact-hiding, that captures our strong privacy goals. We also propose the concept of contact certification and show that it is essential to thwart impersonation attacks on social relationships. We build provably private and realistically efficient CDS protocols for private discovery of mutual contacts. Our constructions do not rely on a trusted third party (TTP)--all contacts are managed independently by the users. The practicality of our proposals is confirmed both analytically and experimentally on different computing platforms. We show that they can be efficiently deployed on smartphones, thus allowing ad hoc and ubiquitous contact discovery outside of existing social networks. Our CDS constructions allow users to select their (certified) contacts to be included in individual protocol executions. That is, users may perform context-dependent contact discovery using any subset (circle) of their contacts.
Gis Integrated Urban Transportation Planning

Urban transport planning is very complex and urban mobility solutions need to be multi-dimensional in nature.Good urban transport planning should be more than just engineering and should encompass other important considerations such as land use planning, energy efficiency, emission characteristics, traffic management, human behavior, economics, finance, public policy, governance, health, safety, gender, disability, affordability, ITS, etc. It is important to fully understand the linkages among these different dimensions using GIS.The geospatial technology helps in mapping the entire city which will help in preparing the correct geo-referenced base map showing updated information on plot boundaries and subdivisions. The use of RS and GIS techniques are useful to do the preparation of Master Plan work more expeditiously and accurately. Based on the maps, it will be easy to designate the properties with unique identification number which can be used for various purposes including the GIS applications in transportation.
Real-World evidence (rwe) analytics to increase efficiency of clinical product development

Medical product development is a lengthy and expensive process with limited success. After more than €40 million and over 10 years for clinical programmes, only 15% of new therapies reach the market. Many of the new therapies fail at the post-marketing phase due to unexpected side effects or insufficient efficacy. This is mainly because clinical trials focus on a narrow group of patients that do not represent the general patient population. Pharmaceutical and MedTech industries urgently need novel solutions to increase the efficiency and generalizability of clinical research programs.

Benete is an information technology-oriented Finnish company that developed a Life Analytics Platform to provide high-quality, accurate, and reliable Real-World Evidence (RWE) to clinical trials. The Life Analytics Platform collects a novel source of real-life data to generate behaviour and functionality models of patients, combining ambient sensors with advanced artificial intelligence technology. Benete’s technology observes patients in their daily routines and identifies changes in their functioning in real life.

This game-changing approach will provide medical product developers with invaluable insights into the efficacy and safety of a medical product in diverse patient populations, outside of the controlled environment of the clinic. The RWE data provided by Benete’s service will directly benefit clinical product development by 1- accelerating the timelines, 2- decreasing the overall costs, 3- increasing the predictive power, 4- supporting regulatory and reimbursement processes.

Benete will use this SMEi phase1 funding to 1) assess the market requirements of its Life Analytics Platform by conducting a comprehensive market analysis and user involvement study, 2) identify strategic partners, and 3) establish IP and regulatory strategies. These activities will allow Benete to define the best commercialisation strategy for the Life Analytics Platform in the clinical trial market.
A THERMOELECTRIC POWER GENERATING SYSTEM

The system comprises: a power generator arrangement comprising thermoelectric power generator units (M1...MN) connected to provide a global output voltage (Vo), each power generator unit (M1...MN) generating an individual output voltage; and electronic stabilization means comprising: - DC/DC converters (R1...RN) connected to one or more of the power generator units (M1...MN); - electrical variable detection means comprising voltage (p1, p2, p3, p4) and/or current detectors, each for automatically measuring the individual voltage or current existing at a middle or intermediate point of the DC/DC converter (R1...RN) connected to at least one of the power generator units (M1...MN); and - a microprocessor-based controller (S) connected to the voltage (p1, p2, p3, p4) and/or current detectors to receive the measured voltages and/or currents, and controlling the operation of the DC/DC converters (R1...RN) to obtain desired DC/DC converter output voltages and/or currents.