Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
An Image Segmentation Using Improved FCM Watershed Algorithm and DBMF

Image segmentation and evaluation are awfully not easy but significant tribulations in computer vision. In this article we have presented an improved FCM Watershed Algorithm for image segmentation. In this techniques, Decision based median filter used for noise removal, is best for salt and pepper noise reduction. Secondly, Fuzzy CMeans used for cluster selection and for final segmentation modified watershed segmentation used is integrated with FCM. The aim of this method is reduce the number of segments after proposed method and to overcome problem faced by this method which is over-segmentation and noise sensitivity. Computer simulations verify extensive improvement of this proposed method with existing methods in terms of PSNR, SSIM, CQM, MSE, RMSE and BER. These experimental results computed on MATLAB software with Image Processing toolbox.
Does Pharmaconutrition with L-Arginine and/or α-Tocopherol Improve the Gut Barrier in Bile Duct Ligated Rats?

Background/Aim: Nitric oxide supplementation and antioxidant therapy modulate gut barrier function, but the relationships between enhanced nitric oxide production, antioxidant administration, and biliary obstruction remain unclear. We evaluated the role of nitric oxide and α-tocopherol supplementation in bile duct ligated rats. Methods: Fifty male Wistar albino rats underwent sham operation (group I; control animals) or bile duct ligation (groups II, III, IV, and V). The ligation groups received the following regimens: standard pellet diet (group II), pellet diet plus intramuscularly administerd α-tocopherol (group III), and L-arginine-enriched pellet diet without (group IV) or with (group V) α-tocopherol. Nitric oxide, malondialdehyde, and α-tocopherol concentrations were assessed at the end of 3 weeks. Liver and intestinal samples were scored histologically. Mesenteric lymph node and liver cultures were assessed for bacterial translocation. Results: The liver malondialdehyde concentration was highest in group III. The nitric oxide content in the liver was higher in groups III and V, as were the blood α-tocopherol levels. Bacterial translocation was evident following bile duct ligation, but did not differ among the treatment groups. Intestinal histology revealed that group III had the lowest villus height, that group V had the least villus count, and that group II had the highest mucous cell count. The fibrosis scores were higher in groups IV and V. Conclusions: An obvious effect of α-tocopherol (with or without L-arginine) on the gut barrier could not be demonstrated. Moreover, the L-arginine-enriched diet promoted fibrosis in the liver. Thus, while biliary duct obstruction triggers bacterial translocation, nitric oxide and/or α-tocopherol supplementation did not seem to improve the gut barrier in our model.
ELUCIDATING THE ROLE OF REVERSIBLE PROTEIN PHOSPHORYLATION IN SEPSIS-INDUCED MYOCARDIAL DYSFUNCTION

Mortality in children with sepsis is most often related to diminished cardiac output with cardiovascular collapse, resulting in impaired oxygen delivery and, ultimately, end-organ failure. Although cardiovascular "collapse" is commonly observed in individuals with septic shock, the hemodynamic causes of this differ greatly. In children, intrinsic myocardial dysfunction is most commonly present, whereas the systemic vascular resistance is typically high. This pattern is distinct from adults with sepsis where the principal hemodynamic profile shows elevated cardiac output, but substantially reduced systemic vascular resistance. Various studies support the concept that myocardial dysfunction, as occurs in pediatric septic patients, is due to intrinsic abnormalities in cardiomyocyte function and is not related to hypoperfusion as a result of low systemic vascular resistance. Importantly, when examined more closely, data from adults with septic shock also reveal that intrinsic myocardial dysfunction may play a larger role than previously appreciated. As a result, cardiovascular support, especially in pediatric sepsis, requires a treatment strategy directed at the underlying mechanism(s) responsible for this dysfunction. Thus, it is imperative to gain a better understanding of the myocardial derangements that occur during sepsis to identify targets that will ultimately influence the management of children with septic shock and favorably alter the associated mortality. We hypothesize that key signaling pathways that control myocardial calcium flux, regulated to key kinases and phosphatases, influence myocyte contractility in sepsis. Thus, we review the data relevant to the sepsis-induced intracellular alterations in calcium flux in the cardiomyocyte, with an emphasis on changes in the phosphorylation state of the contractile proteins regulated by the balance between kinases and phosphatases. We believe that therapies modulating the activity of these key proteins may provide an improvement in calcium handling and myocardial contractility and alter the clinical outcomes in sepsis.
The Self–Concept of Students with Learning Disabilities: A Meta–Analysis of Comparisons across Different Placements

Although placement in less restrictive settings is generally believed to be associated with more positive social outcomes for students with disabilities, the empirical research has yielded equivocal findings. The purpose of this study was to synthesize the empirical research comparing the self–concept of students with learning disabilities (LD) in different educational placements. Meta–analysis revealed no overall association between self–concept and educational placement for four out of five comparisons: regular class vs. resource room, regular class vs. self–contained class, resource room vs. self–contained class, and regular class vs. special school. Students with LD receiving instruction in self–contained classrooms in regular schools exhibited lower self–concept compared to students with LD attending special schools. Follow–up analyses were conducted to explore whether the variability of effect sizes in regular class–resource room comparisons was associated with any of several potential moderator variables; the only variable for which the association approached significance was whether students in the regular classroom were provided with appropriate special education supports and services. The findings are discussed in light of documented individual variation in students’ placement preferences.
Early childhood assessment: observation, teacher ‘knowledge’ and the production of attainment data in early years settings

Since 2003 children in England have been formally assessed at the age of 5 after their first year in school, and their numerical scores reported to parents and analysed at school and national levels. The use of statutory assessment for this age group is unique in the UK, where other regions use less formal methods of assessment. It is also unusual internationally. This paper examines the peculiarity of this assessment system, the Early Years Foundation Stage Profile, using data from two ethnographic case studies of classrooms of four- and five-year-old children in London. The study revealed tensions between the construction of teachers' knowledge, their ambivalence in relation to the numerical data they report, and the use of the data for school accountability purposes. Alternative methods of assessing this age group in other parts of the UK are used to consider the implications of the production of numerical assessment data in early childhood education.
Understanding the Transition from School to University in Music and Music Technology

This article considers the transition from school to university in Music and Music Technology, continuing the discussion of transitional issues which began in Volume 2 of Arts and Humanities in Higher Education. The focus of the article is a survey of undergraduates, examining areas that were key to their first experience of studying for a degree, such as entry qualifications, course choice, career prospects, difficult aspects of the course and aspects they felt well-prepared for. These data were supplemented with teacher and lecturer interviews and a university staff questionnaire. The findings demonstrate that student perceptions of undergraduate music study are sometimes at odds with those of the university staff. In the light of the changing nature, interests and needs of these students, it is timely to rethink both what it is intended to achieve and how this is going to be assessed.
Discrete Element Method Simulations of the Inter-Particle Contact Parameters for the Mono-Sized Iron Ore Particles

Aiming at predicting what happens in reality inside mills, the contact parameters of iron ore particles for discrete element method (DEM) simulations should be determined accurately. To allow the irregular shape to be accurately determined, the sphere clump method was employed in modelling the particle shape. The inter-particle contact parameters were systematically altered whilst the contact parameters between the particle and wall were arbitrarily assumed, in order to purely assess its impact on the angle of repose for the mono-sized iron ore particles. Results show that varying the restitution coefficient over the range considered does not lead to any obvious difference in the angle of repose, but the angle of repose has strong sensitivity to the rolling/static friction coefficient. The impacts of the rolling/static friction coefficient on the angle of repose are interrelated, and increasing the inter-particle rolling/static friction coefficient can evidently increase the angle of repose. However, the impact of the static friction coefficient is more profound than that of the rolling friction coefficient. Finally, a predictive equation is established and a very close agreement between the predicted and simulated angle of repose is attained. This predictive equation can enormously shorten the inter-particle contact parameters calibration time that can help in the implementation of DEM simulations.
Preparing leaders, preparing learners: the Hong Kong experience

Trainers and developers of school leaders across the globe are currently searching for models of best practice leadership development programmes. Are there generic features and principles of design underpinning such programmes? This article argues that corroborative evidence of what works in leadership training and development – to influence principals’ knowledge, skills, values and behaviours – is now emerging. It describes a model of best practice in Hong Kong called Blue Skies, founded on and derived from a body of international research-based evidence from successful principal leadership programmes, together with evaluation evidence from another recent Hong Kong leadership programme. First, however, the policy background to leadership preparation in Hong Kong since 1990 is outlined. This is followed by an explanation of the structure for school leader training and development established by the Hong Kong Government since 2000. It is argued that with the structure in place, attention has been able to shift to the design principles of effective leadership programmes that maximize leader learning. Designs based on research evidence of what works emphasize, inter alia, learning linked to real school contexts, substantial involvement of trained and experienced principals as mentors, flexibility to meet diverse needs, multiple opportunities for reflection, and cohort bonding and networking – all of which form the platform for Blue Skies.
STUDIES ON MINERAL NUTRITION OF THE COFFEE PLANT ( Coffea arabica L . cv . CATUAÍ VERMELHO ) . LXIV . REMOBILIZATION AND REUTILIZATION OF NITROGEN AND POTASSIUM BY NORMAL AND DEFICIENT PLANTS

Remobilization and re-utilization of N and Rb labelled nitrogen and potassium reserves for new growth and fruit formation was studied under greenhouse conditions using both normal and deficient young coffee plants. It was found that K reserves are used in higher proportion than is stored N by fruits and other organs. The export of N by organs of residence in the normal plants obeyed the following proportions of the total: leaves 47%-58%, branches and flower buds 21%-27%, roots 21%-32%. The corresponding figures in the case of deficient plants were: leaves 49%-65%, branches and flower buds 21%-27%, roots 14%-25%. Re-utilization of K took place in the following proportions in the normal plants: leaves 54%-64%, branches and flower buds 20%-21%, roots 30%-41%. In K deficient plants the figures were: leaves 62%-79%, branches and flower buds 1.2%-4.4%, roots 20%-33%. In tissues formed after the initiation of flowering buds, the demand for N is met by reserves as follows: normal plants: fruits 20.6%-24.8%, leaves 15.6%-19.4%, twigs 19%-20.5%; deficient plants: fruits 43.5%-48.5%, leaves 48.1%-51.9%, twigs 46%-53%. The K needs for new tissues are met in the order: normal plants: fruits 40%-45.8%, leaves 27%-37.6%, twigs 26%-33.1%; deficient plants: fruits 65.7%81.5%, leaves 52.6%-68.4%, twigs 62%-86.1%. Fruits represent the main sink for both N and K. Reutilization of both elements is higher in the case of deficient plants.
Active brain changes after initiating fingolimod therapy in multiple sclerosis patients using individual voxel-based analyses for diffusion tensor imaging

ABSTRACT Voxel-based analysis (VBA) of diffusion tensor images (DTI) and voxel-based morphometry (VBM) in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) can sensitively detect occult tissue damage that underlies pathological changes in the brain. In the present study, both at the start of fingolimod and post-four months clinical remission, we assessed four patients with MS who were evaluated with VBA of DTI, VBM, and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR). DTI images for all four patients showed widespread areas of increased mean diffusivity (MD) and decreased fractional anisotropy (FA) that were beyond the high-intensity signal areas across images. After four months of continuous fingolimod therapy, DTI abnormalities progressed; in particular, MD was significantly increased, while brain volume and high-intensity signals were unchanged. These findings suggest that VBA of DTI (e.g., MD) may help assess MS demyelination as neuroinflammatory conditions, even though clinical manifestations of MS appear to be in complete remission during fingolimod.
Teenagers' Perceptions of Online Privacy and Coping Behaviors: A Risk–Benefit Appraisal Approach

Applying Rogers's (1975, 1983) protection motivation theory to the online privacy context, this study determined that risk and benefit appraisals explain teenagers' willingness to provide information to a Web site, which, in turn, affected their risk-lowering behaviors. Survey data from 326 high school students revealed that a higher level of risk perception of information disclosure led to less willingness to provide information. In contrast, as teenagers perceived more benefits from information disclosure, they were more willing to provide information. Subsequently, as teenagers were less likely to give out their information, they tended to engage in several risk-reducing strategies such as falsifying information, providing incomplete information, or going to alternative Web sites that do not ask for personal information. Implications for public policies and self-regulations to protect teenagers' online privacy were discussed.
Working Paper Series Department of Economics University of Verona On the Scientific Status of Economic Policy : A Tale of Alternative Paradigms

In the last years, a number of contributions has argued that monetary – and, more generally, economic – policy is finally becoming more of a science. According to these authors, policy rules implemented by central banks are nowadays well supported by a theoretical framework (the New Neoclassical Synthesis) upon which a general consensus has emerged in the economic profession. In other words, scientific discussion on economic policy seems to be ultimately confined to either fine-tuning this “consensus” model, or assessing the extent to which “elements of art” still exist in the conduct of monetary policy. In this paper, we present a substantially opposite view, rooted in a critical discussion of the theoretical, empirical and political-economy pitfalls of the neoclassical approach to policy analysis. Our discussion indicates that we are still far from building a science of economic policy. We suggest that a more fruitful research avenue to pursue is to explore alternative theoretical paradigms, which can escape the strong theoretical requirements of neoclassical models (e.g., equilibrium, rationality, etc.). We briefly introduce one of the most successful alternative research projects – known in the literature as agent-based computational economics (ACE) – and we present the way it has been applied to policy analysis issues. We conclude by discussing the methodological status of ACE, as well as the (many) problems it raises.
The role of genetic polymorphisms in antioxidant enzymes and potential antioxidant therapies in neonatal lung disease.

SIGNIFICANCE Oxidative stress is involved in the development of newborn lung diseases, such as bronchopulmonary dysplasia and persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn. The activity of antioxidant enzymes (AOEs), which is impaired as a result of prematurity and oxidative injury, may be further affected by specific genetic polymorphisms or an unfavorable combination of more of them. RECENT ADVANCES Genetic polymorphisms of superoxide dismutase and catalase were recently demonstrated to be protective or risk factors for the main complications of prematurity. A lot of research focused on the potential of different antioxidant strategies in the prevention and treatment of lung diseases of the newborn, providing promising results in experimental models. CRITICAL ISSUES The effect of different genetic polymorphisms on protein synthesis and activity has been poorly detailed in the newborn, hindering to derive conclusive results from the observed associations with adverse outcomes. Therapeutic strategies that aimed at enhancing the activity of AOEs were poorly studied in clinical settings and partially failed to produce clinical benefits. FUTURE DIRECTIONS The clarification of the effects of genetic polymorphisms on the proteomics of the newborn is mandatory, as well as the assessment of a larger number of polymorphisms with a possible correlation with adverse outcome. Moreover, antioxidant treatments should be carefully translated to clinical settings, after further details on optimal doses, administration techniques, and adverse effects are provided. Finally, the study of genetic polymorphisms could help select a specific high-risk population, who may particularly benefit from targeted antioxidant strategies.
The Glass Ceiling: Women and Mentoring in Management and Business

In the beginning, organisations were exceedingly simple. There were chiefs and tribes, or kings and subjects or owners and tenants or bosses and workers. With the advent of the Industrial Revolution, it got more compli‐cated. There were stockholders, board of directors, of‐ficers and employees. Now it is too complicated ‐ with stakeholders and/or, shareholders, chairman of the boards and/or chief executives, corporate presidents and/or chief operating officers, assorted vice presidents, managers and employees. Naturally, the modern organisation ‐ being complicated, even Byzantine ‐ is much more subject to trouble, or even breakdowns, than its predecessors, says Bennis.
Gain measurements on GaAs-based quantum cascade lasers using a two-section cavity technique

A two-section cavity device has been used to measure gain spectra and waveguide losses of a GaAs-based quantum cascade laser. The device operates at 8.9 /spl mu/m and optical confinement is obtained by means of Al-free cladding layers. We investigated the gain characteristics in a spectral window of /spl sim/60 meV and up to 200 K. For current densities ranging from 1 to 8 kA/cm/sup 2/, we report a constant gain coefficient of 13 cm/kA at 4 K and 6 cm/kA at 200 K. At low temperatures and for current densities above 8 kA/cm/sup 2/, we observe gain saturation which we attribute to a reduced electron injection in the active region caused by space charge effects. We report a value of 22 cm/sup -1/ for the waveguide losses in good agreement with previous measurements.
Categories of Novelty and States of Uncertainty

The concept of novelty has acquired a large number of diverse referents over the past quarter-century as a result of new methods that permit measurement of a variety of biological and behavioral reactions to novel incentives in both humans and animals. As a result, the term has acquired varied meanings. This analysis of novelty makes four claims. First, the specific state of uncertainty that a novel event creates depends on its origin. Second, unexpected events that alter the immediate stimulus surround (called stimulus novelty) should be distinguished from those that are inconsistent with an agent's long term knowledge (called conceptual novelty). Third, the critical features that render an event novel can vary with the agent's intention to classify or to act on an object and the balance between these two frames changes with development. Finally, the state of uncertainty created when an agent must choose one response from two or more alternatives differs from the states provoked by stimulus and conceptual novelty.
The demography of aging in Bangladesh: a scenario analysis of consequence

The older population is expected to increase globally both in terms of absolute and relative numbers and Bangladesh is no exception. In recent years, although Bangladesh has achieved considerable success in fertility reduction and gradual improvement in mortality, morbidity, human capital, and the economy, important questions remain: i) whether or not the debate on aging has really emerged as a demographic issue; ii) if so, what are the important issues that should be addressed? and iii) how should the country be prepared to face the challenges of aging in order to implement public policies? Therefore, the present article attempts to explore important issues of aging and their consequences in Bangladesh. The study uses data collected from a national representative primary source. The study provides some important findings. By now aging has emerged as a new demographic issue in Bangladesh as the absolute number of older people is very large and is expected to grow in the years to come. There will be more people widowed in old age. Despite recent socioeconomic changes, older people prefer to live with their loved ones, particularly married sons with grandchildren so they can spend time with them in later life. In turn, they also support families, both financially and voluntarily. The study also reveals that the traditional support system is gradually shifting downwards in Bangladesh and older people are seeking alternative financial and health care support from the government. Research is needed to understand the reality of older people, their well-being and security. People should be encouraged to support and accommodate their older parents or relatives as regular members of the family. The government should introduce an appropriate pension system and health insurance scheme to cover the vast majority of poor people who live in rural areas.