Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of segmentation algorithms for optical coherence tomography images of ovarian tissue

Ovarian cancer has the lowest survival rate among all gynecologic cancers due to predominantly late diagnosis. Early detection of ovarian cancer can increase 5-year survival rates from 40% up to 92%, yet no reliable early detection techniques exist. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is an emerging technique that provides depthresolved, high-resolution images of biological tissue in real time and demonstrates great potential for imaging of ovarian tissue. Mouse models are crucial to quantitatively assess the diagnostic potential of OCT for ovarian cancer imaging; however, due to small organ size, the ovaries must rst be separated from the image background using the process of segmentation. Manual segmentation is time-intensive, as OCT yields three-dimensional data. Furthermore, speckle noise complicates OCT images, frustrating many processing techniques. While much work has investigated noise-reduction and automated segmentation for retinal OCT imaging, little has considered the application to the ovaries, which exhibit higher variance and inhomogeneity than the retina. To address these challenges, we evaluated a set of algorithms to segment OCT images of mouse ovaries. We examined ve preprocessing techniques and six segmentation algorithms. While all pre-processing methods improve segmentation, Gaussian filtering is most effective, showing an improvement of 32% +/- 1.2%. Of the segmentation algorithms, active contours performs best, segmenting with an accuracy of 0.948 +/- 0.012 compared with manual segmentation (1.0 being identical). Nonetheless, further optimization could lead to maximizing the performance for segmenting OCT images of the ovaries.
Facies architecture of a subaqueous volcano–sedimentary succession on Bogda Mountains, NW China—Evidence of extension in Late Carboniferous

A Late Carboniferous volcano–sedimentary complex outcrops on the southwestern flank of the Bogda Mountains, NW China. The volcanic architecture, spatial relationships, and emplacement mechanisms of the lithofacies were studied in detail, providing a lithofacies context for previously published structural and geochemical studies and constraining the reconstruction of palaeo‐environments. Four distinct volcano–sedimentary facies are identified in the Qijiagou Formation: close‐packed pillow basalts, pillow basalts with interstitial sediments, hyaloclastites, and peperites. Textural features of the lithofacies, especially hyaloclastites and peperites, provide clear evidence for in situ fragmentation of lava flows, co‐volcanic sedimentation of limestone, and intimate interaction between lava, water, and sediments. They demonstrate autochthonous, subaqueous origin of the succession. Discovery of peperites and stratigraphic transitions of the related lithofacies indicate a progressively deepening subaqueous environment, resembling a volcanic evolution from early stage of eruption at a shallower level to increasingly subsiding basin with increasing eruption frequency of basaltic lava at greater water depth. Vesicularity of basalts, ambient pressure, and peperitic features indicate eruption depth at between 1,500 and 2,500 m. The deep extensional basin in the Baiyanggou area was coeval with bimodal volcanism, uplift, and granite intrusion along strike in the region, all indicating continental collision and post‐collisional extension. The substantial depth of the Baiyanggou Basin indicates that it may have been a back‐arc or even a residual oceanic basin.
Proposal of diagnostic and therapeutic proceeding algorithm post osteoropotic fracture occurrence

Introduction. Taking the actual definition of osteoporosis as a basis, we should be guided in our today osteoporosis diagnostics not only by assessment of bone mineral density with use the densitometry measurement, but we should each time evaluate the risk of fracture. In selected cases we were inclined to take into consideration the bone resorption markers in our algorithm. Suggested algorithm. Basing on the review of literature and our own experiences we would like to suggest a therapeutic proceeding algorithm in patients after osteoporotic fracture occurrence. The diagnosis of low-energy fracture must be confirmed with x-ray film made at least in two projections. It is necessary to take into account: result of bone mineral density measurement, absolute 10- years risk of osteoporotic fracture and an assessment of bone resorption markers. Conclusion. In details we describe the rules of using our algorithm in daily physicians’ practice. It is recommended to use algorithm proposed by us in this work, in diagnostic and treatment proceeding post osteoporotic fracture occurrence.
Does the complexity in temporal precipitation disaggregation matter for a lumped hydrological model?

ABSTRACT Flood peaks and volumes are essential design variables and can be simulated by precipitation–runoff (P–R) modelling. The high-resolution precipitation time series that are often required for this purpose can be generated by various temporal disaggregation methods. Here, we compare a simple method (M1, one parameter), focusing on the effective precipitation duration for flood simulations, with a multiplicative cascade model (M2, 32/36 parameters). While M2 aims at generating realistic characteristics of precipitation time series, M1 aims only at accurately reproducing flood variables by P–R modelling. Both disaggregation methods were tested on precipitation time series of nine Swiss mesoscale catchments. The generated high-resolution time series served as input for P–R modelling using a lumped HBV model. The results indicate that differences identified in precipitation characteristics of disaggregated time series vanish when introduced into the lumped hydrological model. Moreover, flood peaks were more sensitive than flood volumes to the choice of disaggregation method.
Physicochemical Quality of Cow Raw Milk Produced in the Fkih Ben Saleh Area

The main objective of the present study was to evaluate the physicochemical quality of raw cow milk produced in Fkih Ben Saleh, one of the major milk production areas in Beni Mellal-Khenifra region in Morocco located in the North-Centre of Morocco. Physicochemical quality of raw milk was determined by assessing the analysis of Fat Content “FC”, Protein Content “PC”, Total Solids “TS”, Solids No-Fat “SNF”, Acidity “Ac”, Brix “Bx”, Density “Ds”, Temperature “T°” and Alcohol Test “AT”, using recognized standardized methods and infrared methods for better assessing of characteristics (fat, protein, total solids and no-fat solids contents). The results obtained from this study showed an average ranging from 34.06 to 38.60 g/l, 30.01 to 31.61 g/l, 40.53 to 42.52 g/l, 116.03 to 121.51 g/l, 88.88 to 90.85 g/l, 9.87 to 10% for FC, PC, LC, TS, SNF and Bx, respectively. On the other hand, an average ranging from 14.62 to 15.04 D°, 6.68 to 6.76, 1.0208 to 1.0494, 0.517 to 0.532 was showed for Ac, pH, Ds and FP, respectively. Furthermore, all milk samples tested for AT were, in most cases, normal at different concentrations of 79, 76, 74 and 68% while T° of all samples collected from bulk milk was under 06 °C. The present findings showed a good quality of the milk produced in this area in terms of chemical and physical criteria. Finally, the milk originated from Fkih Ben Saleh could be considered as an important riche and source of fabrication of dairy products with high quality.
Garnetite and Pyroxenite in the Mantle Wedge Formed by Slab‐Mantle Interactions at Different Melt/Rock Ratios

Mantle wedge hybridization by crust‐derived melt is a crucial mechanism responsible for arc lavas. However, how the melt‐rock reactions proceed in the mantle wedge and affect melt compositions is poorly understood. Garnet peridotites from Jiangzhuang in the Sulu orogen (eastern China) host garnetite and pyroxenite veins formed by slab‐mantle interactions at different melt/rock ratios. The Jiangzhuang peridotites consist mainly of garnet lherzolites and minor harzburgites and represent a fragment of the mantle wedge influenced by ultrahigh‐pressure metamorphism (5.2–6.1 GPa) in the subduction channel. Petrography, major and trace element geochemistry, and in situ clinopyroxene Sr isotope values of the garnetite and pyroxenite veins reveal their derivation from interactions between mantle wedge peridotites and deeply subducted crust‐derived melts. The two veins share a common metamorphic and metasomatic history and have similar mineral assemblages and compositions, enriched isotope signatures, and formation P‐T conditions, indicating the same source for their reacting melts. The different mineral proportions and microtextures between the garnetite and pyroxenite veins are ascribed to different melt/rock ratios. The garnetite vein formed at relatively high melt/rock ratios (>1:1), which would likely produce hybrid slab melts with Mg‐rich, high‐silica adakitic signatures. In contrast, the pyroxenite vein formed at low melt/rock ratios (<1:1), and the expected hybrid slab melts would evolve into high‐Mg andesites. Moreover, recycled heterogeneous garnetite and pyroxenite could contribute to the mantle sources of intraplate magmas. Therefore, slab‐mantle interactions at different melt/rock ratios could be an important crustal input to lithological and geochemical heterogeneities in the mantle.
Effect of Mineral Nitrogen Fertilization and some Organic Materials on Garlic Yield and Soil Fertility under Different Irrigation Intervals

Garlic (Allium sativum L.) is one of the most important crops in Egypt due to its high medical and nutritive values which were affected negatively by the excessive use in mineral nitrogen fertilizers and irrigation too. For this purpose, two field experiments were carried out during the successive winter seasons of 2015/2016 and 2016/2017 at a private farm in Besendela Village, Belqas District, Dakahlia Governorate, Egypt (31° 20 326.7" N and 31° 45' 286.0" E) to assess the effect of mineral N fertilization (at three rates 72, 96, 120 kg N fed) and some organic materials (control, 10 m compost and 4 kg potassium-humate "KH" fed) under different irrigation intervals (15, 20 and 25 days) on plant growth, yield, quality, nutrients uptake of garlic and soil fertility. Treatments were arranged in Strip-Split Plot Design with three replicates; irrigation treatments in the strip plots; organic materials in the main plots, and rates of nitrogen fertilizer in the split plots. Results demonstrated that, treatments and their interactions improved soil fertility indices (available N, P, K, Fe, Mn and Zn and organic matter content). Besides plant growth characters and its nutrients content, garlic yield and its nutritive values (N, P, K, S, Ca, Fe, Mn and Zn contents) showed significant increase with the application of organic materials and increasing N rates under irrigation intervals. Interactions among treatments had significant effect on most of parameters under study, with superior the interactions impact of the N-rate 96 kg N fed either with compost or KH under irrigation every 20 days. For the yield quality; bulbs content of dry matter, sulfur and pungency enhanced with the applications of compost or KH alongside with mineral N fertilization up to 96 kg N fed, moreover its content of nitrate was decreased. On the other hand, quality indices declined with increasing the application rate of mineral N fertilizer up to 120 kg N fed, and accumulation of nitrate in bulbs increased. It could be concluded that application of compost or KH along with mineral nitrogen fertilizer at the rate of 96 kg N fed with irrigation the plants every 20 days had favorable effect on the most studied traits of garlic yield and quality.
Postglacial vegetation community change over an elevational gradient on the western Kenai Peninsula, Alaska: pollen records from Sunken Island and Choquette Lakes

The Kenai Peninsula of south‐central Alaska is a region of high topographic diversity with a complex glacial history. The sedimentary record of two small lakes [Sunken Island (SIL; 76 m a.s.l.) in the Kenai Lowlands; Choquette (CL; 527 m a.s.l.) in the Caribou Hills upland] exemplifies the postglacial development of the conifer–hardwood forest over an elevational range there. A herb–shrub tundra was established at both sites after deglaciation. By ~10.7 ka, poplar (Populus sp.) and alder (Alnus) dominated the lowland forest, while alder with minor poplar occurred at the upland site. Lake levels lower than today occurred during the early Holocene until ~8 ka. Subsequently at SIL, the near‐modern Kenai birch (Betula kenaica) – white spruce (Picea glauca) forest maintained prominence throughout the Holocene. However, at CL, alder dominated with dwarf birch and other subshrubs; small amounts of white spruce arrived ~5.2 ka. Black spruce (Picea mariana) grew around SIL by ~4 ka, but never gained prominence at CL. Fire, a prominent agent of disturbance in the Kenai Lowlands since ~8 ka, was essentially absent at the hardwood‐dominated upland site before ~6 ka, and rare thereafter. This suggests an important link between fire and spruce in Kenai forests.
How do composition, structure, and function of mycorrhizal fungal communities respond to nitrogen deposition and ozone exposure?

This review will focus specifically on how mycorrhizal fungal (MF) communities are structured by, and function under, air pollution. In order to understand the impacts of air pollution on MF communities, and the functional significance of those impacts, we must consider both the empirical evidence for air pollution effects on those communities and the mechanisms by which fungal communities are likely to be affected. By understanding these mechanisms, we should also gain some insight into the potential functional consequences of community change.
Methods of Teaching English as a Foreign Language

Teaching English has become nowadays a real challenge because we live in a fast-moving society and young people, who can easily access all types of information, are no longer willing to attend classes where the information is presented as a lecture. Young people expect for the teaching methods to be changed and for the information to be presented in an interesting way. This paper shows different teaching methods, several activities that can be used in class and at the same time methods of assessing.
A Numerical study of Two-Phase flow through a Rectangular Duct with a Convergence Ribs

Two-phase flow in ribbed convergent rectangular upward vertical duct was studied.Water and air were usedas materials for two-phase. Numerical studies have been performed to test the influence of increased air and water discharges on the pressure profile and pressure drop through the convergent section, as the effect of increasing the convergent angle on the pressure difference across the convergent section was studied.Water inlet discharges used were between (5-20 L/min), and air discharges were between (5.833-16.666 L/min). Two test channels with convergent angles (10 and 15 degrees) were used.Computational fluid dynamics for a three-dimensional model was simulated with ANSYS fluent 18 depending on the boundary condition and governed by equations of Eulerian multiphase flow model.The results indicated that the pressure along the test channel raises as water and air discharge rise. It was observedtoo the pressure drop increases with the increase of the convergence angle.
Combining data from field surveys and archaeological records to predict the distribution of culturally important trees

Indigenous communities involved in conservation planning require spatial datasets depicting the distribution of culturally important species. However, accessing datasets on the location of these species can be challenging, particularly when the current distribution no longer reflects areas with the full range of suitable growing conditions because of past logging. We test whether using occurrence data from community‐based field surveys and archaeological records in species distribution models can help predict the distribution of monumental western redcedar trees (Thuja plicata)—large, high‐quality trees suitable for cultural purposes such as carving dug‐out canoes, totem poles and traditional houses. This species is critically important to indigenous people of the Pacific Northwest of North America, but trees suitable for traditional carving and building are diminishing in abundance due to logging.
Deep-seated focused fluid migration as indicator for hydrocarbon leads in the East Shetland Platform, North Sea Province

Abstract Hydrocarbon exploration in the North Sea Basin has revealed a multitude of focused fluid conduits, which manifest in seismic data as pipe or chimney structures that in some instances are connected to underlying hydrocarbon reservoirs. 3D seismic data from the eastern margin of the East Shetland Platform reveal the presence of more than 450 focused fluid conduits. Most of these initiate at the Base Tertiary Unconformity and cross-cut the overlying sediments. The focused fluid conduits correlate with intra-platform basin structures beneath the Base Tertiary Unconformity and with permeable sediment lobes, channels and deltaic units in the overlying Paleocene to Eocene successions, which include known hydrocarbon reservoirs (e.g. Bressay, Bentley, Skipper or Piper). Clusters of pipes associated with other channels and deltaic units may indicate the presence of additional prospects at the eastern margin of the East Shetland Platform. Our study highlights the potential of using seismically imaged focused fluid system analyses in hydrocarbon exploration in platform areas on both sides of the Viking Graben and other frontier areas as they reveal the presence of working hydrocarbon charge pathways.
Absolute Primary Pressure Scale to 120 GPa: Toward a Pressure Benchmark for Earth's Lower Mantle

Self‐consistent absolute primary pressure scale available to whole Earth's lower mantle pressure regime was established by the simultaneous measurement of densities and acoustic wave velocities of NaCl‐B2 phase up to ~120 GPa without any use of prior pressure standards. While our pressure scale shows excellent agreement with the theoretical predictions, some of the previous secondary pressure scales constructed based on the prior pressure standard by the shock wave data significantly deviate from our primary scale reaching above 12 GPa at most within lower mantle pressure regime, which corresponds to ~120‐km difference in depth. Our newly established pressure scale would thus be a new benchmark to deal with the controversy on the depth of the boundaries of Earth's layered structure, such as magnesium‐silicate postperovskite phase transition boundary at the bottom of the Earth's mantle which might represent the D″ seismic discontinuity.
The heterogeneity and electro-mechanical characteristics of coal at the micro- and nanoscale

With regard to the mechanism of electromagnetic radiation (EMR) excited by deformation and failure of coal and rock, the present study employed the optical microscope, digital microhardness tester and atomic force microscopy (AFM) to measure surface morphology, surface microhardness and electro-mechanical characteristics, including elastic modulus and surface potential of coal. The results show that micro-mineral composition and micro-mechanical properties of coal are clearly heterogeneous. The elastic modulus values measured are 62.3 MPa–4.0 GPa and the surface potential values tested are 21.2–166.2 mV. The proportion distributions of the two parameters mentioned follow the normal distribution, which indicates the electro-mechanical characteristics of coal are clearly inhomogeneous at the micro- and nanoscales. Finally, the effects of the inhomogeneous elastic modulus and surface potential on the EMR from the microscopic perspective were analyzed. In this experiment, the change of the micro-elastic modulus and the existence of the surface potential on the coal surface were directly observed. The findings reveal the mechanism of EMR induced by deformation and failure of coal and rock.
Finer Resolution Mapping of Marine Aquaculture Areas Using WorldView-2 Imagery and a Hierarchical Cascade Convolutional Neural Network

Marine aquaculture plays an important role in seafood supplement, economic development, and coastal ecosystem service provision. The precise delineation of marine aquaculture areas from high spatial resolution (HSR) imagery is vital for the sustainable development and management of coastal marine resources. However, various sizes and detailed structures of marine objects make it difficult for accurate mapping from HSR images by using conventional methods. Therefore, this study attempts to extract marine aquaculture areas by using an automatic labeling method based on the convolutional neural network (CNN), i.e., an end-to-end hierarchical cascade network (HCNet). Specifically, for marine objects of various sizes, we propose to improve the classification performance by utilizing multi-scale contextual information. Technically, based on the output of a CNN encoder, we employ atrous convolutions to capture multi-scale contextual information and aggregate them in a hierarchical cascade way. Meanwhile, for marine objects with detailed structures, we propose to refine the detailed information gradually by using a series of long-span connections with fine resolution features from the shallow layers. In addition, to decrease the semantic gaps between features in different levels, we propose to refine the feature space (i.e., channel and spatial dimensions) using an attention-based module. Experimental results show that our proposed HCNet can effectively identify and distinguish different kinds of marine aquaculture, with 98% of overall accuracy. It also achieves better classification performance compared with object-based support vector machine and state-of-the-art CNN-based methods, such as FCN-32s, U-Net, and DeeplabV2. Our developed method lays a solid foundation for the intelligent monitoring and management of coastal marine resources.