Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Satellite and Scene Image Classification Based on Transfer Learning and Fine Tuning of ResNet50

Image classification has gained lot of attention due to its application in different computer vision tasks such as remote sensing, scene analysis, surveillance, object detection, and image retrieval. The primary goal of image classification is to assign the class labels to images according to the image contents. The applications of image classification and image analysis in remote sensing are important as they are used in various applied domains such as military and civil fields. Earlier approaches for remote sensing images and scene analysis are based on low-level feature representations such as color- and texture-based features. Vector of Locally Aggregated Descriptors (VLAD) and orderless Bag-of-Features (BoF) representations are the examples of mid-level approaches for remote sensing image classification. Recent trends for remote sensing and scene classification are focused on the use of Convolutional Neural Network (CNN). Keeping in view the success of CNN models, in this research, we aim to fine-tune ResNet50 by using network surgery and creation of network head along with the fine-tuning of hyperparameters. The learning of hyperparameters is tuned by using a linear decay learning rate scheduler known as piecewise scheduler. To tune the optimizer hyperparameter, Stochastic Gradient Descent with Momentum (SGDM) is used with the usage of weight learn and bias learn rate factor. Experiments and analysis are conducted on five different datasets, that is, UC Merced Land Use Dataset (UCM), RSSCN (the remote sensing scene classification image dataset), SIRI-WHU, Corel-1K, and Corel-1.5K. The analysis and competitive results exemplify that our proposed image classification-based model can classify the images in a more effective and efficient manner as compared to the state-of-the-art research.
On the possibility of replacement of calcium carbonate by a high-performance, economically viable filler in polyethylene composites

Calcium carbonate (CaCO3) is frequently added to polyethylene (PE) as a filler to reduce costs. An alternative to CaCO3, calcium fluoride (CaF2) was proposed in this research. PE/CaCO3 and PE/CaF2 composites in a wide composition range (0–60 wt.%) were prepared through a parallel twin screw extruder. Results indicated better interaction of CaF2 with PE matrix which improved samples yield stress. Statistical analysis showed the filler type was more influential factor on the yield stress while filler loading was not a statistically significant one. In contrast, crystallinity was strongly depended on the filler loading. The dynamic mechanical and rheological investigations revealed that PE/CaF2 composites had higher stiffness at ambient temperature and possessed lower viscosity below 40 wt. % of filler loading compared to PE/CaCO3 which could reduce the processing cost. Therefore, regarding its low price and good functional properties, CaF2 can be a promising alternative to CaCO3.
Epidemiological profile of the homeless population assisted by voluntary initiative and the social impact on access to healthcare: an investigative study in Curitiba, Brazil

Objective: The study aimed to describe the epidemiological profile of the homeless population and report the social impact on healthcare services provided by a voluntary initiative during one-year of follow-up. Method: This is an investigational study, carried out in an important capital-city of southern Brazil, which included 509 individuals in 2019. Findings were divided into three segments: sociodemographic, substance use/abuse and impact on healthcare. Results: The sociodemographic profile found was predominantly male, white, single, heterosexual, educated in elementary or high school, in regular use of legal and/or illegal substances, and living as homeless for less than a year. The impact of assistance provided on the perception of individuals who returned in subsequent actions was evident. Conclusion: The significant increase in the number of homeless people in large urban centers can benefit from the support of non-profit organizations to address the deficiencies faced in accessing basic health services. Based on this, we seek to advance in the development of new policies that improve local healthcare for the vulnerable population, to be more assertive to their needs.
Financial Inclusion, Financial Frictions, and Economic Growth: Evidence from Africa

ABSTRACT This paper aims to first, develop an analytical framework that examines the role of financial inclusion in promoting investment and economic growth, through the reduction of financial imperfections and considering the heterogeneity of access to the financial system. When performing a comparative analysis of the levels of financial inclusion in Africa, we mobilize the principal component analysis methodology to build the African Financial Inclusion Index (AFIndex). To test the empirical validity of the analytical conclusions, we use a panel data regression technique on a database constituted of 33 African countries over the period 2004–2019. Based on model simulations, financial inclusion stimulates investment and economic growth. Empirical results provide evidence attesting to the fact that financial inclusion has a significant and positive impact on investment and economic growth in Africa. The AFIndex shows that most African economies have a low level of financial inclusion. Our model is original as it provides analytical evidence on the negative impact of financial exclusion on economic growth, emphasizing the vital role of financial inclusion for economic growth. The AFIndex is a useful tool for designing and evaluating policies and/or programs intended for promoting financial inclusion in Africa.
Recruitment and Selection Practices of Construction Employers in Rwanda

Human resources play a key role in the achievement of construction projects. This study investigated the recruitment practices of construction employers in Rwanda. The problem of the study is the lack of empirical evidence to support the recruitment and selection practices of construction employers in Rwanda. Similar studies are abundant in other sectors of the economy but very scarce in the construction industry. The descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. A closed-ended questionnaire was used for data collection. The population of the study are the construction organisations that employ construction workers in Rwanda. Hence, the population of the study is the 580 construction organisations that are officially working in Rwanda. A sample of 80 firms used for the study were determined with the use of Slovin’s formula. The findings of the study indicated that requests for the curriculum vitae, cover letter, face-to-face interview, submission of applications with key information of education/work experience and knowledge test to measure job specific knowledge are the prevalent strategies of recruiting and selecting staff in the construction industry. The prominent sources of recruitment and selection are internship performance, internal advertisement, and local newspaper advertisement. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended that construction organizations should study and adopt the recruitment and selection strategies that have given them the most effective results. It was also recommended that the organisation should stick to the most effective sources of recruitment and selection for their organisations
Entrepreneurial careers: Factors influencing entrepreneurial intentions using a sample of undergraduate exit students

Entrepreneurship is being encouraged as a possible career path especially within a context of high unemployment that mostly affects the youth. The study sought to empirically investigate the factors influencing entrepreneurial intentions using a sample of undergraduate exit students within a South African higher education (HE) context using a sample of final year students at a university campus in Durban. Researching the factors that influence entrepreneurial intentions can be a useful precursor to interventions that assist students. A sample of 320 respondents were surveyed from a Durban university campus. To determine relationships of the variables, correlation and regression tests were used. The results attest to the importance of the theory of planned behaviour in studies of this nature. Further, relationships existed between personality and participation in entrepreneurial education with entrepreneurial intentions. The study findings have implications for practitioners who may work in a space that encourages entrepreneurship development and education initiatives targeted at students in institutions of higher learning. The findings may serve as a catalyst for developing learning materials and creating opportunities that encourage entrepreneurship development and education.
Influencia de la pandemia del Covid-19 en la Salud Mental de los Trabajadores en salud

La pandemia de COVID-19 ha debilitado la salud mental de la población, el personal sanitario es un grupo afectado, hecho importante considerando que son los integrantes principales frente al mayor reto que el mundo moderno ha enfrentado hasta el momento en lo referido a enfermedades infectocontagiosas. La enfermedad COVID-19 ha producido en el personal de salud ansiedad, depresión, nerviosismo, desvelo, entre otros; siendo estos síntomas resultados del estrés, turnos prolongados, excesiva carga de trabajo, capacitación inadecuada y equipo de protección personal escaso, haciéndolos propensos a desarrollar trastornos tales como el Síndrome de Burnout o Síndrome de estrés postraumático. La salud mental es fundamental para la salud pública, ya que el estado anímico del personal de salud es un determinante indirecto de la calidad de atención y salud del paciente; por tanto, el objetivo de este trabajo fue el de realizar una revisión bibliográfica que analice la salud mental de los trabajadores de salud frente a la pandemia del COVID-19.
Combustion Characteristics of Multi-Element Swirl Coaxial Jet Injectors under Varying Momentum Ratios

The combustion characteristics of a staged combustion cycle engine with an oxidizer-rich preburner were experimentally studied at different momentum ratios of multi-element injectors. Propellants were simultaneously supplied as a liquid–liquid–liquid system, and an injector was designed in which a swirl coaxial jet is sprayed. The injector burned the propellants in the inner chamber which had a temperature greater than 2000 K. To cool the combustion gas, a liquid oxidizer was supplied to the cooling channel outside the injector. To prevent the turbine blades from melting, the temperature of the combustion gas was maintained below 700 K. To confirm the combustion characteristics at different momentum ratios of the high-temperature combustion gas inside the injector and the low-temperature liquid oxidizer outside the injector, three types of injectors were designed and manufactured with different momentum ratios: MR 3.0, MR 3.3, and MR 3.7. In this study, the results of the combustion test for each type were compared for 30 s. For ORPB-A, a combustion pressure of 18.5 MPaA, fuel mass flow rate of 0.26 kg/s, oxidizer mass flow rate of 15.3 kg/s, and turbine inlet temperature of 686 K were obtained in the combustion stability period of 29.0–29.5 s. The combustion efficiency was 98% for MR 3.0 (ORPB-A), which was superior to that for other momentum ratios. In addition, during the combustion test for MR 3.0, the fluctuations in the characteristic velocity, combustion pressure, and propellant mass flow rate were low, indicating that combustion was stable. The three types of combustion instability were all less than 0.8%, thus confirming that the combustion stability was excellent.
On Biologising Racism

To biologise racism is to treat racism as a neurological phenomenon susceptible to biochemical intervention. In Race on the Brain: What Implicit Bias Gets Wrong About the Struggle for Racial Injustice, Kahn (2018) critiques cognitive psychologists and neuroscientists for framing racism in a way that tends to biologise racism, which he argues draws attention and resources away from non-individualistic solutions to racial inequality. In this paper I argue the psychological sciences can accommodate several of Kahn’s criticisms by adopting a situated approach to cognition, where we take environmental features as integral to the cognitive processes that manifest racial bias.
The Geographical Indication Pathway to Sustainability: A Framework to Assess and Monitor the Contributions of Geographical Indications to Sustainability through a Participatory Process

Geographical Indications (GIs) are widely considered as tools to contribute to sustainability (The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations—FAO, 2009; 2017), if established and well managed. While the literature may not always agree on the positive effects of GIs in all sustainability dimensions (e.g., economic, social, and environmental), there is evidence that engaging GI producers in a sustainability strategy can maximize their contribution to different components of sustainable development. FAO and oriGIn developed the sustainability strategy for GI (SSGI) to support GI producers and their associations so that they could engage in a place-based and participative approach in order to generate concrete progress and results. This paper presents original research for building both a framework and database for the selection and use of relevant sustainability indicators for GIs. A number of SSGI principles have guided the work throughout an iterative process for reviewing, selecting, and improving relevant indicators, while the Sustainability Assessment of Food and Agriculture (SAFA) has provided the structure to align with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and other widely used and recognized sustainability frameworks. As a result of this work, a database of 372 robust sustainability indicators that are relevant to GIs have been characterized to facilitate their use by practitioners. The discussion highlights the importance of the place-based approach, and the participative, inclusive process that represents the key to empowerment and the ability to develop alliances. It also focuses on action, and the need to strengthen both internal and external communication.
Green Tea: Conventional Facts and its Frontier Prospect on Health- A review

Green tea obtained from the leaves of Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze having potential health benefits. It contains significant amounts of antioxidant and is considered as world healthiest drink. Polyphenols in tea are thought to exhibits anti-carcinogenic and anti-inflammatory effects. Green tea catechins acts as immune modulators in immune dysfunction and also play a role in protection from degenerative diseases. Intake of green tea catechins suppress high fat diet induced obesity, prevent lipid and glucose metabolism disorders and reduce risk of coronary heart disease. Green tea constituent epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) is a potential antioxidant that shows protective effects against photo toxicity and photo carcinogenesis. In vitro animal experiments have suggested that polyphenols in green tea protect from lung cancer by their antioxidant and antimutagenic properties. This study chiefly highlights the convenience of green tea on health and propagates its further prospects.
Improving the Utilization of Isomaltose and Panose by Lager Yeast Saccharomyces pastorianus

Approximately 25% of all carbohydrates in industrial worts are poorly, if at all, fermented by brewing yeast. This includes dextrins, β-glucans, arabinose, xylose, disaccharides such as isomaltose, nigerose, kojibiose, and trisaccharides such as panose and isopanose. As the efficient utilization of carbohydrates during the wort’s fermentation impacts the alcohol yield and the organoleptic traits of the product, developing brewing strains with enhanced abilities to ferment subsets of these sugars is highly desirable. In this study, we developed Saccharomyces pastorianus laboratory yeast strains with a superior capacity to grow on isomaltose and panose. First, we designed a plasmid toolbox for the stable integration of genes into lager strains. Next, we used the toolbox to elevate the levels of the α-glucoside transporter Agt1 and the major isomaltase Ima1. This was achieved by integrating synthetic AGT1 and IMA1 genes under the control of strong constitutive promoters into defined genomic sites. As a result, strains carrying both genes showed a superior capacity to grow on panose and isomaltose, indicating that Ima1 and Agt1 act in synergy to consume these sugars. Our study suggests that non-GMO strategies aiming to develop strains with improved isomaltose and panose utilization could include identifying strains that overexpress AGT1 and IMA1.
The stress of the SARS-CoV-2 virus pandemic and pro-health behaviors among medical personnel - preliminary report.

OBJECTIVES The aim of the study was to evaluate pro-health behaviors as protective measures against symptoms of anxiety and depression in a group of health care workers during the first wave of the SARS-CoV-2 virus pandemic. METHODS The group of 114 people participated in the study, including 46 medical doctors aged 41.10 ± 11.89 and 68 nurses aged 48.16 ± 8.54 years.The following scales were used for the research: the Health Behavior Inventory (HBI), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). RESULTS Taking into consideration health behaviors, an average score of 79.61 ± 13.08 points in HBI was obtained. In the BDI questionnaire, the respondents obtained an average of 3.7 ± 4.65 points. In the STAI questionnaire, in the part related to state anxiety, the mean result in the study group was 38.08 ± 9.46 points, and for trait anxiety 38.35 ± 8.44 points. Taking into account the components of HBI, only the results obtained in the subscales: positive mental attitude (PMA) and pro-health activities (PhA) correlated negatively with the results obtained in the STAI and BDI scales. Moreover, the pro-health effect of PMA on the symptoms of anxiety and depression was observed. CONCLUSIONS No significant intensification of anxiety and depression symptoms was observed among medical personnel during the first wave of the pandemic. Health-promoting behaviors, and especially positive mental attitudes, may play a protective role in relation to the symptoms of anxiety and depression in a stressful situations.
Prevalence and Risk Factors for Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Carriage among Healthcare Workers in a Tertiary Health Facility in Nigeria

Background: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) colonized healthcare workers (HCWs) constitute massive threat to the well-being of hospitalized patients due to their ability to transmit this multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacteria strain in hospital settings. Aim: To determine the prevalence of MRSA carriage/colonization among HCWs, to identify risk-factors associated with colonization/carriage, and to determine the antibiotic resistance pattern of isolates. Study Design: A cross-sectional study. Materials and Methods: A total of 333 randomly selected consenting HCWs from most hospital care units were studied. Data on demographic characteristics and infection control practices were obtained from participants with the aid of questionnaire. Swabs of the anterior nares and hands of participants were cultured on oxacillin-containing mannitol salt agar (MSA), S. aureus was identified using convectional criteria and MRSA was identified by cefoxitin disc diffusion technique. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was carried out on all isolated MRSA. Results: The carriage rate of MRSA was high (21.3%). Isolation was significantly higher among; males compared to females (P=.035), staff of critical care units compared to other care units (P=.049), among doctors and nurses compared to other HCWs (P=.0031). Poor handwashing practices (P<.001), presence of wound or skin infection (P<.001) and recent antibiotic use (P=.006) were associated with higher isolation rate. Isolation rate was higher from the nose (15.0%) than from the hands (6.3%). Isolates demonstrated low resistance to clindamycin (16.9%) and ciprofloxacin (16.9%). No isolate was resistant to vancomycin. Conclusion: In this study; colonization of HCWs by MRSA was high, a male doctor or nurse from critical care unit, with poor handwashing practices, wound or skin infection, and recent antibiotic use had a higher risk of MRSA carriage/colonization. No MRSA isolated was resistant to vancomycin. Improved infection control policies and practices are needed to curtail this trend in hospital settings.
Interactive effect of biocontrol agents in the management of Fusarium rot in cardamom and its impact on plant defense mechanism

Cardamom plantations are subjected to constant threat due to the Fusarium rot disease caused by Fusarium oxysporum Schlecht which is pronounced during summer months. The current study deals with the identification of an effective and ecofriendly management practice for the disease through the use of biocontrol agents. Survey conducted between February and May 2019 revealed maximum disease severity and incidence in Pampadumpara panchayat of Nedumkandam block (84.40% and 100%) and minimum in Erattaar panchayat of Kattappanablock (50.40% and 60.00%). A pot culture experiment was conducted to study the effect of three bioagents (Glomus fasciculatum, Trichoderma asperellum and Pseudomonas fluorescens) individually as well as in combinations. Root inoculation of G. fasciculatum with basal application and spray with P. fluorescens as well as root inoculation of G. fasciculatum along with basal application of T. asperellum and P. fluorescens spray were identifiedto be effective against the disease. Disease suppression by the above bioagents was facilitated by reduced pathogen antagonist ratio in the soil, high level of mycorrhizal colonization in the roots and enhanced biochemical activity of defense enzymes like peroxidase, poly phenol oxidase and phenylalanine ammonia lyase in the plants.
The hierarchical and perturbative forms of stochastic Schrödinger equations and their applications to carrier dynamics in organic materials

A number of non‐Markovian stochastic Schrödinger equations, ranging from the numerically exact hierarchical form toward a series of perturbative expressions sequentially presented in an ascending degrees of approximations are revisited in this short review, aiming at providing a systematic framework which is capable to connect different kinds of the wavefunction‐based approaches for an open system coupled to the harmonic bath. One can optimistically expect the extensive future applications of those non‐Markovian stochastic Schrödinger equations in large‐scale realistic complex systems, benefiting from their favorable scaling with respect to the system size, the stochastic nature which is extremely suitable for parallel computing, and many other distinctive advantages. In addition, we have presented a few examples showing the excitation energy transfer in the Fenna‐Matthews‐Olson complex, a quantitative measure of decoherence timescale of hot exciton, and the study of quantum interference effects upon the singlet fission processes in organic materials, since a deep understanding of both mechanisms is very important to explore the underlying microscopic processes and to provide novel design principles for highly efficient organic photovoltaics.