Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Weakly-Supervised Plate And Food Region Segmentation

In this paper, we propose a novel method to infer plate regions of food images without any pixel-wise annotation. We synthesize plate segmentation masks using difference of visualization in food image classifiers. To be concrete, we use two types of classifiers: a food category classifier and a food/non-food classifier. Using the Class Activation Mapping (CAM) which is one of the basic visualization techniques of CNNs, a food category classifier can highlight food regions containing no plate regions, while a food/non-food category classifier can highlight food regions including plate regions. By taking advantage of the difference between the food regions estimated by visualization of two kinds of the classifiers, in this paper, we demonstrate that we can estimate plate regions without any pixel-wise annotation, and we proposed the approach for boosting the accuracy of weakly-supervised food segmentation using the plate segmentation. In experiments, we show the effectiveness of the proposed approach by evaluating and comparing the accuracy of the weakly-supervised segmentation. The proposed approaches certainly improved an image-level weakly-supervised segmentation method in the food domain and outperformed a well-known bounding box-level weakly-supervised segmentation method.
Lightweight Authentication Protocol for Inter Base Station Communication in Heterogeneous Networks

Over the past few years, with increasing mobile traffic and decreasing revenue per user, Heterogeneous Networks (HetNets) have become a topic of interest to many stakeholders. HetNets is a combination of networks with different access technologies and cell types working with each other. Mobile network operators are keen to reduce operational expenses by deploying HetNets while they provide better QoS to the user anywhere, anytime wireless connectivity. Although HetNets provide various benefits, yet many open issues need to be addressed to harness their impact. They are also prone to several security threats such as physical attacks, man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks, impersonation attacks, replay attacks, and node tampering attacks. Moreover, due to the different nature and structure of each network in a HetNet, secure handover between various wireless networks is a complex task that is not yet resolved. In this paper, we address the issues mentioned above by designing a secure handover mechanism that is resistant to both passive and active attacks. We also show a performance comparison of our protocol with the state-of-the-art protocols for securing hetnets based on computation, communication, and memory storage cost.
Assessing the Genetic Diversity of Chrysanthemum Cultivars with Microsatellites

The morphological characteristics of chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum ·morifolium) are rich in variation. However, as a result of the aneuploid polyploidy of the chrysanthemum genome and the lack of proper tools, the genomic information of this crop is limited. Development of microsatellite markers has been an increasing trend in crop genetic studies because of the applicability of these markers in breeding programs. In this study, we reported the development of a simple sequence repeat in chrysanthemums using a magnetic beads enrichment method. An enriched genomic library with AC and GT microsatellite motifs was constructed, and 53 positive clones were detected by a colony polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique. Of these clones, 35 showed high-quality sequences, and 35 primer pairs were designed accordingly. Twenty-six (74.29%) of the 35 primer pairs revealed polymorphisms on a set of 40 chrysanthemum cultivars. There were 172 alleles amplified over 26 loci with an average of 6.615 alleles per locus. The mean values of gene diversity corrected for the sample size and the inbreeding coefficient were 0.609 and 0.119 over 26 loci, respectively, which indicated that the majority of the microsatellite loci is highly informative. Cluster analysis based on 26 polymorphic loci demonstrated that the selected cultivars were clustered according to geographical origin. This study shows the isolation efficiency of the magnetic beads technique; the abundance of microsatellites in chrysanthemum; and the potential application for the cultivar classification, the studies on genetic diversity, and molecular breeding of chrysanthemums, which is beneficial to promoting the conservation and sustainable use of this crop.
Real Time State of Charge Estimation for Lead Acid Battery Using Artificial Neural Network

Battery is a device that contains electrical cells. It can store energy which is later converted into power. Conventionally to find out the power stored in the battery using an open circuit voltage test. This causes the battery cannot be monitored continuously during the charging state. In this proposal the design of artificial neural network systems was conveyed. This artificial neural network is designed to estimate the value of State of Charge (SOC) on the battery and equipped with a bluetooth feature. The estimation system consists of a voltage sensor and ACS 712 current sensor to send information about the condition of the battery to the STM32F1 microcontroller as the control center. This estimator has functions, namely estimation of SOC. So it is expected that if the battery is connected to this system, then the SOC battery will always be monitored accurately.
Design and Simulation of a Directly Frequency-Modulated DFB Laser

In this work we propose a simple approach to realize the direct frequency modulation of a semiconductor distributed feedback (DFB) laser. The directly frequency-modulated DFB laser (DFL) is biased by a direct current (DC) on a normal electrode along the laser cavity to define the output power. The signal current is applied on an extra short electrode placed in the center section of the DFB laser, isolated from the DC electrode. The varying of the material refractive index in the center section with the signal current introduces an effective grating phase change, thereby alters the lasing frequency. Small-signal simulation shows that a frequency modulation efficiency of 26GHz/mA from 0 to 100GHz and 17GHz/mA from 100GHZ to 200GHz can be achieved, respectively. Large-signal simulation of the waveform and eye-diagram of a frequency-shift keying (FSK) signal generated by the DFL is also performed by converting it to an intensity modulated signal through an optical slope filter.
An analysis of accounting practices before and after the amendment in 2009

The present study examines the valuation methods 30 forest-owning companies use to determine the fair value of their standing forests under International Accounting Standard 41 ‘Agriculture’. Comparison with regards to the assumptions made in applying fair value is conducted over time for the reporting periods 2005 to 2009 and among companies. Identified differences and similarities are clustered and analyzed in patterns. As the standard was reviewed and amended in 2009, the companies’ assessment and reaction to the amendment is in special focus. The study finds that the net present value method is used to determine fair value by most of the companies. Assumptions made by the forest owners are dispersed, but similarities especially among Swedish companies are observable. Significant learning processes or developments over time could not be identified in most cases. However, a movement of the companies’ disclosures towards the use of the standard’s wording has emerged. Further, the amendment to IAS 41 that allows for taking ‘additional biological transformation’ into account, when valuing immature forest holdings, appears to have been triggered by industry practice.
Challenges in Securing Shariah Compliance Issues among Islamic Financial Institutions: A Malaysian Perspective

This paper aims to examine the extent of the implementation of mualamat legal provisions in Islamic banking institutions in Malaysia. It seeks to ensure whether the operation and management of Islamic banks in this country comply with the Shariah requirement. Besides, it also aims to examine the extent of the laws’ effectiveness in overcoming encountered issues and problems. The author will use the qualitative method in analysing the data. This research will utilise the purposive sampling method to conduct the interview because the author will select the best group to be studied, comprising officers who are involved either directly or indirectly in Islamic banking. The case study method will be used to collect recorded data that are related to Islamic banking case reports. Therefore, to propose the future works about several approaches to appropriate solutions to responsible parties or bodies to ensure that Malaysia’s Islamic banking system can be implemented in a more comprehensive manner in line with Shariah requirements.This paper will provide a detailed overview of how far the currently applied legal provisions are able to resolve several issues that have long been acknowledged and whether there are new issues which may emerge.
The Isle of Wight studies: the scope and scale of reading difficulties

ABSTRACT Beginning in the 1960s, the Isle of Wight studies were among the first to investigate developmental reading problems in representative, population-based samples, using the tools of epidemiology. In this paper, we provide an overview of the contribution of the Isle of Wight studies to research on reading disabilities. We begin with an account of the surveys of primary school children, then move on to describe the programme of epidemiological and longitudinal research that flowed from them. The early studies provided some of the first systematic evidence on the extent and correlates of severe developmental reading problems, and their overlaps with other childhood difficulties. Subsequent studies documented the persistence of early reading problems into adolescence; provided comparative data on rates of reading problems in an inner city area; and most recently explored the long-term persistence of literacy problems up to mid-life.
The Roles of Gender Affirmation and Discrimination in the Resilience of Transgender Individuals in the US

Abstract Transgender individuals face severe stigma-driven health inequities structurally, institutionally, and interpersonally, yielding poor individual-level outcomes. Gender affirmation, or being recognized based on one’s gender identity, expression, and/or role, may be considered a manifestation of resilience. To provide intervention and policy guidelines, we examined latent constructs representative of gender affirmation (legal documentation changes, transition-related medical procedures, familial support) and discrimination (unequal treatment, harassment, and attacks), and tested their impact on mental, physical, and behavioral health outcomes among 17,188 binary-identified transgender participants in the 2015 US Transgender Survey. Confirmatory factor analyses revealed high standardized factor loadings for both latent variables, on which we regressed outcomes using structural equation modeling. Fit indices suggested good model fit. Affirmation was associated with lower odds of suicidal ideation and psychological distress, and higher odds of substance use, and past-year healthcare use and HIV-testing. Discrimination was associated with higher odds of suicidal ideation, psychological distress, substance use, and past-year HIV-testing. Affirmation and discrimination interaction analyses showed lower odds of past-year suicidal ideation, with affirmation having a significant moderating protective effect against discrimination. Gender affirmation is paramount in upholding transgender health. Clarification of affirmation procedures, and increases in its accessibility, equitably across racial/ethnic groups, should become a priority, from policy to the family unit. The impact of discrimination demands continued advocacy via education and policy.
The Role of Substrate Moisture and Dew in the Water Economy of Leopard Frogs, Rana pipiens

In summer, adult Rana ipipens, which normally reside at considerable distances from ponds, depend upon soil moisture as their primary source of water. Water is absorbed through the skin of the groin while sitting on the damp soil. Under controlled laboratory conditions leopard frogs dehydrated to 65-75% of their hydrated weight, can, on the average, completely recover the lost water in 48 hr when on sand with a moisture content of 20%; on sand with only 10% water content, only about 50% of the lost water is reabsorbed in 48 hr.
Ultrastructural features, chromium content and in situ immunodetection of 5-methyl-cytosine following Cr (VI) treatment in two strains of Scenedesmus acutus M. (Chlorophyceae) with different chromium sensitivity

Abstract Two strains of the unicellular green alga Scenedesmus acutus (F.J.F. Meyen) with different sensitivity to chromium (VI) were compared to evaluate their ultrastructural morphology in chromium-free and -supplemented medium with a sub-lethal concentration of Cr(VI) for 72 hours. The ultrastructural alteration in different cytological compartments indicated that Cr(VI) induced earlier and stronger alterations in the wild type (wt) compared with the chromium-tolerant strain (Cr-t). After Cr treatments, ICP-MS (Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry) showed a higher Cr accumulation in the wild type than in the Cr-tolerant strain, suggesting a more efficient chromium-exclusion mechanism in the latter. The Cr treatment induced an increase in the nuclear area and a rearrangement in the eu-heterochromatic fraction, suggesting that chromatin remodelling could be at the basis of differential gene expression and metal tolerance. To gain additional information on the remodelling of the nuclear chromatin, we analysed DNA methylation by immunolocalization of 5-methyl-cytosine, before and after Cr exposure. Significant differences in the quantification of the immunolabelling of DNA cytosine-rich zones between the two strains were observed. These data suggest that an epigenetic mechanism could be at the basis of the Cr tolerance in S. acutus, as supported by previous data reporting that the acquired tolerance was inherited and maintained through the progeny.
Diapause in Anthonomus grandis Boh.

Part of the boll weevil, Anthonomus grandis Boh. , population enters diapause during late summer and early fall in Louisiana. Winter is passed in this condition. Diapause in this insect is characterized by cessation of gametogenesis and atrophy of gonads, increase in fat content, decrease in water content, and decrease in respiratory rate. Diapausing boll weevils were found in ground trash each month of the year except June and July. It is almost certain that they were also present there during these 2 months but no collections of ground trash were made at this time. Diapause occurred in some individuals as early as July 30 and movement to winter quarters began prior to August 16 during 1957. Fat and water content remained relatively stable in diapausing weevils during late fall, winter and early spring. There was a sharp decrease in fat and a corresponding increase in water content soon after they moved back to cotton in the spring. Males were able to resume spermatogenesis prior to leaving their winter quarters but oogenesis did not begin until the females had fed on seedling cotton.
Identification of Cancer-Associated Circulating Cells in Anal Cancer Patients

Whilst anal cancer accounts for less than 1% of all new cancer cases, incidence rates have increased by up to 70% in the last 30 years with the majority of cases driven by human papilloma virus (HPV) infection. Standard treatment for localised anal cancer is chemoradiotherapy (CRT). Localised progression is the predominant pattern of relapse but well under 50% of cases are salvaged by surgery, predominantly because confirming recurrence within post-radiation change is very challenging. Identifying cancer-associated circulating cells (CCs) in peripheral blood could offer a corroborative method of monitoring treatment efficacy and identifying relapse early. To study this, nucleated cells were isolated from the blood of patients with anal cancer prior to, during, and after CRT and processed through the Amnis® ImageStream®X Mk II Imaging Flow Cytometer, without prior enrichment, using Pan-cytokeratin (PCK), CD45 antibodies and making use of the DNA dye DRAQ5. Analysis was undertaken using IDEAS software to identify those cells that were PCK-positive and DRAQ5-positive as well as CD45-negative; these were designated as CCs. CCs were identified in 7 of 8 patients; range 60–876 cells per mL of blood. This first report of the successful identification of CCs in anal cancer patients raises the possibility that liquid biopsies will find a future role as a prognostic/diagnostic tool in this patient group.
Golf Swing Segmentation from a Single IMU Using Machine Learning

Golf swing segmentation with inertial measurement units (IMUs) is an essential process for swing analysis using wearables. However, no attempt has been made to apply machine learning models to estimate and divide golf swing phases. In this study, we proposed and verified two methods using machine learning models to segment the full golf swing into five major phases, including before and after the swing, from every single IMU attached to a body part. Proposed bidirectional long short-term memory-based and convolutional neural network-based methods rely on characteristics that automatically learn time-series features, including sequential body motion during a golf swing. Nine professional and eleven skilled male golfers participated in the experiment to collect swing data for training and verifying the methods. We verified the proposed methods using leave-one-out cross-validation. The results revealed average segmentation errors of 5–92 ms from each IMU attached to the head, wrist, and waist, accurate compared to the heuristic method in this study. In addition, both proposed methods could segment all the swing phases using only the acceleration data, bringing advantage in terms of power consumption. This implies that swing-segmentation methods using machine learning could be applied to various motion-analysis environments by dividing motion phases with less restriction on IMU placement.
Plasma Vitamin C Concentrations Were Negatively Associated with Tingling, Prickling or Pins and Needles Sensation in Patients with Postherpetic Neuralgia

Vitamin C deficiency increases the risk of postherpetic neuralgia (PHN). In this cross-sectional study, the relationships among plasma vitamin C concentrations, pain and Leeds assessment of neuropathic symptoms and signs (LANSS) items were investigated during their first pain clinic visit of 120 PHN patients. The factors associated with vitamin C deficiency were determined. Independent predictors of vitamin C deficiency were presented as adjusted odds ratios (AOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). The patients had a high prevalence (52.5%) of vitamin C deficiency. Their plasma vitamin C concentrations were negatively associated with spontaneous pain and tingling, prickling or pins and needles sensation according to the LANSS questionnaire. Based on the receiver operator characteristic curve, the cutoffs for plasma vitamin C to predict moderate-to-severe and severe symptoms of sharp sensation were <7.05 and <5.68 mg/L, respectively. By comparison, the patients well-nourished with vitamin C had lower incidences of sharp sensations, sharp pain, and reddish skin. Multivariate analyses revealed that vitamin C deficiency was associated with the low intake of fruit/vegetables (AOR 2.66, 95% CI 1.09–6.48, p = 0.032), peptic ulcer disease (AOR 3.25, 95% CI 1.28–8.28, p = 0.014), and smoking (AOR 3.60, 95% CI 1.33–9.77, p = 0.010). Future studies are needed to substantiate these findings.
Bipolar Pulsed Radiofrequency for Trigeminal Neuralgia: A Report of Two Cases

Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is the most common cause of facial pain, leading to significant disability and impacting a patient's quality of life. Percutaneous procedures like continuous radiofrequency, pulsed radiofrequency (PRF), and combined continuous and pulsed radiofrequency have been studied in past years comparing different voltages in order to find more effective therapies with fewer complications (eg, numbness and masseter muscle weakness). With regard to young patients, there is still insufficient evidence on the most appropriate procedure in this patient population. PRF does not cause thermal damage. The mechanism of action involves delivering an electrical field to targeted nerves or tissues, modulating pain. We propose that bipolar pulsed radiofrequency (2 parallel cannulas) in the trigeminal ganglion produce a denser and larger field resulting in more effective controlled pain.
Protocol for assessment of the pupillary light reflex in dogs without chemical restraint: preliminary investigation.

OBJECTIVE To explore the use of a modified pupillometry technique in dogs without chemical restraint. MATERIALS AND METHODS Following dark adaptation, pupillary light reflexes were assessed in six dogs with sudden acquired retinal degeneration syndrome, in the unaffected eye of eight dogs with unilateral primary glaucoma ("predisposed"), and in 11 healthy dogs. Responses to red, blue and white lights were recorded and relative pupil sizes subsequently determined based on video recordings of each test. RESULTS Mean testing time was 2.3 minutes (range 1.8 to 3.1 minutes), excluding time for dark adaptation. Baseline pupil size in dogs with sudden acquired retinal degeneration syndrome was greater than in normal and predisposed eyes. Pupil constriction was reduced in predisposed compared to normal and sudden acquired retinal degeneration syndrome eyes when stimulated with high-intensity blue light. Compared to normal eyes, those with sudden acquired retinal degeneration syndrome had reduced pupil constriction when stimulated with low- and high-intensity red light, low-intensity blue light and white light. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE Quantitative measures of pupil function were obtained from healthy and diseased eyes without the need for chemical restraint. Further investigations are warranted to validate the technique and evaluate its use in the management of canine glaucoma.
Gill-Cleaning Mechanisms of the Crayfish Procambarus clarkii (Astacidea: Cambaridae): Experimental Testing of Setobranch Function

Gills of the crayfish Procambarus clarkii are cleaned by two sets of setae which are thrust back and forth among gill filaments by feeding, locomotory, or other movements of thoracic legs. Setae with a complex, rasping microstructure arise from papillae (setobranchs) on the third maxillipeds and pereopods 1-4, and extend up between the inner layer of arthrobranch and outer layer of podobranch gills. The lateral sides of the podobranchs, beyond the range of the setobranch setae, are penetrated by a field of setae projecting from the inner side of the gill cover. These branchiostegal setae bear digitate scale setules like those borne by the setobranch setae. Although cleaning setae act concomitantly with any type of leg movement, these animals engage in a previously unreported behavior, "limb rocking," whose sole function appears to be gill cleaning. The effectiveness of cleaning setae was tested with experiments in which setobranch setae were removed from the branchial chamber of one side but not the other. Treated crayfishes set out in commercial ponds and a natural swamp habitat suffered heavy particulate fouling on gill filaments deprived of setobranch setae. The pattern of fouling showed that branchiostegal setae also prevented particulate fouling. However, gill-cleaning setae were not effective against bacterial or ciliate fouling. It is concluded that molting is the only escape from epibiotic fouling