Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Electrical Resistance Tomography Image Reconstruction With Densely Connected Convolutional Neural Network

Electrical resistance tomography (ERT) is an effective visualization and analysis tool for multiphase flow process through an array of boundary electrodes. However, the existing deep learning network for the image reconstruction of ERT with the sparse information flow and gradient flow is not well trained, and the accuracy of reconstructed images cannot meet the increasing demands. In order to solve this problem and improve the accuracy of the reconstructed image, a new imaging algorithm that consists of initial imaging module, feature extraction module, image reconstruction module, and residual module is proposed based on dense connections. Four dense blocks with dense connections are adopted to fully fuse the features between feature extraction module and image reconstruction module, which mitigate the problems of information vanishing of the higher layer and gradient vanishing of the lower layer. From the perspective of information flow and gradient flow, why dense connections have a good performance of promoting a deep network training is explained, which provides a theoretical support for the application and development of dense connections. Compared with the Tikhonov regularization method, total variation method, and the networks without dense connections using extensive numerical simulation and experiment results, the imaging accuracy of the new proposed algorithm is improved. Besides, for the ERT cases considered here, the spatial resolution of V Dense Net (VD-Net) (3.12%–4%) is better than that of the traditional image reconstruction (10%–15%).
Computational approaches for parameterization of aminoacyl-tRNA synthetase substrates

A. Rayevsky, M. Tukalo © 2018 A. Rayevsky et al.; Published by the Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics, NAS of Ukraine on behalf of Biopolymers and Cell. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted reuse, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited UDC 577
Diversity assessment of hulled barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) accessions of ICARDA in Indian condition using cluster analysis

A total of 310 Barley accessions collected from ICARDA, Lebanon and grown in Indian condition at ICARDA-IRP (India Research Platform), Amlaha, (M.P.) were analyzed for morphological and genetic variability using nine agro-morphological traits i.e. Plant height (cm), number of tillers per plant, days to heading, number of ear heads per pant, length of ear (cm), number of spikelets per earhead, number of grains per earhead, yield per plant (g), and 1000-grain weight (g). The highest coefficient of variation as a result of highest diversity among the genotypes were found for grains per earhead (37.5%), spikelets per earhead (37.5%), yield per plant (35.3%), tillers per plant (31.3%) and earhead per plant (31.2%). However, ear length (16.9%), days to heading (15.4%), 1000-grain weight (13.5%) and plant height (11.2%) have conributued less to diversity with lower cofficient of variation. In cluster analysis, all the characters were used to construct a distance matrix using the Euclidian coefficient, and used to generate dendrogram showing similarity among all the genotypes, distance coefficient ranged between 0 and 200 which reveal the genetic diversity among genotypes. These exotic accessions evaluated can be further used for primary or secondary introduction in Indian breeding program.
The Safest Upper Limit of Triglycerides in the Plasma

Background: We tried to understand the safest upper limit of triglycerides in the plasma. Methods: Patients with plasma triglycerides lower than 60 mg/dL were put into the first, lower than 100 mg/dL into the second, lower than 150 mg/dL into the third, lower than 200 mg/dL into the fourth, and 200 mg/dL or greater into the fifth groups, respectively. Results: The study included 875 cases (370 males). Although the mean age increased just up to plasma triglycerides value of 200 mg/dL, male ratio and smoking increased parallel to increased plasma triglycerides values, continuously. Interestingly, the most significant increase of smoking was seen just after plasma triglycerides value of 200 mg/dL, and there was no significant effect of aging or excess weight on this step. Mean body mass index was only normal in patients with plasma triglycerides values lower than 60 mg/dL. Although fasting plasma glucose (FPG), hypertension (HT), diabetes mellitus (DM), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and chronic renal disease (CRD) increased parallel to the increased plasma triglycerides continuously, low density lipoproteins (LDL), white coat hypertension (WCH), and coronary heart disease (CHD) increased just up to plasma triglycerides value of 200 mg/dL. Conclusions: Plasma triglycerides may behave as acute phase reactants indicating disseminated endothelial injury and atherosclerosis. FPG, LDL, WCH, HT, DM, COPD, CHD, and CRD were all deteriorated parallel to the increased male ratio, smoking, aging, excess weight, and plasma triglycerides values. Interestingly, the greatest number of deteriorations were observed just above the plasma triglycerides value of 60 mg/dL.
Biochemical changes of coconut inflorescence sap on storage in different varieties

Aims: To study biochemical changes of coconut inflorescence sap on storage for one week in different varieties. Methods and Results: The experiment was conducted at College of Agriculture, Padannakkad and Nileswaram farm, RARS Pilicode under irrigated condition during 2014-2016. Four varieties were selected for evaluation. Palms with similar age and morphological characters were selected as experiment units. The varieties tried were Malayan Yellow Dwarf, Kerasree, West Coast Tall and Keraganga. Fully emerged unopened bunches were selected for tapping and samples were collected. The sap collected from each variety was stored at refrigerated condition for one week and biochemical properties viz., pH, electrolyte concentration, reducing sugars, non-reducing sugars, total sugars, alcohol, phenol and vitamin C were assessed on 1st (D1), 3rd (D2) and 7th (D3) days of storage. The results are revealed that without any differentiation between the varieties there was a significant reduction in the pH, total sugar, reducing sugars and non reducing sugar while there was an increase in alcohol, vitamin C and phenol content. Conclusions: The changes in CIS during storage for 1 week indicated that without any differentiation between varieties there was a decrease in pH, total sugar, reducing sugar and non-reducing sugar while there was an increase in alcohol and vitamin C content. Significance and Impact of the study: To know the changes in biochemical properties of coconut inflorescence sap of different varieties on storage whereas there is no variation among the varieties with respect to biochemical properties of coconut inflorescence sap on storage.
Frauen in Corona-Krise stärker am Arbeitsmarkt betroffen als Männer

Die Corona-Pandemie lost eine verheerende Wirtschaftskrise aus, die auch am deutschen Arbeitsmarkt gravierende Spuren in Form von Kurzarbeit und Arbeitslosigkeit hinterlasst. Im Gegensatz zur Finanzkrise 2008/2009, in der Manner starker vom Beschaftigungsruckgang betroffen waren, trifft es in der aktuellen Krise Wirtschaftssektoren wie das Gastgewerbe, in denen Frauen starker reprasentiert sind. Auserdem zeigen erste Zahlen zu den Zugangen zur Arbeitslosigkeit allgemein und zum Beschaftigungsruckgang bei MinijoberInnen, dass Frauen momentan starker von Arbeitsplatzverlust betroffen sind als Manner.
A profession in change: Chief financial officers’ characteristics and backgrounds in large German companies

How to cite this paper: Endrikat, J., Hillmann, J., & Kieslich, M. (2020). A profession in change: Chief financial officers’ characteristics and backgrounds in large German companies. Corporate Ownership & Control, 18(1), 110-126. http://doi.org/10.22495/cocv18i1art9 Copyright © 2020 The Authors This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/
Wet gum labelling of wine bottles

It is shown that bubbling on wine bottle labels is due to absorption of water from the glue, with subsequent hygroscopic expansion. Contrary to popular belief, most of the glue's water must be lost to the atmosphere rather than to the paper. A simple lubrication model is developed for spreading glue piles in the pressure chamber of the labelling machine. This model predicts a maximum rate for application of labels. Buckling theory shows that the current arrangement of periodic glue strips can indeed accommodate paper expansion. Some recommendations follow on the paper, the glue, the labelling rate and the drying environment.
Automation, workers’ skills and job satisfaction

When industrial robots are adopted by firms in a local labor market, some workers are displaced and become unemployed. Other workers that are not directly affected by automation may however fear that these new technologies might replace their working tasks in the future. This fear of a possible future replacement is important because it negatively affects workers’ job satisfaction at present. This paper studies the extent to which automation affects workers’ job satisfaction, and whether this effect differs for high- versus low-skilled workers. The empirical analysis uses microdata for several thousand workers in Norway from the Working Life Barometer survey for the period 2016–2019, combined with information on the introduction of industrial robots in Norway from the International Federation of Robotics. Our identification strategy exploits variation in the pace of introduction of industrial robots in Norwegian regions and industries since 2007 to instrument workers’ fear of replacement. The results indicate that automation in industrial firms in recent years have induced 40% of the workers that are currently in employment to fear that their work might be replaced by a smart machine in the future. Such fear of future replacement does negatively affect workers’ job satisfaction at present. This negative effect is driven by low-skilled workers, which are those carrying out routine-based tasks, and who are therefore more exposed to the risks of automation.
The role of prediction in language learning : evaluating error-based theories of language acquisition

This project examines prediction’s role in language acquisition by assessing the projections of error-based language acquisition theories, specifically the Dual-path model. It seeks to expand on results obtained by the prime surprisal paradigm and to develop novel studies building on this method. In Chapter 2, we examined whether prime surprisal appears with passive as well as dative structures in adults. While we found a numerical, but non-significant prime surprisal effect in the dative study, no such effects appeared with passives. In Chapter 3, in a four-stage prime surprisal-based intervention study we examined whether surprising sentences lead to more learning than predictable ones. Here we found preliminary evidence for enhanced learning rates for abstract structures after surprising input with 5-6 year-old child participants. These long-term effects were stronger in younger children, although they were dissociated from immediate prime surprisal. We found no significant evidence for verb-dependent error-based learning effects in either group or for an abstract learning effect in the adult group alone. In Chapter 4 we compared the ERPs associated with predictable and surprising dative sentences in adult participants and found an enhanced N400 effect in surprising (as opposed to predictable) DOD (double object dative) sentences but we found no such effect in prepositional (PD) sentences. We also found no significant differences in the P600 region. While the N400 effect shows predictability-related processing differences, based on these results alone we cannot determine whether these differences are the result of active prediction or differences in the ease of integration. Some of our key results (such as the replication of immediate prime surprisal effects in two of our studies, the preliminary evidence for enhanced learning rate with unexpected structures or the N400 effects) support error-based learning theories. However, other results (such as the dissociation of immediate prime surprisal and longer-term learning effects or the lack of P600 effect in surprising sentences) raise questions about the exact nature of the mechanism leading to these effects and warrant further examination.
The Impact of FTAs on MENA Exports of Intermediate and Final Goods

This paper is the first to analyze the impact of free trade agreements (FTAs) and the harmonization of rules of origin (RoO) on Middle East and North African (MENA) countries' exports differentiating between final and intermediate goods for a global sample of trade partners. Data on exports from four MENA countries (Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia) to 61 destinations over the period 1995-2016 are used to estimate a structural gravity model applying a Poisson Pseudo Maximum Likelihood (PPML) estimator. Moreover, the paper estimates the effect of the progressive adoption of the Pan-European-Mediterranean RoO. Results show that FTAs have been overall successful in increasing MENA exports. This is particularly truefor FTAs that eliminate protection on agricultural products. In contrast to the existing literature, we find that the agreements concluded with European countries raise MENA exports, whereas no significant impact is found for the application of the Pan-European RoO.
Theoretical Expression for the Evolution of Genomic Island of Speciation: From Its Birth to Preservation

Ecological speciation could be driven by divergent selection that works to maintain phenotypes that are adaptive to each niche. In its early stages, genetic divergence (or FST) can be maintained around the target sites of divergent selection, while in other regions, genetic variation can be mixed by gene flow or migration. Such regions of elevated genetic divergence are called genomic islands of speciation. In this work, we theoretically consider the evolutionary process of a genomic island of speciation, from its birth to stable preservation. Under a simple two-population model, we use a diffusion approach to obtain analytical expressions for the probability of initial establishment of a locally adaptive allele, the reduction of genetic variation due to the spread of the adaptive allele, and the process to the development of a sharp peak of divergence. Our result would be useful to understand how genomes evolve through ecological speciation with gene flow.
Improved Framework for Assessing Vulnerability to Different Types of Urban Floods

Vulnerability assessment is an essential tool in mitigating the impact of urban flooding. To date, most flood vulnerability research has focused on one type of flood, such as a pluvial or fluvial flood. However, cities can suffer from urban flooding for several reasons, such as precipitation and river levee overtopping. Therefore, a vulnerability assessment considering different types of floods (pluvial floods, fluvial floods, and compound flooding induced by both rainfall and river overtopping) was conducted in this study. First, a coupled urban flood model, considering both overland and sewer network flow, was developed using the storm water management model (SWMM) and LISFLOOD-FP model to simulate the different types of flood and applied to Lishui, China. Then, the results of the flood modeling were combined with a vulnerability curve to obtain the potential impact of flooding on different land-use classes. The results indicated that different types of floods could have different influence areas and result in various degrees of flood vulnerability for different land-use classes. The results also suggest that urban flood vulnerability can be underestimated due to a lack of consideration of the full flood-induced factors.
Quantitative Analysis of Performance Decrease and Fast-Charging Limitation for Lithium-Ion Batteries at Low Temperature Based on the Electrochemical Model

The mechanism revelation of performance decrease and fast-charging limitation of lithium-ion batteries at low temperatures is indispensable to optimize battery design and develop fast-charging methods. In this article, an electrochemical model-based quantitative analysis method is proposed to uncover the dominant reason for performance decrease and fast-charging limitation of batteries at low temperatures. The highly important dynamic parameters are carefully determined by the experimental data from the checked three-electrode battery and optimized by the genetic algorithm, rather than directly taken from the references. Validation results confirm that the electrochemical model can well reproduce battery behaviors under different conditions and that identified parameters are accurate. The quantitative analysis indicates that the sluggish diffusion in cathode and anode electrodes is the principal reason for battery available capacity loss. Battery available power attenuation is primarily attributed to the increased film resistance of anode and the reduced exchange current density of cathode, and it is substantially independent of the reduced diffusivity. The comparison result from the lithium-plating-prevention charging current reveals that the increased film resistance of the anode is responsible for the predominant limitation of low-temperature fast-charging, despite the most change in the exchange current density of the anode. This quantitative revelation breaks through the traditional understanding from the qualitative analysis that performance decrease and fast-charging limitation of batteries at low temperatures are highly associated with the degree of the change of characteristic parameters.
Brain tissue properties and morphometry assessment after chronic complete spinal cord injury

There is much controversy about the potential impact of spinal cord injury (SCI) on brain’s anatomy and function, which is mirrored in the substantial divergence of findings between animal models and human imaging studies. Given recent advances in quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) we sought to tackle the unresolved question about the link between the presumed injury associated volume differences and underlying brain tissue property changes in a cohort of chronic complete SCI patients. Using the established computational anatomy methods of voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and voxel-based quantification (VBQ) we performed statistical analyses of grey matter volume and parameter maps indicative for brain’s myelin, iron and free tissue water content in complete SCI patients (n=14) and healthy individuals (n=14). Our whole-brain analysis showed significant white matter volume loss in the rostral and dorsal part of the spinal cord consistent with Wallerian degeneration of proprioceptive axons in the lemniscal tract in SCI subjects, which correlated with spinal cord atrophy assessed with quantification of the spinal cord cross-sectional area at cervical level. The latter finding suggests that Wallerian degeneration of the lemniscal tract represents a main contributor to the observed spinal cord atrophy, which is highly consistent with preclinical ultrastructural/histological evidence of remote changes in the central nervous system secondary to SCI. Structural changes in the brain representing remote changes in the course of chronic SCI could not be confirmed with conventional VBM or VBQ statistical analysis. Whether and how MRI based brain morphometry and brain tissue property analysis will inform clinical decision making and clinical trial outcomes in spinal cord medicine remains to be determined.
FPGA Implementation of an Improved OMP for Compressive Sensing Reconstruction

This article proposes an improved orthogonal matching pursuit (OMP) algorithm and its implementation with Xilinx Vivado high-level synthesis (HLS). We use the Gram–Schmidt orthogonalization to improve the update process of signal residuals so that the signal recovery only needs to perform the least-squares solution once, which greatly reduces the number of matrix operations in a hardware implementation. Simulation results show that our OMP algorithm has the same signal reconstruction accuracy as the original OMP algorithm. Our approach provides a fast and reconfigurable implementation for different signal sizes, different measurement matrix sizes, and different sparsity levels. The proposed design can recover a 128-length signal with measurement number <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$M=32$ </tex-math></inline-formula> and sparsity <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$K=5$ </tex-math></inline-formula> and <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$K=8$ </tex-math></inline-formula> in 13.2 and <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$21~\mu \text{s}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>, which is at least a 21.9% and 22.2% improvement compared with the existing HLS-based works; a 256-length signal with <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$M=64$ </tex-math></inline-formula> and <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$K=8$ </tex-math></inline-formula> in <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$20.6~\mu \text{s}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>, which is a 24% improvement compared with the existing work; and a 1024-length signal with measurement number <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$M=256$ </tex-math></inline-formula> and sparsity <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$K=12$ </tex-math></inline-formula> and <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$K=36$ </tex-math></inline-formula> in 150.3 and <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$423~\mu \text{s}$ </tex-math></inline-formula>, respectively, which are close to the results of traditional hardware description language (HDL) implementations. Our results show that our improved OMP algorithm not only offers a superior reconstruction time compared with other recent HLS-based works but also can compete with existing works that are implemented using the traditional field-programmable gate array (FPGA) design route.
Analysis of SNP rs1800796 Association with Risk of Rheumatoid Arthritis in Pakistani Population: A Case Control Study

Haseeb Nisar1, Usman Pasha1, Kiran Hanif1, Rizwan Abid1, Rehan Ahmad Khan Sherwani2, Haja N. Kadarmideen3 and Saima Sadaf1* 1Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, University of the Punjab, Lahore-54590, Pakistan 2College of Statistical and Actuarial Sciences, University of the Punjab, Lahore-54590, Pakistan 3Department of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science, DTU Compute, Denmark Article Information Received 23 August 2019 Revised 20 October 2019 Accepted 30 October 2019 Available online 25 June 2020