Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Quality Assessment of UGC Videos Based on Decomposition and Recomposition

The prevalence of short-video applications imposes more requirements for video quality assessment (VQA). User-generated content (UGC) videos are captured under an unprofessional environment, thus suffering from various dynamic degradations, such as camera shaking. To cover the dynamic degradations, existing recurrent neural network-based UGC-VQA methods can only provide implicit modeling, which is unclear and difficult to analyze. In this work, we consider explicit motion representation for dynamic degradations, and propose a motion-enhanced UGC-VQA method based on decomposition and recomposition. In the decomposition stage, a dual-stream decomposition module is built, and VQA task is decomposed into single frame-based quality assessment problem and cross frames-based motion understanding. The dual streams are well grounded on the two-pathway visual system during perception, and require no extra UGC data due to knowledge transfer. Hierarchical features from shallow to deep layers are gathered to narrow the gaps from tasks and domains. In the recomposition stage, a progressively residual aggregation module is built to recompose features from the dual streams. Representations with different layers and pathways are interacted and aggregated in a progressive and residual manner, which keeps a good trade-off between representation deficiency and redundancy. Extensive experiments on UGC-VQA databases verify that our method achieves the state-of-the-art performance and keeps a good capability of generalization. The source code will be available in https://github.com/Sissuire/DSD-PRO.
From Small Peptides to Large Proteins against Alzheimer’sDisease

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common neurodegenerative disorder in the elderly. The two cardinal neuropathological hallmarks of AD are the senile plaques, which are extracellular deposits mainly constituted by beta-amyloids, and neurofibrillary tangles formed by abnormally phosphorylated Tau (p-Tau) located in the cytoplasm of neurons. Although the research has made relevant progress in the management of the disease, the treatment is still lacking. Only symptomatic medications exist for the disease, and, in the meantime, laboratories worldwide are investigating disease-modifying treatments for AD. In the present review, results centered on the use of peptides of different sizes involved in AD are presented.
Prevalence of unplanned pregnancies and factors leading to it among married females visiting tertiary care hospital

Background:Pregnancy and its good outcome effect the health of mother and child. The unintended or unplanned pregnancy may lead to poor outcome of mother and child health. Although there is increase in acceptance of family planning but the prevalence of unintended pregnancy is increasing among pregnant females with or without marriage. In Pakistan certain studies have been done that also shows that the unintended pregnancy is more among pregnant females in their marital life. There are different causes that lead to unplanned pregnancy that depends upon geographical distribution, sociodemographic and Methodology: A cross sectional study was conducted in tertiary care hospital of Quetta during the months of June 2019 to May 2020. All the pregnant married females who were fulfilling the inclusion criteria were selected through convenient sample technique. Sociodemographic information was collected after the informed consent. The translated London measure of unintended pregnancy (LMUP) tool was used to access the unplanned pregnancy through scoring technique. Females whose score was between 0 to 3 were considered as having unplanned pregnancy. Data analysis was done on SPSS 21, where frequency of continues variables was determined and mean and standard deviation was calculated.
P, K AND Na LEACHING FROM LEAF LITTER OF MELIA AZEDARACH (LINN.)

Cations leaching from leaf litter of Melia azedarach (Linn.) was studied in laboratory. About 37% of initial dry weight of leaf litter was lost after 72 hours. Conductivity and total dissolved solid (TDS) of the leached water significantly (p<0.05) increased to 475 µS cm-1 and 227 mg l-1, respectively. pH of the leached water dropped to 5.64 at the end of the experiment. Conductivity and TDS showed significant (p<0.05, r=0.99) positive linear relationships with the weight loss of leaf litter. The concentration of P, K and Na in leaf litter significantly (p<0.05) decreased to 24 mg g-1, 2247 mg g-1 and 900 mg g-1, respectively and PO4, K and Na in leached water significantly (p<0.05) increased to 0.16 ppm, 5.44 ppm and 5.58 ppm, respectively. Nutrients (P, K and Na) in leaf litter showed significant (p<0.05, ranged from -0.92 to -0.99) negative relationship with the weight loss. But, nutrients (PO4, K and Na) in leached water showed significant (p<0.05, ranged from 0.90 to 0.98) positive linear relationship with the leaching time.
Design of a High-Speed PIN Photodiode With a Gradually-Doped Composite Absorption Layer for 100 Gbit/s Optical Receivers

In this paper, we propose a high-speed PIN photodiode with a composite absorption layer. It supports a 3-dB bandwidth of 43 GHz and can be used in 100 Gbit/s optical receivers. The composite absorption layer consists of a gradually-doped p-type absorption layer and an undoped absorption layer. It has different carrier transport mechanisms from the traditional PIN-PD with a single intrinsic absorption layer. The gradually-doped p-type absorption layer accelerates electron diffusion in the p-type absorption layer. Comparison of three kinds of PIN photodiodes with different absorption layers shows that the proposed PIN-PD provides the highest bandwidth while ensuring satisfactory responsivity. The simulation used a numerical model, calculated by Crosslight APSYS software. The results were compared with the analytical method and obtained a good agreement. This work offers a novel structure and good guidance for the design and optimization of photodiodes.
Optimization of Spinal Reconstructions for Thoracolumbar Burst Fractures to Prevent Proximal Junctional Complications: A Finite Element Study

The management strategies of thoracolumbar (TL) burst fractures include posterior, anterior, and combined approaches. However, the rigid constructs pose a risk of proximal junctional failure. In this study, we aim to systemically evaluate the biomechanical performance of different TL reconstruction constructs using finite element analysis. Furthermore, we investigate the motion and the stress on the proximal junctional level adjacent to the constructs. We used a T10-L3 finite element model and simulated L1 burst fracture. Reconstruction with posterior instrumentation (PI) alone (U2L2 and U1L1+(intermediate screw) and three-column spinal reconstruction (TCSR) constructs (U1L1+PMMA and U1L1+Cage) were compared. Long-segment PI resulted in greater global motion reduction compared to constructs with short-segment PI. TCSR constructs provided better stabilization in L1 compared to PI alone. Decreased intradiscal and intravertebral pressure in the proximal level were observed in U1L1+IS, U1L1+PMMA, and U1L1+Cage compared to U2L2. The stress and strain energy of the pedicle screws decreased when anterior reconstruction was performed in addition to PI. We showed that TCSR with anterior reconstruction and SSPI provided sufficient immobilization while offering additional advantages in the preservation of physiological motion, the decreased burden on the proximal junctional level, and lower risk of implant failure.
Pregnancy outcomes among women who gave birth at health institutions: A cross‐sectional study

Although global birth outcomes have improved considerably in the last 40 years, there are disparities in underdeveloped countries, particularly Ethiopia, remain significant. However, there was inadequate data about the adverse outcome in the study area. This study aimed to assess the proportion and associated factors of adverse birth outcomes among women who gave birth at South Gondar Health Institutions in 2021.
Mitochondrial Genetic Diversity of Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) Associated with Cassava in Lao PDR

Simple Summary The whitefly species Bemisia tabaci is a known pest of cassava and a vector of cassava geminiviruses in Africa and India, but its role in the recent spread of Cassava Mosaic Disease (CMD) in Southeast Asia is not well known. This is in part due to a lack of data on the occurrence and distribution of B. tabaci in this region. We show here the first results of any country-wide survey and identification of B. tabaci colonizing cassava in Lao PDR. Abstract Cassava Mosaic Disease (CMD) caused by Sri Lankan cassava mosaic virus (SLCMV), has rapidly spread in Southeast Asia (SEA) since 2016. Recently it has been documented in Lao PDR. Previous reports have identified whitefly species of B. tabaci as potential vectors of CMD in SEA, but their occurrence and distribution in cassava fields is not well known. We conducted a countrywide survey in Lao PDR for adult whiteflies in cassava fields, and determined the abundance and genetic diversity of the B. tabaci species complex using mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (mtCOI) sequencing. In order to expedite the process, PCR amplifications were performed directly on whitefly adults without DNA extraction, and mtCOI sequences obtained using nanopore portable-sequencing technology. Low whitefly abundances and two cryptic species of the B. tabaci complex, Asia II 1 and Asia II 6, were identified. This is the first work on abundance and genetic identification of whiteflies associated with cassava in Lao PDR. This study indicates currently only a secondary role for Asia II in spreading CMD or as a pest. Routine monitoring and transmission studies on Asia II 6 should be carried out to establish its potential role as a vector of SLCMV in this region.
The Role of Parental Support and the Students’ Opinions in Active Finnish Physical Education Homework

Prior research indicates that adolescent boys are often more active than girls, implying a need for special attention to increase the physical activity levels of adolescent girls. Adolescents are at an age where they are especially susceptible to environmental and social influences but still have a limited amount of autonomy over their own behaviors. The effective physical activity programs implemented at this age may benefit health into adulthood. The fact that adolescents’ physical activity is influenced by many factors indicates that to achieve any behavioral change, interventions must target several levels across the socio-ecological model. During childhood, the family is the primary factor in socializing and shaping engagement in physical activity. This study is part of the Physical Education (PE) Homework Study project which was implemented in a midsized secondary school in the middle of Finland from 2016 to 2020. The goal was to develop one easily approachable way to prevent the decreasing physical activity of adolescent girls. This was done by increasing physical activity times of adolescent girls outside of the school by giving them active PE assignments. The aim was also to explore students’ and their parents’ perceptions of physically active physical education homework. In this part of the study, there were 43 interviews: 38 student interviews and 5 interviews with parents. The analysis process followed the qualitative content analysis (QCA) strategy by Schreirer. In this study, we combined the views of students and parents, and obtained a broad picture of the PE homework assignments given at school but completed at home. According to students and parents, PE homework assignments should be diverse, interesting, and challenging, they should also be provided at flexible schedules outside of school hours with family support. Physical education homework could be a potential approach to influence the physical activity of the student population by involving school curriculum and families.
Khat (Catha edulis) Leaf Extract-Based Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles and Evaluation of Their Antibacterial Activity

In this study, we used khat (Catha edulis) leaf extract as a reducing and stabilizing agent for the biosynthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs). The rapid color change of the solution to pale yellow and UV-visible absorption peak at 322 nm confirmed the initial formation of ZnO NPs. FTIR spectrum analysis revealed the contribution of khat leaf extract to the bioreduction of Zn2+ ions to ZnO NPs. The FTIR spectrum for the stretching vibration of ZnO at 480 cm-1 also confirms the formation of ZnO NPs. The XRD spectrum showed the crystallinity and the hexagonal wurtzite structure of ZnO NPs. The size of the synthesized ZnO NPs calculated using the Debye-Scherrer formula was found to be equal to 17 nm. Antibacterial efficacy of green-produced zinc oxide nanoparticles against Gram-positive and Gram-negative microorganisms was tested. It has the greatest inhibition zone (23 mm) against E. coli, but the least activity was against S. pneumoniae (15 mm).
Plastic flow of frictionless grains near the jamming transition

We present a numerical study of the flow of an assembly of frictionless grains at zero temperature, in the vicinity of and slightly above the jamming density. We find that some of the flow properties, such as the fluctuations in the number of contacts or the shear modulus, display a critical like behaviour that is governed by the proximity to the jamming point. Dynamical correlations during a quasistatic deformation, however, are non critical and dominated by system size. At finite strain rates, these dynamical correlations acquire a finite, strain-rate dependent amplitude, that decreases when approaching the jamming point from above.
Energy principles and variational methods in applied mechanics

Preface xv 1 Introduction 1 2 Mathematical Preliminaries 8 3 Review Of Equations Of Solid Mechanics 48 4 Work, Energy, And Variational Calculus 79 5 Energy Principles Of Structural 133 6 Dynamical Systems: Hamilton's Principle 177 7 Direct Variational Methods 204 8 Theory And Analysis Of Plates 299 9 The Finite Element Method 433 10 Mixed Variational Formulations 502 Answers / Solutions to Selected Problems 544 Index 583 About the Author 591
Disentangling Reputational Effects in Alliances

An important consequence of an alliance is that partnering firms combine their reputations by associating them to jointly implemented projects. However, an often-overlooked aspect is that those reputations may themselves change due to both the announcement of the firms’ decision to form the alliance and the performance of joint projects. We develop a formal model that provides an integrated perspective of these reputational effects, while allowing us to isolate and characterize each of them. We find that the way in which the firms’ competence levels affect their decision to form an alliance determines how the firms’ reputations evolve following the announcement of the alliance and the performance of joint projects. This indicates that the analysis of the reputational effects of an alliance requires understanding the firms’ alliance formation decision in the first place. We show, for instance, that a firm’s reputation may decrease following the decision to form an alliance, and that the impact of project performance on the reputations of alliance partners can be very asymmetric. Among other things, our analysis implies that a firm’s desirability as an alliance partner does not necessarily increase with its reputation and level of competence.
Spin injection from the Heusler alloy Co2MnGe into Al0.1Ga0.9As∕GaAs heterostructures

Electrical spin injection from the Heusler alloy Co2MnGe into a p-i-nAl0.1Ga0. 9As∕GaAs light emitting diode is demonstrated. A maximum steady-state spin polarization of approximately 13% at 2 K is measured in two types of heterostructures. The injected spin polarization at 2 K is calculated to be 27% based on a calibration of the spin detector using Hanle effect measurements. Although the dependence on electrical bias conditions is qualitatively similar to Fe-based spin injection devices of the same design, the spin polarization injected from Co2MnGe decays more rapidly with increasing temperature.
A numerical method for extended Boussinesq shallow-water wave equations

The accurate numerical simulation of wave disturbance within harbours requires consideration of both nonlinear and dispersive wave processes in order to capture such physical effects as wave refraction and diffraction, and nonlinear wave interactions such as the generation of harmonic waves. The Boussinesq equations are the simplest class of mathematical model that contain all these effects in a variable depth, shallow water environment. There are a variety of Boussinesq-type mathematical models and it is necessary to compare and contrast them both for their limitations with respect to the physical parameters of the problem and also for their ease of application as part of a suitable numerical model. It is decided here to consider a set of extended Boussinesq equations which provide an accurate model of the wave processes over a greater range of depths than the classical Boussinesq mathematical model. A method-of-lines numerical algorithm is proposed for these problems, combining a finite element spatial discretisation with existing, adaptive order, adaptive step size time integration software. Two simpler one-dimensional, nonlinear, dispersive wave models; the Korteweg-de Vries equation and Regularised Long Wave equation, are used in the initial development of the numerical methods. It is shown that within the shallow water framework a linear finite element method is sufficiently accurate for these problems. This numerical method is then applied to the one-dimensional extended Boussinesq equations. It is shown how the previously developed method can be directly used and that it is of similar accuracy to a previously published finite difference method. Initial conditions and boundary conditions are described in detail taking into account physical, mathematical and computational considerations. A new formulation of internal wave generation is developed which allows reflected waves to pass through the wave generation region. The performance of the numerical model is demonstrated by comparison against theoretical results, a previously published finite difference model and experimental results. The two-dimensional extended Boussinesq equation system is rewritten in a form suitable for the application of a linear triangular finite element spatial discretisation. The formulation of appropriate initial and boundary conditions in combination with the application of the time integration software to this equation system is considered in detail. The performance of the numerical method is tested by comparison with experimental data and the suitability of the model for harbour design is investigated by simulation of a realistic harbour geometry and wave conditions.
Factor Analysis with Large Panels of Volatility Proxies

We consider estimating volatility risk factors using large panels of filtered or realized volatilities. The data structure involves three types of asymptotic expansions. There is the cross-section of volatility estimates at each point in time, namely i = 1,…, N observed at dates t = 1,…, T: In addition to expanding N and T; we also have the sampling frequency h of the data used to compute the volatility estimates which rely on data collected at increasing frequency, h ? 0: The continuous record or in-fill asymptotics (h ? 0) allows us to control the cross-sectional and serial correlation among the idiosyncratic errors of the panel. A remarkable result emerges. Under suitable regularity conditions the traditional principal component analysis yields super-consistent estimates of the factors at each point in time. Namely, contrary to the root-N standard normal consistency we find N-consistency, also standard normal, due to the fact that the high frequency sampling scheme is tied to the size of the cross-section, boosting the rate of convergence. We also show that standard cross-sectional driven criteria suffice for consistent estimation of the number of factors, which is different from the traditional panel data results. Finally, we also show that the panel data estimates improve upon the individual volatility estimates.
Prevalence and Outcomes of COVID −19 Patients with Happy Hypoxia: A Systematic Review

Background In Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), some patients have low oxygen saturation without any dyspnea. This has been termed “happy hypoxia. ” No worldwide prevalence survey of this phenomenon has been conducted. This review aimed to summarize information on the prevalence, risk factors, and outcomes of patients with happy hypoxia to improve their management. Methods We conducted a systematic search of electronic databases for all studies published up to April 30, 2022. We included high-quality studies using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) tool for qualitative assessment of searches. The prevalence of happy hypoxia, as well as the mortality rate of patients with happy hypoxia, were estimated by pooled analysis and heterogeneity by I2. Results Of the 25,086 COVID-19 patients from the 7 studies, the prevalence of happy hypoxia ranged from 4.8 to 65%. The pooled prevalence was 6%. Happy hypoxia was associated with age > 65 years, male sex, body mass index (BMI)> 25 kg/m2, smoking, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes mellitus, high respiratory rate, and high d-dimer. Mortality ranged from 01 to 45.4%. The pooled mortality was 2%. In 2 studies, patients with dyspnea were admitted to intensive care more often than those with happy hypoxia. One study reported that the length of stay in intensive care did not differ between patients with dyspnea and those with happy hypoxia at admission. One study reported the need for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in patients with happy hypoxia. Conclusion The pooled prevalence and mortality of patients with happy hypoxia were not very high. Happy hypoxia was associated with advanced age and comorbidities. Some patients were admitted to the intensive care unit, although fewer than dyspneic patients. Its early detection and management should improve the prognosis.
Internet of Things (IoT), Building Information Modeling (BIM), and Digital Twin in Construction Industry: A Review, Bibliometric, and Network Analysis

The present study uses a bibliometric and systematic literature review (SLR) to examine the use of Building Information Modeling (BIM), the Internet of Things (IoT), and Digital Twins (DT) in the construction industry. The network visualization and other approaches based on the Web of Science (WOS) database and the patterns of research interactions were explored in 1879 academic publications using co-occurrence and co-citation investigations. Significant publications, conferences, influential authors, countries, organizations, and funding agencies have been recognized. Our study demonstrates that BIM, IoT, and DT in construction, Heritage BIM (HBIM), Smart Contracts, BIM, and Ontology, and VR and AR in BIM and DT are the main study themes. Finally, several prospective areas for future study are identified, including BIM and Metaverse technology, BIM and Artificial Intelligence (AI), Metaheuristic algorithms for optimization purposes in BIM, and the Circular Economy with BIM and IoT.