Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Heterogeneous Face Recognition via Face Synthesis With Identity-Attribute Disentanglement

Heterogeneous Face Recognition (HFR) aims to match faces across different domains (e.g., visible to near-infrared images), which has been widely applied in authentication and forensics scenarios. However, HFR is a challenging problem because of the large cross-domain discrepancy, limited heterogeneous data pairs, and large variation of facial attributes. To address these challenges, we propose a new HFR method from the perspective of heterogeneous data augmentation, named Face Synthesis with Identity-Attribute Disentanglement (FSIAD). Firstly, the identity-attribute disentanglement (IAD) decouples face images into identity-related representations and identity-unrelated representations (called attributes), and then decreases the correlation between identities and attributes. Secondly, we devise a face synthesis module (FSM) to generate a large number of images with stochastic combinations of disentangled identities and attributes for enriching the attribute diversity of synthetic images. Both the original images and the synthetic ones are utilized to train the HFR network for tackling the challenges and improving the performance of HFR. Extensive experiments on five HFR databases validate that FSIAD obtains superior performance than previous HFR approaches. Particularly, FSIAD obtains 4.8% improvement over state of the art in terms of VR@FAR=0.01% on LAMP-HQ, the largest HFR database so far.
Knowledge on Sexually Transmitted Infections among school-going adolescents in the Sunyani West District of Ghana

The physiological and behavioural characteristics associated with adolescence increase the risk of contracting HIV and other sexually transmitted infections which may have devastating effects on their sexual and reproductive health. The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge of sexually transmitted infections of school going adolescents in the Sunyani West District of Ghana. A cross-sectional study design was used in gathering appropriate survey data from 316 senior high school students. Descriptive and univariate analyses were conducted using STATA version 14.0 software. The age group 16 - 18 years were the majority of respondents. More male than female adolescents knew about all four areas of knowledge as regards sexually transmitted infections. The study showed a statistically significant association (P = 0.001) between level of knowledge of sexually transmitted infections among adolescents and their class/form. Adolescents had good knowledge about sexually transmitted infections despite some misconceptions that could affect their sexual behaviour. Educational levels of students have to be considered in the design of sex education curriculum.
Impact of Pharmacokinetic and Pharmacodynamic Properties of Monoclonal Antibodies in the Management of Psoriasis

The treatment of psoriasis has been revolutionized by the emergence of biological therapies. Monoclonal antibodies (mAb) generally have complex pharmacokinetic (PK) properties with nonlinear distribution and elimination. In recent years, several population pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) models capable of describing different types of mAb have been published. This study aims to summarize the findings of a literature search about population PK/PD modeling and therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) of mAb in psoriasis. A total of 22 articles corresponding to population PK/PD models of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α inhibitors (adalimumab and golimumab), interleukin (IL)-23 inhibitors (guselkumab, tildrakizumab, and risankizumab), IL-23/IL-12 inhibitor (ustekinumab), and IL-17 inhibitors (secukinumab, ixekizumab, and brodalumab) were collected. A summary of the clinical trials conducted so far in psoriasis was included, together with the current structural population PK and PD models. The most significant and clinical covariates were body weight (BW) and the presence of immunogenicity on clearance (CL). The lack of consensus on PK/PD relationships has prevented establishing an adequate dosage and, therefore, accentuates the need for TDM in psoriasis.
Polynomial Methods and Incidence Theory

The past decade has seen numerous major mathematical breakthroughs for topics such as the finite field Kakeya conjecture, the cap set conjecture, Erdős's distinct distances problem, the joints problem, as well as others, thanks to the introduction of new polynomial methods. There has also been significant progress on a variety of problems from additive combinatorics, discrete geometry, and more. This book gives a detailed yet accessible introduction to these new polynomial methods and their applications, with a focus on incidence theory. Based on the author's own teaching experience, the text requires a minimal background, allowing graduate and advanced undergraduate students to get to grips with an active and exciting research front. The techniques are presented gradually and in detail, with many examples, warm-up proofs, and exercises included. An appendix provides a quick reminder of basic results and ideas.
Product Characterization for Entrained Flow Coal/Biomass Co-Gasification

The U.S. Department of Energy‘s National Energy Technology Laboratory (DOE NETL) is exploring affordable technologies and processes to convert domestic coal and biomass resources to high-quality liquid hydrocarbon fuels. This interest is primarily motivated by the need to increase energy security and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. Gasification technologies represent clean, flexible and efficient conversion pathways to utilize coal and biomass resources. Substantial experience and knowledge had been developed worldwide on gasification of either coal or biomass. However, reliable data on effects of blending various biomass fuels with coal during gasification process and resulting syngas composition are lacking. In this project, GE Global Research performed a complete characterization of the gas, liquid and solid products that result from the co-gasification of coal/biomass mixtures. This work was performed using a bench-scale gasifier (BSG) and a pilot-scale entrained flow gasifier (EFG). This project focused on comprehensive characterization of the products from gasifying coal/biomass mixtures in a high-temperature, high-pressure entrained flow gasifier. Results from this project provide guidance on appropriate gas clean-up systems and optimization of operating parameters needed to develop and commercialize gasification technologies. GE‘s bench-scale test facility provided the bulk of high-fidelity quantitative data under temperature, heating rate,more » and residence time conditions closely matching those of commercial oxygen-blown entrained flow gasifiers. Energy and Environmental Research Center (EERC) pilot-scale test facility provided focused high temperature and pressure tests at entrained flow gasifier conditions. Accurate matching of syngas time-temperature history during cooling ensured that complex species interactions including homogeneous and heterogeneous processes such as particle nucleation, coagulation, surface condensation, and gas-phase reactions were properly reproduced and lead to representative syngas composition at the syngas cooler outlet. The experimental work leveraged other ongoing GE R&D efforts such as biomass gasification and dry feeding systems projects. Experimental data obtained under this project were used to provide guidance on the appropriate clean-up system(s) and operating parameters to coal and biomass combinations beyond those evaluated under this project. « less
A quantitative examination of intersectional discrimination, wellbeing, and resilience among diverse 2SLGBTQ+ people within 2SLGBTQ+ leisure spaces

ABSTRACT 2SLGBTQ+ leisure spaces and activities can promote resilience and enable 2SLGBTQ+ individuals to escape heterosexism and cisgenderism in mainstream society. Yet, these spaces can be problematic for people with diverse identities, including transgender/gender nonconforming, racialized, and/or disabled individuals. This study reports findings from a cross-sectional survey that examined experiences of diverse 2SLGBTQ+ people in Canada and the United States within physical and virtual 2SLGBTQ+ leisure spaces most frequented in the past two years. Relationships between experiencing intersectional discrimination in these spaces, social wellbeing within the leisure space, mental health, and resilience-promoting factors were explored. The results suggest disabled individuals were at increased risk for experiencing intersectional discrimination. Additionally, intersectional discrimination was negatively associated with mental health, and this association was mediated by social wellbeing. These results suggest that more frequent experiences of intersectional discrimination were associated with lower social wellbeing within leisure spaces, which in turn was associated with poorer mental wellbeing. Antidiscrimination policies and inclusive leadership practices were shown to be significant moderators of the discrimination--social wellbeing and the discrimination--mental health relationships, meaning that these moderators could reduce the negative impact of intersectional discrimination on these outcomes, while social support from friends was found to be moderator for mental health. Further research is necessary to examine these relationships in a range of 2SLGBTQ+ leisure spaces, including those that are infrequently accessed, as well as explore additional moderators with larger samples and describe the ways diverse 2SLGBTQ+ people engage with 2SLGBTQ+ leisure spaces.
Optimal subsampling for large‐sample quantile regression with massive data

To balance the explosive growth of data volume and limited budgets for computational resources, one of the popular methods is downscaling the data volume by subsampling a subdataset that inherits the relevant property of the full data. As an alternative to the mean regression model, the quantile regression model has been studied extensively when the data are independent and the data scale is medium. This article focuses on quantile regression with massive data where the sample size n (greater than 106 in general) is extraordinarily large but the dimension d (smaller than 20 in general) is small. We first formulate the general subsampling procedure and establish the asymptotic property of the resultant estimator. Then, with the help of optimality criteria in experimental design, we derive two subsampling probabilities that are optimal in the sense of smallest asymptotic mean square error. Since the optimal subsampling probabilities depend on the full data estimator, we develop a two‐step optimal subsampling algorithm and study the consistency and asymptotic normality of the resultant estimator. The empirical performance of the optimal subsampling algorithm is evaluated with synthetic and real datasets.
Safety of Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs in the Elderly: An Analysis of Published Literature and Reports Sent to the Portuguese Pharmacovigilance System

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are the most frequently used agents to treat musculoskeletal disorders (principally by the elderly), thus raising the risk of adverse drug reactions (ADRs). This work aims to monitor NSAIDs safety profile in older people by using literature and pharmacovigilance data. Published clinical studies reporting the NSAIDs safety in elderly patients (age ≥ 65) were identified by a literature search and were then deeply analyzed. In addition, suspected ADRs reports submitted to the Portuguese Pharmacovigilance System (PPS) involving patients aged ≥65 with at least one NSAID as suspected drug were explored in detail. Most studies concluded that the risk of gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, and renal ADRs was significantly lower with cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2)-selective NSAIDs use than with nonselective NSAIDs. The PPS data analysis showed that serious gastrointestinal ADRs occurred mostly in patients taking more than one NSAID and/or another concomitant drug that increases the incidence of these events, in the absence of gastroprotection. The results suggest that while NSAID toxicity is well understood, their safe use needs to be monitored in clinical practice. Furthermore, the pharmacovigilance data analyzed also showed that monitoring NSAIDs use in elderly remains essential to mitigate the associated risks, especially in those with comorbidities and under polytherapy.
Convalescent Plasma for Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients: A Single-Center Experience

In Winter 2020, Italy, and in particular the Lombardy region, was the first country in the Western hemisphere to be hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. Plasma from individuals recovered from COVID-19 (COVID-19 convalescent plasma, CCP) was the first therapeutic tool adopted to counteract the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). In this retrospective cohort study, we report the experience of the city hospital of Mantua, Lombardy region, on the compassionate use of CCP in patients hospitalized for severe COVID-19. Between April 2020 and April 2021, 405 consecutive COVID-19 patients received 657 CCP units with a median anti-SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody (nAb) titer of 160 (interquartile range (IQR), 80–320). Their median age was 68 years (IQR, 56–78 years), and 62% were males. At enrollment, 55% of patients had an increased body mass index (BMI), and 25.6% had at least three comorbidities. The 28-day crude mortality rate was 12.6% (51/405). Young age (<68 years), mild disease (admission to low-intensity departments) and early treatment (<7 days from symptoms onset) with high nAb titer (≥320) CCP were found as independently associated with a favorable response to CCP treatment. No safety concerns were recorded, with a rate of CCP-related adverse reactions (all of mild intensity) of 1.3%. In our real-life experience, the first in the western world, early administration of high-titer CCP was a safe and effective treatment for hospitalized COVID-19 patients.
Strategies to Increase Student Interest in Studying Islamic Religious Education during the Covid-19 Period

This study aims to determine the strategies used by Islamic religious education teachers in increasing the interest of students in SMA Negeri 1 Sungai Aur during the covid 19 pandemic, and the factors that affect student learning interests, and how the strategies used by Islamic religious teachers (PAI) at SMA Negeri 1 Sungai Aur. The method that the researcher uses is the descriptive qualitative research method. While the data sources of this study were taken from Islamic Religious Education teachers, school principals, and students who were determined by the researchers. The results of the study showed that teachers carried out various strategies in increasing interest in learning Islamic Religious Education for students of SMA Negeri 1 Sungai Aur during the covid 19 pandemic, namely: using the WhatsApp application both in online assignments and in collecting assignments. In addition, the teacher gives praise, prizes for students who are fast and precise in spelling out the tasks given. Then provide punishment for students who do not collect assignments by memorizing short letters. The factors that influence the interest in learning Islamic Religious Education students of SMA Negeri 1 Sungai Aur during the Covid-19 pandemic are internal and external.
Indoor environment quality and occupant productivity in the CH2 building

This paper presents a summary of the results from a post-occupancy evaluation study on indoor environment quality (lEO) and occupant health, wellbeing and productivity in the Council House 2 (CH2) building, which is owned and occupied by the City of Melbourne. This case study has highlighted that the productivity of office building occupants can potentially be enhanced through good building design, and provision of a high quality, healthy, comfortable and functional interior environment, that takes account of basic occupant needs.
As We Drink and Breathe: Adverse Health Effects of Microcystins and Other Harmful Algal Bloom Toxins in the Liver, Gut, Lungs and Beyond

Freshwater harmful algal blooms (HABs) are increasing in number and severity worldwide. These HABs are chiefly composed of one or more species of cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae, such as Microcystis and Anabaena. Numerous HAB cyanobacterial species produce toxins (e.g., microcystin and anatoxin—collectively referred to as HAB toxins) that disrupt ecosystems, impact water and air quality, and deter recreation because they are harmful to both human and animal health. Exposure to these toxins can occur through ingestion, inhalation, or skin contact. Acute health effects of HAB toxins have been well documented and include symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhea, headache, fever, and skin rashes. While these adverse effects typically increase with amount, duration, and frequency of exposure, susceptibility to HAB toxins may also be increased by the presence of comorbidities. The emerging science on potential long-term or chronic effects of HAB toxins with a particular emphasis on microcystins, especially in vulnerable populations such as those with pre-existing liver or gastrointestinal disease, is summarized herein. This review suggests additional research is needed to define at-risk populations who may be helped by preventative measures. Furthermore, studies are required to develop a mechanistic understanding of chronic, low-dose exposure to HAB toxins so that appropriate preventative, diagnostic, and therapeutic strategies can be created in a targeted fashion.
Self-Sufficiency Assessment: Defining the Foodshed Spatial Signature of Supply Chains for Beef in Avignon, France

Foodshed approaches allow for the assessment of the theoretical food self-sufficiency capacity of a specific region based on biophysical conditions. Recent analyses show that the focus needs to be shifted from foodshed size portrayed as an isotropic circle to a commodity–group-specific spatial configuration of the foodshed that takes into account the socio-economic and biophysical conditions essential to the development of local food supply chains. We focused on a specific animal product (beef) and used an innovative modeling approach based on spatial analysis to detect the areas of the foodshed dedicated to beef feeding (forage, pasture, and grassland), considering the foodshed as a complex of complementary areas called an archipelago. We used available statistical data including a census to address the city-region of Avignon, France covering a 100 km radius. Our results showed that the factors driving the use of short supply chains for beef feeding areas are the foodshed archipelago’s number of patches, the connectivity between them, and the rugosity of the boundaries. In addition, our beef self-sufficiency assessment results differ depending on geographical context. For instance, being located within the perimeters of a nature park seems to help orient beef production toward short supply chains. We discuss possible leverage for public action to reconnect beef production areas to consumption areas (the city) via short supply chains (e.g., green, home-grown school food programs) to increase local food security through increased local food self-sufficiency.
Bathroom hazards among older adults in western India: a cross-sectional study

Background. Bathroom accidents are a common cause of injury in older adults. This study aimed to identify the types and prevalence of bathroom hazards in the urban Indian elderly. Methods. 110 female and 88 male community-dwelling older adults in Ahmedabad aged ≥60 years living in a house with at least one bathroom were included. Hazards in their bathrooms were identified using the 18-item Bathroom Hazard Checklist. Results. Of the 198 bathrooms, 85 (42%) had 7 to 10 hazards, and 113 (58%) had 11 to 15 hazards. Frequent architectural hazards included absence of bidirectional doors (100%), inadequate door width (100%), slippery floor (91.9%), inappropriate bathroom size (80.3%), and high door threshold (53.5%). Frequent non-architectural hazards included absence of non-skid mat at entrance (99.5%), absence of grab bars (97%), absence of exhaust fan (96.6%), inadequate bathroom illumination (94.4%), inadequate illumination of bathroom pathway (91.4%), unavailable/unsafe hot water use (89.9%), unsafe seating surface (55.6%), absence of light switch at entrance (53%), and cluttered pathway (39.4%). Conclusions. The prevalence of bathroom hazards in the urban Indian elderly was high. Modification of non-architectural hazards is important to reduce injury risk. Guidelines for age-friendly bathroom design and construction are recommended. Improving awareness of older adults and caregivers is also important to safety.
External Attention Based TransUNet and Label Expansion Strategy for Crack Detection

Crack detection is an indispensable premise of road maintenance, which can provide early warning information for many road damages and save repair costs to a large extent. Because of the security and convenience, many image processing technique (IPT) based crack detection methods have been proposed, but their performances often cannot meet the requirements of practical applications because of the complex texture structure and seriously imbalanced categories. To address the aforementioned problem, we present an external attention based TransUNet for crack detection. Specifically, we tackle the TransUNet as the backbone of our detection framework, which can propagate the detailed texture information from shallow layers to corresponding deep layers through skip connections. Besides, the Transformer Block equipped in the second last convolution layer of the encoding component can explicitly model the long-range dependency of different regions in an image, which improves the structural representation ability of the framework and hence alleviates the interference from shadow, noise, and other negative factors. In addition, the External Attention Block equipped in the last convolution layer of the encoding component can effectively exploit the dependency of crack regions among different images, and further enhance the robustness of the framework. Finally, combined with the Focal Loss, the proposed label expansion strategy can further alleviate the category imbalance problem through transforming semantic categories of non-crack pixels distributed in the neighbors of corresponding crack pixels.