Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
AUTOMATIC DIAGNOSIS OF DIABETIC RETINOPATHY USING FUNDUS IMAGES

This thesis applies the process and knowledge of digital signal processing and image processing to diagnose diabetic retinopathy from images of retina. The Pre-Processing stage equalizes the uneven illumination associated with fundus images and also removes noise present in the image. Segmentation stage clusters the image into two distinct classes while the Disease Classifier stage was used to distinguish between candidate lesions and other information. Method of diagnosis of red spots, bleeding and detection of vein-artery crossover points were also developed in this work using the colour information, shape, size, object length to breadth ration as contained in the digital fundus image in the detection of this disease. In addition to diagnosis of Diabetic Retinopathy (DR), two graphical user interfaces (GUI’s) were also developed during this work, this first is for collection of lesion data information and was used by the ophthalmologist in marking images for database while the second GUI is for automatic diagnosing and displaying the diagnosis result in a more friendly user interface and is as shown in chapter three of this report. The algorithm was tested with a separate set of 25 fundus images. From this, the Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) was determined for red spot disease and bleeding, while cross over points were only detected leaving further classification as part of future work needed to complete this global project. Sensitivity (classify abnormal fundus images as abnormal) and specificity (classify normal fundus image as normal) was calculated for the algorithm is given as 98% and 61%.
Understanding the Effectiveness of Carbon Management System (CMS): An Empirical Study

Despite increasing emphasis on corporate sustainability and green IS, empirical research on the relationships between specific green IS artifacts and intended outcomes (such as various resource consumption) are relatively scant. In addition, research is silent on the firm-specific factors that could influence the benefits from such artifacts. This paper seeks to fill this research gap by examining the relationship between carbon management system (CMS) and energy consumption. The paper also explores the role of the environmental management system (EMS) and human capital development (HCD) in influencing the relationship between CMS and energy consumption. The study utilizes data from secondary sources and proprietary databases. Findings from this study empirically demonstrate the environmental value of specific green IS artifacts and the role of facilitating factors.
Pollen-feeding delays reproductive senescence and maintains toxicity of Heliconius erato

Dietary shifts may act to ease energetic constraints and allow organisms to optimise life-history traits. Heliconius butterflies differ from other nectar-feeders due to their unique ability to digest pollen, which provides a reliable source of amino acids to adults. Pollen-feeding has been associated with prolonged adult lifespan and increased fertility, yet there is a lack of empirical data demonstrating how pollen consumption influences key fitness traits, including chemical defences and adult body weight, as well as fertility over their elongated lifespan. Here, we investigated the effect of pollen-feeding on fertility, weight and chemical defences, as well as offspring defences, controlling for butterfly age and sex. Recently emerged Heliconius erato butterflies of similar size were fed for 14 or 45 days on one of three diets: sugar solution only, or sugar solution replenished with either amino acid supplement or pollen. At the end of the experiment, oviposition assays were performed to evaluate fertility, and afterwards all butterflies and eggs were weighed and used for quantification of cyanogenic glucosides (CG). We found that there is an age-specific and sex-specific effect of pollen-feeding on butterfly weight, with both the sugar-only and amino-acid supplement diets reducing the weight of old females (45d), but not young females (14d) or males of any age. Females fed only sugar significantly reduced their egg-laying through adulthood, whereas females that had access to pollen maintained their fertility. Diet had a significant effect on the maintenance of the chemical defence of females, but not males. Curiously, even though females that have access to pollen were heavier, more toxic and laid more eggs, this did not translate into improvements in offspring defences, as eggs from butterflies of all ages and diet treatments had similar CG content. Our results emphasise the importance of controlling for age-specific and sex-specific effects in studies of life-history evolution and demonstrate that dietary novelty can relax energetic constraints.
Performance assessment of empirical models for prediction of daily and monthly average global solar radiation: the case study of Ibadan, Nigeria

ABSTRACT In this study, the performance assessment of empirical models for modelling global solar radiation in Ibadan is presented. The empirical models are derived from the three basic models: Angstrom–Prescott model, Garcia model and Hargreaves–Sammani model. The data used in the analysis consist of daily average global solar radiation, daily average sunshine hours, daily average maximum temperature and daily average minimum temperature collected over a period of nine years (2000–2008). Regression constants are determined for each of the model for each months of the year. The study reveals that Garcia Quadratic model puts up the best overall performance. The model can predict the daily average global solar irradiation with Mean Absolute Error of 1.86 MJ m−2 day−1, Root Mean Square Error of 2.7 MJ m−2 day−1, Mean Absolute Percentage Error 9.34% and Coefficient of Determination (R2) of 0.68.
Equilibrium on International Assets and Goods Markets ∗

Most of the international asset pricing models are developed in the situation where purchasing power parity (PPP) is not respected.Investors of different countries do not agree on expected security returns. However, in this case, an equilibrium on the international assets market may exist but not on the international goods market. Our purpose in this paper is to give conditions under which we have equilibrium, not only on the international assets markets but also on the international good market. More precisely, we focus on the link between noarbitrage, equilibrium and PPP. At equilibrium, assets markets must clear and international goods market balance. In particular, equilibrium goods prices respect the PPP.
Standard model and exotic physics with the top quark at ATLAS

The top quark is the most massive fundamental particle in the Standard Model of particle physics. Only experimentally observed in 1995, it can be used as a precise test of Standard Model predictions, and it could lend insight to the problem of what lies beyond the Standard Model. This thesis presents a measurement of top-quark pair production using data collected at a center-of-mass energy √ s = 7 TeV in 2011, and a search for production of vector-like quarks using data collected at √ s = 8 TeV in 2012. Both datasets were recorded by the ATLAS detector, a multipurpose protonproton collider located at the CERN LHC outside of Geneva Switzerland. The top-quark pair production cross-section is measured as a function of four different variables and the results are presented as normalized, differential spectra. The variables considered are the transverse momentum of the top quark, and the mass, rapidity, and transverse momentum of the top-quark pair system. Events are selected in the lepton+jets channel, and the measured spectra are corrected for detector resolution and efficiency. The final results are compared with predictions from various Monte Carlo generators, theoretical calculations and proton parton vi distribution functions and found to be in reasonable agreement. Data is found to be softer than all predictions, particularly for high values of top-quark transverse momentum and the top-quark pair invariant mass. The search for vector-like quarks focuses on new heavy quarks that decay with a large branching ratio to a Z boson and a third generation Standard Model quark. Events are selected with at least two leptons (electrons or muons), and two of the leptons are required to reconstruct a Z boson with high transverse momentum. No significant excess of events is observed above the Standard Model prediction. Upper limits on the masses of vector-like T and B quarks are derived for various branching ratio hypotheses.
Valence band inversion and spin-orbit effects in the electronic structure of monolayer GaSe

Two-dimensional monochalcogenides (MX) have been identified as a unique and promising class of layered materials in recent years. The valence band of single-layer MX, as predicted by theory, is inverted into a bow-shaped (often referred to as an inverted sombrero) and relatively flat dispersion, which is expected to give rise to strongly correlated effects. The inversion leads to an indirect band gap, which is consistent with photoluminescence (PL) experiments, but PL provides no direct evidence of the band inversion in the valence band. Here we demonstrate for a hexagonal MX crystal, gallium selenide (GaSe), using a combination of angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) and density functional theory (DFT), that the valence band of monolayer (ML) GaSe exhibits a robust inversion of the valence dispersion at the Γ point forming a bow-shaped dispersion with a depth of 120 ± 10 meV between the double valence band maximum along the ΓK direction. We also demonstrate that the deeper-lying bands detected in the ARPES spectrum are consistent with DFT calculations only if spin-orbit coupling is considered. The presented ARPES evidence that spin-orbit coupling leads to the splitting of two fourfold-degenerate states into four Kramers doublets is of significance for PL measurements, as the change in energy of the second highest valence state at the Γ point has a measurable effect on the PL energies in high-energy luminescence. We predict the optical absorption coefficients for the principal transitions in ML GaSe using a four-band k⋅p model parametrized from first-principles theory with spin-orbit effects considered.
Impact of the Business Environment on Output and Productivity in Africa

Africa is the poorest part of the world and it has the worst environment for long term business success by most standards. Empirical works normally find a negative correlation between income per worker and measures for poor business environment. This paper develops a general equilibrium model to assess the quantitative effects of the business environment, including access to finance, regulation, crime, corruption and infrastructure, on output and TFP for 30 Sub-Saharan African countries. We find that the quantitative effects of these areas of the business environment are large. They together can explain about 67% of the variation in income per capita relative to the US. Improving these dimensions of the business environment will be key for the long term development of the continent.
FEDERAL RESERVE BANK o f ATLANTA WORKING PAPER SERIES Foreign Exchange Predictability during the Financial Crisis : Implications for Carry Trade Profitability

In this paper, we study the effectiveness of carry trade strategies during and after the financial crisis using a flexible approach to modeling currency returns. We decompose the currency returns into multiplicative sign and absolute return components, which exhibit much greater predictability than raw returns. We allow the two components to respond to currency-specific risk factors and use the joint conditional distribution of these components to obtain forecasts of future carry trade returns. Our results suggest that the decomposition model produces higher forecast and directional accuracy than any of the competing models. We show that the forecasting gains translate into economically and statistically significant (risk-adjusted) profitability when trading individual currencies or forming currency portfolios based on the predicted returns from the decomposition model. JEL classification: F31, F37, C32, C53, G15
The Safety and Soundness Effects of Bank M&A in the EU

This paper studies the impact of European bank mergers and acquisitions on changes in key safety and soundness measures of both acquirers and targets. We find that capitalization, profitability, and liquidity show signs of statistically and economically significant mean reversion for acquirers. Also, acquirers in cross-border deals tended to perform better when their home country prudential supervisors and deposit insurance funding systems were stricter than the target's. For target banks, the most consistent findings from the cross-sectional regressions are that stronger supervision and tougher deposit insurance funding regimes tend to result in positive postmerger changes in liquidity and performance.
The Performance of Some Walnut ( Juglans regia ) Cultivars in the Conditions of Bursa, Turkey

The present study aimed to evaluate the pomological and phenological traits, as well as yield potential and incidence of external defects of some local (‘Bilecik’, ‘Maraş 12’, ‘Maraş 18’, ‘Şebin’, ‘Şen 1’) and foreign (‘Chandler’, ‘Fernette’, ‘Fernor’, ‘Howard’, ‘Pedro’, ‘Serr’) walnut cultivars grown in Bursa (north-west in Turkey) conditions between 2014 and 2020. The first leafing was observed in Maraş 12, Serr, Şebin, and Maraş 18 cultivars, while Fernette and Fernor were the last leafing cultivars. The female blooming period of the cultivars was recorded to be the longest in Maraş 18 (15 days) and Şebin (16 days) and that was the shortest in Bilecik and Serr (10 days). The male blooming period was recorded as the longest in Chandler, Fernette, Bilecik, and Şebin (16-18 days) and that was the shortest in Maraş 12 and Serr (10 days). The average yield per tree of cultivars ranged between 1.87 kg (Şebin) and 14.21 kg (Pedro). Walnut blight was observed on average in 15.85%, sunburn in 10.21%, codling moth in 5.11%, anthracnose in 3.23%, and bird damage in 2.35% of the fruits. The healthy nut percentage ranged from 40.06% (Şen 1) to 76.50% (Chandler). The nut weight of cultivars was between 9.91 g (Maraş 12) and 16.27 g (Şen 1). Kernel percentage varied from 36.31% (Şen 1) to 53.56% (Maraş 12). The principal component analysis conducted to distinguish the cultivars suggests that the most important factors could be reduced to five components. The results showed that Maraş 12, Chandler, Fernor, and Howard were suitable cultivars for commercial cultivation in Bursa conditions.
Dynamics of Output Growth , Consumption and Physical Capital in Two-Sector Models of Endogenous Growth by

This paper experimentally studies the extraction decisions of a sole-owner in a fishery, the population dynamics of which behave according to the standard deterministic logistic growth model. Four treatments were implemented which differed in the level of information supplied to the experimental subjects. The theoretical solution was used to evaluate the behaviour of experimental subjects. The data reveal high efficiency losses due to the lack of information on population dynamics and stock size. Efficiency varied between treatments according to the information conditions.
Numerical Model to Predict Hemolysis and Transport 1 in a Membrane-Based Microfluidic Device

Abstract 3 Microfluidic devices may overcome the limitations of conventional hemodialysis and 4 oxygenation technology to improve patient outcomes. Namely, the small form of this technology 5 and parallel development of highly permeable membranes may facilitate the development of 6 portable, low-volume, and efficient alternatives to conventional membrane-based equipment. 7 However, the characteristically small dimensions of these devices may also inhibit transport and 8 may also induce flow-mediated nonphysiologic shear stresses that may damage red blood cells 9 (RBCs). In vitro testing is commonly used to quantify these phenomenon, but is costly and only 10 characterizes bulk device performance. Here we developed a computational model that predicts 11 the blood damage and solute transport for an abitrary microfluidic geometry. We challenged the 12 predictiveness of the model with three geometric variants of a prototype design and validated 13 hemolysis predictions with in vitro blood damge of prototype devices in a recirculating loop. We 14 found that six of the nine tested damage models statistically agree with the experimental data for 15 at least one geometric variant. Additionally, we found that one geometrical variant, the 16 herringbone design, improved toxin (urea) transport to the dialysate by 38% in silico at the 17 expense of a 50% increase in hemolysis. Our work demonstrates that computational modeling 18 may supplement in vitro testing of prototype microdialyzer/micro-oxygenators to expedite the 19 design optimization of these devices. Furthermore, the low device-induced blood damage 20 measured in our study at physiologically relevant flow rates is promising for the future 21 development of microfluidic dialyzers and oxygenators. 22
Identifying the enablers and barriers to community participation amongst older adults

Introduction The proportion of older adults throughout the world has increased significantly over the last decade and continues to rise. Such substantial growth highlights the importance of facilitating older people’s wellbeing. This research aimed to identify enablers and barriers to participation in community-based activities experienced by active older adults. Method This qualitative study employed the evidence-based paradigm of occupation and Model of Human Occupation to underpin protocol and discussion. Ten participants (females = 9, males = 1) who were aged 64–83 years and actively engaged in their community took part in semi-structured interviews. Participants reported mixed health levels including chronic/terminal illnesses and normal degenerative changes. Interview transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis. Findings Analysis identified four themes of enablers and barriers to community participation. These were: relationships; interests; personal knowledge and awareness towards health and wellbeing; and resources and the environment. Conclusion Intrinsic factors such as developing or maintaining strong relationships and developing interests were identified as enabling community participation. Barriers identified within this study included unappealing group cultures or structures, such as having limited opportunity to develop friendships or explicitly targeting ‘seniors aged 60+ years’ and accessibility limitations. Recommendations were established to inform the development of programmes to increase community participation among this group.
Iwasawa $\mu$-invariants and congruence of Galois representations

In this paper, we compare the Selmer groups of congruent Galois representations over an admissible p-adic Lie extension. Namely, we show that the generalized Iwasawa μ-invariants associated to the Pontryagin dual of the Selmer groups of two Galois representations are the same if the said Galois representations are congruent to each other for a high enough power. In the case when the admissible p-adic Lie extension is a multiple Zp-extension, we can even show that the π-primary submodule of the dual Selmer groups of the two Galois representations are pseudo-isomorphic to each other. We will also mention as a remark that our method here can be used to improve the results in a previous paper, and as a consequence, we are able to give a partial answer to a remark of Greenberg.
A Joint Model to Identify and Align Bilingual Named Entities

In this article, an integrated model is derived that jointly identifies and aligns bilingual named entities (NEs) between Chinese and English. The model is motivated by the following observations: (1) whether an NE is translated semantically or phonetically depends greatly on its entity type, (2) entities within an aligned pair should share the same type, and (3) the initially detected NEs can act as anchors and provide further information while selecting NE candidates. Based on these observations, this article proposes a translation mode ratio feature (defined as the proportion of NE internal tokens that are semantically translated), enforces an entity type consistency constraint, and utilizes additional new NE likelihoods (based on the initially detected NE anchors). Experiments show that this novel method significantly outperforms the baseline. The type-insensitive F-score of identified NE pairs increases from 78.4% to 88.0% (12.2% relative improvement) in our Chinese–English NE alignment task, and the type-sensitive F-score increases from 68.4% to 83.0% (21.3% relative improvement). Furthermore, the proposed model demonstrates its robustness when it is tested across different domains. Finally, when semi-supervised learning is conducted to train the adopted English NE recognition model, the proposed model also significantly boosts the English NE recognition type-sensitive F-score.
Temporal evolution of jet induced scour depth in cohesionless granular beds and the phenomenological theory of turbulence

In this work, we investigate the temporal evolution of the jet-driven scour depth in a pothole lying on a cohesionless granular bed by using diverse approaches. First, we present new experiments which encompass cases with jet angles ranging from 45° to 90° from the horizontal, several initial water depths, and different particle sizes, supplementing experiments developed recently by the last two authors. In particular, we address relatively large angles, mostly absent in previous analyses. Our results initially confirm the existence of two very different stages in the scour process, essentially overlooked in datasets used to obtain the traditional formulas—developing and developed phases; they then provide unprecedented evidence of the very distinct behavior at 90°, characterized by a step-wise behavior. Second, after revisiting the rationale of a theory for the equilibrium condition developed elsewhere by the first author and a collaborator, we employ the existing and new datasets to determine the multiplicative constants embedded in the equilibrium scour formulas. Third, we present a novel theory for the temporal evolution of the scour depth during the developed phase (but with good prediction capabilities in the developing phase as well). By invoking the conservation of mass of sediment in the pothole, in addition to the energy conservation within the pothole and the phenomenological theory of turbulence, we obtain ordinary differential equations which we solve by numerical means. We validate the theory using our new and other datasets. Finally, we provide interesting interpretations of the scour process by using the results of the theory.In this work, we investigate the temporal evolution of the jet-driven scour depth in a pothole lying on a cohesionless granular bed by using diverse approaches. First, we present new experiments which encompass cases with jet angles ranging from 45° to 90° from the horizontal, several initial water depths, and different particle sizes, supplementing experiments developed recently by the last two authors. In particular, we address relatively large angles, mostly absent in previous analyses. Our results initially confirm the existence of two very different stages in the scour process, essentially overlooked in datasets used to obtain the traditional formulas—developing and developed phases; they then provide unprecedented evidence of the very distinct behavior at 90°, characterized by a step-wise behavior. Second, after revisiting the rationale of a theory for the equilibrium condition developed elsewhere by the first author and a collaborator, we employ the existing and new datasets to determine the multip.