Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Deep Learning in Left and Right Footprint Image Detection Based on Plantar Pressure

People with cerebral palsy (CP) suffer primarily from lower-limb impairments. These impairments contribute to the abnormal performance of functional activities and ambulation. Footprints, such as plantar pressure images, are usually used to assess functional performance in people with spastic CP. Detecting left and right feet based on footprints in people with CP is a challenge due to abnormal foot progression angle and abnormal footprint patterns. Identifying left and right foot profiles in people with CP is essential to provide information on the foot orthosis, walking problems, index gait patterns, and determination of the dominant limb. Deep learning with object detection can localize and classify the object more precisely on the abnormal foot progression angle and complex footprints associated with spastic CP. This study proposes a new object detection model to auto-determine left and right footprints. The footprint images successfully represented the left and right feet with high accuracy in object detection. YOLOv4 more successfully detected the left and right feet using footprint images compared to other object detection models. YOLOv4 reached over 99.00% in various metric performances. Furthermore, detection of the right foot (majority of people’s dominant leg) was more accurate than that of the left foot (majority of people’s non-dominant leg) in different object detection models.
The Use of Canopeo for Seedling Cotton Health Ratings in Small Plot Research

Field experiments were conducted in 2017 and 2018 in west Tennessee to determine if Canopeo, an image analysis tool available as a smartphone app, could be used to supplement current methods to estimate cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L. , seedling health in small-plot research tests. A total of six tests, providing a range of cotton seedling health, were used in this analysis. Cotton seedlings in replicated small-plot tests were visually rated for vigor and thrips (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) injury. A photograph of the center two rows of each plot was taken and analyzed to determine green canopy cover using Canopeo. Additionally, above ground biomass samples were collected in three of the tests. Strong correlations were observed between green canopy cover and biomass, green canopy cover and vigor, and thrips injury ratings and biomass. These data suggest that green canopy cover assessment using Canopeo is a useful and non-destructive way to objectively assess treatment effects on plant health in small-plot cotton research trials.
Improving Chest X-Ray Report Generation by Leveraging Text of Similar Images

Automatic medical report generation is the production of reports from radiology images that are grammatically correct and coherent. Encoder-decoder is the most common architecture for report generation, which has not achieved to a satisfactory performance because of the complexity of this task. This paper presents an approach to improve the performance of report generation that can be easily added to any encoder-decoder architecture. In this approach, in addition to the features extracted from the image, the text related to the most similar image in the training data set is also provided as the input to the decoder. So, the decoder acquires additional knowledge for text production which helps to improve the performance and produce better reports. To demonstrate the e�ciency of the proposed method, this technique was added to several different models for producing text from chest images. The results of evaluation demonstrated that the performance of all models improved. Also, different approaches for word embedding, including BioBert, and GloVe, were evaluated. Our result showed that BioBert, which is a language model based on the transformer, is a better approach for this task.
Low Bone Turnover Due to Hypothyroidism or Anti-Resorptive Treatment Does Not Affect Whole-Body Glucose Homeostasis in Male Mice

Bone is a large and dynamic tissue and its maintenance requires high amounts of energy as old or damaged bone structures need to be replaced during the process of bone remodeling. Glucose homeostasis is an essential prerequisite for a healthy bone and vice versa, the skeleton can act as an endocrine organ on energy metabolism. We recently showed that hypothyroidism in mice leads to an almost complete arrest of bone remodeling. Here, we aimed to investigate whether the profound suppression of bone remodeling affects whole-body glucose homeostasis. To that end, male C57BL/6JRj mice were rendered hypothyroid over 4 weeks using methimazole and sodium perchlorate in the drinking water. We confirmed trabecular bone gain due to decreased bone turnover in hypothyroid mice with decreased cortical but increased vertebral bone strength. Further, we found impaired glucose handling but not insulin resistance with hypothyroidism. In hypothyroid bone, glucose uptake and expression of glucose transporter Glut4 were reduced by 44.3% and 13.9%, respectively, suggesting lower energy demands. Nevertheless, hypothyroidism led to distinct changes in glucose uptake in muscle, liver, and epididymal white adipose tissue (eWAT). Reduced glucose uptake (−30.6%) and Glut1/Glut4 transcript levels (−31.9%/−67.5%) were detected in muscle tissue. In contrast, in liver and eWAT we observed increased glucose uptake by 25.6% and 68.6%, respectively, and upregulated expression of glucose transporters with hypothyroidism. To more specifically target bone metabolism and discriminate between the skeletal and systemic effects of hypothyroidism on energy metabolism, male mice were treated with zoledronate (ZOL), a bisphosphonate, that led to decreased bone turnover, trabecular bone gain, and reduced local glucose uptake into bone (−40.4%). However, ZOL-treated mice did not display alterations of systemic glucose handling nor insulin tolerance. Despite the close mutual crosstalk of bone and glucose metabolism, in this study, we show that suppressing bone remodeling does not influence whole-body glucose homeostasis in male mice.
The Psychological Well-Being and Civic Engagement of Polish, Croatian and Lithuanian Academic Students during COVID-19 Outbreak

The aim of this research was to recognize the relationship between well-being and civic engagement under the difficult circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic amongst students from Poland, Lithuania and Croatia. Overall, 1362 academic students (Poland, n = 596, Croatia, n = 386, and Lithuania, n = 379) participated in the study. Mean rank differences in civic engagement level (overall CE) were analysed by levels of psychological well-being (overall PWB and its subscales) using the Kruskal–Wallis test (one-way ANOVA on ranks). We conducted post hoc analysis with Bonferroni tests to measure the significance of differences in CE between the detailed levels of PWB. To avoid biases due to interaction effects between dependent variables, the analysis of mean ranks was followed by a binomial logistic regression analysis model and subgroups analysis (by gender and by country). Results obtained showed that students with higher levels of psychological well-being have higher levels of civic engagement. The differences in the CE level are most pronounced in relation to the dimension of a PWB, such as “positive relations with others”, followed by “personal growth”, “autonomy”, and “self-acceptance”. In a crisis, such as a pandemic, it is worth encouraging students to take targeted actions, as well as to create actions referring to personal development and relationships. There were no differences in the direction and shape of the associations between psychological well-being and civic engagement with respect to the country and the gender of the participants, which leads us to draw conclusions pointing to the globalised nature of student experience during the pandemic in this part of Europe.
Algorithms for Monte Carlo particle transport in binary statistical mixtures

There has been considerable interest lately in particle transport through randomly mixed materials. We focus here on two-material mixtures. Given a particular medium, we do not know the precise composition; we know only a statistical description. We assume here Markovian mixtures, which means chord lengths through each material satisfy an exponential probability distribution. We seek the ensemble-averaged'' transport solution which, given infinite resources, we could compute as follows: construct a particular realization'' of the medium by sampling from the statistical descriptions, solve the transport equation for that realization, and repeat many times and average the solutions. This exact'' procedure is far too costly for practical use; thus, we need efficient algorithms that produce reasonable approximations to the exact solution. Many researchers have sought a set of equations that approximately describe the ensemble-average solution. One such set, which we call the Levermore equations'', has received considerable attention. McCormick has avoided deriving equations, proposing instead a Monte Carlo algorithm for an approximate ensemble-average solution. Pomraning subsequently argued that this algorithm actually solves the Levermore equations. Zimmerman independently proposed a Monte Carlo algorithm that should also solve the Levermore equations, and a second algorithm that should be more accurate. In this work wemore » study three Monte Carlo algorithms: algorithm A, algorithm B, and algorithm C. 8 refs., 1 fig.« less
Establishment of in planta transformation protocol of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) through antiporter gene for improved salinity tolerance

Tomato stands as the world’s third most consumed vegetable, but its production has been suffering due to climate vulnerability, notably for saline sensitivity. Despite its economic importance, developing salinity tolerant tomato has not been prioritized lately. Current study was aimed to establish a simple and efficient Agrobacterium-mediated in planta transformation protocol to transform Na+/H+ antiporter gene into 5 Bangladeshi tomato varieties, namely BARI tomato 2, BARI tomato 3, BINA tomato 2, BINA tomato 3 and Bahar, to improve their salt tolerance, through optimization of crucial transformation factors like optical density, infection time, co-cultivation period etc. Two vectors were constructed by cloning Na+/H+ antiporter gene from Arabidopsis (pK7WG2_AtNHX1_1.6) and Rice (pK7WG2_OsNHX1_1.6) individually to gateway vector pENTR/D-TOPO and electroporated to Agrobacterium while another vector pBI121 was used as control. Non-pricked seeds were found optimum for achieving more than 90% efficiency for GUS expression and germination percentages under conditions of OD600 1.1-1.4 with 30 min of infection time followed by 24 hrs co-cultivation period during transformation using the 3 vectors. Transformed plantlets were screened through resistance to Kanamycin 50 mg/l in germination medium while Cefotaxime 100 mg/l was applied to prevent Agrobacterium overgrowth during co-cultivation. Tolerance of 100 mM NaCl for 14 days has been observed in putative transformants in Leaf Disc Bioassay. No significant morphological changes were observed during the acclimatization of putatively transformed plantlets. This established protocol is novel and can efficiently produce genotype-independent transgenic tomato plants obviating intervening tissue culture. Hence, this study provides scope for climate-resilient crop improvement to ensure nutritional security.
Symmetries of Everything

I argue that string theory can not be a serious candidate for the Theory of Everything, not because it lacks experimental support, but because of its algebraic shallowness. I describe two classes of algebraic structures which are deeper and more general than anything seen in string theory: The multi-dimensional Virasoro algebras, i.e. the abelian but non-central extension of the algebra of vector fields in N dimensions by its module of closed dual one-forms. The exceptional simple Lie superalgebra mb(3|8), which is the deepest possible symmetry (depth 3 in its consistent Weisfeiler grading). The grade zero subalgebra, which largely governs the representation theory, is the standard model algebra sl(3)+sl(2)+gl(1). Some general features can be extracted from an mb(3|8) gauge theory even before its detailed construction: several generations of fermions, absense of proton decay, no additional gauge bosons, manifest CP violation, and particle/anti-particle asymmetry. I discuss classifications supporting the claim that every conceivable symmetry is known.
Dibaryons in a constituent quark model

We investigate the properties of dibaryons containing u and d quarks in the constituent quark model. In constructing the ground state wave function, we choose the spatial part to be fully symmetric and the remaining color, isospin and spin part to be antisymmetric so as to satisfy the the Pauli principle. By adapting the IS coupling scheme that combine the isospin basis function with the spin basis function, and subsequently coupling this to the color singlet basis function, we construct the color $\otimes$ isospin $\otimes$ spin states compatible with the physical states of the dibaryon. By using the variational method, we then calculate the mass of the dibaryon in a nonrelativistic potential model, involving Coulomb, color confinement and color-spin hyperfine interaction. In particular, to asses the stability for different types of the confinement potential, we introduce one that is linearly proportional to the interquark distance and another to its square root. For all cases considered, we find that there are no compact bound states against the strong decay.
Fast and Accurate Computation of the Displacement Force of Stent Grafts after Endovascular Aneurysm Repair

Purpose: Currently, the displacement force of stent grafts is generally obtained using computational fluid dynamics (CFD), which requires professional CFD knowledge to perform the correct simulation. This study proposes a fast, simple, and clinician-friendly approach to calculating the patient-specific displacement force after endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR). Methods: Twenty patient-specific post-EVAR computed tomography angiography images were used to reconstruct the patient-specific three-dimensional models, then the displacement forces were calculated using CFD and the proposed approaches, respectively, and their numerical differences were compared and analyzed. Results: Based on the derivation and simplification of the momentum theorem, the patient-specific displacement forces were obtained using the information of the patient-specific pressure, cross-sectional area, and angulation of the two stent graft ends, and the average relative error was no greater than 1.37% when compared to the displacement forces calculated by CFD. In addition, the linear regression analysis also showed good agreement between the displacement force values calculated by the new approach and CFD (R = 0.999). Conclusions: The proposed approach can quickly and accurately calculate the patient-specific displacement force on a stent graft and can therefore help clinicians quickly evaluate the post-EVAR displacement force.
Effect of acrylic cover on convergence property of aplanatic and hyperbolic Fresnel lenses

Underwater acoustic lenses are used as a beamformer for underwater imaging. However, lenses have aberrations, causing blur or distortion to acoustic images. A thin aspherical single lens is effective for aberration correction without attenuation or reflection of the sound wave. We have designed hyperbolic and aplanatic Fresnel lenses made of silicone rubber. However, the Fresnel lenses were too thin and soft to retain their shape. In this study, we designed acrylic covers to maintain the shape of Fresnel lenses, and we evaluated the effects of the covers on the convergence property by calculations and experiments. The covers were designed on the basis of wave theory. The optimal thickness was determined to be half of the wavelength in the cover. As a result, the covers did not effect the location of focal points. The covered aplanatic Fresnel lens showed an almost uniform gain in the range from 0 to 20 ; however, the gain was lower than that of the uncovered lens. The covered hyperbolic Fresnel lens produced almost the same shape of the sound distribution as the uncovered hyperbolic Fresnel lens but with a lower gain than that of the uncovered lens at all incident angles. In conclusion, the covers decreased the lens gain but did not affect the angular properties. Thus, the covers are expected to contribute to practical applications using Fresnel lenses.
Ageing Well with Creative Arts and Pets: The HenPower Story

ABSTRACT HenPower is a programme that enables older people who live with dementia in care homes to take part in hen-keeping and hen-related creative activities. It was introduced into UK care homes to address evidence suggesting older adults who live with dementia in care homes can experience diminished personal wellbeing. This study aimed to 1) assess the impact of HenPower on people who have dementia who are living in a care home and 2) explore care home staff views and experiences of the HenPower programme. A nested qualitative design was adopted, utilizing observation of 29 older people who live in a care home and 25 staff individual and small-group interviews. Five themes emerged: ongoing meaningful engagement with hens, self-expression through creative activities, improved mood and participation, improved social interaction, and enhanced living environment. HenPower offers potential wellbeing benefits to older people living in care homes, many of which echo with existing evidence on non-pharmacological approaches.
Marketing Organic Food from Millennials’ Perspective: A Multi-Theoretical Approach

This study examines the significant differences between the socio-demographic characteristics of Millennials in Malaysia and their intention to purchase organic food. In addition, the study also investigates the factors that influenced their purchase intention using a multi theoretical approach based on the Theory of Planned Behavior and Protection Motivation Theory. A questionnaire-based approach was applied. Data were collected via a face-to-face method at organic and non-organic food shops located in Klang Valley, Malaysia. SPSS and PLS-SEM were used to analyze 214 useable samples. The results from the independent sample T-test and ANOVA test showed that there were no significant differences between gender, age, marital status, educational level and ethnicity and intention to purchase organic food; while occupation, monthly income and prior purchase experience were found to have differences on this intention. In addition, a structural model was tested and revealed that response efficacy and attitude positively influenced organic food purchase intention; and attitude was the most important predictor of this intention. Knowing the influencing factors and differences of the target market from the socio-demographic characteristics will enable firms to create more specific selling points to market organic food to the right target markets, hence, contributing towards sustainability in the country.
On the system $f(nx)$ and probabilistic number theory

Let $f: {\mathbb R}\to {\mathbb R}$ be a measurable function satisfying \begin{equation*} f(x+1)=f(x), \qquad \int_0^1 f(x)\, dx=0, \qquad \int_0^1 f^2(x)\, dx<\infty. \end{equation*} The asymptotic properties of series $\sum c_k f(kx)$ have been studied extensively in the literature and turned out to be, in general, quite different from those of the trigonometric system. As the theory shows, the behavior of such series is determined by a combination of analytic, probabilistic and number theoretic effects, resulting in highly interesting phenomena not encountered in classical harmonic analysis. In this paper we survey some recent results in the field and prove asymptotic results for the system $\{f(nx), n\ge 1\}$ in the case when the function $f$ is not square integrable.
Large-Eddy Simulation of Turbulent Wall-Pressure Fluctuations

Large-eddy simulations of a turbulent boundary layer with Reynolds number based on displacement thickness equal to 3500 were performed with two grid resolutions. The computations were continued for sufficient time to obtain frequency spectra with resolved frequencies that correspond to the most important structural frequencies on an aircraft fuselage. The turbulent stresses were adequately resolved with both resolutions. Detailed quantitative analysis of a variety of statistical quantities associated with the wall-pressure fluctuations revealed similar behavior for both simulations. The primary differences were associated with the lack of resolution of the high-frequency data in the coarse-grid calculation and the increased jitter (due to the lack of multiple realizations for averaging purposes) in the fine-grid calculation. A new curve fit was introduced to represent the spanwise coherence of the cross-spectral density.
Less Partisan and Less Aggressive? The Impact of Covid-19 on the Media Discourse of “El Clásico” on Spanish Radio

The football rivalry between Real Madrid CF and FC Barcelona is one of the most popular at club level globally. In Spain, where it is known as El Clásico (the Classic), it has an unrivalled status in the sports media industry. Its significance relies in part to the historical tension between Catalonia, the region of which Barcelona is the main centre, and Madrid, the capital of Spain. The exaltation of confrontation and partisanship is the central feature of highly popular radio programmes devoted to El Clásico. This study aimed to observe how the media discourse articulated by these programmes was affected by the fact that, during the Covid-19 pandemic, matches were played in empty venues. Through the comparisons of broadcasts of two games, one from 2017 and from 2020, the paper shows that the sensationalistic style is toned down, and a less polarised and partisan sports journalism is possible.
Drop deposition on surfaces with contact-angle hysteresis: Liquid-bridge stability and breakup

We study the stability and breakup of liquid bridges with a free contact line on a surface with contact-angle hysteresis under zero-gravity conditions. Theoretical predictions of the stability limits are validated by experimental measurements. Experiments are conducted in a water-methanol-silicon oil system where the gravity force is offset by buoyancy. We highlight cases where stability is lost during the transition from a pinned-pinned to pinned-free interface when the receding contact angle is approached---rather than a critical state, indicating that the breakup length is not always associated with the static maximum-length stability limit. We demonstrate that the dynamic contact angle controls the contact-line radius following stability loss, and that interface evolution following stability loss can increase the dispensed-drop size if the contact angle is fixed.