Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Road Marking Contrast Threshold Revisited

ABSTRACT Sufficient contrast between road surface and road markings is key for a safe and comfortable driving experience. This calls for a comprehensive and well established contrast (threshold) model, which ideally results in a single contrast threshold value independent of object angular size or road luminance. The contrast threshold model introduced by Adrian is still commonly used in road lighting. More recently, new contrast metrics that also predict supra-threshold contrast visibility have been proposed, but the corresponding visibility thresholds are not yet known. In the present study, participants are presented a rendering of a highway, including road marking arrows of various size and luminance and were asked to indicate the direction of the arrow. The luminance of the road surface, acting as background for the markings, was varied too. Due to the very low luminance values and the very small differences in luminance, measurement accuracy and calibration issues require special attention. The results show good agreement with Adrian’s visibility model (R2 = 0.75) in terms of luminance contrast, background luminance and size. In addition, we used our experimental data to define contrast thresholds for several other existing image based contrast models. Unfortunately, it seems to be impossible to state one unique threshold contrast value independent of object angular size and road luminance.
Evaluation of bamboo water-retting for fiber bundle extraction

Bamboo fiber bundles were successfully extracted from bamboo culms using water-retting, taking advantage of enzymes secreted by microorganisms in the retting liquid. The harvest year and place of origin of the bamboo and the source of water impacted the products of the retting process. One-month-old bamboo was decomposed completely, whereas the one-year-old sample was hardly changed after 24-day retting. Moisture regain and crystallinity varied with the different origins of the bamboo. However, all samples resulted in similar chemical structures and thermal properties. The best operational conditions for water-retting were 3-month-old bamboo from Wuxi incubated in deionized water. Enzyme activities, including cellulase, xylanase, pectinase, and ligninolytic enzymes (lignin peroxidase, manganese peroxidase, and laccase) were monitored during a 24-day retting. Manganese peroxidase was the primary enzyme used to degrade lignin, resulting in absorbance at 294 nm of UV-Vis spectra. In addition, xylanase played a leading role in hydrolyzing hemicellulose, which was consistent with the change in reducing sugar yield. In addition, variations in dissolved oxygen and pH values were also recorded, indicating the changes in bacterial strains and the enzymatic system. The wastewater from bamboo retting showed good biodegradability but a lack of nitrogen and phosphorus. Overall, a manganese peroxidase–xylanase combined enzyme-retting treatment would offer a more environmentally friendly approach for extracting bamboo fibers.
EFFECT OF NPK FERTILIZERS IN RELATION TO SEED YIELD IN BRASSICA JUNCEA (L) VAR. PUSA BOLD

An field experiment was conducted on cotton black soil to investigate the effect of various levels of NPK on the plant height, number of branches and on the seed yield. NPK application from 20:10:10 kg/ha, progressively and significantly enhanced the seed yield. The maximum seed yield was with the application of 50:40:25 kg NPK /ha, while the NPK application at the rate of 60:50:30 and 70:50:35 kg NPK/ha, receives decrease in yield. Similarly their was no enhancement in plant height, number of branches per plant and number of pod per plant in higher doses.
Potential Applications of Moringa oleifera in Poultry Health and Production as Alternative to Antibiotics: A Review

Because of developing bacterial resistance and increased public awareness of health and food safety problems, the use of antibiotics as growth promoters in the chicken industry has been outlawed. This problem has spurred the poultry industry and sector to explore for safe antibiotic alternatives and to focus on developing better long-term feed management solutions in order to improve chicken health and growth. As a result, phytogenics have developed as natural antibiotic alternatives, with a lot of potential in the poultry industry. Moringa oleifera has gotten a lot of attention from researchers in the recent past as a natural product with a lot of health advantages for poultry. Moringa is known for its antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and hypocholesterolemic properties, as well as its capacity to activate digestive enzymes in the stomach, owing to the presence of hundreds of essential ingredients. The potential influence of M. oleifera as a natural feed supplement on overall gut health, nutritional digestibility, blood biochemical profile, antioxidant benefits, antibacterial potential, and immunological response is emphasized in this review.
Plastic-strain of aluminium interconnections during pulsed operation of IGBT multichip modules

Catastrophic burn-out occurring during power-cycling of insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) multichip modules has been observed to arise as a secondary failure mechanism caused by the lifting of the emitter aluminium bonding wires. In fact, the successive lift-off of the aluminium wires turns in a current crowding through few IGBT cells with consequent triggering of the internal parasitic thyristor-structure. Based on failure analysis data, this paper presents an exaustive description of the symptoms and a simple qualitative model for the time-dependent lift-off of aluminium bond wires in IGBT modules. This power-cycling induced failure mechanism (occurring in the field and during accelerated tests) is described in terms of plastic deformation of the aluminium interconnections (bond wires and chip-metallization) during pulsed operation. Some practical conclusions are finally drawn for power cycle testing and for optimal thermal design.
Patterns of motivation and learning during test-preparation of Korean adolescents: an experience sampling approach

Abstract Student motivation varies quickly, particularly under the pressing context. However, extant literature tends to focus on the individual, rather than contextual, differences in motivational patterns. We examined Korean adolescents’ time-varying pursuits of achievement goals and learning outcomes using the experience sampling method, which collects individuals’ subjective experiences repeatedly across time and context. A hyperlink to an 11-item online survey asking about achievement goals and learning outcomes at the moment was sent to 45 adolescents twelve times during the weekend before the midterm examination. The multilevel data revealed that mastery-approach goals predicted cognitive strategies better at the between-person level where they were treated as stable individual characteristics. In comparison, ability-approach and -avoidance goals retained their predictive power at the within-person level where their time-dependent changes significantly predicted several outcomes. The results demonstrate how adolescents’ achievement goals fluctuated during a short time and how these changes predicted different learning outcomes.
Assessing the role of textiles in the performance of wearable screen-printed strain sensors for breathing rate monitoring

Wearable sensors for breathing rate (BR) monitoring are gaining increasing interest in sports applications. Particularly, resistive strain sensors are being extensively studied, thanks to their ability to monitor BR by recording the movements of the chest wall during breathing cycles. In this work, wearable screen-printed BR resistive strain sensors were realized and characterized using two different commercial textiles, and for each of them a geometry with two different dimensions. To assess the characteristics of the four resulting textile-sensor combinations, cyclic electromechanical tests were performed. The results allowed to select the most suitable textile and sensor dimension for the specific application, which is characterized by a sensitivity of 22 ± 2%, good stability over time and negligible drift. The optimized device was then tested on a human subject, which demonstrated the possibility to realize a simple low cost wearable sensor for BR monitoring.
Low Temperature and High-Pressure Study of Bending L-Leucinium Hydrogen Maleate Crystals

The polymorphism of molecular crystals is a well-known phenomenon, resulting in modifications of physicochemical properties of solid phases. Low temperatures and high pressures are widely used to find phase transitions and quench new solid forms. In this study, L-Leucinium hydrogen maleate (LLHM), the first molecular crystal that preserves its anomalous plasticity at cryogenic temperatures, is studied at extreme conditions using Raman spectroscopy and optical microscopy. LLHM was cooled down to 11 K without any phase transition, while high pressure impact leads to perceptible changes in crystal structure in the interval of 0.0–1.35 GPa using pentane-isopentane media. Surprisingly, pressure transmitting media (PTM) play a significant role in the behavior of the LLHM system at extreme conditions—we did not find any phase change up to 3.05 GPa using paraffin as PTM. A phase transition of LLHM to amorphous form or solid–solid phase transition(s) that results in crystal fracture is reported at high pressures. LLHM stability at low temperatures suggests an alluring idea to prove LLHM preserves plasticity below 77 K.
CFOs versus CEOs: Risk-taking incentives and decisions of corporate policies

ABSTRACT We undertake a broad-based study of the effect of the equity incentives of Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) and Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) on decisions relating to corporate policies and find that the risk-taking incentives of acquirer CEOs have a greater impact on the probability that firms conduct an acquisition than CFOs, extending the argument that higher risk-taking incentives induce CEOs to undertake more investments. Higher risk-decreasing incentives are associated with greater probability of firms conducting repurchases and seasoned equity issues (SEOs). Specifically, compared with CEOs, the risk-taking incentives of CFOs induce greater probability that firms conduct repurchases and SEOs.
The Comparing of S-estimator and M-estimators in linear regression

In the presence of outliers, least squares estimation is inefficient and can be biased. In the 1980’s several alternatives to M-estimation were proposed as attempts to overcome the lack of resistance. Least Trimmed Squares (LTS) is a viable alternative and is presently the preferred choice of Rousseeuw and Ryan (1997, 2008). Another proposed solution was S-estimation. This method finds a line that minimizes a robust estimate of the scale of the residuals. This method is highly resistant to leverage points, and is robust to outliers in the response. However, this method was also found to be inefficient. The aim of this study is to compare S-estimator with other robust estimators and the least squares estimators and also an example is given to illustrate the efficiency of S-estimator. The data used in this example are the air pollution measures. And finally a simulation study has been presented in this study. Key words: M-estimators, S-estimator, Robust regression, Least median squares ,Air pollution
Causal role of the right temporoparietal junction in selfishness depends on the social partner

Abstract The right temporoparietal junction (rTPJ) is a hub of the mentalizing network, but its causal role in social decisions remains an area of active investigation. While prior studies using causal neurostimulation methods have confirmed the role of the rTPJ in mentalizing and strategic social interactions, most of the evidence for its role in resource-sharing decisions comes from correlational neuroimaging studies. Further, it remains unclear if the influence of the rTPJ on decisions about sharing resources depends on whether the other person is salient and identifiable. To clarify the causal role of the rTPJ in social decision making, we examined the effects of putatively inhibitory rTPJ transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) on Dictator Game behavior with one partner that was physically present and one that was only minimally identified. Under control conditions, participants tended to create more advantageous inequity toward the partner that was only minimally identified, selfishly keeping more resources themselves. rTPJ TMS reduced this differential treatment of the two partners. Clarifying prior mixed findings, results suggest that the rTPJ may play a role in differentiating between others when deciding how equitably to divide resources, but may not play a general role in reducing selfishness by promoting aversion to advantageous inequity.
Youth’s participation in agriculture: A fallacy or achievable possibility? Evidence from rural South Africa

Background: The realisation of more youth involvement in the agricultural sector has proved to be elusive, so the question of the possibility of a youth-led agriculture needs further investigation.Aim: The aim of the study was to assess whether there is potential for the rural youth to participate in agriculture by employing the typology formulation approach.Setting: The study is premised on recent calls for strategies to reduce youth unemployment in sub-Saharan Africa by involving and enhancing the agricultural sector.Method: A survey in questionnaire form was conducted with 224 youths from two districts in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The Principal Components Analysis and K-Means Clustering were performed to determine the youth typologies and assess their potential.Results: Five typologies were identified. Most youths (59.3%) were found in Typology 1 (those that see no benefits in farming) and in Typology 2 (older, experienced and with access to land). Typology 5 (male youths in agricultural cooperatives) had the lowest proportion of youths (5.7%). Participants in typologies 2, 3 and 5 were deemed to have high to moderate potential for successful engagement in farming. The highest potential was found in the typology with the least percentage of youths.Conclusions: The typologies showed that youths have varying perceptions and aspirations regarding agriculture. While some show an interest and have the potential to participate in farming, others do not. Therefore, the blanket notion of the youth’s lack of interest in agriculture should be qualified as it does not always hold. The heterogeneity in characteristics among the youths in these typologies, including their potential to participate in agriculture, expresses the differences in the kinds of support needed to increase their participation.
Meaningful Activities and Psychosomatic Functions in Japanese Older Adults after Driving Cessation

The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to analyse the differences in meaningful activities and psychosomatic function depending on the driving status of community-dwelling older adults. Data from 594 older adults were obtained, including activities meaningful to individuals and psychosomatic functions, such as grip strength, depression, cognitive function, and ability of activity. Participants were divided into active driving (n = 549) and after driving cessation (n = 45) groups. In addition, the active driving group was operationally divided into three groups: high-frequency group (n = 387), medium group (n = 119), and infrequent group (n = 42). In the after driving cessation group, grip strength, and Japan Science and Technology Agency Index of Competence scores were significantly lower. Furthermore, the proportion of apathy and physical and social frailty was significantly higher in the after driving cessation group. Regarding meaningful activity, domestic life scores in the after driving cessation group were significantly higher than those of the active driving group. Decreased driving frequency in the active driving group was associated with weak muscle strength, lack of interest, and low activity. This study demonstrated that meaningful activity differed based on the driving status. Hence, we should support the activities of older adults who are considering driving cessation.
The Effect of Self-Efficacy in Self-Management on Diabetes Distress in Young People with Type 2 Diabetes

To understand the relationship among glycemic control, self-efficacy in diabetes management, and diabetes distress in young people with type 2 diabetes, a cross-sectional descriptive study with convenience sampling was designed. A total of 60 young people who had type 2 diabetes (T2D), with 24 (40%) males and 36 (60%) females were included. The mean age was 17.2 and ranged from 10.5 to 24.5 years, and they completed a Perceived Diabetes Self-Management Scale, the Problem Areas in Diabetes Scale and their pharmacologic management and life adjustment. Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) was routinely drawn before the outpatient visit. HbA1c and diabetic distress were positively correlated. Self-efficacy was negatively correlated with HbA1c and diabetic distress. In the hierarchical multiple regression analysis, only the duration of illness and self-efficacy remained significant in the final model. The variance for the overall model was 64%, with self-efficacy alone explaining 30% of the variance. In addition, 31.6% of participants had extremely high levels of psychological distress. Conclusions: T2D is an early onset chronic disease, and the young people may have had other health problems, which made the diabetes management a complex process. Nursing staff should regularly assess both the confidence and ability to manage treatment regimen of young people with type 2 diabetes and their psychological distress.
NUMERICAL STUDY OF FREE SURFACE EFFECT ON THE FLOW AROUND SHALLOWLY SUBMERGED HYDROFOIL

The wave generation due to the presence of a body moving at steady forward speed beneath a free surface has been the subject of extensive research work in marine hydrodynamics. In this study, the free surface effect on the flow around shallowly submerged hydrofoil is numerically computed. Finite Volume Method (FVM) based on Navier-Stokes equations is used for this purpose. The standard NACA 0012 hydrofoil section is used for ease of comparison with available experimental data. The k-e turbulence model has been implemented to simulate turbulent flow past the foil surface. To get the free surface elevation, “Volume of Fluid” (VOF) method is incorporated in numerical simulation. Grid independency is checked using four grids of different sizes. To validate the computational results, the free surface wave generated by the flow around hydrofoil at submergence depth ratio h/c = 0.91 is compared with experimental results published by Duncan. The computed results show satisfactory agreement with the experimental measurements. Finally, free surface effects on wave profile are computed for six submergence depth ratios, h/c ranging from 0.911 to 4.0 and maximum amplitude at two different Froude nos. (Fn = 0.5672 and 0.70)
Military self-stigma as a mediator of the link between military identity and suicide risk

ABSTRACT US military Veterans are at greater risk for suicide than those who have never served in the US military. Recent federal calls include the need to investigate military-specific suicide risk and protective factors among military-affiliated populations. To date, no study has examined the link between military identity, self-stigma, and suicide risk. The current study used a nationally representative sample of post-Vietnam US military Veterans (N = 1,461) in order to determine relationships between military identity, self-stigma, and suicide risk. Idealism (OR = 0.86) with less odds of elevated suicide risk, whereas individualism (OR = 1.15) and military self-stigma (OR = 1.39) were associated with increased odds of elevated suicide risk. Military self-stigma was found to mediate the relationship between military identity components and suicide risk. Implications for conceptualization of military Veteran identity, suicide prevention, and future research are discussed.
Soluble MAC is primarily released from MAC-resistant bacteria that potently convert complement component C5

The Membrane Attack Complex (MAC or C5b-9) is an important effector of the immune system to kill invading microbes. MAC is formed when complement enzymes on the bacterial surface convert complement component C5 into C5b. Although the MAC is a membrane-inserted complex, soluble forms of MAC (sMAC, or terminal complement complex (TCC)) are often detected in sera of patients suffering from infections. Consequently, sMAC has been proposed as a biomarker, but it remains unclear when and how it is formed during infections. Here, we studied mechanisms of MAC formation on bacteria and found that sMAC is primarily formed in human serum by bacteria resistant to MAC-dependent killing. Surprisingly, C5 was converted into C5b more potently by MAC-resistant compared to MAC-sensitive Escherichia coli strains. Both the increase in C5 conversion and sMAC generation were linked to the expression of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) O-Antigen in the bacterial outer membrane. In addition, we found that MAC precursors are released from the surface of MAC-resistant bacteria during MAC assembly. Release of MAC precursors from bacteria induced lysis of bystander human erythrocytes in the absence of other serum components. However, serum regulators vitronectin (Vn) and clusterin (Clu) can prevent this bystander lysis. Combining size exclusion chromatography with mass spectrometry profiling, we show that sMAC released from bacteria in serum is a heterogeneous mixture of complexes composed of C5b-8, up to 3 copies of C9 and multiple copies of Vn and Clu. Altogether, our data provide molecular insight into how sMAC is generated during bacterial infections. This fundamental knowledge could form the basis for exploring the use of sMAC as biomarker.
Attenuation correction in PET using consistency information

In this study the authors use the consistency conditions of the Radon transform to aid attenuation correction in PET. The conditions are used both for estimating the parameters of a uniform elliptical attenuation distribution (without any transmission measurements) and for correcting for patient motion between the transmission and emission acquisitions. The results show that, for a uniform elliptical attenuation distribution, the reconstructed count densities obtained using attenuation correction based on the consistency conditions are within 1% of the true values. The method is shown to be fairly tolerant to the effects of photon counting statistics and to small non-uniformities in the attenuation distribution (such as skull attenuation). The results also show that the consistency conditions may be useful in correcting for patient motion. The method is shown to effectively compensate for shifts in two dimensions using both simulated and experimental data.